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Karen Wilkinson |
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| The Karen Wilkinson
collection is a distinctive line of jackets created primarily from
vintage, hand-woven, Saltillo sarapes, African mudcloth, and a variety
of other interesting textiles from around the world. These highly
collectable creations include a special line of jackets made from Guatemalan
textiles created exclusively for El Interior. Karen Wilkinson first began collecting textiles, beads and yarn over 30 years ago. While raising her family, she became a weaver & jewelry maker, and eventually an owner of two small stores specializing in these (and related) crafts. In the early 90's, she moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she was heavily influenced by the art and design style of the region. She began to design and produce her own line of accessories and clothing with a focus on Mexican and other ethnic textiles. In more recent years, she has added "over-dying" of fabrics and trims to her already intricate process, giving each piece she creates a different patina and more wearable coloring. She then artfully finishes her pieces by drawing from a wonderful variety of mixed media embellishments, including vintage buttons, turquoise, coral, amber, and unusual shells. The jackets from the Karen Wilkinson collection have become highly collectable in recent years as she has gained national recognition. Each piece that she creates is completely unique and incredibly vibrant. El Interior has been very fortunate to have a special relationship with this artist for several years and able to carry a selection of her work year-round. |
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| Incredible embellishments bring this fun and funky vest alive and make it wearable art. | |||
| Short Jacket | |||
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| Made from Mexican Sarapes, these jackets showcase artful detailing on the lapels and button closures. | |||
| Short Jacket, Sleeveless | |||
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| Karen uses many different styles of the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe in her work. Notice the rich variety of textures in the embellishments used around the Virgin's image on this jacket. | |||
| Short Jacket (Guatemalan Fabric created exclusively for El Interior) |
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| The technique of over-dying can give a beautiful, subtle patina to the textiles and the appliqués used. | |||
| Hip-Length Jacket | |||
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| Some of these Mexican Sarape jackets come with incredible embellishments on the back, and others are simpler and without much embellishment--letting the beauty of the sarape do all the talking. | |||
| Finger-Tip Length Jacket | |||
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| In the longer jacket styles, the vents on the sides are cut high enough to ensure comfortable movement and to be flattering with fuller skirts. | |||
| Finger-Tip Length
Sleeveless Jacket (Guatemalan Fabric, made exclusively for El Interior) |
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| In this example, the Virgin of Guadalupe's image on the front pocket (top image) is repeated on the back (image to the left). | |||
| Knee-Length Jacket (Guatemalan Fabric, made exclusively for El Interior) |
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| Each piece is incredibly unique and draws on a rich variety of color and texture and an ever-eclectic assortment of embellishments (see "Detailing" below). | |||
| Detailing | |||
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El Interior |
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