Karen Scarlett grew up on the family farm west of Innisfail, Alberta - the prairies of Canada. Her love affair with the world of fashion started at a young age. While attending high school she was creating her own outfits with no pattern. While away from home at the first year of college, she started creating prom and wedding dresses for extra cash. By the age of 20, she had started a modeling agency and traveled the world to fashion locations including New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Paris and Milan.

She trained models how to walk the runway, move in front of the camera and fell into the world of hair, makeup and styling. When a makeup artist did not show up for a photo shoot, Karen picked up a sponge and foundation and went to work. She has been featured as one of Canada’s leading make up artists and has worked across Canada and around the globe. This career also included 10 years as Chanel’s www.chanel.com special events makeup artist. Always being drawn to interior design and thinking of opening a design company she went back to school to formalize her skills.

While living in Calgary, Karen returned home one day to find two of her friends sitting on her deck, making things with beads and wire, she had to make something too and wore it the next day. And that is how Pretty Twisted began.

Karen has been featured in numerous press articles including Calgary Magazines prestigious “Top 40 Under 40” and has also been nominated for The Globe and Mail’s “Top 40 Under 40” for Canada.

Karen now spends her time between Calgary and New York.

Inspiration comes from everywhere. The textures of the landscape are a big source. Travel pictures always include close-up shots of the ground, stonewalls, trees - in bloom, changing colour and bare in the middle of winter. Flora and fauna are definite resources, but then so are children, food and a good laugh with friends. My favorite thing about design is the place I disappear to when I am enjoying the design process. It is almost unexplainable, the place I go, but it is serene and full and relaxed.