Real estate agents rarely appear in the fashion pages of glossy magazines, but Lana Turner has never been much interested in doing what’s expected of her. The Harlem local (and, many would say, legend) first caught the gaze of the fashion media thanks to her impeccable style—simultaneously classic and unusual—which has now been admired and photographed by several generations of New Yorkers. She once sold a hard-to-shift townhouse by mounting a display of her outfits inside it. Turner is embedded in the history of Harlem—not just in its buildings, but also in its culture. I met her while working on programming with the literary society she’s helmed for 38 years. She’s currently organizing a season based around the life of Alain Locke, the philosopher, educator and “father” of the Harlem Renaissance. It’s not so much that Turner is “more than” her style (500 boxed hats included), it’s that she sees her wardrobe as integral to her This story is from Kinfolk Issue Thirty-Five Buy Now Related Stories Fashion Issue 49 Urban Doom A saturnine mélange of subversive styles. Arts & Culture Fashion Issue 49 A World of Difference A fun lesson in cultural faux pas. Design Fashion Issue 49 Reid Bartelme & Harriet Jung An inquiry into costume design. Fashion Issue 48 Bodies of Water Two friends, one drop in the ocean. Fashion Issue 48 Mineral Content The healing powers of a long, hot soak. Fashion Films Issue 47 Farida Khelfa France’s fashion muse.
