Donna Karan recently went back to her alma mater, Parsons The New School for Design, for a little chat. It wasn’t, however, a pep talk by any means. The New York designer had some frank words for the fashion industry, essentially saying that the industry is killing itself. And, for front-row regulars like Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and the Olsen twins, her criticisms are scary news. Here’s some of what Karan had to say:
The Shows Need to be Rescheduled. Instead of debuting spring fashion in the fall, and vice-versa, Karan is calling for fashion collections to be debuted “in-season.” No more dark colors and big coats coming down the runways in February. “It’s confusing,” she said. No more advanced, advanced notice for the consumer. All that said with New York Fashion Week just days away.
Fashion Shows Restricted to “Industry Only.” When you think about this, it makes sense. Fashion shows are like really glamorous trade shows. So why are they so highly publicized? Karan wants it to stop. “All the communication has to stop,” she said. But, what will fashion-loving celebs do for those few weeks a year when all they have scheduled in their planners is “attend fashion shows, look hot”?
And What Does the Future Hold? According to Karan, “conscious consumerism” is the wave of the future for the fashion industry. She also thinks the business is on the “cusp of something major.” But she didn’t say what that “major” thing is.
Sounds like Donna Karan’s got some bold ideas for the industry she’s in. We’ll see if she has the power to start a sea change.
