20+ Photos: Inside DVF's Stunning Wrap Dress Exhibit in LA

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• Photos by Elizabeth Daniels
• Upon stepping into the historic May Company Building, your first sighting is a timeline hall that illustrates the wrap's history in film and pop culture. Diane's dream team for the exhibit: Bill Katz (exhibition designer), Stefan Beckman (production desig
• On the bottom far left is a fan letter from legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, who was an early supporter of DVF's work. The designer reveals that this letter, dated April 9, 1970, gave her the confidence to pursue her vision.
• More wrap dress moments in film. Exciting news: the May Company Building is set to become the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in 2017. (Our sister site Curbed LA has some
• A raw image by photorealist artist Chuck Close (2011).
• Pop art heaven.
• Simply iconic. Diane von Furstenberg by Andy Warhol (1984).
• Australian blogstar Jessica Stein of Tuula Vintage posing by Julian Opie's piece (2011).
• Diane by Francois-Marie Banier (2008).
• Another of Andy Warhol's masterpieces (1973). He was a great friend of Diane's.
• Is there anything better than DVF on a Ducati? Photo by Maria Testino (circa 2000's).
• The exhibition's main room features an army of mannequins donning vintage and anniversary wrap dresses.
• Designed by Ralph Pucci, the custom mannequins were sculpted from vintage photographs of DVF. Diane tells us that she wanted them to have "strong bones and a strong nose." Additional empowerment is reflected in mannequins' pose, which was meant to mimic t
• Production designer Stefan Beckman explains that the mannequins' positioning was inspired by the Terracotta Army.
• Supermodel Coco Rocha striking an exclusive pose for us. Fierce!
• A collection of DVF's signature prints line the walls.
• Diane decided to name all of the wrap dress groups minutes before the exhibition. This colorful gang is called "Geometric."
• The extremely chic "Black and White" group.
• The "Felinity" group features a range of sassy animal prints.
• Diane calls this pop art platform the "Smile" group, which is perfect.
• More Coco! This time she's playing twinsies with one of the show's walls. Can you believe this was sheer coincidence?
• Before leaving, don't forget to visit the gift shop featuring select items from the DVF and Andy Warhol limited-edition collection, as well as books, postcards, notepads, scarves and a touchscreen where guests can share their
• Journey of a Dress is open now through April 1st. Exhibition hours are Monday through Tuesday from 11am to 5pm, Friday from 11am to 8pm, and Saturday through Sunday from 10am to 7pm.

"The wrap dress is the one thing that I owe everything to," a glowing Diane von Furstenberg tells us at the opening of her new exhibit inside LA's historic May Company Building. "She paid for all of my bills, she paid for my children's education, she gave me my fame. Sometimes I even resented the wrap dress because, whenever someone said my name, they always tied it to the dress. I wanted to say, 'Hey, I make other things, too!' But as I got older I realized its impact. It now has a life of its own. The wrap dress gave me my freedom."

From Cybil Shepard in 1976's Taxi Driver to Globes winner Amy Adams in 2013's American Hustle, DVF's iconic wrap dress has been revered by Hollywood for decades, which is why the famed designer knew Los Angeles was the perfect place to celebrate her creation's 40th birthday. Journey of a Dress is a dazzling retrospective that showcases a collection of vintage and contemporary wrap dresses, as well as portraits of Diane by some of her famous friends, including Andy Warhol, Annie Leibovitz, Helmut Newton, Mario Testino and Chuck Close. It's truly a sight to see.

Explore the three-month exhibit below, visit it soon, and get ready for more festivities there, because party girl DVF installed her own Studio 54 in the back room!

· Wrap Story [DVF]
· Diane von Furstenberg's Dress Exhibit Lands in LA in Jan [Racked]
· When In LA, Diane von Furstenberg Likes Hiking in Malibu [Racked]
· Jennifer Meyer on Her LA Hangouts and Greatest DVF Moment [Racked]