Eighteen months before I was born, my mother was in Auschwitz. She weighed 49 pounds. She always told me that God saved her so she could give me life. I was born out of nothing.
Diane von FurstenbergThe biggest mistake a woman can make is not to be herself in public or private.
Diane von FurstenbergWhen a woman becomes her individual most effective close friend existence is simpler.
Diane von FurstenbergIt's very often true that some women look better without makeup, but that's only during the day.
Diane von FurstenbergThe more independent you want to be, the more generous you must be with yourself as a woman.
Diane von FurstenbergI really have fun making up. I have a good face for making up, good bones. I do the shapings, then the eyes. Then I put on mascara and I do something else. Then I put on mascara again and do something else. Then I put on more mascara and my whole face is completely made up.
Diane von FurstenbergThe easier your hair is to manage the happier you'll be with it and the prettier you'll feel.
Diane von FurstenbergNo one should notice how your eyes are done or the color of your eyeshadow. They should just notice you and notice that you're beautiful, that you have beautiful eyes.
Diane von FurstenbergWe are living in such a troubled world that fashion seems completely irrelevant. Yet...it's a very, very mysterious thing. Why all of a sudden do people like yellow? Why all of a sudden do people wear combat boots?
Diane von FurstenbergWe need to encourage designers and agencies to be responsible. We need to make sure everyone is sensitive to the issues. But to calculate the girls' body mass - I personally think it is demeaning.
Diane von FurstenbergI don't like to talk about my dreams. I like to make them happen. I prefer to talk about them when they're done.
Diane von FurstenbergWhen I was a little girl, if I didn't eat my soup, my mother would say, 'You have to think of all the Chinese children who have nothing to eat.' But now, for my children, Chinese people make everything, and for my grandchildren, they buy everything.
Diane von FurstenbergIt's more than just a dress; it's a spirit. The wrap dress was an interesting cultural phenomenon, and one that has lasted 30 years. What is so special about it is that it's actually a very traditional form of clothing. It's like a toga, it's like a kimono, without buttons, without a zipper. What made my wrap dresses different is that they were made out of jersey and they sculpted the body.
Diane von FurstenbergI have always been a nomad and I have mastered the art of packing! I always say: pack lightly, live lightly.
Diane von FurstenbergEven if your skin is perfect, even if it's glowing and beautiful, electric lights defeat you. They deaden the complexion, make it look drab. They rob you of color...In the evening, you just can't play the natural kid bit, that fresh-scrubbed look.
Diane von FurstenbergIf you're short, don't wear extremely high heels. After a certain age, you shouldn't wear little girls' clothes. That's going against your nature.
Diane von FurstenbergIf you're not sure what to wear, if you don't know how everyone else is going to be, then just be at your most beautiful.
Diane von FurstenbergThe little black dress is the true friend...she travels with you...is patient and constant...you go to her when you don't know where else to go and she is ALWAYS reliable and timeless.
Diane von FurstenbergIt's important to leave your face without makeup for a while after waking up...Let your skin breathe a while before applying your makeup, even if it means waking up a bit earlier.
Diane von FurstenbergSo as a founder, you have an authenticity and a human factor that is really special and that gives an enormous amount of energy and fuel. But as a founder, you’re also not as cold, maybe, or as pragmatic.
Diane von FurstenbergThe girls who were unanimously considered beautiful often rested on their beauty alone. I felt I had to do things, to be intelligent and develop a personality in order to be seen as attractive. By the time I realized maybe I wasn't plain and might even possibly be pretty, I had already trained myself to be a little more interesting and informed.
Diane von FurstenbergI obviously don't feel under pressure to look young, because I have had no Botox or surgery. I don't judge people who choose to have it, but I don't want to erase who I am.
Diane von FurstenbergIn Sardinia one summer my best friend Marisa Berenson and I ironed each other's hair. We used a hot laundry iron and took turns putting our hair on the ironing board, literally ironing it. That's a recipe for straightening that may be highly successful, but is definitely not recommended.
Diane von FurstenbergIf you're a little hippy and full-bosomed, don't try to remake yourself in the image of a skinny fashion model. It won't work. You can trim down your hips. You should always concentrate on special movements to keep your breasts firm and lifted and young. Hippy and bosomy can be very nice, very desirable. Accept it.
Diane von FurstenbergThe important thing is to believe in what you do. Have a big dream and take small steps.
Diane von FurstenbergWhen I was young, I lived like an old woman, and when I got old, I had to live like a young person.
Diane von FurstenbergOne of the most important things about fashion is to dress as well as you can, look as attractive as you can, and at the same time be comfortable with yourself. Be easy about your clothes; forget about them.
Diane von FurstenbergPassion and persistence are what matter. Dreams are achievable and you can make your fantasy come true, but there are no shortcuts. Nothing happens without hard work.
Diane von FurstenbergI've never met a woman who is not strong, but sometimes they don't let it out. Then there's a tragedy, and then all of a sudden that strength comes. My message is let the strength come out before the tragedy.
Diane von Furstenberg