Kiwi fashion legend Karen Walker is the third New Zealander to be immortalised as a Barbie. Photo / Supplied - Exclusive
Kiwi fashion legend Karen Walker is the third New Zealander to be immortalised as a Barbie. Photo / Supplied - Exclusive
Fashion icon Karen Walker designed her first piece of clothing at 6 - a circle skirt for her Malibu Barbie.
Now at 51, the Kiwi designer has a one-of-a-kind Barbie made in her likeness.
Walker has been named the official Barbie Role Model for 2021 in honour of her achievements in the fashion industry - and she still can't quite believe it.
"It was a very 'pinch me' moment," she tells the Herald. "It's not just a doll - it's Barbie! It's something that's very rare and it's an honour."
The theme of this year's Barbie role model campaign is fashion reinvention - encouraging young girls to express themselves through fashion by embracing their own unique style.
Launching her label in 1989 at just 18, this is something Walker has embraced for decades. Designing that skirt for her Barbie as a child was just the beginning.
"My grandmother showed me how to make a circular skirt for her. It was this gorgeous pistachio green floral skirt with a leather belt," she recalls.
"And it was really the first time I got a glimpse of what design could be. Part of playing with dolls is using them as a creative outlet."
The announcement comes as women around the world celebrate International Women's Day this week - and the timing could not be more perfect, Walker says.
"I think this is an honour and a recognition of building your brand as a woman. And showing young women examples of what's possible.
Karen Walker oversaw the design process to make the Barbie including her outfit details.
Photo / Supplied - Exclusive
"Not just in fashion, but in every industry, there is still implicit bias and there's work still to be done. Girls are told at a young age that not everything is possible for them. It's important to show them that's not true, to question that messaging."
The entire design process for the doll was led by Walker's own creative team, from how the doll's hair and eyes looked to every detail of her outfit.
Her outfit includes a carbon copy Karen Walker classic trench coat, high-waisted flare jeans, a cream high-neck blouse and multiple pairs of glasses. All of these pieces are available - full-size - in Karen Walker stores.
Where will she be displaying her mini-me - also known as "Karen 2"?
The doll is dressed in head-to-toe Karen Walker pieces available full-size in her stores.
Photo / Supplied
"She's got a couple of stands, I'll keep her in the head office for now - but she may pop up on different people's desks," Walker jokes.
She acknowledges it's actually "very weird" having a Barbie model of herself, but "every time I look at her it puts a smile on my face."
"It's very, very odd and thrilling and kind of otherworldly."
Only around 50 women worldwide have been immortalised as a Barbie - and Walker is the third New Zealander to have the honour, alongside sports journalist and Black Ferns player Melodie Robinson and shotput legend and medallist Dame Valerie Adams.
