Karen Kane | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Barberton, Ohio, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Santa Barbara High School Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
| Labels |
|
| Spouse | Lonnie Kane (since 1979) [1] |
| Children |
|
| Awards |
|
| Website | http://www.karenkane.com |
Karen Kane is an American fashion designer. Her designs are known for their relaxed, California-inspired feeling. [4]
Kane was born in the Akron suburb Barberton, Ohio, the youngest of three children. [5] At the age of 9, her family moved from Ohio to Santa Barbara, California, where she grew up sewing and taking as many fashion-related classes as possible. [6]
Karen Kane started her career in fashion when she graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles at the age of 19. Her first job was as a pattern maker at a junior sportswear company. It was there that she met her husband and future business partner, Lonnie. [7] In 1979, Karen and Lonnie married and launched the Karen Kane womenswear collection out of their Studio City garage. [8] Initially, the brand was sold only at smaller specialty stores, but as the line expanded, it was picked up by department stores such as Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Dillard’s, Belk, and Von Maur, online retailers like Zappos, Gwynnie Bee, Lord & Taylor, Wolf & Badger, and large national specialty stores.
In 2012, Karen Kane was invited to the White House to attend US President Barack Obama's "Insourcing American Jobs" summit and later that year, US Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis toured Kane's headquarters in California to learn more about the challenges of domestically manufacturing apparel in the United States. [9] In 2011, 80% of Kane’s line was made in the United States and 20% was imported from other countries. [10] In Spring 2012, that percentage increased to 90%. [11] As of Fall 2013, Kane continued to manufacture most of her collection in the United States (primarily in Southern California). [12]
In 2008, Karen Kane launched Fifteen Twenty, a collection of assorted separates primarily made of silk. The brand has been worn by celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon, [13] Jessica Biel, [14] Carrie Underwood, [15] Jessica Alba, [16] Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, [17] and others. In 2011, Kane introduced a casual complement to her Fifteen Twenty line entitled Red 23. “The line of T-shirts, tank tops, sweaters, jackets and scarves in neutral colors…will be carried by high-end specialty stores.” [18] In 2015, Red 23 was absorbed into Fifteen Twenty to broaden the main brand into a larger collection. Today, Fifteen Twenty is a full collection of tops, jackets, dresses, skirts, and pants, and is sold in high-end specialty stores and online boutiques such as Nordstrom and Rent The Runway.
In 2013, Kane selected IMG (company) to represent the brand in developing licensed products. [19]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kane's company temporarily shifted production from manufacturing clothing to making face covers for medical workers, nursing homes, first responders, and other at-risk individuals. [20]
Kane's clothing is most well known for having an easy, relaxed style that is reflective of her native California. [21] In 2020, Kane's company earned B Corporation (certification). [22] Kane is privately owned and family operated. [23]
In addition to sizes XS-XL, the brand also produces a plus size division of the lifestyle collection entitled Karen Kane Women’s, as well as petite sizes. In 2013, Kane added a sixth division to her company: Robert Michaels. Named for her two sons (Michael [24] & Robert), the collection consists of knit dresses, tops, and sweaters, and is sold exclusively at Bloomingdale's. [25]
Kane's husband, Lonnie, currently serves as the Chairman of the California Fashion Association. [26] Since its inception, Kane's business has always been family-run. Her parents, Olga and Frank, were the company's first accounting and facilities employees. Lonnie's mother, Cecelia, worked in customer service and eventually handled employee benefits. [27] Karen and Lonnie's older son, Michael, serves as the company's other co-president. Their younger son, Robert, designed a line of t-shirts that appeared in the 'Karen by Karen Kane' summer collection. [28]
Karen Kane lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Lonnie, and runs her namesake clothing company out of Vernon, California. [29]
DKNY is a New York City–based fashion house for men and women, founded in 1984 by Donna Karan. The company specializes in a wide range of fashion products, including clothing, footwear, and accessories.
Lane Bryant Inc. is an American women's apparel and intimates specialty retailer focusing on plus-size clothing. The company began in 1904 with maternity designs created by Lena Himmelstein Bryant Malsin. Lane Bryant, Inc., is the largest plus-size retailer in the United States. As of 2022, the chain consists of 448 stores in 46 U.S. states. Lane Bryant, Inc. is not affiliated with Lane Bryant catalog, which was spun off as a separate business in 1993.
