Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/508485
photography by randall slavin Urban Warrior fashion icon Donna aran brings her timeless style to a new shop-in-shop at neiman marcus. by bryn kenny Donna Karan's sleek designs have come to symbolize the epitome of New York chic, but now the designer is shifting her focus to Chicago with the opening of her first shop-in- shop, debuting this spring at Neiman Marcus on Michigan Avenue. "I love Chicago—it's one of our country's most cosmopolitan cities," says Karan of her motivation for establishing a presence in the Windy City. The Donna Karan shop-in-shop will serve as a "mini home away from home," according to Karan, incorporating many of the brand's signature design elements, such as modern mannequins, Japanese kimono stands, sculptural wood, and black carpeting. "Our clothes have always had a presence in Chicago, but the shop-in-shop gives us a designated platform to invite the customer into our own environment," she says. And there's no doubt that Karan's fashion philosophy— clothes crafted in fabrics like jersey and cashmere, paired with functional yet stylish silhouettes—will sit well with the women of Chicago and beyond. "The Donna Karan woman leads an international lifestyle—she could live in New York, Paris, Dubai, or Singapore," says Karan. "Wherever she lives or whatever she does, she's dynamic, always in motion, and personalizes everything to reflect her creativity and individuality." After studying fashion design at Parsons and working for Anne Klein, Karan debuted her now-iconic eponymous collection in 1985 with seven interchangeable pieces, including a bodysuit, a cashmere sweater, and a tailored jacket that changed the way women dressed for work and play. "It's a system of modern dressing for the urban woman," she says of her Seven Easy Pieces collection, which continues Donna Karan's new shop-in-shop at Neiman Marcus will serve as a "mini home away from home" for the New York–based designer. continued on page 32 michiganavemag.com 31 style tastemaker