Vitals
Date of Birth
10/02/1948 59 years old
Place of Birth
Queens, NY
Neighborhood
Upper West Side
Other Residences
East Hampton, NY
Parrot Cay, British West Indies
Who
Fashion icon Karan no longer owns the company that bears her name, having sold out for $643 million in 2001, but she remains creative director.
Backstory
Although Donna Faske was born to a tailor in Forrest Hills, he died when she was just three and she didn't get involved in fashion until she got a job at Shurrie's, a Long Island clothing shop, at age 14. Her subsequent attempts at launching a fashion career weren't very auspicious: She dropped out of Parsons after failing a draping course and then was fired from an Anne Klein internship due to her lackluster performance. But after several months spent working for a downmarket designer named Patti Cappalli, a determined Donna convinced Klein to take her back. This time she rose up through the ranks to associate designer, a position she held until Klein's death in 1974, at which point Japanese textile magnate Tomio Taki bought a controlling interest in Anne Klein and promoted Karan to head designer.
Eleven years later, she left the company and, in partnership with then-husband Stephan Weiss and with funding from Taki, created her own line of neutral, practical outfits for working women. The younger, sportier DKNY line was launched in 1988 and by 1995, Karan was overseeing one of the world's largest fashion companies comprising a men's collection, a denim line, children's wear, accessories, beauty products, and even furniture. In 1996, Donna Karan International went public on the New York Stock Exchange; in 2000, the company was bringing in $660 million in sales. Although she'd previously vowed to never sell her name, in 2001 Karan sold out to Louis Vuitton for $643 million (reportedly pocketing $400 million). While Karan still holds creative control, the company has struggled since its acquisition—by 2006, its annual sales were down to $330 million.
Of note
Karan revolutionized how career women dressed in the '90s, particularly in New York, where she became the patron saint of urban womenswear by offering mix and match basics like leggings and tube dresses, all in neutral colors. Her unique selling point has always been that she caters to the everyday working woman with a less than modelesque shape (as long as that everyday woman can cough up $1,200 for a blazer). But since Karan sold her company, the fashion press hasn't been too thrilled with the label's output, a problem since design remains Karan's chief responsibility. The Times' Cathy Horyn called the spring 2008 line "strangely emotionless, even punitive," and remarked that the clothes could've passed for "a new style for prison inmates." And lately Karan's looks have been eclipsed by other popular minimalist designers like Francisco Costa (in his collections for Calvin Klein) and Narciso Rodriguez. Industry analysts suggest Karan will need to prove her creative talents didn't dry up at the end of the '90s if she's going to pull the company back to profitability.
In person
Name a kooky New Age fad and Karan has probably dabbled in it. Some of the dubiously beneficial procedures she's latched on to in the pursuit of "wellness" include colon cleansing, Reiki, past-life regression, all-juice diets, therapeutic screaming, and, since 2004, Kabbalah. The fact that Karan generally looks younger than her years can also be credited to Dan Baker (who performed her face lift) and Pat Wexler (her Botox-lovin' dermatologist). In spring 2007, Karan conducted a 10-day "Well-being forum" in the West Village called the Urban Zen Initiative, which offered talks on alternative medical therapies and yoga classes.
Personal
Karan's first husband—and father of her daughter Gaby—is Mark Karan. (She gave birth to her daughter three days before her then-boss, Anne Klein, passed away.) She left Karan for Stephan Weiss, and they were married from 1983 until his death from lung cancer in 2001. Currently single, Karan is rumored to have a taste for younger men, having recently dated model J.J. Biasucci (about 30 years her junior). Home is a 7,000 square foot Central Park West apartment (with a 7-foot long soaking pool) designed by Michael Gabellini. She also owns a majestic beachfront East Hampton estate and a spot in Parrot Cay in the British West Indies.
Toys
Karan has a Gulfstream G-IV at her disposal; she had the plane painted with her brand's signature colors.
If you enjoyed this post, other posts and enjoy reading LA*SURFPUNK THE MENS STORE--Please take a moment to make a donation to keep this blog alive!!! You can click the donate button at the top right of the page. We thank you!!
Read more of my blog by clicking the title or subject listings on the right.
Email friends of my postings with the EMAIL icon at the bottom of each post.
And as always, feel free to comment.
