The force of Diane von Furstenberg‘s feminine prowess is palpable.
Which is exactly why the 79-year-old multihyphenate joined Jenny B. Fine, editor in chief of Beauty Inc, onstage at the 2026 Beauty CEO Summit, where she delivered a masterclass in longevity, relevance and the power of kindness.
“I was very lucky to become the woman I wanted very, very early. What I wanted to be was a woman in charge. I wanted to be a woman who could pay her own bills and who could have a man’s life in a woman’s body,” she said.
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What she didn’t want was to be labeled a “Park Avenue Princess.” She said: “That wasn’t quite me. I discovered myself as a woman.”
Launched in 1973, her wrap dress helped others do the same.
“That dress became a flag of freedom,” she said. “It’s always been the women before fashion, the in-charge women. So, I make products that are no bulls–t, that are flattering, that are beautiful. I want to make women confident and beautiful in a very straightforward way.”
Reflecting on the early years of riding the rocket ship through the fashion sphere, von Furstenberg recalled traveling from state to state, visiting department store after department store, where the red carpet was rolled out upon her arrival.
“The owner would come and drive, pick me up at the airport and take me to the TV station, and I would do ‘Good Morning Baltimore’ or Good Morning whatever. After that I would go to the store and they had the entire sales force of the store, and we had a little meeting, and I would show my dresses. Then customers would come between 12 and 3 [o’clock],” she remembered. “It was fun.”
Two years in, von Furstenberg made her first foray into fragrance. Named Tatiana after her daughter, her scent was sampled in small packets attached to the back of each dress. “I was making 25,000 dresses a week. That’s 50,000 sleeves,” she said. “So at some point we saturated this. I licensed the dress business, and that’s when I started my makeup line (The Color Authority).”
Housed in a little shop on Madison Avenue, her color cosmetics products were sold through a fashion lens. “I had these palettes, and they were divided in moods. The pinks were called Hot Passion Pinks, the reds were called Stop Traffic Reds, the orange was called Sunset Goddess, and the brown was New Wave Metallics, even though there was nothing metallic,” she reminisced.
The business sold for $50 million in 1983, and despite it being a semi-short run, von Furstenberg is pleased with her adventure in beauty. “You only regret the things you don’t do, so do. Sometimes you have to sell because you know you’re in difficulties, or whatever, you think it’s a good idea. Life is an adventure, and your life in business is an adventure too. So, follow your heart and do the best.
“In eight months I’m going to be 80, so I’ve been around for a long time,” she continued. “I can give you many pieces of advice, and the first advice I will tell you, the thing that I’m happiest that I never did is I never lied. If you don’t lie, no one can blackmail you. And now with AI, she knows everything you ever said, so don’t lie, OK?”
When thinking about the legacy she wants to leave, von Furstenberg said there’s power in being kind to those you touch. “Never in 1,000 years did I think I would end up promoting kindness, but kindness is a currency, and just like money, it compounds, and generosity is absolutely the best investment. It’s not just a virtue, it’s a tool, it’s a trick. So you can’t go wrong with kindness.”
That said, von Furstenberg believes your biggest asset is the relationship you have with yourself. “It’s very important that you never break that relationship,” she said. “Once you have that, any other relationship is a plus and not the must, and that works for business, too. You have to be comfortable with your own decision. Don’t compare yourself to anyone. Just be you, be the best of you, be honest with yourself and have a fun.”
For anyone concerned about the lack of gender parity at the C-suite level, the visionary said: “Who wants to be a chief executive officer anyway. Be a founder.
“I think women are smarter. I feel sorry for men,” she continued. “Women do two things very well: solution and seduction. Women always have the solution. What I mean by seduction is not necessarily showing your legs for example. But it’s about getting things done that you want to get done. Make them believe it’s their idea.”