"Delete the negative; accentuate the positive!"
About this Quote
The subtext lands squarely in Karan’s signature ethos of pragmatic confidence. Her Seven Easy Pieces and the rise of streamlined, modular dressing in late-80s/90s New York weren’t about fantasy; they were about women with real schedules, real ambition, and little patience for garments that demanded to be served. "Accentuate the positive" sounds sunny, but in fashion it’s strategic: highlight what you want the world to read first. It’s not denial; it’s direction.
Context matters because this kind of optimism isn’t neutral. In an industry that profits from manufactured dissatisfaction, Karan’s phrasing doubles as a counterspell and a sales pitch: you can feel better now, with fewer complications, if you adopt the right edits. The brilliance is its portability. It can be a dressing-room mantra, a brand philosophy, or a survival tactic for modern life, where negativity is the default feed and positivity has to be designed.
Quote Details
| Topic | Optimism |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Karan, Donna. (2026, January 17). Delete the negative; accentuate the positive! FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/delete-the-negative-accentuate-the-positive-57239/
Chicago Style
Karan, Donna. "Delete the negative; accentuate the positive!" FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/delete-the-negative-accentuate-the-positive-57239/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Delete the negative; accentuate the positive!" FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/delete-the-negative-accentuate-the-positive-57239/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.






