School of Fashion Hall of Fame
Since 1989, this prestigious award celebrates the outstanding contribution to fashion made by an individual. The accolade honors the unique qualities of their leadership. It champions the aspiration and inspiration they and their business of fashion offer the next generation of fashion graduates at Kent State.
2025 Hall of Fame Inductee: Donald J Pliner
Donald J Pliner is America’s most iconic and celebrated shoe designer. Beginning his career as a retailer on Rodeo Drive in America’s most famous zip code (90210), Donald soon found himself drawn to return to his family business, that of footwear. Launching his eponymous collection in the 1980s, Donald J Pliner, the brand reached its zenith in the late 1990s into the new millennium when it was impossible to be fashionably dressed and not have several pairs of Donald’s shoes in your wardrobe. After selling his collection to a venture capital firm and stepping down as Creative Director, Donald found himself on the wrong side of the legal equation several years later when he tried to launch a new brand. What was being celebrated as a fashionable comeback to the fold of the footwear industry after several years of his being out of the public eye, was soon shut down by the courts, much to the dismay of Donald and his enthusiastic fan base. By his side for his ups and downs, ins, and outs, was his design partner, muse and wife, Lisa F Pliner, an accomplished designer and artist in her own right.
Donald J Pliner’s designs have been spotted on every major celebrity one can name from Cher and Elton John to Diana Ross, Wayne Newton, Shaquille O'Neal and Suzanne Somers to name but a few, and have graced the covers and pages of every major fashion magazine on the globe. To this day, legions of Donald’s loyal fans call his name and regale him with stories about their favorite pieces of his collections everywhere he goes. He currently resides with his wife Lisa in Rancho Mirage, California where you can most likely find him in his pool morning, noon and night.