Donna Karan is widely regarded as one of the most influential womenswear designers of the 21st Century. She launched her first namesake collection in 1984, which featured seven easy pieces that married comfort with versatility. In 1989, Karan debuted DKNY (Donna Karan New York), a brand that revolutionized the fashion industry by offering tailored jackets, skirts and other easy-wear-clothing items that catered to women on the go. Here, WWD takes a closer look at her style moments through the years.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 1977
Image Credit: WWD Donna Karan at the 1977 opening of the Lord and Taylor store in White Flint, Maryland.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 1985
Image Credit: WWD Donna Karan at the end of her 1985 ready-to-wear resort show.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 1990
Image Credit: WWD Donna Karen at the Fashion Group and Vogue’s celebration of fall couture on Sept. 7 in New York.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 1991
Image Credit: Eric Weiss Donna Karan at the Municipal Arts Society’s 1991 dinner on Feb. 27 in New York.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 1999
Image Credit: Robert Mitra Donna Karan on the runway during the finale of her fall 1999 ready-to-wear collection.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2001
Image Credit: John Aquino Donna Karan on the runway at her DKNY spring 2001 show in New York.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2004
Image Credit: John Calabrese Donna Karan at the 2004 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2004
Image Credit: Tyler Boye Donna Karan at Vanity Fair’s 2004 Oscars party in Los Angeles.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2006
Image Credit: Jimi Celeste Donna Karan at Cartier’s 2006 Love collection launch party in New York on Jun. 8.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2006
Image Credit: George Chinsee Donna Karan on the runway after her spring 2006 fashion show.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2006
Image Credit: Steve Eichner Donna Karan at the 2006 Fashion Rocks concert in New York.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2007
Image Credit: Tyler Boye Donna Karan at the 2007 Vanity Fair party in Los Angeles.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2007
Image Credit: NYT Syndicate Donna Karan at the 2007 Parsons Benefit and fashion show in New York on Apr. 30.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2007
Image Credit: George Chinsee Donna Karan on the runway after her spring 2007 show.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2007
Image Credit: NYT Syndicate Donna and Gabby Karan at the 2007 CFDA Awards in New York.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2008
Image Credit: Kristen Somody Whalen Donna Karan at the 2008 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2009
Image Credit: Scott Rudd Donna Karan at the 2009 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2009
Image Credit: Steve Eichner Donna Karan at a 2009 party for “The Art of Fashion in the Hamptons” exhibtion in New York on Aug. 14.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2010
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Donna Karan at the 2010 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2010
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Gabby Karan De Felice and Donna Karan at the Continuum Center For Health and Healing’s 2010 Organic Elegance benefit on May 4 in New York.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2010
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Russell Simmons and Donna Karan at the 2010 Met Gala in New York.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2010
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Elton John and Donna Karan at Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s 2016 Hot Pink Party in New York.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2010
Image Credit: DKNY Donna Karan on the runway after her DKNY spring 2010 fashion show.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2010
Image Credit: WWD Donna Karan at the 2010 Love Ball on Feb. 25 in London.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2010
Image Credit: Steve Eichner JJ Biasucci and Donna Karan at the 2010 screening of “Grease Sing-A-Long.”
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2010
Image Credit: DKNY Donna Karan at DKNY’s fall 2010 menswear show.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2010
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Donna Karan on the runway at the Fashion For Relief’s 2010 Haiti benefit show in New York on Feb. 12.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2010
Image Credit: Donna Karan Collection Donna Karan on the runway after her Donna Karan Collection fall 2010 show.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2011
Image Credit: Donna Karan Donna Karan on the runway after her spring 2011 fashion show.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2011
Image Credit: Steve Eichner Donna Karan at the 2011 Urban Zen Stephan Weiss Apple Awards in New York.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2011
Image Credit: DKNY Designer Donna Karan on the runway after DKNY’s spring 2011 fashion show.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2011
Image Credit: Donato Sardella Donna Karan at the 2011 Vanity Fair Oscars party in Los Angeles.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2012
Image Credit: Thomas Iannaccone Donna Karan at the 2012 Clarins Million Meals for FEED Concert in New York on May 30.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2012
Image Credit: Donna Karan Donna Karan on the runway after her fall 2012 ready-to-wear fashion show.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2012
Image Credit: Pasha Antonov Donna Karan at her fall 2011 ready-to-wear runway show in New York on Feb. 14.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2012
Image Credit: John Aquino Donna Karan at the Parsons The New School for Design’s 2012 Fashion Benefit in New York.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2012
Image Credit: Kristen Somody Whalen Donna Karan at the 2012 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2012
Image Credit: Steve Eichner Donna Karan at the 2012 Met Gala in New York where the theme was “Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations.”
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2012
Image Credit: Donna Karan Designer Donna Karan on the runway after her spring 2012 show.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2013
Image Credit: DKNY Donna Karan on the runway after her DKNY spring 2013 ready-to-wear fashion show.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2013
Image Credit: Steve Eichner Donna Karan at the 2010 Change Begins Within Benefit in New York on Dec. 13.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2013
Image Credit: Donna Karan Donna Karan on the runway after her fall 2013 ready-to-wear fashion show.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2014
Image Credit: Thomas Iannaccone Donna Karan on the runway after DKNY’s spring 2014 ready-to-wear fashion show.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2014
Image Credit: Robert Mitra Donna Karan on the runway after her spring 2014 show in New York.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2016
Image Credit: Aurora Rose Donna Karan and Demi Moore at the Harper’s Bazaar 2016 editor-in-cheif anniversary celebration on May 3 in New York.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2016
Image Credit: Andrew H. Walker/WWD/Shutterstock Sarah Jessica Parker and Donna Karan at the 2016 Parsons Benefit in New York on May 23.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2016
Image Credit: Michael Buckner/WWD Donna Karan and Calvin Klein at the 2016 Met Gala, where the theme was “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology” in New York on May 2.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2016
Image Credit: Andrew H Walker/WWD Donna Karan at “The First Monday in May” premiere during the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival in New York on Apr. 13.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2016
Image Credit: Stephen Lovekin/WWD Donna Karan at the 2016 Breast Cancer Research Foundation Hot Pink Party in New York on Apr. 12.
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Donna Karan’s Fashion Moments, 2016
Image Credit: Andrew H Walker/Variety Donna Karan at Variety’s 2016 Power of Women New York Issue celebration in New York on Apr. 8.