Fuelled by the need to have a career of her own that was outside of her cocooned life with her first husband Prince Egon zu Furstenberg, Diane von Furstenberg created a liberating garment in 1974 – the wrap dress. Her campaign motto? “Feel like a woman, wear a dress!” With its figure-loving, printed jersey fabric that took no more than five seconds to slip into or slip out of, it went on to become one of the icons of the women’s lib movement in the ’70s because it was exactly what the working woman needed. Easy on the pocket and easy on the eyes, it sold more than a million pieces by 1976, landing von Furstenberg on the cover of Newsweek as “the most marketable woman since Coco Chanel”.
In its 40th year, the message of the wrap dress is louder than ever – stay comfortable and stay strong. Here’s how you can wear the classic piece with these unusual style accents.
Easy ways to take your DVF wrap into 2014
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From chain-link to giraffe, DVF motifs are iconic. Kick it up a notch with a friendly clash of busy patterns.
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Rework its office angle by taking it for a fun evening out. Set the mood with a glitzy box clutch.
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Work in some clever layering. The tunic-and-trousers combination is here to stay, so try pairing your dress with some fancy pants.
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Channel its comfortable vibe into your accessories. Swap the run-of-the-mill penny loafers or laced-up brogues for a pair of pointy Mary-Jane flats.
Jersey wrap dress, Rs 37,300, Diane von Furstenberg at Kitsch. Brocade palazzos, Rs 18,000, Bungalow 8. Leather and metal pointy flats, Rs 3,590, metal minaudière, Rs 3,590; both Zara
Photograph: Farzan Randelia; Styling: Daniel Franklin; Make-up and hair: Mitesh Rajani; Model: Zoe/Anima Creative Management; Assisted by Neeti Gadodia (styling)
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