MARY GROVE: Hello, good
afternoon, how is everybody?
Excited?
Thank you so much
for joining us.
My name is Mary Grove,
and I'm the director
of Google for Entrepreneurs,
and it is my tremendous honor
to welcome Diane Von
Furstenberg back to Google.
Our guest today is
a remarkable talent
who needs no
introduction, but I would
like to share three
things that I particularly
admire about Diane.
The first is that she is
the ultimate entrepreneur,
an incredible self starter
whose story really embodies
the quintessential
American dream.
From Diane's arrival in
New York City in 1970
with just one suitcase
full of dresses,
DVF products are now sold in
55 countries around the world,
and has evolved far beyond the
iconic wrap dress which we're
celebrating the 40th
anniversary of this year.
Number two, is Diane's
steadfast commitment
to empowering women
all over the world.
In 2011 she established, through
the Diller Von Furstenberg
Family Foundation,
the DVF awards.
And these awards recognize women
who show tremendous courage
and bravery in the
face of adversity.
I admire everything she
does to support women.
And thirdly, I admire her
generosity and openness
and sharing so
personally her own story,
her own amazing family history,
her journey in establishing
and building a global brand
that is loved around the world,
her personal battle with cancer
which she fought courageously
and successfully, and her
views on love and life.
Please join me in welcoming
Diane Von Furstenberg.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: Hi.
MARY GROVE: Welcome, it's
wonderful to have you back.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Thank you.
When I came here
to speak in 2005,
I think, they were
practically no women here.
and I'm not sure the
others knew who I was.
And that's definitely changed.
And but it was pretty
amazing already,
but it was nothing
compared to what it is now.
So it's fun to be here.
MARY GROVE: Welcome back.
Before we get started, I want
to cue just a quick video, which
is the journey of
the wrap dress.
[VIDEO PLAYBACK]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[END VIDEO PLAYBACK]
So Diane, I wanted
to get started
by talking about your roots,
and you shared so much
of your personal journey--
you open your book by talking
about your mother's courageous
story as a Holocaust survivor,
how she gave birth to
you against all odds.
And she said to you, you
are my torch of freedom,
and taught you that
fear is not an option.
Can you share with us a memory
of how your mother helped
you become the woman
you wanted to be.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Well, first of all,
I think my mother was, what
they call today, a tiger mom.
Which is that, if I
was afraid of the dark
she would lock me into the
closet, which today you
could probably be arrested for.
But of course, after 10
minutes, it wasn't dark anymore,
because when you're in the dark
for 10 minutes you can see.
And also you realize that
there's no reason to be afraid.
So my mother didn't
want me to be afraid.
And one of the reasons why she
didn't want me to be afraid
is because of her own history.
At the age of 22, she
was a prisoner of war
and she went to the
Nazi concentration
camp of Auschwitz and
Ravensbruck and a third one.
She came back, she
weighed 49 pounds,
I mean, less than her bones.
She wasn't supposed to
have survived but she did.
She went back home and
her mother fed her.
Six months later her fiancee
came back to Belgium--
he had been in Switzerland--
and they got married,
and the doctor said you
absolutely cannot have a child.
Because if you have
a child-- your body
can't handle it, and
besides the child
will probably be not normal.
Well, sure enough, I was
born nine months later,
and I was not normal.
And you know when--
well, you are all young
so you know that when
your mother is very strong
you protect yourself
from all that strength.
But then when your
mother passes away,
you think a little bit more of
the impact that she had on me.
And so I wanted
to tell her story.
And by telling-- by doing
research and telling her story,
I realize that I
am her vengeance.
And I am the way I am because of
that, because of what she was.
So I ended up writing
about my mother
and then ended up
writing about me.
And so this book, this memoir
has been really difficult.
I've never gone to a therapy
before, and I did that.
But I really opened myself,
and I tell it really
as it is because I think that
truth and honesty is certainly
the most useful thing you
could do for yourself,
but it's also good to do
it, to have others do it.
So I am glad that people are
responding well to the book,
because otherwise I
would feel terrible.
