The golden supermodels of the 90s reunite once again

Quintessential '90s label Donna Karan New York has announced a major resurgence of the brand with a new campaign featuring a golden cast of supermodels.

Celebrating a new era for Donna Karan New York, the brand launches the “In Women We Trust” campaign for Spring/Summer 2024, acknowledging the many years of designer Donna Karan’s legacy and marking a new chapter in the brand’s legacy and future. The campaign features eight iconic supermodels including Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Amber Valletta, Shalom Harlow, Carolyn Murphy, Imaan Hammam, Karlie Kloss and Liya Kebede, all of whom have their own unique connection to the brand and epitomize an era of Donna Karan.

Karan launched her eponymous label in the mid-80s with the “7 Easy Pieces” collection, a line created for the modern woman who is casual yet chic. Through the power of a simple capsule collection, the first collection included a black bodysuit, skirt, dress, trousers, cashmere sweater, tailored jacket and plain white shirt. With her first show, Karan, often called “the mother of the casual wardrobe,” proved to the world that clothes don’t have to be complicated to be chic. “Donna represents strength and sexiness. You can be whoever you want to be,” supermodel Evangelista said.

Following the success of several subsequent collections, Donna Karan became a household name. Fueled by a continued emphasis on essential pieces, the brand’s popularity and ethos continued into the 90s, defining the fashion of the decade and of an entire generation of women through the power of sophisticated yet simple clothing.

This new era invites a new generation of fashion fans to immerse themselves in the minimalist 90s DNA of Donna Karan New York, to discover the power of quality luxury clothing designed to last forever in your wardrobe.

“It’s never about the clothes, it’s always about the woman wearing them,” says Valletta. Shot by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz, the campaign shoot showcases silhouettes that echo Donna Karan’s “7 Easy Pieces” collection, creating archival pieces inspired by vintage, tailored pieces for these versatile, active women but reimagined with a fresh, modern twist.

With pieces like crisp cotton shirt dresses, the label’s signature bodysuits and lightweight blazers, the collection recalls the effortless elegance and accessible modern luxury that led to Donna Karan New York’s cult following in the ’90s. Designed for every modern woman, clean tailoring and flattering silhouettes are prevalent in pleated sleeveless dresses and black collared bodysuits, offering a vision of versatility and sensuality that highlights both the garment and the woman wearing it.

“She introduced a new style of power dressing that celebrated women and their bodies. That was her great point and still is,” said supermodel Crawford.

Whether it’s the recent ’90s revival, the classic DKNY pieces seen on “It” girls like Kendall Jenner and Grace van Patten, or simply the urge among fashionistas to return to an era of effortless wearability, it’s the timeless, everyday style that inspires Donna today. With Karan’s craze proven by a 300% increase in Google Trends searches, as well as a steady increase in the number of pieces found in NYC vintage stores, it’s safe to say that the designer’s philosophy and quintessentially understated style have resonated with Gen Z women.