Norma Kamali, an iconic fashion designer celebrated for her innovative work and expertise in aging nutrition, joins Ahmed Ejaz, founder of the Cambridge Spectacle Company. They discuss balancing creative vision with business realities. Norma offers valuable insights on refining brand narratives to attract investors, including the importance of storytelling and market connection. They also explore healthy eating through innovative fast-casual soup concepts, emphasizing positivity and resilience in pursuing entrepreneurial dreams.

Norma Kamali, an iconic fashion designer, shares her incredible journey from airline clerk to runway legend. She describes her eye-opening trips to 1960s London, which inspired her unique designs, including the famous sleeping bag coat. Norma reflects on her experiences with celebrities and the impact of fast fashion on the industry, advocating for comfort and creativity. She also discusses overcoming personal challenges, including reinventing herself after divorce, demonstrating resilience in the ever-evolving world of fashion.

When Norma Kamali studied fashion illustration in the 1960s, she never expected to become a designer. So when a job as an airline clerk came along, she was glad to accept it—along with the perk of dirt-cheap flights from New York to London. On those weekend trips abroad, she discovered fashion that was exuberant and eye-catching, so she started loading her suitcase with clothing to sell in the U.S. By the 1970s, she was designing her own pieces out of a shop in New York; soon she was selling them to celebrities like Cher and Bette Midler. Today, after more than 50 years in the fashion industry, Norma Kamali is known for iconic designs like the sleeping bag coat, and the bold red bathing suit popularized by Farah Fawcett. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThisSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.