Spotlight: Hi There From Karen Walker

Raise your hand if you are on a budget. Raise your hand if you do not have a sugar daddy. Raise your hand if you like designer clothes for a fraction of the price. I understand that this requires three hands, but just go with it. All three of my hands (what?) are raised right now. Designer diffusion lines are just the thing to satisfy the surplus of appendages I've created with this little exercise.

A designer diffusion line occurs when a big name designer creates a line that retails for less and is therefore accessible to a wider range of shoppers. Por ejemplo - Michael Kors has MICHAEL Michael Kors, Tracy Reese has Plenty, and Zac Posen has Z Spoke. Some are more affordable than others, but their price points are still a far cry from ready to wear. I stumbled upon Hi There From Karen Walker kind of by accident. A little about Karen Walker - She's a New Zelander who you may know best from her fab sunglasses. She shows her ready to wear collection in New York bi-annually and it's loaded with feminine, wearable pieces. Here are some highlights from her Spring 2013 show:

Image via Style.com

Image via Style.com

Image via Style.com

Image via Style.com

Image via Style.com

I love that everything is just a little bit quirky, but so wearable at the same time. Back to Hi There. I was shopping the sale rack at Anthropologie shortly after Christmas and I pulled this blouse:

Beautiful, right? It's silky soft, it fits perfectly, and the fact that it was nearly 70% off the original price made it a done deal. I'm happy to say it's my new favorite top! But what was this line, Hi There From Karen Walker? Newbury Street Anthroplogie's personal shopper told me that it's not carried in that store (I'm not sure about other local stores) so I really lucked out. Come to find out that Hi There From Karen Walker is made exclusively for Anthropologie! It may not be on Newbury Street, but it sure is online. Here are my favorite pieces from the Spring collection:



Who doesn't love a bit of chevron?

The Peter Pan collar is such a sweet detail.

Polka dots and chartreuse? I want.

The perfect little white blazer

You can't go wrong with lace in a new color!

There are pineapples. Say no more!

Are you charmed? I like to think my style is pretty versatile, but when it comes down to it these are the pieces I'd like to be wearing day in and day out. Girly, pretty, and flattering. I'm so happy to have found a new go to designer for special pieces.

What do you think? Can you see yourself in Hi There From Karen Walker? What are some of your favorite designer diffusion lines?