I would feel horrible that
I open myself for nothing.
So I hope you enjoy.
MARY GROVE: Thank you for
doing that, absolutely.
So in the business of
fashion the wrap dress
which launched in 1974, by
1978 had sold millions already
throughout the nation and it was
revolutionary in its softness,
its versatility.
What do you think the wrap
dress symbolized then,
and what does it symbolize
now, 40 years later.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: Well,
the first thing it symbolized
is that I could pay my bills.
Which was, at the
end, my first goal
was to be independent because
my mother put it in my head,
and I really wanted
to be independent.
So I became independent
through that dress.
But because it was fashion,
what now I realize-- of course I
didn't realize it then,
but now looking back-- I
realize that as I was becoming
independent and confident
and the woman I wanted
to be, I was sharing it
to other women in fitting rooms.
So I was getting confident
and I was selling confidence
through the dress.
So that dress, to me,
I just made that dress.
It's not like I thought
it was something
that will live for that long.
But I guess that in
the sense that it
was my need, my own
personal need for freedom.
The dress was good quality, it
was effortless, it was sexy,
it was not too expensive,
but it just molded you.
It was proper enough
and sexy enough.
Somehow I guess that message
that was done through a dress
really took on, and women
really reacted to it.
And everyone in America
wore that dress.
I mean, I was 25 and
within no time at all
we were making 25,000
dresses a week,
which is 50,000
sleeves, that's a lot.
I remember I used to say that
because it looked like more.
So I lived an
American dream, which
of course, my American dream is
nothing compared to a Google.
I mean, it was very minute.
But it was, nevertheless,
an American dream
and I was a young woman.
MARY GROVE: So speaking of
Google, and welcome back
to Silicon Valley, you've
always been so transformative
and disrupting the fashion
industry if you look back
across the last four decades.
You started selling your dresses
on QVC and the Home Shopping
Network before merchandise
clothing was really
sold on television.
Last year you worked with Sergey
to debut Google glass in a DVF
fashion show, as well as launch
the first shoppable Hangout
where consumers could purchase
products live through a Google+
Hangout.
So looking now,
what technologies
are you most excited
about or do you think
are most critical to the
success of your business?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: Well
first of all, I joke always
and I say that I'm so
happy that I am old enough
to have danced at Studio
54, and young enough
to be part of the
digital revolution.
MARY GROVE: I saw you
Instagram outside.
Before we came in.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: I do.
And so I love technology.
And I think it's so
incredible what has happened,
and all the grounds
that we've broken,
and all the things that you
can do that there was no way
that we could dream
that we could do.
So I am very, very
into it and I love it.
And again, it was an accident
that I presented the Google
Glass first in the world.
I mean, it was-- but
it just shows you
that when you are
young-- or not young--
it's important to push the
doors whatever is happening.
And it's just
because I saw Sergey
hiding behind a tree
trying these things.
And I said, what are you doing?
And he said, come, I show you.
And they hadn't shown anyone.
This was in Sand
Valley and he showed
me that and we started to talk.
And it was July and I
said, Sergey have you ever
been to a fashion show?
He said, no never.
I said, you should come
to my show in September.
That was it.
And then two or three weeks
later, I get a call from Sergey
and he said, you know,
I was thinking how
about showing Google
Glass on the runway.
And I thought, oh.
I didn't even understand
what he was talking about.
I said sure.
And what it was,
it must have been
that day with talking
marketing, and saying, how can
we show it to the world in the
way that is not just dry tech.
And somebody said
the word fashion,
and he said, oh fashion.
I have a friend in fashion.
She invited me to
a fashion show.
And that is actually how
the whole thing happened.
And when you read the
book, it's at the very end
of the whole story it's at
the very end of the book.
You'll see that that day I
wasn't particularly loving
my show, and so anyway,
Google Glass kind of saved
my show because-- anyway,
so it's a long story,
but it just shows
you that you always
have to be very wide open and
curious and open to anything.
