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Donna Karan: Out of New Age & Back In Business
By: Brandusa Niro and Godfrey Deeny
NEW YORK, Feb 15, 2002/ FWD/ --- When Donna Karan falls in love with a theme, she pushes it
forward with great passion, evidenced once again by the fall 2002 collection she presented
in her Seventh Avenue showroom:
It was as much about Anouk Aimee in "La Dolce Vita," as it was about a '20s flapper who
traveled through Karan's time machine into present-day New York.
This show was about door-opening clothes made for late night jazz clubs and sultry beauties.
Forget Karan's forgiving silhouettes of the past -- this time her customer has to look at
least as lean as the slimmed-down designer, who looked more beautiful than ever as she took
her bows on the runway.
Four colors dominated: indigo, Bordeaux, espresso, and always black.
The latter color appeared on its own in some of the strongest pieces - a velour ruffle-edge
wire coat; a Yohji-style fringed mini-jacket; a vaguely military elongated maxi-wool trench
worn by Alek Wek; a spectacular little tuxedo which made the very same Wek look over seven
feet tall; and some amazing pants, Donna-signature in fit, texture and cool.
Karan went for the unadorned look this season, almost completely devoid of accessories except
for ethnic antique-style jewelry.
The best accessory was the woman inside the clothes, which particularly showed in the jacquard
man's coat worn by the ravishing Carolyn Murphy.
It was as if the '60s star Romy Schneider were born again and walking the runway.
The show would have benefited from more editing.
Items that worked in indigo or chocolate brown, for instance, lost their zing when shown in
Bordeaux - a color that's known to be a difficult sell at retail.
Collage dresses with a flapper swing took the patchwork theme too far, and grew somewhat
excessive in number.
But the magnificent Art Deco finale of black chiffon and diamante, and another gorgeous
jacquard clutch coat worn by new model Natalia, marked a happy return to the Karan we had
been clamoring for: a passionate ally of the modern woman.
Her fans, and especially the house's new owner, French billionaire Bernard Arnault, enjoyed
the newly focused signature of Donna Karan.
Donna Karan Fall 2002
Donna Karan Fall 2002
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