Octogenarians, dictators, Kenyan artisans and even a dog have starred in campaigns for Karen Walker eyewear. Now the influential New Zealand fashion designer herself is finally stepping into the spotlight.

For her new Transformers eyewear campaign, Walker takes on various personas in a riff on the multiplicity of roles women are expected to take on each day, as well as on the heightened reality of social media.

"The idea really started from the fact that so many of our customers have to be so many characters in one day, as do I," says Walker. "You have to take on so many different identities and maybe you don't take your full self to any one of them.

"We wanted to really reflect that multiplicity of modern life with a heightened sense of reality."

Referencing the work of Cindy Sherman, Robert Mapplethorpe and Andy Warhol, Walker poses as characters including a Sassoon-bobbed '80s disco diva, a Thierry Mugler flame-haired android, a country and western star and even Mapplethorpe himself.

"It's a nod to the idea that you put on a different pair of shades and you feel like a different character, and it's also a nod to social media and the way it allows you to play a range of different parts," says Walker.

Social media drives success

Social media has played a massive role in the international success of the designer's sunglasses and opticals, which are renowned for their originality, quirky elements and bold shapes.

"I don't think it's a coincidence that our eyewear really grew up at the same time as Instagram happened," says Walker. "Instagram is a very good fit with eyewear but it's generally not cool to say what the brand is: you just need some strong codes and our strong shapes and arrow logo have really worked well in that playing field."

Karen Walker fashion, fragrances, jewellery and handbags are available in 38 countries, 200 cities and 1020 stores including Barneys New York, Liberty London and Harvey Nichols. But eyewear is the most important category of her empire.

Launched in 2004, the eyewear division generates more than $NZ35 million a year, according to a report by the Business of Fashion.

Walker says her decision finally to star in one of her eyewear campaigns was driven by pragmatism rather than any desire for the spotlight.

"It could have been anybody, I guess, but we'd already put so many other people in our campaigns, so I thought why not me? Plus, I'm easy to work with," she laughs.

NEED TO KNOW

The Transformers collection will be available in stores throughout Australia, through David Jones and at karenwalker.com.