MARY GROVE: So on that note,
in following your journey,
I notice that you have a unique
for recognizing an opportunity
and then seizing the moment.
So one example would
be in your book
you talk to how you
had trained in Italy,
and you noticed this trend in
Europe where t-shirts, fashion
t-shirts were just becoming
fashionable in the Jersey
material, the soft material.
And so you brought
that to America
and then evolved it
to the wrap dress.
Another example would be
relaunching your business
when you noticed that
the hip young girls were
wearing vintage DVF
dresses from the 70s
and relaunching the wrap dress.
I'm curious if you see any
big new opportunities today,
if you think fashion startups
can really do anything
to seize a gap.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Oh, my god.
You don't need any-- you don't
need me to tell you that.
I mean, there's so many
intelligent people here
were looking for opportunities
and pushing the ground.
I mean, if anything, I'm
here to learn from you.
But it is, I think it
is important to dare
and push and look and be
curious and also when you fail,
you fail.
Then you get back
up and do it again.
It's-- life is a journey.
It's a big journey.
And people come in, people
go out, you have successes,
you have failures, and as long
as you're true to yourself,
it's OK.
MARY GROVE: So I want
to talk about the brand,
the global brand that
has become a phenomenon.
And you arrived in New York
and launched with the dress,
but ended up
transforming and growing
the line into cosmetics, into
fragrances, a home line, and so
much more.
Can you talk about the
lessons you learned along
the way about developing
DVF as a brand?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: Oh, my
god, I learned so many lessons.
But I am not necessarily a
good example of business.
I am an entrepreneur.
I am a dreamer.
And I'm a person who can
make-- who can have an idea
and make it happen.
I'm not the best executive.
I'm not a CEO.
So the lesson that
I would say is
that it's important to recognize
your strengths and weaknesses.
But I mean in the book--
this book is like therapy.
I never went to therapy before,
and this book was therapy.
But it shows that it doesn't
matter how old you are.
I mean, I'm a grandmother.
I'm old, I have-- I came up with
something that's already 40,
that you think that's so old.
And yet I still think of
myself like I'm a young girl
and I'm starting up.
And I guess I'll
always be like that.
But I think in a sense that's
also my energy and who I am.
That's why I start
again and again.
MARY GROVE: Love is life
is love, I heard you say.
So in the book you talk
about how you often
speak with young people and
a favorite piece of advice
you give them is it's passion
and persistence that matter,
and dreams are
achievable, but there
are no shortcuts,
and no hard work.
What is the best-- I want to
flip that question and ask you.
What is the best
piece of career advice
you received along the
way, and how did that
impact your journey?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
I don't know.
I mean, The only real advice
that I got from my mother
which I remember the most
is never be a victim,
and never blame
anyone for anything
even if they are blameable.
Just deal with it.
And that was great advice
because resentment is toxic
and blaming people
doesn't help anything.
I mean, the independence--
what my mother gave
me was the independence and
that is really something
that I value so much.
Now what I found out by myself,
and really, really early on,
and I am astounded that
I realized that early on,
and that would be
my advice to anyone,
is that the most important
relationship in life
is the one you
have with yourself.
I don't think I can give
bigger advice, advice
that applies to everyone,
men, women, old, young,
it doesn't matter.
Because at the end, the
strength is in yourself
and it's not in somebody
else, and it's not
any guy that's going
to make-- It's not.
It's you.
Then if you have
that relationship
with yourself figured
out, and it's not like it
you figure it out and
it's good forever.
It's practice.
It's every day.
You have to be
angry with yourself,
and then you have to
be nice to yourself,
and a lot of different things.
It's practice.
It's like pruning a tree,
or cleaning the plumbing.
But once you do have
that, and once you really
have a relationship
with yourself,
then any other relationship
is a plus and not a must,
and so you're not needy.
And I think that it's important.
So that's my advice.
Remember.
MARY GROVE: Most important
relationship is with yourself.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
That's right.
MARY GROVE: So
shifting gears a bit,
I want to talk about
the future and what
you're focused on
in the road ahead.
