1945-
Fashion Designer

Cotton Fleece Line.

In 1980 Norma Kamali became a household name as a result of her collection of cotton fleece coordinates inspired by dance and exercise clothes. Her line reflected the essence of 1980s clothes for women: comfortable, body-conscious, and affordable. The separates, made of sweat-clothes material, included minis, leggings, and big-shouldered tops in unassuming gray, pink, or striped fleece. They were widely copied. Kamali became particularly well known for her giant removable shoulder pads, a fad that lasted for the whole decade.

Life and Business.

Of Basque and Lebanese descent, Kamali was born Norma Arraez in New York City on 27 June 1945 and grew up on the Upper East Side, where her father owned a candy store. She studied fashion illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology, graduating in 1964. With her husband, Eddie Kamali, she opened a small shop in 1969, selling European imports and...