Diane von Furstenberg on the “magical” wrap dress and fearlessness

2 days ago

By: Katie Razzall, Culture and Media Editor

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Von Furstenberg, 77, launched her famous wrap dress in America in 1974 and told me that, by "some magical thing, it took off."

This magic seems to be a combination of style, dynamism and timing.

It was a time of liberation, when women were pushing to be taken seriously in the workplace

The dress was flattering but office-appropriate.

The stretchy jersey fabric and wrap design "shapes your body and makes you look 'proper' but at the same time sexy," said Von Furstenberg.

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She had already created a wrap top modeled on a dancer's cardigan, with a matching skirt and pants.

But during Watergate, she was delighted to see President Nixon's daughter, Julia Nixon Eisenhower, on television defending her father over the political scandal.

"She wore my wrap top with a skirt. I was like “oh look”, I was so proud.

And then I thought: 'you know what, we should turn it into a dress'.

In the years since, Madonna, Jerry Hall, the Princess of Wales and generations of regular working women have worn versions of this dress.

Oprah Winfrey remembers saving up for this when she was a young journalist.