The Deputy Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace honored her strong ties with Thessaloniki and the memory of her mother, Liliane Nahmias – a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps – by awarding an honorary distinction to world-renowned fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg.
Diane von Furstenberg, a symbol of female power and independence in the 1970s, philanthropist, author, and president of the company DVF, which bears her name, is a personality with deep roots in the city, through her family history and her timeless contribution to the empowerment of women worldwide.
The ceremony was attended by the President of KISE and the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce, David Saltiel.
"To Diane von Furstenberg. As a sign of deep appreciation for your creative spirit and your multifaceted, inspired work, Thessaloniki, the city in which your mother was born, embraces you with love. Thessaloniki, October 2025" is written on the honorary plaque awarded to the Belgian-born American fashion designer by the Deputy Minister of the Interior, responsible for Macedonia-Thrace issues, Konstantinos Gioulekas, noting that the honoree comes from a martyred family of Thessaloniki and from a person, her mother, who had a path that is truly frightening to think about.
It is important to promote harmony and that we know how to live together.
"I am here today with my little brother, we are here to honor our mother's birthplace. Our mother was born here, her father was born here. When she left Thessaloniki she was a little girl, but she remembered the food, the flowers, some words," emphasized the Diane von Furstenberg revealing that she also understands some words in Greek: freedom, woman, man, world, Thessaloniki.
"And today, as I was getting dressed, I remembered that at the first carnival costume party, my mother dressed me like she dressed herself. She made me a costume of a little girl from Thessaloniki. And I thought about that today. I actually still have the top embroidered part of the costume."
This is the second time I'm visiting Thessaloniki, she clarified and mentioned that the artist Konstantinos Kakanias, a very good friend of her mother, hers, her daughter and her granddaughter, said that his friend, actress, director, Mimi Denisi wants to honor her in Thessaloniki. "I spoke to Mimi Denisi on the phone and we immediately connected, she sent me her film and I said "okay I'll come".
"Thessaloniki is in Macedonia. In French, Macédoines means fruit salad. So you have a lot of fruit, Muslims, Armenians, Jews, Greeks all together in one salad. Thessaloniki is a city of surprises, you see Mount Olympus, you see Roman ruins, you see Ottoman villas. So it is a city in which everything is together," he emphasized, "And it is very important to promote harmony and to promote that we know how to live together. I believe that. I believe that you believe the same. And that is what we are celebrating tonight. It is a great honor that you are welcoming me to the city of my mother. She was born 100 years ago," he emphasized.
"A man who has seen and experienced death, who has truly seen Death face to face, is a very strong man," said the Mr. Gioulekas emphasizing that Diane von Furstenberg is also a dynamic woman, who has awarded, through her foundation, the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation, women from 30 countries who have distinguished themselves through their struggles in various fields on issues of immigration, racism, gender equality, human rights and climate change.
"Thessaloniki is truly proud because it is beginning a period of extroversion, trying to get in touch with and meet people who started here, who have roots in Thessaloniki, our Macedonia, our Thrace, and who are pursuing an international career, each in their own field, abroad," he emphasized.
We welcome Ms. Fistenberg to an emblematic, historical building. This was the Ottoman Command Headquarters and was built in 1891. Here, in this office, the terms of the surrender of Thessaloniki from the Ottomans to the Greeks were agreed upon. And here, overnight, this building was transformed into a symbol of freedom. Because in 1912, on October 26, the day of the city's patron saint, Saint Demetrius, the history of Thessaloniki changed forever. Since then, we have been living and enjoying a free Thessaloniki.
We are therefore delighted to welcome a Thessaloniki native, one of our own, to this building. And we are delighted because these roots are what bring us together and unite us, said Mr. Gioulekas, also expressing his joy for the presence of the president of the Jewish Council of Thessaloniki and vice president of the World Jewish Council, David Saltiel, and the president of the Armenian Community, artistic director of the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Christos Galilaias.
The city of Thessaloniki can be described as a mother
"The love for history connected me to Thessaloniki," emphasized the Mimi Dennis which, through its new series “Madre” (Mother), illuminates the history of Thessaloniki during the interwar period. “The city of Thessaloniki is the only one in Greece that can be characterized as a mother for the Jews who fled persecution from Spain and found refuge here, a mother of refugees, a mother of the persecuted,” she added.
He mentioned that when he watched the documentary about Diane von Furstenberg's life, he heard her speak so fondly about her mother and understood where she got her dynamic character from.
She has won many awards in her life, but the honorary distinction awarded to her today is "an emotional award, it is her connection to her past," she pointed out, noting that Diane von Furstenberg is not just a talented designer, but she gave women freedom and gave them elegance.
The foundation she created in 2010 honors and supports women who had the courage to fight, who had the strength to survive in very tough situations and the strength to make a positive impact. Part of this empowerment she provides to other women comes from her mother, I believe that the minister's initiative to award her in this city is worthy, she said.
I think that today her mother's soul will rejoice from above that Diane has returned to her roots and that Lily herself is being awarded along with her, as is the city that gave birth to her, emphasized Mimi Denisi.
K. Gianniki
SOURCE: RES website, 31.10.2025