Can you tell us a little
bit about your new TV show?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: Oh.
Yeah, so this year
was very, very busy.
In January I celebrated
the 40th anniversary
of the wrap dress in a
big exhibition at LACMA
in the Los Angeles, which is
now featured in this big coffee
table book, Rizzoli,
"The Journey of a Dress".
Then I finished my memoir, which
was very painful and very, very
tiring.
And then I also did something a
little crazy, I did a TV show.
And it's called the House
of DVF and in a sense
it's both to be in
touch with young people
and also because I see what
garbage that my granddaughters
watch on television.
And so how can I go to that
genre and apply to that,
and make it fun, and make
it naughty, and make it
informative, but
at the same time
manage to pass some strong,
empowering messages.
So we came up with
this idea of six
to eight girls who
come into the company
and they learn everything from
merchandising to retailing
to marketing and design,
and then one of them
will win and become
a brand ambassador.
So we already have
three episodes
which you could
probably see online.
It's on E. And Sunday
night at 10 o'clock
you can watch episode four.
And it's eight
episodes and it will
end on December 20th I think.
MARY GROVE: Great.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
And one of the candidates
is from the Bay Area, but I'm
not going to tell you who wins.
MARY GROVE: So in
terms of looking ahead
from a business perspective,
in your book you talk
about DVF products are
sold in over 55 countries,
one of the more recent
countries you entered was China.
Can you talk about your entry
into the Chinese market,
how you--
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: OK,
first, first of all I love
China.
I mean I grew up reading
books about China,
Pearl Buck, or Tenten.
I was always fascinated by
the mystery and the strength
in the Wall of
China, everything.
So the first time I went
to China was 1989 or 1990,
and there were only bicycles
in Beijing at the time.
So I wanted to be known-- I
woke up about maybe by now
it's maybe four years
ago, and I said,
I want to be known in China.
And so I went to China a lot.
And I became very friendly
with a lot of people, artists
and writers, and bloggers.
And I spent a lot of time
because I wanted to--
because when I was a young
girl, even though it's funny
because even though I
didn't think I was going
to be in fashion, I
remember that I used to say,
if you sell one t-shirt to
every Chinese, you make--
And so I already
had that in my mind.
So I really wanted
to come to China
and not sound like an
American colonizer.
And so I spent time
knowing the people
and becoming friends with them.
And little by little I got
known in China and I have--
MARY GROVE: How many stores now?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Oh I don't know.
I have-- I have about
40 stores I think.
Quite a lot in China.
And I have how many?
One million or two
million followers?
I mean a lot.
So I like Chinese people.
I think they are smart
and they they're great.
I totally identify and I
wish I spoke the language,
but then again, I'm
not Mark Zuckerberg.
MARY GROVE: So In
terms of community,
you've been incredibly
involved through philanthropy,
through your own
family foundation.
More recently supported
efforts like the High Line
in the West Side of Manhattan
near the Google office
and a new park and art
space that's called Pier 55.
What is your hope
for where New York
City might be in 5 to 10 years?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Well, let's hope
that it stays out of
the water for one thing.
And you know, I always
saw New York like Venice.
For me it's like Venice.
It's the center of
both commerce and art.
Every artist in the world
wants to show in New York
and be sold in New York.
So for me Venice and New
York were very similar.
So that's why I'm very
involved into the waterways.
And I think that
we had a tendency
of going inland and building
highways along the coast.
So now we're trying
to the change that.
When I first came to New
York it was very, very cheap.
But it was also
very, very dangerous.
Probably goes together.
But at the same
time, they were a lot
of-- because it was very cheap,
there were a lot of artists
there and it was fun.
It was really, really fun.
Now it's different.
It's much more expensive,
and it is different.
But it still has
a lot of energy.
And I think that one of the
reasons that New York has
so much energy is because
it's built on granite.
So the minute you get to New
York, you have a lot of energy.
And I'm sure Google is
built on granite too.
Whereas Paris is
built on sand, so you
have a tendency to
kind of fall asleep.
