The Woman I Wanted to Be - Hardcover

"Diane's book evokes everything she has lived through. It is honest, direct and fascinating -- just like the author herself!"--Anna Wintour

"Diane von Furstenberg's story offers a behind-the-scenes look into the ups and downs of building a global business, creating an enduring brand, and finding true love. By sharing the path that enabled her to become the woman she wanted to be, Diane shows all of us how to live a life of focus and passion."--Sheryl Sandberg

"Diane is the original modern princess who created the iconic wrap dress and has influenced fashion everywhere with her talent, lifestyle, elegance and beauty. Every girl will love reading her book."--Kate Moss

"It has been a gift to read this book, and a true privilege to learn and discover that much more about DVF. What a thrill to be given an opportunity to peek even further into her life."--Sarah Jessica Parker

"In this era when girls are made to think it's better to be a princess than a person, Diane von Furstenberg's The Woman I Wanted to Be is just the reverse. I thank her for honesty, spirit, encouragement to be one's own self in public and professional life, and a memoir that covers more human experience than most novels. Pick it up -- you won't put it down."--Gloria Steinem

"[a] warm, confiding memoir."--VOGUE

"It's so good, you'll want to take notes."--PEOPLE

"The legendary designer Diane von Furstenberg has a lot in common with her iconic wrap dress: practical yet sexy, demure yet revealing, sturdy yet fragile. This memoir is an intriguing page turner filled with her revelations about life, business, family and love. Fearless about naming names and probing her own failings, she analyses a 'little fling' with Richard Gere as sincerely as she does her midlife retreats from the fashion area--and her dynamic comeback. Her core philosophy? 'Turn negatives into positives and be proud to be woman.' She emerges, at 67, as a witty and reflective grownup, albeit one with plenty of surprises up her beautifully draped sleeve."--MORE

." . . an honest an introspective look into the labyrinthine history behind one of the most iconic female entrepreneurs in fashion. Written in elegant yet straightforward prose . . . The designer candidly speaks of missteps and periods of her life which guided her away from what she truly wanted out of her life, and how she dealt with each situation, with grace and aplomb."--Bustle.com

"Diane von Furstenberg's life combines the hallmarks of a fairy tale with the more sober reality of a career woman--and single mother--who longs to have it all. . . . The book is as charming and erratic as von Furstenberg herself . . . the early pages paint a vivid picture . . . her account of those first years is colorful and poignant."--Finanacial Times

One of the most influential, admired, and innovative women of our time: fashion designer, philanthropist, wife, mother, and grandmother, Diane von Furstenberg offers a book about becoming the woman she wanted to be.

Diane von Furstenberg started out with a suitcase full of jersey dresses and an idea of who she wanted to be—in her words, “the kind of woman who is independent and who doesn’t rely on a man to pay her bills.” She has since become that woman, establishing herself as a global brand and a major force in the fashion industry, all the while raising a family and maintaining “my children are my greatest creation.”

In The Woman I Wanted to Be, von Furstenberg reflects on her extraordinary life—from childhood in Brussels to her days as a young, jet-set princess, to creating the dress that came to symbolize independence and power for an entire generation of women. With remarkable honesty and wisdom, von Furstenberg mines the rich territory of what it means to be a woman. She opens up about her family and career, overcoming cancer, building a global brand, and devoting herself to empowering other women, writing, “I want every woman to know that she can be the woman she wants to be.”