By Smith

Coterie

2012-02-24T13:02:00.005-08:00

Thank you to all of our stores that came to see us at Coterie! See below for pictures from our booth where we featured our Fall 2012 Collection!

Next stop for by SMITH? NOLA Fashion Week where Fall 2012 will hit the runway!

March 6th, Martine Chaisson Gallery @ 8 PM, New Orleans

For tickets click here and RSVP to purchase your tickets for the show

On the road again...

2012-02-16T09:24:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Since our last chat I have been in Atlanta, Birmingham, and New Orleans! It's that time again where my bags stay packed and I keep all my glosses in a secure zip-lock bag to avoid complications with airport security. In the midst of the travel I still managed to turn 26 and celebrate!

The last week of January we had our Fall 2012 photo shoot which was quite a success despite the snowy conditions. We had an amazing team and I am really pleased with the pictures and can't wait for the introduction of this collection next week at Fashion Coterie. Coterie takes place at The Jacob Javits Center and we will be located in booth # 9016 on The Contemporary Level, 3!

Nikki Sharp + DEX

Thanks to our team:

Last Friday night, by SMITH Spring 2012 rocked the runway at Birmingham Fashion Week which took place at Pepper Place. Jamie Hill, The Owner of The Hill Collection, collaborated with us for this event, providing her incredible European, vintage jewelry.

Birmingham Fashion Week Models + Jamie Hill Jewelry + Jamie Hill

The Chanel

Her collection goes so well with my line and I could not of picked a better person to work with. Not only is Jamie's collection exquisite, but this girl is too on the inside and outside. My favorite piece was a vintage Chanel necklace (above), made out of crystal which I paired with my Confetti Dress.

Models

Thanks Jamie for all of your help with the show and for working with us! I look forward to working with you on future projects. You can currently shop The Hill Collection at Henhouse Antiques in Birmingham.

A special THANK YOU to Jeana Lee Fleming and Heidi Elnora, Founders of BFW, for inviting us to be apart of Birmingham Fashion Week! These two know how to put together an event!

Spring 2012 coming to stores near you soon! If you have any questions regarding a certain style please email sales@bysmithcollection.com. Thanks!

Events:

February 21.22.23.2012 | Fashion Coterie | Jacob Javits Center | by SMITH Booth # 9016, Level 3. Contact Stephanie@bysmithcollection.com for appointments

March 6.2012 | NOLA Fashion Week | by SMITH Fall 2012 | New Orleans | Martine Chaisson Gallery

by SMITH from Day to Night= The Confetti Dress

2012-01-12T09:19:00.000-08:00

Hello!

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday! It was nice to take a little time off and see my family. Holland (my older sister), had her adorable baby boy yesterday! Baby Collier is the new man in my life, weighing 7 pounds and 8 ounces. Congrats Holland!

On the business front- I am awaiting my Fall 2012 Samples. They are trickling in week by week, which is always exciting to me as I love seeing the final product. My inspiration for Fall 2012 is Paris + 1960's + a little inspiration from my Great Grandmother. More to come with Fall 2012 soon...

The main focus of this post= The Confetti Dress (above)

The print for this dress was executed by me and it all started with one of my little acrylic paintings. And when I say little, I mean a piece of paper that was 4 x 4 INCHES! So it's a baby painting that was changed on the computer and from there, repeats were created. This dress is one of my favorite's for the season.

The next thing that I personally love about this dress, is the sleeve changing option. I came up with a concept for this sleeve design that makes this a 2 in 1 dress. As you can see in the images above, the sleeve can be worn up in a tulip cap sleeve or worn down in a flutter flare sleeve. This feature makes this dress a must for every girls wardrobe! I just love a piece that can be transformed from day to night...who doesn't?

Look for The Confetti Dress in stores near you in February and on our favorite online site WonderMode!

If you have questions regarding this style or about our pre-ordering options, please email Joyce@bysmithcollection.com.

Events coming up:

AmericasMart, Atlanta: February 2.3.4.5.6.2012 in Ambrosia Showroom, to make an appointment with me for this show please email Stephanie@bysmithcollection.com. I will have early Fall 2012 with me!

Coterie, New York: February 21.22.23.2012, for appointments please email Stephanie@bysmithcollection.com

by SMITH Ties for S A L E

2011-12-02T10:34:00.000-08:00

Hi there!

Our by SMITH Men's Ties arrived this week- just in time for the upcoming Holidays! Our Thai Silk Ties are hand stitched and made in Thailand. We are offering 15 different color options in this collection.

Please email us directly if you are interested in purchasing a by SMITH Tie for the upcoming holiday! Contact: Sales@bysmithcollection.com

Pricing:

$60 for 1

$50 each for a purchase of 2

Stay tuned for more details about our Tie collaboration with L.A. based Music Artist, Cody Wood (Below)!

Updates

2011-11-28T11:53:00.000-08:00

Today is "Cyber Monday" so if you are looking for a great deal on by SMITH shop today to receive 20% OFF of ALL of our Fall 2011 on WonderMode.com

Hi there!

I just got back from a lovely time in D.C. for Thanksgiving with my good friend, Grant, and my family! It was so relaxing to take a little time off for a couple of days. Now back to business--

I am have completed designing my textiles and Fall 2012 Collection-- believe it or not. Spring 2012 will be here before we know it!

Things are busy busy here! Since our last chat, I have been in Tuscaloosa, Dallas, L.A., D.C., and Pensacola.

Travel Itinerary:

Tuscaloosa: Part Two Trunk Show- Wonderful + Visit with one of my favorite college Professor's--Dr.Koontz
Dallas: F.I.G. Trade Show- Love this show (my top pick on the one to attend)
L.A.: Luxury Review- Great turn out + Weather
D.C.: Thanksgiving- Food + Wine + Friends/Family= Happy Smith
Pensacola: Friend's Wedding- by SMITH Bridesmaid's (Congrats to Wesley and Daniel!)

Wesley + Daniel's wedding! by SMITH Bridesmaids (More pictures coming soon)

Picture by Mary Beth Tyson

See below for a few of our features since my last blog post:

This month by SMITH was a featured Designer on WonderMode: Click me

Feature on The High Low: Click me

Last week we received a very exciting shout out from Evyan Metzner, Fashion Director of SELF Magazine: For full article: Click me

She picked some of our pieces for her holiday favorites on WonderMode.com---which is our favorite online retailer!

