Norma Kamali believes the world is in a period of transition and she wants you to be ready for anything. “Whether it’s an astrologer telling you, the bank, or people in finance, these are not ordinary times,” said the designer on a walk-through, “but fashion is purposeful in a lot of ways and it should always make us feel good. We should never feel guilty that we’re spending too much money, so I tried to make this a smart collection.” Smart in terms of getting dressed and bottom line; she’s managed to bring down the price of her famous sleeping bag coats (of which many variations have been shown this season). For fall this topper got a companion in the form of a neck donut that can coordinate or contrast with your look.
The collection was built around the bodysuit as a layering piece and customizability through reversibility, the stand-out six-pocket “shearling” that the lookbook opens with was an example of that. A collaged cheetah print played into the big-hair-don’t-care aesthetic popularized by TikTok, but otherwise Kamali worked with a muted palette. Crochet pieces felt out of synch with this very sleek New York offering; gray and black striped jerseys the touch of whimsy we do need right now.
