DKNY Women's Fashion Brand

Inspired by her daughter Gaby, Donna Karan founded DKNY in 1989 as a younger, more affordable diffusion line to run alongside her existing Donna Karan New York label. The founding and the philosophy go together: since its inception in 1989, DKNY has been synonymous with New York, inspired by the energy and attitude of the city. Drawing on Karan's original principle of designing for the woman who never knew where the day would take her, DKNY became a global lifestyle powerhouse - the dynamic wardrobe of everything you need to live a New York life, wherever that may be. Apparel Search's DKNY definition entry is linked from this page.

The branches the profile listed show the wardrobe's breadth: DKNY Jeans, DKNY Active, DKNY Underwear, DKNY Juniors, DKNY Kids and DKNY Pure - plus DKNY Men, launched in 1992, consisting of tailored suits, dress wear, formalwear, casual wear, sportswear and shoes, whose own Apparel Search profile is linked here as DKNY Men. And behind the diffusion line stands its designer: Donna Karan was a pioneer, a woman designing for women - the modern woman, forward-thinking, confident and self-assured, succeeding in the world while pulling off the balancing act of life.

From LVMH to G-III: The Ownership Record

The corporate chapter is part of this brand's record. In July 2016, French luxury giant LVMH - which had owned Karan's company since 2001, even though she stayed on to run the brands - shelved her flagship line Donna Karan International shortly after she left in June 2015, and said it would substantially increase its focus on her DKNY brand. Apparel Search's company profiles for both groups are linked from this page: LVMH and G-III.

LVMH then sold Donna Karan International, with the Donna Karan and DKNY brands, to the G-III Apparel Group in 2016 for $650 million. G-III, based in New York City, is a manufacturer and distributor of clothing and accessories under its owned brands, licensed brands and private label brands. A New York brand ending with a New York owner closes the arc neatly: the house that Donna Karan founded in 1984 - DKNY being its 1989 diffusion line - passed from its founder, through a French luxury group, to an American apparel group, with the DKNY name as the asset every owner valued most.

Shopping DKNY: A Wardrobe for an Unpredictable Day

Designing for the woman who never knew where the day would take her is a shopping brief as much as a philosophy: it favours pieces that travel across a day - the dress that works at a desk and at dinner, the separates that layer up and down, the shoes chosen for a city walked rather than a car taken. Judge DKNY pieces by that versatility test first, then by the standard construction checks: clean seams, fastenings that work smoothly, fabrics with enough body or drape for their job, and a fit tried in movement.

Within the branches, shop by need: DKNY Jeans for the denim foundation, the main line for the working wardrobe, and the sister labels for their named drawers. Care follows the garment - tailoring hung properly and cleaned sparingly, knits folded, denim washed inside out and cool. Synonymous with New York since 1989, DKNY sells energy and attitude translated into clothes; bought on versatility and fit, a DKNY piece does what Karan designed it to do - it keeps up with a day that refuses to be predicted.

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