Donna Karan: the Designer Who Understands Women
Clothes that Accentuate the Positive and Play Down the Negative
Dec 3, 2008
Karan’s creations are all about accentuating the positive and playing down the negative. Dubbed the "Queen of Draping" by those in the fashion industry, her designs are made with real-life women in mind — those that may have a few lumps and bumps to hide but want to look sexy and stylish.
Built on comfort, Karan uses clever draping to mask figure imperfections but still show some womanly curves. Although her flattering designs appeal to all age groups, she is a favorite designer of the mature woman who wants clever styling to play down her figure flaws, and who values comfort over constriction!
Her body-conscious looks uses lots of layers, cleaver draping and pops of color to lift an outfit. Although known for her love of black, Karan is also firm supporter of red, which adds brightness to black and neutrals. Red is one of the most flattering colors for women over 40. It is sexy, sophisticated and uplifting and is one of the most versatile to wear.
Donna Karan – the Designer
Creator of the DKNY label, (Donna Karan New York) Donna Karan was born in Queens, New York, with parents who were both linked to the clothing industry. Her father was a suit maker and he mother was a showroom model. Karan studied at the Parson School of Design but after 2 years she left and went on to work at Anna Klein, eventually becoming head of the design team, and successor of the company after Klein’s death in 1974.
The DKNY Label's Seven Easy Pieces
In 1985 Karan decided to go it alone and launched her own collection. She create her own system of dressing which would take a woman from day to night, to weekday to weekend. These worked around the premise of “Seven Easy Pieces,” based around monochromatic mix and match separates, which made her famous.
In 2001 her company, Donna Karan Inc was sold to the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH for an estimated $643 million. Karan remains as chief designer but now has more time on her hands to pursue other things, such as her charity work.
Donna Karan’s Philosophy
Karan has now been creating women’s clothes for three decades. She is very philosophical about women's fashion and is a firm believer in designing clothes that as well as stylish, are comfortable to wear. She maintains that a structured dress, which does not allow for movement, ages a woman. Whilst structured architectural shapes are a hot item, they do restrict movement and can be unkind to a less than perfect figure. She is a strong advocate of playing with proportion, and lots of layers which add texture and can camouflage a woman's "negatives."
Donna Karan Collection — Fall Winter 2008-2009
Model Kate Moss fronted the photoshoot around an Orient Express theme for the Donna Karan Fall Winter collection, full of feminine, romantic classic easy pieces with a hint of East European decadence. The designs included a sophisticated fall winter palette of berry-tones, olives, blacks and reds with silk stain robes and toga-style draped jersey dresses, a cashmere tweed cardigan jacket and dramatic black-and-silver cashmere brocade coat.
What sets Karan apart from other designers is her interesting take on the fashion. More magazine's October 2008 article "Donna Karan, a woman of sustance and style" reveals her attitude to clothes — says Karan, “Clothes don’t matter. Feeling good and feeling confident is what matters (most)”
