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Fashion

Norma Kamali, The First Lady Of New York Fashion

Kamli

By Fiona Tedds

Face-to-face with the first lady of New York Fashion.

Norma Kamali is ready for the day. She is chatting about her frontrow tickets to see Beyoncé, who has chosen to wear her designs in some of her new videos. Chicly dressed in a suit made of gray jersey, the designer has an energy and spirit remarkable for any woman—especially for one who has been working in the New York fashion industry for almost 50 years.

Kamali describes the 1970s as “a time when fashion was at its most original… its most unique, stimulating and creative… when to walk through Central Park in the summer in a velvet dress was not an extraordinary thing!” She cites Cher as a huge influence on fashion, and comments, “This was when her passion for comfortable, sexy, modern clothing was born, [in] a timeless style that transcends fashion.”

While she designed the famous red bathing suit worn in the iconic 1976 Farrah Fawcett image (the suit now belongs to the Smithsonian), her designs today can be seen on celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, who she dressed for the European MTV awards in a silver foil turtleneck dress, and Christina Aguilera seen on The Voice in a pair of Kamali’s studded shorts. She is known for her innovation and her remarkable skill of producing classic designs that always seem modern.

Normal Kamali  is the Style Vault profile of DOWNTOWN’s Spring 2014 edition. If you would like to continue reading the entire interview with the first lady of New York fashion, you can find it in our latest issue on newsstands now!

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Travel

Travel: Amazing Anguilla

Anguilla

ALL-STAR ACCOMMODATION, FIVE-STAR FOOD AND UNPARALLELED NATURAL BEAUTY ARE JUST A SHORT FLIGHT AWAY IN THIS UNDERSTATED JEWEL OF THE CARIBBEAN

BY KATIE MCELVEEN

Nobody will confirm it, but there’s a rumor that Lady Gaga recently stayed in the house—the aptly named Ultimacy Villa—where we’re currently having lunch. It’s easy to see why. Located off an unmarked road near Shoal Bay East, the excruciatingly private, star-worthy villa has eight bedrooms, ten bathrooms, three kitchens, a gym with two treadmills and a full-time staff that includes a butler, a security team and a housekeeper. Although there’s no beach—the home is perched on a rocky bluff overlooking the endless blue sea (and Michael Dell’s manse)—the stunning pool and tiled pavilion more than make up for it.

Lady Gaga isn’t the only celebrity who’s been spotted on Anguilla, a diminutive isle located just a few miles, yet a world away, from bustling St. Maarten. Islanders report regular sightings of A-listers like Uma Thurman, Paul McCartney, Michael Jordan and Beyoncé. “They come because they know no one will bother them,” says our boat captain as he takes us past a villa where Denzel Washington may or may not have stayed. “We’re pretty laid back.”

And why shouldn’t they be? Rimmed with billowy pale-pink sand lapped by evanescent turquoise water, Anguilla is a star in its own right, as beautiful as any island and as tranquil as a daydream. You could spend all your island time listening to the waves, snorkeling, sailing or just walking along the beach. Or you could do as we did and eat your way through the island. Continues…

Anguilla is the highlighted Passport location of DOWNTOWN’s Spring 2014. You can find more on what Anguilla has to offer in our latest issue on newsstands now!

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Fashion

Best Looks From Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute Gala

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The stars were dazzling last night at the annual Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute Gala 2014 on the Upper East Side.

This year’s gala  honored  British-born designer Charles James, who revolutionized American fashion in the mid-20th century, along with iconic Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

Celebrities ranging from First Lady Michelle Obama to Diane Von Furstenberg to Jessica Alba to Kim Kardashian walked the red carpet up into the lobby of the museum that was exquisitely decorated by an enormous mannequin covered with around 10,000 flowers that symbolized the beauty and elegance of the designs of the legendary couturier.

“The mind combines with the body to exploit its senses, its functions, its appearance,” James once said, and that philosophy was obvious in the beautiful gowns, poise and allure of the celebrities, luminaries and socialites that attended the event.

The event is widely regarded as one of the most exclusive social occasions in New York and one of the biggest fundraising nights of the city with a reported nine million dollars raised last year, alone.

Here are our picks for the top looks of the amazing evening.

-Paris Amaro.