Celebrating Well-Being & Education with Goldie Hawn & Dr. Oz

Last Updated on Tuesday, 1 May 2012 02:42 Written by Donna Karan Monday, 23 April 2012 12:26

Attending the Turnaround For Children Third Annual Impact Awards Dinner and the HealthCorps’ 6th Annual Gala in the same evening perfectly exemplified why I am such a big believer in the power of like-minds coming together.

I was honored to support two of my dear friends and inspirations – Goldie Hawn and Dr. Mehmet Oz at their respective events. The Impact Awards honored Goldie and The Hawn Foundation for her innovative work empowering children through her mind/body/spirit approach to education (something I am whole-heartedly in support of). And, I always love catching up with Mehmet and celebrating the ways in which he is bringing integrative well-being to the forefront of the public radar. The HealthCorps’ Gala was an extraordinary event that truly showcased the champions of forward-thinking healthcare.

The evening served a powerful reminder of why I care so deeply about the mission of Urban Zen and why creating a community of inspired change-makers can make all of the difference. I have such gratitude for this community that I am so blessed to be a part of.

Fashion Week: An Offering of Inspiration

Last Updated on Friday, 24 February 2012 06:29 Written by Donna Karan Friday, 17 February 2012 05:23

This week has been big. There’s been a lot going on and it has prompted me to consider things like what is really on my heart, where inspiration comes from and how to keep moving forward.

Whenever Fashion Week arrives, my heart is even more dedicated to the industry. I feel only love and compassion for the design community and the industry that gave me the foundation to find my creative expression and allowed me to share this expression with the world. I have such gratitude. I was born on Fashion Avenue and I’ve been designing since I was 18 years old; it is in my blood! You would think that after a lifetime of designing and showing collections that I wouldn’t get so nervous, but I do. With every collection, I am as nervous as if it were my first time showing. It is very personal for me.

What we put out on the runway for DKNY was, for me, like watching a daughter step into womanhood… there was more assurance, structure and confidence. And, with Donna Karan – I mean, it was my heart! This collection was inspired, entirely, by my husband Stephan and my personal belief in the concept of wo-man; there is a man in every woman, we are interconnected. Typically, I am drawn to “c” words, but this collection was all about the “s.” It was strong, sensual, smart, seductive, sophisticated, spirited, sculpted, structured, suited, shouldered. In short, it was Stephan.

While Stephan is always in my heart and on my mind, he has been at the forefront of my thoughts this past year. At Urban Zen we commemorated the tenth anniversary of his passing with the First Annual Stephan Weiss Apple Awards. Since then, I have been working on creating a book on Stephan’s life and curating a selection of his artwork to showcase in an exhibition this June at the Second Annual Stephan Weiss Apple Awards. Stephan taught me how to connect the dots and this is what my life is about now: finding the thread of connectivity, weaving together an image, a message, a collection that inspires.

The truth about inspiration is that I don’t search for it. The inspiration finds me and then I channel it. Whatever my eyes touch, my feelings touch, my energy touches… it all inspires.

Inspiration is offered to me. My mind never stops being inspired. This is what moves me forward, now and always.

16th Annual Holiday Dinner for ACRIA Honoring John Demsey

Last Updated on Friday, 16 December 2011 06:49 Written by Donna Karan Friday, 9 December 2011 05:30

Another amazing night! ACRIA’s 16th Annual Holiday Dinner was the perfect opportunity to reflect on how it all started and how it has evolved. Of course it was wonderful to catch up with John Demsey – someone I have worked with and admired for years, but it was an evening that really spoke to the power of community.

ACRIA is a very important foundation to me. I first learned of ACRIA, and it’s mission to champion government and academic AIDS research, from my old high school friend (famed artist and longtime Acria supporter) Ross Bleckner. I have huge heart for this cause. I remember when the AIDS epidemic broke out – the art community was devastated and I lost too many friends. To see now, the amazing progress that has happened with this disease…it’s mind-blowing.

Last night I was reminded how important galvanizing a community is – it is key to successfully carrying an important message out into the world. This is exactly what ACRIA has done, and last night’s event was evident of this. The room was filled with so many familiar faces – faces that have been around since the beginning; people who have been committed to give their time and resources to creating real change for those affected by AIDS. It’s extraordinary to see the developments in research, healthcare and – perhaps most importantly – the total shift in people’s perceptions about the disease. Without question, it is organizations like Acria that have made this happen.

I am so proud of the ACRIA team, I know the next ten years will be as groundbreaking as the first and I look forward to supporting them every step of the way.

The 2011 New York Dinner Benefiting the Prostate Cancer Foundation

Last Updated on Friday, 16 December 2011 06:50 Written by Donna Karan Thursday, 8 December 2011 04:01

What an amazing showing of extraordinary men rallying around a cause! I was honored to attend the Annual Dinner benefiting the Prostate Cancer Foundation with Founder and Chairman Mike Milken, and I was truly struck by the community of like-minded men who came together to raise awareness about prostate cancer.

Cancer is something that resonates with me on a very personal level; my life has been irrevocably changed because of those I have lost to this disease. So, it means the world to me when I see others who have passionately taken up the cause. I know if anyone could eradicate this disease, it would be Mike Milken. He is driven and fiercely committed to his foundation; I was so motivated by his passion.

It was an amazing evening and I enjoyed the opportunity to connect with friends like Bill Clinton while also meeting new, inspiring people.

I am sending my sincere gratitude and best wishes to Mike and his whole team at the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

TEDxWomen: Reimagining Resilience, Relationships & Rebirth

Last Updated on Monday, 12 December 2011 10:44 Written by Donna Karan Monday, 5 December 2011 06:43

Attending the 2011 TEDxWomen conference offered a powerful platform to experience the fearlessness of women. After participating in the conference last year, I welcomed the opportunity to attend and absorb as much as I could from the amazing women who took the stage to share their insights on the topics of resilience, relationships, rebirth and reimagine.

What always moves me about the structure of the TED conferences is the intimacy and connectivity of it – I loved the brilliant curation of women and the complex subject matter. Hearing the individual stories of such a diverse group of women at this year’s TEDxWomen truly shed a light on how much we have to learn from our shared experiences. In fact, this beautiful eighth grade student named Claire Sannini particularly moved me. Claire was a speaker on the resilience panel and shared her personal and painful story of not fitting in, being excluded from the “popular cliques,” and finding her own voice. I know this story well – as a child, I certainly didn’t feel like I belonged, but it was also this discomfort that sent me on the journey of discovering my own power. Claire’s story really brought it home for me.