Biomedical engineer, turned fashion stylist, turned entrepreneur. Labeling Kara Chomistek as "successful" is a bit of an understatement. She's also the co-creator of PARK, Western Canada's principal fashion organization. Here, Kara tells us how she's pushing the fashion industry in Canada (and, perhaps equally important, how to style up those Poppy Barley ankle boots).“We were seeing this exodus of creative talent out of Alberta," she reflects during a phone interview from her home in Calgary. "And it's because there's not enough support for designers and artists to have sustainable companies and businesses. So, a lot of businesses end up moving away to bigger city centres such as Toronto, New York or LA.” And so PARK (Promoting Artists, Redefining Kulture) came to be. A socially conscious organization, PARK aspires to create opportunities for developing artists and designers to sustain a profitable business, hosting two major shop-able fashion shows, in addition to multiple commerce events, each year. PARK also opened up unexpected opportunities for Kara. “It was kind of funny, because I vowed I would never be a stylist and wouldn’t want to go into the fashion industry. I didn't think there was any sustainability, or a career in it. However, the more I became involved in the fashion world through my work with PARK, the more my eyes opened to the many opportunities in the industry.” Opportunities like working with one of the biggest, brightest department stores in the world, Nordstrom, as they moved into Canada; styling for magazines like Avenue, Freq, and Vulkan; and, for Poppy Barley, styling our Fall 2016 campaign. We knew we'd hired one of the best in the biz. “Understanding and really knowing who you are styling for has the biggest influence on the styling," opines Kara. "When styling the Poppy Barley shoot, I had a conversation with the PB team beforehand, discussing who the Poppy Barley woman is. She is strong, confident, feminine and making shit happen.” Reflected throughout the campaign, our fall line-up is a mix of soft nubucks, wearable neutrals and the return of the ever-popular ankle boot. Below, Kara breaks down the styling of our Fall ‘16 campaign and why ankle boots can be worn with so much more than just your skinny jeans (although those look pretty good too).









