“A designer learns through the seasons and years that our job is to have the tempo of what people are feeling,” the voice of Norma Kamali said over her fall collection video.
She echoed this message over Zoom, explaining that right now, optimistic fashions that exude the feminine, and are also timeless, are the key to how women are dressing and feeling.
The collection wasn’t groundbreaking in terms of silhouettes, as Kamali purposely stuck to a meld of new and archival bestselling styles (ranging from the sell-out ruched Diana dress to cutout swimwear to covered-up coats), uplifted in new prints (floral bouquet, animal and more) and colorways.
The look: Fun, playfully sexy and timeless.
Quote of note: “Everything I thought about this collection was to think about what are those timeless characteristics in this category, and how do I express it for this moment in time? One of the obvious things that make women feel good is the expression of what is feminine. Feminine can be anything from super pretty to powerful pretty.…I believe that if we are clearly on the path to understanding where we are as women and what we want to wear, we need to be able to express that range.”
Key pieces: Plenty of feminine frocks (floor-length gowns to minis with ruching, cutouts, fringe, bias cuts, etc); enveloping jackets and coats (quilted numbers with matching flounced skirts or new sleeping bag coats); versatile sports and swimwear.
The takeaway: Optimism stood at the forefront of Kamali’s collection through myriad prints, bright colors and easy, versatile (machine-washable) fashions.