Donna Karan
(1948 - )
Donna Karan was born Donna Faske on October 2, 1948, in Forest Hills, New York. After graduating from high school, she attended Parson's School of Design. Two years later she worked as a summer part-timer for the
ready-to-wear designer Anne Klein.
In 1987, Parsons School of Design awarded her an honorary fashion degree. Karan and her husband, Stephan Weiss, founded Donna Karan New York in 1984, backed by Takihyo Corporation. By the end of the 1990s, Karan was one of the leading designers in the United States.
Karan launched her first collection in 1985, receiving critical acclaim. Her collection featured body-conscious but comfortable elegant jersey/wool clothing for the upscale working woman. Karan used fabrics that draped and flattered. She created wraparound skirts and well-cut blazers, as well as bodysuits of Lycra that could be worn as easily under a suit as with a pair of jeans. She designed bodywrap styles of cashmere and stretch fabrics that disguised bodies with chapes that are difficult to dress.
Donna Karan’s designs have a mix-and-match concept which she calls, Donna Karan Essentials. They consist of seven easy pieces: a bodysuit, tights, dress, skirt, jacket, pants, and accessories that can be replaced with minimal updating. An easy ensemble to go from day to evening, light for a travel bag, and ready to wear at any moment. Her approach to dressing is focused more on practicality than on fashion; comfortable, flattering and easy to organize.
Donna Karan’s talent has consistently been recognized by the fashion industry. She has been awarded numerous Coty Awards in 1977, 1981, 1984, and 1985. In addition she has been presented with several Council of Fashion Designers of America awards in 1985, 1986, 1990, and 1992; a Fashion Footwear Association of New York award (1988), a Woolmark award in 1992 and the Fragrance Foundation saluted her for Best Fragrance of the Year in 1993. Karan was named Intimate Apparel Designer of the Year in 1999 and in 2003 she became the first American designer to receive a Superstar Award from Fashion Group International. She was granted a Lifetime Achievement Award from the CFDA in 2004; the same year she got an honorary doctorate from Parsons.
