"I get ideas about what's essential when packing my suitcase," says Diane von Furstenberg, who is off to India soon and deciding what to take. Into her bag goes a sparkly dress, some slim-fitting jeans, enormous sunglasses, and hiking boots. "It's the Himalayas this time, but I go everywhere," says the designer. She'll take her camera and iPad ("I can't leave without them," she says) and the eye for effortless chic, as she calls it, that's a part of all of her work, whether it's an off-the-shoulder sheath from her fall collection or the wrap dress she created in 1974 and has been updating ever since. (Today, examples of it are at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and in the closet of Michelle Obama.) One more thing she'll take: "Confidence," says von Furstenberg. "If you have it, you can make anything look good."
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1. Diane von Furstenberg Harper Connect bag. "Open the zip and work on your iPad without removing it from the bag." $695 (dvf.com).
2. A favorite pair of jeans. "I wear skinny because I have good legs, but whatever works for your body." J Brand cotton elastane jeans, $200, at Nordstrom stores.
3. A wrap dress. "You can wear it with boots, to church, to a job interview, to a party." Silk dress, $485, at DVF, N.Y.C. (646-486-4800).
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4. Hiking boots. Lowa leather-and-Gore-Tex boots, $280 (888-335-5692).
5. Camera. "My Canon G12; I keep a visual diary." $500 (usa.canon.com).
6. A great print. "It should be as flattering as the spots on a leopard."
7. A wardrobe with color. "You wouldn't want a garden in black and white."
8. Diane von Furstenberg by H.Stern Sutra bracelet. "Simple but superglamorous, the essence of my style." $2,000 and up, at H.Stern stores.
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9. A good night's sleep. "A nice clean bed is a luxury."
10. Tracie Martyn Firming Serum. "Very light and nice on the skin." $185 (tracie martyn.com).
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