Celebrating 50 years of Diane von Furstenberg's wrap dress

Brussels’ Fashion and Lace Museum is celebrating the work of the famous Belgo-American designer Diane von Furstenberg in the form of an exhibition, titled “Woman Before Fashion”.

The Brussels-born designer is known for her signature wrap dress, which became an instant hit as soon as it went on sale in 1973. The show pays tribute to the wrap dress, which turns 50 this year, and the creator behind it.

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“Woman Before Fashion is not a retrospective. It is a free approach to the Diane von Furstenberg’s work. Comprising a selection of over 50 models and a wide-ranging iconography, the experience begins with fashion and ends with the woman. Through an interplay of visions and a juxtaposition of creations, this exhibition provides the keys to understanding the incredible career of a female designer who understands women,” states the museum's website.

The exhibition, which is on till 7 January next year, sheds light on the designer's strategy of personifying the wrap dress in department stores in line with mindsets of the 1970s; the development and diversification of her lines; and her approach to women and to clients.