Guess Inc. is an American clothing company, notable for its black-and-white advertisements. Guess licenses its brand on other fashion accessories, such as watches, jewelry, perfumes, bags and shoes.
Nicole Miller is an American fashion designer and businesswoman.
The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) is a private college in downtown Los Angeles.
Esprit Holdings Limited is a global publicly traded retail company incorporated in Bermuda, with headquarters in North Point, Hong Kong, and further major locations in Ratingen, Germany; Amsterdam, Netherlands; and New York City. The company offers an assortment of clothing, accessories, footwear, jewelry, and housewares under the Esprit label.
St. John Knits International Inc., commonly referred as St. John, is a luxury American fashion brand that specializes in women's knitwear founded in 1962 by Robert and Marie Gray. The company is best known for its classic wool and rayon yarn knits, Chanel inspired jackets, and extensive use of primary colors.
Ann Inc. is an American group of specialty apparel retail chain stores for women. The company is headquartered in New York City and currently operates as a subsidiary of Ascena Retail Group. The stores offer classic-styled suits, separates, dresses, shoes and accessories. The brand is marketed under five divisions: Ann Taylor, Loft, Lou & Grey, Ann Taylor Factory, and Loft Outlet.
Wet Seal was an American fast fashion retailer, headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The retailer specialized in selling clothing and accessories. The company was founded in Newport Beach, California, by Lorne Huycke in 1962 as "Lorne's". The "Wet Seal" name is derived from a comment Huycke's wife made during a fashion show that a model wearing a bathing suit looked like a "wet seal." The company was incorporated as Wet Seal in 1990.
Monique Lhuillier is a Filipino fashion designer and creative director known for her bridal, ready-to-wear and lifestyle brand. She launched her eponymous brand in 1996 and has since established fashion houses in Los Angeles, California, where she primarily works and lives, as well as in Manhattan's Upper East Side.
Rachel Irene Roy is an American fashion designer.
Calvin Klein Inc. is an American luxury fashion designer retail chain marketing its eponymously branded products worldwide. The company, which became famous for its designer underwear and denim lines in the 1980s, specializes in mass-market ready-to-wear clothing for all genders and age groups as well as leather products, lifestyle accessories and shoes, home furnishings, perfume/cosmetics, eyewear, jewelry and watches in the mid-price segment. Its high-end runway fashion division, which represented the top level of the various Calvin Klein sub-brands, was discontinued in 2019.
Phillip Lim is an American fashion designer. Lim is of Chinese descent whose parents immigrated to the United States from Cambodia during the Cambodian genocide. Lim co-founded and worked at the Los Angeles-based fashion label Development from 2000 to 2004. In the fall of 2005, he co-founded 3.1 Phillip Lim with friend and business partner Wen Zhou, becoming the company's creative representative.
Stüssy is an American privately held fashion house founded in the early 1980s by Shawn Stussy. It benefited from the surfwear trend originating in Orange County, California, but was later adopted by the skateboard and hip hop scenes. It is notable for being popular amongst the Asian American community.
Max Azria was a French-American fashion designer who founded the contemporary women's clothing brand BCBG MAX AZRIA. Azria was also the designer, chairman and CEO of the BCBG Max Azria Group, a global fashion house that encompassed over 20 brands. Azria left BCBG in 2016. BCBG Max Azria filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and was sold to Marquee Brands and Global Brands Group.
Tommy Hilfiger B.V., formerly known as Tommy Hilfiger Corporation and Tommy Hilfiger Inc., is an American luxury clothing brand that manufactures apparel and licensed products such as footwear, accessories, fragrances and home furnishings. The company was founded in 1985, and the brand's merchandise is sold in department stores and over 2000 free-standing retail stores in 100 countries.
Liz Goldwyn is an American filmmaker, artist, and writer.
Cherokee Inc., also known as Apex Global Brands, is an American based global apparel and footwear company, headquartered in Sherman Oaks, California. The company was established in 1973 and its brands are available in 110 countries in 12,000 retail locations and on digital commerce.
Michael Stars is a Los Angeles–based apparel and lifestyle retail company that offers women's and men’s fashion. The company was founded by the married couple Michael Cohen and Suzanne Lerner.
Lauren Moshi is a Los-Angeles based apparel and lifestyle retail brand known for its line of graphic t-shirts. Created by brother-sister duo, Lauren and Michael Moshi in 2006, the collection is based on original, hand-illustrated artwork by Lauren. Lauren Moshi is sold in department stores and specialty boutiques worldwide.