Designer Insider at New York Fashion Week – DKNY

DKNY’s spring ’14 collection, brainchild of Donna Karan, shows on Sunday 8^th September as part of New York Fashion Week

Background

Donna, inspired by her daughter Gaby, established the DKNY label to run alongside her existing Donna Karan New York label collection. Donna was born in 1948; she grew up in New York and later attended the Parsons School of Design in Manhattan. She began her career as an assistant designer with Anne Klein in the 1960s. When Anne died a new company took over, and Donna, together with her friend Louis Dell’Ollio became head designers. In 1984 Donna left to “design modern clothes for modern people” and showed her first women’s collection the following year.

Donna attended Parsons College

Hitting the Big Time

Karan soon became a big player in fashion circles, due in part to her “Esssentials” line which offered seven pieces that could be easily mixed and matched. Diffusion label DKNY was born in 1989, a hip fresh and achingly cool sister label that gained instant popularity. Modern fashion with an urban feel, Karan herself describes the DKNY label as “the pizza to Collection’s caviar.”

Can DKNY get any cooler?

By The Numbers

In 1996 DKNY became a publicly traded enterprise and 2001 saw DKNY purchased by French luxury conglomerate, LMVH, Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy. The DKNY headquarters are located in Manhattan, New York and there are currently Donna Karan collection and DKNY stores globally. DKNY’S popularity led to the creation of spin-off brands including DKNY Baby, DKNY Jeans, DKNY Active and DKNY Kids.

Donna is all smiles...

Donna’s Words

“Everything I do is a matter of heart,body and soul” says Donna. “For me, designing is an expression of whom I am as a woman.”  Practicality and comfort are balanced with luxury and sophistication resulting in elegant wearable pieces. “I’m designing for an international man and women. A creative person who never knows where a day is going to take them. That’s why New York is on the label, it sets the pace, the attitude. “

Oh, to have a DKNY wardrobe

Famous Faces

Emma Watson, Kourtney Kardashian and Olivia Palermo have all been spotted in DKNY designs. It’s a label that ticks all the boxes, now if we only had the same cash to spend…

Olivia Palermo in a gorgeous DKNY number

 

Brought to you by Maybelline New York, official partners of Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week