See Diane von Furstenberg and Ashley Longshore's Feminist Collaboration
If you're looking for a female designer who is using her platform to support women's rights and gender equality, an incredible example would be Diane von Furstenberg. She used International Women's Day on March 8 as an opportunity to launch an art collection for which she collaborated with painter Ashley Longshore to celebrate influential women throughout history.
From first viewing this collaboration, it's immediately clear that both von Furstenberg and Longshore see the importance of female leaders past and present, who have sparked change across a variety of fields. Driven by gender equality, von Furstenberg was enthusiastic to present a female artist's work. She decided to exhibit Longshore's work in her New York studio, providing a highly visible place for the empowering collaboration to debut.
“When I first met Ashley, I was impressed by her force of life and vibrant talent. I am excited that we joined together to celebrate International Women’s Month by showcasing extraordinary women in history. I provided Ashley a list of women who have inspired me through their energy and achievements and she has done an amazing job creating their portraits.”
—Diane von Furstenberg
Longshore has chosen more than 30 women to convey through her vivid, colorful brushwork. She avoided her characteristic use of glitter to focus on the patterns of each woman's clothing. This approach connects to von Furstenberg's designs and helps to get across the spirit of women coming together—fitting since the paintings were on view for a week of International Women's Day-related events and panel discussions at the DVF studio in New York's Meatpacking District.