Donna Karan New York Relaunch with Super Models in the City

February should be called Super Model Month with the news of New York legend Donna Karan‘s New York Relaunch with supermodels in the City such as Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Carolyn Murphy, Karlie Kloss and more who appear in the retro-inspired ads that Annie Leibovitz photographed.

Eight Iconic Supermodels Featured in Campaign for Donna Karan New York Relaunch

Cindy. Linda. Carolyn. Amber. Shalom. Liya. Imaan. Karlie. The supermodels are all famous enough to go by their first names — and they all appear in the extensive splashy ad campaign marking the spring relaunch of Donna Karan New York with a collection that takes its cues from the designer’s highly successful “7 Easy Pieces.” We are here for it, an American Heritage brand made by women for women.

Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Amber Valletta, Shalom Harlow, Carolyn Murphy, Imaan Hammam, Karlie Kloss and Liya Kebede are featured in the spring campaign.

Donna Karan New York Relaunch with Super Models

The models came together for a campaign titled “In Women We Trust” (the title of Karan’s original 1992 campaign), which not only celebrates the past but looks to the future of the Donna Karan ethos of timeless elegance, empowered women and accessible luxury, tailored for today’s women.

Photographed by Annie Leibovitz in a raw warehouse space in Brooklyn, the effort represents G-III Apparel Group’s most significant ad campaign. It was styled by Jessica Diehl, with a video by Barbara Leibovitz Hellman. The ads feature hair and makeup by Shay Ashual and Francelle Daly, respectively.

The campaign’s creative director was Trey Laird, who previously worked in-house at Donna Karan International for 11 years and led the Karan account at his agency Laird + Partners for nine years.

G-III, which acquired Donna Karan International Inc. in 2016 from LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton for $650 million, has gone into the archives to reimagine the Donna Karan New York brand. The in-house studio team studied thousands of archival looks and vintage details to design the collection to meet the needs of today’s consumers. Donna Karan New York was first launched in 1985 and was privately owned by the designer and her late husband, Stephan Weiss, before being sold to LVMH in 2001 for $243 million.

For example, each model speaks about Donna Karan’s influence on fashion in the new campaign video. “Donna represents strength and sensuality. You can be whoever you want to be,” said Evangelista.

“‘In Women We Trust’ is such a powerful statement. We need more women to lead us into the future because women think differently,” said Valletta.

“She introduced a new power dressing style celebrating women and their bodies. That was her sweet spot, and it still is,” said Crawford.

The reintroduction includes Donna Karan apparel, accessories and footwear. Classic silhouettes, accentuated by artful draping, showcase sculptural hardware inspired by crucial accessories. There’s crisp tailoring and body-flattering cuts to draped sleeveless dresses and collared black bodysuits. Modernized classics are in a range of super sheers and liquid satins with metallic opalescent and gold-flash finishes. The collection features bold wraps, ties and slice details. Anchored in black, white and neutrals from zinc to fawn and chalk, the seasonal palette includes rose quartz, tourmaline and blue frost.

The models are photographed wearing, for example, a crisp cotton shirtdress, a signature bodysuit, a sleeveless draped dress and a lightweight blazer, paying homage to the instantly recognizable “7 Easy Pieces” as they evolve into a “System of Dressing.”

“She [Karan] was always a woman designing for other women and always understood that and built that into the brand. There wasn’t one woman who encompassed everything the Donna Karan brand stood for. We thought how amazing it would be if we could get different generations of women, all of whom had different connections with Donna Karan over the years, either through campaigns or shows or events or the fashion industry in general, and to have them come together to show the beauty and power of how Donna Karan, the brand, connects with so many different types of women,” said Laird.

“I had Donna [Karan] on Facetime at the shoot, and Amber, Shalom and Linda were giving a preview. And in true Donna fashion, she told me which pictures should be laid out with the others,” said Laird.

He said they styled the shoot with the original vintage jewellery from Robert Lee Morris from the archives. “Karlie is wearing the original bodysuit and belt and matte jersey stockings, and Carolyn is wearing the iconic white skirt, wrap skirt, and gold cufflinks. In her video, she said Cindy Crawford wore this down the runway in the ’90s, and ‘I’m sitting here in that look.'”

We are delighted that Donna Karan, New York is returning to fashion with such a bang. We might have to start wearing all black again like true New Yorkers. 

Stay updated on all things fashion, lifestyle, and culture. Follow us on Instagram @stylecartel and TikTok @stylecartelmedia. Don’t miss out – sign up for our newsletter to get early access to the latest drops in your inbox.

Stay tuned to StyleCartel for more Fashion content.

Photoa: Donna Karan New York

Charlotte Smith

Editor & Chief

Charlotte Smith is the founder of Style Cartel, a platform dedicated to creating engaging digital content and securing impactful editorial coverage for brands and POCs like herself. With a background in Fashion, digital marketing, or brand strategy, Charlotte brings a wealth of experience in connecting brands with their audiences. She is passionate about showcasing brands with unique stories and values and helping them amplify their reach through compelling content. Charlotte believes that there is a seat at the table for everyone and holds the elevator door open so we all can go to the penthouse suite.