Move over Frankie: It’s Norma’s turn to say “Relax!” Now is the moment “to de-stress, we can’t take it anymore,” said Norma Kamali on a walk-through of her pre-fall 2024 collections which includes many soft jersey knits to wear loose, wrapped, or layered. These casual, yoga-easy looks, most in heather gray and white, slide around the body, rather than hug it. “The fabric is the sensual part of it,” said Kamali. “I feel strongly that relaxed is the mood for me… because as women, especially, we just need to not have to be on point all the time.” Still, the designer’s got us covered for those times too, as with a series of smart separates in navy and white. Of particular note are high-waisted pants that are fitted through the rib cage; Kamali first showed them in the ’70s and thinks they feel right again now.
One of the designer’s dresses from that era is included in the “Women Dressing Women” exhibition at the Met; for pre-fall she revisted it, rendering it a white-to-blue ombré in short and maxi lengths. Pulling from more contemporary experience—her recent wedding—Kamali offered many looks in white and holographic silver, including pretty dresses embellished with pearls, others with paillettes, and one with tiers of fringe. For her nuptials Kamali opted for her best-selling shirred Diana dress in white, which she wore with cowboy boots, a black leather moto jacket, and sunnies. There’s a “lazy Diana” in her pre-fall lineup that’s cut in a lighter fabric; it will be in stores in time for cuffing season next year.