See below: Cody Wood | Song Artist- sporting a by SMITH Tie to Gen Art Fresh Faces in Fashion in L.A. this month. We have an exciting collaboration to announce in regards to our by SMITH Ties + Cody Wood...coming soon!

Today by SMITH was featured by Life and Charity Magazine! If you missed our post on Facebook or Twitter check it out here: Click me

Events:

December 16th- 22nd we are having a Trunk Show at Painted Pink in Montgomery, Alabama. We will be running a special on ALL Fall 2011 items and I will be attending the show on December 22nd all day! We will send out reminders closer to the show---

More to come soon!

Trunk Show + Updates

2011-10-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Today I leave the big apple and head down south for a by SMITH trunk show at Part Two in Tuscaloosa. I can't WAIT! We just got our Washington Square dresses in---and they are looking good. Get one before they are gone-- they are goodies. I will be wearing mine Saturday!

Washington Square Dress

Our event last week with The Luxury Review was a success! More exciting details to come with that soon...and we are looking forward to being part of The Luxury Review: Los Angeles

Steph + Me + Mimi in one of the featured Mercedes

The day after The Luxury Review I headed down to Atlanta for AmericasMart: Spring 12 Show

Victoria (Representative) + Lindsey (Designer of Troubadour) in our space

Next Wednesday, we head to Dallas for The F.I.G. Show which starts Thursday and runs until Saturday. We will be located in The SHOP @ F.I.G. area! For appointments please contact Stephanie@bysmithcollection.com---Thanks!

Spring 12: Behind the shoot...

2011-10-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

Ashley: Model + Nick: Hair

Me + Jay: Photographer

Me + Mimi: Stylist

Steph + Me

Dex: Make-up + Nick: Hair

Union Square Studios: Location

Hello!

As promised I wanted to post some pictures of what went on behind the scenes at our Spring 12 shoot! We had an amazing team and successful shoot.

Tomorrow night we are looking forward to our first event with The Luxury Review, which will take place at The Metropolitan Pavilion.

For more information: http://theluxuryreview.com/2011/02/18/the-luxury-review-new-york/

Thursday in the a.m.- I head to Atlanta for our Spring 12 apparel market at AmericasMart. We will be showing in Co-Op West in 9W351D- so buyers stop by and see us!

See below for more of my favorite Spring 12 pictures...

Stay tuned for more pictures soon!

October is here!

2011-10-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

Hello!

October is here and there is a nice chill in the air! Time for fall clothing!

I just got back from a sales trip across the south east and I had a great time out on the road. It brought me back to the days of travel with Collier + my beloved Jetta and of course our time spent at Chick-fil-a. I want to send a special thanks to the stores we met with, Lindsey (designer of Troubadour), and our new rep- Victoria! They were wonderful travel companions-

This week is a big week for by SMITH! We are having our first trunk show at Monkee's of Wilmington, Thursday-Friday, October 6th & 7th--- all day! Wilmington fans- stop by to shop the latest fall pieces.

We are also having a trunk show with Fresh Boutique of Charlotte, Saturday, October 8th from 11 AM-4:30 PM. They will have new items for the store and plenty of fall inventory to shop--

In New York, Thursday, October 6th, we are having an invite only party to shop by SMITH Fall 2011. All guest attending will get the chance to see the complete Spring 2012 Collection. To inquire about details + invites please contact: Stephanie@bysmithcollection.com with the subject: Sip and Shop Invite for more details about attending.

What am I am wearing this fall? Check out some by SMITH combos that we recommend:

Upcoming Events:

Wednesday, October 12th, by SMITH will be a part of The Luxury Review which is a press showcase and luxury shopping experience:

http://theluxuryreview.com/2011/02/18/the-luxury-review-new-york/

We will post pictures!

Thursday, October 13th, we head to Atlanta for AmericasMart! We will be showing in Co-Op West, Booth # 9W351D---to book an appointment please email: Info@bysmithcollection.com

This month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and as our contribution we are going to be donating a % of our sales from these events towards Breast Cancer Research. To participate in The Avon Walk- click the link below to register:

http://www.avonwalk.org/new-york/

Spring 12 Preview

2011-09-13T07:18:00.001-07:00

by SMITH Spring 12

COTERIE 18.19.20

Booth #: 3531 Level: 3

For appointments contact: Stephanie@bysmithcollection.com

or call 212.777.2479

Hello! Here are a few of my favorite looks for Spring 12! These original prints were developed from a few of my acrylic paintings. I am introducing cashmere + custom prints + a variety of separates and lots of C O L O R. The dress pictured above features a sleeve that can be worn several ways---two dresses in one? I am very happy with this collection!

I would like to send a special thank you to my incredible Spring 12 photo shoot crew:

Hair Stylist: Nick Pagano | Owner of ID Salon + Goldwell Style

Make Up: Dexter Phillip | DEX New York

Model: Ashley Sherrill of Wilhelmina Models

Stylist: Mimi Corwin

Photographer: Jay Sinrod

Coordinator: Stephanie Cercone

Location: Union Square Studios

More behind the scene pictures coming soon!

Events:

The Clothes Tree by Deborah | Birmingham, AL

by SMITH Trunk Show | September 15.16.17.18 | Shop Fall 11!

Coterie | New York | Javits Center

Booth #: 3531 Level: 3

Appointments: Stephanie@bysmithcollection.com

Fashion's Night Out

2011-09-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Tonight we will be showcasing by SMITH Fall 2011 at Diana Warner's grand opening for Fashion's Night Out. It will be a great time so stop by if you are around anytime from 5:00 pm- 11:00 pm! DJ Essjay will be providing tunes + yummy baked treats from Pate a Chew and Bonnie Bakes ---

This Friday, Stephanie + Grant + me will be attending The Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion Show @ 7 P.M. and I can't wait! The show will take place in The Grand Ballroom of The Manhattan Center and the after-party will take place at 404 Event Space.

Steph and I can't stay too late as we have an early morning Saturday for our Spring 2012 shoot! We are shooting at Union Square Studios all day---so get ready for sneak peaks on twitter:twitter.com/by_smith = Follow us to see the pics!

