Entrepreneurial Success: A Case Study of Karen Walker

This essay provides an in-depth analysis of Karen Walker, a renowned fashion entrepreneur from New Zealand. It explores her background, including her education and early ventures, highlighting key characteristics such as creativity, confidence, and leadership traits. The essay examines how Walker recognized opportunities and developed her business ideas, aligning with Schumpeter's theory of innovation. It delves into her brand's competitive advantages, including collaborations, digital presence, and commitment to social responsibility. The essay also offers recommendations for her business, such as expanding into Asian markets. Overall, the essay offers insights into Walker's journey, her success, and strategies within the fashion industry, emphasizing her ability to adapt and thrive in a competitive market.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................2
Background of the entrepreneur...........................................................................................................2
Characteristics and traits.......................................................................................................................2
Opportunity recognition and development of idea process..................................................................3
Competitive advantage..........................................................................................................................4
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................5
References.............................................................................................................................................6

Introduction
The essay brings out a discussion on famous entrepreneur of New Zealand. Karen walker is
the creative fashion designer born in New Zealand. The aim of the business ventures is to
expand global business at the edge of competitiveness with the help of licensing deals.
Initially, this report has brief information on the Karen Walker. Further, this report has
described certain characteristics and traits in a concise manner (The University of Auckland
Business School, 2019). Apart from this, analysis of how this idea of fashion designing
emerge and collaboration lead to recognition of opportunity. Karen Walker offers huge range
of fashionable products in almost 43 countries with recognition of famous platforms where
she hires famous models who has highest following on the social media. On an ending note,
this report provides some recommendation for her nature that will ultimately lead to the
development of her business (Business of Fashion, 2019).
Background of the entrepreneur
In 2000, the designer became first New Zealander who had a solo show at New York Fashion
Week and in 2007, she received the Pirx de Marie for her creative talent. Karen Walker was
born in 1969, New Zealand. She did her education at Epsom Girls Grammar School. With a
motive of to start a fashion education in 1988, she completed her graduation in 1995 and soon
launched two boutiques with hundred bucks (Business of Fashion, 2019). After three years,
she started selling her own designs to America`s largest luxury departmental store
headquartered in New York. At the same time, she showed debut collection, which is
regarded as one of the high, profiled international designer. Initially, she had her fashion
stores in Auckland and Wellington. Karen Walker has her unconventional elegant style of
reflecting her personality, that has introduced in stellar international following for eyewear,
bags, fragrance, ready to wear, and jewellery (Business of Fashion, 2019).
Characteristics and traits
Being a designer, undoubtedly she is very creative. Karen walker have some serious opinions,
behaviour, and politics with a combination of toxic aversion to sobriety. However, it is said
that there a lot to learn from her personality. She is wonderfully confident, intelligent, great
lover of leopard print, sassy and can be a very good friend (Nzheralds, 2009). Karen has
high-pitched voice that she inherited from her father due to her addiction for drugs and
alcohol (Fashion designers, 2018). Most important statement which describe Karen walker

are spoiled, gold-digging socialite who certainly chew off her own foot than do an honest
day`s work. This attitude of working progress has polished her leadership traits. Karen has
reached great lengths that can distance her mother so that she can live a stable life
meanwhile, she can not escape the genetic traits. She is bit rude that has been caused by
obliviousness and it come off as affection. Karen is entertaining whenever she is among its
team members (Fashion designers, 2018).
Karen walker is passionate enough in order to create sustainable change and value for the
organisation by effective strategy execution (Fashion designers, 2018). She strongly believes
that silent leader in the organisation can damage the organisation. Karen says on leadership
that it creates a value of making difference and something in return. Karen walker brand
gives back through UN “ITC ethical Fashion Initiative” that work on Karen walker, which
further pouches for eyewear collection. Karen walker says that an entrepreneur should keep
in mind and should be ready to take risk and be brave (Nzheralds, 2009).
Opportunity recognition and development of idea
process
Among all the theories of entrepreneurship, Schumpeter`s theory of innovation is best suited
for Karen Walker. This theory states that these entrepreneurs disturbs the stationary
circulation flow of economy by introducing the innovation and develop the economy at
different level. With her sophisticated and recognised brand, Karen walker has become not
just a fashion icon for New Zealand but she has expanded the recognition of her brand at
global level. Her brand is worn by world`s top most celebrities such as Priyanka Chopra,
LeBron James, Gigi Hadid, and Lady gaga (The University of Auckland Business School,
2019).
Her brand is available in 42 countries, 1020 stores, and 200 cities even after including Liberty
London and Barneys New York. Karen walker is well known for thriving in the digital
revolution. Karen walker was the guest speaker at the innovation centres and
entrepreneurship velocity $100k final challenges (The University of Auckland Business
School, 2019). She shared an entrepreneurial advice the lead the industry. Current digital
revolution is causing the paradigm shift that affects the every part of the lives. This is only
the way to survive through a revolution by being a leader (The University of Auckland
Business School, 2019). Being a leader covers a huge range of concepts. Karen`s advice to
aspire the entrepreneurs, which they need to develop such as leading by ideas, lead not by

