Norma Kamali y su icónica carrera en la moda y el diseño
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00:00A privilege, a pleasure, a dream to be here with Norma Kamali, a wonderful woman, a star designer,
00:12an icon of fashion, an icon of New York.
00:16To start this 2025 with the luxury of an interview where she tells us about her life,
00:23about her company that is already 56 years old.
00:27Norma, welcome. I am so, so happy to be here.
00:32Thank you for this chat with people, people in Espanol. Bienvenida.
00:37Well, thank you very much. It's a pleasure and an honor to be a part of this. Thank you.
00:42A big anniversary is coming, 56 years of creating magic, wonderful proposals that liberate women.
00:51Versatile. They are beautiful. And once you have one of your pieces, you can have it forever.
00:59Thank you. See, that's true.
01:01Actually, there is a subliminal intention for that to happen.
01:06I think my favorite purchases personally are things that stay in my wardrobe or stay in my life forever.
01:17And so there is an intention there, I guess, when I'm doing the collection.
01:23So let's talk about this big anniversary, 56 years.
01:27What your secret is to just keeping the magic alive, being so powerful and so inspiring in many ways?
01:34You know, I am very lucky that I am having a creative life and that it continues
01:43and that I'm very inspired and my business is very strong.
01:48So it's a dream to be able to do creative things every day.
01:56So the company is the same, but actually every decade it is a major change.
02:07And every year, especially recently, things change so quickly.
02:12So you have to really love change to be in this business.
02:18The interesting thing is that when a designer is inspired,
02:26you never know if it's going to be a big hit and that everybody is going to love it or they're not.
02:34So when I did the first athleisure pieces, this was right after Studio 54.
02:42So Studio 54 was sparkles and color and very different kinds of clothes,
02:51clothes that look especially good at night.
02:55And then the next phase, the next movement was about fitness, athleisure,
03:06meaning an athletic vibe on how you approach living in the world.
03:13And so when I used sweatshirt fabric to create a collection, nobody had been thinking about that at all,
03:24especially the collection was gray.
03:26It was gray heather sweatshirt fabric after all the color and the sparkles.
03:33And I did sneakers with it and it was very, very comfortable and easy.
03:41And it was a shock to me that there were lines to get into stores to get the collection
03:50and that it became a worldwide kind of desire to dress like that.
03:57And then there's also something that we must mention for those who I want to show them who you are.
04:07I mean, in terms of like all those iconic celebrities, stars, Farrah Fawcett with her,
04:12the red bathing suit that became so iconic.
04:15And from there to today, when we think about Simon Biles, when we think about JLo,
04:21how is that, I mean, those celebrities that have come to have the privilege of wearing your clothes,
04:28inspire other women?
04:30Well, I'm privileged that they have the interest to do that.
04:37I don't necessarily seek out celebrities because I love the woman who's my customer.
04:48I connect with her really well, but I really love that throughout each decade,
04:58I've had fantastic photographs of famous women who've done incredible things with their careers
05:08and their talent looking amazing in my clothes and making me look good.
05:14So I'm very grateful to them.
05:17And I'm still grateful.
05:19I see the list of people who are wanting to use the clothes or wear the clothes or be seen in events in them.
05:31And I'm honored that that happens.
05:34But I think the thing that is common with those celebrities and with the woman who wears my clothes
05:44is that there's a certain energy that she has that enjoys the adventure of getting dressed and having an identity
05:57and having a good time in what she's wearing.
06:00So it's my responsibility to make sure that it's an unforgettable, fun experience
06:10and that it's something that's not disposable, that you want to keep.
06:15And people still have the clothes from the 80s and they pass them down to their children and now their grandchildren.
06:24So that's really a special compliment for me.
06:28That's your magic.
06:29Tell us about what's coming when this collection will be out and then we'll finish with your book,
06:35which I brought for you to sign for me.
06:37So there's so many ways to show a collection.
06:42And after so many years of doing different presentations,
06:47one of my favorites in our space, because we have 17,000 square feet,
06:52is to do an installation of 100 mannequins and present the collection so you can see everything at once
07:02and that you can walk through it and touch it and get up close to it.
07:07And then we have an LED wall that is 38 feet long and you can see the clothes photographed on models and in motion.
07:19And so the idea is the texture, the colors, obviously that you saw, red, black and white were very dominant
07:30and there were patterns throughout as well and texture.
07:34And I think the pre-fall collection, the summer pre-fall collection is an interesting one
07:43because you're transitioning through several seasons at the same time.
07:48So a lot of the clothes are clothes that are in between the big seasons.
07:54Summer pre-fall is basically April.
07:59April.
08:00April, May.
08:01And we look forward to April, May because it's chilly now.
08:07A little bit.
08:09Just a little.
08:10A little chilly.
08:11Can we talk a little bit about that power that you have?
08:14And then I want also to talk about this.
08:19I Am Invincible, Soy Invencible.
08:22This is your book.
08:23Yes.
08:24And it's beautiful and I brought it to you.
08:26My pleasure.
08:28So I Am Invincible is really a handbook.
08:33And because I am fortunate to be doing what I'm doing for so long and know so many women
08:43and interact with so many women, I'm using my own personal experiences and also research
08:50that I've done on aging with power.
08:54And this book is great for 20-year-olds and great for women through the decades.
09:00And transitioning from one decade to another is a very big deal.
09:05And women are on a rollercoaster of different things that are happening,
09:11including a hormonal rollercoaster.
09:14And so really taking care of ourselves, really looking at physical health,
09:20brain health, and the health to live a full life for as long as you desire
09:28is really kind of the big summation of what this handbook is about.
09:35Power.
09:36Power.
09:37Aging with power.
09:38Yes.
09:39I love it.
09:40When I feel empowered, when I'm healthy, I am strong.
09:43And then I can do all the things I need to do to reach the goals I need.
09:47Oh, wow.
09:48This keeps going on and on.
09:49But it's so beautiful.
09:50Just this, the cover, says a lot.
09:54It's a very strong message of who you are.
09:57Oh, thank you.
09:58Gracias, Norma.
09:59Gracias.