Varona opened her first store after moving to LA in the 90s, 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 , Forgotten Saints LA on Melrose in Hollywood, 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.Working with stylists and artists in the music and entertainment industry, Varona's Forgotten Saints line of clothing was for those who live the life and craved wearable art. When you visited The Congregation of the Forgotten Saints, you entered the inner sanctum of music royalty.
Varona began to design for an up-and-coming punk fashion brand and would take off to Los Angeles, New York, and London to catch her favorite punk and rock bands with whatever time and money she could scrounge together. Steadily, her gritty, yet glamorous, 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 Cody found herself making custom clothes for the Detroit glam-rock music scene. While punk and rock bands strutted her studded and laced leather designs onstage throughout the Midwest, she had begun to expand her creative reach to further express fashion as art. By channeling 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.
Varona opened her first store after moving to LA in the 90s, 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 , Forgotten Saints LA on Melrose in Hollywood, 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.Working with stylists and artists in the music and entertainment industry, Varona's Forgotten Saints line of clothing was for those who live the life and craved wearable art. When you visited The Congregation of the Forgotten Saints, you entered the inner sanctum of music royalty.
Cody Varona conjured custom pieces for individuals and styled entire looks for tours by hand. She worked with everyone from Rob Zombie, John 5, Guns N’ Roses, Shinedown, American Idol, Cirque du Soleil, and more...In 2020, when the entertainment industry shut down, Varona found herself with a lot of free time and turned to her collection of vintage fabrics and patterns. She began cutting and sewing, resulting in a vintage-inspired women's line. This venture reignited her love for unique, custom fashion. She continues to create women's designs using vintage fabric and trims, dedicating much of her time to making custom pieces for clients. In 2023, Varona expanded her creative repertoire by starting chainstitch embroidery using a hand-cranked embroidery machine, adding another layer of customization to her work.Cody currently works out of her fashion studio in Fountain Valley , California and would love to make something for you!
