Karolina Zmarlak (born October 15, 1982) is a Polish-American fashion designer. She is known for founding the fashion company KZ_K Studio.[1]
Early life and education
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
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]
^"Designer profile : Karolina Zmarlak". THE UNLIMITED Magazine, Interactive Quarterly for Art, Music and Fashion. 7 November 2014. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