settling close enough, led by valuing the details also considering the chessboard, led by
unique point of view, and led by undertaking the luck when it comes into way. Karen walker
leads and drives every aspect of brand Karen has a strong belief in standing out from the
competition by being original and authentic (Teenvogue, 2008). By using the brand
promotion endorsement of use of celebrity, Karen walker uses its version of celebrity when
they cast the one who has larger following on social media platform.
According to Karen Walker, collaboration is a key to success of brand. Rather than buying
cliché model for the fashion industry, Karen Walker collaborated with photographer of New
York Ari Seth Cohen. The advanced style of celebrating the fashion forward style of senior
set of Ari`s blog by dispelling the view where the fashion is just for the young people. Karen
Walker strongly believes that it is important to collaborate creativity with Ari`s blog in the
campaigns of jewellery and eyewear that targets incredible women between the age of 60-70
(ROBERTS, 2017). Most importantly, Karen walker does not represent its brand in unique
way, elegant design ideas, and directional that further represents strong commitment towards
the social responsibility. Quality, connection, ethical value of responsibility, and its
uniqueness, which are the drivers behind what, the Karen does. Karen Walker ensures that
when customers purchase its products they are of high quality, no child labour is used to
manufacture, and ethically sourced (Walker, 2019). She strongly believes that collaboration is
the heart of the business that has been helmed by designer Karen walker and the husband was
the business partner “Mikhail Gherman” who undertakes to work on non-traditional
marketing campaigns (ROBERTS, 2017).
Competitive advantage
Barneys New York chose first runway collection of this renowned fashion designer “Karen
Walker” in 1998. Moreover, sales climbed when Madonna in the pair of “killer pants”
designed by Karen Walker. Further, Karen began foray with its effective advertisement with
master`s degree from VCU brandcenter in Richmond, where she has specialised in
copywriting. She covered almost whole globe. Sales of Karen Walker`s eyewear should reach
$35 million in 2019 (Nzheralds, 2018). She has worked on several brands such as infiniti,
Visa, dove, chocolate, see`s candies, Michelin tires, and she has partnered with drug-free
America, bumble and bumble, fare organic grocery, rom to read charity and jansport
(GLENN, 2014).

Recommendation
For now, Karen Walker as a designer offers few product categories such as jewellery, paints,
footwear, handbags, and eyewear that has launched a series of licensing deals as it strongly
believes in collaboration. There is a severe need to down the pitch level so that she can be
polite enough to expand and collaborate in different countries by enjoying the name of
patents and trademarks on her designing products. She has not penetrated the Asian market
yet; there is a need where people like western culture very much (Nzheralds, 2018).
Therefore, Karen Walker can take the advantage of social media platforms so that they can
easily find their models and brand Ambassadors who further will get growth and career
opportunity.
Conclusion
Form the above discussion on Karen walker, it can be said starting two start-ups of business
with just 100 bucks is not at all an easy task. It reflects the struggle phase of Karen Walker.
Apart from this, she escaped her home in order to live her own dreams. It is the quality of
Karen walker that reflects that walker`s licencing and collaboration deals with other dealers
are never seen as reckless. She has explained that she has undertaken loads of approaches, as
they are not at all felling. This is the reason why these partnerships become successful as
their vision, mission to grow is very clear, and leaders often ask what is actually missing. The
main section of the Karen Walker`s offering covers Eyewear that was firstly launched in
2004 and it is well known for her funky sunglasses.

References
Business of Fashion, (2019) Biography. Available on:
https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/karen-walker [Accessed on:
31/03/19]
Fashion designers, (2018) Karen Walker. Available on:
https://www.famousfashiondesigners.org/karen-walker [Accessed on: 31/03/19]
GLENN, A. (2014) Karen Walker Says Collaboration is the Key to Growth. Available on:
https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/first-person/karen-walker-says-collaboration-
key-growth [Accessed on: 31/03/19]
Nzheralds, (2009) Seven world-class kiwi entrepreneurs. Available on:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10557274
[Accessed on: 31/03/19]
Nzheralds, (2018) Trailblazers: Karen Walker. Available on:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/trailblazers/news/article.cfm?c_id=1504553&objectid=12118489
[Accessed on: 31/03/19]
ROBERTS, A. (2017). 17 Ways We Are All Karen From 'Will & Grace'. Available on:
https://www.bustle.com/p/17-ways-we-are-all-karen-from-will-grace-31774 [Accessed on:
31/03/19]
Teenvogue, (2008) Karen Walker. Available on:
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/karenwalker [Accessed on: 31/03/19]
The University of Auckland Business School, (2019) Karen Walker - Thriving in a digital
revolution. Available on:
http://www.cie.auckland.ac.nz/newsroom/artmid/20949/articleid/527/karen-walker-thriving-
in-a-digital-revolution [Accessed on: 31/03/19]
Walker, K. (2019) About US. Available on: https://www.karenwalker.com/about-us
[Accessed on: 31/03/19]