MARY GROVE: Do you spend
much time back in Europe now?
Or are you between
Europe and here?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
I am European,
so I have a place in Paris.
And so it's important for
me to be-- it's nice for me
to go to Europe.
But my children and
my grandchildren
now live on the West Coast, so
I have a tendency to go west.
MARY GROVE: Are there any
up and coming designers
you think we should
be on the lookout for?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Well, I am
the president of the Council
of Fashion Designers of America
so I am basically the
mother of all designers so
as the mother of all designers,
I can't have a favorite child.
MARY GROVE: You
hear it here first.
So on that note, I am curious.
We talked a lot about how
your story personifies
the American dream,
you're an entrepreneur
with this tremendous
global perspective,
and the way that businesses
are born and grow
has changed tremendously
in the last 40 years.
Even in fashion, you've
seen the consolidation
of the large department
stores, for example.
Do you think that it would
be easier or more difficult
now to build a global
business and brand?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: I don't
think it's harder, actually.
I think maybe it's easier.
Because you have the internet,
so everyone has a voice.
If you have the internet, you
just do a website at the start.
So then you have a voice.
So I think that the
internet has given everyone
more democrat-- democracy?
Democracy.
Even though sometimes
it's a little dangerous.
So I think that overall, and
the world is more global,
and also you have more
mentoring systems.
And as the CFDA, we have an
incredible program with Vogue.
It's called the CFDA
Vogue Fashion fund.
And we mentor young
designers and help them
and that has really
helped enormously.
So I think that people
are more into mentoring.
But of course,
everything goes fast.
MARY GROVE: In a
few moments, I'm
going to switch gears and take
questions from the audience.
So if you have a
question in mind,
please feel free to
go ahead and line up.
So Diane, I want to
talk about your legacy.
And you've talked about
the various phases
of your life, how
it was independence,
getting independence, how it
was growing your business,
now it's sort of what
legacy do you leave behind.
You said that when
you and Joel Horowitz
were working on transforming
the company in 2012,
you did an exercise
where everybody defined
three words that
exemplified the brand.
Those were effortless,
sexy, and on the go.
So if you could
use three words now
to describe the legacy you
hoped DVF will leave behind,
what might they be?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Well, I think
that my mission in life
overall, business or not,
is really to empower women.
Since I empowered myself
first, and after I've
empowered myself,
it's important that I
feel that everyone can be
the woman they want to be.
And so I do that
through my work,
by making them feel sexy and
attractive with the clothes,
but also through mentoring
and philanthropy.
So maybe I hope to be
remembered as a woman who
did it for herself
and for others.
MARY GROVE: Let's take some
questions from the audience.
If you could introduce yourself
to start, that'd be great.
AUDIENCE: Hi, Diane.
My name's Connor I might
be behind the camera--
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
The only man here?
MARY GROVE: My husband
is also here in the back.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
All right.
Who's is your husband?
MARY GROVE: Steve Grove.
AUDIENCE: The bearded one.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: Hi.
AUDIENCE: Well, thank you so
much for coming out and talking
to us.
It's been wonderful
to hear from you.
My question is on
your advice that you
give about having your
relationship with yourself
is so important
and that you we're
astounded you found
that out so early.
How did you find that
out, and what do people
do on a day to day basis to
help build that relationship?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
How did I find out?
I don't know.
I was fascinated by mirrors when
I was a tiny, tiny little girl.
None that I liked what I
saw in the mirror, because I
didn't, but I liked that I
had control over that thing.
You if I did that,
she would do that.
You did that, they'd do that.
So I think that it
starts from there.
My relationship, it started
with the mirror, I have to say.
But it's wasn't
narcissism, because I
didn't like what I
look like at all.
But I like that I had control.
And so it made me realize that
I have control over myself.
AUDIENCE: That's awesome.
I've always tried to explain my
love of mirrors to other people
too.
So I can just point
them right to that clip.
That's perfect.
Thank you.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
That's very brave of you.
Be brave, that's right.
