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Karen Walker (designer)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Karen Walker
Walker in 2017
BornDecember 1969 (age 54–55)
New Zealand
EducationEpsom Girls' Grammar School
Labels
  • 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,
  • Young, Willing and Eager[1]

Karen Elizabeth Walker CNZM (born December 1969) is a noted New Zealand fashion designer.

Private life

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Walker was born in December 1969.[2] She grew up in the Auckland suburb of Remuera and attended Epsom Girls' Grammar School.[3] Aged 21, she married Mikhail Gherman.[4]

Career

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Walker began her fashion label in 1987, and opened her first store in Newmarket, Auckland, in 1995.[5] She began selling to Barneys New York in 1998, the same year she showed her first runway collection. In late 2011, she signed a partnership with United States-based retail chain Anthropologie.[6]

Karen Walker flagship Britomart store in the Auckland CBD

She has designed clothes worn by Björk, Sienna Miller, Natalie Portman, M.I.A., Alexa Chung, Beth Ditto, Michael Haneke, Liv Tyler, Rihanna, Claire Danes, Zooey Deschanel and Jennifer Lopez.[7][8] She designed clothes worn by Kate Winslet in the Michel Gondry film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.[8]

In the 2004 New Year Honours, Walker was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the fashion industry.[9] She was promoted to Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to fashion design, in the 2014 New Year Honours.[10] In 2009 Walker received a World Class New Zealand Award [11] in the Creative category.

Walker is also an expert on colour for interiors and has partnered with Resene to produce her own line of paint colours.[12]

Walker was appointed to the board of Creative New Zealand in December 2024.[13]

References

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  1. ^ "Karen Walker | Fashion Designer Biography". FAMOUS FASHION DESIGNERS.
  2. ^ Catherall, Sarah (14 September 2019). "Karen Walker: 'When marriage works it really works'". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  3. ^ Hewitson, Michele (14 June 2007). "Genius at work - Karen Walker". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  4. ^ "Trailblazers: Karen Walker". The New Zealand Herald. 17 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  5. ^ Ryan, Holly (10 August 2015). "Karen Walker: 'Listen to that little guy in your head'". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  6. ^ "Karen Walker hits the US, put homewares into Myer". Fashion Source. Melbourne. 19 January 2012. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014.
  7. ^ "As Worn By". Karen Walker.
  8. ^ a b "Kelly Osbourne Wows MTV Wearing Karen Walker". Scoop. 5 June 2003. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  9. ^ "New Year honours list 2004". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2003. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  10. ^ "New Year honours list 2014". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  11. ^ "World Class New Zealand 2009 Winners". Archived from the original on 25 March 2014.
  12. ^ "Designer Karen Walker shows how colour transforms a room". Stuff. 14 March 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  13. ^ "Karen Walker and Keven Mealamu join CNZ Board | Beehive.govt.nz". www.beehive.govt.nz. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
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