The Woman I Wanted To Be by Diane Von Furstenburg

The Woman I Wanted To Be by Diane Von Furstenburg




The “Wrap Dress” made its debut in 1974. This dress changed the life of Diana Von Furstenburg. It was a simple, yet elegant and beautiful dress that cinched at the waist, was made out of jersey material, hugged the body and usually boasted amazing, vibrant prints. It was also Diane’s key to financial independence. The Woman I Wanted To Be is the memoir of the woman behind the dress. It is the story of her dedication, her drive, her losses, her loves, her struggles, her triumphs.
         Let me start off by saying that I was completely biased the entire time while reading this memoir. I am obsessed with Diane Von Furstenburg and her wrap dress. I have been a huge fan of her work for years, ever since seeing it for the first time on Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw in “Sex and the City.” I love it! I love the way it holds the body, framing even the most petite woman’s frame. I am not one for prints but I have always found her choices vibrant and gorgeous. It is so easy and yet magnificent. So needless to say, I am a fan. When I came across her memoir, The Woman I Wanted To Be, (a signed copy nonetheless!) my heart soared. Here was my opportunity to learn more about the woman behind the dress! I dived into these pages head on!
But wait. This was not the story I was expecting. It was more, much more and I recognized it within the first few pages when she talked about her mother, a Holocaust survivor. It was her mother Lily, who endured thirteen months as a prisoner at both Auschwitz and Ravensbruck, that taught Diane strength, determination and how to be fearless. That information provided so early in the book set the foundation for the amount of honesty and candor that would flow throughout the pages. Diane would go on to speak of the story of her parents and how she would have to get affection from her father, who was extremely loving toward her and instilled in her a confidence that she would fall back on throughout her life. Diane then honestly describe falling in love with men in many different relationships and affairs. She would become a princess after marrying Prince Ego von und zu Furstenburg at 22. Their marriage would deteriorate but the friendship would not. They had two children together, Alexandre and Tatiana, who together would hold Diana’s strongest love. “Love is life is love is life…”

Diane created such a well done, honest memoir about her life! It’s set in six different parts which are easy to follow and really emphasize the different phases of her life and career. You get to know her personality and her history in the first three parts The Woman I Am. Then you get to learn about her impact on fashion and how it all occurred in The Business of Fashion. This memoir was simply well thought out and honest. I love how she was able to reflect on her life and honestly describe those events that shaped who she is. She isn’t always cast in a great light and she struggled with her identity on and off for years. Diane made sure to express that! She wants the reader to understand that they too can overcome hardships. This memoir was also fun. The fashion, the lifestyle, Studio 54, it was all great and extremely entertaining. The people she knows, the life she has experienced the places she has traveled! All so breathtaking! I adored this book (again, I’m biased) and give it 5 out of 5 stars. Reading this memoir made me appreciate the beauty that I see in her work and that I see in her.

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