Stripe camouflage: Norma Kamali in her New York apartment in a Herzog & de Meuron building
Source: Mark C. O'Flaherty / Living Inside
Colour?
In Norma Kamali and her partner Marty Edelman's apartment, they are only available in homeopathic doses: a Monstera leaf here, a couple of red bowls there.
Otherwise mainly white, a little black and a pinch of gray or stainless steel.
Color takes place outside.
“We have spectacular sunsets here.
And so much light, ”says Kamali.
Because the curved facade of the building designed by the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron not far from the Hudson River is fully glazed, there are no massive outer walls.
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The apartment is located in the West Village, where the 75-year-old fashion designer, who looks and behaves in her late forties, has lived for a long time.
“Most recently in a Richard Meier building a few blocks away.
We really wanted to keep having a view of the water, and it was pretty hard to find anything suitable.
In the end, the person who introduced Marty and me ten years ago drew our attention to this property. ”It was the client: her friend Ian Schrager,“ Studio 54 ”co-founder, hotelier and property developer.
Bed and couch: the lying area grows out of the Mah-Jong sofa by Roche Bobois.
The modular design from 1971 was avant-garde then, today it is a classic
Source: Mark C. O'Flaherty / Living Inside
Originally the 400 square meter apartment was supposed to have four bedrooms.
But then Kamali came, had the walls and doors removed, and when he moved in in 2019 there was only one left of the four bedrooms: "I think that spacious rooms and open floor plans - just like the proximity to the water - are very beneficial."
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Norma Kamali's career in fashion spanned more than half a century.
She is a pioneer of athleisure and is considered to be the inventor of the long oversize down coat - the “Sleeping Bag Coat”, which the bouncers of “Studio 54” wore, has been an integral part of her collections since 1973.
Another Kamali piece also has cult status: the simple red swimsuit that actress Farah Fawcett wore for a photo shoot in 1976 for a poster that has sold around twelve million times to date.
Inspired by numerous stays in Japan: stainless steel plunge pool instead of tub.
From the bathroom you can see the Statue of Liberty
Source: Mark C. O'Flaherty / Living Inside
Norma Kamali has not always lived as minimalist as it is today.
On the contrary.
“I had a ridiculous amount of possessions,” she says.
She lived in a townhouse that was crammed with antiques, clothes and jewelry.
“It was
over the top
.” When she turned 50, she made a radical cut and parted with everything.
“In order to be able to think and design freely, I needed an environment that is like a white canvas.” That has remained the case to this day.
The narrow wall in the living room consists of LED panels
Source: Mark C. O'Flaherty / Living Inside
"Marty says that's his style too," she says with a laugh.
And so there is little furniture, no decorative objects and no pictures on the walls.
The beanbags in different shapes - classic pear-shaped, round, cube-shaped and pillow-shaped - that populate the huge living room are part of their new home collection.
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The long dining table, which can seat fourteen guests, is custom-made, the chairs come from Romania.
Your seat and back are made of old engine hoods, the frame is made of reinforced steel.
“Everyone is unique.
So that everyone harmonized with one another, I found the chairs myself in the dealer's warehouse. "
Room with view.
The chairs at the dining table come from Romania and are made from bonnets
Source: Mark C. O'Flaherty / Living Inside
Since the lockdown in the spring, Kamali has taken over the shared study.
The quotes on the wall can also be found in her book “I am invincible”, which will be published at the beginning of February.
Your partner uses the dining room for his zoom calls.
Neither of them has a special favorite place.
“We keep finding that we love every single room.
I like to stay in the laundry room, where Zeke, my 17-year-old dachshund, who hardly sees or hears anything anymore, has his place of retreat. "
The study with furniture by Skram and motivational sayings and quotes on the wall
Source: Mark C. O'Flaherty / Living Inside
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This text is from WELT AM SONNTAG.
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Source: Welt am Sonntag