Diane von FurstenbergThe Woman I Wanted to Be

This is a great autobiography. Diane has been open, honest and vulnerable. She told us things I might not have had the courage to tell. she revealed how much she struggled with her empire. I never dreamed things had been so tough for her. My respect for successful people grew by leaps and bounds. Thank you Diane for this sometimes lovely, sometimes not so lovely biography.

I loved this book because you live her success all through the book. I think the personal life and professional success stories were well blended. What a passionate life! The general feeling is not only was she obviously a very talented woman but also very lucky. She happened to be all the time in the right place at the right moment and had met the write people. In any case, it's very inspiring.

Diane von Furstenberg (DVF) is a woman to admire. She credits her mother for her elegance and for training her to be independent. She credits her father for his unconditional love. Then there is that wrap dress she created, which a woman of any shape or size can wear confidently and stylishly. DVF tells the story of how she became the woman she wanted to be. She led a fabulous life, good schools and travel, mingling with the rich and famous and people of accomplishment in the arts. She talks about love and it's importance in an unabashed way. "I have tried not to lie my whole life", she writes, and I believe her. She was introduced into the Jet Set life, married a prince and danced and designed her way to the DVF empire which now has stores world wide. There were setbacks, both financial and health, but she is still standing and smiling. The book was a blast from the past for me, moving through six decades and inspiring all along the way. I ordered a wrap dress which I can't wait to receive and I look forward to what she does next!

I enjoyed reading DvF's The Woman I Wanted to Be. I was really excited about this memoir, which seems to have been timed perfectly with the recent launch of DvF's reality TV series. Aside from the first chapter, which tells the story of Diane's mother surviving the Nazi concentration camps, the rest of the book feels like an impersonal account of Diane's personal and professional milestones, with random stories sprinkled in between. Her tone in this book feels distant and her powerful personality, charm, and sense of independence didn't really shine through. She glossed over the hardships she endured in her personal and professional life, almost sounding like an E! News reporter recapping an update instead of speaking about her thoughts and emotions as she experienced these hardships. I like that she included an interesting glimpse into her childhood, her "boring" youth, and all the different stages of her life until now, complete with all the whirlwind romances and big loves (aided by the journals she kept). It was a quick, fun read written honestly about Diane's life as a princess, socialite, designer, daughter, mother and more.

In this autobiography DVF gladly cheers us on to become the women we want to be as she reveals through honest and vulnerable confession her imagined and real failings as well as her amazing successes through hard work and serendipity. This truly adventurous woman's life is a genuinely inspiring wild ride. Her account is inspirational , enthralling, fast-paced and fun!

Living your own life is the message that Diane wanted to get across in the book. She was very candid and honest about her life its ups and downs and twist and turns. She lived a very different life then let's say the average person did .....she went after things with the gusto not necessarily a plan but with the gust of life. She had ability to meet and to be surrounded by people that would help her in her business and she was not shy about saying that she did approach them and worked with them- I admired her tenacity and the part of her to keep moving ahead and keep standing. After all that's what we all want to do is be able to stand tall and keep moving forward no matter what we do. Read the book it will definitely give you a great inside to her .....her character and her lifestyle.

Súper buen libro, Su vida me parece cosa de película, mi parte favorita es la última donde habla del negocio de la moda, creo que se pueden tomar notas importantes.

I always read Autobiographies and Biographies, and I have to say I really enjoyed this book. Her writing was beautiful. You could almost feel you were there beside her. I thought it would much more about the Design business, but actually a lot about her childhood and her family, especially her Mother. It certainly helps you understand her much better. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone.

Came earlier than told...such a great gesture..loved it

Enjoyed reading this book very much. Diane gave a very honest and captivating recount of her life which was filled with amazing experiences and thoughtful reflections. Thanks for writing this book!

Dianne is a wonderful writer. I enjoy reading biographies and even more so autobiographies but this was so personal, exposing a real woman in her vulnerabilities and strengths. I believe the book hides little gems of life advice we could take from Dianne. Whilst I devoured the majority of the book in a few hours, the last few chapters lacked the same spark and also felt a bit crammed with facts and names and less meaning. Might be because they were happening in late 1990s - 2000s and life became rushed for all of us, all of a sudden. :)