Donna Karan is one of the living legends who pioneered the rise of New York as the fashion capital of the US and the establishment of American fashion as a strong and powerful force among its giant European competitors…
Donna Karan was born Donna Ivy Faske on October 2, 1948 in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens, New York. Growing up in Hewlett, Long Island, Karan chose to be in the fashion world from an early age. The influence of the house where she was born and raised was evident in this choice. Her mother worked as a model, while her stepfather made a living as a tailor who designed and sewed suits for men. During her years as a student at Hewlett High School, Donna never left the school’s art and drawing studio, and before graduating in 1966, she worked as a clerk in a small local boutique where she could not take her eyes off the window on her way to and from school. During this boutique experience, her energy, warmth and passion for clothing made her the favorite of the much older women to whom she gave stylistic advice. This is why it came as a surprise to neither her family, her friends nor the Hewlett women when she was accepted into New York’s most prestigious design school, Parsons School of Design, in 1968, when she was just 20 years old. During her time at Parsons, she was in Anne Klein’s good book, one of the most powerful fashion designers in American fashion history and founder of her eponymous lifestyle brand, and landed a prestigious summer job offered by Anne Klein herself. Her work here was so impressive that less than two years later, in 1970, she was named Anne Klein’s assistant designer.
At the Forefront of Anne Klein
Donna met her first husband, Mark Karan, from whom she took her surname, while working one-on-one with the great Anne Klein, and their daughter Gabrielle was born in 1974. However 1974 also marked another turning point for her. Anne Klein, for whom she was co-designer, died of breast cancer at a time when preparations for her Fall/Winter collection were in full swing. At the age of 26, Donna Karan was named Executive and Creative Director of the lifestyle brand to carry on the legacy of her mentor and close friend Anne Klein, who instilled in her the intricacies of design, her entrepreneurial spirit and the secrets of surviving as a woman in the fashion industry. With the help of her close friend Louis Dell’Olio from the Parson School of Design, Donna was able to elevate the prestige and worldwide recognition of the Anne Klein brand over a 10-year period. This period was crowned with the prestigious Coty American Fashion Critics Awards in 1977 and 1982.
Life and Business Partnership
After her brief marriage to Mark Karan, Donna Karan married the love of her life, sculptor and painter Stephan Weiss, in 1983, ushering in a new era not only in her personal life but also in her professional world. Rising rapidly on Seventh Avenue, the fashion center of Manhattan, Karan managed to establish a strong identity with her designs that focused on the real needs of women. Together with her husband Stephan Weiss, a true visionary like herself, Donna Karan founded the Donna Karan New York brand in 1984, which made a great impact in the fashion world. Karan launched the Seven Easy Pieces collection in the same year, developing an approach that simplified women’s wardrobes and prioritized functionality. Seven Easy Pieces offered women the freedom to create countless combinations within a single collection. The iconic collection, consisting of a bodysuit, a tailored jacket, skirt, trousers, cashmere sweater, leather jacket and evening dress, was the cornerstone of adaptable elegance at any time of the day. With this unique collection, Donna Karan proved to the country that she is a fashion designer who combines functionality and aesthetics with her designs that carry women effortlessly from day to night. Named 1985 Designer of the Year by the CFDA, Donna Karan has become one of the most powerful names in American fashion.
The Birth of DKNY
As the rapid rise of Donna Karan New York continues, the designer was inspired by the wardrobe of her daughter Gabrielle, who turned 15 in 1989, and presented her new brand DKNY for the younger generation. Every brand in the fashion world has a birth story, but few can reflect the spirit of a city as deeply as DKNY. The DKNY brand, which is proof that the fashion designer is fed by the energy of New York, has quickly transformed into a global lifestyle brand by representing an urban, dynamic and practical sense of style. Donna Karan, who added men’s collections to the women’s series under the DKNY brand in 1992 and started to shape modern men’s style, discovered a new field in the fashion world with her first perfume Donna Karan New York in the same year. While this segment didn’t make much sense for Donna Karan, who doesn’t wear perfume, she warmed to the suggestion of her husband and business partner Stephan Weiss and left the entire launch process to her husband, except for the instruction to prepare “something that smells like Casablanca lilies and the back of Stephan’s neck”. Presented in a gold bottle, the iconic perfume became the first and favorite perfume of Donna Karan herself as well as her global fans.
