Trina Turk

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Trina Turk is an American fashion designer. Turk is known for her namesake fashion line inspired by Californian style.

Background

Turk's mother taught her to sew at age 11. [1] She later studied apparel design at the University of Washington. In 1995, Turk founded her namesake fashion line with husband Jonathan Skow. [2] Turk's designs are inspired by Californian motifs and bold colors. [3] Originally a contemporary womenswear line, the brand has expanded into a men's line "Mr. Turk", homeware and lifestyle pieces. [4] [5]

In 2002, Trina Turk opened her first namesake store, Trina Turk in Palm Springs. [6] In 2008, the company accepted private investment to grow the line. [7] By 2012, the company reportedly had $60million in annual sales and employed 125 employees. [8] That year, the company collaborated with Banana Republic to produce a capsule collection. [9] In 2013, the Trina Turk line made its debut at New York Fashion Week. [6] [10] That year, Turk designed a collection for Mattel's Barbie fashion doll. [11]

In 2018, Turk's husband, Jonathan Skow, known as Mr. Turk, died after becoming paralyzed while swimming in Hawaii. [12] [13] That year, Turk stepped down from the chief executive officer role at Trina Turk, to serve as the brand's creative director. [14]

In 2020, Turk celebrated 25 years of her fashion line with an anniversary capsule collection titled, 25 Years of Color. [15] [16]

In 2021, Turk led a campaign to relocate a Marilyn Monroe statue from outside of the Palm Springs Art Museum. [17] [18] [19] In 2025, Turk's campaign was successful to relocate Forever Marylin to a downtown park. [20]

Biography

  1. William, Felicity (2023-06-30). "Fashion Inspired by California: Get to Know Trina Turk". Upscale Living Mag. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  2. "Trina Turk: Inspired by the Past and Inspiring the Future". Unframed. 2012-05-31. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  3. "Back Story: Trina Turk | National Trust for Historic Preservation". savingplaces.org. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  4. Bender, Melanie (2014-04-11). "How Trina Turk Has Weathered Recessions and Knockoffs". Fashionista. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  5. Shultz, Tyler (May 12, 2022). "Trina Turk's Summer Collection Fully Embraces the Golden State". www.apparelnews.net. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  6. 1 2 Pous, Terri (2013-02-11). "Trina Turk: A Fashion Week Debut". Time. ISSN   0040-781X . Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  7. Tran, Khanh T. L. (2008-10-01). "Trina Turk Grows Her World". WWD. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  8. Welch, Liz (December 18, 2012). "The Way I Work: Trina Turk". INC.
  9. "Trina Turk pairs up with Banana Republic for summer collection". Los Angeles Times. 2012-06-10. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  10. "'Made in America' High Fashion Easy to Find at Fashion Week". ABC News. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  11. "Sand, Surf and Prints: Trina Turk Makeovers Malibu Barbie". Racked LA. 2013-06-07. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  12. Estevez, Geraldine. "Official statement from Trina Turk on the death of her husband, Jonathan Skow, also known as Mr Turk". The Desert Sun. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  13. Hopwood, Corinne S. Kennedy and Robert. "Jonathan Skow, the inspiration behind Mr Turk clothing, dies in Los Angeles at age 55". The Desert Sun. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  14. Medina, Marcy (2018-10-12). "Trina Turk Appoints Jacqueline Hickey as Chief Executive Officer". WWD. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  15. Crouch, Dorothy (November 12, 2020). "Trina Turk Reflects on 25 Vibrant Years of Design, Remains Optimistic". www.apparelnews.net. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  16. Stein, Susan (2020-11-19). "Trina Turk Leads Trio Who Have Helped Shape Desert Fashion". Palm Springs Life. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  17. Gardner, Chris (2021-04-07). "Court Date Set for Placement of Marilyn Monroe Statue". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  18. Turk, Trina. "Committee to Relocate Marilyn: We're not trying 'to get rid of statue'". The Desert Sun. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  19. "Icon or Eyesore? Palm Springs to Move Divisive Marilyn Monroe Statue (Published 2024)". 2024-08-02. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  20. "Forever Marilyn Moved to New Downtown Park, But Critics Say It's Obscured by Trees -". 2025-02-27. Retrieved 2025-10-28.