Diane von Furstenberg on Holding the DVF Awards in ‘Glamorous’ Venice and Why She Sees the City as a Woman
variety.comEllise Shafer To Diane von Furstenberg, the city of Venice is a woman. “I’ve never wanted to be any other woman than me, right?” the iconic fashion designer and humanitarian told Variety before the 14th annual DVF Awards. “But I would love to be Venice.” Von Furstenberg estimates that she has been to the group of Italian islands every year for most of her life, a love affair that began when she first started her fashion brand in the ‘70s. “I mean, the most glamorous party I ever went to in my entire life was in Venice and at the time of the [film] festival,” she said. “Venice was everything!” von Furstenberg added, recounting the city’s history. “She was a warrior, she was a courtesan, she was a diplomat, she was manipulative — she was so many things.” So it’s only natural that the event, which she said honors “extraordinary women who have the strength to fight, the courage to survive and the leadership to inspire,” took place in Venice — coinciding with its annual film festival — for the second year in a row on Thursday night.
Started in 2010 by the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation (established by the designer and her husband, IAC mogul Barry Diller), the DVF Awards give each honoree $100,000 for their non-profit organization or to further their own efforts.
This year’s edition, co-hosted with Vital Voices Global Partnership, honored lawyer and philanthropist Amal Clooney; United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J.
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