Fashion Icons Encyclopedia. Donna Karan.

Donna Karan, one of the most prominent fashion designers in the world, has left an indelible mark on the industry, bringing uptown New York flair into the mainstream. Donna Ivy Faske was born on October 2, 1948, in Forest Hills, New York. Karan, who grew up in Hewlett, Long Island, was engaged in the world of fashion from an early age. Her mother made a living as a model, while her stepfather worked as a suit designer.

Karan's family had a strong influence on her from a young age. She had dropped out of school and started selling clothes at a small boutique by the age of 14. Karan got accepted into the prestigious Parsons School of Design in New York City in 1968.

She was a student at Parsons University when the opportunity to work with Anna Klein occurred, so he put academic work aside to fully immerse himself in the world of labor. Klein died that year, and Karan took over the collections. Donna Karan, an example of an enterprising woman where they exist, has accomplished many things since she began in the world of fashion: she has defined the wardrobe of the American woman of the 1980s, the one who found her way in a world of men's work. The designer will step down as artistic director of Donna Karan International (DKI) in 2015, but she will continue to advise the company she co-founded with her husband, Stephan Weiss, in 1984.