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 I wonder if
there is anyone who has never heard of Donna Karan? Certainly, but there is
hardly anyone who has never seen the signature fragrance, DKNY Be Delicious, in
the apple-shaped bottle, which for years has been gracing the pages of glossy
magazines, beauty counters and boutiques. The note palette of the «Apple» is
regularly enhanced, its advertising concept revolutionized, its ‘faces' changed
to adapt to the new beauty concept, but its shape remains unaltered. DKNY are
the magical four letters that are not just a brand name, as well as the «apple»
is not just a fruit, which changes its perfume notes from season to season. The
history of the DKNY brand is a declaration of love for New York, the crazy, wild,
business-driven, bustling, and iconic «Big Apple». Donna Karan was born in 1948, in Queens, New York,
and she has always turned to her native city for inspiration. Her fashion
affair with the Big Apple goes on ever since.
Donna Karan
began her career as an assistant designer with Anne Klein in the late 1960s (to
do this, she quit Parson's School of Design), where she was eventually promoted
to associate designer in 1971. When Anne Klein died of cancer in 1974, Takihyo
Corporation of Japan became the new owner and Karan became head designer of the
house. In 1984 Donna Karan left Anne Klein and, together with her then husband
Mark Karan and Takihyo Corporation started her own business «to design modern
clothes for modern people». She showed her first Donna Karan women's collection
in 1985.
Unlike many
young designers who start with making
clothing for younger people because they are often choose daring and innovative
styles and can afford many things that are discarded by the older generation in
favor of the simple classics, Karan began with apparel for thirty-something
fashion-conscious self-confident women with active lifestyle who seek elegance,
practicality and simplicity. At first she became known for her line of elastic
bodies. Then word spread about her Essentials line, offering seven easy pieces
every woman should have in her closet. The Essentials line became a success and
the seven pieces were broadened to about 200 pieces today. Donna Karan won
special CFDA awards three years in a row, in 1985, 1986 and 1987.
At a time
when more and more women in America entered the business world and were looking
for sophisticated and elegant, yet simple and functional clothing, preferably
in black, white or grey, the company experienced tremendous success with its
‘power dressing' outfits and was loved by the critics in the 1980s. Ms. Karan
always insisted that she would only design clothes, like jersey dresses and
opaque Lycra tights, that she would also wear herself.
But it was
her launch of DKNY, a casual line of lower-priced clothes ($90 bodysuits, $300
blazers) in 1989 that made her ideas and her designer name vastly more
accessible to younger working women wanting to don a designer name but unable
to afford her couture prices. The philosophy was one of simplicity.
The line
was such a hit that Karan can be regarded as the first designer to successfully
establish a diffusion line. Two years later she created DKNY Jeans, a denim-inspired
collection. DKNY Jeans are not tight-fitting skinny or «cigarette» jeans, designed
for waif fashion models. DKNY jeans fit so perfectly that they cease to be a
traditional young wear and can be viewed as a must have item for any age.
DKNY for men
was launched in 1992; one year after the «Signature» line for men had been
presented. In its heyday in the 1990s, the Donna Karan portfolio, for men and
women, consisted of the top-of-the-line «Donna Karan New York» collection
(black label, couture collection, partly hand-made, limited distribution) and
its variation, the «Donna Karan Signature» collection (golden label, designer
sportswear, wider distribution) as well as the «DKNY» (lifestyle diffusion
line) and the low-priced «DKNY Jeans» (with its variation, DKNY Active) lines. Her
reputation and identity as a world-class designer established, Karan expanded
her vision into home furnishings and a women's body care line (moisturizers,
bath soap, and shower gels). By the late 1990s, Karan had amassed a global
business empire that included children's wear, 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.
The success
of Donna Karan is based on a very precise calculation and simple functional
styles for the active business women, who need comfortable yet fashionable
clothing. It has a touch of uniqueness, it's daring, bold, mystique yet
sophisticated and elegant. Early in her career, Karan invented the brilliant
concept of the «Essentials», seven basics things every woman must have in her
wardrobe. According to Karan, this «Magnificent Seven» includes a blouse, a dress,
a sweater, pants, leggings, a leather jacket and a pant suit. Karan offered her
version of wardrobe basics, which made dressing for any occasion easy.
Today, the
name of Donna Karan and her brand DKNY are synonymous with New York, just as the
iconic Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty. The apparel that Donna Karan
offers to modern women is classic yet modern, which corresponds to the image of
a business woman, who can live in New York, or in any other city of the world.
Sometimes
called the queen of American fashion, Donna Karan has earned a reputation as a
world-class designer as well as a strong business-woman. In addition, she is
grandmother of seven, and a very fashionable one.
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