Donna's Journal

The Shows

Another Fashion Week over… whew! I’ve just arrived in LA to dress Barbra for the Oscars, but before I get wrapped up in the celebratory awards season, I wanted to take a moment to tell you about how I’m feeling about my shows.

For me, the Donna Karan collection was about individuality, freedom and endless possibility: three words that embody the theme of my life in this moment. It was personal.

I loved the way this season came together; from look number one through the end of the show, we highlighted women of power. I wanted to convey the evolution of a signature style - a collection that has a life longer than a season.

I absolutely loved the energy of the DKNY show: the color, the set, the video, the music were all vibrant and dynamic. I thought the girls beautifully walked that fine line between youth and sophistication, which was perfect. It was fashion meeting real life and love, love, Ioved it.

DKNY is always a little more familial. I started DKNY to address the growing needs of my own family and the collection continues to draw on my maternal instincts: every season feels like I am watching my child take another step forward. I’m very proud of where DKNY is today.

I feel great about both collections and am thrilled to be taking some time in LA, basking in sunshine, spending time with Barbra and gearing up for the Oscars. Stay tuned!

All my love,

Don’t miss the show at 2pm today on DonnaKaran.com

WATCH IT HERE

RACHAEL TAYLOR

Actress Rachael Taylor in Resort 2013 at the Donna Karan New York Spring 2013 runway show, September 10, 2012 in New York City. Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images

ASHLEY GREENE

Ashley Greene in Resort 2013 at the Donna Karan New York Spring 2013 runway show, September 10, 2012 in New York City. Credit: Henry S. Dziekan III / WireImage

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Fashion’s Night Out is such a special night! Here are some of the photos from the event launching the new Stephen Weiss: Connecting the Dots book!

Watch the Runway Video | See the Lookbook | Go Backstage at the Show

FASHION WEEK

Fashion Week always hits like a hurricane after Labor Day. Mind you, I’ve been working all summer on our Spring collections – Donna Karan and DKNY don’t happen overnight. But there’s still that sudden, back-to-school feeling in the air. You have everyone in town, all at once – the international press, retailers, bloggers, celebs – and the schedule is jam packed. There’s literally something – actually many things - every hour on the hour. It’s the ultimate fashion reunion – a moveable feast running from uptown to downtown, day into night. Usually, DKNY and Donna Karan are among the last shows of the week, but this year, I’m thrilled to say they are among the first. Why am I thrilled? Because then it will be essentially over and I can enjoy the rest of the week. Or at least try to. Right now, pre-shows, I’m running back and forth between 550 Seventh Avenue (Collection’s home) to 240 W 40th (DKNY’s home.) I’m styling looks, fitting models, previewing with the press, hearing music, writing press releases, deciding on hair and makeup and on and on. Add in Fashion’s Night Out – the truly brilliant, round-the-world, shop-till-you-drop party established four years ago created by Anna Wintour and Vogue, and the pressure is just all that more intense. (Our FNO included Miss Piggy at the DKNY store selling FDNY Heroes Calendar as well as Lauren Bush Lauren and the DKNY X FEED Collection to fight world hunger. And, at our Collection store, we previewed my new book on Stephan, “Connecting the Dots: Portrait of a Man.”) I’m not doing this alone. I have the most amazing teams in the world. I hit the ground running at 7am and fall into bed after midnight. You would think with more than 50 shows behind me, I wouldn’t get stressed at all, but I do. Yet, I’ve learned to stay cool through my yoga, pilates, juices, aromatherapy and getting a massage before I go to bed. After our Collection show, I host a dinner for all my designers and creative talent who worked on the show, and we get to breathe a collective sigh of relief. For a minute, that is. Then we go to work the next morning and start all over again. To be continued….

DONNA KARAN SPRING 2013 SHOW

Livestreaming today at 2pm EST

WATCH LIVE FROM THE FRONT ROW HERE