Norma Kamali

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Norma Kamali is a New York based fashion designer. She invented many popular designs like the sleeping bag coat (a collection of styles created from actual parachutes), high-heeled sneakers and currently the popular packable, multi-use clothing that can be worn in sometimes up to thirty variations per design.

As a child Norma Kamali wanted to be a painter but her mother was firmly against the idea. She wanted her daughter to go into a more traditional profession. Undaunted, Norma studied fashion illustration at F.I.T. in her native New York City and got her BFA degree in 1964. After graduation, Kamali realised that the opportunity for work in fashion illustration were few and far between and so she instead got a job in the office of an airline instead. This new job allowed Kamali to get discount airline tickets. She took the opportunity to fly to London every weekend from 1965-1967 to experience the famous swinging London lifestyle. It was in London that Kamali first saw wild mod fashions and extreme hairstyles from Europe. She started to wear short skirts and go-go boots, false eye lashes and mod wigs. She even went so far as to shave off her eyebrows to better drew them on in a more fashionable style.

Kamali quickly got the idea to take all the great European fashions she has seen back to New York and open a shop in her native New York. Her first store opened in 1968 on at 229 53rd st between 2nd and 3rd Ave. It was a crowed basement shop that sold clothes from popular British designers and the Salvation Army. Things moved quickly after that. A feature article about the shop in Harper's Bazaar magazine in 1967 spurred on Norma's popularity with the fashion elite in New York. Magazine editors made Kamali's boutique a must stop shopping experince.

At about this time, Norma Kamali decided to start her own clothing line. Even though she had no prior experience in pattern drafting or sewing, she set to work making a collection. The popularity of her label forced her to expand her store. in 1974 Kamali moved her store to Madison Ave in uptown New York. At this time Kamali also designed the now famous "parachute" collection. Using real silk parachutes bought from the army surplus store, Norma fashioned a punk infused line that featured excessive volume controlled by drawstrings.

in 1975 Norma came up with her most famous design, the "Sleeping Bag" coat. While on a camping trip she realised how comforting it was to wrap a huge sleeping bag around her at all times. She quickly got to work making a large quilted jacket of a similar design to her sleeping bag and the outcome was a success.

Norma's swimwear has influenced an entire industry each season since her first collection in 1974. After Christie Brinkley appeared on the cover of Cosmopliton magazine in a custom made Norma Kamli "pull bikini", the Public demand for the swimsuit was so much that Kamali launched her very own swimwear line in 1977. Many of her swimsuit designs remain as popular as they were when they were originally introduced.

Kamali was invited to design the costumes for the citizens of the Emerald City in the 1978 film version of the musical The Wiz. In that same year Kamali opened a new store at 6 W56th street in New York. Around this time Norma Kamali created her famous sweateshirt collection and her high heeled sneakers, both of which have been much copied since.

In the early and mid 1980's Norma Kamali began to be reginised more and more for her effects on modern fasion and her constant support of education and the arts. Diana Vreeland added Kamali's parachute clothing to the permanate collection of the MWt Museum in New York. In 1981 Kamali was awarded the Coty award for 'Design Innovation'. in 1982 She won the Coty for 'Best Women's wear Designer. Thew following year The [[Coty}} committee decided to elect Norma Kamali into the [[Coty}} Hall Of fame for outstanding achievement in women's fashion. In 1984 FIDM fashion collage in Los Angeles California gave their annual achievement award to Norma Kamali. Norma has received numerous awards for fashion design, architecture design, interior design, the creation of fashion video short stories, and community public service. She also was one of the first to receive a plaque on New York's 7th Ave Fashion Walk of Fame.

Norma Kamali continued to innovate all though the 1980's. She launched a Frangrance line for both women and men. She designed costumes for many of Twyla Tharp's dance performances and launched a line of furnature and home furnishings. Next came an eyewear collection. Her fashions of this period took insperation from gym clothing, Victorian garments and wild African designs ( the famous "Mudd Print"). Kamali's designs finally began selling outside of North America in 1987.

Throughout the past 12 years, Norma Kamali has dedicated time in the New York City public schools teaching students how to bring art together with commerce and establish job opportunities for students who are artistic and creative.

In Spring 2006, Norma Kamali and Everlast presented a contemporary sportswear collection. Kamali is well known for her reworked sweat suits from the 1980s and her collection with Everlast will carry this concept forward throughout the seasons.

In 2006 Norma received a special tribute award from the Board of Directors of the CFDA. She contiunes to innovate in the fashion industry from her newly re-energized swimwear collection to her successful online shop, launched in 1996.

A New York Nightlife fact : Norma Kamali was Ian Schrager's girlfriend during the Studio 54 days and also designed costumes for performers.

[edit] References

• http://www.normakamalicollection.com/ Norma Kamali Collection]
• Norma Kamali Vintage
• Index magazine interview