Diane Von Furstenberg - Diane von Furstenberg reveals wrap inspiration

Diane von Furstenberg reveals wrap inspiration

Diane Von Furstenberg's classic wrap dress was inspired by the end of her marriage.

The designer was infuriated by the belief she was a kept woman - in particular a 1974 cover article in New York magazine about herself and Prince von Furstenberg which had the tag line 'The Couple That Has Everything. Is Everything Enough?' - and designed the garment to symbolise individuality, femininity and inner strength.

She said: ''As awful as that story was, it made me realise that I did not want to be a socialite.

''That was so far from the woman I wanted to be. I wanted to be independent.''

Diane says the end of her marriage marked the start of a ''fairy tale'' for her.

She told W magazine: ''I exploded. Usually the fairy tale ends with the girl marrying the prince. But mine started as soon as the marriage was over.''

Diane - who stepped briefly out of the fashion world in 1994 when she was diagnosed with tongue cancer - says she is now in the ''third phase'' of her career.

She said: ''The first time I did it to be independent. The second time around was to show myself and the world that my success hadn't been an accident. Now I am in the third phase, which is 'I Mean Business'. This is a new starting line for me.''