Norma Kamali began her career in 1965 with a signature sleeping bag coat and parachute clothing. Over the next several decades she expanded her fashion-forward designs into swimwear and casual sportswear, then with a patented high-heel loafer and several sneakers. In 1985 a passion for wellness became a driving force in her life—and business. (Her wellness café on West 56th Street in Manhattan opened in 2002.) Over the years there have been license collaborations with Walmart, published books and impressive e-commerce partnerships. In July the native New Yorker, 74, launches Normalife, a skin care line comprised of four products designed for all skin tones and types, genders and ages. “The first incarnation of this was developed in 1993 and was paired with the concept of not wanting to put on makeup,” said the award-winning fashion, film and interior designer. “I have not worn makeup since. I thought the world was ready for a no-makeup look. I was too early; it was the 90s. I’m not now.”

Somehow, Norma found time to talk to with Beauty News for the 5 Minutes with… feature.

 

Beauty News: What is the purpose of your skin care line?

Norma Kamali: To provide a simple plan for a no make-up, fresh glow with natural products for the face and body. These are simple products that work and show results. They contain universal ingredients; olive oil, aloe, charcoal and fermented sugar beet… that work for every kind of skin and skin tone, and the way you combine them together create magic. Everything is applied dry and massaged into the skin and rinsed off, except for the moisturizer, which stays on.

 

BN: How are your products different from others out there today?

NK: Presenting your face in its most authentic self with only a few products is a major mind switch. Each is built on three principles: Sleep, Diet and Exercise. There’s Clean, an alternative to soap for face, body and hands; Smooth, an exfoliating cleanser; Soft, an every-day moisturizer and also a make-up remover, and Glow, a color enhancer. Keeping it simple and keeping it consistent give better results. The beauty industry makes you believe you have to have all these products.

 

BN: What’s your business approach to building a successful company?

NK: Authenticity, staying relevant and loving what you do. Take calculated risks and be invested in the idea.

 

BN: What’s your strategy for this line?

NK: I started with skin first because it helps me define the inclusive democratic concept of Normalife. We’ll follow with a number of other products, including a specific scent that acts to revitalize, restore and calm. The first will be a meditation and sleep scent. Social media is super important. I’ll be releasing videos and doing demos on Instagram and will have others doing them as well. Our website will become more interactive. We’re developing a Q&A quiz concept for the site. I’m also working on a book that will continue this concept of a healthy lifestyle. I also have e-commerce accounts, which we will be distributing as well.  I will be doing demonstrations in stores and a group of talks that will start in September.

 

BN: What made you decide to give Barneys New York and Selfridges an exclusive?

NK: Both are primarily fashion driven and because people see me as a fashion designer those are two good places to start. Barneys and Selfridges service men and women, and a brick and mortar experience works well for skin lines. I can tell the story straight out of the box.

 

BN: What have you found most challenging about the skin care/beauty industry?

NK: Finding the truth in quality ingredients and developing key relationships.

 

BN: What kind of market shift in this category have you seen over the past year?

NK: There’s a glut of trend driven products, which can saturate the market place, CBD being the most obvious at the moment.

 

BN: What are some specific strategies you’re using to reach a younger consumer?

NK: The millennial is reached through social media and is interested in video demonstrations. I’ll be reaching out to them directly on my website and through e-commerce sites that sell my clothing. Gen Z is very open to more natural and authentic ways, they might not be as into social media in the traditional way so I’ll be doing more grassroots, talking to them directly and giving them products.

 

BN: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned over the years?

NK: I learn a lesson every day. The key is to understand they will be there forever and it’s how quickly you recover from the lesson.

 

BN: Greatest accomplishment thus far?

NK: Being able to live a creative life and give back. I’ve been in business for 51 years with no partners.

 

BN: What’s a specific business mistake you’ve made?

NK: My ideas may be ahead of their time! For example, 1993 the skin line was conceived. Website was 1995 – three people may have been on the internet!

 

BN: What beauty product (not your own) is your favorite and why?

NK: Olive oil that comes from two different orchards, one from the south of France, and another from a small family orchard in Spain.

 

BN: Best advice for newbies entering the business today?

NK: Be willing to stay longer at the rise than you think you will have to and don’t burn bridges. You might have around 50-plus years and you see everyone again.

 

BN: What’s something no one tells you when starting a business?

NK: You may have to change one of the most important beliefs you had to find an even more inspiring direction. Be flexible without giving up integrity.

 

BN: What’s a mantra you live by?

NK: Know thyself.

 

BN: If you were to write the note found in a fortune cookie, what would it say?

NK: Don’t eat this cookie. It has nasty ingredients, especially the sugar.