DKNY is losing the DK.
Donna Karan, one of the most influential shapers of contemporary
American fashion, will step down as chief designer of her namesake
company Donna Karan International to devote more time to her
foundation.
In a statement, Ms. Karan said she has contemplated the decision
for several years and "after much soul-searching" with LVMH Moë t
Hennessy Louis Vuitton, which acquired the label in 2001, decided
now was the right time.
With the move, Donna Karan International is steering away from
high-end fashion and toward its more mass-market DKNY brand. The
company said it won't seek a replacement chief designer for the
Donna Karan Collection and will suspend runway shows and
collections for a period of time. Meanwhile, it said, it will
"substantially increase its focus on the DKNY brand."
Ms. Karan opened her fashion house in the mid-1980s with her
late husband, Stephen Weiss. Her clothes were a hit among executive
women and celebrities such as Demi Moore who took to her "seven
easy pieces" formula based on several items that could easily be
mixed and matched.
She launched DKNY in 1989 to appeal to a younger audience, and
it quickly gained a following with stylish urbanites.
In 1996, Ms. Karan took her company public. But her fashions
started to lose their appeal, and she sold the company to LVMH,
retaining a high degree of creative control.
The shift to emphasizing more affordable gear is a turnabout for
LVMH, which worried when it bought Donna Karan International that
the presence of DKNY in discount stores like TJ Maxx cheapened the
brand and made it hard to command the attention of luxury retailers
like Neiman Marcus.
The purchase at the time was a major bet by LVMH on an American
designer label and ready-to-wear apparel.
Ms. Karan will stay on with the company as an adviser.
Write to Kate Linebaugh at kate.linebaugh@wsj.com and Suzanne
Kapner at Suzanne.Kapner@wsj.com
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