Donna Karan pumps up Urban Zen
Donna Karan is really hitting the high notes when it comes to selling her new Urban Zen’s New Elements Collection. During the new line’s preview at New York’s Greenwich Street on Friday, she charmed the customers as she circulated.
“Try this on, you won’t believe how comfortable it is,” Karan said, taking off her jacket and handing it over to a customer, WWD reported. “That looks so great on you.”
Models were adorned in chic cloth – folded, draped and twisted – that was paired with oversize laser-cut leather jewelry, including coiled bracelets and loop necklaces. The collection took its inspiration from Mother Nature, featuring natural shades such as oatmeal, brown, olive and sea green. Models strutted around in looks ranging from washed jersey tanks with asymmetric seams to harem pants.
The collection reflects Karan’s long-held buy-now, wear-now belief. “You see the clothes and buy the clothes,” she told WWD Friday. “It’s seasonless, timeless and effortless.”
Launched in 2007 at two New York locations, Urban Zen will soon be branching out into other locales, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Boston, Washington, D.C. and an unnamed Texas city.
The location has already been chosen for the LA store—somewhere in the area of Robertson Boulevard – and it will open come September.
“Consumers in LA will have no problem understanding the Urban Zen concept,” Karan said to WWD. “LA is a mind, body and spirit kind of place. They get yoga and they get integrated medicine. I know so many healers there. It’s the land of the spirit.”
Urban Zen is not just about clothing, but about advocating for wellness, combining Western medicine with alternative healing and preserving cultures.
Toward this end, Karan reports that Urban Zen is partnering with Ohio State and Kent State to create integrated therapy programs.
Karan is also heading off for Haiti, where she may offer products at wholesale prices due to the need created by the 2009’s horrible earthquake.
“This is a dream to work with products on a large scale,” she told WWD.
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Purple Neon/LadyLUX via WWD
