When news broke at OC that we were working with DKNY on a capsule collection, the first thing that came to my mind was the Houston Street mural. That image lingers in the minds of most New Yorkers: it served as a constant reminder that you were downtown (and killin' it) and of the city’s undying spirit. There she was, New York City, all yours for the taking—framed by the letters DKNY. As a brand, you couldn't have asked for better exposure. I needed to know who was behind this and the many, many other images associated with the DKNY brand. The cute guy reading the New York Times while riding the subway, the speeding yellow taxis, the Brooklyn Bridge shrouded in fog, and of course, that image of a woman being sworn in as president—these images are ingrained in my knowledge of the brand. I was put in touch with Trey Laird, CEO of Laird + Partners. Trey began working with Donna Karan in 1987, just before they launched DKNY, and was privy to the magic between Donna and Peter Arnell, the man responsible for many of these images. Armed with a catalog of Donna Karan images, Matt and I dropped by Trey’s midtown office to chat.
Gillian Tozer: How did you start working with Donna Karan?
Trey Laird: While I was working at Peter Arnell’s agency, it was my first big job, or real job, I should say. I began working on the collection campaigns quite early on and Donna was always in all of the meetings. She had a very distinct point of view when it came to what the brand stood for. Peter and Donna worked very closely and I was the assistant in all of those meetings. It was really great to be there from the beginning—everything was coming together at that point.
GT: And not long after, Donna launched DKNY.
TL: Yes, DKNY started in 1989 and it was a success from day one. Donna Karan collection was very glamorous, with the cashmere, sequins, and all those things. But Donna, like anybody, needed a pair of jeans and had a hard time finding jeans that fit her well—with Donna everything starts with the fit. At the same time her daughter, Gabby, who was 13 or 14 at the time, would wear Donna’s clothing, which Donna thought was totally obnoxious. These things sparked the idea of launching a line that had the same sensibility as Donna Karan collection, a lifestyle of dressing but for another part of your life. If Donna Karan was the limousine, DKNY was the subway. Donna Karan was caviar and DKNY was pizza.
GT: How did Peter's creative team differentiate DKNY's branding from Donna Karan?
TL: The magic of the original Donna Karan campaign images was that they were an authentic reflection of Donna: the limos, the planes, the husband, and working with her kids around—all that kind of stuff. It was almost as though the model Rosemary McGrotha was her alter ego. Peter and Donna portrayed Donna’s life, with all its glamour and chaos, so brilliantly. It was important that Rosemary appeared in both the Donna Karan and DKNY campaigns: she’d be living her glamorous city life during the week and then went off to the beach on the weekend. There was an authenticity that you hadn't really seen in fashion advertising yet. Before this, it was all about perfectionism: the perfect model and setting. There was a lot of beauty in Donna Karan and DKNY imagery, but there was also reality.
DKNY grew into its own world, created for a younger, more casual customer. [The brand] was very much about energy. It was the ultimate New York brand, so it was about celebrating New York City, celebrating the energy, the streets, the colors, the vibe of the city, the patterns, the textures, and that “city that never sleeps” mentality.&nbs
Gillian Tozer: How did you start working with Donna Karan?
Trey Laird: While I was working at Peter Arnell’s agency, it was my first big job, or real job, I should say. I began working on the collection campaigns quite early on and Donna was always in all of the meetings. She had a very distinct point of view when it came to what the brand stood for. Peter and Donna worked very closely and I was the assistant in all of those meetings. It was really great to be there from the beginning—everything was coming together at that point.
GT: And not long after, Donna launched DKNY.
TL: Yes, DKNY started in 1989 and it was a success from day one. Donna Karan collection was very glamorous, with the cashmere, sequins, and all those things. But Donna, like anybody, needed a pair of jeans and had a hard time finding jeans that fit her well—with Donna everything starts with the fit. At the same time her daughter, Gabby, who was 13 or 14 at the time, would wear Donna’s clothing, which Donna thought was totally obnoxious. These things sparked the idea of launching a line that had the same sensibility as Donna Karan collection, a lifestyle of dressing but for another part of your life. If Donna Karan was the limousine, DKNY was the subway. Donna Karan was caviar and DKNY was pizza.
GT: How did Peter's creative team differentiate DKNY's branding from Donna Karan?
TL: The magic of the original Donna Karan campaign images was that they were an authentic reflection of Donna: the limos, the planes, the husband, and working with her kids around—all that kind of stuff. It was almost as though the model Rosemary McGrotha was her alter ego. Peter and Donna portrayed Donna’s life, with all its glamour and chaos, so brilliantly. It was important that Rosemary appeared in both the Donna Karan and DKNY campaigns: she’d be living her glamorous city life during the week and then went off to the beach on the weekend. There was an authenticity that you hadn't really seen in fashion advertising yet. Before this, it was all about perfectionism: the perfect model and setting. There was a lot of beauty in Donna Karan and DKNY imagery, but there was also reality.
DKNY grew into its own world, created for a younger, more casual customer. [The brand] was very much about energy. It was the ultimate New York brand, so it was about celebrating New York City, celebrating the energy, the streets, the colors, the vibe of the city, the patterns, the textures, and that “city that never sleeps” mentality.&nbs