Choosing from the many shades of chic

Beijing strips off to celebrate summer

"I really like the idea of exaggerating classics. We play around with the idea of renewing our classics and exaggerating them but keep them minimal," Walker says.

She jokes that "one of the fun things about sunglasses is that you get to spy on people", but quickly adds that people are able to hold conversations even while wearing her latest sunglasses.

"It does block the sunlight, but you can still interact with people as your eyes are still visible. It's really a nice change, not something (through which) you don't see the eyes at all."

Being visible is a part of the brand's new campaign called "Karen Walker Visible". The label was involved in efforts by the United Nations' ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative to create jobs for small artisans in Kenya.