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
Date of Birth
10/02/1948 59 years old
Place of Birth
Queens, NY
Neighborhood
Upper West Side
Other Residences
East Hampton, NY
Parrot Cay, British West Indies
Who
Fashion icon Karan no longer owns the company that bears her name, having sold out for $643 million in 2001, but she remains creative director.
Backstory
Although Donna Faske was born to a tailor in Forrest Hills, he died when she was just three and she didn't get involved in fashion until she got a job at Shurrie's, a Long Island clothing shop, at age 14. Her subsequent attempts at launching a fashion career weren't very auspicious: She dropped out of Parsons after failing a draping course and then was fired from an Anne Klein internship due to her lackluster performance. But after several months spent working for a downmarket designer named Patti Cappalli, a determined Donna convinced Klein to take her back. This time she rose up through the ranks to associate designer, a position she held until Klein's death in 1974, at which point Japanese textile magnate Tomio Taki bought a controlling interest in Anne Klein and promoted Karan to head designer.
Eleven years later, she left the company and, in partnership with then-husband Stephan Weiss and with funding from Taki, created her own line of neutral, practical outfits for working women. The younger, sportier DKNY line was launched in 1988 and by 1995, Karan was overseeing one of the world's largest fashion companies comprising a men's collection, a denim line, children's wear, accessories, beauty products, and even furniture. In 1996, Donna Karan International went public on the New York Stock Exchange; in 2000, the company was bringing in $660 million in sales. Although she'd previously vowed to never sell her name, in 2001 Karan sold out to Louis Vuitton for $643 million (reportedly pocketing $400 million). While Karan still holds creative control, the company has struggled since its acquisition—by 2006, its annual sales were down to $330 million.
Of note
Karan revolutionized how career women dressed in the '90s, particularly in New York, where she became the patron saint of urban womenswear by offering mix and match basics like leggings and tube dresses, all in neutral colors. Her unique selling point has always been that she caters to the everyday working woman with a less than modelesque shape (as long as that everyday woman can cough up $1,200 for a blazer). But since Karan sold her company, the fashion press hasn't been too thrilled with the label's output, a problem since design remains Karan's chief responsibility. The Times' Cathy Horyn called the spring 2008 line "strangely emotionless, even punitive," and remarked that the clothes could've passed for "a new style for prison inmates." And lately Karan's looks have been eclipsed by other popular minimalist designers like Francisco Costa (in his collections for Calvin Klein) and Narciso Rodriguez. Industry analysts suggest Karan will need to prove her creative talents didn't dry up at the end of the '90s if she's going to pull the company back to profitability.
In person
Name a kooky New Age fad and Karan has probably dabbled in it. Some of the dubiously beneficial procedures she's latched on to in the pursuit of "wellness" include colon cleansing, Reiki, past-life regression, all-juice diets, therapeutic screaming, and, since 2004, Kabbalah. The fact that Karan generally looks younger than her years can also be credited to Dan Baker (who performed her face lift) and Pat Wexler (her Botox-lovin' dermatologist). In spring 2007, Karan conducted a 10-day "Well-being forum" in the West Village called the Urban Zen Initiative, which offered talks on alternative medical therapies and yoga classes.
Personal
Karan's first husband—and father of her daughter Gaby—is Mark Karan. (She gave birth to her daughter three days before her then-boss, Anne Klein, passed away.) She left Karan for Stephan Weiss, and they were married from 1983 until his death from lung cancer in 2001. Currently single, Karan is rumored to have a taste for younger men, having recently dated model J.J. Biasucci (about 30 years her junior). Home is a 7,000 square foot Central Park West apartment (with a 7-foot long soaking pool) designed by Michael Gabellini. She also owns a majestic beachfront East Hampton estate and a spot in Parrot Cay in the British West Indies.
Toys
Karan has a Gulfstream G-IV at her disposal; she had the plane painted with her brand's signature colors.
If you enjoyed this post, other posts and enjoy reading LA*SURFPUNK THE MENS STORE--Please take a moment to make a donation to keep this blog alive!!! You can click the donate button at the top right of the page. We thank you!!
Read more of my blog by clicking the title or subject listings on the right.
Email friends of my postings with the EMAIL icon at the bottom of each post.
And as always, feel free to comment.
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
No comments:
Post a Comment