For some of us, sunglasses serve as an armor of sorts, a buffer against the outside world (or the previous evening’s festivities). But in her new campaign, dubbed Visible, Karen Walker has turned that trope on its head, using shades as a vehicle to recognize—and celebrate—Kenyan artisans. For her Spring ’14 range, the New Zealand-based designer partnered with the United Nations’ ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative, which aims to provide sustainable business aid. The result? A series of simple, playful screen-printed pouches that will accompany any eyewear purchase from the collection. The craftspeople behind the cases did double duty when Walker put them in front of the camera. They star in Walker’s Spring snaps, modeling her sunnies in strikingly straightforward campaign images. Lensed by Derek Henderson, the photographs debut exclusively here. As Walker put it, “What I love about these portraits is that they take away the distance, both physical and emotional.”