Dexter Phillips + Jacob Paul + Me

Model: Ashley Sherrill | Spring 2012

Nick Pagano + Me @ Gen Art Fresh Faces 2010- Miami

Our team is incredible:

Hair: Nick Pagano (who I met and became friends with through my Gen Art Fresh Faces in Miami experience), Make-Up Artist: Dex Phillips of DEX New York, Model: Ashley Sherrill- friend from home who is now apart of Wilhemnia New York, Stylist: Mimi Corwin, and Photographer: Jay Sinrod

It's gonna be great!

This upcoming Monday we are having a by SMITH Trunk Show @ Chelsea Market at the blues JEAN BAR Pop Up store--be there to sip champagne and shop the incredible jean selection and of course--our Fall 2011! We will be there from 5 P.M.- 9:00 P.M.- look for more details on our fan page and on twitter!

Coming up:

The Clothes Tree by Deborah of Birmingham, Alabama

by SMITH Trunk Show: September 15th- 17th

http://theclothestreebydeborah.com/

Coterie Trade Show starts: September 18.19.20 | by SMITH Booth # 3531, Level 3

Store buyers make show appointments today: stephanie@bysmithcollection.com

That's all for now!

Fall + Color= Happiness

2011-08-25T09:20:00.000-07:00

Hello! Our summer interns have come and gone---I can't believe summer is over! I am not going to lie...I am the girl that loves turtle neck season so I am looking forward to the cold weather. The weather I am not looking forward to this week is Hurricane Irene. I never thought I would be worried about a Hurricane living in New York.

Our first fall delivery, full of bright colors, has been shipped to all our stores! We are booking trunk shows for this fall so if you are a store owner reading this---contact us now! We are pretty booked at this point through October. I am personally attending a by SMITH trunk show at Part Two in Tuscaloosa (Roll-Tide!) on October 21st! I am very very excited about this one!

Spring 12 samples are almost complete---I am itching to get them. Our shoot is scheduled for September 10th so be on the look out for sneak peaks on facebook and twitter.

For this entry I decided to spice it up a little bit and go "shopping" in one of our favorite stores carrying by SMITH this fall--pick of the week: Uniquities | Chapel Hill | North Carolina

I put together accessories and shoes I would pair with my by SMITH look from Uniquities.

You can shop this look online or go to the store!

Check out their website: http://www.uniquities.com/

Fall 2011 in stores this week!

2011-08-03T08:00:00.001-07:00

Fall is hitting stores all over the globe this very week! I have been waiting for this week since early February when I started selling this season. Check out our store list http://www.bysmithcollection.com/stores.php?reg=1&state=all

to find out where to shop by SMITH! If you have any questions about our Fall 2011 pieces contact us directly @ sales@bysmithcollection.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Suzanne, Stephanie, Me, Michelle, Amanda

Recently we attended The Luxury Review- Rolls-Royce Event in The Hamptons. The amazing afternoon brunch, located at an estate in Watermill, was catered by James Beard Awarding Winning Chef, Patrick Connolly (Chef and Owner of Bobo, NY Restaurant). Suzanne Connolly (above, far left) is amazing and is a part of The Rand Luxury team. She is the mastermind behind The Luxury Review Events. We had a great time--thanks to everyone at Rand Luxury! On a side note- while staying in Sag Harbor, Stephanie and I ate at LT Burger---wow that place is tasty!

In this picture Stephanie and I are showing off our new car-- isn't it amazing? Okay- no, but we are sporting our new by SMITH Fall favorites. I am wearing The Bryant Park Dress which is a dress that is very delicate and special as the squares on the skirt are cut out by hand and is made of Thai Silk. Stephanie is wearing our East Village Skirt in black which is perfect to wear dressed up or with a cotton T and flats.

Things to look into:

Wondermode is offering this deal right now-

-When spend $125 or more per Designer shipping within USA - free UPS ground. Takes 3-5 working days from time Designer ships.
-International free shipping when spend $250 per Designer or more.

So check out by SMITH on wondermode: www.wondermode.com

Still interested in by SMITH Spring 2011?? Please email sales@bysmithcollection.com to find out what we have left in stock for 70% OFF-- now thats a deal

Off to INDIGO-- a great textile show to check out fabrics for Fall 2012---always planning....so far ahead!

Fall 2011 is coming!

2011-07-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

Our first shipment for Fall 2011 is coming soon...so very soon! This collection will be featured in stores all over the globe---several in Japan + Canada + Indonesia + West Coast + Mid-West + new stores all over the South East---so look out people.

Stephanie and I decided to take a few snap shots of our favorite Fall 2011 looks that are not online at this time. If you are searching for the look you want to snatch up from your favorite store carrying by SMITH this fall--take a look! Viewers wanting to admire my professional modeling skills please feel free--to applause (if you know me) or laugh for that matter...

Shop by SMITH on http://bysmith.wondermode.com/shop (For Fall 2011 Pre-Orders)

Wondermode is an awesome site---check it out and shop all the brands on the site. If you become a new member you will receive $25 OFF your first purchase $125 and over---good deal! Click this link for the "summer of wonder" special: https://www.wondermode.com

Upcoming events:

Next week we are having a by SMITH private sale event with www.edressme.com---to shop these amazing deals sign up for their member only sale:

www.edressme.com/private-sale.html

This Saturday, July 16th, from 6pm-9pm @ The White Rabit our friend/blogger, Jacob Paul is co-hosting an event called, "Conspire to Inspire." This event is held every month, bringing together the "best" of the best in entertainment, music, fashion, music, art, technology and non-profit sectors. The organization picks a charity each month to benefit---this month: http://www.engadiministries.org/Engadi/Home.html (by SMITH ties up for auction)

More about the event from Jacob's blog:

http://jacoboheme.com/2011/07/12/jacoboheme-and-conspire-to-inspire/

Don't forget we are accepting Fall 2011 Interns now---to apply please send your resume to stephanie@bysmithcollection.com---deadline is July 31st. P.S. This internship would mean involvement in our Spring 2012 photo shoot + Spring 2012 trade show assistance...hello good experience---We have been receiving great submissions so far---don't wait to apply!

Black on black...

2011-06-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

Before our sample sale--setting up!

