The Village
S/S 2010
Saturday 12 September 2009 saw Karen Walker’s 7th showing at New York Fashion Week.
The Spring / Summer 2010 collection, entitled ‘The Village’, has as its centralinspiration the cult 1960’s television show The Prisoner.
Karen says: “We’ve been re-watching The Prisoner and have always loved the look it has – a 60’s take on Edwardiana seaside – all navy blazers, tan chinos and stripy t-shirts.
Even more so though we love its central idea of a seaside holiday resort that’sactually a prison for retired spies.”
This inspiration and its throwing together of extremes is the perfect starting pointfor a Karen Walker range. The Prisoner’s mood is clear in the collection’s manyshrunken navy blazers, skinny cream, navy and tan ankle breezers and cream and navystripe jersey tees.
The navy and cream colour palette extends into a story of navy cotton dresses, shirtsand skirts with, in a nod to the 60’s take on Edwardiana seaside, frill detailing, often with cream trim.
The Karen Walker signature of throwing opposites together is seen beyond the holidayresort / prison inspiration in many places including, as in the T.V. show, thecontrasting of the controlled and the psychedelic; here in the form of contrasting the classical navy and cream against a bright green psychedelic floral.
Karen says: “The Prisoner often played with the idea of mind altering drugs andpsychedelia. It was a 60’s show after all. We liked the idea of the trippy elementsplaying off against the controlled façade in the show as well as in the collection.” Also contrasting against the classical navy, tan and cream cottons are high tech parkanylons in yellow, teal and navy.
Karen Walker’s signature fabric prints are present this season as ever, this timecontinuing the seaside mood with navy, red, white and turquoise bunting and oversizedpolka dots. There’s also navy and white in many different prints – stripes, polka dotsbig and small, and a recreated 30’s seagull print.
Denim is seen in indigo boyfriend cut, worn with this season’s cropped tan trench, andskinny and cropped in indigo and white. Cashmere silk knits in grey and scarlet arealso key.
Hats are once again a strong part of the collection. This season there are navy, natural and bright yellow straw bucket hats and sloppy navy cricket hats.
Next season’s Karen Walker Eyewear also makes its debut. Shoes this season are in collaboration with hip shoe brand, Pointer who’s classic boat shoes were reworked in Walker’s own colour palette. These shoes, as the first of the Pointer for Karen Walker collaboration, will be sold as part of the Karen Walkercollection this season.
Heels were once again by British shoe designer Jonathan Kelsey who, in addition to hiseponymous line, designs for Mulberry and Pucci and has, prior to launching his ownline, designed for Cacharel and Jimmy Choo.
The collection was styled by Karen’s long term collaborator, New York based stylistHeathermary Jackson. This is Heather and Karen’s 16th season working together.
Hair director on the collection was Rolando Beauchamp for Bumble and Bumble. Thisis Rolando’s third season on the Karen Walker team. He’s also worked with TerryRichardson, Patrick Demarchelier and Ellen von Unwerth.
Make up director was Jenna Menard for Shiseido. Her work has appeared in the bestpublications including U.S. Vogue, Vanity Fair and U.S. Elle and she’s worked with manyof the world’s greatest photographers including Annie Lebowitz and Arthur Elgort.
This season’s models included the superb Hyoni Kang, Kelli Lumi, Rachel Clark, Charlotte Hoyer, Mathilde Frachon, Angelika Kocheva and Skye Stracke who, betweenthem, have walked the runway for every major designer including Marc Jacobs, AnneDemeulemeester, Christian Dior, Lanvin, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Marni, Junya Watanabe, Chanel and Chanel Couture. They’ve been in the pages of everyimportant fashion magazine including V, Harper’s Bazaar, i-D, and Paris and ItalianVogues and the face of brands including Lacoste, Benetton, D & G, Louis Vuitton, DKNY and Vivienne Westwood.
