Photos By Gail

Norma Kamali’s New York boutique was a hub of the art, fashion, and club scene of the late 1960s and 1970s. Kamali designed playful, body-conscious and gender-fluid garments, collaborating with people from the dance, wellness, and health worlds.

After her divorce in 1975, she launched her brand as OMO (On My Own), a personal venture without investors or external help, named to underline her artistic and entrepreneurial autonomy. For her Parachute Dress (1978), Kamali, repurposed parachute silk that had been gifted to her. Straps and draw cords allow the wearer to adapt the dress’s length and fit, lending ease of movement , and bestowing a sense of freedom.

Photographed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of the Exhibit, Women Dressing Women.

Installation View