AUDIENCE: I have a question
from when you first
emerged in the fashion scene.
What has been the
biggest surprise to you
in terms of what you've
seen in the fashion world?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: What
is the biggest surprise
that I've seen in
the fashion world.
I don't know.
Oh my god, I don't know.
I guess that there are
not that many things that
actually surprise me.
AUDIENCE: It can be
a specific trend.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: What?
AUDIENCE: It can be
a specific trend.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Oh, the big trend.
I don't know.
But the big trends, they don't
appear like all of a sudden
it's a big trend.
It kind of crawls on you.
And if you are a designer
which at the end is what I am,
you kind of smell
it before it comes.
And that can't be explained.
That's really just the
mystery of fashion.
AUDIENCE: So you can't be
surprised, you know everything?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: No, I
don't know everything at all.
And the you know, the more
you know you know nothing.
No, no, no.
But I think it's-- maybe what
I would say what surprised me
the most is that fashion at
the end is a huge industry,
huge industry.
But it's also a very mysterious,
very mysterious thing.
That expands not just
on clothes, but food,
and the way people do things.
A little bit of a
collective madness.
AUDIENCE: Thank you.
AUDIENCE: Hi, Diane,
my name is Maida Felix.
You've talked about success,
and how you sometimes failed
and sometimes succeeded.
So I was wondering if you can
recall a time where you failed?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Oh, I failed many times.
You've got to read the book.
AUDIENCE: Yeah.
[LAUGHTER]
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
I failed many times,
but what I will say
to you is that I never
dwelled on my failures.
I just said, OK move on.
This is the reality,
whatever, cut your losses,
and then move on.
And then as you move
on, things happen good.
And then you don't even
realize that it all
started with a failure.
So that also was a
lesson from my mother.
She said not to dwell
on the darkness.
Always look for the
little bit of light,
and build around the light.
AUDIENCE: And do
you think-- where
do you find that strength?
Because I feel as young
people, sometimes it's
easy to get comfortable
if you have a job.
How can we find that strength
to jump and not be afraid?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
The truth is
that it's not the strength
that you need in order to jump.
You got to want it.
And wanting it most often
starts from frustration.
I don't know-- I don't think
I know any successful person
whose success didn't start
first with a huge frustration.
AUDIENCE: Thank you.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
That is the truth.
AUDIENCE: Diane,
my name's Emily.
I have a question for you.
So at Google--
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
You have a pretty dress.
AUDIENCE: Oh, thank you.
It's designed by you.
[LAUGHTER]
So we don't have a lot
of women at Google,
but I imagine in the
professional world,
it's full of women
and there's lots
of cattiness and mean people.
How do you handle
really catty people?
Like, in your show?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
We aren't catty, are we?
No, it's-- how do
you, I don't know--
I wouldn't waste
any time on that.
I really wouldn't.
At the end, you know it's just
what matters is what matters.
AUDIENCE: I really
enjoy your show.
And I love the message you give.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: Oh
you mean about the show.
AUDIENCE: Yeah.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: Well,
that, you have to understand,
that the producers
pushed them to.
That's the show.
The show they kind of say,
oh come on, are you upset,
they-- and I get
so mad when they
do that because I don't
want that to be there.
So it's to create
a little drama.
And I remember my
granddaughter telling me,
Didi, you need drama,
you need drama.
AUDIENCE: Thank you.
MARY GROVE: But you have
zero tolerance for--
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: No,
I don't no, I don't like it.
AUDIENCE: Hello,
my name is Firese.
I was wondering in
your career, how much
were you driven by
the business side
and how much were you
driven by the artistic side?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: My first
drive was to be independent.
So it was really to be
successful financially,
to buy my finance independence.
And so I didn't even
realize at the time
how much the creative
side mattered.
I mean, I just used
the creative side
in order to achieve
the next thing.
I would like to be able to spend
more time now on the creative
because I realize that
I'm much better at that.
But unfortunately,
you need both.
But I personally
prefer the creative.
The creative is not
just designing a dress.
