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My Journey Audiobook
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NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY HARPER’S BAZAAR • In this candid memoir, featuring a foreword by Barbra Streisand, renowned designer Donna Karan shares intimate details about her lonely childhood, her four-plus decades in the fashion industry, her two marriages, motherhood, and her ongoing quest for self-acceptance and spiritual peace.
Donna Karan was born into the fashion business—her father was a tailor, and her mother was a showroom model and Seventh Avenue saleswoman—yet Karan dreamed of becoming a dancer like Martha Graham or a singer like Barbra Streisand. Fashion was her destiny, though. My Journey traces Karan’s early days as an intern at Anne Klein, the creation of her Seven Easy Pieces (which forever changed the way working women dressed), and the meteoric rise of her company. Along with juicy industry stories, Karan candidly discusses her difficult mother and traumatic childhood, her turbulent romantic life, all the loved ones she has lost over the years, and the personal awakening that occurred just as she reached the height of professional and financial success.
That awakening set Karan down a path of spiritual discovery and self-improvement. From est to Kabbalah, from silent retreats to leech therapy, Karan tried everything to find, as she writes, “calm in the chaos.” But she also reveals how a chaotic life, fueled by endless curiosity and childlike impulses, helped her design seminal collections season after season for global powerhouse brands Donna Karan New York and DKNY. She also details how she has channeled her creativity (and her urge to solve problems and nurture others) into philanthropic work, particularly her early outspoken advocacy for AIDS awareness and research, and the creation of her Urban Zen Foundation, focusing on integrated healthcare and education as well as preservation of culture, which led to her current efforts in Haiti.
Karan’s life has been crowded with glamorous characters and adventures around the world. But she sometimes still feels like that awkward teen from Long Island who never fit in—which makes her all the more endearing. Brimming with Karan’s infectious energy, My Journey is about much more than the fashion world: It is the story of a young woman whose vision and hard work made her a role model for women everywhere—a woman who dreamed big, fought to have it all, broke the rules, and loved passionately along the way.
Praise for My Journey
“By turns moving, insightful, and hilarious, yet always, always heartfelt . . . When you’re a true force of fashion, nothing holds you back.”—Vogue
“When Donna Karan stepped down . . . it was the end of an era, so consider this autobiography her parting gift. . . . Expect a holistic view of the woman behind one of the most influential American labels.”—StyleCaster
“Donna’s creativity and passion as a committed philanthropist are matched only by her gift for friendship. Whether she’s making the world more beautiful or giving a Haitian artisan the tools to create a sustainable business, Donna has always led with great heart and wonderful humor.”—President Bill Clinton
“What we take for granted often comes from the most revolutionary of sources. In New York in the 1980s, no one was more radical than Donna Karan. She created a way of dressing that was womanly, practical, and empowering.”—Anna Wintour
“An extraordinary personal, professional, and spiritual life . . . defined by Donna’s incredible resilience, her inward search for calm in the midst of success, and her insistence on always following her heart.”—Arianna Huffington
From the Hardcover edition.
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"A stylish yet substantive memoir from a fashion titan, written in a New York accent. With equal parts restraint and candor, Karan chronicles the story of her life so far. . . . [Her] voice is genuine and honest. . . . Embellished with decorous name-dropping—one of her best friends is Barbra Streisand—Karan’s effort is still authentic and sometimes funny. Without the need for lurid details or sensational ploys, she keeps the pages turning. Clothes, Karan believes, should be ‘a supporting player in your story, never the story itself.’ In her elegant and satisfying memoir, the author achieves just that."
— Kirkus Reviews
Quotes
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By turns moving, insightful, and hilarious, yet always, always heartfelt . . . When you’re a true force of fashion, nothing holds you back.
— Vogue -
When Donna Karan stepped down as head designer from her eponymous label this July, it was the end of an era, so consider this autobiography her parting gift. Although it covers her robust career and company’s growth, Karan also gets deeply personal. . . . Expect a holistic view of the woman behind one of the most influential American labels.
— StyleCaster -
Donna’s creativity and passion as a committed philanthropist are matched only by her gift for friendship. Whether she’s making the world more beautiful or giving a Haitian artisan the tools to create a sustainable business, Donna has always led with great heart and wonderful humor. I am so grateful that our shared commitment to Haiti and its people brought us closer together, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.
— President Bill Clinton -
What we take for granted often comes from the most revolutionary of sources. In New York in the 1980s, no one was more radical than Donna Karan. While ‘dress for success’ was the mantra of that time, Donna never saw that as a directive to simply ape what guys wore. She created a way of dressing that was womanly, practical, and empowering. The singularity of her vision and the courage of her actions brought New York to the world—and the world to New York.
— Anna Wintour -
My Journey is the story of an extraordinary personal, professional, and spiritual life. It’s a journey defined by Donna's incredible resilience, her inward search for calm in the midst of success, and her insistence on always following her heart.
— Arianna Huffington -
Anyone who has ever watched Donna Karan in the dressing room with one of her loyal customers has witnessed a bond between designer and client that is as vital as an umbilical cord. That same bond is present on every page of this memoir. Her story is as American as it comes. She starts out as Fashion Avenue’s Funny Girl and ends up transforming women’s wardrobes, with a pledge of allegiance that she never breaks. And that’s just the fashion part!
— Ingrid Sischy -
Donna demonstrates unwavering passion and commitment to women, family, design and all of humanity with her immense philanthropic work. She lives her life with a bold spirit and possesses one of the greatest hearts of anyone I know. Her story is fascinating!
— Calvin Klein -
After reading My Journey, I stopped to reflect on the numerous times Donna and I have had meaningful conversations, from our first meeting, to her outfitting me in one of her classic black turtlenecks for my books tours, to our attending many philanthropic events together over the years. Without question, Donna is one of the most iconic fashion designers of our time. She is more than a friend; she is my sister.
— Deepak Chopra -
In this candid and revealing memoir, fashion designer Karan recalls her less-than-perfect youth, her relationship with mentor Anne Klein, her glory years as a mega-successful fashion designer, and her grief over losing the love of her life to cancer. . . . Karan is generous with honesty and insight. The book’s energy is infectious, and Karan’s instinctive talent on the page and off is fascinating.
— Publishers Weekly -
“Donna’s creativity and passion as a committed philanthropist are matched only by her gift for friendship. Whether she’s making the world more beautiful or giving a Haitian artisan the tools to create a sustainable business, Donna has always led with great heart and wonderful humor.”
— Bill Clinton -
“Donna demonstrates unwavering passion and commitment to women, family, design, and all of humanity with her immense philanthropic work. Her story is fascinating!”
— Calvin Klein -
“My Journey is the story of an extraordinary personal, professional, and spiritual life. It’s a journey defined by Donna’s incredible resilience, her inward search for calm in the midst of success, and her insistence on always following her heart.”
— Arianna Huffington
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About Donna Karan
Donna Karan, also known under the alias “DK”, is an American fashion designer and the creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels. She was born in Queens and raised on Long Island, New York. She attended Parsons School of Design before beginning her career with an internship at Anne Klein, where she rose to head designer in 1974 at age twenty-five. Her extensive philanthropic work includes AIDS awareness and education, ovarian cancer research fundraising, and assistance work in Haiti.