NEW YORK, USA // Patti Cohen found her fashion career on a tennis court in Fire Island, where she first met Donna Karan. A close friendship developed, and Karan asked Cohen to join her at work, to help publicize a new collection called Anne Klein II. Cohen proved a quick study and found she had a talent for placing stories, connecting people, organizing shows, and strategizing brands. In 1984, when Karan decided to open “a small company”under her own label, she asked Cohen to join her as her first employee. Cohen didn’t hesitate for a minute. The first Donna Karan New York show was held just months later to rave reviews from press and retailers alike.

The rest as they say, is fashion history –one in which Cohen has played a pivotal role in the company’s growth and development. In addition to overseeing all the marketing, publicity and advertising for Donna Karan New York, Cohen’s department has introduced all things Donna Karan around the world, including DKNY, which launched in 1989. As Executive Vice President of Global Marketing and Communications, Cohen’s brand direction extends to licensees in Beauty, Home, Menswear, Intimates, Accessories, Swim, Kids, Eyewear and Footwear.

Says Cohen, “People often say you shouldn’t stay at the same job forever, but the truth is I’ve had a million jobs within Donna Karan International. I’ve created my career. I’m STILL creating it, with every day a new challenge and adventure.”