Whatkarenfound is a documentary blog for one year only of my fashion and lifestyle items I find and buy. I am not a conventional shopper. I find high street and shopping centers/ complexes uninspiring and patronizing! I shop alternatively, Charity Shops, Boot Sales, Markets, Auctions, Antique Centre's, Retro Shops and the good old Jumble sales. This is an experiment to see if what I find inspires my work as a designer and stylist. All content on this blog is created by Karen Savage. Enjoy !

About Me

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London, United Kingdom
Karen Savage is a Feminist in the Fashion Industry. A thinker with a heart, who would like to share her Savage world. For over two decades, Karen Savage’s keen sense of ‘now’ and exuberant sense of humour have lead her on a gloriously winding path, questioning everything ‘fashion’ has to offer. From Designer to Stylist, Trend Forecaster to Creative Director, Blogger and Artist - Karen Savage has been there, done that and turned ‘fashion’ on its head and into something new. Karen is outspoken and charming, a self-proclaimed ‘Council Estate Princess’ via Birkenhead. The Independent crowned her the ‘Queen of Tongue n Chic’. Karen first sprung to public consciousness in the early 90s with her own critically-acclaimed fashion label SAVAGE and her controversial slogan-tees. She explores themes of feminism and sustainability in her work. The UK press just couldn't get enough of this ironic designer and everyone from Just 17, The Times to Radio 4s Women’s Hour has interviewed Karen Savage. Karen Savage is a Senior Lecturer at The London College of Fashion, St. Martin's College of Art and The Hong Kong Design Institute. She also freelances as a Creative Director in Print and Licensing.

Blog Archive

Tuesday 6 July 2010

Pretty Spots

Pretty reminds me of grunge when I did the underwear as outer wear thing the first time around in the early nineties. Back then I always had to do things with a twist and the twist would have been a slogan printed virgin on the front and whore on the back of the night dress worn with a big pair of Dr. Martens and black woolly tights. I was so into shouting about my twists in the early nineties. In the tens I am happy to find this pretty night dress, leave it plain and actually use it for nightwear. Although I do hope new girls are deciding to explore and express their twists through fashion and styling. I found this little number in a boot sale in Surrey for 50p.



My mums denim skirt - style memories

When I saw that Stella McCartney had sent a denim skirt down the catwalk for this S/S 2010 inspired by her mothers from the 70s, I smiled. Because brother did my mother have a denim skirt too. She had a denim skirt and Jesus sandals her daily uniform with a change of printed tops. I so wished that she wouldn’t wear it on parent’s evenings and grown up things. I prayed to the style goddess above that she would go in a pencil skirt, stilettos and a clutch bag! (What a nightmare I was)How wrong I was as her denim skirt and sandals represented carefree fun and sister I am so glad about that now. So when I saw this one in a charity shop in Surrey by Per Una for £7.50 I snapped it up for myself. On that day I had already bought a Brown and Tan bag from a boot sale in Surrey for a £1. Then low and behold to finish my out fit I bought a Brown and Cream striped jersey Breton style top for £2.50 from a charity in, you guessed it Surrey. What a haul an outfit in a day all for £11, thanks for the denim skirt memories and a reminder of the style Stella!




Tk Maxing

The Tk Max shopping experience for me is so similar to Charity shopping and Car booting. It’s as close as I get to shopping in the real commercial world and Tks on clearance sale can be better than charity shop prices. As mentioned I adore the thrill of the find, rummaging and valuing anything if it’s my style and it doesn’t matter where it’s from. Below my latest designer finds from Tk Max in Staines (out of town Tks even better just as the Charity’s, same, same)



Antoni and Alison orange striped Cardigan £18.I have noticed my uniform appearing before my eyes and a little patterned cardigan is one of the things I always need to have and replace. A good quirky little number useful layering option that so needed with our British Springs and Summers.







The hippie in me just wont give up the ghost of 1969 with these J Brand Jeans £7, Tk Max Staines, and Gharani Strok floral floaty hippy top again £7, Tk Max Staines. I am not usually that keen on see through tops on ladies over 40 but this one looks smashing with a little cotton vest under and digging the puffy shoulders too man.

Monday 5 July 2010

Under the Mulberry bush



To find one Mulberry bag in an Antique Shop in Hampton Court ( check out my fist post “the beginning” in January )and then return months later to find another bag felt like it was to good to be true. This one is a great user and a brilliant school - work type of bag. Just realising how sensible Mulberry bags are and I am sensing sensible is the new rock and roll these days.

Garden gnome make over


Sunglasses can’t get enough of them and find it so hard to resist them in charity shops.
I found this pair of Vintage 80s tortoiseshell look sunglasses in a charity shop in Birkenhead. Whilst deciding to buy, do I really need another pair of glasses and then justifying well they don’t take up to much space and they are only 50p, done, sold to the lady with a draw full of sunglasses already. Inspired myself with my last “little I-deer for the garden” post styling the found objects around the garden and decided to give my gnome an ab fab sunglasses makeover, ohh sweety.

Little I-deer for the garden


So into grow your own, it’s my third year dabbling growing things to eat in the garden. There have been successes and failures galore, tomatoes, salads, potatoes, and raspberries great and radishes and peas not so great. I found this little deer ornament at a boot sale in surrey and bought it for 50p and thought she would look just fine hidden between the salad leaves in a big pot in the garden. Gives a new spin on ornamental garden!

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