Revolutionary women: it's a big idea, tackled by Karen Walker in her latest collection shown during New York Fashion Week today.
"We started by looking at revolutionary women, and went on lots of different voyages; from Angela Davis right back to the suffragettes," Walker explained to Viva fashion features editor Zoe Walker backstage before the show.
"What we really liked about the suffragettes as a starting point was that reinvention and questioning of beauty and what that is."
The idea of subverting prettiness has been Walker's oeuvre for a long time - it sums up the brand - and this collection felt especially so - full, feminine skirts made in a durable drill, prim Victorian elements - frill collar, buttoned up shirts - sitting with a largely utilitarian, workwear inspired blue palette. The prints help sum up the idea of strength behind the collection: a graphic fighting angels print, and a striking black and white print that looks like a floral, but is actually made up of spanners, bolts and broken hearts (they almost look like Emojis).
Then there are the slogans: they're Walker's interpretation of the suffragettes' use of bold lettering; their pinafores and canvas bags printed with their protestations.
