Fashion's Fab Four

Meet the fashion world's most successful Jewish designers.

`MELISSA SCHWEIGER
Special to The Jewish. News

Calvin Klein

Donna Karan

Ralph Lauren

Dressing for the
A designer whose work is A designing woman
For generations, Jewish synonymous with the
American Dream."
for the '90s.
families have been run- phrase 'American style."
f you want to live the "American
he grew up in Woodmere,
ning fashion businesses
Dream," you can start by dress-
Long Island; her childhood
is hard to determine exactly
in New York's garment
ing the part and wearing Ralph
hero and best friend is Barbra
what made Calvin Klein a
Lauren.
Streisand (whom she recently
'- center, where American
household name.
"I believe in design that has integri-
gifted with a Karan-designed bridal
It could be those oh-so-tight
ty, design that lasts. Whatever it is, it
Yentl.
gown);
and
her
favorite
movie
is
fashion was born.
jeans that had Brooke Shields declar-
must be part of a complete lifestyle,"
Jewish influences weigh heav-
ing, "Nothing comes
designer Ralph Lauren explains.
ily in the life of Donna Karan.
Today, not only are
between me and my
What started out as a men's tie line
"I was into fashion in my moth-
many fashion designers Calvins." Or it might be
in 1967 has turned into a massive
er's belly because both my par-
that a multitude of
company complete
ents were in the fashion busi-
Jewish, but they have
Americans slip into a
with an upscale
Australian
ness," Karan, 49, told
pair of Calvin Klein
image.
Vogue.
reached celebrity status. underwear every morn-
Ralph Lauren, 58,
Post-natal, Karan went on to
ing. Whatever the rea-
was born in the
study fashion at the Parsons
They include Ken-
son, Calvin Klein, 55,
Bronx to Frank and
School of Design. She was soon
neth Cole, Marc
has become synony-
Frieda Lifshitz. He
hired by Anne Klein to be a part
mous with American
attended the City
of her design team. When Klein
Jacobs, Dana Buch-
style
College of New York,
died in 1974, Karan stepped up
"I've always had a
and
later served time
Calvin
Klein:
as
head
designer.
In
1985,
Karan
man, Liz Claiborne,
clear design philosophy
"Modern, sophisti-
in the U.S. Army.
started her own company, a ven-
cated, sexy, clean
and a point of view
Ralph Lauren:
Before becoming a
ture she had always dreamed
Arnold Scaasi, Diane
and minimal."
about being modern,
"Part of a com-
designer, he worked
about.
Von Furstenberg, Sonia sophisticated, sexy, clean
as a salesman at
She has become the plete lifestyle."
and minimal. They all
Brooks Brothers in
working woman's
Rykiel, Kenneth Jay
apply to my design aesthetic,"
New York.
answer to the perpetu-
Klein told Women's Wear Daily.
Lauren opened his first free-stand-
al question of what to
Lane and Elie Tahari.
Klein, whose grandmother was
ing Polo store in 1971 in Beverly Hills
wear. Karan recognizes
a seamstress, knew he wanted to
and went on to become the first
the hectic lifestyle of
Perhaps the most
be a designer ever since he was a
American designer to set up shop on
the modern woman
famous of the group
boy. "As a child, I learned to
foreign soil. His London store opened
and she translates that
sketch and sew. Design has.always
in 1981, and Paris followed in 1986.
into her collection.
are Calvin Klein,
been my greatest interest," he
He has received an unprecedented
"The Signature line
says.
five
awards from the Council of Fash-
was based on my own
Donna Karan, Ralph
He honed his skills at New
ion
Designers
of America, including
closet
and
the
fact
that
Donna Karan: The
York City's High School of Art
the Lifetime Achievement Award in
I play many roles in
Lauren and Isaac
working woman's
and Design, and went on to study answer to the per-
1991, Women's Wear Designer of the
my life. I'm a mother,
Mizrahi. Meet these
at the Fashion Institute of Tech-
petual question of
Year in 1995 and Menswear Designer
professional woman, a
what to wear.
nology.
of the Year in 1996.
wife, I travel and there
four fashion icons.
In 1968, Klein and his child-
"My goal is to achieve the ultimate
are always nine zillion

I

\
-

S

I

.

Melissa Schweiger, formerly of Ann

Arbor, works in the fashion industry in
New York.

hood friend Barry Schwartz start-
ed a women's coat business, gaining
footing on the road to success when a
major New York department store
placed a sizable order.
Today, Calvin Klein Inc. is a world-
wide company, with divisions com-
prising collections for men and
women, the home and fragrances.

things I have to do," Karan explained
to Sky magazine.
With DKNY, collections for men
and women, a lingerie line and a fra-
grance all under her belt, it's hard to
imagine what might be next. But
Karan is always planning for the
future.

dream — the best reality imaginable,"
says Lauren.
The man who defines the American
Dream for so many recently donated
millions of dollars toward the restora-
tion of the original Star Spangled Ban-
ner, the flag which hangs in the Muse-
um of American History in Washing-
ton, D.C.

7/31
1998

Detroit Jewish News

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