Fashion Features
Norma Kamali wants female objectification to end, raises awareness with campaign
By April Neale Mar 10, 2013, 22:04 GMT
Iconic designer Norma Kamali is trying to do something radical: stop the objectification of women. Remarkable for the fact that the industry that Kamali made a name for herself in is a number one source of many soul sucking images, trends and thoughts that can negatively affect all women.
"Feminism to me means empowerment. Fashion also can mean empowerment. If you feel like you look good, this can literally make you feel invincible." -Norma Kamali (Feministing.com)
Iconic designer Norma Kamali is trying to do something radical: stop the objectification of women. Remarkable for the fact that the industry that Kamali made a name for herself in is a number one source of many soul sucking images, trends and thoughts that can negatively affect all women.
Kamali has worked in the fashion industry for over 20 years. Her shoulder padded dresses with cinched waists from the 1980s , parachute collection and more recent swimwear line are fashion staples. She’s now pioneering a campaign to empower women and stop the objectification experienced everyday on the streets.
Ms. Kamali is a CFDA-winning designer who is also part of pop culture - it was her magical red one-piece bathing suit worn by Farah Fawcett in the classic 1976 “Charlie’s Angels” poster, which now is on display at the Smithsonian.
Ms. Kamali was the first designer to create an online store for eBay, and she also created an affordable collection for Walmart in 2008.
New focus: Stop_Objectification:
Despite her work history that includes rubbing (and dressing) the shoulders of the very famous and powerful, she has found that all women share one common thing: they all suffer from issues of self-esteem, and these often stem from feelings of objectification.
The overall goal of her organization is to empower women. To recognize that an awareness needs to be shared with the men we know, that the effect of objectification damages our collective psyche.
She has launched a campaign aimed at empowering women and ending objectification, which lives at StopObjectification.com along with a short film, titled “Hey, Baby.”
Ms. Kamali believes that this movement can change the world, if addressed seriously, and that we could produce a new generation of women who are happier and more secure, and thus better partners, mothers, employees and human beings.
