Karen Walker

Karen Walker

Karen Walker, based in New Zealand, is a fashion designer who left school after studying at Epsom Girls Grammar School, in order to commence his fashion education in 1988. After two years, she graduated and in 1995 launched two boutiques with only hundred bucks. Three years later she started selling her designs to Barney’s New York. The same year, she exhibited her debut collection and thereafter is regarded as among the most high profile international designer. Initially, she had stores in Wellington and Auckland. Currently, her clothes and accessories are being stocked in more than 240 stores worldwide, including in London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Sydney and New York.

Walker’s collections are measured as original and effortless since she makes it all look so easy even when it’s not. The name of her ranges are: Living with Cannibals and Other Adventures, Dough and Dynamite, Liberal and Miserable, Karen in TV Land, Queenie Was a Dog, Victory Garden, Karen to the Rescue, and Young, Willing and Eager. Apart from the main collection of women’s apparel, Walker expanded her business into designing and producing a range of shoes, jewelry and sunglasses.

Several famous celebrities have worn her clothes, including Natalie Portman, Michael Haneke, Liv Tyler, Claire Danes, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Zooey Deschanel, Alexa Chung, Sienna Miller, Björk, Beth Ditto and Lady Gaga.

Moving on to a personal level, Walker loves online stores known as Barneys, Shopbop and Maximillia. Her style icons are Charlie Watts and Charlotte Rampling.

Moreover, in her past time she listens to a song by Sparks, This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us. The designer also likes reading and at times she is between two novels at once. One of the books, titled Bonjour Tristesse, was difficult for her to put down since she really enjoyed reading it. Walker also prefers watching movies and the most liked one is Annie Hall, which has a fashion theme to it. Moreover, Karen’s favorite eat-outs are The Beatrice Inn, Tiny’s, Café Gitane, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Raoul’s, and Freeman’s.

Apart from the tit-bits in her life, Karen married an eminent creative director in the field of advertising, Mikhail Gherman. In addition to this, he hold the same position in Walker’s brand. The couple lives in Auckland with their daughter, two cats and a dog. Walker’s favorite vacation destination is Fiji where she usually goes with her family in October.

A day of her life when she’s got a runway show, starts off by waking up and doing yoga to relax her mind and body. She then purchases a scone and coffee to eat on the way to work. Following this, she checks in with her team members and reaches the venue more than two hours before the show begins. During this time, she meets the press to discuss her collection. Once the event is over, she is involved in interviews referencing the show and her fashion. When the work load is off her head, she reaches home to freshen and meets her friends as well as her family to chill with drinks at Soho Grand.

Karen Walker has received great editorial exposure in British and American magazines, such as Nylon, i-D, Teen Vogue, Elle, Vogue and W.

Her designing has been identified as casual and preppy, masculine yet feminine, street and tailored, luxurious and affordable, cute and dark. Walker’s style formula is to always leave the house after taking a last full-length look in the mirror.