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My Journey

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY HARPER’S BAZAAR • In this candid memoir, featuring a foreword by Barbra Streisand, renowned designer Donna Karan shares intimate details about her lonely childhood, her four-plus decades in the fashion industry, her two marriages, motherhood, and her ongoing quest for self-acceptance and spiritual peace.
Donna Karan was born into the fashion business—her father was a tailor, and her mother was a showroom model and Seventh Avenue saleswoman—yet Karan dreamed of becoming a dancer like Martha Graham or a singer like Barbra Streisand. Fashion was her destiny, though. My Journey traces Karan’s early days as an intern at Anne Klein, the creation of her Seven Easy Pieces (which forever changed the way working women dressed), and the meteoric rise of her company. Along with juicy industry stories, Karan candidly discusses her difficult mother and traumatic childhood, her turbulent romantic life, all the loved ones she has lost over the years, and the personal awakening that occurred just as she reached the height of professional and financial success.
That awakening set Karan down a path of spiritual discovery and self-improvement. From est to Kabbalah, from silent retreats to leech therapy, Karan tried everything to find, as she writes, “calm in the chaos.” But she also reveals how a chaotic life, fueled by endless curiosity and childlike impulses, helped her design seminal collections season after season for global powerhouse brands Donna Karan New York and DKNY. She also details how she has channeled her creativity (and her urge to solve problems and nurture others) into philanthropic work, particularly her early outspoken advocacy for AIDS awareness and research, and the creation of her Urban Zen Foundation, focusing on integrated healthcare and education as well as preservation of culture, which led to her current efforts in Haiti.
Karan’s life has been crowded with glamorous characters and adventures around the world. But she sometimes still feels like that awkward teen from Long Island who never fit in—which makes her all the more endearing. Brimming with Karan’s infectious energy, My Journey is about much more than the fashion world: It is the story of a young woman whose vision and hard work made her a role model for women everywhere—a woman who dreamed big, fought to have it all, broke the rules, and loved passionately along the way.
Praise for My Journey
“By turns moving, insightful, and hilarious, yet always, always heartfelt . . . When you’re a true force of fashion, nothing holds you back.”Vogue
“When Donna Karan stepped down . . . it was the end of an era, so consider this autobiography her parting gift. . . . Expect a holistic view of the woman behind one of the most influential American labels.”StyleCaster
“Donna’s creativity and passion as a committed philanthropist are matched only by her gift for friendship. Whether she’s making the world more beautiful or giving a Haitian artisan the tools to create a sustainable business, Donna has always led with great heart and wonderful humor.”—President Bill Clinton
“What we take for granted often comes from the most revolutionary of sources. In New York in the 1980s, no one was more radical than Donna Karan. She created a way of dressing that was womanly, practical, and empowering.”—Anna Wintour
“An extraordinary personal, professional, and spiritual life . . . defined by Donna’s...
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    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 28, 2015
      In this candid and revealing memoir, fashion designer Karan recalls her less-than-perfect youth, her relationship with mentor Anne Klein, her glory years as a mega-successful fashion designer, and her grief over losing the love of her life to cancer. Born Donna Faske in 1948 in Queens, N.Y., Karan grew up around the fashion world: her father was a gifted tailor and her mother was a model turned showroom saleswoman. Karan officially began her career interning for the prestigious Seventh Avenue designer Anne Klein, who became like a second mother to the talented yet inexperienced designer. While engaged to Mark Karan, who she went on to marry in 1968, Karan fell for sexy, older Stephan Weiss, who became her on-again, off-again "addiction." Their affair eventually led to her divorce, followed by her marriage to Weiss; his illness and death were crushing to Karan. She details her rise in the fashion world, including the launch of Donna Karan New York with the highly innovative, original Seven Easy Pieces. Over the years, she struggled with the frenzy of her life as well as a loss of identity, turning to mainstream and alternative healers and spiritualists with her "spiritual sister" Barbra Streisand (who writes the foreword). After decades in the business, the A-list designer, world traveler, and philanthropist finally steps down from her brand. Karan is generous with honesty and insight. The book's energy is infectious, and Karan's instinctive talent on the page and off is fascinating. Color photos.

    • Kirkus

      October 1, 2015
      A stylish yet substantive memoir from a fashion titan, written in a New York accent. With equal parts restraint and candor, Karan chronicles the story of her life so far: a rocky childhood in Queens, her time at Parsons School of Design, her rise to the top as a fashion designer, and her present-day passion for philanthropy. Karan's turbulent childhood informed her early goal of becoming a stay-at-home mother, as well as an enduring impulse to surround herself with people and nurture them. She breathlessly narrates her climb to the top at Anne Klein and the creation of her own label]here, she's in Milan sourcing fabric; there, she's at Versailles, surrounded by celebrities. The glamour and elitism of the fashion world threatens to alienate readers, but the author's voice is genuine and honest. Her career path, however, soon cedes importance to her spiritual one. But when talk of psychics, cabala, yogis, feng shui, and silent retreats veers from the mainstream, Karan takes readers by the hand. She acknowledges her "woo-woos" while never belittling her faith in them. She writes of the professional and romantic beginnings and endings that have shaped her life with compassion, both for herself and for those involved. Ironically for a woman who so famously embraces black for her wardrobes, in Karan's life, there is no black or white. There are no real villains here and few absolutes: just good friends, valuable mentors, great loves, and significant losses. Embellished with decorous name-dropping]one of her best friends is Barbra Streisand]Karan's effort is still authentic and sometimes funny. Without the need for lurid details or sensational ploys, she keeps the pages turning. Clothes, Karan believes, should be "a supporting player in your story, never the story itself." In her elegant and satisfying memoir, the author achieves just that.

      COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Booklist

      October 1, 2015
      After years of tireless work, courage, artistic risks, and well-timed luck, Donna Karan put her mark on the fashion world, designing innovative, versatile clothing for urban, working women. In this candid and engaging memoir, Karan offers a window into her immense energy and work ethic and her inspiration, which seems to always come from practical needs. The flaws in her teenage daughter's clothing led to the creation of her youth brand, DKNY, and her husband's dislike of suits led to a men's line, DK. Despite being a major fashion icon, Karan is quirky and humble (no Miranda Priestly here). Anecdotes about Karan suddenly whipping off her own clothes to dress a celebrity, or carrying a potato around in her purse because she liked the color, are nicely mingled with fashion-insider talk about CEO hiring schemes and branding strategies as well as behind-the-scenes glimpses of runway shows. For readers enthralled by the fashion chronicle The Battle of Versailles (2015), Karan's personal account of America's success that night will come as an additional bonus. A highly readable memoir, perfect for fashionistas.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

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