Designer has made a career giving Stevie Nicks her look (2024)

By VINCENT JACKSON, Staff Writer, 609-272-7202

Any thought of Stevie Nicks' image brings to mind her soft,layered style featuring shawls, scarves, layers of lace anddelicate, airy dresses.

The iconic look for one of the lead singers of the rock bandFleetwood Mac owes as much to her own personal taste as to the workand creativity of Los Angeles-based fashion designer and celebritystylist Margi Kent.

Nicks, 61, will wear clothes styled by Kent when she takes thestage Saturday at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall.

"She always wears little-beaded jackets or a bolero-shapedjacket for the summer," said Kent, who added Nicks also will dressin a four-ply silk jacket. "Mostly, she wears blondy, beigy, creamyand mahogany colors. ... Black is a main thing, but we pop it withother things."

In 1977, Kent, a trained designer, had been on her own for twoyears with a rock 'n' roll costumes business before she startedworking with Nicks.

Kent designed clothes for the opening band on one of FleetwoodMac's tours. The group, Jiva, had its 1975 debut album released bythe late George Harrison's Dark Horse label.

"I should have something special for me," said Kent about Nicks'reaction to seeing Jiva's clothes.

Nicks wore clothes that were soft and silky, and she sometimesput on jeans, Kent said about Nicks' stage attire before they met.She didn't have a look prior to the release of her band's 19million-selling classic album "Rumours" in 1977, Kent said.

"She noticed that I was putting her feelings intothree-dimensional images," said Kent about what happened once theystarted talking.

They were really young when they started working together anddeveloped mutual respect because they listened to each other, Kentsaid. Nicks and Kent teamed up from 1977 to the late 1980s andstarted again for the 1997 reunion and have continued to thepresent. Nicks has a house in Los Angeles. She will come to Kent'sLos Angeles studio, but they also talk on the phone a greatdeal.

"The person, (Nicks) who was born from us collaborating, is theperson you see," Kent said. Kent will be re-entering the high-endretail market this year. Her fall 2009 collection was firstunveiled at an exclusive preview.

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for select fashion editors, buyers and stylists earlier thisspring at the Hosfelt Gallery in New York City. Her work can beviewed at her Web site www.margikent.com.

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