When Norma Kamali sat down to talk to OC at her Wellness Café in uptown New York, neither Gillian nor I was prepared for the semi-religious experience that followed. The iconic American designer radiates health and a guru-like aura. You would never guess that she's been dressing women like Cher, Madonna, and the original supers since 1974. But she has, and now her new guard of devotees includes Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Nicki Minaj.
This season, Norma joins the OC family, bringing with her a spring collection filled with fringing, fun, and form-fitting jersey. We took the moment to talk to the designer about topics close to OC's own heart: karaoke, Lady Gaga, and taking the road less traveled.
Shop all Norma Kamali here.
Alice Newell-Hanson: Can you tell us about where we’re sitting?
Norma Kamali: The Wellness Café started after 9/11. Everyone was just totally blown away by the experience and I’m a native New Yorker so it was very real to me. I realized that we were never going to go back to a time when we weren’t feeling stressed about something. I’d already been thinking about how stress and the immune system go hand-in-hand. I needed to find a way to help people feel better, and it started with olive oil.
When I was growing up, my family used olive oil for everything. I decided to find the orchards that made the best olive oil in the world and to start making products that were made from just puréed olives and nothing else. There’s an enormous amount of very healthy alternatives that just use olive oil—I brush my teeth with it every day. I’m obsessive about reading newsletters about wellness.
Gillian Tozer: I love your coconut water! Coconut water is a real "thing" right now.
NK: There’s a lot of stuff that we shouldn’t be drinking. If you substitute coconut water it’s so much healthier and your electrolytes are balanced. They still use coconut water for transfusions in many places around the world and that tells you that it’s doing something for you. So that’s the whole idea of the Wellness Café: it’s about alternatives that will help you have a strong immune system.
GT: Is the Wellness Café a new phase for you? How have you changed over time as a designer?
NK: I’m not a designer who references. My process just evolves and grows. I’ve been in the industry for a long time and I’ve realized that to get rid of things just because you did them is crazy. If something still looks good then it enters a new realm and becomes a classic. I’ve learned that I should celebrate that. But evolving forward is also very important for me. I like inventing things and finding new ways to communicate. I’m in the process of doing something that’s more revolutionary right now.
ANH: In the way that your clothes are designed?
NK: If you’ve been around as long as I have, you look at everything and think, “I know everybody loves that but I’ve seen it before.” So there isn’t a lot that can be new from a design perspective, except for the way that it’s made and the way that it’s communicated. The only other thing that will inspire new design—and this is scary—is if the environment becomes so toxic that we have to create protective clothing.
ANH: The balance between glamour and practicality is something that always defines your clothes, I think.
NK: Yes, I am very practical. Just like everybody else,
This season, Norma joins the OC family, bringing with her a spring collection filled with fringing, fun, and form-fitting jersey. We took the moment to talk to the designer about topics close to OC's own heart: karaoke, Lady Gaga, and taking the road less traveled.
Shop all Norma Kamali here.
Alice Newell-Hanson: Can you tell us about where we’re sitting?
Norma Kamali: The Wellness Café started after 9/11. Everyone was just totally blown away by the experience and I’m a native New Yorker so it was very real to me. I realized that we were never going to go back to a time when we weren’t feeling stressed about something. I’d already been thinking about how stress and the immune system go hand-in-hand. I needed to find a way to help people feel better, and it started with olive oil.
When I was growing up, my family used olive oil for everything. I decided to find the orchards that made the best olive oil in the world and to start making products that were made from just puréed olives and nothing else. There’s an enormous amount of very healthy alternatives that just use olive oil—I brush my teeth with it every day. I’m obsessive about reading newsletters about wellness.
Gillian Tozer: I love your coconut water! Coconut water is a real "thing" right now.
NK: There’s a lot of stuff that we shouldn’t be drinking. If you substitute coconut water it’s so much healthier and your electrolytes are balanced. They still use coconut water for transfusions in many places around the world and that tells you that it’s doing something for you. So that’s the whole idea of the Wellness Café: it’s about alternatives that will help you have a strong immune system.
GT: Is the Wellness Café a new phase for you? How have you changed over time as a designer?
NK: I’m not a designer who references. My process just evolves and grows. I’ve been in the industry for a long time and I’ve realized that to get rid of things just because you did them is crazy. If something still looks good then it enters a new realm and becomes a classic. I’ve learned that I should celebrate that. But evolving forward is also very important for me. I like inventing things and finding new ways to communicate. I’m in the process of doing something that’s more revolutionary right now.
ANH: In the way that your clothes are designed?
NK: If you’ve been around as long as I have, you look at everything and think, “I know everybody loves that but I’ve seen it before.” So there isn’t a lot that can be new from a design perspective, except for the way that it’s made and the way that it’s communicated. The only other thing that will inspire new design—and this is scary—is if the environment becomes so toxic that we have to create protective clothing.
ANH: The balance between glamour and practicality is something that always defines your clothes, I think.
NK: Yes, I am very practical. Just like everybody else,