Dawnn Karen
Dawnn Karen | |
|---|---|
| Born | Cleveland, Ohio, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Fashion psychologist, professor, author, freelance model |
| Known for | Coining the term "Fashion Psychology Field" |
| Notable work | Dress Your Best Life; How to Harness the Power of Clothes To Transform Your Confidence |
Dawnn Karen is an American expert in fashion psychology, a psychology professor, author, and freelance model.
Early life
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Karen has roots in both African-American and Jamaican cultures. During her secondary education, she advanced by skipping the 5th grade and attended the Cleveland School of the Arts, where she concentrated on vocal music with an emphasis on opera and took creative writing as a minor.
For her undergraduate education, Karen enrolled at Bowling Green State University, focusing her studies on Psychology while minoring in Ethnic studies. While studying, she designed and sold handmade jewelry. She obtained a Master of Arts degree in counseling psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she also completed an internship at a public relations firm.
Personal life
Karen currently makes her home in New York City.
Fashion psychologist
Karen identifies herself as the first individual to coin the term "Fashion Psychology Field," which she has trademarked. Nonetheless, other academic programs addressing related topics exist, such as the University of Delaware’s course "Social Psychological Aspects of Clothing" taught by professor Jaehee Jung, alongside Carolyn Mair’s innovative curriculum at the London College of Fashion.
At the outset of her professional journey, Karen conducted research throughout the Middle East and Eurasia to build her theories in fashion psychology. Her clientele includes notable names like Klarna, A$AP Rocky, PayPal, and Honey.
She has delivered presentations at the Kyiv Security Forum discussing issues such as the burkini ban and has addressed the United Nations on how fashion psychology can empower women.
In 2018, she was dubbed "The Dress Doctor" by the New York Times, while The Times recognized her as "the world’s first fashion psychologist."
Professor
In April 2015, Karen stated that she was the first black female psychology professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology. However, this assertion is not accurate; she was not a full-time faculty member nor the first black female adjunct professor in psychology at FIT. During her tenure there, she taught courses including The Psychology of Color and General Psychology within the Social sciences department.
Modeling
While attending Teachers College Columbia University, Karen also pursued freelance modeling work.
Publications
Her book Dress Your Best Life; How to Harness the Power of Clothes To Transform Your Confidence was released in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2020. The United States edition followed on April 14, 2020, under the title Dress Your Best Life; How to Use Fashion Psychology to Take Your Look -- and Your Life -- to the Next Level.