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Karen Kane

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American fashion designer Not to be confused with Karen Kain.

Karen Kane
BornBarberton, Ohio, United States
NationalityAmerican
EducationSanta Barbara High School Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
OccupationFashion designer
Labels
  • Karen Kane
  • Robert Michaels
  • Karen by Karen Kane
  • Red 23
  • Fifteen Twenty
SpouseLonnie Kane (since 1979)
Children
  • Michael Kane
  • Robert Kane
Awards
  • 2014 LA Business Journal Southern California Apparel Award Finalist
  • 2012 LA Business Journal Women Making a Difference Award Nominee
  • 2006 Dallas Fashion Award for Modernwear Designer of the Year
  • 1995 Fashion Industries Guild nomination for California Designer of the Year
Websitehttp://www.karenkane.com

Karen Kane is an American fashion designer. Her designs are known for their relaxed, California-inspired feeling.

Biography

Kane was born in the Akron suburb Barberton, Ohio, 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.

Karen Kane started her career in fashion when she graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising 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 such as Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Dillard’s, Belk, and Von Maur, online retailers like Zappos, Gwynnie Bee, Lord & Taylor, Wolf & Badger, and large national specialty stores.

In 2012, Karen Kane was invited to the White House to attend US President Barack Obama's "Insourcing American Jobs" summit and later that year, US Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis toured Kane's headquarters in California to learn more about the challenges of domestically manufacturing apparel in the United States. In 2011, 80% of Kane’s line was made in the United States and 20% was imported from other countries. In Spring 2012, that percentage increased to 90%. As of Fall 2013, Kane continued to manufacture most of her collection in the United States (primarily in Southern California).

In 2008, Karen Kane launched Fifteen Twenty, a collection of assorted separates primarily made of silk. The brand has been worn by celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Biel, Carrie Underwood, Jessica Alba, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and others. 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.” In 2015, Red 23 was absorbed into Fifteen Twenty to broaden the main brand into a larger collection. Today, Fifteen Twenty is a full collection of tops, jackets, dresses, skirts, and pants, and is sold in high-end specialty stores and online boutiques such as Nordstrom and Rent The Runway.

In 2013, Kane selected IMG (company) to represent the brand in developing licensed products.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kane's company temporarily shifted production from manufacturing clothing to making face covers for medical workers, nursing homes, first responders, and other at-risk individuals.

Company

Kane's clothing is most well known for having an easy, relaxed style that is reflective of her native California. In 2020, Kane's company earned B Corporation (certification). Kane is privately owned and family operated.

In addition to sizes XS-XL, the brand also produces a plus size division of the lifestyle collection entitled Karen Kane Women’s, as well as petite sizes. In 2013, Kane added a sixth division to her company: Robert Michaels. Named for her two sons (Michael & Robert), the collection consists of knit dresses, tops, and sweaters, and is sold exclusively at Bloomingdale's.

Karen Kane photographed with her family in her office, April 2021

Kane's husband, Lonnie, currently serves as the Chairman of the California Fashion Association. Since its inception, Kane's business has always been family-run. Her parents, Olga and Frank, were the company's first accounting and facilities employees. Lonnie's mother, Cecelia, worked in customer service and eventually handled employee benefits. Karen and Lonnie's older son, Michael, serves as the company's other co-president. Their younger son, Robert, designed a line of t-shirts that appeared in the 'Karen by Karen Kane' summer collection.

Personal life

Karen Kane lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Lonnie, and runs her namesake clothing company out of Vernon, California.

References

  1. "Lonnie Kane". LA Weekly. Los Angeles. August 12, 2008.
  2. "Fashion Brand Spotlight: Michael Kane, Director of Marketing at Karen Kane". PR Couture. Los Angeles. January 31, 2013.
  3. "And the winners are…". Morning News. Dallas. October 30, 2006. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  4. "Brand Spotlight: Karen Kane". Belk Blog. Charlotte. July 20, 2011. Archived from the original on March 31, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  5. "Haute Secrets: Karen Kane - Haute Living". August 3, 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  6. "Karen Kane Designs the Hugely Successful Clothing Line That Bears Her Name". FIDM. Los Angeles. 1999. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  7. "Karen Kane". AACC. Los Angeles. 2000.
  8. "Fashion Design Profiles on Alumni, Faculty, and Students". FIDM Alumni Stories. Los Angeles. 2011. Archived from the original on August 17, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  9. "'Designers Discuss: The Obama Admin's "Made In The USA" Campaign'". Fashion Week Daily. April 5, 2012. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  10. "Los Angeles firms bring apparel jobs home on cost concerns". Reuters. July 1, 2011.
  11. "'Made in America' trend hits LA apparel maker". ABC News. March 2, 2012.
  12. "'Some apparel manufacturing 'reshoring' to USA'". USA Today. July 3, 2013.
  13. "Photos from Celebrity Fitness Stars".
  14. "Jessica Biel's ruffled silk blouse". thegloss.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2012.
  15. "Shop Celebrity Style » Blog Archive » Carrie Underwood: Country Chic". shopcelebritystyle.com. Archived from the original on March 31, 2012.
  16. "Jessica Alba wearing Fifteen-Twenty Grey Tunic Top".
  17. "Where Did the Content Go?".
  18. "Red 23: New Line from Karen Kane" (PDF). California Apparel News. Los Angeles. April 1–7, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  19. "Karen Kane Selects IMG Licensing to Help Cultivate the Brand Beyond Successful Apparel Line". Wall Street Journal. New York. June 10, 2013.
  20. "CIT's Financial Support Helps Designers Create Protective Masks with Style". Yahoo!Finance. New York. April 7, 2020.
  21. "Interview with Karen Kane". YouLookFab. Seattle. February 14, 2011.
  22. "CIT's Financial Support Helps Designers Create Protective Masks with Style". B Corporation. Philadelphia. April 7, 2020.
  23. "Q&A: Designer Karen Kane on style, balancing work and family". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix. March 20, 2012.
  24. "Fashion Brand Spotlight: Michael Kane, Director of Marketing at Karen Kane". January 31, 2013.
  25. "'Homed In'". Los Angeles Business Journal. July 15, 2013.
  26. "California Fashion Association". November 25, 2013.
  27. "How One L.A. Clothing Company Is Trying to Keep It All in the Family". WWD. Los Angeles. October 24, 2022.
  28. "Karen Kane the Family Business". YouLookFab. Seattle. June 28, 2011.
  29. "Karen Kane, Inc.: Private Company Information - Businessweek". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved June 23, 2016.

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