Diane von Furstenberg’s China Expansion: “I Love Being Here”

Fourth DVF Location In Mainland China Recently Opened In Beijing

Perhaps no Western designer made more direct overtures to the Chinese market over the past few years than Diane von Furstenberg, whose DVF brand currently operates four mainland China locations in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. Though her brand’s expansion efforts have been overshadowed in 2012 by recent high-profile events like “Lanvin Loves Beijing,” the grand opening of Alexander Wang’s first Beijing store, the 3D “New Dimension Beijing” Hugo Boss fashion show, Armani’s “One Night Only In Beijing,” and Montblanc’s Monaco-in-Beijing blowout, von Furstenberg’s ability to mingle among and bring together a diverse group of Chinese media elites, artists, and fashion insiders has made quite a splash in China. Von Furstenberg’s enviable stature in the Chinese social media world — she currently has more Sina Weibo fans than Twitter followers — means she and her brand have a far greater presence in mainland China than some brands with three times the number of locations.

This week, the Wall Street Journal caught up with Diane von Furstenberg to discuss her thoughts on “the China century” and the development of the Chinese female consumer over the past 20 years.