Donna Karan Net Worth
Donna Karan Net Worth
During her long career, Donna Karan has built an empire that has grown into an industry that is worth billions of dollars. Moreover, she is a philanthropist and sports enthusiast. Her net worth has grown from strength to strength and is increasing exponentially. She has been able to make such a name for herself while being a divorcée.
Donna Karan was a fashion designer
Donna Karan started her career as an assistant designer at Anne Klein in the late 1960s. She was promoted to associate designer in 1971 and in 1978 she became the head of the design team at the popular clothing line. She stayed with Anne Klein until 1985 when she launched her own label. She became a household name in the fashion world and her clothing line has become one of the most recognizable in the industry.
Donna Karan was born in 1948 in New York City, where she studied fashion design at Parsons School of Design. The designer’s clothing line, DKNY, was sold to LVMH for $650 million in 2016. Karan was married to Stephan Weiss, a sculptor and husband. He died of lung cancer in June 2001.
She is a philanthropist
Fashion designer Donna Karan is an avid philanthropist, who has made a number of contributions to the arts and to the community. She is a member of the CFDA board and has spearheaded a number of benefits for AIDS awareness. She also chairs the annual “Kids for Kids” event in New York and underwrites an annual designer flea market in support of the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Her charitable endeavors have also led to the creation of the Urban Zen Foundation and the Karan Weiss Foundation. Both organizations have made a significant difference in the world and have helped more than 250,000 people.
Donna Karan’s philanthropic activities have spanned decades. She has created iconic ready-to-wear collections, which are both comfortable and stylish. Her latest fall/winter 2013 collection celebrates the elegance of natural beauty. She has also contributed to a number of charitable causes, and is a strong advocate of empowering women to make their own business choices.
She is divorced from her husband
Despite her sexy style, Donna Karan is a divorced woman. Her first marriage ended in divorce after twenty years. In 1983, she married Stephan Weiss, a co-CEO of DKNY. The two met on a blind date. The couple had three children.
The divorce comes as a shock to many people. Karan is a successful designer and marketer. She founded the label DKNY in the early 1980s and has worked for a variety of fashion houses, including Anne Klein and Calvin Klein. She became a top designer at a young age, and her brand has grown into a global business.
In 2008, Karan sold her company to the French luxury conglomerate LVMH for $650 million. In exchange, she agreed to remain the creative director of the company. She also won numerous awards for her designs. She was the first American to win the Fashion Group International’s “Superstar Award” and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
She was a sports and arts enthusiast
Donna Karan was born and raised in the affluent Five Towns neighborhood of Long Island. She attended the prestigious Marist College and was a member of the National Honor Society. Her mother Helen and sister Gail raised her in the only two-family home in the town. Her father worked as a menswear tailor. Her mother was a fit model and later worked in the fashion industry as a salesperson.
Before starting her fashion line, Karan was an avid sports and arts enthusiast. In her free time, she participated in running and weightlifting competitions. She was also an active member of the New York City Ballet and studied painting. Later, she began working for fashion house Anne Klein, where she eventually became creative director.
She was a daring risk-taker
In the 1990s, Donna Karan was the chief executive of JC Penney, which planned to go public through a stock offering. But due to rapid expansion and unexpected demands, the company’s financial situation was not as healthy as it should have been. Wall Street questioned the feasibility of such an IPO. As a result, Karan was forced to restructure the company’s debt.
Donna Faske was born in Forest Hills, New York, on 2 October 1948. Her father, Gabby, ran a tailoring business on West 38th Street and died when she was three. She later attended the Parsons School of Design in Manhattan, but dropped out to work for her idol Anne Klein. After a few years, she met Mark Karan, a tailor who owned a small retail store in Brooklyn.