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January 28, 2008
"Persepolis" Author's Fashion Friend
If a big Academy Awards ceremony does take place this year, red carpet and all, Marjane Satrapi will be going down the red carpet in a Diane von Furstenberg dress.
Ms. Satrapi, who lives in Paris, is up for an Oscar for best animated feature for her "Persepolis," about her upbringing in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution, which is based on her graphic novel of the same name.
This month she visited Ms. von Furstenberg in her Meatpacking district headquarters to select a dress for the awards ceremony. She was a fan of Diane von Furstenberg clothing even before they met: she wore a black wrap dress when she won the Jury Prize at Cannes last year (pictured above).
"She calls Diane her good luck charm," the co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, Michael Barker, said at a screening of the film last week organized by Peggy Siegal.
Ms. von Furstenberg told the story of her friendship with Ms. Satrapi before the screening began (Ms. Satrapi was not present).It started when the head of Pantheon, Sonny Mehta, gave her copies of Ms. Satrapi's books, published in two separate volumes in Pantheon in 2003 and 2004:
A few years ago, Sonny Mehta sent me this book, a graphic novel (I just found out what you call it). It was on my table for a long time. It is provocative and free, everything I like about women. I gave it to several friends.
Last year in Cannes, I was watching the awards, and she got an award, and she was wearing a dress of mine. And I thought that was very nice.
Then I went to Paris, and I was speaking to guy in my office who is Persian.I speak a little Persian because my first boyfriend was Persian. And he said to me, you have to meet Marjane. ...
So we met. And she's a great girl, very funny, free, and unbelievably talented. And I said to her, if there's anything I can do in New York, just ask me. That is why I am here tonight.
She is nominated for everything and of course, she's got to have a Diane von Furstenberg dress because it brings her good luck.
Of all the stories of fashion houses courting celebrities to wear their clothes, it's refreshing to hear this genuine tale of female friendship.
Posted by Amanda Gordon at January 28, 2008 9:50 AM
