Jacqueline Kooser

ENC 3502
Professor Wright
Final Research Paper
Due Date: June 25, 2015

Rhetoric and Language in Fashion

Introduction
For centuries, women have turned to fashion to represent themselves.
Whether its at work, at home, or out in public, style has always been a
statement of who a woman is. As someone who is always reading and
researching fashion brands, I find myself constantly looking for ways
that fashion brands tell their story. I propose to analyze Diane von
Furstenbergs branding through writing to her audience throughout the
past four decades. The way she communicates involves the utilization
of Aristotles three appeals. She also uses her strengths as a rhetor to
take the next furthered steps in her career, bringing kairos into play.
Background Information
Most luxury brands use their messaging to tie back into the
consumers emotion, like Burberry, for example. Whats so special
about the same plaid print coming out in the same men and womens
styles each fall? Its not the plaid, its the language the brand uses, and
has used, in order to speak to consumers. The plaid pattern that we

continue to see year after year isnt just plaid, its classic and
traditional style, bringing audiences back to a different time. Burberry
uses a language that shows consumers that they can always a
connection back to the era when classic prep was prime.

Diane von Furstenberg is a very famous and well-respected designer.

Diane, formerly Diane, Princess of Furstenberg, in Brussels, Germany
(Vogue, April 2012) was born and raised in Germany. At the age of 18,
she moved to Switzerland to study in college. After marrying into a
royal family, Dianes life was very well off, and there was not much
need for her to be employed. She and her husband had two sons and
moved to New York. Once in America, Diane decided to begin making
clothes. "The minute I knew I was about to be Egon's wife, I decided to
have a career. I wanted to be someone of my own, and not just a plain

little girl who got married beyond her desserts (Diane von Furstenberg
History, May 2015).
Dianes story is full of hard work and ambition from there. She took her
designs, made at home while she watched her sons, down to Vogue.
She was put on the list for New York Fashion Week in order to show the
world her designs, and boom. She became a designer. Her most iconic
design is known as the wrap dress, which was simply a jersey dress,
made of cotton that was easy for all women to wear. That one dress
sold about 3 or 4 million. I would see 20, 30 dresses walking down one
block. All sorts of different women. It felt very good. Young and old, and
fat and thin, and poor and rich (Diane von Furstenberg, Vogue April
2012).

Her designs brought women of all different kinds together to celebrate

the spirit of being feminine.
For four decades, Diane has continued to build her empire and speak
to women in a way that will never go out of style. In the 70s, when her
adventure began in Manhattan, Diane realized that she didnt want to
just have a career, she wanted to create something that was
meaningful to women and always will be. Diane yearned for her brand
to be more than just a fashion line, so she began to write books. After
the 70s buzz about the wrap dress calmed down, Furstenberg began
experimenting with the cosmetic field. Eager to share what she had
learned, she wrote Diane von Furstenbergs Book of Beauty: How to
Become a More Attractive, Confident and Sensual Woman. (DvF
History, DvF.com) Just by talking to people, Diane took her voice from
her book into a real designer to consumer relationship. Throughout
the 80s, Diane decided to refocus her brand and sell her cosmetic line.
She focused on expanding her brand on Madison Avenue, the heart of
fashion in Manhattan. Furstenberg wanted to continue writing to her
audience, rather than just selling to them. She relocated to Europe and
wrote a three part series about having a well decorated, healthy and
happy home.
The 90s came along and Diane was back in New York. She realized
that her brand had grown so much while she was away, that she

needed to find her connection to it again. Diane declared her

headquarters to be in the West Village in New York City, and became
involved with the community. She began championing the
construction of the High Line, a deserted railroad track that was
redeveloped into a lush park (DvF History, DvF.com). This was the
turning point of fashion icon into philanthropic fashion icon for
Diane.
Due to all of her efforts to support the city of New York, Diane was
named president of the Counsel of Fashion Designers of America
(CFDA) after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. Diane
continued to inspire and empower women, not only through fashion
but also philanthropy. She became a board member of Vital Voices, a
womens leadership organization, in 2008. Two years later she
established the DVF Awards with the Diller-von Furstenberg Family
Foundation to honor and bestow grants to women who have displayed
leadership and courage in their commitment to worthy causes. (DvF
History, DvF.com)
The past four decades have lead consumers to understand what it is
like to build an empire and do it ethically. This fifth decade has brought
many more awards and recognition towards Diane. She has spread her
writing across the globe, selling her books in several different countries
at her large flagship stores.

Theoretical Framework
Aristotles definition of ethos, pathos, and logos have guided language
in many forms of art throughout centuries.. Ethos refers to the
trustworthiness and credibility of a writer or speaker. Pathos is
associated with emotional appeal, and logos stays true the claim being
made through facts and logic. Diane von Furstenberg has used a large
amount of ethos throughout her time as an icon. Unlike other luxury
brands who play on the emotional appeal of consumers connection to
the past, Diane has communicated with her audience for almost five
decades through her knowledge of the industry and her writing that
speaks from experience.
Researching Diane as a designer, rather than DvF as a brand, has
guided me to realize that she is such an icon due to the fact that she
continues to stay true to her want for her consumers to understand the

process and the journey. Rather than touching on the intimate details
of her life, she speaks from the workhorse aspect of the business.
Diane is known as a credible rhetor across the entire globe, and she
took on that recognition with grace and determination to teach others
how to do the same in her field.
Interpretation drove my research for this topic. The paradigm of
interpretation has caused me to think deeper and differently about the
viewpoints of others. I appreciate the world of fashion, and I find it rare
to find a designer who is just as appreciative of the field as a
consumer. This research was creative and value-laden for me (Merrigan
and Huston pg. 28), as I am passionate about the field. Deciphering
this language that DvF continue to spread throughout her brand has
made it clear that the brand is up to perception of whoever is in the
audience.
Examining her rhetoric throughout the course of this research showed
me that not only succeeding in communicating her values and her
passion through her brand, but she has also successfully created an
ongoing career for herself. One of the older designers residing in NYC,
Diane continues to take her successes with gratitude and optimism;
always looking to take her talents to the next step. She has used her
language and belief to create new opportunities through kairos. Her
language is always setting her up for another journey. Timing is
everything in the fashion world, and DvF has that down, naturally.

Methods
The research I conducted and the reading I did all stem from the
methodological way of knowing. I wanted to not only understand and
make sense of the topic, but I also aimed to describe what I found
important, so that I could claim my final thought on the topic. This
topic may not be controversial, but I find it to be interesting to people
who really do see themselves working in the fashion industry. Knowing
who you are signing up to interview with or work for, and how their
rhetoric is interpreted by their audience. Pulling in Aristotles
definitions shows how much we can take from history and make it a
part of todays language, culture and art. Without the support of his
definitions and understanding of kairos, this research would have been
dull.
Closing
Fashion isnt for everyone. Its an art that has to be appreciated by
someone who really understands all aspects of it. Diane von
Furstenberg has made it clear that she is not only a designer, a role
model and a fashion icon, but she has proven to be a true admirer of
the art, and everything that goes into it, including the rhetoric and
language, and how much of a difference it makes.