@DVF: Diane Von Furstenberg's Techie Love Triangle

by Abby Weiss, Fashion Publishing

 

 

 

Facebook. Twitter. Instagram.

What were once daring homesteads in the Wild West of the Internet landscape, have now become powerhouses of modern communication across our global community. Like a hurricane, the online world of social media continues to drastically affect popular culture and everything in its path. And fashion, is in the eye of the storm.

But even with the tremendous growth of fast-fashion, E-Commerce, and online blogging, much of the fashion industry is holding back- remaining in an un-easy and un-decided relationship with modern technology. Women’s Wear Daily reports that many luxury brands, including Prada, are heavily favoring a more cautious route with this technology.

One person who’s not is Diane Von Furstenberg.

Google Glass pioneer, Instagram junkie, and Tweet-happy former Princess, the 66-year-old icon is on the forefront of everything the fashion world is afraid of.  No stranger to innovation, Von Furstenberg has pushed boundaries throughout her career– leading the creation of New York City’s beloved High Line, serving as president of the groundbreaking CFDA, and oh yeah, creating the iconic wrap dress, forever changing the working woman’s wardrobe.

But is the youthful enthusiasm of Diane Von Furstenberg’s personal relationship with social media a true representation of her company’s alignment? Or is it all for show?

With over 230,000 followers on Instagram, 350,000 likes on Facebook, 600,000 followers on Twitter, and an impressive frequency of “self-postings” (versus postings on behalf of the brand by a member of the DVF social media squad) there is, without question, a strong level of commitment from the designer.

The New York Times recently reported on Von Furstenberg’s active Instagram presence, noting,  “the designer routinely scours the site for commentary,” and even for design inspiration.

Christian Oliver, an Account Executive for Domestic Wholesale at Diane Von Furstenberg corporate, further testifies to the designer’s social media savvy. “Diane herself is often the one directly communicating via these platforms.”  The company also stands at an exciting technological juncture within the sales department itself. “The Domestic Wholesale team has started to use an App called Joor that streamlines our order entry process,” Oliver explains. “Once the App is more fully developed, it could become a major tool for all segments of the wholesale world.”

Design, Marketing, and Sales? It seems Diane Von Furstenberg is truly ahead of the game. And if this gamble is half as successful as the wrap dress, I’m all in.