She's been called 'The Queen Of Seventh Avenue' and 'Ed Koch in a stretchy black dress.' Her signature collection incorporates New York City in its name: DKNY. Even her new fragrance "Red Delicious" pays tribute to the Big Apple.
Donna Karan of New York has defined the city's tough chic since her clothing line debuted in 1984. Her early designs perfectly captured the spirit of the 80s: sleek, functional power suits for career women. The foundation of her debut line was the elastic bodysuit, over which women layered blouses, skirts, pants, and finally, a flawlessly tailored blazer. Bold accessories completed the look. Called Essentials, this straightforward mix-and-match collection formed a complete, integrated wardrobe.
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But despite the cool, black-and-white simplicity of Karan's style, her designs have always had a lush and sensual appeal. Comfortable and natural, Donna Karan's collections emphasize soft, luxurious fabrics and silhouette tailoring. Essentials was an instant hit. But Donna Karan's sudden success didn't simply materialize overnight--it was the culmination of many years of practice and formal training. Karan grew up amid the fashion industry: her mother was a model and sales rep and her father a men's clothing dealer (to sharp-dressing mobsters, allegedly).
But it was Karan's fashion school experience that focused her ambition and laid the foundation for her career. At Parsons School of Design (of Project Runway fame), Karan gained the technical proficiency and industry perspective that would fuel her success. "My Parsons education helped open my eyes to a broader perspective on fashion and its influence on everyday life," she recalls.
Donna Karan graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design degree. After ten years as chief designer for Anne Klein, Karan went on to found her own firm. Together with her husband, the late sculptor Stephan Weiss, she built her company into the hugely successful venture it is today.
But the preeminent designer hasn't forgotten her roots. She has remained an active supporter of the Parsons School of Design since graduating, serving as a mentor to fashion design students, a guest critic in the Fashion Design Program, and a member of the school's Board of Governors. As a measure of her commitment to fashion education, she has endowed several major programs at the school. One such endowment, the Stephan Weiss Visiting Lectureship in Business Strategy and Negotiation, aims to communicate to design students "the importance of buttressing creative vision with a strong business sense."
Most recently, Karan announced plans to underwrite a new professorship, with an eye to developing an MFA program in Fashion Design and Society. The new degree "will encourage a new generation of designers to explore the global language of design," offering a crucial perspective in today's competitive, worldwide fashion industry.
Times may be changing, but one thing remains the same: the basis for a successful fashion career is still a solid fashion education.
Sources
"Donna Karan"—Vault.com
"Donna Karan"—Wikipedia
"Project Parsons: Fashion School as Star"—The New York Times
Parsons School of Design
