As a bit of
an introduction and as a lead in to the start of Spring “17 fashion week in
NYC, let me restate what I had written of another designer: “At one time, somewhere around the mid to
late 60s, designers came out from the backrooms (behind the showrooms) on
Seventh Avenue and became personalities in their own right. Designers such as
Bill Blass, Anne Klein, Leo Narducci, Donald Brooks and Stan Herman are a few
of the names that come to mind and fit the bill. They were employed by labels
which hitherto never had a marquee designer attached to the label.” It was a
time when there was an oft used phrase heard in and around 498, 530 and 550...
“Can we get up there?”
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Leo Narducci was the innovator, the handsome young man who emerged from the sample rooms and became a vital symbol of the New York fashion scene. He was young, he was hot, he was full of personality, he had talent to spare and he gave women the clothes that they wanted to wear. He wasn’t about structure or uptight but rather about fluidity, ease, prints and this sort of laid back glamour that had been as rare as hen’s teeth on Seventh Avenue. He was the new breed of designer!
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I am fortunate
enough to call Leo a friend as he and I have a connection, albeit it is one
that lived only in my own head for many years. I grew up with his name
indelibly etched into my mind because Leo “provided” my mother with one of her
most prized possessions as well dressing her for one of the milestones of her abbreviated
life. When Leo and I finally met so many years later, I was suddenly reminded
of the magic times and people that I was privy to know while growing up in the rarefied
air around Seventh Avenue. At this stage
in life I am actually humbled by the friendships that I have made with some of
these great legends of fashion. You know, the ones who started it all on
Seventh Avenue, the ones who made the rest of the world sit up and take notice
and yes the ones who paved the way for all of us!
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Leo remains
an enduring presence in the world of fashion whether it is at the Rhode Island
School of Design or working on any of his own design projects. He has, like few
others, withstood the test of time in a business where ladies and gentlemen are
scarce commodities. It’s my honor to have been able to chat with Leo for this
interview and it is one of my great personal badges of honor to call him friend ... my mother would be so
impressed and yes Adele, “ we can go up anytime!”
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Jeffrey Felner: if you were still
competing in the fashion world today, what would be your take on the general
tone and feeling of your collection and why?
Leo
Narducci:
Interesting question I never felt that I was competing, but always did my own thing….the only times I
tripped myself was when I tried to be on trend…I was at my best when I followed
my own instincts which leaned toward classic looks with my own twist…… Going
forward, I will not be doing collections in the traditional way…Everything will
be with E-commerce in mind with concentration on Key items, which will be my
best ideas for the particular theme…i.e. Travel……this will be an assortment of
easy care and easy wear pieces that are modern simple, and chic…..pieces that
can go to work, or the beach or out to dinner.
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JF: who in your opinion epitomized or
epitomizes the height of fashion and why? In other words who brought or brings
the most to the table?
LN: I love to watch the
collections online….Standouts to me are consistently good collections like Karl
Lagerfeld…….I think that Marc Jacobs has put American design on the
international map and his time in Europe helped him grow….He’s not afraid to
make references to other designers’ work …His ode to St Laurent and the 70’s
was brilliant and he made it all look chic and contemporary..
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JF: looking back, can you speak to
the past and present of the state of the fashion business?
LN: The business has
changed but needs to evolve rather than have pie in the sky hopes.…We have a
hodgepodge of stuff which is labeled “Fashion” some good, some bad, and some
awful…..It used to be much more selective…too much emphasis on celebrity.
The young designers today do not always give
themselves time to grow and mature…The project Runway mentality prevails and is
not a good barometer of what the Fashion business is all about. We all seem to be looking for the new
normal. It breaks me up when all the
talk is all about bringing the Industry back to the US…..Ralph makes headlines
when he announces that x% of his collection will be made here. Really????
In my eyes, we are in a global business now and
should be concentrating on what our participation should be in the big picture
which should most certainly include some portion made in America.
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JF: dinner for 6 including you... who
do you invite... no matter the time frame... anyone at all... and why?
LN: Hmmmmm my best friend,
Patti Cappalli Taylor…we’ve been friends since our college days at RISD and
speak to each other at least once a week ….We’ve shared our ups and downs for
over 50 years!! And besides she knows how to keep things interesting and lively...Definitely
my late partner, Ed Diamond who was the handsomest man I ever knew and was by
far the love of my life….He had the heartiest laugh in the world. The late Joan
Rivers who I never knew but I always liked the fact that, aside of her talent
as a comic, she seemed genuinely nice… To me she was my role model of aging
with style. My Lord Jesus Christ who has been a strong force in my life through
thick and thin, especially in the past few years….it would be interesting to
hear his take on everything directly. My young friend Grey Kammerrer who I
mentor…He keeps me on my toes and it is a pleasure to pass on my knowledge and
experience and I continue my own creative journey with and through him.
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JF: if you could rewrite your history
what would you change and why?
LN: It is what it is…..I
believe that there is a plan and it can’t be changed.
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