Karen Walker Spring 2010

There is a piece in Karen Walker's Spring 2010 collection that I would hawk my most valued possessions for: a navy cotton dress with criss-crossing layers of frills over a tiered navy and white striped skirt. Belted at the natural waist with brown leather, this dress is a dream. Karen Walker's dream to be more precise, a dream meant to evoke the English seashore in the 1960s with several unexpected variables tossed in for flavor. Edwardian ruffles and psychedelic prints are not what one normally expects from the traditionally pared-down nautical look, which is precisely why Walker combined them. As always, Walker's custom prints play a large part in her collection. A series of drapey dresses in "flag print" actually depict strings of banners in red, powder blue, and cream floating across a navy background.  A tiered floral-print dress is actually a swirl of psychedelic blues, greens, and yellows coming together to form the trippiest flowers I've ever seen. Walker's collection is delightfully infused with whimsy. A girl can throw on a pair of custom boat shoes (in Walker's personal palette), a customized bucket hat, and run out the door to play on an animated seashore.