Diane Von Furstenberg ''resented'' her iconic wrap dress.

The fashion designer admits she has always felt frustrated that her other work has been overlooked with the spotlight on the famous style of frock she created in the 1970s, but putting together a retrospective at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to celebrate 40 years of the dress has given her a new appreciation for the garment.

She told Grazia magazine: ''It's very funny. Even though I owe everything to her - she paid all my bills, my children's education, my houses - I never appreciated her and sometimes resented her because I thought, 'Why do people always talk about the wrap dress when I do so many other things?'

''But when I was preparing this exhibition I noticed how the dress has taken on a life of its own and decided it was time to honour it.''

Diane believes the key to the dress' popularity is its universal appeal.

She said: ''You can't say what has made this dress so enduring - not everything starts with a logo or a marketing plan. But this exhibition includes dresses that my mother wore, that I wore, and my daughter and granddaughters. And that says something I think.''