Ruth showing off her Katz's Deli...meat

Dinner at Bobo, West Village

Harris + Me @ Gen Art Film Festival

Stephanie + Me @ Gen Art Film Festival

Yesterday I rolled out of bed...went into my closet to get dressed and pulled out my black Soho Shorts and very casually grabbed a black tank to wear with it. I don't think I have ever worn black on black---I am normally dressed in so much color that I could be mistaken for Rainbow Bright's twin (extreme comparison). I couldn't help but think, does this mean I am morphing into the all black wearing group of people that fills this city?

When I came into work Stephanie (my little New Yorker) greeted me by saying, "oh you look like me today!" Anyway that being said please expect Spring 2012 to lure you in with vibrant colors and saturated jewel tones because I still love bright colors and always will! And if you see me wearing black on black tell me to go home and change into a hot pink shirt.

My bestie Ruth was in town all last week which was so much fun having her here! She actually helped me get some ideas together for Spring 2012. We also hit all the best food spots while she was here:

- Grimaldi's Pizza, Brooklyn

-Katz Deli, Lower East Side

-Bobo, West Village (the best---atmosphere, food, service)

-Central Park Boat House, Central Park

-Sophia's, Midtown East

We attended Gen Art's Film Festival for night #6 which was the featured film, "American Animal." The very interesting and "dark comedy" was written by Matt D'Elia who also stars in the film. I am not a film critic so I will leave that up to someone else--but all in all it was entertaining. The after-party was at Avenue on 10th avenue which is a really cool venue!

Check out the links to find out more about the film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJYs10yQLo0

or http://www.americananimalmovie.com/

Our sample sale was a hit! We had lots of shoppers, cocktails, and best of all Baked by Melissa cupcakes---those little things are so tasty. They actually remind me of the danger of popping a can of Pringles potato chips...need I say more--danger

Last week we signed on for two incredible events called The Luxury Review a division of RAND Luxury taking place this fall in New York and Los Angeles. These exclusive events are a way to showcase the latest luxury products and services. We are looking forward to this event and have really enjoyed getting to know The Luxury Review team--they are awesome!

More about both events:

New York

http://theluxuryreview.com/2011/02/18/the-luxury-review-new-york/

Location: Metropolitan Pavillion

Date: October 12th, 2011

Los Angeles

http://theluxuryreview.com/2011/02/18/the-luxury-review-los-angeles

Location: The Petersen Museum

Date: November 9th, 2011

Who is coming?

Invited attendees for this event include members of the press & media industry, editors, product analysts, studio executives, product integration & product placement professionals, tv/film producers, personal shoppers, stylists and special guests.

Check out this great article featuring Jewelry Designer and Owner, Diana Warner of Diana Warner New York: They featured by SMITH in their store pics and gave us a mention! Thanks Diana Warner + wonderful team!

http://ny.racked.com/archives/2011/06/20/jewelry_designer_diana_warner_opens_a_gramercy_boutique.php#now-open-diana-warner-2

That is all for now----back to work at the office with Stephanie and intern Ashley! For the latest by SMITH updates follow our twitter, www.twitter.com/by_smith

Happy early Birthday to my younger sister, Margaret Leigh! June 23rd is her big day! Happy Birthday today to Jodi!

Summer has arrived!

2011-06-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

Dex, Jacob, Me

DEX New York- so pretty!

The summer heat has entered this city and I have a love-hate relationship with it. Things have been pretty busy around the office prepping and finalizing Fall 11 production/orders and getting the ball rolling with Spring 12. For my Spring 12 Collection I am doing my own prints which has been a really cool process beginning with a painting I created. My spring inspiration right now is a mix of Jackie O + her time spent vacationing on The Amalfi Coast...more to come soon! Most importantly Fall 11 is coming to stores hopefully near all my readers soon! Two months to go ladies-

Stephanie my incredible new Business Coordinator officially started two weeks ago and I believe she has changed my life. For starters the girl is hilarious so that definitely gives her 6 out of 10 points in my book + she is smart(+3) and oh so helpful (+1) so yes I am in love= 10 points. Stephanie is a very close friend of Collier's and they worked together in The Hampton's for Pucci a couple years ago so she introduced us! Another addition to our summer team are our by SMITH interns Ashley (soon to be Junior at UGA) and Sally (soon to be senior at UA- roll tide)! We have a full house here, but we are definitely enjoying our time together and staying busy in our new space.

Last week I was interviewed by New York blogger, Jacob Paul:

http://jacoboheme.wordpress.com/2011/06/04/urban-palate-smith-sinrod/

We had a great time during the interview and we actually got together yesterday for a day of fun. Jacob introduced me to his friend, Dex Phillip, who is CEO of DEX New York which is a makeup label considered to be "the evolution of mineral makeup." His product is natural, but not boring with blah neutrals instead he has vibrant street and runway ready rich color options all named after different streets and landmarks of New York (like my spring+fall collections). I was a lucky girl yesterday and received a make over done by Dex himself! Jacob recorded our session for part of his blog feature on Dex and his company. See above for pictures! Check out his website: www.dexnewyork.com

We are having my first New York Sample Sale next week and we would like to invite our local fans and friends to come by our studio to shop, eat, drink, and scope out our new location.

Updates & Events:

Diana Warner New York is officially opened! Her store is awesome---New Yorkers go by to shop her amazing jewelry and clothes...42nd 21st Street on the corner of Park Avenue

Market: Starts tomorrow!!! June 9.10.11.12.13. in Atlanta AmericasMart, by SMITH Holiday will be showing in Linda Underwood Showroom, Suite 11N101 for appointments or questions please contact sales@lindaunderwood.com or stephanie@bysmithcollection.com

Sunday, June 12th from 12:00pm-5pm Dex (our new friend) is celebrating summer at Donna Karan New York, 819 Madison Avenue between 68th and 69th: Shoppers will receive a 10% discount and a complimentary make-up application by DEX New York!

by SMITH NYC Sample SALE: June 16th, Thursday, 12:00pm-8:00pm @ our new studio!

195 Chrystie Street, Suite 403C

Stephanie and I are both updating twitter so you may see a tweet from -SC (thats Steph) and -SS (thats me)

Exciting personal news---my older sister is pregnant! I am so excited I get to be "Auntie Miff" to someone else! Congrats Holland! Love you!

LIVE! with you know who

2011-05-16T19:44:00.000-07:00

Diana Warner's new store in the works!

by SMITH new studio!

