Diane von Furstenberg To Be Honored as The 2025 PAC NYC Icon Of Culture

Legendary fashion designer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Diane Von Furstenberg has been announced as the 2025 PAC NYC ICON OF CULTURE. Her influence across industries and around issues will be celebrated at the PAC NYC ICONS OF CULTURE Gala on October 28, 2025, at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in Lower Manhattan presented by BNY. For over 50 years, von Furstenberg has had an extraordinary impact on fashion and design, while also serving as a mentor and tireless advocate for girls and women around the world.

This will mark the second PAC NYC ICONS OF CULTURE Gala, an annual signature event that shines a spotlight on the artistic excellence of the Perelman Performing Arts Center and honors an individual who has had a remarkable influence on culture and impact in the world. Thanks to presenting sponsor BNY’s commitment to culture and community, as well as support from the Bank of New York Mellon Foundation and Dalio Philanthropies, 100% of proceeds goes directly to the artistic and civic programs of PAC NYC. 

In 2024, PAC NYC honored MTV co-founder Tom Freston as the first PAC NYC ICON OF CULTURE with an energizing show to highlight Mr. Freston’s career and philanthropic efforts. Participants included Will Arnett, Michael R. Bloomberg, U2’s Bono and The Edge, Fab Five Freddy, Christy Turlington, St. Vincent, Oprah Winfrey, and more.

At the heart of PAC NYC’s mission is a commitment to create connections through the performing arts and to entertain and inspire audiences from across New York and around the world. The second annual PAC NYC ICONS OF CULTURE Festival, following the gala, will take place from October 29 - November 1, 2025 with additional information forthcoming.

Since opening in 2023, PAC NYC has welcomed over 200,000 visitors and produced award-winning and genre-defining artistic work. Musical theater hits like Cats: The Jellicle Ball, a new opera An American Soldier, hip hop dance battles at Motion Matters, world premieres of new dramatic works, high profile conversations featuring David Letterman & Kerry Washington, and dozens of free lobby stage programs are just a glimpse of what audiences from across New York City and around the world can experience at the World Trade Center.  Through this work, PAC NYC is quickly establishing Lower Manhattan as a cultural destination.

ABOUT DIANE VON FURSTENBERG

Diane Von Furstenberg is a fashion designer, philanthropist, and author who has dedicated her life to inspiring women. As founder of her eponymous brand and creator of the iconic wrap dress, Diane defined freedom for generations of women. She established the DVF Awards with the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation in 2010 to honor and support women who have had the courage to fight, the strength to survive, and the leadership to inspire.

She has authored several books including Diane: A Signature Life, The Woman I Wanted to Be and Own It: The Secret to Life. Diane was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2019, and she received the Chevalier de la Légion D’Honneur from France in 2020, as well as the Commandeur de l'Ordre de la Couronne from her native Belgium in 2021. She currently serves on the boards of Vital Voices and the CFDA. In 2023, she was the subject of Woman Before Fashion, an exhibition dedicated to her life and career at Brussels's Fashion & Lace Museum which is now on view at Skirball Cultural Center and became a book published by Rizzoli. 

In 2024, she was the subject of the documentary Diane Von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge, which premiered as the opening selection at The Tribeca Film Festival before officially launching on Hulu and Disney+ internationally. In addition to her efforts to empower women, The Diller-von Furstenberg Foundation was instrumental in restoring New York City’s High Line and creating Little Island. Diane also spearheaded the fundraising and creation of the new Statue of Liberty museum on New York’s Liberty Island.