Explore the exchange story of designer Karen Walker from New Zealand and artisans Kuki Airani Creative Mamas from the Cook Islands and find out how they created their look for The Commonwealth Fashion Exchange, 2018.
"I find it important to recognize the
intersectionality of fashion and how so many hands come together to produce
beautiful pieces."
Karen Walker
The Exchange: New Zealand x Cook Islands
For The Commonwealth Fashion Exchange 2018, designer Karen Walker exchanged with artisans Kūki ‘Airani Creative Māmās to create a look that highlighted traditional craftsmanship and embroidery techniques. The look was unveiled at Buckingham Palace on February 19, 2018, and later moved to the Australian High Commission, London, where it was open to the public in the run up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit, April 2018.
New Zealand: Designer Karen Walker
Karen Walker’s eccentrically elegant style has established a stellar international following for her ready-to-wear, eyewear, jewellery, bags and fragrance. Karen’s signature energy and optimism define the label. Her designs cleverly play with cultural subtext, juxtaposing luxe and street, masculine and feminine, folk and utility, creating pieces that are both directional and wearable.
Cook Islands: Artisans Kūki ‘Airani Creative Māmās
A cooperative of women originally from the Cook Islands, Kūki ‘Airani Creative Māmās are expert in the craft of ‘tivaivai’ – a part-patchwork, part-embroidery tradition that is intrinsic to their island culture. Depicting designs that represent age-old legends, sea life and flowers, and often taking many years to complete, these bedspreads are rarely bought or sold. Instead they are given as special gifts, demonstrating love and patience, between family members, close friends and the community.
Artisan Tukua from Kūki ‘Airani Creative Māmās handing out flower garlands in Cook IslandsCommonwealth Fashion Council
Karen Walker's artisan eventCommonwealth Fashion Council
A spirit of togetherness
The Kūki ‘Airani Creative Māmās work on tivaivai collectively, each given a part of the process to complete, in a spirit of togetherness.
Karen Walker's artisan eventCommonwealth Fashion Council
The story behind the look
Karen Walker worked with a community of tivaivai craftswomen from the Cook Islands, now resident in New Zealand. Her dress is made from dusty pink Italian wool flannel and is covered in claret-coloured tivaivai embroidered flowers. The flowers are iconic flora of the Māmās’ island home and include gardenia, jasmine, orchid, fruit salad plant, hibiscus, fringed hibiscus, red ginger, frangipani and the Cook Islands national flower, Tiare Māori. Added to these are the beloved Karen Walker daisies. The 10 plant varieties are brought to life with 12 different traditional stitch styles.
Karen Walker's sketch by Karen WalkerCommonwealth Fashion Council
Illustration of the dress
Karen Walker's look by Karen WalkerCommonwealth Fashion Council
Materials
The dress is made from dusty pink Italian wool flannel and is covered in claret-coloured tivaivai embroidered flowers.
Karen Walker's artisan embroidering by Karen WalkerCommonwealth Fashion Council
Traditional embroidery
The flowers are iconic flora of the Māmās’ island home and include gardenia, jasmine, orchid, fruit salad plant, hibiscus, fringed hibiscus, red ginger, frangipani and the Cook Islands national flower, Tiare Māori.
Close up of Karen Walker's dressCommonwealth Fashion Council
Designer print
Added to these are the beloved Karen Walker daisies. The 10 plant varieties are brought to life with 12 different traditional stitch styles.
Behind the scenes with designer Karen Walker by Karen WalkerCommonwealth Fashion Council
Karen Walker with artisan Tukua from Kūki ‘Airani Creative MāmāsCommonwealth Fashion Council
Karen Walker's look at Buckingham Palace Karen Walker's look at Buckingham PalaceCommonwealth Fashion Council
Final look on display at Buckingham Palace, 19 February 2018
Karen Walker's look at Australian High Commission, London by Karen WalkerCommonwealth Fashion Council
Final look on display at the Australian High Commission, London, 22 February 2018
Behind the Scenes of The Commonwealth Fashion Exchange 2018Commonwealth Fashion Council
This content has been specifically curated for the Google Arts & Culture platform on behalf of the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange exhibition that launched on the 19th of February at Buckingham Palace in partnership with Swarovski, The Woolmark Company and MATCHESFASHION.COM.
The project, created and managed by Eco-Age, with the support of The Commonwealth Fashion Council and The British Fashion Council.
More information about the images is available by clicking on them.
Read more about the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange at http://eco-age.com/commonwealth-fashion-exchange/
