From Artisans in Kenya to High Fashion Models.

 Karen Walker, a New Zealand-based eye-wear designer is known for her out-of-this-world eye-wear campaigns. In the past, she has used  advanced style stars, adorable little children and albino models for her campaigns. 

The Spring 2014 season is said to be her best yet. In her new campaign, dubbed Visible, she cast Kenyan artisans as her models. Karen Walker opted to use this advertising platform to highlight the plight of poverty-stricken African regions, working with the United Nations' International Trade Centre's Ethical Fashion Initiative to produce unique pouches made by Kenyan artisans, which will accompany any eye-wear purchase. Then taking the project one step further, Ms Walker put the artisans who crafted each pouch infront of the camera, using them as stars for her new ad campaign.

The pouches that will come with each eye-wear purchase

The Ethical Fashion Initiative aims to promote fair and sustainable business rather than a reliance on aid in disadvantaged African communities (their motto is "not charity, just work"), bringing together craftspeople and international brands to produce products.
Walker's involvement will see each pair of the new-season (Spring 2014) Karen Walker sunglasses come with a screen-printed pouch made by Kenyan artisans from local materials, with more elaborate, beaded styles available to buy.

Checkout pics of the artisans/models after the cut..............


The artisans pictured are said to live in both urban and rural areas of Kenya, some of whom are cutters, tailors, production managers, metal workers, as well as members of the Maasai group who created the more elaborate beading work.

For a pair of these luxurious eye-wear, head to her website .

Great idea and campaign, but it's my hope and prayer that Karen Walker compensated all the people in these photes<----just my opinion.