Luxe Boutique, Dallas- Coming soon to Snider Plaza!

Well well well last week threw me for a bit of a loop! On Monday and Tuesday I finally started moving into my new office with the help of my boyfriend and wonderful Madre. We ended up repainting the studio space, moving my office furniture, running to IKEA (not even time for a meatball-if you have been to IKEA you know what I am talking about), building furniture until midnight, and then returning for more rearranging the next day. IKEA is a great place for a good deal, but it comes with + lots of building + lots of patience + lots of crossing fingers that you don't break or injure yourself when using your hand crafted pieces. I have never been very handy if you will so my worries are legit.

As previously mentioned, Mary Margaret Kemp was picked as a top teacher for Regis and Kelly's 2nd Annual Top Teacher Week and made an appearance on LIVE! with Regis and Kelly last Tuesday rocking a by SMITH skirt. She looked amazing! She is truly an inspirational teacher and person---check out the video below of Mary Margaret with her students: http://www.dadt.com/live/contest/topteachersearch/11/index.html

Picture with Regis and Kelly in our Central Park Skirt:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150184297538472&set=a.10150184106268472.320104.76053353471&type=1&theater

In the mist of all this I was able to watch Mary Margaret on LIVE! with Regis and Kelly which was so exciting! As soon as I finished watching Mary Margaret's episode- I received an email from Jennifer Hoffman telling me she was going to be wearing my Tribeca Dress on Wednesday on LIVE! with Regis and Kelly. Jennifer Hoffman has been a fan of by SMITH and was recently named the winner of The Amazing Race 18: Unfinished Business with her sister, Kisha Hoffman. So on Wednesday when things calmed down with the move, I was able to watch Jennifer live and she was absolutely stunning! The dress looked like it was made for her-

Check this out:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1plkwHoyfw&feature=youtu.be

If you are interested in our Tribeca Dress there are a few left on http://www.edressme.com/day-dress-sp2311.html so shop now if you want this style! Congrats again Kisha and Jennifer!

It was a good week to say the least! I put a picture above of my office so you can get an idea of what we did last week. This Thursday, Stephanie, my new Business Coordinator starts which will be A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

We have two new stores opening in June: Luxe Boutique in Dallas and Diana Warner in New York

Diana had a painting party and I went to help her paint the walls a vibrant blue! Her store is going to be incredible, location: 42 East 21st Street

On a personal note: My younger sister, Margaret Leigh was accepted and is attending Cambridge University in the fall for graduate school! Congrats ML---you deserve it--so so proud of you!

More to come soon my friends-

Fashion Week Digital and Updates

2011-04-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

Well time has been flying since my last entry...I have a couple exciting by SMITH updates to fill you in on...

My Spring 2012 Collection will make an international debut by participating in Fashion Week Digital in August of this year. I was picked to show my collection in this show last month and I am very excited to be involved. Fashion Week Digital is the first online fashion week show presented to web viewers live. The FWD site will play each fashion week show live during the scheduled time from August 25th - September 1st, 2011. The site will also have membership options where members can pre-order certain show pieces directly through the site. The site will include video interviews of each designer's collection and feature stories about each designer/brand. I am excited to be a part of Fashion Week Digital!

To read more about FWD click here:

http://www.globalfashionwire.com/press/en/63793/Fashion_Week_Digital_Creates_The_First_Online_Fas hion_Week_Available_To_Everybody_In_The_World.html

This Sunday I am moving by SMITH to a studio office located in Soho. When I get everything moved and organized I will post pictures of my new work space. This month we will have a new Business Coordinator joining us and I could not be more excited! We have a couple of by SMITH interns starting at the end of the month as well so we will have a full house. I will introduce our new business gal in my next entry...so more to come!

Yesterday, Mary Margaret Kemp, one of Holland's close friends and a Kappa Delta sista- was picked as one of the top teacher's in America with Regis and Kelly's 2nd Annual Top Teacher Search! This is so exciting and on May 10th she will appear on the show for an interview! Congrats Mags!

Check out the link: http://www.dadt.com/live/contest/topteachersearch/11/index.html

This week if you shop in Isabella of Memphis you will receive 20 % Off by SMITH, Annie Griffin Collection, and Hunter Dixon as a weekly promotion! If you are in the area pop in to shop great things for a fabulous price!

by SMITH is now in Gus Mayer of Birmingham in The Summit--stop by to shop our Soho Shorts! Spring/Summer is now is Jakarta, Indonesia which is probably a bit far for most of you blog followers, but just incase you are in the area, check out Le Privee in Plaza Indonesia:

http://www.plazaindonesia.com/store_detail.php?id_store=190&id_ref_store_category=&id_ref_menu=6

More to come soon...signing off-

ATL---back to NYC

2011-04-12T12:22:00.000-07:00

by SMITH on Mack.

Model for Medical Alliance Fashion Show: Featuring Part Two, Tuscaloosa

Wendy Crenshaw in my booth at F.I.G. - She was a great by SMITH helper for the day!

I am back in New York for two full weeks! I am excited to say it's finally starting to warm up here. Yesterday after running a few errands I was reminded that warm weather does exist here. It was lovely; I am surprised I didn't tap dance down the street I was so happy.

Back to business-

Dallas was a success and I really enjoyed the layout of F.I.G.- it was very modern and contemporary. When I was in Dallas I stayed with one of best friend's Allie. We had a grand old time catching up during my visit. After Dallas I headed to Atlanta for my last big Fall 2011 trade show in AmericasMart. I always enjoy the show in Atlanta because it's great to work with stores who have been with me since the beginning of by SMITH. My niece, Chappell, my sister, Holland, and my parents came to visit me in Atlanta so it was fun to see them! Chappell is my heart- I love that child...she calls me "Aunt Miff."

Also while I was in Atlanta I reconnected with this incredible Jewelry Designer- Diana Warner, http://www.dianawarnerstudio.com/ that I met when I went to AmericasMart in high school. She is opening a new space this summer in New York and will be carrying by SMITH! I love her stuff and bought a few pieces for myself.

Updates:

Last week by SMITH Fall 2011 was featured in a Medical Alliance Fashion Show in Tuscaloosa for our incredible store there- Part Two.

