FN Legends: Donna Karan Talks Exclusively With FN About Her New Shoes With Kenneth Cole

Eugenia Richman

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Iconic New York designer Donna Karan sat down at her store Urban Zen in the West Village with FN to talk about her new shoe collection with Kenneth Cole and her work with Haitian artisans. “It’s not just fashion. It’s dressing and addressing conscious consumerism,” she said after our Aug. 12, 2019 cover shoot. “And that’s what I think is so beautiful about the collaboration I’m doing with Kenneth right now,” she added.

The collection, which features 10 styles made by Haitian craftsmen, was done through Urban Zen and Cole’s Gentle Souls label. “You know, I work with artisans all over the world, and I have a defined purpose in Haiti,” she said, noting that she first started got involved with designers from the island nation after traveling there with the Clinton Global Initiative in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. The collaboration was a natural fit, as Karan explained she is a big fan of Kenneth Cole shoes.

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“I wear Kenneth Cole shoes. I love them. They are the most comfortable shoe ever. They are like walking on air. And I was buying them by the dozen. And I said, ‘if we can pair that sole with what’s — soul to sole — the soul of Haiti with the sole of Kenneth, we’ve got a home run,’ ” she said.

Watch our FN Legends video with Kenneth Cole.

Want more?

Exclusive: Donna Karan & Kenneth Cole on Their Storied Careers and Shared Passion for Philanthropy

Kenneth Cole & Haiti: An Exclusive Look at the Designer’s Humanitarian Mission

A Look Back at Donna Karan Shoes Designed By Paul Andrew

 

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