Who said you can’t be comfortable and still look fantastic in designer duds? The stunning Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress is a clear example of what sheer imagination and outstanding talent can do.

“I am not interested in making children’s clothes,” Diane says. “I want little girls to want to grow up to wear the clothes. I do not want to do men’s clothes. My mission in life, what I understand in life, is women. I wanted to be a certain kind of a woman. I became that kind of a woman.”

By staying true to her simple, yet radical statement: “Feel like a woman. Wear a dress.”, Diane Von Furstenberg has become one of the most fascinating designers of our time. After gracing the cover of Newsweek in 1976 she was already known as an icon for female liberation, over five million of her wrap dresses being sold worldwide.

The iconic wrap dress was relaunched in 1997, together with a new clothing line from Von Furstenberg. This time, it was the daughters of the first-wave audience who welcomed the wrap into their closets. Today, DVF hallmarks include graphic floral prints, cinch-waist skirt suits and forties glamor. The dress, however, still remains an iconic DVF piece, worn and adored by Hollywood stars and royalties alike, Kate Middleton and Michelle Obama among others.

Diane recently released a series of inspiring videos to empower women worldwide to follow their dreams and become independent, just like she always had in mind. Her story, in short, can be seen here:

Featured image by David Shankbone on Flickr