The hills were alive with custom prints, rich colors and day-glo sunglasses at Karen Walker’s 2010 fall fashion show. It was “The Sound of Music” meets Bob Dylan – with sweaters and patterned dresses mixed in with shrunken corduroy and velvet suits. The grey over-the-knee socks seen throughout the show brought to mind the Von Trapp children, who would have been right at home in the knee-length, narrow shorts. And among some of our favorite things: a navy cashmere A-line dress with oversized bows on the shoulders, which Walker says would be great for any downtown girl. The hints of sheepskin, perfect for the Austrian Alps, also brought to mind New Zealand, where Walker lives, while one electric look that made its way down the runway was a sea-green lurex linen paneled dress, an almost futuristic look in contrast to her more classic designs.
We caught up with Walker backstage after the show and asked her what is was like blending these different inspirations into a theme. “That is when the exciting stuff happens,” she said; “the positive and negative makes electricity.”
Walker said her looks this season are geared towards the “Anti-It Girl” – think Annie Hall and Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club. So who’s the “Anti-It Girl” for this generation? “It’s too hard,” she replied, perplexed. “Someone’s iconic state doesn’t become apparent until later.”
She’s already tackled eyewear and shoes (as part of a collaboration with Pointer), as evidenced in the show. With this show just moments behind her, of course we had to ask, what’s next? Aside from moving into a new home, she was coy, only saying that “we are working on a few little things out there.” Walker was clearly exhausted and still jubilant from her well-received show, so we let the answer slide but promised to keep tabs on her. She replied with a courteous nod, then excused herself with a polite wave goodbye before dancing off into her crowd of models. Frauline Maria would be proud.
New Zealand-native Karen Walker delighted the crowd at New York Fashion Week last September with a vibrant, breezy collection inspired by cult 1960s British television show The Prisoner (think navy blazers, tan chinos and stripy t‐shirts and chiffon dresses).
Known for her signature prints and polished, yet girly frocks, Walker has quickly established a reputation as a designer who makes clothes for people passionate about fashion — and clothes that people want to wear and show off over and over again. So it’s no surprise that the designer’s list of “things that never go out of style” is a collection of people, places and items that are quirky, yet grounded… sort of like the beautiful garments she unveils to her waiting audiences each and every year.
Here is Karen Walker’s top-ten list of “things that never go out of style:”
1. Fantastic Mr. Fox – I took my 2-year-old to it –- her first movie –- and loved it
2. Aesop Facial Scrub
3. Bethell’s Café in the sand dunes at Bethell’s Beach in Auckland, New Zealand
4. My new handmade cashmere blanket that my brother-in-law gave me for my birthday
5. My daughter, Valentina
6. Bob Dylan
7. John Cooper Clark
8. My home made banana and blueberry friands
9. Dr. Seuss
10. Polka dots
Walker’s latest project is “THE DEPARTMENT STORE” — a conceptual co-operative retail space in Auckland, New Zealand curated with fellow New Zealand design aficionados. The three-level store is a chic multi-dimensional shopping space that is part boutique, part gift shop, part beauty bar and part cafe. Check out karenwalker.com for details on “THE DEPARTMENT STORE” and for more information on the designer’s clothing, eyewear and jewelry collections.
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:
