Kors and Kamali: Similar Goals, Different Avenues

New York is abustle in a flurry of fashion. It’s that time of year again–a week where, though fall is upon us, we peer ahead to see what we’ll be wearing next spring. Despite a jam-packed schedule, I managed to see the collections of two designers I’ve admired over the years—Michael Kors and Norma Kamali.

Michael presented in the tents at Bryant Park, with his usual vivre and glamour. Anna Wintour and Michael Douglas appeared in the first row, and each guest received a bottle of Kor’s new perfume. His new garments feature fun and sexy cutouts in atypical patterns, while Lucite accessories lend an edgy quality to classic pieces.

I was delighted to see a plethora of female photographers at the show. Such diversity was unusual in the 1980s, when I appeared with Michael in Harper’s Bazaar as his modern muse—probably because I was one of a few women behind the lens. Kors will undoubtedly steal the spotlight in forthcoming industry press.

Norma Kamali, on the other hand, presented her new line for eBay outside the Apple Store in SoHo. Norma hasn’t participated in the traditional framework of fashion for some time. She’s stepped outside the brick and mortar model, using technology to reinvent herself and reinvigorate her business.

Norma’s collection is available exclusively online, promoted via an iPhone application and a game on roiworld.com. (You know you want to dress your avatar in her garb!) Her website offers free consultations with personal shoppers via Skype, and a Try Before You Buy option—eliminating a significant barrier to online sales. She manufactures solely in the USA, resulting in more rapid turnaround and superior quality control.

Of course, Norma always was unconventional. When I photographed Renee Toft Simonsen in a Kamali design for the December 1982 issue of Vogue, I received a thank you note written on plain white paper with blue magic marker–a refreshing, unpretentious gesture in an otherwise pretentious time! A designer had never thanked me, nor has one since.

Kors and Kamali furnish a compelling contrast. Both offer clothing for the everyday woman, but reach her through different channels. I laud Kamali’s attempts to move fashion forward through technology, providing increased transparency and accessibility. Should other designers follow suit, we may experience a consumer revolution within the fashion world.

Blanch in Action

by guest blogger Elizabeth Kellogg

If you’re a mere mortal like me, you’ve never set foot inside a fashion photo shoot. You may have drooled over the flashy ads and glamorous spreads in Vogue, but never gave much thought to how they were created. That’s how it was for me, until I had the pleasure of observing Andrea Blanch in action.

Enter the luxury apartment where Blanch has her next photo shoot, on the famed Upper East Side of Manhattan, and you enter another world. No screaming pedestrians or honking taxicabs here. Instead, the chirping of birds is the only sound heard through the floor-to-ceiling French doors. Treetops, a rare sight in Manhattan, are visible through the enormous bay window. It’s an oasis in the urban desert, and an ideal place to bring the magic of fashion to life.

There’s excitement in the air from the moment I arrive. Stylists are buzzing, prepping hair and makeup. I’ve never seen so many beauty products in one place! Nor did I realize how long the preparation would take. Tresses are styled and restyled. Wardrobe, courtesy of Michael Kors, is adjusted and readjusted. Makeup is…. Well, you get the idea.

Hours pass. Finally the models are ready for Blanch. As Megan strikes a pose, light streams through the window and highlights her golden hair. She is delicate and ideally proportioned. If fairytale princesses exist, they must look like Megan.

Megan lounges luxuriously on the sleek, contemporary furnishings. Her brilliant yellow accessories stand in sharp contrast to her jet black swimsuit. Blanch furiously clicks away, while others scramble to hold lighting and a reflector in the right places.

Later, Lauren lies topless on crisp white sheets, caressing a feather pillow. Her smoky eyes and pouty lips give new meaning to the phrase “making love to the camera”. Blanch grooves to Coldplay as a fan blows Lauren’s hair into flawless wisps.

Blanch instinctively knows what’s working and what isn’t, changing tactics midstream. Her process is fluid and fascinating to watch. Like Blanch herself, her method of encouraging the models is unique: “Be quirky but natural,” she instructs. And as Lauren cradles a beach bag, Blanch tells her to “pretend that it’s your boyfriend’shirt”. I can’t help but smile. Who knew fashion was this entertaining?!