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South Pasadena Studio Of Celebrity Fashion Designer Gutted By Flames

PASADENA (CBS) — A fire ravaged the West Coast headquarters of fashion designer Richard Tyler early Friday.

The flames raced through boxes of client patterns and one-of-a-kind fabrics at 525 Mission Street in South Pasadena.

Richard Tyler
(credit: CBS)

Tyler is an industry staple, with hand-made designs favored by celebrities such as Elton John, Cher, Janet Jackson and Diana Ross.

The South Pasadena Fire Department responded to the blaze and said the fire was probably smouldering for hours before anyone saw smoke. The 4,500 sq. foot building had fire alarms but was not equipped with sprinklers, which could have minimized some of the damage.

Investigators said they believe an electrical malfunction sparked the fire.

According to reports, a relative of Tyler's said a wedding dress the designer made for Julia Roberts -- but was not worn by the actress -- was also destroyed in the blaze. It was reportedly one of many designs lost in the fire that were irreplaceable.

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