When Diane von Furstenberg talks, you listen.

The designer and prestigious global fashion icon, known for her iconic wrap dresses and her contagiously positive attitude, has a new project for her fans this fall. With a reality TV show coming on E! — “House of DVF,” premiering Nov. 2 — we’re in for a dazzling dose of DVF.

When I heard von Furstenberg was doing reality TV, I let out a sigh of relief. Not only will there finally be a new face on E! Sunday nights, but she will introduce the quality of her brand and mission statement while showing the audience that entertaining reality shows about women aren’t always filled with screaming matches and mascara running down everybody’s face — i.e. “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.”

Some may jump to the conclusion that von Furstenberg agreed to the show for publicity. In some cases that may be true, but she doesn’t need it. The only negative aspect of the show is the fashion bandwagoners it will attract. Watching one TV show won’t make you an expert on the business of fashion, but viewers have a lot to learn from von Furstenberg.

The new series, set in von Furstenberg’s world, explores the relationships between an ultra-successful boss who controls the fashion world and her eight eager-to-please associates in training. Culminating at New York Fashion Week, one winner will ultimately get the highly sought-after, yet demanding opportunity to work directly with von Furstenberg for one year as her Global Brand Ambassador.

Von Furstenberg made it her mission to differentiate “House of DVF” from other competitive reality shows by imparting positive messages to empower women. Many shows today highlight the bitter nature of women and pin them against each other, creating hostile environments and building false stereotypes. Sure, it can be entertaining, but this portrayal has been done too much. The cat fight nature of these shows is absent from “House of DVF,” as the designer is giving her contestants tasks pertinent to the job they’re competing for.

“Honestly one of the things that I deplore about some of the shows on television is that they objectify the woman and they make you say, if you’re a b*tch, you win,” she said at her media preview, according to Style.com. “And that was a very important point, that you don’t have to be a b*tch to win.”

This is a far cry from other fashion-related reality shows like “The City,” which von Furstenberg previously appeared on. “The City” focused on the competitive and mean nature of women in the fashion industry and almost promoted these notorious attitudes. “House of DVF” is the polar opposite and wishes to eliminate the negative stigma associated with working in fashion.

In 2011, I was lucky enough to hear von Furstenberg speak at Harvard University. She highlighted the same themes as in her recent interviews. She discussed the importance of empowering women in the fashion industry and encouraging their best work by demonstrating positive reinforcement instead of shaming them for the ways they look.

Prior to her appearance at Harvard’s forum, von Furstenberg had been in a skiing accident where she suffered a broken nose. She didn’t jump to the conclusion that she needed a nose job. Instead, she gave herself optimal rest to bring her body back looking and feeling better.

It was refreshing to observe von Furstenberg in that state, encouraging women to embrace themselves no matter what physical damage they have endured, and I can only hope she will continue to spread her ideals on the show. Many women working in this industry based on fantasy strive to eliminate imperfections instead of embracing them wholeheartedly.

Von Furstenberg is the real deal. Her past projects combined with the themes for “House of DVF” prove her to be one of the leading ladies of fashion. She believes in women and she acts upon those beliefs. There’s no doubt her show will be a hit. It has the power to show viewers a real side of the fashion industry that has been misconstrued through movies like “The Devil Wears Prada.”

Like she says, “You don’t have to be a b*tch to be successful.”

Zoe Malliaros is a sophomore advertising major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at zmalliar@syr.edu.

Published on October 20, 2014 at 12:01 am