Diane von Furstenberg is taking back control of her operations.
On Friday, the 52-year-old fashion house disclosed that by the end of 2024 the operations will be managed in-house again, and that Graziano de Boni, who joined DVF in October 2023 as chief executive officer, will be overseeing all aspects of the business. He has been reorganizing DVF as well as bringing in some new talent to the business in anticipation of how the company is being re-engineered. He reports to the board of DVF.
Since the end of 2020, DVF’s global operations, including design, production, marketing and distribution, have been managed by Glamel Trading Limited in Hong Kong. Glamel will only handle distribution of DVF product in the greater China region going forward. Throughout the licensing arrangement, von Furstenberg herself had approval rights over the design of her namesake products.
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Von Furstenberg and de Boni could not be reached for comment on Friday.
In a statement released by the company, de Boni said, “When I joined DVF ten months ago, I was asked to develop a plan for the legacy of the brand. Immersing myself into the history of DVF, I found not only the iconic wrap dress that continues to sell after 50 years, but also a vast archive of prints and fabrics that revealed a unique and strong design vocabulary.
“Furthermore, I was amazed by the richness and breadth of content material and by the authentic personal relationship multigenerational women have with DVF. All of this is very relevant for today’s digital-first landscape of retail and social media. Regaining control of the design and narrative of our brand was the first necessary step to re-imagining our business model for the future.”
Diane von Furstenberg said in her statement: “Graziano has spent considerable time this year working with the product and focusing on building the brand strategy. To execute on this strategy, it was necessary that our operations return in-house. I am very excited to support Graziano’s leadership redesigning the company as he surrounds himself with talent that understands the zeitgeist of today and respects and appreciates the richness of the assets of the past.
“I am very grateful to Glamel, our Chinese distributor, who has managed the global business of DVF from the end of 2020 to the present and look forward to our continued relationship, as they continue to distribute DVF in greater China for many years to come,” von Furstenberg added.
DVF is based on 14th Street in the Meatpacking District in Manhattan.
Prior to working at DVF, de Boni founded de Boni Consulting in 2018. Before that, he served as CEO of Armani USA, president of Reed Krakoff, president and CEO of Prada USA, and president and CEO at Valentino USA.
Diane von Furstenberg is considered one of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th century. Her groundbreaking wrap dress flew off the shelves after its creation in the 1970s, launching von Furstenberg’s career and solidifying her status as a cultural icon. While her company is 52 years old, her famous wrap dress celebrated its 50th birthday this year. In June, Hulu released a documentary about her life and career.
Von Furstenberg had hinted in a WWD interview in January that she was assessing the future strategy for her brand, indicating that it would be revealed in the fall. At that time she told WWD that she had no plans to sell the company, pointing out is continued popularity and history.
