Life Advice From The Wisest Woman In Fashion

Today is Diane von Furstenberg's birthday, and on Instagram she posted: "Today I am one year older and hope to get to be much much older!" It's a fitting wish for a woman who has embraced every bit of her life, including age and the wisdom that comes with it.

Furstenberg was born to an Auschwitz survivor in Belgium in 1946, and in the years since, she's been a (literal) princess, a party girl, a fashion legend, an entrepreneur, a self-described "seductress," and a self-made millionaire. You can bet she's learned a thing or two along the way.

So, in tribute to the grande dame of fashion, we gathered her most inspiring, surprising, and provocative quotes on career, passion, and the true secret to independence. (We also uncovered the rather saucy secret behind her iconic wrap dress' success.)

Read on for some serious wisdom from one of the most vivacious, life-giving women in the business. Here's to many happy returns, Diane!