The Fashionable and the Functional

NEW YORK, United States —  Karen Walker took inspiration from the extremely functional garb of famed photographer Berenice Abbott — "Her own personal style didn't change for 80 years," Walker marvelled — then adding accents of her own prosaic glamour. The first look set the tone: utilitarian dungarees worn over a gold lurex mock turtle.

Later in her career, Abbott took to industrial photography. From that, Walker extemporized an "electro-magnetic" print in slightly delic shades of red and purple, which she made into a lace for belted shifts. The simple silhouette was a reminder that she's always been partial to a marriage of the fashionable and the functional. Or, as the shownotes described Abbott's personal style, "a mix of no fuss utility with a good amount of joie de vivre."

The same mix shaped the sunglasses — now Walker’s most internationally successful category — which came glamorously oversized, but also with a slight hint of protective industrial eyewear.

“Feminism’s always part of what I do,” said Walker. The independent spirit of her clothes and her business could possibly be attributed in part to her roots in New Zealand, where self-sufficiency comes with the territory, but the way she has slowly, steadily expanded her design repertoire has also been a masterclass in complete control. Now it’s a real pleasure to see Walker mature. The stars of this collection were a couple of utterly elegant overcoats, one, in rich rust-toned shearling, a sure winner. Elegance born of experience.