DKNY / Donna Karan
DKNY / Donna Karan
252 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The tomato leaf hits like a bright green slap, its metallic vegetal sharpness immediately complicated by juicy mandarin and the fuzzy-skinned sweetness of apricot. There's an almost saline quality to the citrus accord, as though the fruit has been misted with mineral water, whilst the tomato leaf persists like a garnish that refuses to stay decorative.
The florals emerge tentatively, water lily and narcissus creating a cool, almost ozonic backdrop against which jasmine and rose sketch themselves in light pencil strokes. Cassia weaves through with its cinnamon-bark warmth, whilst heliotrope adds a powdery almond softness that prevents the composition from becoming too austere or sharp.
The birch-suede combination takes over completely, creating an almost chalky second-skin effect that's more about texture than scent. Sandalwood and amber provide just enough warmth to keep it from turning austere, whilst the patchouli—scrubbed clean of any earthiness—adds a barely-there woody whisper that hovers close to the skin.
Sophia Grojsman's 1999 creation feels like an audacious botanical experiment—tomato leaf meeting mandarin in a collision that shouldn't work but absolutely does. The opening is arresting: that distinctive green-metallic sharpness of crushed tomato stems cuts through the sweetness of apricot and citrus, creating an almost savoury brightness that stops you in your tracks. It's fresh in the way a Brooklyn rooftop garden is fresh—urban, slightly unexpected, more verdant than pretty.
The floral heart is where Grojsman's hand becomes unmistakable. Rather than the lush white flowers she's famous for elsewhere, here she weaves a tighter, more translucent arrangement. Water lily and narcissus bring an aqueous coolness that keeps the jasmine and ylang-ylang from becoming heady, whilst cassia adds a subtle spiced warmth that bridges the green opening to what's coming. There's an intentional restraint here, flowers viewed through frosted glass rather than thrust into your face.
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3.9/5 (161)