Donna's Journal

Thinking about Motherhood

I’ve been thinking a lot about motherhood and what it means to be a mother; it’s is a subject that I’ve shared my heart and soul on many times. I am a mother and grandmother and my maternal instincts have fueled not only my familial relationships, but also my desire to bring mind, body and spirit into my life as a businesswoman and philanthropist.

This spectrum of motherhood spans across so many things and, in my opinion, highlights what’s most important. This week, I was an extra proud mama. I had the extraordinary pleasure of witnessing my daughter, Gabby, being honored at the Solving Kids Cancer’s Annual Gala. I was bursting with pride watching Gabby receive the “Wings of Hope” award for her tireless support of such a necessary and important issue. And, I’m delighted to share that evening was a fantastic success bringing in over $440,000 to fund new treatment options for kids.

As I write this, I am back in Haiti, a place where I tune into my maternal intuition constantly. As women, we are creators and the desire to give birth is woven into the essence of who we are – whether we birth babies, businesses or ideas is entirely up to us – but our ability to create is an amazing offering; an offering that the world needs.

So, in honor of Mother’s Day, I want to encourage each and every one of you to reach into your inner reserves of creativity. Tap into your unique talents and offer the world your own, authentic, brilliant, illuminated creativity.

All my love,

NAOMIE HARRIS

Actress Naomie Harris wears Donna Karan Atelier to the Costume Institute Gala for the “PUNK: Chaos to Couture” exhibition on May 6, 2013 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

JENNIFER MORRISON

Actress Jennifer Morrison wears Donna Karan Atelier to the Costume Institue Gala for the “PUNK: Chaos to Couture” exhibition on May 6, 2013 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Credit: Stephen Lovekin/FilmMagic

HAILEE STEINFELD

Actress Hailee Steinfeld wears Donna Karan Atelier to the Costume Institute Gala for the “PUNK: Chaos to Couture” exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2013 in New York City. Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images.

EMMY ROSSUM

Actress Emmy Rossum wears Donna Karan Atelier to the Costume Institute Gala for the “PUNK: Chaos to Couture” exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2013 in New York City. Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images.

BETH BEHRS

Actress Beth Behrs wore Donna Karan Atelier to the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton on April 27, 2013 in Washington, DC. Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

JAIMIE ALEXANDER

Jaimie Alexander wore Donna Karan Pre-Fall 2013 Look 23 to the Los Angeles special screening of Millennium Entertainment’s ‘The Iceman’ at ArcLight Hollywood on April 22, 2013 in Hollywood, California. Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images

Finding the World in New York

New York has always meant the world to me. I’m often asked why I chose to name my company Donna Karan New York and I always say the same thing: My name really didn’t mean anything, but New York… New York means everything.

Well, this past week was a perfect snapshot into the world that is New York City. My days were packed with conferences, events and galas… all of which spoke to the diverse facets of my own passions and the global community that makes up this city that continues to motivate me everyday.

From connecting with my friends and inspirations at the Clinton Foundation, to supporting a cause very close to my heart at the Annual Pink Ribbon Gala, to celebrating the Tribeca Film Festival with an event at Urban Zen to supporting key members of my Haiti crew - Bryn Mooser and David Darg – and the premier of their film, “The Rider and the Storm.”

A definite highlight of my week was spending my Saturday afternoon with Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe, who stopped by Urban Zen to see the gorgeous collection of uniquely designed papier mâché hearts (part of the Fashion for Haiti: One Million Hearts exhibition that is now available on eBay!). We also took some time to stroll through the Connecting the Dots exhibition and catch up on all things Haiti over lunch at Locanda Verde.

Such an inspiring week! And, now, all of my energies are focused on Barbra who just arrived in New York this weekend. Much to celebrate… stay tuned!

All my love,

HILARY RHODA

Model Hilary Rhoda wore Donna Karan Atelier to the Tiffany & Co. Blue Book Ball at Rockefeller Center in New York City on April 18, 2013. (Getty Images)

Fashion for Haiti: One Million Hearts

Creating a community of conscious consumerism is at the heart of everything I do, I believe it offers necessary solutions and I have witnessed the impact of this first hand in Haiti. I will be forever grateful to President Bill Clinton and the Clinton Foundation for introducing me to this vibrant country and offering such important leadership in this space.

I am excited to share that Urban Zen, together with the CFDA and eBay, launched Fashion for Haiti: One Million Hearts – an artistic celebration of the limitless potential of creativity and an expression of my ongoing love for Haiti.

For me, Haiti embodies all that Urban Zen represents and these beautifully designed hearts symbolize the power of bringing community together to raise awareness and inspire change.

You know, since my first visit to Haiti with the Clinton Foundation, I’ve been inspired by the Haitian artisans and how they are able to capture their culture and country in art form. I’ve been working with the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative to show the world these beautiful pieces, and in doing so, we’ve been able to help these artisans rebuild their own country by providing them with access to international markets and retailers. As an active member of the Clinton Global Initiatives Haiti Action Network, I was thrilled to work with both artisans from Haiti and Swarovski to create the design for the 2012 Clinton Global Citizen Award, awarded to individuals who have made an outstanding impact in philanthropy, public service, civil society, and the corporate sector.

In my continued travels to Haiti, I have discovered that the solution for rebuilding the country could be found in the inherent creativity of the people. I believe that Haiti represents a model for the developing world, one in which artistry is a key part of the solution.

Seeing the CFDA designers come together to show their support for Haitian artisans is a dream come true for me. The soul that went into these hearts is astonishing; I was blown away by their unique designs. I invite you to visit the Urban Zen Center in New York City to see them for yourself. The hearts will be on exhibition until April 22^nd, after which point they will be sold at auction on eBay from April 22 – May 2 with 100% of proceeds benefitting Urban Zen’s Artisan program.

My hope is that these hearts will continue to carry on the message that with a little bit of creativity so much soul can be expressed and new solutions can be discovered.

All my love,