I love donna karan
So do I. She is the creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY fashion lines.
when did she get her start?
After she left college, she worked for Anne Klein. She became the head of the design team until 1985. After that she launched her label.
did she launch it by herself or did she have partners ?
When Anne Klein died, the Takihyo Corp. of Japan took over the company and Karan along with her friend Louis Dell'Ollio became the head designers.
thats good that she had help.  is she still alive ?
I believe so. She was born in 1948.