Fashion & Commerce

As the Spring 2010 collections race continues in Milan and crosses the finish line in Paris, editors, buyers and fashion enthusiasts are judging hundreds of ideas including New York and London. The balancing act between creativity and solvency has always been the contested question while banking that the runway heat will thaw the credit card. I thought Norma Kamali’s fresh presentation at Apple’s NYC Soho store entitled The Democracy of Fashion not only debut her signature jersey silhouettes but incorporated a multi channel distribution plan that markets and sells directly to her customer. Kamali, not a designer for formal fashion shows, has always used her innovation to go beyond convention and targeted the promotions to her fans through retail, video and one of the first designers to go viral. Posted below are inspiring examples of Kamali’s razor sharp vision through an ’80s editorial and illustration by ’80s icon Antonio Lopez.