By Noreen Flanagan Donna Karan strives to achieve a yogic in-the-moment mindset, but she took a moment this week to reflect on her 25-year career in the business. On Tuesday, the New York designer did a Q and A with editors and loyal followers of her brand at Holt Renfrew in Toronto. “Where did the time go?” she said. “Wow, but I appreciate being here right now. It’s an honour.” Karan began her career as an assistant designer with Anne Klein in the late 60s and became head designer after Klein’s death in 1974. “I wouldn’t be here today without her,” Karan said. “I hadn’t planned on being a designer.” In 1984 Karan started her own company intent on designing “modern clothes for modern people.” Her Essentials line—seven easy pieces that could be mixed and matched—earned her a loyal following of women who appreciated her architectural yet feminine silhouettes. Her fall/winter 2010 collection—Forever Black—captures her signature sculpted tailoring and draping as well as the spirit of her original Essentials line. “I’ve developed a system of dressing,” Karan said. “You get your core elements and you build upon them.” When asked about her pet peeves, Karan’s seize-the-moment philosophy kicked in. “Too much information!” she said laughing. “The Internet is wonderful, but we shouldn’t be seeing spring [2011] collections in the fall. Let’s be in the now and not think about what’s coming.”