Barbie Role Models: Karen Walker

Fashion Designer, New Zealand

New Zealand fashion designer Karen Walker is recognized for her eponymous label and signature eccentric energy in womenswear, eyewear, jewelry, and fragrances. Karen’s designs cleverly play with juxtaposing luxe and street styles, masculine and feminine, creating pieces that are both directional and wearable. At home, Karen has been recognized for her immense contribution to the arts, including a World Class New Zealand Award in the Creative category in 2009, and being honored with a ‘Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit’ for her services to fashion design in 2014. Alongside her community roles, she is an ambassador for Breast Cancer Cure and SPCA New Zealand (Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). Globally, Karen’s influence has seen her consistently ranked for the past seven years in ‘The Business of Fashion’s powerhouse BoF 500’, reflecting her position on the world stage as an industry figure shaping the future of fashion.