Karen Walker x Madewell Collaboration

Madewell will now be releasing a collaboration with New Zealand designer Karen Walker. As we typically see in the fashion world, collaborations tend to denote an aura of exclusivity; after all, many of them are limited edition and typically considered a collector’s item of sorts, meaning that they usually aren’t highly distributed.

However, according to Madewell’s creative director, Joyce Lee herself, this will not be the case for this particular collaboration; “It felt really important to be inclusive and to not alienate people from this collaboration.”

Plus, exclusion isn’t really the way Madewell wants to roll these days. In recent news, like its sister brand J Crew, Madewell has made recent strides toward size inclusivity by widening its own sizing range. In keeping with this, the Karen Walker x Madewell collection will offer sizes from XXXS – XXXL, with most items being under $200. Meaning that of course that aside from being size inclusive, the collaboration seeks to maintain relative affordability.

The collection will consist of 19 pieces, including additions varying from a white midi dress to a denim jumpsuit accented by a frayed belt to printed yellow pants. This is in accordance to the three categories the designer and her team determined for the collection by pouring through Walker’s archive; color, denim, and print. The items were eventually forwarded to Lee and the team at Madewell; who picked out their favorites and added their own contributions to the designs.

Madewell x Karen Walker® Floral Fantasia Ruffled Dress

Image via Madewell

“I think it’s been a really good reminder that when you have a really big archive like we do, there’s nothing wrong with going back and looking at it,” says Walker of the process.

Overall, this may be somewhat of a triumph both design wise as well as for general inclusivity. Walker herself comments; “If we hadn’t delivered that type of product with that reach and that democratic nature, then we wouldn’t be doing our jobs.”

Featured Image via Madewell

1 Comment
    • Corrada Spatola
    • August 15, 2018
    • Reply

    This collaboration looks so refreshing! I can’t wait to check it out!

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