One of the more pleasant surprises so far this week was the Karen Walker show, held at the stately Altman Building in Chelsea. Walker drew inspiration from cult sixties British television show The Prisoner, which chronicles the life of an Edwardian seaside resort that’s actually a jail for retired spies. Sounds confusing? Translated onto the runway, it was actually quite simple — and beautiful. Models waltzed through in striped shirts, shrunken piped navy blazers, lightweight chinos and boat shoes (made in collaboration with British brand Pointer), which lent a fun and flirty air to the proceedings. Navy blues, tans and creams were more direct references to the theme, while bright yellows and greens added some contrast.

Walker’s known for her custom fabric prints and many of her tiered chiffon dresses, flowing pants and silk blouses played directly with the seaside theme, with flag and bird motifs that were actually more subtle (and stylish) than we expected from looking at the program notes. Little touches like Edwardian frill detailing and bowler hats perfectly complimented the outfits, which ranged from classy basics (like tees and jeans) to some pleasant surprises… just check out the bright yellow windbreaker above. In the meantime, we brought along our FLIP video camera to capture some of the action from the runway. Check out the clip below:

- TC