Karen Walker's Garden People collection made its New York debut today. The Kiwi designer showed off her spring/summer 2015 collection to a packed audience at the Chelsea Piers.
Walker took the audience into the posh English county side, drawing heavy influence from photographer Valerie Finnis.
The British artist was known for capturing the gardening culture from post-WWII through to the 1970s.
Walker drew upon Finnis' documentation of society gardeners who were known for combining function and formality.
"What I really liked about [Finnis'] work was she just photographed all her friends in their gardens, so it was really the idea of dressing up to go gardening, which gives you that mix of glamour and utility with a slight eccentricity," Walker explained backstage to Viva magazine.
The mixing of pattern and utility is deeply rooted in Walker's style and the Garden People collection uses patterns of earthy botanicals and creeping colourful florals.
She uses hard-working fabrics and adds a strong 1970s feel with wide bootlegs and oversized hats.
"It was just a really natural place for us to start and it gives a lovely summer vibe," Walker told Viva.
"It meant that we could play with all those utilitarian fabrics and lines and details that we like, like suede and denim and jute and heavy topstitching, but then we could bring in some beautiful prints, some crepes de chine, and some jewellery, and mix the slight glamour in with it to create an eccentric gardener."
Guests at the show included blogger Leandra Medine of Man Repeller and DJ Chelsea Leyland. Many of the women featured in Walker's spring/summer 2013 eyewear campaign were also present.
The collection will be available in New Zealand for autumn/winter from February 2015.
3 News
source: newshub archive
