Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/468853
98 BAL HARBOUR THE MAKING OF AN ICON Norma Kamali changed the shape of women's fashion—literally. Here, writer Jessica Michault sits down with the legendary designer to discuss four decades of style. Norma Kamali, who began designing in 1965, has been referred to as the Greta Garbo of the fashion industry. I n the second half of the 20th century, perhaps no two designers had more impact on the way women dressed than Yves Saint Laurent and Norma Kamali. While even a fashion novice knows the Saint Laurent name, Kamali, who has been referred to as the Greta Garbo of the industry, has remained relatively under the global fashion radar. And yet, to this day, her innovative ideas, female- friendly designs and fabric exploration continue to impact the industry as a whole, as well as shape the work of up-and-coming fashion designers. Kamali, who will turn 70 this year, started her love affair with fashion back in 1965 when she used a job working in the office of an airline company to score discounted plane tickets. She traveled almost every weekend for the next four years to London and experienced the fashion revolution that was the swinging '60s firsthand. "My dream of being a painter switched to fashion the minute I stepped foot in London," says Kamali of that time. "I brought back clothes each week from London and sold them to friends; then I opened a store. Within a few months, I was making styles and selling my own clothes through a small shop I opened in 1967." It was not long before Kamali, an ageless beauty with a sleek and slender frame, was a Studio 54 regular and her designs were being