A Look at the Life of Danna Ivy Faske an American Fashion Designer

"Fashion is something that is in your blood," Donna Karan has often remarked. "I don't think you learn fashion. It's just something that's a part of you" (Donna 352). Fashion played a large role in the upbringing of Donna Ivy Faske. She was the daughter of Helen Faske, a model and sales representative, and Gabby Faske, a custom tailor in New York City whose clientele included show- business personalities and gangsters. Born on October 2, 1948, in Forest Hills New York (the borough of Queens), Donna was left fatherless at the age of three when Gabby Faske died in an automobile accident. At the age of seven, Donna and her older sister Gail lived in a two-family home in Woodmere, Long Island, one of the five richest towns on the island (Karan).

Donna perceived herself as a social misfit who "wasn't very accepted" and who was nicknamed "Popeye" and "spaghetti legs" by her class mates. She enjoyed basketball, volleyball, and cutting class while attending Hewlett High School. It was also during this time that she prepared her first collection of designs by tracing patterns around her body (Donna 353). She landed her first job during these years- at a boutique in Cedarhurst, Long Island. Her experience here taught her 'what people looked good in and what they didn't." She also learned "fashion was a part of me, whether Ed be a retailer or an illustrator or what." She was encouraged by her stepfather, Harold Flaxman, who sold women's apparel on Broadway (Donna).

Despite her poor high school record, she was accepted into the Parsons School of Design in Manhattan, on the recommendation of her motherlls employer, a fashion designer. She did her homework and studied with the only other student who commuted there from Long Island, Louis Dell Olio. They often worked at each other's houses and formed a symbiotic relationship- DellOlio would design the clothes and Karan would sew them. After classes, Karan would sketch dresses for Liz Claiborne. Karan also worked for Chuck Howard, a young designer who persuaded her to approach Anne Klein for a job (Today's).

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After a summer internship at Anne Klein & Company, Karan decided to work full time there, and not to return to school. Karan worked for Klein for nine months before she was fired because of her immaturity. Karan often spoke of how much Klein intimidated her in those early years. Karan at first tried to work with Karan directly, but could not stand her, so Karan was sent to work on French muslin. This did not help Karanis self-image, which was already shaky because of her terrible fear of failure and the distractions of her relationship with Mark Karan, a boutique owner from Miami Beach. Karanis inability to decide between work and marriage led to her firing from Anne Klein & Co. (Donna).

For the next nine months, Karan worked for Patti Cappalli, the head designer of Addenda sportswear. Though Patti was initially nervous about hiring Karan because of her previous history, Karan quickly proved to be a valuable asset. In Karan's own words, "I realized fashion would not be the only important thing in my life. I quickly got married and got my act together." Soon after her marriage, Karan called Klein and asked for another job (Sullivan). Karan proved to be a valuable asset to Klein her second time around, mostly due to Cappalli training her as a business woman. In 1971, Karan was promoted to associate designer. Several days after the birth of Karanis daughter, Klein succumbed to her second bout with cancer. Unable to return to work right away, Karan received a truckload of clothes for the new collection, as well as most of the staff, at her home in Lawrence, Long Island (Donna 353).

While competing with other designers for the role of chief designer at Anne Klein, Karan had impressed Tamio Taki, who had recently acquired a 50% interest in the company. Taki was the chairman of Takihyo, the American branch of a 200-year-old Japanese textile firm, and was able to make Karan its chief designer. She unveiled the fall 1974 collection to a stunned audience that gave her first standing ovation. In fact, many people continued to work under the idea that Anne Klein still lived, so similar were her and Karan's design styles. In 1975, she brought Louis Dell Olio to the company and together they continued Klein's sportswear legacy. Describing their working relationship, Karan said, "We fight all the way, but we're usually happy with the end product" (Donna 354). In 1977 the fashion industry awarded Karan and Dell Olio with their first Cody design award and gave them another in 1981. In 1982, they entered the Cody Hall of Fame and in 1984, the pair earned a special citation.

Although Karan kept the company trademark, she designed clothes that were softer, more fluid, more dramatic, and more sophisticated than Klein's look (Today's). As more women began getting high powered jobs, their needs changed, do Karan changed her design style. Karanils designs reflected the idea that women wanted to be able to dress as quickly as men, but still look as though they spent hours on their wardrobe. To sell this new product line, Karan inaugurated a new clothing line in 1983, Anne Klein II. Its collection sold for one-third to one-half the price of Anne Klein pieces, so a larger consumer base could be reached (Donna 354).

Despite the success of this new line, Karan felt "sportswear had reached a pinnacle." She also felt that she was "losing her identity' (Sullivan). Though she wanted her own, smaller label, Karan did not want to make the final break with the company that had supported her throughout her designing career. As contract negotiations dragged on throughout 1984, Karan had her decision made for her when she was fired by Frank Mori, Takils partner in Anne Klein & Company (Sullivan).

Shortly after presenting her final collection for Anne Klein & Company, Karan presented the first collection of her Donna Karan New York in 1985. It was an immediate hit, because the separate pieces could be combined into hundreds of different outfits for day or night. Black was the essential color to this collection, though as the seasons progressed, Karan included navy, taupe, gray, cream, magenta, fuschia, pink, rose quartz, and pebble. In 1990, she reintroduced the mini-dress.

The Council of Fashion Designers of America named Karan designer of the year in 1985. Soon after this award, she launched her more affordable DKNY line, which was inspired by her now fashion- conscious teenage daughter. This new collection includes blue jeans, T-shirts, and even baseball caps. The appeal of this new line was evident by first year sales of $58M (Today's).

Currently, Donna Karan lives with her second husband, Stephen Weiss, who is also her closest business partner. He also serves as her source of balance and perspective. Karan related a funny anecdote- "He would say, If this is fabulous and that's divine, and that other thing is genius, what do you call Einstein, Da Vinci, and Salk? He made me realize that what I'm doing is not art" (Donna 355). Her fashion lines now include the Donna Karan collection, DKNY Essentials, DKNY, DKNY Jeans, and DKNY Tech. Though her fashion empire is valued at over $125M, Karan has no plans to retire any time soon. "I love what I do too much to give it up now" (Karan).

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