4. Donna Karan and her clothing for the modern woman
Donna Karan was born in Forest Hills, Queens in 1948. Karan grew up in the height of the fashion world because her father was a tailor and her mother was a model and showroom sales representative in the Garment District. She dropped out of high school to work at a local boutique.
By age 20, Karan applied and was accepted into the Parsons School of Design. Two years into her college career, American fashion designer Anne Kleine hired Karan as an assistant designer. After rising in the ranks at Anne Klein, Karan decided to start her own collection in 1984. This collection, called Seven Easy Pieces, reflected Karan’s needs as a New York woman. She believed other women needed these items as much as herself. Collection items included a bodysuit, a tailored jacket, a skirt, pants, a cashmere sweater, a leather jacket and an evening look. Today, her fashion company, Donna Karan, sells clothes designed for the modern woman.
