Donna Karan

Donna Karan is a fashion designer and the creator of the DKNY (Donna Karan New York) clothing label. She was born Donna Ivy Faske on October 9, 1948 in Forest Hills, New York. She grew up in Hewlett, Long Island with her step-father who was a tailor and her mother who was a model. She graduated from Hewlett High School in 1966 and then went on to Parson's School of Design for two years. She left to work for Anne Klein. In 1971, she became associate designer and, after Klein died in 1974, co-designer with Louis Dell'Olio. Ten years later, and with the support of her husband Steven Weiss, Karan founded Donna Karan New York. In mid-1997 Donna Karan quit as CEO of the company but has officially remained chairwoman and designer in charge of the Donna Karan line. In April 2001, Karan announced that she had sold her company, Donna Karan International, to French luxury conglomerate LVMH for almost $250 million in cash. G-III Apparel purchased Donna Karen International for $650 million in December 2016. Bachelor of Arts / Science, Parsons The New School for Design