Karen Walker Jewellery Launches at NZ Fashion Week
Auckland- All that glitters was gold for attendees of Karen Walker's debut show at L'Oréal New Zealand Fashion Week as
they were treated to the world-wide launch of the designer's new product line KAREN WALKER JEWELLERY.
This is the first time a fashion designer has created a fine jewellery range in New Zealand and the collection is
crafted using gold, diamonds, pearls, platinum, topaz and garnet. Naturally the pieces in the KAREN WALKER JEWELLERY
collection are strong, original, unique designs and made in New Zealand.
KAREN WALKER JEWELLERY is not for the girl who is waiting around for Mr. Right to buy her a little solitaire. It is for
the contemporary, discerning and independent woman who wants jewellery that reflects her tastes and life and wants it to
be noticed.
Says Karen of the new line, "Jewellery purchasing in New Zealand has become a discounted experience.
"Jewellery has lost it's ritual and glamour and has little relevance to the modern woman who will quite happily spend
$2000 on a new handbag or $800 on a new pair of shoes but isn't at all interested in purchasing the predictable
jewellery the market is currently dominated by.
"I want to see jewellery return to its rightful position as an important part of a woman's style and daily ritual and to
do this I've created a collection that's modern, strong and relevant.
"Much of the jewellery available today feels stale and lacks modern references or any hint of rock'n'roll - I'm going to
change that because I believe tradition and craft doesn't have to be boring and predictable."
The first range from KAREN WALKER JEWELLERY is infused with KAREN WALKER's sense of humour and iconography. It includes
pearls clasped with diamond encrusted skulls, bling bling cocktail rings, chunky charm bracelets featuring icons from
past KAREN WALKER collections, a group of monogram rings and wrist breaking chunky i-d bracelets perfect for men or
women and a series of stacker rings that can be added to, to mark a milestone or just as a treat.
"I want the stacker rings especially to represent road markers in our girl's life.
"I want her to add another ring to her series when she gets the promotion she's been after, sends her last kid off to
school, stops smoking or drops the deadbeat she's been seeing.
"Jewellery doesn't need to be limited to engagements, weddings, birthdays and anniversaries, " Karen says.
Also in the stacker ring series are bands that have vacant holes that stones can be added to over time as another way
for rewarding yourself or marking a moment in life.
Karen continues, "I also see these pieces as being modern heirlooms.
"I think that people are craving a little more ritual in life and to buy something with the intention of wearing it for
decades before passing it on to the next generation brings a little meaning and ritual into the world."
This is the first time a designer line of jewellery has been available in a big way in New Zealand. In other countries
designer fine jewellery is part of the fashionable woman's wardrobe through labels like Bulgari, Cartier, Gucci or Dior
and the fine jewellery business is buoyant and exciting. In New Zealand there is a shortage of fashion jewellery brands
and with KAREN WALKER JEWELLERY this will change and a whole new type of product will become available to the
contemporary woman.
"For years now fashion has been so much about having the right accessories," says Karen, "and now women in New Zealand
can extend their love of accessories from just having the right shoe and right bag into having the right ring or
necklace as well."
KAREN WALKER is already well known around the world for the costume jewellery she has been designing as part of her
collections with pieces from recent collections being snapped up by many celebrities including Kelly Osbourne, Neil
Tennant of The Pet Shop Boys and Christina Aguilera. The new KAREN WALKER JEWELLERY line is set to also become a
favourite with global rock'n'royalty and fashion conscious women the world over.
KAREN WALKER JEWELLERY is made in partnership with established New Zealand jewellery manufacturers, Worth and Douglas.
Worth and Douglas have been manufacturing jewellery for over 50 years and sell their ranges throughout Australasia, The
Pacific and Asia. They also manufacture the Lord of the Rings line of jewellery and have a long history of making high
quality, beautifully crafted product.
KAREN WALKER JEWELLERY will be sold in selected jewellery retailers and in Karen Walker stores from December 1. It will
be launched into Australia in early 2004 and into Japan later that year.
Queenie Was A Dog
In addition to the launch of Karen Walker Jewellery the Southern Hemisphere Winter 2004 'Queenie Was A Dog' collection
was showcased featuring 38 outfits.
The range explores the end of innocence. Influenced by the plucky dreams of little orphan Annie versus the gin-soaked
machinations of Miss Hannigan, the new collection features prints of ponies, puppies and balloons and aims to capture
the desire of a young girl running away with the carnival.
The range uses denims, chiffons, satins in dusty colours, hinting at 1930's depression yet continuing the Karen Walker
handwriting of opposites coming together to give an element of surprise and a sense of fun.
Karen Walker has showrooms in London, New York, Tokyo, Sydney and Auckland as well as over 110 stockists worldwide in
12 countries including the United States of America, Canada, Russia, United Arab Emirates, France, United Kingdom, Hong
Kong, Japan, Singapore, Greece, Australia and New Zealand.
Quotes
"Karen Walker's London show was a stand-out. Her signatures were present and correct: the edgy sensuality, the gender
games, the twisted sense of humour (that evil clown motif!), and, always, the best soundtrack in town (Richard Hell!
Thank you!). They all add up to a darkly original point of view. New Zealand, you can't have her back! (She brings me
out in exclamation points!) - Tim Blanks - Host - Fashion File (syndicated in 75 countries), Writer - US Vogue, New York
Times, V, Esquire, Telegraph Magazine
"Yet again Karen Walker has designed a winning collection that quite honestly we can't wait to get our hands on." -
David Lamb - Fashion Editor - i-D Magazine
"Karen's collection was the most exciting from this fashion week just gone. The look is quirky and clever and definitely
the sort of thing our readers want to know more about. What stands out most about Karen's work is the mixing and
matching of strong themes, such as camping, the circus, funfairs. There is a lot of personality in Karen's designs." -
Ruth Jamieson - Writer - Sleazenation, UK
"It was a strong show with a great atmosphere; I loved the prints and her sense of colour. The clothing is playful yet
sophisticated." - Mo White - Fashion Editor IN STYLE UK
"As soon as it was over, I wanted to rewind and seat through it again! A wonderful show and a wonderful collection." -
Diane Pernet - Editor - Vogueparis.com
Check out the new 'Queenie Was A Dog' range online: www.karenwalker.com