Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg has shared a filter-free mirror selfie in a swimsuit on Instagram as she prepares for New York Fashion Week at age 79.
Standing in front of a bathroom sink, the designer posed in a black one-piece bathing suit with spaghetti straps, a facial sheet mask draped over her face, and a stack of bracelets and bangles on her wrist.
"Getting ready for New York Fashion Week ! 79 and no filter! OWN IT," von Furstenberg wrote in her caption, accompanied by praying-hands and thumbs-up emojis.
Celebrity Praise for Natural Selfie
The unfiltered post drew immediate applause from celebrity friends and peers across social media. Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen echoed her caption by commenting "Own it," while former Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi called the designer a "legend" alongside a fire emoji.
Former J.Crew president Jenna Lyons also labeled the designer a "legend" in the comments section, while singer Jewel simply wrote "Beauty."
Von Furstenberg, best known for introducing the iconic wrap dress in 1974, built a global fashion empire under her self-titled label and previously served as president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. New York Fashion Week, one of the four major international fashion weeks alongside Paris, Milan, and London, brings top designers, buyers, and media together semi-annually in Manhattan.
Reflections on Aging and Wrinkles
The selfie is the latest instance of von Furstenberg publicly discussing aging. The designer spoke openly about growing older in her 2024 documentary, Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge.
During the documentary, she said that she does not "understand" why people "do not embrace age." She remarked: "I’ve always been attracted by wrinkles, you know? Age means living," according to InStyle.
"You shouldn’t say how old you are, you should say how long have you lived," she added, explaining that wrinkles reflect the "map of your life." She noted: "If you take all your wrinkles away, you know, the map of your life is different."
Reflecting on her life and longevity, she said: "I don’t really want to erase anything from my life…I’ve had a full life. I’m 76; I should be 300."
Candid Confessions and Personal History
Despite her embrace of natural aging, von Furstenberg admitted that watching her own documentary was an intense experience. Speaking at a panel discussion following a screening of the film at the Tribeca Festival in 2024, she shared a candid confession with the audience.
Watching the feature felt "like being at the gynecologist," von Furstenberg joked, according to Page Six. "I looked like s**t. I said I liked wrinkles, but I didn't realize I had so many," she added.
The fashion pioneer, who was previously married to Prince Egon von Furstenberg of the former German princely family of Furstenberg, said she ultimately enjoyed the film. Speaking in a Q&A session with broadcast journalist Gayle King, she described the project as a tribute to her mother, Liliane Nahmias, a Holocaust survivor.
"I did enjoy [the film]," von Furstenberg said. "At the end, it's really a tribute to my mom... That's why I had a big life. My mom wanted me to have a big life."
