Karen Walker tote bags given to the front rows at the show

This past Saturday was a rainy one but that didn’t stop the fashionistas from attending the Karen Walker show for New York fashion week. But underneath all those umbrellas, lucky show-goers managed to snag Karen Walker totes filled with fashion swag!!

Walker is a designer hailing from New Zealand with a definite knack for casual luxury. Her spring 2010 collection was inspired by the British television series ‘The Prisoner’ which aired in the 1960’s, and took place on a mysterious Edwardian seaside village, a prison for retired spies cached as a holiday resort. The dichotomy of an island vacation versus an island in captivity lends itself perfectly into Walker’s work. Her designs appear effortless yet put-together, masculine yet feminine, adorable yet fierce. In this way, it is clear that one of Walker’s many gifts is her ability to balance design. If there is a proper way to layer three different patterns and prints in one outfit, it is walking down her runway.

Her runway was filled with chic and playful designs. I loved the bold use of stripes and their emphasis on a loosely-fitted top or bottom. Paired with a frill or ruffle, the overbearing stripe suddenly becomes chic. The belted dress with cascading layers at the hip is forgiving to any silhouette and brings with it an air of casual elegance.

Tiered dresses, ruffled shoulders, and bubble-shaped jumpers added young coyness and youthful vibrancy to the palette. I love how the light, short, and airy dresses were anchored down with a pop of color from practical boat shoes or a dark, unbashful sock.

Walker’s command of jacket design is astounding. She showcased more than a dozen different varieties of outerwear on the runway - all made of various materials, cuts, and designs. Some tailored, some ruffled ponchos, some trenches, some capes - each jacket had a fundamental statement.

Karen Walker greets the crowd.

The show was a wonderful medley of shapes, lengths, and colors that seamlessly flowed together. To make such incongruity effortlessly harmonize on the runway is a feat that should not be taken lightly. With her stunning spring 2010 collection, Walker has managed to appeal a yacht-full of different personalities and tastes under one label.

Visit Karen Walker

Tags: Karen Walker, Runway, seaside, Spring/Summer 2010 Fashion Week