The Couture Council to honour Diane von Furstenberg

The Couture Council of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (MFIT) has announced that it will honour fashion designer and entrepreneur Diane von Furstenberg with the 2026 Couture Council Award for “her transformational influence on women’s fashion”.

Von Furstenberg will receive the accolade during MFIT’s annual Couture Council luncheon on October 22 at Gotham Hall in New York City, following in the footsteps of previous winners, including most recently Olivier Rousteing of Balmain (2025), Simon Porte Jacquemus (2024), Gabriela Hearst (2023), Maria Grazia Chiuri of Dior (2022), and Wes Gordon of Carolina Herrera (2021).

The fundraising event benefits the Museum at FIT, the only museum in New York dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion, featuring more than 50,000 garments and accessories dating from the 18th century to the present in its permanent collection.

Jason S. Schupbach, FIT president, said in a statement: “We are incredibly proud to recognise and celebrate Diane von Furstenberg for her transformative and global impact on fashion.

“Diane’s iconic vision has redefined what it means to dress the modern woman with confidence, and her career is a masterclass for our students in what’s possible."

MFIT will celebrate Von Furstenberg for her “immeasurable impact on the world of fashion,” as well as being a philanthropist and author “who has dedicated her life to inspiring women”.

The New York-based designer founded her eponymous brand in 1972 and two years later introduced the wrap dress, which the museum states “came to define freedom for generations of women”. After the brand’s initial success, she relaunched DVF in 1997, and the brand has since grown into a global luxury lifestyle label known for its bold approach to colour and print.

Commenting on the honour, Von Furstenberg added: “Fashion is truly the zeitgeist, and no institution understands that better than FIT.

“From the excellence of the college to the distinction of the museum and its public programmes, FIT continues to promote and engage the creativity of generations to come. I am very thankful to be recognised and honoured by such a renowned organisation.”