Growing up in Detroit, Rock City
of the 1980s, designer Cody Varona got her first taste of
fashion as while sweeping the littered floors of a local garment
company. In her spare time, she would hand screen-print logos
of her favorite bands on shirts for her and her group of friends,
before hitting the clubs at night. This creative outlet of
hers, and undeniable penchant for design, spiraled into a
career in fashion.
Varona
began to design for an up-and-coming punk fashion brand. With
whatever time and money she could scrounge together, Varona
would take off to Los Angeles, New York and London to catch
her favorite punk and rock bands. Steadily, her gritty, yet
glamourous, music-injected style began to emerge. People were
starting to notice the chick with the wild hair and clothes
to match, and everyone wanted to know where they could get
clothes like hers.
It wasn't long
before Varona found herself making custom clothes for the
hairspray-doused and eyeliner-heavy, Detroit glam-rock music
scene. While punk and rock bands strutted her studded and
laced leather designs onstage throughout the Midwest, Varona
had begun to expand her creative reach to further express
fashion as art. By channelling the theatricality of some of
her favorite bands like, T-Rex, David Bowie, Alice Cooper,
and Roxy Music, she quickly became the go-to designer for
the growing club kids scene. But true to the restlessness
of the artist's soul, Varona couldn't stay in one place. In
the beginning of the 90's she packed her bags and headed to
the bright lights and crowded streets of Los Angeles.
Varona opened
her first store, The Catwalk, where she and other designers
of a similar rock aesthetic could showcase their wares. Eventually
she operated stores out of LA, Las Vegas and Orange County,
and she became known as a design goddess to the bands and
celebrities who flocked to her store for custom fittings.
Varona found her true passion when she transitioned from doing
individual custom pieces, to creating the look for an entire
tour out of leather, metal, and cloth.
Today, Varona
is the mistress and mastermind of Melrose Avenue's rock-wear
mecca, The Congregation of the Forgotten Saints clothing store.
The Congregation of the Forgotten Saints is more than a clothing
store, it is a haven for renegade artists. The location has
the Preachers and Fools tattoo shop in the back, and is host
to Art Core, and ongoing art show where artists from around
the world pay homage at the alter of rock n' roll through
installation, painting, and sculpture. Working with stylists,
and artists in the music and entertainment industry, Varona's
store and Forgotten Saints line of clothing is not for the
faint of heart, but for those who live the life and are crave
the wearable art of a hardcore culture. When you enter The
Congregation of the Forgotten Saints, you've entered the inner-sanctum
of rock royalty. Once you walk out wearing one of Varona's
labors of love, you'd better be prepared to do it justice
by throwing back a shot, cranking up the volume and banging
your head.
Cody Varona conjures
custom pieces for individuals and styles entire looks for tours
by hand. She has worked with everyone from Motley Crue and Guns
N' Roses to Rihanna, Buckcherry, Black Eyed Peas, Marilyn Manson,
Rob Zombie and more... You can find her presiding over her congregation
at The Congregation of the Forgotten Saints, 7569 Melrose Avenue,
Los Angeles, CA 90046. 323.655.0589