So what's in the works right now?? Time to really get things rocking and rolling for Spring 2012--my prints are in the works and everything is beginning to evolve..more to come with next season...

We have our new site up: www.bysmithcollection.com

If you haven't checked it out- please do...I love it-

Today one of my fall pieces was featured on this blog called Mack. by Kristin Mackercher. Kristin and I went to Alabama together and I appreciate her support. She has a really cool blog- take a look: http://kmmacker.blogspot.com/2011/04/madly-deeply-red.html

This Thursday- Saturday, The Cotton Mill in Nashville is having a by SMITH Spring 2011 Trunk Show. They will have our best spring looks perfect for Easter, The Derby, Stepplechase and spring weddings. If you are in the area- stop by and shop!

More updates soon---very exciting updates that I can't share yet so please stay tuned my friends

LA last week...Dallas here we come!

2011-03-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

Waldorf Dress

F.I.G. Fashion Industry Gallery Show!

Paula in booth at SELECTS- L.A. Market

Victoria & Paula @ Villa Blanca

Me & Jodi @ Villa Blanca

Well it's official...I live out of a suitcase or at least this month I am. The L.A. show was great for by SMITH. I am so glad I decided to show in L.A. for West Coast exposure and sales. We opened numerous new accounts and saw some of our current accounts there as well.

When we were in L.A. we all stayed with my friend Jodi from Atlanta. Jodi and I moved away from Atlanta at the same time- she went West as I headed North. She was a wonderful hostess and it was great to see her and her new home. While we were in L.A. we went to Villa Blanca in Beverly Hills...which was AMAZING food and atmosphere!

http://www.villablancarestaurant.com/

And if it sounds familiar to my Beverly Hills Housewives followers that is because it is the restaurant owned by Beverly Hills Housewife, Lisa Vanderpump-Todd.

I can't wait to go back for another show in California- where the weather is nice and the people are all so happy. I enjoyed being around a more tranquil environment for a few days until I was creeping through airport security on the way back, as my flight was boarding. This was when I realized it was time to go back to New York...where people run, rush, and move quickly for no reason half the time. I enjoy that more...at least I know if I get caught up in the crowd I will make it most places in a timely fashion to say the least. So anyway L.A. was fab-u-lous!

Tomorrow I am headed to Dallas to participate in The F.I.G. Trade Show for the first time. I am so ready to show this collection in Dallas and think it will be a great market for by SMITH. The show is Thursday-Saturday from 9am-6pm so that is where I will be for the rest of the week/weekend. More updates from the show afterwards!

Next week we will be headed to Atlanta for our last Fall 2011 Show so yes I will keep my bags packed and head to GA next week.

Be on the look out for the second shipment of by SMITH Spring- it all went out to stores last week. You will start to see more of our Spring separates hitting stores like our Gramercy Blouse, Harlem Top, and of course The Soho Shorts I keep talking about. Go get some before they are gone! Monkees of The Village (Winston Salem), Lulie's on Cahaba (Mountain Brook Village), Isabella (Memphis), Cottage Chic (Charlotte) and many more of our stores have Soho Shorts! The Waldorf Dress also hit stores this month which is the perfect dress for Easter, weddings, or engagement parties. The Waldorf Dress has an elegant tea party chic flare to it which is a piece that every southern belle should have in their closet. Whose is carrying this piece? Envy (Huntsville), Bella Rose (Lexington), Tickled Pink (Naples), Part Two (Tuscaloosa) just to name a few---

Check out this article that came out this week in Style Cabana, written by Molly Griffin: http://www.stylecabana.com/moda-cabana/by-smith-collection-designer-clothing

Pictures above: Paula, Victoria, Jodi, and Dallas Fall Show Advertisement!

by SMITH heads to LA

2011-03-10T11:22:00.000-08:00

We are packing up and heading to Los Angeles on Sunday for the upcoming SELECT Contemporary Fall 2011 Trade Show at The California | Market Center. The show runs Monday through Wednesday and will be my first time showing on the West Coast. My flight on Sunday morning leaves New York at 6 a.m. which is so lovely...

My good friend Paula, Owner of Solo Salads, www.solosalads.com and her best friend Victoria will be joining me to help with the show. Paula worked Coterie with me and it was wonderful having her help!

Check out by SMITH on The California Market Center Blog: http://californiamarketcenter.blogspot.com/2011/03/by-smith-at-select.html

Special feature: http://www.californiamarketcenter.com/select/eblasts/Eblast_SELECT_Mar2_WEB.html

More updates after the show!

After Coterie Update

2011-02-25T07:53:00.001-08:00

This week was an incredible week for me and By Smith. Fashion Coterie took place Sunday through Tuesday and while it was snowing and freezing we still had a great show. It was my first time showing at Fashion Coterie and I could not be happier with how things turned out. Paula, Collier, and Stephanie (Collier's wonderful friend from New York) were all there helping me work the show. Last Saturday, Grant and Paula helped me get ready for the show at The Javits Center which was an all day mouse chase that closed with a great dinner at Fig & Olive in Meatpacking. We decided we deserved a little treat after a day of hard work with no heat- The Javits was probably colder than Antarctica on Saturday.

After three days of showing my Fall 2011 Collection we came out with reorders from current By Smith stores and opened accounts all over the world. It is a good feeling knowing that I could be wondering around the streets of Vancouver, Tokyo or Jakarta and see one of my creations in a store window. I have no plans to go to any of those places at this point, but maybe I could arrange a trunk show?

On the second day of the show, Bud Konheim (Nicole Miller's CEO) whom I have written about in previous blog entries, came by my booth to say hello. Bud has been a wonderful mentor and I felt so honored that he took the time to stop by and chat with me.

That same day I had another "fairy dust" moment when this woman named Laura Lee walked into my booth. Laura Lee and I started chatting and after a little bit of time I realized that I knew exactly who she was and her story. I read about her on an entrepreneur website which discussed her ups and downs as a business owner. She had a big break with her handbags and then had a horrible experience occur with her factory after the tsunami hit where they burned her bags out of respect for their lost loved ones. This experience gave her two options, to keep on going and figure out a second plan of action or to quit. She chose to keep on going and I commend her for that because owning your own business is like a roller coaster with good days and bad days. I printed the article so I could read it again on days when I need positive reinforcement and encouragement. So meeting her was definitely an Oprah moment- it was amazing that she just stumbled upon my booth. It was meant to be I guess! Check out her website: http://www.lauraleedesigns.com/press.asp

My shorts are continuing to be a Spring 2011- must have. I am serious if you don't have them yet, get a pair...they are incredible. The warm weather should be arriving soon and I can't wait.

