In November 2012, I attended the Fashion Houston Week. It was the last fashion show of the week. I wasn't feeling very well but I wanted to attend to show my support. I had several ensembles I could have done, but I decided to pull together a bit of past and present couture. The core piece was my vintage Norma Kamali dress. My look was so impressive it was noted in a local fashion blog of Lights Camera Action, Houston South Asian Lifestyle Society News.

I would have to say this was by far my favorite style story!

-Moní

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I had a red, red, red ensemble in the early '80's -- a full skirt, nearly ankle length, and a long-sleeved t-top with marvelous shoulder pads. I wore it with tennis shoes, of course. It was my cheery delight -- the t-shirt knit was smart and comfortable, and the outfit helped me bounce around town with style and fun -- I worked as a cater-waiter for the Silver Palate, a fashion assistant for Mary Lou Luther, and danced at Erick Hawkins.

30 years later I am a happy mama in the Midwest -- I wear a lot of Kamali Kulture and cherish a "sleeping bag" coat I got during the Wal-Mart experiment.

Viva la Norma!

- amy

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I remember wearing many things from my Norma Kamali collection and having lots of great memories from all of them.

But if I have to choose just one it would be the beautifully embroidered body suit in black with the embroidery being multi-colored. I have attached a picture of it when I wore it for my 30th birthday party. I still own this beautiful body suit and actually got the two colors that it was in. My 30th birthday party was a smash and everyone LOVED what I was wearing. I wore that body suit on numerous other occasions and always got tons of compliments from women by telling me how beautiful it was and of course the best was by men with their eyes.

I also have to mention the original perfume that Norma created was my staple. I still have some. It was just called Normal Kamali. I don't even know if you make it anymore. I hope to get some in the future so I hope you still make it. One party I had I used candles from your shop of that scent. It was so great to smell it everywhere in my house. Everyone loved the scent as well.

I also have practically every jumpsuit/catsuit you made back in the 80s. I think it was the 80s it might have been early 90s as well. In all of my most prized possessions, Norma Kamali clothing has meant a lot to me and in a way created the atmosphere around me back then. I always felt like a million when I wore any items from my Norma Kamali collection.

I use to be in the garment industry where I sold textiles to garment manufacturers in Los Angeles. I would travel to New York numerous times a year for the shows and to be there for my customers. I always made a day of going to Norma Kamali. I spent $10,000 one afternoon of shopping for about three or four hours. I had such a GREAT time shopping in Norma Kamali. She introduced me to my favorite fabric now, which is Rayon/Lycra jersey. I can't get enough of it still.

Thanks for listening because this walk down memory lane was some of the best memories I remember having.

- Lisa

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I wear something that Norma Kamali designed everyday. That's a fact. Not head to toe, but a piece.

The first piece I bought must have been in 1975. A bathing suit, then a jumpsuit, and it has kept on going right up to the present. Norma's clothes fit me and make me smile. My daughter, who is 23, now wears Norma's clothes as well.

I don't know how many pieces I have (I adore her shoes, one pair named FRANKIE, my daughter actually sketched them in art school). Her fringed mini skirt. Her parachute pieces, her suit jackets, dresses, shrugs, fishtail pants, denim tux, dresses, and her bikini's!!!! I must have 10 sleeping bag coats.

I am a stylist and work @ Saks 5th Ave. Chanel, Dior, Oscar de la Renta are some designers that most people drool over. Norma will always be my favorite.

I worked for Norma for several years and loved every second of it. I learned so much. Norma is a genius and so ahead of her time it is scary! (Plus she is funny, smart and sexy)

I think my favorite piece is my black leather "gang jacket" with silver zipper, it's a little beat up looking now, but somehow it looks even better.

Norma's clothes can be worn umpteen different ways. When her poly jersey pieces have been worn to death, I wear them to the beach.

Always chic and modern and compliments for days!

Thank you Norma, for making me smile everyday since 1975.

- VICTORIA

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My favorite Norma was a grey short sweatshirt when I was a young teenager (about 40 years ago!) those shoulder pads (removable ... although I would have never removed them) were the absolute coolest shirt I'd ever had. I LOVED it. For now, I have a khaki green shirred swimsuit that is so chic. I am not a woman who is comfortable in a bathing suit, but yours is another story! Thank you!!!!
I look forward to owning more of your clothes!!!

I also enjoy your 'Notes from Norma' very much.

- STEPHANIE

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It was June 1995, and my jazz piano player husband (Chuck Folds) got a gig to lead a trio for five days in small towns in France and Spain. I decided to relive my youth and spend a magical ten days in Paris! Our friend/fan/travel agent (Roberta) made my arrangements. She found a charming hotel for me on the Left Bank with a jazz club in the basement.

I pack very light -- and all my clothes were Norma Kamali.
In the enclosed photo, I am wearing my favorite overcoat. It is black poly -- sort of like a ¾ trench style, but no belt.

I have one of your giant scarves on which I use as a nightgown and an overskirt. Underneath the overcoat is your single poly slip dress with a swingy single poly top. I still wear all of these pieces -- with the exception of the slip dress -- which I still have, but has been worn thin!

I LOVE your clothes -- and as an artist, I treat them as a blank, black, canvas. I hand wash everything.

Thank you for being Norma.

Cheers

- JANE

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It was the 80s. I was one of the then few female executives at Universal Studios and had been invited to meet Jerry Brown and then Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill at Lew Wasserman’s house. I wore my long red Norma Kamali Sweatshirt dress with black heels. Walking up the long driveway behind Governor Brown I realized everyone else was in black. I stood out as if everyone else was in a black and white movie and I was the only one in color. I was the object of many stares as I went into the house where the Speaker promptly walked over to introduce himself and give me a big hug, then proceeded to invite me to sit with him for the rest of the evening.

It was the dress......

- sara

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Just this past summer I stopped by the OMO boutique with my 12-year-old daughter Natasha. It was her first visit to my favorite Manhattan shop. Natasha just happened to be wearing her favorite leggings, ones that I had purchased from the OMO store in the mid 80s. They are a cotton stretch that form fit over the body up over the rib cage with shoulder straps that cross in the back (something a dancer would wear to rehearsal). I wore them for years and my daughter lives in them. She leaves the straps loose and adds her black converse and funky tee shirts. Just as we were leaving the store my daughter leans over and whispers to me, "this really beautiful woman just came over and told me 'she likes my style'"...and when she described the woman, I said, "do you know you just got a compliment from one of the greatest designers of our time??!!"

My second story takes place back around 1985 when I stopped into the boutique to find a dress for a gala honoring my husband's colleagues at NYU hospital. I was 25 and it was my first gala and my first big fashion purchase. Norma was in and she helped me select a jersey gown that fit like a glove - something a prima ballerina would wear on stage with toe shoes - Norma wanted me to get a matching shrug but at the time I couldn't see my way to that fashion-forward accessory that is now ubiquitous. The recollection makes me smile. At any rate, Norma accessorized the gown with gold stretch opera gloves and a matching shawl (which has doubled as a swim cover up) over the years. The dress was a well worn investment that never went out of style.

Most recently in 2012 I wore the black and nude lace gown to the Pittsburgh Public Theater gala. My husband and I danced for hours and I felt like a princess. Thank you Norma!!

- BEAR
 

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