Donna Karan was born Donna Faske on Long Island, New York, on October 4, 1948. The daughter of a fashion model and a dealer in men's furnishings, Karan was steeped in fashion from childhood. She attended New York's Parsons School of Design in 1968, and after only her second year landed a summer job with Anne Klein.

She was subsequently hired as an assistant at the design firm, and by 1971 had worked her way up to associate designer. When Anne Klein died of cancer in 1974, Karan was named Klein's successor and became head designer. She was only 26 years old.

In 1984, Karan was given her own firm by Takihyo Corporation of Japan, Anne Klein's parent company. Karan's first collection under her own label, released the following year, established her immediately as a new fashion star. Her idea was to design only clothes and accessories she would wear herself -- the best of everything for a modern woman who doesn't have time to shop. The saying goes that before Karan approves production of a particular design, she must first decide the piece looks good on her.

The stylish women executives who depend upon Karan's work--much of it basic black--praise her fashions as flattering and versatile, comfortable and chic. Karan's hallmark is functionality as much as it is style.

Known as the Queen of Seventh Avenue, Karan won Coty Awards in 1977 and 1981, and was inducted into the Coty Hall of Fame in 1984. In May 1987, she was awarded a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree by Parsons School of Design.

She married boutique owner Mark Karan in 1973, with whom she had a daughter named Gabrielle. Interestingly, it is Gabrielle who is said to have been Karan's inspiration for her youthful DKNY line. After the couple divorced, Karan married sculptor Stephan Weiss, who helped her found her company in 1984, and with whom she shared the responsibility of running it for over a decade. At the end of 1995, however, Weiss resigned from his duties in order to concentrate more on his art.

Some of Karan's current lines include DKNY, DKNY Jeans, DKNY Essentials, DKNY Tech, and the Donna Karan collection.

Credit: we-womensentertainment.com