The Woman I Wanted to Be is the personal memoir of Diane von Furstenberg, and it is raw. It may seem like an explanation of who she is, why she works hard and the pride she takes in her profession, but it goes deeper than that.
This book serves as a motivator for anyone in the fashion industry suffering from a slight block in creativity, to a complete business breakdown.
Read between the lines and you could see that with true passion, you can strive for success – this is what Diane von Furstenberg has always done.
Arguably, her first marriage meant that she did not need to work, but thank goodness she did. Her vision and philanthropy have served both the consumer and the fashion industry.
Her iconic wrap dress was and still is a favourite in womenswear, and she is the president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Von Furstenberg uses her story to explain that if you truly want to exist in fashion and have a deep belief in, and passion for, your product you will work for it and you will achieve. No excuses.
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She is raw when she details her parents’ relationship, its break up, her mother’s survival of the Holocaust, and her own personal relationships. She has always made a solution out of every problem she has encountered and remains successful.
Personal memoirs can be tales of grandeur and woe, but Diane von Furstenberg’s book encourages personal growth.
After reading it, you may feel like taking five flights of stairs every day for better health, or you may feel empowered by their creativity to overcome current struggles.
Her story is not about privilege and opportunity, it’s about perseverance. What happens when a licensing deal is not going how you want it to, or when you decide to choose another route and essentially ‘start again’?
Diane uses this book to give you insight into that. Read it.
Buy The Woman I Wanted To Be here.
Image credit: Simon + Schuster
