Bio - Donna Karan
"Everything I do is a matter of heart, body, and soul," says Donna Karan, chief designer of the international company that bears her name. "For me, designing is an expression of who I am as a woman, with all the complications, feelings, and emotions. "Karan's quest for the perfect jeans, as well as her desire to dress her daughter Gabby, resulted in the 1989 birth of DKNY. Fast fashion with an urban mindset, DKNY is what Karan calls "the pizza to Collection's caviar. "DKNY grew so popular and diverse that other brands and labels spun from it, including DKNY Jeans, pure, DKNY Active, DKNY Underwear, DKNY Juniors, DKNY Kids, and DKNY Baby (Not surprisingly, Karan's grandkids and friends' kids had much to do with the latter brands). Like Collection, DKNY has myriad accessory lines to underscore its New York City street smart look. Donna Karan saw that the many men in her life, starting with her husband, also needed a sophisticated system of dressing. Considering Karan's father was a custom tailor, a menswear collection was inevitable, and it was founded in 1992. Since men cannot live by double face cashmere suits alone, DKNY Men emerged a year later in answer to his casual, sport side. Both menswear lines beget other collections, from tailored suits to dress furnishings and shoes.