Oh, Karen.

Karen Walker is one of those designers I hate to love.

I never understood as a teenager why she upped and left us to show in New York, and always felt slightly cheated that somehow we weren't good enough.

I adore her jewellery (it seems to be the perfect combination of classic and kitschy), but so does everyone else.

Let's be honest, on my poor student budget, 90% of what she makes falls well out of my price range.

HOWEVER, every time I see one of her collections up against other big name international designers, I'm always so amazed and so proud because the clothes she designs come together in a way that is both very aesthetically 'together', and things I would actually wear!

There's something very kiwi about how laid back her runway looks are, and I think that comes from how nonchalant we can be about clothes. Yet her collections still look polished and cohesive, if a little matchy-matchy at times.

I like her addiction to prints (although I'm not seeing so many this time around, which is interesting and a nice change) and I appreciate her (very successful) forays into jewellery and sunglasses, and of course her shoes with Beau Coops!

She's obviously a very savvy businesswoman, which I respect, and she's also a mum, which is cool. The Department Store was a stroke of genius and it kind of seems like everything she touches turns to gold (which I'm certain masks hours of blood sweat and tears behind the scenes).

So thankyou Karen, for reminding me that kiwis can compete successfully on a world stage, and hopefully by the time this collection hits stores, I'll be able to afford more than a t-shirt!

A xx

PS What do we think of her new hair??