It's thinking how
you could sell it,
it's also marketing, it's a
lot of that, and that I love.
Thank you.
AUDIENCE: Hi, Diane, I'm Lily.
So in the last
few years, there's
been so much of a focus
on, can women have it all,
the feminine and entrepreneurs
and family life and business
life, and you make it seem easy.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: It's not.
AUDIENCE: And I'm just
wondering what advice
you have for people trying
to strike that balance
and go forward.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
It's not easy.
I mean it's not easy
to-- people always
say how did you have a career
and children and a husband,
and most probably the
husband is the hardest.
And it's so unfair that I
say that, because in my case,
it's not true.
I have a husband who
is absolutely not hard.
But to combine it all
is very, very difficult.
But the truth is I think
that women are equipped--
I think women, we multitask
before there was such a word.
Because we are used
to handling it all and
do it all and everything.
Since we're mostly
women, I always say,
we have our period every month,
and nobody knows about it,
right?
Men couldn't handle that.
So I think that we're
just used to-- it's hard.
It's hard to do it all,
it's hard to have it all.
But it's worth it.
Because I think a woman
should have children,
whether she has them or
adopts them or whatever,
and I also think
the woman should
have an identity
outside the home.
So there you go.
Good luck.
AUDIENCE: Hi, Diane.
My name is Emily and thank
you again for taking time
to come here and to meet
all of the lovely ladies
and gentleman here at Google.
I want to share with
you a little bit
about myself,
because they do want
to ask you for your advice.
I grew up being very
involved in art and design,
and I thought that
that was something
that I really
wanted to get into.
When I graduated
college, we were just
recovering from the
economic recession
so at that point in
time my peers and I,
we were just happy to get a job.
We weren't thinking
about our passion,
we just wanted to make
sure we weren't unemployed.
So I got into tech, and I
found my way here at Google.
And when Google comes
calling, you don't say,
oh well, I don't know, I
don't want to be in tech,
you just say hey where is the
dotted line, I'm going to sign.
But now I definitely want
to ask for your advice
and see if I still have a
passion for art and fashion,
what should I do?
Should this be
something I can pursue?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: I
think that first of all you
have to make sure
that you have to have
an idea that make sense.
And maybe you can combine your
passion for art with tech.
And that's really how it goes.
You have to do
something that you like.
Clearly.
But I don't know, maybe
you're just a painter,
and you'd like to paint, and
you could also be a tech.
I think that you have to listen
to heart but also to your brain
and make sure that whatever
you do makes sense.
AUDIENCE: Thank you.
AUDIENCE: Hi, so I'm a little
bit older most of the crowd
here.
So when I'm listening to you
talk about all the failures
you've had in your
life, and for me,
especially since I'm kind
of stuck in the start
over phase, through
no doing of my own.
How do you go about the start
over after the failures?
Do you have a ritual?
Because I mean, it's
going to happen a lot.
That's part of being alive.
So what's your process for
dealing with it after you
figured out you failed and you
need to go onto the next step?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Don't dwell on the negative.
Just don't dwell on the
negative and learn from it.
And just be excited
about starting again.
I mean just starting,
there's nothing more fun
than starting because
so much is unknown.
And the unknown is exciting,
it shouldn't be scary.
I think it's exciting,
and you just go for it.
I mean, this is a company
where if you don't believe in
miracles here,
then I don't know.
AUDIENCE: Thank you.
MARY GROVE: One follow
up question, Diane,
related to that.
In your book you talk about
you had this incredible success
starting so early
in your twenties,
and then you took a brief
hiatus and then decided
to relaunch and come back.
So what was the
thought process where
you decided to start again?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Well, I thought
I was finished with fashion
and then I came back,
and I realized my
brand had disappeared.
With that, also a side
of my identity and I
didn't like that.
I mean, I've had
failures, but I mean,
when I hear it like
that, it's like overall,
my life has been
pretty successful.
So what I tried to
explain in the book
is that not
everything goes right.
And you just make it work.
