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Donna Karan

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NEW YORK, September 12, 2011
By Nicole Phelps
Donna went tribal for Spring. She's been down this path before, but here she had renewed purpose. Her program notes explained that she's been traveling to Haiti for the last year, post-earthquake, and now her "two worlds come together." Translation: The collection may have its roots elsewhere—the bold brushstroke prints were inspired by the work of the Haitian artist Philippe Dodar—but it's still totally, characteristically urban. Chalk that up to the clingy, body-loving silhouettes of the designer's one-shoulder dresses; the sleek, sports-influenced vibe of fencing jackets and vests; and bold, oversize wooden bangles and necklaces strung with shards of wood and plastic. So well-established are the Donna Karan codes that she can do Grace Kelly ladylike one season (as she did for Fall) and ethnic the next (what we saw on the runway today), and both are equally recognizable as her own.

For this reviewer's money, though, this collection was the bigger success. True, the full skirts with masklike faces came off on the costumey side. But much of the rest had that famous Karan ease—even the draped and micro-pleated jersey evening columns, with their subtle nod in the direction of Madame Grès, whose exhibition at Paris' Musée Bourdelle is still proving influential. The color palette was earthy: bone white, sand, brown, with hits here and there of citrus and fern green. All in all, it felt like one of Karan's more vibrant shows in a while.

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