Transformation Begins
DKNY became not only a reflection of Donna Karan’s design sense, but also a symbol of New York’s endless energy. By the mid-1990s, however, the winds of change began to blow for DKNY and in 1996 Donna Karan International went public. The IPO was an important step for the brand’s founder Donna Karan, but it was also around this time that her beloved husband Stephan Weiss began his battle with lung cancer. French luxury giant LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) acquired Donna Karan International in 2001. This sale was a great success for Donna Karan’s business life and signaled that her brand would now move towards a completely different future. But the loss of her husband in the same year was a heavy blow to the fashion designer.
With LVMH’s acquisition of Donna Karan International, the brand’s vision began to evolve into a more global structure. But for Donna Karan, design was not just about clothes and fast-changing trends; for her, fashion was a way of life. For this reason, in 2015, at the age of 66, she decided to leave the brand and focus on a new venture called Urban Zen. Urban Zen is a brand that combines fashion with social awareness, emphasizing sustainability and a healthy lifestyle. For Karan, this separation was a new beginning. She would continue to produce in a space that reflected her own philosophy, away from the fast pace imposed by the industry. Her autobiography My Journey, published in 2015, revealed Karan’s creative process and sources of inspiration and remained #1 on the New York best-read list for a long time.
LVMH decided to divest Donna Karan International in 2016. American retail giant G-III Apparel Group acquired the brand for 650 million dollars. This acquisition signaled that DKNY would gain a new identity. G-III wanted DKNY to return to its core, but at the same time modernize and reposition the brand to appeal to Generation Z.
Rebirth of DKNY
Over the years, DKNY has maintained its presence on the global fashion scene. However the brand needed a real transformation. At this point, February 8, 2024 marked a new milestone for DKNY. G-III Apparel Group launched a major campaign called ‘In Women We Trust’ to revitalize the brand. Bringing together supermodels Amber Valletta, Carolyn Murphy, Cindy Crawford, Imaan Hammam, Karlie Kloss, Linda Evangelista, Liya Kebede and Shalom Harlow, the campaign harked back to the brand’s birth philosophy in the 1980s: its belief in strong, urban and confident women. ‘In Women We Trust’ was not just an advertising campaign, but a reinvention of DKNY. As the brand reclaimed the streets of New York with designs that blended classic and modern, the campaign emphasized women’s independence, courage and the power to write their own stories. Today, DKNY is more than just a fashion brand, it continues to be the voice of timeless, dynamic and powerful women. The brand continues to keep the legacy of Donna Karan and Stephan Weiss alive, offering comfortable yet stylish pieces that keep up with city life, as Donna Karan once imagined.
Donna Karan Eyewear
From the beginning, Donna Karan and her husband Stephan Weiss’ vision was not limited to clothing. In the early 1990s, DKNY launched its eyewear line. Combining classic frames with modern touches, DKNY eyewear reflected the brand’s urban style and offered timeless elegance. In 2018, Marchon Eyewear and G-III Apparel Group signed an exclusive global license agreement for DKNY and Donna Karan New York eyewear. With this agreement, DKNY eyewear was separated from Luxottica and started to be designed under the Marchon umbrella. Introduced in 2024, the Modern Icons Collection is an exclusive capsule collection of two sunglasses and three optical frames in premium acetate, reflecting the brand’s timeless heritage.
Chronology
1985
Donna Karan New York and accessories collection was launched.
1987-1989
Socks collection launched. DKNY ready-to-wear collection presented.
1990-1992
DKNY Socks, DKNY Jeans and accessories were launched. DKNY and Donna Karan New York shoe collections, menswear and underwear collections were presented.
1993
DKNY Mens, DKNY Eyes and DKNY Optical are launched. Milan office opened.
1994-1997
DKNY flagship store opened in London. Donna Karan Signature Collection was introduced.
1998
DKNY stores opened in Beverly Hills, Manhasset, Las Vegas and Short Hills. Men’s collections expanded.
2000-2005
DKNY store chain expanded. DKNY Watches, Swimwear, DKNY Fragrances and Be Delicious perfume were launched.
2006-2009
Stores opened in Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing and New Delhi. DKNY steps into social media, launches Twitter and Facebook accounts.
2010-2012
DKNY.com relaunched. E-commerce platform expanded. Pure DKNY perfume is launched.
2015
She left her position as Creative Director of the Donna Karan brand, founded Urban Zen and published an autobiography.
2016
LVMH sells Donna Karan International to G-III Apparel Group.
2018
Global license agreement signed with Marchon Eyewear for optical and sunglasses.
2017-2023
G-III Apparel Group repositioned DKNY in the global market. The collections focused on modernized silhouettes.
2024
DKNY was relaunched with the In Women We Trust campaign.
February 2025
