Designer Norma Kamali Shares Her Beauty Secrets Beauty & Style

Designer Norma Kamali Shares Her Beauty Secrets

The woman behind the sleeping-bag coat holds forth on organic cosmetics and the ' cultural sabotage' of insecurity

Garance Dore/Trunk Archive Norma Kamali is an American fashion designer best known for the "sleeping bag" coat. Kamali also designed the red one-piece bathing suit worn by Farrah Fawcett in the iconic 1976 poster. Way too many swimsuits stay in the closet, but that's not true of the number I bought in the 1980s after a photo shoot with the legendary designer. It's a retro-inspired draped bikini with bandeau top and waist-high bottom, and — indulge me here — it looks as good on my 60-year-old body as it did on the 30-year-old version. In it I feel like a glam '50s film star.

In previous decades (she's been a designing woman since 1968), Kamali gave us the sleeping-bag coat. She made fleece and denim couture-chic. She pioneered athlete-inspired "lifestyle clothes." Kamali continues to design look-good-to-feel-good clothes today, and now she's out with a new book, cowritten with physician Jingduan Yang, titled Facing East: Ancient Health and Beauty Secrets for the Modern Age. Whether you buy into their philosophy of "energy flow," Kamali's musings offer a fresh take on aging beautifully. Health, not shape, is the key to confidence. "As a designer," Kamali observes, "I've seen how easy it is for women to feel not thin enough or not pretty enough. I've watched women let a bad hair day or an inability to fit into a skirt be powerful enough to take them down. It's cultural sabotage that begins early in life, but it's also self-inflicted. That's why I started the website. It's a forum where women can share their experiences, encouraging them to end that cycle and create awareness in all their relationships — especially those with men." The eyes have it. "Your eyes are your most expressive feature," Kamali says, "so accentuate them with color on the lids or brows. Oh, and distinctive [eyeglasses] frames — your choice says something about you without a word being said. My 'statement accessory' is large, cat's-eye frames [worn] with just a little natural mascara." New year, new specs? Update your look. "For years I wore red, red lipstick," Kamali says. "I feel like I was born wearing it. But today I'm concerned about potentially toxic ingredients in cosmetics, so I've switched from lipstick to plant-based lip stains. Instead of toothpaste, I use a tooth soap that's a blend of olive, coconut and essential oils. I even wear a plant-based aromatic scent." It sounds like Kamali has let go of a number of things that defined her in the past but that don't reflect who she is today. (I know I have, as well — you, too?) Mull before you molt. Some believe an individual naturally transforms every seven years. And that's fine, Kamali says. On the other hand, "if you're contemplating a long-lasting change in your appearance — a tattoo? multiple piercings? — think first about what will happen if you hate it later on." One thing she hasn't set her (chiseled) jaw against: the "acupuncture face-lift" as an alternative to dermatological or surgical procedures. For more beauty and style tips, check out The Woman's Wakeup and AARP's Beauty & Style digital magazine app for tablets. (Video) Sneak Peek of AARP The Magazine’s Special Beauty & Style Issue: In this video, you’ll have a front row seat to learn beauty secrets from Christie Brinkley, Bobbi Brown and more. Watch now! Featured AARP Member Benefits See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

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