Donna Karan Bio, Wiki, Age, Husband, Net Worth, Design, Clothing, and Awards

Donna Karan Biography

Donna Karan (born Donna Ivy Faske) is an American fashion designer and the creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels. Karan began her career in the late 1960s as an assistant designer for Anne Klein, where she was promoted to associate designer in 1971. Karan, as Klein’s assistant, took part in The Battle of Versailles Fashion Show on November 28, 1973.

Donna Karan Age

Donna Ivy Faske was born on October 2, 1948, in New York City, United States. She is 73 years old as of 2021.

Donna Karan Height

Karan stands at a height of 5 feet 5 inches tall.

Donna Karan Family

Karan was born in the Forest Hills neighborhood of the Borough of Queens, New York City, to mother Helen Faske who has been a model and had also worked in designer Chester Weinberg’s showroom, and father Gabriel “Gabby” Faske, who was a tailor and haberdasher died when Donna was three years old. She has an older sister Gail.

Donna Karan Husband

Donna Faske married Mark Karan in 1976, and they had a daughter, Gabby Karan De Felice. Later in 1978, they divorced. She married artist Stephan Weiss, who later became co-CEO of the Donna Karan company, in 1983. Corey Weiss was their only child. Weiss died in 2001 of lung cancer.

Donna Karan Children

She had two children, a daughter Gabby Karan De Felice whom they had from her first marriage with Mark Karan, She later had a son with artist Stephan Weiss, Corey Weiss, who in 2001 passed on, he died of lung cancer.

Donna Karan Photo
Donna Karan Photo

Donna Karan Salary

Karan has an estimated salary of $114,497k.

Donna Karan Net Worth

She has an estimated net worth of $400 million which she has earned through her successful career as a fashion designer.

Donna Karan Education

She attended Hewlett High School in 1966, and later went to the Parsons School of Design.

Donna Karan Career

Karan worked for Anne Klein after graduating from college, eventually becoming the head of the Anne Klein design team, where she remained until 1984 when she launched her Donna Karan label. Sasha Pivovarova wears Donna Karan DKNY. Karan began her career in the late 1960s as an assistant designer for Anne Klein, where she was promoted to associate designer in 1971. When Klein died in 1974, Takihyo Corporation of Japan took over, and Karan, along with her former classmate and friend Louis Dell’Olio, became the house’s head designer. 

Together with her then-husband Stephan Weiss and Takihyo Corporation, started her own business “to design modern clothes for modern people”. She showed her first women’s clothing collection in 1985. Karan rose to prominence with her ‘Essentials’ line, initially offering seven easy pieces centered on the bodysuit that could all be mixed and matched, and later created a fully integrated wardrobe with her First Collection in 1985. Karan insisted on designing only clothes she would wear herself, such as jersey dresses and opaque Lycra tights. In 1988, Karan, dubbed “The Queen of Seventh Avenue,” expanded her women’s ‘Donna Karan New York’ line by launching DKNY, a less expensive clothing line for younger women.

She launched DKNY Jeans, a denim-inspired collection, two years later. DKNY for men debuted one year after the ‘Signature’ line for men. Karan stepped down as CEO in 1997 but continued to lead the Karan line as chairwoman and designer. Karan’s contributions as a designer dwindled after 2002. Karan relaunched her discontinued 1990s fragrance lines in August 2008. 

Karan announced in 2015 that she would be leaving her eponymous company to focus on her lifestyle brand, Urban Zen, which she founded in 2007. 

Donna Karan Design

She is an American fashion designer who founded the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels. Donna began her career in the late 1960s as an assistant designer for Anne Klein, where she was promoted to associate designer in 1971. Karan, as Klein’s assistant, took part in The Battle of Versailles Fashion Show on November 28, 1973. Karan rose to prominence with her ‘Essentials’ line, initially offering seven easy pieces centered on the bodysuit that could all be mixed and matched, and later created a fully integrated wardrobe with her First Collection in 1985. Karan has always insisted on designing only clothes like jersey dresses and opaque Lycra tights.

Donna Karan Clothing

She founded the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels. DKNY is a lower-priced clothing line she created for younger women. She launched DKNY Jeans, a denim-inspired collection, two years later. DKNY for men was introduced in 1992, one year after the ‘Signature’ line for men was introduced. Karan also released her “cold shoulder” dress in 1992, which was a jersey long-sleeved dress with deep cutouts at the shoulders to reveal the skin beneath.

Donna Karan Dresses

In 1992, Karan also released her “cold shoulder” dress, a jersey long-sleeved dress that featured deep cutouts at the shoulders to reveal the skin beneath. Karan rose to prominence with her ‘Essentials’ line, initially offering seven easy pieces centered on the bodysuit that could all be mixed and matched, and later created a fully integrated wardrobe with her First Collection in 1985. Karan insisted on designing only clothes she would wear herself, such as jersey dresses and opaque Lycra tights.

Donna Karan Awards

  • 1977: Coty American Fashion Critics’ Award
  • 1982: Coty American Fashion Critics’ Award (together with Louis Dell’Ollio for Anne Klein)
  • 1984: Inducted into the Coty Hall Of Fame.
  • 1985, 1986, 1987: special CFDA awards
  • 1992: Menswear Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)
  • 1990, 1996: Womenswear Designer of the Year by the CFDA
  • 2004: Lifetime Achievement Award by the CFDA
  • 1994:Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement

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