t’s fitting that the first scene of the new Hulu documentary about opens with an archival clip of David Letterman introducing her as For the majority of her career, von Furstenburg, colloquially referred to as DVF, has been synonymous with the wrap dress, a garment she designed 50 years ago that’s become Though the wrap dress as we know it today is considered a classic (and a trusty staple of any working woman’s wardrobe), when von Furstenberg first debuted her design in 1974, it was revolutionary. Though versions of the wrap dress, themselves inspired by early Asian wrap closure garments, existed before von Furstenberg’s, hers became a phenomenon because it captured the spirit of the time, when American culture was being rapidly shaped by movements like women’s liberation and the sexual revolution. Made of stretchy silk jersey with a v-neckline, a tie waist, and a skirt that hit just below the knee, DVF’s wrap dress was comfortable, lightweight, and universally flattering—a stark contrast to the restrictive clothing and masculine suiting often expected of women in the workforce.
Offered in a variety of cheeky and eye-catching prints that ran the gamut from bold leopard to colorful geometric patterns, the jersey dress was a study in contrasts: fun yet practical, proper but still sexy—it was a cogent reminder that women are not a monolith. Although von Furstenberg had favored silk jersey and playful prints since starting her eponymous brand in 1970, she was ins.
