Diane von Furstenberg is loving this season of life. When we hop on Zoom, she’s at home in Venice, Italy, where she’s spending most of her time these days.
“I realized early on in life that the best thing you can be is yourself,” she tells me. “You shouldn’t fight what you are meant to be.” For Von Furstenberg, that was a woman with many hats: mother to two, Andy Warhol muse, princess, epic fashion designer, philanthropist. And as of today, she’s adding another title: beauty collaborator with Estée Lauder. Today, the two powerhouses launch the limited-edition three-piece collection, aptly named InCharge after her own advocacy platform.
“When I first came to New York, I met Estée,” Von Furstenberg reflects. “She was very kind and recognized a younger version of herself in me.” The InCharge collection includes a blush stick, a trio of lip gloss oils, and a first-ever for the beauty brand: a water-based fragrance named InCharge Essence d’Eau Fragrance with notes of amber, honeysuckle, and vanilla. The products are all adorned in her famous Cloud Patch design that was first seen on her famous wrap dresses.
In honor of the three-piece collection, Von Furstenburg shared three pieces of wisdom about beauty and life she’s learned. “Every day is a luxury, and we should honor this life,” she says. “My mother’s beauty was her strength. She survived the concentration camps, and I honor her every day because my biggest struggle was to be born. Anything after that was a plus.”
Words Inspire
“I was born on New Year’s Eve. Every year, on my birthday, I get a new year of life and a new diary. My tradition is to pick three words for the year. The first word of this year is wisdom. You are a mountain full of wisdom and experiences, and it makes you strong. The second word is imagination. Imagination opens you up to dreaming and making big plans. Then the third word is magic. Magic is the unscripted scenario all around you, like certain parts of your life that come back around and people who come back.”
Invest in Yourself
“The most important relationship you have in your life is the one with yourself. Every other relationship you have after that, whether it’s with a husband, your children, anything else, is a luxury.”
Love Every Season
“Much like the moon, women also have seasons. The spring of life is when everything is starting, and you like to marvel at each and every thing. Then there is the summer of life, where the fruits of it all are being revealed. In the autumn of life, there are many beautiful colors and lessons. Then you enter winter, which is where I am now. It’s such a luxury to have experienced the other three seasons because aging is such a luxury. It’s beautiful, too.”
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