Donna Karan's Conscious Consumerism Is a Perfect Reminder to Give Back at the Holidays

Amid the sea of frantic holiday sales and even more exasperated shoppers comes an oasis of calm courtesy of Donna Karan. On Friday morning, the designer and philanthropist is opening the doors to her Urban Zen Holiday Marketplace at the studio of her artist-husband Stephan Weiss (who passed away from cancer in 2001). The eye-opening and cavernous space is full of artisanal wonders from Karan’s worldly travels to Bali, Haiti, the Philippines, and beyond. “We celebrate artists and we celebrate the art of giving back,” said Karan during a walk through the space on Thursday morning. “You’re buying something that has a meaning, which is a wonderful feeling.”

(It is certainly something to keep in mind, especially as retailers are demanding their employees to work overtime on the holidays—with no extra compensation—just so someone can get their hands on a new plasma television at a fraction of its original cost.)

For the conscious consumer, the Urban Zen Marketplace is the opposite of, say, Target on Black Friday. All of the products are handmade by local artisans and the proceeds go back to the communities from which they came. Karan, whose aim is to preserve culture and artistry, has been promoting this type of soulful economy since she launched Urban Zen in 2007. “You realize that everything inside is what really what comes out,” she says. “And the beauty of it is that it captures the soul of artisans throughout the rest of the world.”

Karan handpicked all the items at the Marketplace herself and the selection is both enchanting and seemingly infinite with prices ranging from $75 to $15,000. It’s the perfect hodgepodge for the shopper looking for a something a bit more unique. There are coconut husk bowls from Bali, handmade chandeliers from Haiti, intricate African shell handbags, Apple-inspired artworks from her yoga teacher’s son, amazing vinyl records and books from Melet Mercantile, and gorgeous wooden furniture that Karan designs herself. “It all started when I designed furniture for my house down in Parrot Cay, and everyone said I want that,” she says. “I said, okay, whatever. Next thing I knew, I was producing furniture that everybody wanted so that was cool.”

Pretty cool indeed.

Urban Zen Marketplace will be open from Friday, November 21^st - Sunday, January 4^th and is located at Stephan Weiss Studios, 711 Greenwich Street at Charles Street in New York City. Hours of operation are Mon-Sat 10am-6pm (Thursday until 7pm); Sunday 12noon-5pm. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and December 26^th