Karen Kane
Encyclopedia
Karen Kane is an American fashion designer. Her designs are known for their casual, California-inspired feeling.
, the youngest of three children. At the age of 9, her family moved from Ohio to Santa Barbara, California
, where she grew up sewing and taking as many fashion-related classes as possible.
Today, Kane lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Lonnie, and runs her namesake clothing company out of Vernon, California
.
in Los Angeles
at the age of 19. Her first job was as a pattern maker at a junior sportswear company. It was there that she met her husband and future business partner, Lonnie. In 1979, Karen and Lonnie married and launched the Karen Kane womenswear collection out of their Studio City garage. Initially, the brand was sold only at smaller specialty stores, but as the line expanded, it was picked up by department stores like Macy’s, Belk
, Bloomingdales, Dillard’s, Bon Ton, Lord & Taylor
, and Nordstrom
. The line continues to be sold at each of these retailers, as well as large online retailers such as Amazon
and Zappos.
Kane’s clothing is most well known for its focus on simple, coastal-inspired designs that utilize comfortable fabrics. As of 2011, 80% of Kane’s line is made in the United States and 20% is imported from other countries.
In addition to the Karen Kane lifestyle collection, Karen by Karen Kane was launched in 2006. Karen by Karen Kane is considered the company's more casual division, designed to complement the more work-ready Karen Kane lifestyle collection. In addition, Kane also produces a plus size division of the lifestyle collection entitled Karen Kane Women’s.
In addition to her namesake collection, Kane also designs two other contemporary labels. In 2008, she launched Fifteen-Twenty, a collection of tops and dresses that primarily consists of silk fabrics. The brand has become popular with celebrities such as Eva Longoria, Jessica Biel, Carrie Underwood, January Jones, Hilary Duff, and Ashley Greene. Fifteen-Twenty is sold in specialty stores and department stores such as Neiman Marcus
, Lord & Taylor
, Neiman Marcus CUSP, and Bloomingdales. In 2011, Kane introduced a casual complement to her Fifteen-Twenty line entitled Red 23. “The line of T-shirts, tank tops, sweaters, jackets and scarves in neutral colors…will be carried by [high-end specialty stores].”
Personal life
Kane was born in the small town of Barberton, OhioBarberton, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,899 people, 11,523 households, and 7,443 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,095.2 people per square mile . There were 12,163 housing units at an average density of 1,349.4 per square mile...
, the youngest of three children. At the age of 9, her family moved from Ohio to Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, where she grew up sewing and taking as many fashion-related classes as possible.
Today, Kane lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Lonnie, and runs her namesake clothing company out of Vernon, California
Vernon, California
Vernon is a city five miles south of downtown Los Angeles, California. The population was 112 at the 2010 United States Census, the smallest of any incorporated city in the state....
.
Career
Karen Kane started her career in fashion when she graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design & MerchandisingFashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
FIDM, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, is a specialized for-profit private college located in California dedicated to educating students for the Fashion, Entertainment, Beauty, Interior Design, and Graphic Design industries....
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
at the age of 19. Her first job was as a pattern maker at a junior sportswear company. It was there that she met her husband and future business partner, Lonnie. In 1979, Karen and Lonnie married and launched the Karen Kane womenswear collection out of their Studio City garage. Initially, the brand was sold only at smaller specialty stores, but as the line expanded, it was picked up by department stores like Macy’s, Belk
Belk
Belk is a department store chain founded in 1888 in Monroe, North Carolina, today part of the Charlotte metropolitan area. After the founding of the first Belk store, the company grew in size and influence throughout the South via the chain in the USA, with its stores primarily located in the...
, Bloomingdales, Dillard’s, Bon Ton, Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor, colloquially known as L&T, or LT, based in New York City, is the oldest upscale, specialty-retail department store chain in the United States. Concentrated in the eastern U.S., the retailer operated independently for nearly a century prior to joining American Dry Goods...
, and Nordstrom
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
. The line continues to be sold at each of these retailers, as well as large online retailers such as Amazon
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
and Zappos.
Kane’s clothing is most well known for its focus on simple, coastal-inspired designs that utilize comfortable fabrics. As of 2011, 80% of Kane’s line is made in the United States and 20% is imported from other countries.
In addition to the Karen Kane lifestyle collection, Karen by Karen Kane was launched in 2006. Karen by Karen Kane is considered the company's more casual division, designed to complement the more work-ready Karen Kane lifestyle collection. In addition, Kane also produces a plus size division of the lifestyle collection entitled Karen Kane Women’s.
In addition to her namesake collection, Kane also designs two other contemporary labels. In 2008, she launched Fifteen-Twenty, a collection of tops and dresses that primarily consists of silk fabrics. The brand has become popular with celebrities such as Eva Longoria, Jessica Biel, Carrie Underwood, January Jones, Hilary Duff, and Ashley Greene. Fifteen-Twenty is sold in specialty stores and department stores such as Neiman Marcus
Neiman Marcus
Neiman Marcus, formerly Neiman-Marcus, is a luxury specialty retail department store operated by the Neiman Marcus Group in the United States. The company is headquartered in the One Marcus Square building in Downtown Dallas, Texas, and competes with other department stores such as Saks Fifth...
, Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor, colloquially known as L&T, or LT, based in New York City, is the oldest upscale, specialty-retail department store chain in the United States. Concentrated in the eastern U.S., the retailer operated independently for nearly a century prior to joining American Dry Goods...
, Neiman Marcus CUSP, and Bloomingdales. In 2011, Kane introduced a casual complement to her Fifteen-Twenty line entitled Red 23. “The line of T-shirts, tank tops, sweaters, jackets and scarves in neutral colors…will be carried by [high-end specialty stores].”
Family
Kane's business is privately owned and family operated. In addition to his role as president of Karen Kane, Kane's husband, Lonnie, currently serves as the Chairman of the California Fashion Association. Karen and Lonnie's older son, Michael, runs the company's marketing efforts, and younger son, Robert, designed a lined of t-shirts that appeared in the Summer 2010 collection of Karen by Karen Kane.External links
- About Karen Kane, About Karen Kane
- KarenKane.com, Karen Kane Official Website
- Company History, Company History
- Karen Kane Official Facebook Page, Karen Kane Official Facebook Page
- Fifteen-Twenty Official Website