Designer of the Week - Norma Kamali

Norma Kamali is a New York-based fashion designer born in 1945. She is best known for the "sleeping bag" coat, "parachute pants" made from silk parachutes, and versatile multi-use pieces. She designed the red one-piece bathing suit worn by Farah Fawcett in the iconic 1976 Charlie's Angels poster. The suit was donated to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in 2011. She is also credited with popularizing the shoulder pad in womenswear in the 1980s. Her work is on permanent exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Kamali was the first designer to create an online store on eBay. In addition designing clothing, she has also produced a fitness, health and beauty line. In 2008, Kamali produced a collection for Walmart.

Kamali attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and received an honorary doctorate from the institution in 2010. Kamali has received Coty awards, CFDA awards, and a plaque on the Fashion Walk of Fame. She received the CFDA Board of Directors Special Tribute Award in 2005.