Nationality: United States Long Island native, Donna Karan, has undoubtedly made her mark on the fashion industry. While still a student at Parson's School of Design, Karan was offered a summer job assisting Anne Klein. She spent 3 years as associate designer and became the head of the company after Klein's unfortunate death. After roughly 10 years at Anne Klein, Karan founded her own company in 1984 with her late husband Stephan Weiss. In 1989, Karan launched her diffusion line DKNY and later launched her menswear line in 1992. Awards: 1977: Coty American Fashion Critics’ Award 1982: Coty American Fashion Critics’ Award (together with Louis Dell’Ollio for Anne Klein) 1984: Inducted into the Coty Hall Of Fame. 1985, 1986, 1987: special CFDA awards[citation needed] 1992: Menswear Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) 1990, 1996: Womenswear Designer of the Year by the CFDA 1994: Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement 2004: Lifetime Achievement Award by the CFDA