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??

NYFW rant.

Mother: Amy we have to go we're running late!
Amy (browsing The Collection and Style.com): Okay, I know that this is just another week for you, but you are clearly not aware that history is being made today! (dramatic emphasis for maximum effect)
Mother: huh?
Amy: It is in fact New York Fashion Week and although I'm well aware that this doesn't impact you in any way, it happens to be an enormous source of information and entertainment for me, and so I will be downstairs in five minutes when I have finished watching Calvin Klein and seeing if Occupy Wall Street are going to make any impact at all!

Quite funny. And although (truth be told) NYFW has no actual impact on my life either, I love seeing what comes up in the collections, and it spins my mind thinking how much in advance designers are! I mean technically (even though winter will be here in a couple of months), these clothes are being shown so that they can be manufactured by November. And worn in December, in the Northern hemisphere.

Now because we're down the bottom of the world and things are the wrong way round, we're supposed to be behind. But I think we're pretty good at sneaking things early, and I'm betting, like in most seasons, we'll see some crazy things pop up this winter from the recently shown collections. I'm hoping so anyway, because nothing makes me smile like some outrageous fashion.

And we all know summer might be the best season, but winter is the most fashionable. There's only so much fashion fun you can have when more than a single layer and/or closed toe shoes make you die of heat. Keep your eyes peeled ladies, I'm looking forward to getting back to uni and doing some serious people watching.

Amy xx