The Ledger
Every statement that passed quotation and attribution checks. Mix any filter with any other: certainty 1/5, debate potential 5/5, or both at once.
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Eddie Kamali spent early business funds on drugs and nightlife
“And he was very into drugs, and very into the nightlife, and money is being spent on drugs, and being spent on things that are not business related, and it became more and more difficult for me to get fabric, and to just Sort of do the basic things that you ne…”
Norma Kamali: Wholesale distribution erodes profit margins and brand control
“Once you get into wholesale, There are gonna be all kinds of questions wanting discounts, wanting, ah, all kinds of promotional money you're in their hands. They are also buying other brands who compete with you and you lose the control you have right now.”
Kamali: American Design Houses Did Not Truly Exist Until the 1970s
“It wasn't until the seventies that being a designer in a design house was an American concept, right? So the jobs that you would get in the sixties would be manufacturers who knocked off European fashion. Even the department stores at the time would copy the c…”
Kamali: Staying out of the spotlight drives brand longevity
“However, I attribute that decision, quite frankly, through the years to one of the reasons for my longevity. When you're the flavor of the month, people get tired of you, and they want to see the next flavor of the month.”
Kamali: Copying is a way of life and most of fashion industry copies
“It's sort of, to be honest, it's sort of a way of life in the fashion industry. There's a whole, most of the industry copies”
Kamali: Dropped claims against copycat designer to gift her dress pattern instead
“What I want to do is drop all of the charges against her, and I'm going to send her a pattern of the dress with instructions on how to make it. And I said, and you know what? Now she's not taking advantage of me. I gave her a gift, and that's it.”
Kamali: Halston's JCPenney deal killed his career and created retail stigma
“When Halston made a decision to do a big box, I think it was Penny's, it killed his career. And so, you know, word has always been, you don't want to get involved with those, because for your reputation, it's not good.”
Kamali: 650,000-unit orders grant designers tremendous manufacturing leverage
“Because when you order 650,000 units, you can get the quality you want and the fabric you want. That's a tremendous amount of power.”
Kamali: Consumers will continue wearing sweatpants despite post-pandemic claims
“Everybody's saying they're going to Never wear sweats again. Sorry, I don't believe you. I know you're gonna wear sweats again.”
Norma Kamali: Retaining sole ownership ensures control over product quality
“I still am the sole owner of my company, which tells you I really like to control the fit and the quality of the product”
Norma Kamali: Founders should build brand buzz before opening more stores
“I think he has to focus on the story and creating a buzz before he opens more stores.”
Kamali used girdle and circus fabric for 1960s stretch apparel
“That stretch was not available in fabric, so the stretch I was using was actually girdle and circus fabric, and I used circus fabric to make these pieces, and so this is the tone. This is not what anybody was doing.”
Kamali: Farrah Fawcett's iconic red swimsuit was an initial test batch of six
“I hated that swimsuit so much. I did six of them, and I would do six to test to see how people reacted to see whether or not I would continue doing it, and I would do these tests, and I remember thinking, I don't know, I just am not sure about the suit, and do…”
Norma Kamali walked away from original business with only $98
“Yes, I had 98 dollars to my name. We, at that point, Eddie and I had already separated our living situation. I had got an apartment, I had a mattress, I didn't have furniture, I had my clothes, and that was it.”
Kamali: First boutique on 53rd Street cost $285 monthly rent
“Well, it was 285 dollars a month. It was a basement. It was literally nine by 16.”