Karolina Zmarlak (born October 15, 1982) is a Polish-American fashion designer. She is known for founding the fashion company KZ_K Studio.[1]

Karolina Zmarlak
Born (1982-10-15) October 15, 1982 (age 41)
Krosno, Poland
Citizenship
  • Poland
  • United States
EducationFashion Institute of Technology
OccupationFashion designer
Labels
  • Karolina Zmarlak
  • KZ_K Studio
AwardsGen Art Styles Award for Eveningwear (2005)

Early life and education edit

Zmarlak was born in Poland. She immigrated to Chicago in 1992 through the Diversity Visa (DV) program. She was inspired to become a clothing designer after taking her first sewing class in high school. Zmarlak attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.[1][2][3] While in college, she was awarded the Gen Art Styles Award for evening wear in 2005.[4][5]

Career edit

Zmarlak began her career in the fashion industry by interning at the fashion brands Theory and Carolina Herrera.[6][7][8] After graduating from college, she partnered with Jesse Keyes to launch her eponymous fashion label Karolina Zmarlak in 2009[1][7][9] which launched its first clothing collection, Fluid Foundations, through the stores Takashimaya and Eva.[10][11][12] In 2011, she collaborated with Belvedere Vodka on the fashion film Double Identity.[13][14] In 2013, Saks Fifth Avenue began carrying her clothing collections.[15] In 2014, she became one of the first recipients of the New York City Fashion Production Fund because she produced her clothes in the Garment district.[16][17]

In 2015, Zmarlak collaborated with costume designer Daniel Lawson to provide costumes for the TV series The Good Wife.[18][19] In 2015, her Fall ready-to-wear collection was featured in Vogue.[20] In Spring 2015, she also showcased her clothing designs in the fashion film Transience at Video Fashion Week.[21] In September 2015, Zmarlak spoke at an event promoting the development of New York’s fashion industry alongside other speakers such as U.S. Representative Carolyn B. Maloney.[22][23] In 2016, Zmarlak and Keyes founded a new fashion label, KZ_K Studio.[1] In 2018, Zmarlak served as a critic at the Fashion Institute of Technology's annual fashion show.[24]

In 2022, Zmarlak and Keyes opened a new KZ_K Studio location on Great Jones Street in Manhattan.[25][26] The Great Jones Street studio officially launched on April 12, 2022.[25]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "How Covid-19 helped Karolina Zmarlak reclaim the soul of her fashion company". NBC News. 6 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  2. ^ Thomas, Rob; McSharry, Patrick (2015-01-05). Big Data Revolution: What farmers, doctors and insurance agents teach us about discovering big data patterns. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-94372-4.
  3. ^ Hathorn, Abby (2013-05-05). "VIP Interview: Renowned Polish Designer, Karolina Zmarlak". Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  4. ^ "Stories: SPAIN AND UK WIN BIG AT GEN ART". the-spin-off.com. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  5. ^ "WWD" (PDF). wwd.com. May 19, 2005. Retrieved 2021-07-24.
  6. ^ "Karolina Zmarlak Is Reinventing the Concept of Convertible Wear". The Cut. 17 March 2010. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  7. ^ a b Klein, Alyssa Vingan (6 March 2015). "Karolina Zmarlak Is a Label to Watch". Fashionista. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  8. ^ Pieri, Kerry (2014-06-11). "Brand Watch: Karolina on My Mind". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  9. ^ "Designer profile : Karolina Zmarlak". THE UNLIMITED Magazine, Interactive Quarterly for Art, Music and Fashion. 7 November 2014. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  10. ^ ELLE (2009-07-17). "Designer Karolina Zmarlak Celebrates with M.A.C". ELLE. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  11. ^ "The Many Shapes of Karolina Zmarlak". Interview Magazine. 2009-11-11. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  12. ^ Elizabeth (2009-02-26). "Karolina Zmarlak". StyleCaster. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  13. ^ "Double Identity: Karolina Zmarlak F/W 2011 by Matt Kliegman". TRENDLAND | Online Trend News. 2011-04-16. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  14. ^ Rankin, Nina Westervelt/MCV Photo,Seija. "Karolina Zmarlak - NYC Studio And Showroom". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2021-07-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ Silver, Dena (2014-08-07). "Karolina Zmarlak On Her Fifth Year In Business And Her Fall Collection". Daily Front Row. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  16. ^ Feitelberg, Rosemary (2015-06-23). "NYC Fashion Production Fund Awards Six Loans". WWD. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  17. ^ "Fact Sheet: Celebrating and Supporting New York City's Fashion Industry". The official website of the City of New York. 2014-09-03. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  18. ^ Chan, Stephanie (2016-05-06). "'The Good Wife' Costume Designer Recalls Series' Favorite Fashion Moments". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  19. ^ "The Good Wife: Alicia's Black-and-White Jacket". InStyle. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  20. ^ Farra, Emily (17 March 2015). "Karolina Zmarlak Fall 2015 Ready-to-Wear Collection". Vogue. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  21. ^ "Karolina Zmarlak: Spring 2015 Video Fashion Week". Vogue. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  22. ^ Palmieri, Rosemary Feitelberg,Jean E. (2015-09-14). "New York Fashion Week Generates $900 Million for NYC". WWD. Retrieved 2021-07-08.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ "Pols cheer Fashion Week's impact on city's economy". Town & Village. 2015-02-12. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  24. ^ "2018 Critics". The Future of Fashion - Fashion Institute of Technology. 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  25. ^ a b Feitelberg, Rosemary (2022-03-31). "KZ_K Studio Readies New SoHo Space". WWD. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  26. ^ Fraser, Kristopher (2022-04-19). "KZ_K Studio opens new Manhattan studio". FashionUnited. Retrieved 2022-06-20.

External links edit