Next stop for me and By Smith? I am headed to LA for a contemporary trade show, SELECT, taking place on March 14th-March 16th at The California Market Center. Check out their site:

http://www.californiamarketcenter.com/select/exhibitors.php

Paula will be coming with for a round two trade show event! I am excited she is going to be joining me again.

More to come soon!

Update: NYC

2011-02-15T15:25:00.000-08:00

We have officially made the move to New York! It has only been two weeks, but it definitely feels much longer. The day we moved everything in I was greeted by an angry cop upset about our parking situation, several death stares from a doorman because he thought I dropped trash on his stoop, and a very rude bagel man- and I told myself...ahhh welcome to NYC.

Spring shipments were packaged and went out last week so check out your local favorites to find my spring pieces! Get your hands on a pair of Soho Shorts- they are incredible. The fit, the colors, and the versatility they offer your wardrobe is endless. They are amazing and I am not just saying that because they are mine. Get a pair and you will all agree-

By Smith Spring 2011 is now for sale on edressme.com, http://www.edressme.com/by-smith.html - check it out!

We had our Fall 2011 shoot this past weekend and it was so awesome! I will share pictures soon-

Coterie starts Sunday and runs through Tuesday so lots of work to do to get ready for the show. Paula one of my best friends will be assisting me in my booth and Collier will be there too! I am so excited to have them here and know we will make a great team.

-We will be located in The Javits Center, Hall 1A, Booth # 9337-

By Smith Ties are a new area for us and we are doing very well with them. I am getting very low on inventory and have almost sold out of every color. They are great gifts and they really look fabulous on. If anyone is interested in purchasing one email me, info@bysmithcollection.com.

1 for $60 and 2 for $100

More to come after Coterie!!

By Smith AmericasMart Summer 2011 Show

2011-01-26T08:01:00.000-08:00

For appointments please contact: sales@lindaunderwood.com

Coterie and moving!

2011-01-25T10:20:00.000-08:00

I am so excited that we got into Fashion Coterie!! http://www.enkshows.com/coterie/

To give you background on Fashion Coterie it is a juried apparel trade show held in New York's Jacob Javits Center and Pier 94. This trade show is not your average show- it is the best of the best.

By Smith will be in great company as this show is the same show where companies such as Milly, Tibi, Nicole Miller, Theory, and Alice + Olivia all show. The show begins February 20th going through the end of the day on February 22nd. And guess what?!? Collier will be joining me to help sell my Fall 2011 line to buyers! I am very excited that she will be able to make it.

I did not add this update, but I found my new place in New York so I will be headed up there February 1st. Grant and I will be caravanning in our Penske trunks which will be a long funny journey north.

My spring line will be hitting stores by February 15th so please be on the look out in your favorite stores carrying By Smith. I am so excited to start seeing spring pieces out and about!

For all of you ladies out there looking for a great Valentine's Day gift-

Get a By Smith Tie! $60 for 1 and $100 for 2

They really are going fast so if you want one- get them as soon as possible!

Contact for ties: smith@bysmithcollection.com

By Smith Men's Ties Sneak Preview

2011-01-20T07:36:00.000-08:00

My ties arrived! I wanted to share a couple sneak preview snap shots that my lovely sister, Holland took for me this past week. Holland is a new business owner herself as she recently started her own photography company, Holland Williams Photography: http://www.hollandwilliamsphotography.com/

She specializes in unique on location portraits of newborns, children, and families in the Montgomery, AL area. She is very talented!

I am offering 4 different color ways: teal, aqua/green striped, light blue, and light green

Each tie is hand stitched and made with By Smith perfection!

The ties are $60.00 each or $100.00 for the purchase of two

If you would like to purchase a By Smith Tie, please state the quantity and colors you would like to order and we can take care of your order.

email: info@bysmithcollection.com

For shipping please allow 3-5 business days-

More pictures coming soon...

By Smith & The City

2011-01-13T09:15:00.000-08:00

The time has come...this little girl is making the big move to THE BIG APPLE! After a lot of thought this move makes the most sense for By Smith and for me personally. I lived there during a summer internship in college, but this will be the real move- so how I am feeling?

- Very very excited

-nervous

-ready

-sad to leave Collier...YES

(Collier is staying in Atlanta and is working for Coca-Cola...loves her job..and is moving into the cutest place!)

Atlanta has been such a great city to launch my line and it really allowed me to create brand recognition in the south. Before the days of James (awesome sales rep), when I travelled with Collier and my trunk full of samples to stores around the south east- Atlanta was the perfect place to live. This past year I have been doing a lot of work in New York with new sources and with this move I feel that I can really take By Smith to the next level.

One of my best friend's from college, Grant, will be moving to NYC too which is perfect timing! If Grant were in the dictionary his synonyms would be:

Grant; ambitious, fashion brilliance, hard worker, loyal friend

Grant is one of the hardest working people I know and he deserves every bit of success that he has achieved. Okay so if you can't tell- I am soooo proud of him! This is what he is going to be up to in New York:

He applied for The Saks Executive Excellence Program

Position: Executive Trainee (Buyer for Saks)

1st Round: Over 300 Applicants

2nd Round: Narrowed down to 75 phone interviews

3rd Round: 30 Applicants had to go to NYC for Assessment Day (all day interviewing and group projects)

4th Round: Narrowed down to 10...and Grant was the only person picked from the south!

He begins his training in New York next month! How could I not be impressed?

Tomorrow I am headed up to New York to look for an apartment. I will post pictures of my options as I think it will be very entertaining. If I refrain from posting pictures- consider it a bad sign of my searching progress. I will still be in Atlanta every two months for AmericasMart Apparel Shows and will definitely be popping up for trunk shows all over the south!

Want to live in NYC this summer? I will need some help! Please send resumes or questions to info@bysmithcollection.com

By Smith Men's Ties

2011-01-05T07:38:00.000-08:00

For all of you guys/men/boys out there that have been so envious of the women around you wearing By Smith Thai Silk...your chance is coming!

