By Donna Karan

I’ve just come back from a trip to Haiti that was an absolute dream come true for me. In a truly powerful way, this trip brought my worlds of philanthropy and commerce together. From the moment I first visited Jacmel last year, I was completely captured by its beauty – I turned to Russell James and David Bell (who’ve been with me since the beginning of my love affair with Haiti) and said, “We’ve got to do a shoot here.” I knew it was the perfect backdrop for creating something magical.

And, this is exactly what we did. 

From the beginning, I’ve had a vision that captured the raw potential of Haiti. I had a dream of taking one city – the most creative, the most beautiful and making it a canvas for something extraordinary. I knew that Jacmel would be the hottest, hippest place to do any campaign. The spirit, energy and culture of the city are spectacular. Who better than Russell James, who I share my Nomadic adventures with and David Belle whose camera has caught my story, to help me bring this vision to life?

I was so happy to work with Adriana Lima. She embodies the essence of everything I believe a woman is. She has remarkable depth; she is a mother, a wife.  She is sexy, smart, sophisticated and abundantly talented. To have her with us, breathing life into this dream of mine was a gift.

The shoot evolved from night into day. We started at David Belle’s house, which was perfect since David is the man who manifested the whole experience. We started in David’s bedroom and then moved outdoors to his stunning beach. We brought in some of Haiti’s legendary Voodoo Spiritual leaders and took some breathtaking shots… the sun was setting, the fire was burning – what an experience!

Next, we took our cameras into the back streets of Jacmel. There was Rara, there was grit, there were paper Mache masks, it was Haiti. And, finally, we ended the shoot down in Port Au Prince, at Magalee’s Caribbean Craft factory. It was perfect.

When it comes to Haiti, I don’t compartmentalize, I can’t. Haiti bleeds into every facet of who I am – Urban Zen, The Donna Karan Company, Nomad Two Worlds, Breuningers, the Haitian Artisan Project – all of it. So, it was fantastic to see all of these important pieces of my life come together at this special shoot.

You know for me, this experience was about so much more than just the moment (even though the moment is one that I’ll treasure forever). The essence of the photo shoot was, really, a call to knowing that Haiti is the place for all artists to be. It really is how you bring philanthropy and commerce together. It’s beautiful. It’s meaningful. It’s soulful. It’s creative.

I know that we haven’t even scratched the surface of what is possible, but it is my hope that we’ve set the precedent for the opportunity that lives in Haiti.

This is just the beginning.