I am so sad to hear that Norma Bliss has passed away. Many of you will know her as a style icon from Ari Seth Cohen's blog and books Advanced Style. I knew her as a neighbor for a brief time in the early 90’s. I had purple hair and drove a ’67 Chevy Caprice that I had glued things to and painted … and she wore black wings and drove her ostentatiously large shiny red pickup truck with her name emblazoned on the front! It only made sense that we’d meet up in her driveway and chat.
I was smitten with her and cherished our chance meetings; it was like seeing a rare bird who was only in Syracuse until the wind picked up and she could migrate to warmer weather. I distinctly remember her describing how much she loved Miami not just for the sun but because she could palpably sense the danger there, and thinking "Wow, we are not the same, but that's okay."
She could talk to anyone, and did; could befriend anyone, and did. Her facebook page was a steady stream of Bliss plus new friends: artists, baristas, flea market vendors — pretty much anyone she met. She had a spirit for life that I have only ever experienced in a few people. Rest in peace, kind soul.