Donna Karan steps down from her post at Donna Karan International

Updated
Karan Leaving Chief Designer Post at Her Company
Karan Leaving Chief Designer Post at Her Company



After 30 years at the helm, Donna Karan has decided to step down from her post as chief designer at Donna Karan International, the brand announced Tuesday. The founder and pioneer in women's fashion will stay with the company in an advisory role, but will be dedicating more time to her company and foundation Urban Zen.

The LVMH-owned brand is not seeking an immediate replacement for her role, and will be halting its runway shows and collections for a period of time.

Karan confirmed her departure in a statement Tuesday night:
%shareLinks-quote="Donna Karan New York is a part of me, past, present and future. ... I want to express my gratitude and my deepest feelings to the dozens and dozens of colleagues over the years who have helped take Donna Karan New York far beyond my wildest dreams." type="quote" author="Donna Karan" authordesc="Founder" isquoteoftheday="false"%

Karan founded DKI in 1984, after a run as co-designer at Anne Klein, and the company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1996. In regards to Urban Zen, Karan expressed a desire to "follow my vision of philanthropy and commerce with a focus on health care, education and preservation of cultures."

Click through below to see Donna Karan through the years:

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