Donna Karan: Born to be a Designer

Donna Karan was born to be a designer and she fought against failure to be one.

"They said if I was going to be an illustrator, I'd go to the Fashion Institute of Technology, and if I was going to be a fashion designer, I'd go to Parsons," she told an audience at the Parsons New School for Design.

"So I went to Women's Wear Daily and asked them, 'Could I have a summer job?' I was dismissed very quickly.

[The head of WWD] says, 'My darling, you just absolutely do not know how to sketch.

So I highly recommend you choose another field.'

Well, I was mortified about that… because I really thought I was a brilliant illustrator, as I still do."