COLORSxSTUDIOS

When did you first realize that fashion can be used as a form of self-expression?

It has to be when I first saw David Bowie perform ‘Ziggy Stardust’ on the TV programme ‘Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert’ as a child. He came on stage and I couldn’t tell if he was a man or a woman. I remember thinking, “Who is that?” I recognized that he was a real artist.

Did you ever get to meet Bowie?

In passing. I was at The Mudd Club—a nightclub in Tribeca from 1978-1983—years later standing at the bar, and I heard someone next to me say, “Excuse me, I’m trying to get a drink.” It was him. I immediately thought, “okay, that’s David Bowie. I need to keep my cool.” Nothing else mattered in that moment.

When did you first meet Yussef?

I met Yussef in Paris through Virgil Abloh and Benji B. Yussef was playing at an after party for Louis Vuitton. Virgil brought me over to him and said, “You need to meet Karen, she’s an OG.” Yussef looked up at me, kind of nodded, and continued drumming. He paid me no mind. I thought to myself, “oh wow, he’s about his music.” He could have looked at me and seen an opportunity to be hooked up in the industry, but there was no opportunist vibe about him. He’s just passionate about his craft. To me, that’s what makes a real artist.

Can you tell me about your professional relationship?

It wasn’t until much later that I got the call to work with him. I immediately knew it would be a good match. I knew he was an artist I could really help propel through fashion. When I look at him, I see the new Bohemia. He is free and natural while being politically correct and culturally aware. To me, he echoes Bill Withers, John Coltrane, and Gil Scott-Heron.

Jean (Jean-Michel Basquiat) had a big influence on me. I try to work with artists who think like him. I think Yussef is like him—that’s why I’ve put him in a Jean-Michel shirt in the past. Yussef has both empathy and a powerful strength about him. Jean had a hard and soft side too.

What do you think have been some of the most impactful changes in the fashion industry during your 30 year long career? 

The Black Lives Matter movement. Fashion has always existed, but it’s been primarily controlled and enjoyed by the rich and white—high fashion in particular. Black Lives Matter has opened a door for people of color, a door that the elites had no choice but to open.

It’s unfortunate because so much of what goes into fashion is inspired by our culture. Culture is true luxury; it can’t be bought, you have to be born from it, to live it.

For example, when my ex-husband worked at Comme des Garçons in 1987, I wasn’t taken seriously in fashion because I was a Black girl from Brooklyn. I was best friends with Jean [-Michel Basquiat] at the time, so when they needed my cultural connection, I was asked for an introduction to Jean. I was the one who convinced him to do the iconic catwalk for Comme des Garçons, which is what began the trend of artists walking in major fashion shows.