Design Perspectives

Norma Kamali has been in the fashion industry for over 50 years and is known for her innovative designs. She designed the Sleeping Bag Coat on a camping trip in the seventies, as well as multi-style jersey dresses. In 1973 her designs were referred to as ‘vintage of the future’ and are, in fact, part of her line today in washable, easy-care fabrics. Her swimwear has made a global influence for over forty years. The Parachute Collection is in several notable museums and is still evolving as part of her collection today.

In 1980 Norma introduced her sweats collection that became the forerunner of what is today called Active and Athleisure Wear. In the mid-nineties she created the NK ‘try before you buy’ website and was the first designer to have a store on eBay. During this time, she continued her exploration of alternative, healthy lifestyle practices; a search that began after the loss of her dear friends to AIDS.

After 9/11 Norma opened the Wellness Café; a curated collection of personal care and food products that support the immune system. The Wellness Café hosted talks and events featuring experts in the wellness arena. Teas, meditation, and classes were held every day at 6 pm.

In 2007 Norma collaborated with Walmart in a three-year licensee partnership where she created a collection of timeless styles all $20 and under. According to Norma, this was one of the most inspired and exciting experiences of her career.

As a result of the successful collection on Walmart.com, Norma was determined to transform her company to be exclusively e-commerce. Her current distribution network is to all major e-commerce players as well as a selection of specialty stores throughout America and Europe.

In 2016 Norma Kamali received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the CFDA to add to her numerous awards from the fashion industry.

In 2019 NORMALIFE was launched under the concept of a healthy lifestyle. NORMALIFE is democratic and inclusive for men and women of all ages, skin color, and type. The first launch was a skin line of timeless, safe ingredients and the packaging was developed with a sustainability focus.

I AM INVINCIBLE, Norma’s healthy lifestyle guide on aging with power, was released February 2021. Norma continues to live through her purpose in life of empowering women.

https://normakamali.com/

https://www.instagram.com/normakamali/?hl=en

I am returning to share some thoughts on vetting folks. It is important to invest in your business, but it is more important to know whom you are giving your money to. Also, it is great to learn as much as you can, but it is equally important to implement what you have learned! 

Monique Stemper is the founder & brains of Stemper & Associates. 

Stemper & Associates customizes accounting, project management, as well as growth and development services to each designer’s unique needs . We help designers streamline their business process, control the bottom line, and maximize business profits so they can spend less time on paperwork and focus on doing what they love—design.

https://stemperandassociates.com/

Today on the podcast I am sharing what I learned at the Business of Home Future of Home conference. It was phenomenal! 

If I can share one thing with you, it would be to attend the conferences that will help grow your business. Do not look at it like it is an unnecessary expense, what it actually is, is an opportunity for YOU to grow your business & invest in yourself. The money you put out will return a thousand times if you implement what you learn. Learn to invest in your dream and truly give it ALL you got! I promise you, it will be worth it.

This is a message to faux ally's every where. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable and unlearn the entitlement & hatred that upholds white supremacy. STOP acting shock when you get it wrong. STOP with the hypocrisy. DO BETTER. That's it. 

Fernando is the co-founder of Duke Renders. A 3-D Rendering studio based in beautiful Tulum, Mexico. Duke Renders serves busy interior designers with 100% accurate photo-realistic 3D Renderings of their creative designs. They make you and your clients feel proud, confident and empowered at every step of the design process.

https://www.dukerenders.com/

https://www.instagram.com/dukerenders/?hl=en

Kaitlin Petersen is the editor in chief of Business of Home. She is also the author of the site’s 50 States Project, a weekly series that chronicles the unique challenges of running a design firm through interviews with interior designers state by state, and host of the podcast Trade Tales. Kaitlin has been writing about style and design for a decade, and her work has appeared in Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Metropolitan Home and Veranda, as well as Chicago, Texas Monthly, Time Out New York, and the international editions of Vanity Fair and Vogue.

https://businessofhome.com/masthead/kaitlin_petersen

https://www.instagram.com/knpetersen/?hl=en

Today we are going to address the most recent post from High Point Market Authority & their 10 chosen Design Influencers Tour. 

Shira Gill is the creative force behind Shira Gill Home, a lifestyle brand and popular blog. Her Virtual Closet Makeover Program and Get Organized Master Class sell out instantly, with hundreds of participants from all over the world. Shira has grown a cult-like following on Instagram, where her followers devour her authentic and funny content and share their own fifteen-minute wins (#15MinWin), from cleaning out a messy junk drawer to adding a calendar reminder to call their mother-in-law.

She is releasing her first book, MINIMALISTA (Ten Speed Press, October 12th, 2021)- an approachable, fun, and effective guide to understanding what you want and need to feel better at home, this fall.

https://shiragill.com/

https://www.instagram.com/shiragill/?hl=en

Today's guest is my client GraceAnne DiGiovacchino. She is a super busy woman who has a successful career, she is also a mom to a toddler & wife. GraceAnne found me via referral from a designer friend. She has NEVER worked with a designer & had no idea what to expect. She will share the lessons that she has learned being a homeowner &  what it is like to work with me.