A Deep Dive Into the Rare ‘90s DKNY Book That Became a Fashion Bible
How Donna Karan's "taxi book" came together, became a brand Rosetta Stone, and a delight for the readers.
Today, I’m doing a deep dive on the rare DKNY/NYC book from 1994 that has captured my heart. This piece includes an interview with Trey Laird who was the creative director of the book and the executive vice president and corporate director of Donna Karan International until 2002, as well as one of the lucky owners of the book, Geoff Snack. The book, photographed by Peter Lindbergh, is as entertaining as it is an essential lesson in brand building. Also, stay tuned for a new episode of NEVERWORNS coming soon.
I first saw glimmers of the DKNY/NYC spiral book from 1994 on an Instagram account. I was hooked after only a few slides without even flipping through an actual page. The cover shows “DKNY” bleeding into a herd of searing yellow taxis. (The good boxy ’90s kind). The next slide is a detail shot of untied boots on the pavement, lazily cuffed to reveal a blazing red lining. (Incredible contrast). Finally, a sharp image of a young model in a three-piece suit amid a Sex and the City crowd behind her. (Original main character energy). Underneath the photograph is a quote by Liza Minnelli: “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.”
It’s a beautiful book that can transform taking the subway into the most majestic form of transportation; that can make wading in morning rush hour seem like a transcendental experience. The shots range from model, to product, to simply a blurred city scene. A stunning woman sitting on her stoop in an undone wool coat with a cup of coffee; a backseat cab shot of a rain-splattered windshield; a hunk walking down the street, clutching himself in a leather jacket with fingerless gloves; a tier of fire escapes. The brand bible is an Old Testament of fashion that captures ‘90s New York as a fantasy land, dressed in the everyday aspirational designs of Donna Karan’s fun and young DKNY. It’s a pre-cellphone, cab-hailing utopia. The good, bad, and ugly of New York is seen as a plexus of limitless possibilities where a Manhattan studio is only $700 a month. This rare book gets any reader to this universe. You’d be lucky to get your hands on it, and if you do, it will set you back $250 and up.