Diane von Furstenberg and 11 Honoré Toasted Their Collaboration at a Colorful Lunch

How do you celebrate a collaboration years in the making? With a gathering of inspiring women from all walks of life. When 11 Honoré joined forces with Diane von Furstenberg for an extended size capsule of the designer’s iconic wrap dress, the result was one of the e-tailer’s most popular launches to date. The dresses may have sold out. Still, the partnership is only beginning, and yesterday Von Furstenberg and 11 Honoré’s CEO and founder, Patrick Herning, toasted its success with a special luncheon at DVF’s Meatpacking District headquarters.

Cohosted by Megababe founder Katie Sturino, the event was a tribute to the empowering spirit Von Furstenberg’s brand has long championed—something that resonated deeply with 11 Honoré’s clients. “This was about listening to our customers, and from the beginning, DVF was the number one brand they asked for,” shared Herning pre-event. “This is the most we’ve ever ordered from a single designer, and it [already] has the highest sell-through rate.”

Ashley Longshore’s portraits of trailblazing women like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Greta Thunberg, and Michelle Obama lined the walls of a room filled with some of fashion’s most interesting, enjoying a rapid-fire meet and greet. Alongside modeling luminaries like Tara Lynn, Marquita Pring, and runway star and disability activist Mama Cax, there was body-positive writer Nicolette Mason and Même Chose founder Jessica Joffe.

A fan of intimacy, Von Furstenberg encouraged guests to pass the mic and share a bit about who they are and what is inspiring them currently. The conversation made for a lively atmosphere and more than a few humorous revelations. “Diane, I’m so scared of you, but I have loved you forever—everyone here has,” quipped Sturino, who shared the story of her social media post asking for the DVF label to extend its sizing a little over a year ago. “It fits! To know that you’ve made a real dress in my size and not a size 20 that I have to tape and drape—I just want to say thank you.”

That sentiment was echoed by many in the room; the appeal of the wrap dress has always been its efficient, accessible glamour, something many who wear larger sizes haven’t had access to in the past. A fashion fail-safe that makes every woman look and feel her best, it’s Von Furstenberg’s signature piece and a mainstay within the wardrobes of the women who’ve adopted it as their own. The fact that it’s now offered up to size 24 brings the concept to a whole new audience, opening the door for even more to adopt the #InCharge ethos in their daily lives, which Von Furstenberg is eager to see.

“They say I made the dress, but the dress made me. I became successful, [but] as I gained more and more confidence, I would wrap that confidence around other women. That became such a wonderful way of being,” she said. “To be in charge is first and foremost a commitment to yourself; it’s owning who you are, and being true to yourself.” Well said.