Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
For me, the soul is connected to a higher being. It's not about religion; it's about connecting to your true self - your truth, the truth inside of you, the one you were born with.
I believe in the power of women. As nurturers, we have a unique ability to care and share and make the world a better place. Women Who Inspire are women who are making a difference.
I spent two weeks at the Sadhguru's [Jaggi Vasudev]. It was a wonderful experience. It was very different from what I normally do - earlier I used to do Ashtanga [yoga] all the time.
I do remember how sexy my collection was after I first got involved with Stephan [Weiss]. That's one thing I don't have in my life now and...if anything, that's one thing I would love.
I worked with a writer, Kathleen Boyce. It was a wonderful experience...but I didn't expect that the last chapter would be the last chapter of Donna Karan. That was probably the biggest shock.
With all the yoga and meditation that I do, when the chaos happens it happens. But I'm not as affected as a lot of people - I don't react as much. I just let things drip off my back a little bit.
Now the industry is looking at the change in a very real way - to find ways of talking to the consumer much faster. Everything we have is changing with communication - from fashion to newspapers.
There was a time when we would pick up Women's Wear Daily and couldn't wait to see what it read. And now, you get it five minutes later on your iPad or your phone! The same has to apply to fashion.
Every time I see the sunshine in the bright blue sky, I cannot help but think how blessed I really am to see another day. There are so many who may have not woken up to see it but I have been blessed.
When I first started designing, all women were dressed like men, and I said, 'Hey, guys, let's be women, put the two together - it's not either/or. Let's celebrate our bodies. Our bodies are different.'
If you look at the world today, there are as many solutions as there are problems. I think that is a big part of creativity. That's why I started Urban Zen. Because I wanted to dress and address people.
I'm not as obsessive-compulsive about certain things; I give a lot of latitude to people and support people. I know that I can't do it myself and that you're only as good as the people you have behind you.
I love building spaces: architecture, furniture, all of it, probably more than fashion. The development procedure is more tactile. It's about space and form and it's something you can share with other people.
I don't feel burdened, but I do feel a little frustrated. Because I see the problem, and I can see the solution - but there are two strongly different points of view on this - like the Republicans and Democrats.
Wellness is a state of mind, body, and spirit. When the three are in alignment, you feel balanced and energized. You have more to give of yourself creatively and to your loved ones. That's what we all strive for.
I think we're on a journey....It was very easy to write about my past in my book, but writing about the present is all a new chapter. I hope that people find this journey fascinating, informative and educational.
Smell is the primordial sense, more powerful, more primitive, more intimately tied to our memories and emotions than any other. A scent can trigger spiritual, emotional or physical peace and stimulate healing and wellness.
I do not believe I can no longer dress people, but it's more about dressing their insides. Everyone is affected by healthcare. Everyone is affected by education. And for me, a personal inspiration is the preservation of culture.
I did Urban Zen for myself, to make clothes for me and my friends, a similar philosophy to when I started Donna Karan. Except this time I hope it will stay that way so that I will be able to support young designers and mentor them.
There's such a void in the medical system. When my husband was sick, it became very apparent to me that the nurses were doing the doctor's job, and the doctors were doing the disease job, so no one was caring for the patient and the loved one.
My daughter Gabby very kindly once said that she thinks I was a better mother because I was doing a job I loved. I now think guilt is a universal part of being a mother. I used to think it was Jewish-mother guilt but now I think it is working-mother guilt.
My bodysuit is how I start everyday. I wear a bodysuit everyday of my life. It's how I start my yoga practice. It's underneath it all. For me, what goes under the clothes is as important as what goes on top of the clothes. It's a layering aspect, so it's inside.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate these young [Israeli] designers. There's too much strife in the world. If we become united in our creativity, not only in what we wear, but what we do, we will change the world. It's truly an honor to be around such inspiration.
I like the idea of having many different ways to express myself. There is a part of me as an artist and a creator who would like to express myself in many different ways. But then at the same time I know I have limited hours in the day, and I can only do so much successfully.
I'm very involved in my business and with my family and my friends. I don't play the social world very much, and not to promote my product. I do it for the philanthropic problems because there I feel that I'm making a difference, and that I'm helping. So I do it in a soulful way.
[The consumer] shown new styles in the moment, but she's not going to get them for another six months - and I think that's very confusing for her. She feels she's seen it all by the time it comes around. She's also a little bored. She's really into [snaps her fingers], "Wear-now-buy-now."
Today, fashion is really about sensuality-how a woman feels on the inside. In the '80s women used suits with exaggerated shoulders and waists to make a strong impression. Women are now more comfortable with themselves and their bodies-they no longer feel the need to hide behind their clothes.
Many of the customers here are traveling all over the world so they need multiple types of clothes. That's one thing about Urban Zen - it is seasonless and it is timeless. So it's not about the fashion of a moment saying, "I have to have it now." It's something that you become a part of...sort of like a sari.
I also miss the support that I had of so many people. You know I'm a very Ma and Pa operation right now, and I was used to having everything working for me. It was a similar situation when I left Anne Klein and started Donna Karan. All of a sudden I was working in my apartment and it was, "Oh my god, what am I doing?"
I think it's changing is that business is not as good as it was and it has become a real question in the world of fashion. You see, bags and shoes don't take on the seasonal quality that fashion does. A black leather bag can be good in any season, but you can't say the same about fashion, particularly about fabrication.
Personally, I don't use fragrance, and only use essential oils. Stephan [Weiss] said, "Donna, we have to do fragrance - fragrance will last forever - fashion goes up and down. And I said, "I love Casablanca lilies, I love the smell of your neck and I love suede. If you can combine these three together, we can discuss it."
For me, starting each collection is always about what I really want, what I really need, and I was personally dying for sensual comfort. I think when you think of Donna Karan, you think of sensuality, but it's a different kind of sensuality. A kind of comfort sensuality that is one with your body and the way clothes feel on.
Originally, back in 1992, DKNY started because I couldn't find a pair of jeans. I also wanted to dress my teenage daughter Gabby. So it was the perfect street wardrobe: jeans, anoraks, jumpsuits, boyfriend jackets, sweaters, skirts and dresses. Then DKNY grew into an entire lifestyle concept, including tailored clothes you wear to work.
I could go on for days about why I love yoga. One of my favorite parts is I can't think about anything else other than doing what the teacher tells me to do. For me, someone who has a million things going on at any given moment, that kind of surrender is liberating. I also learn so much about myself - my limitations, my potential, how to be mindful of an injury.
You look at the world situation, look at London, Paris, Italy, it is all basically the same as the U.S. Then you look at other places such as India, Bali, with warmer climates, you know the Southern climates, they are very different. I think there is a time and place for everything and in Australia, for example, it is completely the opposite. I don't think we can be designing for that customer per se.
When I came to Delhi first and said, "This is not India. And then I was taken to Varanasi and there I loved, loved the culture. It was a beautiful journey. The way the people dressed - even the poorest people, and the fabrics! With vegetable dyes, and I was fascinated by the color. But in the end I loved the men - all in white - so many shades of white. And I said, "What am I going to do? A color collection or a white collection?" I finally did a neutral white collection.