Donna Karan is by far one of the most successful and influential American designers of all time. She is also one of my favorites. I first encountered Donna Karan through her line, DKNY. As a young teenage girl, I absolutely adored DKNY for its simple, chic style and I loved that it was still young and fresh. I remember my DKNY jeans fitting me as if they were made for me. I also wore the matching cotton tops with the DKNY logo embellished on them.
Now that I am older, I find that my love for Donna Karan is growing. Donna Karan has found a way to dress teenagers, women, and men. I love Donna Karan because she makes clothes that I can wear and handbags that my mother will gladly purchase. She can dress everyone and she does so with such class and style.
I believe that Donna Karan has been able to stand the test of time because she never designs anything that is too trendy or unrealistic. Her clothes are functional yet fashionable. Donna Karan experiments with colors yet she never ends up on the wrong side of the rainbow. Additionally, her website is fantastic, it’s easy to navigate, the colors fit the Fall collection well (hint: think classic black), and there are even videos of the runways shows. Check the site here: http://www.donnakaran.com/default.aspx
Donna Karan began as an intern for Anne Klein, while still a student at Parsons. In 1974, she took over when Anne Klein past away. Ten years after that she struck out on her own. Over the last twenty five years, Donna Karan has become a household name. Her name is synonymous with classic American style. Donna Karan defines American style because her style is straightforward, she sticks to basic blacks, blues, navys, and beige. On occasion we see a splash of color like the magenta color used for Look 14, in this fall’s collection.
Donna Karan continues to be a shining light in the fashion world. It’s amazing that she has been able to do so, for as long as I’ve been alive. I respect her and admire her greatly. Ever since I bought my first pair of DKNY jeans till I can afford that black silk dress, I saw in Bloomingdale’s, Ms. Karan has a life-long fan in me. In essence, I chose her for the first ever Designer Discussion.
And there it is. The Fashion and Style of the Pen…de la Pen.