But there were a lot of moments
that-- I mean, nobody outside I
was interviewed
recently in London
by a journalist, a fashion
journalist, who has known me
all along all
through these things,
and he had no idea that I was
going through a difficult time.
Because you don't say it.
And he read the
book, and he said,
oh my god I had no
idea, this and that.
So what I tried
to do in the book
is that it's like an
x-ray of how I felt.
And how I felt is how I felt,
so outside nobody knew that.
MARY GROVE: We're glad
you launched again.
Last question.
AUDIENCE: Hi, I'm Erin.
I just had a quick question.
There's a lot of interesting
stuff going on in fashion tech,
particularly around
democratizing luxury brands.
I think you yourself are on
websites like Rent the Runway,
I don't know if
that's by choice.
I'm just curious to
see as a designer
if you think that those sorts of
mechanisms devalue your brand,
or you're happy that more
people are wearing them?
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
I met those girls.
I think I was the first
person that they came to see
and they were smart.
I almost hired them.
And again, I said about them--
I don't know if anyone knows,
but it's about renting
clothes-- and I
think that they're great
girls, but I'm not sure
that five years from now
that what they're doing now
is exactly what they
will be doing then.
At this point they have the
largest dry cleaning business
in the country.
So it's-- but it
was their way in.
And so we'll see
where it all goes,
I think we all welcome that.
I think we all welcome
that, I think it's all good.
AUDIENCE: Thank you.
MARY GROVE: Thank you.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Even fighting fakes,
you know that's
part of the journey.
MARY GROVE: So
before we wrap up,
I'd like to close
with something that I
like to call free
word association.
Where I say one
word, and I'm going
to ask you to say the first
word that comes to mind.
Starting with fashion.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: Fashion,
fashion I would say beauty.
Beauty,
MARY GROVE: Travel.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Travel I would say adventure.
MARY GROVE: Belgium.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Belgium, I would say boring.
MARY GROVE: Confidence.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Confidence
I would say confidence
is indispensable.
MARY GROVE: Google
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Google is Google
is what it sounds
like it Googles.
MARY GROVE: Passion.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: Huh?
MARY GROVE: Passion.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Passion, passion, life.
MARY GROVE: Role model.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Role model, my mother.
MARY GROVE: And
finally, wrap dress.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Wrap dress paid my bills.
[LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]
Oh that, that's a little
piece of the TV show.
MARY GROVE: Before
we close, we want
to give everyone a sneak preview
of this Sunday's episode.
[VIDEO PLAYBACK]
-Amanda come on in.
How are you?
-Good, how are you?
I'm literally freaking out, like
shaking, my heart's beating,
I think my vision is
like going blurry.
-Bronson came to see me
and he say, wow you know,
I'm a little nervous.
How's it going?
-At times, there's like
a little bit of tension.
-What goes on?
-Well I got in a little
argument with Britney today.
She's trying to say little
things to put herself
here and put the others below,
and I don't think that's right.
She likes to be the boss and
take charge of the situation.
And I've kind of
just let her, but I'm
at the point where I--
I'm getting emotional.
I don't usually--
-No, that's OK.
-Thank you.
-You know, when I
was young I didn't
want to be taken advantage of.
As I get more confident
and less insecure,
I realize that you have
to stand for who you are.
-Yeah.
-It's important, especially
in the fashion industry,
to actually forget about the
personality of the people
you're working with.
Just get the job done.
[END VIDEO PLAYBACK]
[APPLAUSE]
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG:
Sunday at 10 o'clock.
And you can tweet a lot
so my ratings go up.
MARY GROVE: Before
we close, I wanted
to share with everyone there
are copies of Diane's two
new books.
One is the memoir, "The
Woman I Wanted To Be."
I can't recommend
it highly enough.
I loved reading every word.
And the second is this
beautiful coffee table book,
called "The Journey of a Dress."
And Diane will be with us
a bit longer to sign them.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG: If you
have the book on your laps,
can you bring it up like that
so I could take a nice picture?
All right.
Thank you.
MARY GROVE: Give a
very warm thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
