Karen Walker (b.1970) studied fashion design in Auckland, New Zealand from 1988 to 1990, at the same time she started her eponymous fashion label and began to sell her pieces through shops in Auckland. After completing her course she expanded the label selling wholesale throughout New Zealand and then opening her self named boutiques in Auckland. By 1995 the label was being picked up by Australian retailers.

In 1998 Karen Walker featured her collection for the first time at Mercedes Australian Fashion Week in the New Generation group showing. Her 'Electricity' themed collection received rave reviews from both local and international buyers and press which had a huge impact on her business. She picked up orders from major international stores in New York and London.

Music industry star Madonna wore a pair of Karen Walker man style pants when she performed on the MTV Music Awards televised late 1998 to an audience of hundreds of millions world wide. The fashion press dubbed them 'the killer pants' and Walker, while explaining that celebrity endorsement had never been one of her strategies acknowledged it as '...the retail kiss of life.'

In 1999 the Karen Walker Autumn/ Winter collection showed at London fashion Week, the launching pad of avante garde designers. She showed as part of the New Zealand Four Collection show along with Zambesi, Nom D, and World-the show was rated as one of top 10 best shows.

Describing her label Walker says 'The label is me. There is no Karen Walker the person and Karen Walker the label. It's one thing, an extension of my personality. With a lot of women designers, they design what they want in their own wardrobes. But I don't just design things that people need. The collection has a distinct signature and you can relate to the clothes on an emotional level.'

Walker doesn't like clothes to be restricting or difficult to wear thus comfort, casual styles and good fit are essential components of her designs. She is also drawn to masculine shapes and tailoring favouring simplicity and strong silhoettes.

She is best known for her highly original concepts with innovative details and inventive references marking her style. Walker takes a concept and plays with its meaning and form giving her designs an intriguing cerebral edge and a startling visual presence. The dress selected for the Grand Marnier Fashion of the Year 2000 was part of Walker's summer collection presented at Mercedes Australian Fashion Week 2000.

The collection titled 'Etiquette' is Karen Walker's take on society dressing. She took key elements of the socialites wardrobe, the little black cocktail dress and string of pearls and turned them casual with a street edge.

Outfit, womens, cotton mix dress/ leather shoes, dress designed and made by Karen Walker in New Zealand, shoes designed and made in the workshop of Donna-May Bolinger, Australia/Italy, 2000

Dress: body hugging, knee length dress made of navy blue cotton mix fabric. High boat neck line, short layered cap sleeves to create a 3D scalloped effect. Printed in white and grey on the front of the dress is a fake multi-strand necklace of pearls. The bottom string has broken and pearls appear to fall down the front of the dress. Machine sewn and fully lined with black polyester.

Shoes: pair of womens court shoes with pointed toes, shaped upper that curves to the sole on the outer foot. There is a folded 'fan' decoration on top of the toes areas. Very high covered stiletto heels. Made of beige leather with tan leather lining and inner soles. Soles of black leather.

Packaging: Folded plain brown cardboard shoe box with lid.

Karen Walker studied fashion design in Auckland, New Zealand from 1988 to 1990, at the same time starting up her eponymous fashion label and selling pieces through shops in Auckland. After completing her course she expanded the label selling wholesale throughout New Zealand and then opening her own self named boutiques in Auckland. By 1995 the label was being picked up by Australian buyers.

Karen Walker's is best known for the highly original concepts, distinctive style and fabulous fit of her clothing designs. Innovative details and inventive references mark a style that is not only extremely wearable but also increasingly influential.

Walker takes a concept and plays with its form and meaning, giving her designs an intriguing cerebral edge and a startling visual presence. The dress selected for the Grand Marnier/ Powerhouse Museum Fashion of the Year 2000 was part of Walker's summer collection of 47 outfits for Mereceds Australian Fashion Week 2000.

The collection titled 'Etiquette' is Karen Walker's take on society dressing. She took key elements of the socialites wardrobe, the little black cocktail dress and classic string of pearls and turned them casual with a street edge.

Working with her team in her design studio they computer scanned a classic three row pearl necklace with one strand broken and cascading down the page, this was then enlarged, 'It stops them looking too prissy and undermines the concept of pearls a little more' Quote from Karen Walker in Fashion Quartlerly
October 2000. This print is then screenprinted onto the dresses after experiments with ink colours to get the right irridiscent pearl and mid grey two tone effect.

Walker selected to work with a semi-fitted cocktail style dress but wanted to work on a detail that would make the form stand out. She experimented with producing a three tier cap sleeve which was subsequently used on shirts, t-shirts as well as the dress.

The dress was designed, printed and made in the workshop of Karen Walker located in Auckland New Zealand. Most of the fabrics used are sourced from French textile mills.

This dress was made in 2000.

The dress was selected for the Fashion of the year program 2000.

Established in 1991, Fashion of the Year is unique to the Powerhouse Museum and a very important part of the Museum's contemporary collecting program. It is an annual project that draws together a panel comprising fashion editors and museum representatives to select the designers, outfits and accessories that represent some of the year's most influential fashion themes and trends. The selection, made from the ready-to-wear ranges of Australian and international designers become part of the Museum's permanent collection. This panel process brings together some of Australia's leading fashion commentators to assist with the selection. Through this program we have put together an exemplary collection of contemporary fashion.

The panel for 2000 was: Jane de Teliga, style director, The Australian Women's Weekly, and editor-at-large, Harper's Bazaar; Maggie Alderson, senior writer and columnist, The Sydney Morning Herald, Kelvin Harries, fashion editor, Harper's Bazaar; Melissa Hoyer, fashion editor, The Daily Telegraph & The Sunday Telegraph; Jennifer Sanders, associate director, collections & museum services, Powerhouse Museum, Glynis Jones, assistant curator, decorative arts and design, Powerhouse Museum.

The dress and shoes were sent to the Powerhouse Museum from Karen Walker after she was informed of its selection for Fashion of the Year.

Purchased 2001. Part of the Grand Marnier/Powerho

Dress: black fabric label inside centre back neck 'KAREN WALKER'. Three small white fabric labels inside proper left side seam near hem 'NZ SIZE 10/ US SIZE 6/ MADE IN NEW ZEALAND', 'COTTON/ MIX', 'DRY CLEAN ONLY'.

Shoes: white fabric label on inner soles 'DONNA-MAY/ BOLINGER'. Black fabric label on inner soles 'KAREN WALKER'. Stamped in silver on soles 'LAVORATA/ A MANO/ MADE IN ITALY/ VERO/ CUOIO/ 38 ='.

Packaging: paper label adhered to one end of the box 'DONNA-MAY BOLINGER/ STYLE YASMIN/SIZE 39 =/ COLOUR SILVER DUST'. Round brown label adhered to lid 'DONNA-MAY/ BOLINGER'.

2001/66/1