By: Hope Wilkos, Writer
Designer Donna Karan has always seemed to be on top of the world. She has gained tremendous respect in the fashion industry and gives courage and strength to those emerging designers with a desire to live out their dream.
In the month of October, Donna Karan has launched one of her greatest works yet, a memoir, carefully created and gracefully told, for the world to get to know the designer, mother, friend, wife. It is called ‘My Journey’. She shares intimate moments and treasured experiences, all leading up to spiritual peace which is the path that she now chooses to follow with steadfast committment. Ironically, even though Karan is known for her simple and sophisticated popular pieces, she has never looked at her work as simple. She devotes her heart and soul into all her endeavors and balancing a professional life with a multitude of brands and the responsibilities of motherhood can get quite hectic
.
Due to the fact that it has become quite a balancing act, this past Fashion Week in New York City seemed like the most opportune time for Donna Karan to announce that she was stepping down from the brand that she had founded, the Donna Karan Collection. She is not leaving the fashion industry, by any means. The purpose is to give her time to focus on what has become her passion, Urban Zen. The concept brand is a philosophy of living by Donna Karan, touched and inspired by cultures and artisans from around the world. Its stores offer a unique collection of luxurious women and men’s apparel, one-of-a-kind jewelry, handcrafted leather pieces, artisan furniture and home decor, as well as other soulful objects of desire. Urban Zen’s products are developed in partnership with artisans who align with it’s soulful economy mission. Urban Zen retail stores support the Urban Zen Foundation, which has a mission to raise awareness and inspire change in the areas of Preservation of Cultures, Well-Being and Education.
Donna Karan has been excited to unveil her newest Urban Zen Fall/Winter 2015 Collection. Appropriately named for the force of nature that inspired her, THE STORM fulfills the calm in the chaos in the eye of the storm.
The collection features her signature body jersey dresses with leather detailing, cashmere knit sweaters, a hand treated suede flight suit and short shearling jackets, all are chic yet easy to wear. New accessories include a cut-out warrior necklace in shearling leather with metal details, a raw edged shearling belt bag and a natural horn tip cuff. Most recently at the celebration of the launch of her memoir which took place at her Greenwich Street store location, Karan was spotted wearing one of the warrior necklaces, a complimentary piece to her black attire.
Urban Zen offer a unique collection of luxurious women and men’s apparel, one-of-a-kind and artisan jewelry, handcrafted leather pieces, artisan furniture and home decor, as well as other soulful objects of desire. A portion of all proceeds are donated to the Urban Zen Foundation.
THE STORM, is now available online at UrbanZen.com and in the New York City and Sag Harbor boutiques. It will rise to the occasion and become the popular collection that will keep you grounded this winter season from the big chill.
Donna Karan puts it into words quite well:
A collection inspired by the force of nature.
Everything offers shelter from the cold:
Warm, wrapped, layered, protected, grounded.
It starts with our signature day-into-night body jerseys,
Then the heavenly cashmere knits —
Lofty oversized sweaters to get lost in,
And tweed knits that wrap you up with sophistication.
Essential outerwear blends fashion and function.
Cowl bonded neoprene suede jackets and
Belted tweed wool coats for brisk city walks.
Cocoon-like shearling coats to seek refuge from the cold.
Winter is a season of passion, inside and out.
The calm in the chaos in the eye of the storm.
We look forward to traveling with Donna Karan on this newest journey that she has chosen to undertake and know that success will ultimately be hers once again.
