Fiona Tedds – Downtown Magazine

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!

The fashion industry was devastated yesterday with the news of the tragic death of designer L’Wren Scott, who was found dead in her Chelsea apartment of an apparent suicide.

Screen Shot 2014-03-17 at 2.23.17 PM — Photo by Bryan Adams, 2011

A remarkably graceful and talented woman, Ms. Scott grew up with Mormon parents in a small town in Utah. By the time she was 12, the statuesque L’Wren was already six-feet tall, and began to sew and design her own clothes to fit her impressive stature, modifying things she picked up at thrift stores.

Scouted at age 18 by photographer Bruce Weber, she started her fashion career as a model, working for Chanel, Thierry Mugler, and Calvin Klein. Later, she became a celebrity stylist and costume designer.

In 2006, she launched her own successful fashion line with a collection called ‘The Little Black Dress,’ and she went on to dress many of Hollywood’s A-list celebrities. Last year, she released a successful holiday capsule collection with Banana Republic.

Scott’s designs are the epitome of elegance. She was able to combine upscale elegance with sex appeal and even a rockstar vibe. Nicole Kidman, Madonna, Amy Adams, Penelope Cruz and many more fashion forward celebrites are often seen wearing her designs.

Screen Shot 2014-03-18 at 11.55.34 AM — Nicole Kidman wearing L’Wren Scott in 2006

Scott dated Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger for the last 13 years. The rock icon was on tour (for which Scott designed the band’s costumes) in Australia at the time of the tragedy. “Shocked and devastated,” Jagger is returning to New York and has postponed the band’s upcoming performances.

Screen Shot 2014-03-18 at 11.57.52 AM — Mick Jagger and L’Wren Scott

A flurry of speculation and gossip has unfolded since yesterday’s news—including unconfirmed reports of Mick Jagger dumping Scott, along with the designer’s alleged financial woes. Jagger reps vehemently denied any break up, but Scott’s business troubles have been confirmed. She canceled her London Fashion Week show unexpectedly and her company was millions in debt.

Scott leaves behind a grieving public, family, friends, and many fans of her work.

–Charlotte Bryant & Fiona Tedds