Offsite: Karen Walker Charms Us All Over Again

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Karen Walker, New Zealand's master of print, held her seventh New York Fashion Week runway show—an optimistic and beachy romp—yesterday afternoon at the Altman Building. Inspired by The Prisoner, a 1960s cult British television show set in a seaside resort town-turned-prison for retired spies, the collection was flouncy, summery and riddled with all those perfect, effortless pieces you'd pack to visit the Cape—cropped pants, shrunken navy blazers, nautical and rugby striped breezy-tees and over-sized cardigans, and a series of fantastic little navy dresses. Feminine and flirtatious, but not at all cloying, silky ruffled party dresses with high, Edwardian collars and piped canvas jackets with brass buttons had movement and wit.

Polka dots were a prevailing theme—white pin dots on navy, multi-colored and over-sized irregular dots in soft red, lemon yellow, navy and white, and repeating bird-shaped dots in cobalt and white were effortlessly mixed and matched with psychedelic florals and paisleys in kelly green, turquoise, orange. An incredibly refreshing bunting print of red, white and turquoise on midnight blue silk was delightful on dresses and blouses and even more adorable scaled down and printed on canvas totes. Pieces were accessorized with jaunty wide-brim straw hats, Walker's fantastic signature eyewear and classically preppy boat shoes and desert boots that turned out to be a brand new collaboration with Pointer footwear. Overall, an irreverent, unfussy and adorable collection that makes us feel both pretty good about next spring and really desperate for a Karen Walker menswear line—pretty please?
· All Fashion Week Spring 2010 Stories [Racked]