Diane von Fürstenberg on Disney Plus documentary, her career and marriage

Releasing on Disney Plus, Woman in Charge tells "the story of the iconic trailblazer known by her initials DVF worldwide", according to the synopsis.

Celebrating its release, Fürstenberg joined the Radio Times Podcast to talk all about it - read more or listen to the full episode below.

What's the view from your sofa?

I'm actually on a boat, sailing near Majorca, so my view is always changing.

In your household you have children, grandchildren and your husband Barry Diller, a titan of the entertainment industry. Who controls the remote?

When I’m with my husband, he’s in charge of it. I am totally not in charge of that. You have to choose what to control.

In the new Disney Plus documentary about your life story, you reveal that, 18 months before you were born, your mother had been in Auschwitz concentration camp. How did that influence you?

My mother was, in my early years, very present – she wouldn’t allow me to be a victim or be afraid. If I was afraid of the dark, she would lock me in the closet. Today she could go to jail for that, but it was a good lesson – I became fearless.

Bearing in mind your later career, were you a fashionable teenager?

No. I remembered characters in stories that I wrote as a young girl were very similar to the person I became. So, to a certain extent, I always knew the kind of woman I wanted to be. You do not decide who your parents are, or where you are born, but you are in charge of how you navigate whatever comes in front of you.

You chose to marry a high society prince — how did that change your life?

We met at university aged 18 and we were discovering life. We hadn’t talked about getting married, but I got pregnant and he gave me a ring – it all happened very fast. He was an aristocrat from a wealthy family, and he navigated a world I didn’t know. Then, one day, I knew it too.

You took fashion by storm with the wrap dress and became DVF, a brand as much as a woman. Was that all part of your plan?

None of this was thought through. Before I married, I had worked in a factory for an Italian manufacturer who bought a knitting mill, and he basically invented jersey fabric. I brought some printed samples to New York, I made a simple little dress which moulded the body, and it became a phenomenon. I had no idea this would happen.

In 1983, you divorced and became an independent woman, in charge of all your choices, from business to your sexuality. Did you feel any judgement for either?

It was a window between the invention of the pill and AIDs. There was a sense of women’s liberation, and it was all very exciting. I didn’t do anything extraordinary that my friends didn’t do.

But not everyone was courted by Mick Jagger and David Bowie, from whom you reportedly turned down the offer of a threesome. What really happened?

Mick is a friend of mine, I am godmother to his daughter Jade. It’s true that they came to visit me, but it’s a bit of a joke – something I said I would tell my grandchildren, and I did!

The film details your many successes. But what can you tell us about failure?

It’s like pain: the minute it’s over, you don’t remember. I don’t dwell on things. I tell my friends when they’re experiencing difficult moments, "Remember these will be your best anecdotes when you write a book or do a TedTalk."

What advice would you give to a young woman setting out in life today?

To be in charge is, first and foremost, to make a commitment to yourself – it’s owning who you are. You own your imperfections, you can transform them into assets. You own your vulnerability, you can turn it into strength – and that is the big secret.

Listen to the full interview with Diane Von Fürstenberg on the Radio Times Podcast.

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