Today, Diane von Furstenberg will present her Spring 2018 collection, adding to a list of personal accomplishments that include, but are not limited to, being painted by Andy Warhol, pioneering 40 years of signature wrap dresses, and leaning into success long before Sheryl Sandberg’s book was written. In fact, the legendary designer wrote a few books herself, penning Diane von Furstenberg’s Book of Beauty, in 1976, and, most recently, The Woman I Wanted to Be—both tomes acting as relevant guides for women looking to both dress and live with an eye on freedom.
But when exactly did DVF first become the woman she wanted to be? “Between 28 and 35, a woman is at her peak,” von Furstenberg once declared to Vogue. She is not exaggerating; her Spring 2016 beauty look was inspired by the designer herself in the ’70s, when she transitioned into what she refers to as “the best age”: 30. She feels it’s the time in your life when you can feel comfortable making sure you’re living your life for your own benefit. So what should every woman know before she turns the best age? “Everything you do should enhance you. It’s just so nice to be you. Practice truth. Be you every day. It makes it so much better.” Here, DVF shares the nine rules to being your best self.
Make a “New Decade” Resolution
“Instead of New Year’s, you start the new decade. Make a big resolution for the [next 10 years]; it’s the moment to forget the bad habits and pick up the good ones. Drop smoking or drop sugar or whatever [your vice is]. If you carry your bad habits after 30, it will only be harder to quit. It’s the time for a foundation. You’re building a building. Finish the foundation by the time you’re 30.”
Wear Sunscreen
“Avoid the sun more—which I didn’t do. Protect yourself. [Wear] sunblock.”
Leave Your Hair Alone
“Everyone has different hair with different issues. Try to avoid major things that will stop your hair from being healthy. I never dyed mine, I always did henna, and as a result I have very healthy hair at my age.”
Lean Into Your Makeup Bag
“It’s not relevant today, but if I slept with a guy, I made sure he didn’t see me without makeup. That was a different time. It was the ’70s. We were crazy. When I was 30, you wore a lot of makeup and eyelashes. But, again, 30 is when you are a full woman. You can go for it in a full way, be the woman you want to be. If you like makeup, wear a lot of it. [If you don’t, don’t.] Take away the things that you do that aren’t really you. Remember who you are and stick to it. [But that doesn’t mean you can’t] experiment all the time.”
Take a Solo Vacation
“Make sure you have a moment of solitude. The relationship that you’re building with yourself, that’s your building. Enjoy you and enjoy who you are. Take a trip on your own.”
Stretch Daily
“If I recommend one thing, I would recommend that you do yoga. It’s good for your body, it’s good for stretching, it’s good for your mind, and it’s a wonderful thing to do. Make time to do it—and then do it. Make sure this is the last time you think that you have bad posture. [Thirty is] the last call for bad habits.”
Keep a Diary
“Keep a diary—it can be a visual diary like Instagram or a written one—because you’ll be so happy to look back and read the adventure of your life. Live life fully and don’t be afraid to push the doors that are open.”
Eat to Nourish Your Body
“You are what you eat. It’s as simple as that. Eat fruit in the morning, eat lots of vegetables, avoid wheat, avoid sugar. That doesn’t mean you have to be perfect, but just enjoy being healthy. You only have one health, and your body is what you eat and what you do to it.”
Learn to Dress for Yourself
“By the time you’re 30, you better know what’s good for you, otherwise, forget it. What [looks] right on you? What is you? I feel that you should be serious at the base, and once you’re serious at the base, you can be frivolous and have fun or be completely crazy on top.”
