Donna Karan's L.A. Zen Trip

Fashion Inc. has just learned exclusively that Donna Karan's first L.A. retail space for luxury - a DKNY store already exists in the Beverly Center, and Donna Karan Collection has a store in South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California - will open this fall. It will be part of her Donna Karan "Urban Zen" concept stores, the company's fourth. The N.Y. Urban Zen store is on Greenwich Street and Charles, and Karan just opened two new Urban Zen stores in Sag Harbor and Sun Valley, respectively, this summer.

The Urban Zen concept is top on Karan's priority list these days, even though she is rolling out a big line of luxe-priced handbags this fall in stores like Neiman Marcus. Urban Zen combines Donna's own line of Urban Zen clothes - described by a representative for the designer as "a mix of Yohji and Rick Owens - comfortable, mostly cashmere, in very dark colors or neutrals) - with furniture from all over the world, artifacts, art objects, and jewelry vendors that work with Karan's urban retreat concept. Clearly,
an L.A. locale is right for this concept. Plus Donna's celebrity pals like Demi Moore and Barbra Streisand will no doubt make the pilgrimmage.

The L.A. Urban Zen store will be located at 614 N. Robertson Boulevard, right off of Melrose Avenue - the retail locale in Los Angeles with the most buzz right now. It will be right next door to where Chrome Hearts has their store, and Donna Karan will fly out in the early fall, after her New York shows, to host a large event. As is inherent in this retail concept, ten percent of all sales will go to the Urban Zen Initiative, which donates money to programs for children, yoga centers and all kinds of wellness efforts. In fact, Karan plans to have informal lectures and yoga classes take place in the store.

Why is Karan, who pocketed $672 million dollars when she sold her Donna Karan Collection and DKNY clothing lines to LVMH, working so hard? "This concept is really close to her heart," said an L.A. based spokeswoman. "This has a lot of meaning for Donna."

by Merle Ginsberg