The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2022 - Issue 32

bitemen I n the ‘90s, Donna Karan New York, defied the whims of the fashion industry and put the individuals who wore their clothes before fleeting trends. Since then, it has represented the epitome of city-going style for people with something to say. Whilst they have bro- ken a few rules and rewrote others, DKNY understands “you don’t know where you’re capable of going if you don’t know where you’ve been”, so they reconnected with history and re- committed their individualist values. The eponymous brand established in 1985 by Donna Karan brought uptown New York chic into the mainstream, while DKNY, which opened in 1988, created more affordable clothing for younger women. Two years later, she started DKNY Jeans, followed by DKNY Men. As a child, Karan was influenced by fashion thanks to her model mother and suit designer father. At age 14, she left school and sold clothing at a local boutique. In 1968, she attended the highly respected Parsons School of Design in New York City. Karan landed a prestigious summer job at designer Anne Klein, and within two years, she was named associate de- signer, then head designer. Following Klein’s death in 1974, she and fellow designer Louis Dell’Olio continued to pre- serve the brand name. In 1984, Karan left Anne Klein to go solo, debuting her first women’s collection the following year. She wanted to “design modern clothes for modern people”, which was good timing since more women entered the pro- fessional workforce. The designer created practical, comfortable and refined clothes that complemented a woman’s figure and were con- sidered refreshing by the market. Her signature designs in- cluded easy-fitting jackets, wrap skirts and one-piece silk bodysuits. “I am accessible,” Karan said in a 1989 Time ar- ticle. “I see myself as someone who stays up all night and worries about her daughter and husband and would like to get the carpeting ordered.” DKNY menswear collections were influenced by her late sec- ond husband, Stephan Weiss, who passed in 2001. Almost a decade before, Karan launched her first perfume, describ- ing the scent she wanted her perfume chemists to deliver as something “like Casablanca lilies, red suede and the back of Stephan’s neck.” Since then, various ancillary products have been created under the DKNY name, including accessories, beauty, sleepwear, home and furniture. Loungewear, sleepwear and slippers form part of the DKNY AW22 collection adapted to the growing need to wear com- fortable clothes at home or practising yoga, dance or med- itation. Luxury pieces like the beautifully crafted two-piece Satin Pyjamas in blush with a shirt-style top and straight-leg trousers will set you up for a good night’s sleep. The top fea- tures lapels, a button-through placket and an all-over mon- ogram print and the pants have an elasticated waistband fin- ished with an all-over monogram pattern. Wear the DKNY name pridefully with the All Over Logo Fleece Pyjama Set in dark grey heather. This nightwear is made from super soft fabric and features an all-over logo print, a notched collar, button-up fastening and slip pockets to the chest and bottoms. The comfy long-length Chenille Long Line Signature All Over Logo Robe in frosted grey is crafted from super soft chenille fabric. It has an all-over DKNY printed branding, a self-tie belt fastening at the waist and two front slip pockets. The Boucle All Over Logo Fleece Pyjama Set in a black logo is made from super-soft fabric with a brushed boucle tex- ture. It features a contrasting DKNY logo print all-over with a crew neck, dropped shoulder seams, long sleeves and elas- tic ribbed trim to the neckline, hem, sleeve and ankle cuffs. The Long Sleeve Notch Top and Pant Pyjama Set in black star has matching trousers and a long sleeve top made from su- per-soft fabric. It has an all-over star and logo print, notched collar, button-up fastening and slip pockets to the chest and bottoms. For men, loungewear includes Icemen T-Shirt in baby blue or navy and Icemen Lounge Top in navy, made from soft and breathable cotton with a crew neck and contrast print- ed logo across the chest. Pair these with the Icemen Lounge Pant in navy with the logo on the left thigh. Icemen Lounge Short, also in navy, has a drawstring and features the baby blue DKNY logo on a white background on the hem. Icemen Hooded Lounge Top has kangaroo pockets, a drawstring hood, cuffed sleeves and a printed logo on the left chest. Similarly, the Everblades Lounge T-Shirt in black, lounge pants in green, lounge shorts in black and hooded lounge top in green have the same features. Relax in the excellent check-printed Isotopes Woven Check Lounge Pant in grey in pure cotton or the Metallic Logo Everyday Jogger in light grey. Two other great loungewear is the Acers Jersey Lounge Pant or the Rockhounds Lounge Shorts in black with an elas- ticated waistband and drawstring fastening, two side pockets and DKNY branding down the leg. Other apparel includes Ray’s Lounge Pants in black and white contrast with the signature DKNY logo, an elasticat- ed waistband, drawstring, ribbed cuffs and two hand pock- ets. Pair this with the Redskins Long Sleeve Lounge Top in black. DKNY’s Fisher Cats Lounge T-Shirt in black shows off the illuminated brand logo across the chest. The unique crew neck Flames Long Sleeve Lounge Top in black high- lights the brand name on the white logo tape on the long sleeves, ribbed cuffs and hem. It can be worn with the Pirates Lounge Short in black with an elasticated drawstring waist and branded tape design. The slippers range consists of Moccasin Slippers in navy, grey or tan with a microsuede upper or woven textured up- per in navy and soft and breathable faux shearing. It also has a padded ankle collar, cushioned insole, tonal stitching and moulded sole for grip. Enif Slipper in black or charcoal, de- signed with comfort in mind, is made from a felt upper with a durable extra grip sole. The Mule Slip-On in black and grey is made from a calfskin suede upper and a durable branded sole. DKNY loungewear is available online on Very’s website. www.very.co.uk/e/q/dkny-loungewear.end