Norma Kamali Reveals the Career Advice She Still Follows

Courtesy of Norma Kamali, Design by Leah Romero

4 min read

In ELLE’s monthly series Office Hours, we ask people in powerful positions to take us through their first jobs, worst jobs, and everything in between. This month, we spoke with Norma Kamali, whose influence on the fashion industry spans more than five decades. Ahead of her latest launch, the NORMAKAMALIFESTYLE Collection, we caught up with the iconic designer to dive into her incredible career journey—from how she got her start in the business to the reason why tariffs lead to her new line.

My first job

I worked for Northwestern Airlines. I had no office skills, and I don’t know how I got the job, but I did. I worked there for four years—this was the mid ’60s—and I traveled round-trip to London for $29 every weekend. And Lond