August 07, 2012
fashion designer karen walker
Within five years of graduating from fashion school New Zealand designer Karen Walker had opened two stores. Three years later and she was stocked in Barneys New York. The trajectory has continued, and now her designs are sold in more than 600 stores across the globe. She has branched off into eyewear, jewellery and paints. And her diffusion label, Hi There, is stocked in Myer in Australia and Anthropologie in the USA.
How did you get your career start and what path have you taken since? When I was 18 and at fashion school I put $100 aside to make a shirt. I sold that shirt through a local boutique and they asked for more. It's grown from there.
What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt along the way? Question everything.
What’s your proudest career achievement? Lots of them but our first collection shown at New York Fashion Week being on the front page of the New York Times was pretty good.
What’s been your best decision? To start my own business.
Who inspires you? My husband.
What are you passionate about? My family, my business, ideas.
Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Dr Seuss.
What dream do you still want to fulfil? A year off.
What are you reading? I've just started The hare with the amber eyes by Edmund de Waal.
What’s your proudest career achievement? Lots of them but our first collection shown at New York Fashion Week being on the front page of the New York Times was pretty good.
What’s been your best decision? To start my own business.
Who inspires you? My husband.
What are you passionate about? My family, my business, ideas.
Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Dr Seuss.
What dream do you still want to fulfil? A year off.
What are you reading? I've just started The hare with the amber eyes by Edmund de Waal.