

Iconic designer takes the global stage

Headshot of Emma Bazilian










Tell me about how you see the brand's global footprint evolving.

How do you keep a legacy brand relevant?




It was one way of reaching [millennials]. Strangely enough, the period of my life that I remember the most is that age between 22 and 30. That's when I did everything: I got married [to first husband Egon von Furstenberg], I had two children, I moved to America, I started the company, and I was a huge success. I did all of that before I was 30. And therefore, talking to girls that age is very important to me. I relate to them, and I also feel it's so great because that's the moment when if you say one thing, you open a door and their lives could change.

How important is social media in marketing to millennials? Do you feel that it's become more effective than traditional advertising for fashion brands?
Yes, and not just for millennials. Listen, I am happy that I was old enough to have danced in Studio 54 and young enough to have been part of the digital revolution. My iPad is my best friend. One thing that is so exciting about this generation of millennials is that all of them feel that they are a brand. So how do you talk to them if you are an established brand? It's all very interesting. And that's another reason why [doing House of DVF] is also good. It's important for me to hear what [the contestants] have to say.

You've always been a big supporter of technology in fashion, whether it's using Google Glass on the runway or introducing tech accessories before most other designers had begun to.
Yes, I've been very, very excited about technology. It's very much part of what we're doing, which is all solution driven. I think we will no longer discuss technology and fashion as two separate things. Technology is so much a part of our life that we don't think about it that way anymore.

There has been criticism that fashion's adoption of tech sometimes feels forced. Do you think that's true?
I don't think it's forced. I mean, at the beginning, I don't know, but now technology is part of our lives. So not using it seems unthinkable.

You were an early adopter of mass retail collaborations, specifically the QVC collection you did in 1992. Was that considered a shocking move for a designer at the time?
Yes, at the time. It was a revolution. My husband had just left Fox [and purchased a stake in QVC], and when he first went in there and saw the television screen being used in an interactive way, for him, it just opened a whole new horizon. It was a major thing for both of us.

In recent years, though, DVF hasn't really taken part in the high-low trend. Why is that?
I've always put myself in a niche where the value and price is always good. I've never been very expensive, and that's where I want to stay.

Your retail footprint has been expanding quite rapidly; there are now 132 DVF stores around the world. How important is brick and mortar to your global business?
Retail is important for many, many reasons. It is important because [our stores] are like little embassies. It's all about harmony. But all that is changing. There will be a big shift in [our retail strategy] in the next year.

What can you tell me about that strategy? Are there any areas that you're looking to expand into, whether it's reintroducing beauty products or adding more lifestyle products?
Oh, yes, yes, yes, very much so. We really want to focus on this millennial woman who is active. The baby boomers were a huge generation for us, but the millennials are even bigger. When I started as a young woman, I wanted it all, and I wanted it in a very simple, easy, effortless way. And that is where the concept of my accessory line and my clothing is going to go. At every brand, you lose yourself at some point, you know. People get comfortable with what they sell. But sometimes you need to shake it up. And now is the time I'm beginning to shake it up again.

This story first appeared in the Oct. 12 issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.

@adweekemma emma.bazilian@adweek.com Emma Bazilian is Adweek's features editor.