Designer Focus: Karen Walker
Cropped Bob Blazer from the from the Salzburg, U.S.A 2010 mainline collection
Since the label’s humble beginnings in 1989, Karen Walker has become one of New Zealand’s most esteemed fashion exports. An Auckland native, Walker still resides in the Antipodes and continues to receive international acclaim for her sleek womenswear designs.
Brand Focus: MYKITA
MYKITA Campaign 2010, Image by Mark Borthwick
By Lucy Higgins
Long gone are the times when glasses are worn only for practical purposes; now people are clamouring to wear the latest designs, particularly those by German designer, MYKITA. And its popularity is set to rise even higher, with the news that is has been nominated for yet another prize at the German Entrepreneurs Awards. read more
Designer Focus: Annie Larson
Knitwear from pattern collaboration collection ETC + ALL, photographed by Eric Carlson.
The process of building a sweater is appealing because the technique is specialised and formulaic; it starts from nothing, unlike any other form of making I have ever practiced.
The intricate nature of knits is apparent in American designer Annie Larson’s work. Based in Minneapolis, the knitwear designer completed a BS in Apparel Design, subsequently heading to Target Corporation to design Juniors and Mens apparel following graduation. After a three-year stint and armed with a Brother knitting machine, the designer set out on her own to establish her knitwear label earlier this year. The polychromatic sweaters and made-to-order pieces now retail from her newly launched online store. read more
.worth: On Grassroots Luxe in China Part II
The Carré Hermès
Continued from last week, we welcome you to the second part of our feature on Shang Xia, Hermès’ new brand designed specifically for the China’s upscale consumers. Read Part I here. read more
Designer focus: Natascha Stolle
By Lucy Higgins
Natascha Stolle AW10 collection for bSTORE
“For girls who wish they’d been sluts at school” is how Natascha Stolle describes her tongue-in-cheek label, yet she succeeds in bringing an effortless elegance to her collections. This season – AW 10 – sees bSTORE showcase its first complete womenswear collection, and it is the woman-of-the-moment, Stolle, at the helm. read more
.worth: Hermès, Shang Xia & Grassroots Luxe in China
Hermès in China
This is the first of two installments focusing on Shang Xia, Hermès’ new brand designed specifically for the China’s upscale consumers.
At first, Hermès’ latest bid for the Chinese upscale market seems like a brilliant, unprecedented, and risky scheme. On the one hand, selling Chinoiserie to the Chinese could be one of the greatest post-capitalist marketing victories of all time. On the other hand, the Chinese bourgeoisie might give the project a pass and continue to opt for Gucci sunglasses and Vuitton bags, much as it has for the past decade. read more
Brand Focus: Carven
Carven AW2010
Parisian brand Carven is the latest in a line of enduring French haute couture houses to undergo a resurrection. Established in 1945 by designer Carmen de Tommaso, necessity was the mother of the label’s invention – a diminutive 5ft 1in, the French couturier saw a gap in the market, and begun designing clothes for petite women with a frame not unlike her own.
