Some people look forward to retirement for years, planning winter trips to warm areas and spending long afternoons relaxing.
But Norma Kamali, who turned 77 in June, never once thought about retirement.
In fact, the famous fashion designer and owner of Norma Kamali Inc. has signed a long-term lease on a new office in Manhattan’s West Village neighborhood.
“I don’t think you can ever retire from the creative life,” she tells CNBC’s Make It. “Doing this job is like breathing for me.”
Kamali admits she gets “stressed” when friends or colleagues announce their retirement. “I think, ‘God, why would you want to do that?’ she explains. “I’m not sure what retirement will look like for me…but it’s a different perspective on my life, and I’m very grateful to be doing what I do. I want to take advantage of everything. Every opportunity I can in this lifetime.”
Kamali opened her first store with her husband in New York City in 1969, designing clothes inspired by the contemporary fashions of the 1930s and 1940s, as well as the bright clothes that women would see on the streets of London.
Her fashion empire has grown far beyond the small basement boutique where she started – celebrities including Mindy Kaling, Heidi Klum, Christina Aguilera and Eva Longoria have worn her designs on magazine covers and on red carpets around the world.
Still, Kamali’s proudest achievement isn’t the awards she’s received or the fame of her designs in Hollywood: being the sole owner of her company and having zero debt.
“I really struggled with the creative life and the ability to say no,” she says. “Being a woman and owning a business, I’ve had a lot of interesting challenges, people pushing me to sell my company or bring in a partner.”
“I had to learn how to run a business without really having any role models or mentors, and I had to learn how to communicate with my employees and earn the respect that men in my position get.”
Humor was and still is one of the strategies Kamali relies on to build strong relationships at work.
“The best way to give someone advice, feedback or criticism without hurting their feelings is with good humor, especially when you want them to use the advice and still feel good,” she says.
Looking ahead, Kamali is excited to continue working in fashion for as long as she can. She also says she feels good about growing up – unless someone shows that her age puts limits on it.
“When I turned 65, I learned to separate,” she says. “Challenging myself, trying new things, and practicing discipline until I reach my goals has given me a lot of confidence to bring with me to my work…and a strong sense of self-confidence makes success even greater.”
check out:
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