“How do you become successful? Don't think about success. Do something you believe in. Something that fits your needs, your lifestyle, and your passions.” That, according to Donna Karan, is the key to success. Donna who you say? Donna Karan. Donna is a fashion designer and founder of fashion label DKNY, which even my father sounds familiar 😉 .
Table of contents
Definitely a book about bikinis and pantsuits so I hear you think, but Donna Karan's autobiography is oh-so-much more than that. I don't spend that much time or money on my wardrobe (read:I'm not really blessed with a good sense of style and normally walk around with bleached jeans for at least a year after it was really hip), but reading this biography was definitely not a punishment.
Donna Karan was born Donna Ivy Faske in 1948. Donna was born with fashion. Her father, who died when she was four, made tailor-made suits, and her mother was a model. She goes to the fashion academy and actually wants to become a fashion illustrator, but soon discovers that that is not where her true talent lies. She will design clothes for Anne Klein, with the idea that she will stop working as soon as she has children with her husband Mark Karan, who took her away from her (bipolar?) mother. Her ambition – and ultimately still her greatest happiness in life – then only lies with becoming a mother. Ultimately, her first pregnancy coincides with the deathbed of her boss and girlfriend, and it soon becomes clear that Donna Karan is the right person to take over – how different life can turn out. Ultimately, she is at the top of a multimillion-dollar company.
The book is a good read, although at a certain point I no longer made any effort to save years or names. Calvin Klein still looked familiar to me; I told you, I'm not a fashion connoisseur. Fortunately, the book is full of fun anecdotes and – oh so nice – pages full of glamorous pictures of Donna with a lot of celebrities. From Bill Clinton to the Dalai Lama and of course pages full of handsome and well-dressed people. I can only dream of this woman's address book. The further the book progresses, and the more Donna Karan and the clothing line develop. And the more money is earned, the more extravagant the situations.
In her autobiography, Donna exposes herself; for example, she admits that she thinks it is nice that her affair was good for her creativity. Donna's got balls! Call it flat, but stories like this make the book a pleasure to read even for a fashion enthusiast like me. As Donna gets older, she also becomes more spiritual and she looks for all kinds of ways to develop herself in that area as well. This is also reflected in her clothing designs; fashion is really the common thread in her life. However, spirituality also becomes a major pillar, and here too she sometimes goes to the extremes - personally I find a leech treatment in Austria to cleanse your soul at least quite intense :grinn:.
All in all, a success story about a woman who always wants to continue to develop in all aspects of her life. We naturally respect that at Mams at Work. Creativity, spirituality and pages full of beautiful dresses and men. So something for everyone! This is best taken to the beach this summer! You can find the book here.
Author:Donna Karan
Price:€ 22.50
ISBN:9789021560687
Kosmos Publishers
