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I am always keen to support, where I can, local fashion designers.   Karen Walker is arguably one of the most influential designers from New Zealand that has been able to create an international presence in the fashion arena.   She showcases at New York Fashion Week each year, and has showrooms in Sydney, Tokyo, New York and London.

Although the aesthetic that she designs for, doesn’t really suit my body shape, I have a couple of tops that I have bought over the years that I still wear and do wish that she designed more clothes that suited my shape.

Yesterday I ventured into her store in Newmarket, Auckland and tried on a Tennis Dress (if only it would stop raining then I could actually play tennis) and a couple of variations of the Contrast Sleeve Dress.  They were playful dresses that made me feel young (is this a good thing) and that fitted in a casual way that didn’t show all the wrong bits.  Priced at around NZ $285 for the Tennis Dress and NZ $180 for the Contrast Dress – I was tempted.

I loved the fabric and the interpretations of the K and W inter-linked through-out the ‘motifs’ on the front of the Contrast Dress.  The sleeves were a nice shear fabric.  It definitely had appeal when I ventured out of the changing rooms, which were full of customers trying on an array of designs, from lovely 50’s style knee length dresses – perfect for a summer’s evening or wedding; to tops of the same fabric, which looked delicate – with a touch of sophistication and a few other variations of the dresses that I was trying on.  There is a lot to like about the range on offer at Karen Walker and I haven’t even mentioned about the Karen Walker jewellery or her designer sunglasses.   Go check it out.