Donna Karan's Urban Zen names Helen Aboah as CEO

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Jan 8, 2020

Urban Zen, Donna Karan’s luxury lifestyle brand, has named Helen Aboah as its chief executive officer, effective immediately. 

Prior to joining Urban Zen, Aboah served as executive vice president at Alexander Wang and executive at LVMH/Donna Karan Intl.

Aboah comes to the company following a two-year vacancy at Urban Zen’s top role, and will lead the brand’s global growth plans.

Dedicated to ready-to-wear, accessories, furniture and home décor, as well as items made by global artisans, Urban Zen is a supporting of the Urban Zen Foundation, an organization founded in 2007, dedicated to the preservation of culture, integrative healthcare and education. 

As CEO, Aboah will also oversee Urban Zen Integrative Therapy (UZIT), the program launched by Karan in 2012 and consisting of a network of over 900 certified therapists dedicated to integrating Eastern healing modalities with Western science. 

"It's exciting to be joining forces with Donna Karan to lead Urban Zen through the next phase of growth,” Aboah said.

“Donna is not only an icon but a visionary that has always been ahead of her time with concepts that have changed the way consumers dress, shop, and live…Through Urban Zen we have the opportunity to connect the dots between Donna's timeless aesthetic, artisan craftsmanship, and philanthropic efforts."

Urban Zen currently operates three stores in New York City, Sag Harbor and Los Angeles, in addition to its online store.