Donna Karan
Founder of Donna Karan International and DKNY
Donna Karan is an American designer who founded Donna Karan International in 1984 and the diffusion line DKNY in 1988. Her Seven Easy Pieces concept of interchangeable garments for working women became one of the most influential ideas in modern American fashion, and in 2007 she founded the lifestyle brand Urban Zen.
| Role | Founder, Donna Karan International and DKNY |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1984 |
| Current focus | Urban Zen, founded 2007 |
| Previously | Head designer, Anne Klein (1974 to 1984) |
| Born | 2 October 1948, New York City |
Who is Donna Karan?
Donna Karan, born in New York City on 2 October 1948, is one of the designers who defined American fashion in the 1980s and 1990s. Known as the "Queen of Seventh Avenue", she built a business around clothing for professional women that balanced comfort, power and sensuality. She stepped down from the company bearing her name in 2015 to focus on Urban Zen, the lifestyle brand she founded in 2007.
Career
Karan attended Parsons School of Design and joined Anne Klein as an assistant designer in 1969. She became associate designer in 1971 and head designer in 1974, a position she held until 1984. In 1973 she took part in the celebrated Battle of Versailles fashion show.
In 1984 she founded Donna Karan International with her husband Stephan Weiss and the Japanese company Takihyo Corporation, and showed her first collection in 1985. The business then expanded rapidly:
- 1988: launch of DKNY, a more accessible line for younger customers
- 1990: DKNY Jeans
- 1992: DKNY for men and the signature cold shoulder dress
- 1997: Karan left the chief executive role but remained chair and designer
- 2015: she stepped down as head of design to concentrate on Urban Zen
Influence on the fashion business
Karan's first collection introduced Seven Easy Pieces, a capsule of coordinating garments built around a bodysuit that could be mixed to create a full working wardrobe. The idea of a modular capsule wardrobe remains a reference point for brands today. Her 1992 cold shoulder dress gained cultural significance when Hillary Clinton wore it in 1993, and her 1992 advertising campaign, showing a woman being sworn in as president under the line "In Women We Trust", was an early example of values led fashion marketing.
By pairing a designer collection with a large diffusion line, she also helped popularise the two tier brand structure that many fashion houses still use.
Why it matters
Karan's work showed that clothing designed around how women actually live and work could become a global business. Her honours include the Coty Hall of Fame in 1984, several CFDA awards and the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. Her focus on wellness, craft and philanthropy through Urban Zen also anticipated the industry's wider interest in purpose driven brands.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Donna Karan?
Donna Karan is an American fashion designer who founded Donna Karan International in 1984 and DKNY in 1988. She is known for the Seven Easy Pieces concept of versatile clothing for working women.
What is Donna Karan known for?
She is known for Seven Easy Pieces, the bodysuit based capsule wardrobe, for creating DKNY and for the 1992 cold shoulder dress. Since 2007 she has focused on her lifestyle brand Urban Zen.