Having tapped the likes of it-models Cara D and Binx Walton, as well as ‘real New Yorkers’ Michael Bailey Gates, A$AP Illz, and Insta-couple Jarlos for its recent campaigns, DKNY is always on the hunt for the next big thang. But this time, the brand isn’t after a fresh face. Rumors are swirling that its sights are set on a new creative director.
WWD reported that the search is on for a brand new designer to take the reins at the Donna Karan diffusion, which first launched back in 88 with a younger take on her mainline’s urban power dressing. Karan stepped down nine years later and now oversees creative direction rather than designing each season personally. The company’s Executive Vice President of Design, Jane Chung, currently heads up under Karen’s guidance.
The paper speculated the likes of Public School, Prabal Gurung and A.L.C designer Andrea Lieberman, are among the names that have been considered. Fittingly so, as all are tried and true New York designers. While Public School partners Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow have already declined interest, Liberman and Gurung have yet to comment.
If it’s hometown talent DKNY are after, we’ve got a few suggestions of our own. Given the brand’s on-the-go sportiness paired with a downtown edge, it would be a dream to see what AREA’s Beckett Fog and Piotrek Panszczyk could bring to each season. Even better: DKNY could pull a total Beyonce and surprise the world with a new New York. Imagine how Eckhaus Latta designers Mike and Zoe’s avant-garde, textile driven collections–Chinatown creatives’ most cherished closet staples–would translate on such a platform. As DKNY scours downtown, we’ll keep dreaming.
Credits
Text Emily Manning
Photography Kate Owen