DKNY

DKNY was founded by Donna Karan, born Donna Faske in 1948. She was born in Queens, New York and grew up in Long Island with her step-father, a tailor, and her mother who was a model. As a teenager she dropped out of school and began to sell clothes at a neighbourhood boutique. In 1966 Donna Karan enrolled in the prestigious Parsons School of design. Soon she began designing clothes for Anne Klein and eventually she became head of the Anne Klein design team. Soon after she was fired from the position because she said ‘I was so good, that Anne Klein felt insecure and could not stand me in the design room’. Karan's talent drew the attention of Patti Cappalli head of a label called "Addenda" and it was under her tutelage that Donna Karan developed as a designer. Karan worked with Cappalli for 18 months.

Donna Karan’s personal life showed steady growth and determination. She married Mark Karan and in 1974 and they had a daughter. The marriage was over in 1978, however the two remained good friends. In 1983 she married Stephan Weiss, whom she had first met on a blind date ten years earlier. Weiss, who was also a sculptor, designed the bottles for Karan's first signature fragrance, Donna Karan.

After working and advancing her skills, Donna Karan returned to Anne Klein, four years later Ms Klein died. Donna Karan continued her work and finished her collection. Donna Karan and her Parsons classmate made Anne Klein into one of the biggest and most profitable designer sportswear companies in America. Donna Karan founded her own company in 1985. The company was called Donna Karan Collection and she became known for her line of elastic bodies. She was then made known by her Essentials line, where she designed seven pieces every woman should have in her wardrobe and eventually seven pieces turned into 200 pieces.

In 1988 the DKNY (Donna Karan New York) collection was released, this period of amazing growth saw her collection of working outfits, which could be mixed and matched, along with various accessories to complete the designs. Donna Karan was designing clothes for the real women, it was said that before the production of a piece of clothing it would only be approved by Donna Karan once it looked good on her, function always came before style. She combined comfort and simplicity with elegance to make sportswear, working wear and evening dresses and her designs were considered classics.

Donna Karan’s success has been tremendous and she has become a world class designer. Donna Karan expanded her vision into furniture and women’s body care line. By the late 1990s, Karan had amassed a global business empire that included childrenswear, fragrances, skin-care products, hosiery, and eye wear as well. The company had almost 300 foreign accounts, including 27 free-standing Donna Karan stores, with strong followings in Europe, the Far East, and Japan. In addition to attracting the loyalty of consumers, she won recognition from the global fashion press and top designers who voted her Best Woman Designer in the World and Best American Designer to Emerge in 20 Years.

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