Search
AI-powered search, human-powered content.
scroll to top arrow or icon

DVF in Davos: A fashion icon is still fighting for gender equality

“I wanted to be a woman in charge,” Diane von Furstenberg said. “And I became a conduit for a certain freedom.”

The iconic fashion designer, who changed women’s apparel 50 years ago with the “wrap dress,” has long been a champion of gender equality. This week in Davos, her work earned her a Crystal Award, presented annually by the World Economic Forum to creators and innovators making a positive impact on society.

DVF, in the rare stratosphere of stars known by just their initials, sat down with GZERO’s Tony Maciulis to talk about bridging the gender gap, the “masculine wave” currently in politics and business, what it means for diversity initiatives, and how she views her legacy decades into her historic career.

She reflected on the power of a “little dress” that built her career, her own inspirations including German actress and singer Marlene Dietrich, and why she has hope for the creative women of Gen Z.

Follow GZERO coverage of Davos here: https://www.gzeromedia.com/global-stage

More from Global Stage

Can we use AI to secure the world's digital future?

How do we ensure AI is safe, available to everyone, and enhancing productivity? It’s a big topic at this year’s UN General Assembly. That’s why GZERO’s Global Stage livestream brought together leading experts at the heart of the action for “Live from the United Nations: Securing our Digital Future,” an event produced in partnership between the Complex Risk Analytics Fund, or CRAF’d, and GZERO Media’s Global Stage series, sponsored by Microsoft.

Is the Europe-US rift leaving us all vulnerable?

As the tense and politically charged 2025 Munich Security Conference draws to a close, GZERO’s Global Stage series presents a conversation about strained relationships between the US and Europe, Ukraine's path ahead, and rising threats in cyberspace.

Can we rebuild the Internet for democracy?

At the 2026 Munich Security Conference, entrepreneur and Project Liberty founder Frank McCourt makes the case that the internet, and the AI systems rapidly reshaping it, must be redesigned to serve people, not platforms.

Ian Bremmer: The US–China AI space has “Zero Trust”

China was largely absent from the core conversations at the 2026 Munich Security Conference. That, says Ian Bremmer, is telling.

Why countries are picking their own alliances

At the 62nd Munich Security Conference, Parag Khanna, founder and CEO of AlphaGeo, says globalization isn't dead, it's evolving. Speaking with GZERO’s Tony Maciulis, he explains that countries are forming flexible alliances that expand and shrink based on their interests. “You’d rather be in the tent...if it suits your interest than not in it,” Khanna notes, highlighting how the US, Europe, and Asia are adapting to shifting global priorities.

What does “sovereign cloud” really mean?

Sovereignty has become one of the most powerful, and least defined, words in tech policy. At the 2026 Munich Security Conference, SAP global head of government affairs, Wolfgang Dierker, explains why governments and enterprise customers are demanding more control over their data, cloud infrastructure, and AI systems amid rising geopolitical uncertainty.