Starting in a couple of weeks for the first time I will be offering By Smith Men's Ties made in "tie-land" (Thailand). I am starting with four different color options to choose from. These ties have the same level of quality and perfection that all By Smith pieces are recognized for.

I will be posting pictures of the ties on facebook and my website in the near future! To go ahead and reserve a By Smith Tie or for more information about the latest edition to By Smith, please contact me directly: smith@bysmithcollection.com.

By Smith Men's Ties...what a great gift for Valentine's Day or better yet for a By Smith Wedding for all of the groomsmen...

Happy New Year!

2011-01-04T05:50:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! 2011 is here!

I can't believe it is 2011...I have a good feeling about this year. Over the holiday I had a nice time relaxing and visiting with my family. My Dad now uses Facebook on his Blackberry which was entertaining because randomly throughout my visit he would start reading status updates from the "news feed" like they were personal messages to him. I tried to explain that they weren't, but he didn't seem to fully understand- it was hilarious. Also over the holiday, my older sister, Lyle came over from Bangkok with her family of five so we had a full house. A full house with 3 little boys and lots of toys like flying helicopters that were only allowed outside. This was wonderful rule as I am sure flying them into Auntie Smith's head would of been a fun little game. Just kidding, but all and all we had a great time hanging out, eating, eating, and more eating.

Over the break I had a sample sale which went really well! Thank you to everyone who attended the sale- it was a lot of fun. Above this post is a picture of Allison Inclan in NYC wearing her By Smith purchase...I love a girl who isn't afraid of color! Looking good!

Yesterday an article was published in Atlanta's local magazine, Jezebel, for the January 2011 Issue. You can find the article online, http://www.jezebelmagazine.com/ArticleView.aspx?article=13830025-93d2-4d64-978f-86ea9d072c94 or in stores that sell the magazine locally. I am headed out today to grab a copy for myself. It was a very nice article written by Emily Foley and the pictures were taken by Sara Hanna who is a very talented photographer, www.sarahanna.com.

This month is a busy one...Fall 2011 samples are arriving and it is time to get ready for the next season. I am very excited for my Spring 2011 Collection to hit stores! The store shipments will be arriving soon which means it's time to start gearing up for packaging. It's a colorful season and I can't wait! We are also getting ready for sales on www.edressme.com which is such a great platform for By Smith. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and happy new year! More to come soon-

By Smith on www.edressme.com

2010-12-17T06:57:00.000-08:00

Wow time has been flying since my last post...I am so excited about my latest update for By Smith- we are now on edressme.com! This has all been in the works for a while, but as of yesterday By Smith was introduced on the site. I am selling 5 of my best looks from my Spring 2011 Collection on the site which are now up for pre-order now. Check it out: http://www.edressme.com/dressespreview.html

For those of you who do not know what e-dressme.com is:

E-dressme.com was established in 1999 and is an exclusive online shopping site which features designers such as Nicole Miller, Betsey Johnson, Anna Sui, Trina Turk, and many more established brands. The e-dressme headquarters is in New York City where this idea of selling By Smith became reality this past summer when I met with Joanne who is CEO of e-dressme.com (this was one of my updates that I mentioned in a previous post this summer). Joanne has already been so wonderful to work with as she is so encouraging and very supportive of By Smith.

Good things are happening for By Smith this holiday season! Tomorrow I am attending beautiful niece's 2nd birthday bash in Montgomery, AL. Chappell's bash will be Sesame Street themed and I told my sister I would dress up like a chicken (my halloween costume from last year) if she wanted me too, but I am not sure if that will be happening. There will definitely be an update with a photo if it does happen. I am heading home for an early holiday break after my weekend in Montgomery on Monday. Next week- I am having a photo shoot, invite only sample sale, and of course a breather for Christmas! I am looking forward to it! More to come soon...

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2010-11-24T06:19:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful time in Mobile this past weekend! We had a great turn out at our trunk show at Holiday, Inc. I stayed with some of my best friends from college so we had a mini college reunion! My friends Randall and Allison helped work the second day of the trunk show on Saturday which was really sweet! Thanks Randall and Allison!

I am now home in Pensacola with most of my family for Thanksgiving!

Our first By Smith Black Friday online sale starts Thursday morning and goes through Friday at midnight. We are marking all Fall 2010 items 10% off for the sale only! The promotional sale will appear on each customers receipt. All items will ship out Monday morning- so get your holiday shopping finished up early! Some items are already sold out!

Have a Happy Turkey Day from By Smith!!

Updates

2010-11-16T07:55:00.001-08:00

Hello!

This past month has been a busy one for me! I was in New York for over two weeks working on a few things for By Smith. While I was in New York I was able to attend The Gen Art Resurrection Benefit on November 4th at The Hudson Hotel. A little bit about the event:

The event was hosted by 20 of our successful alumni film and fashion talent including Edward Norton, Kate & Rooney Mara, a Benefit Committee of 40, with DJ Reach spinning, photography exhibition, with a live model fashion vignette.

Proceeds from the party went to filmmakers and designers who suffered monetary losses when Gen Art (for-profit production company) went into bankruptcy. Any donations are tax-deductible as permitted by law. Gen Art will be put up for sale later in November in what we hope will be an acquisition by an enlightened and visionary entity.

Wall Street Journal:
http://blogs.wsj.com/bankruptcy/2010/10/18/arts-company-crafts-benefit-to-repay-creditors

The event was great and I really enjoyed seeing some people that I met through Gen Art Fresh Faces in Fashion in Miami. I hope the best for Gen Art as they helped my career tremendously through FASHIONmiami which was featured on MTV's show "The City."

Another exciting update from NYC- I had the chance of a lifetime and was able to go to lunch with Bud Konheim, who is CEO of Nicole Miller. If you do not know who he is or anything about his success stories behind Nicole Miller, google him right now.

He gave me a tour of the entire Nicole Miller wonderland and it was amazing! I was able to talk to him over lunch and it was an incredible experience.He is an expert in the fashion industry so it was quite the opportunity to pick his brain for two hours. Lunch with Bud....checking yes...to making my top 10 list.

When I returned from New York it was time to send out my holiday shipments to stores which kept me busy all week. By Smith is popping up in new stores this month: Scout & Molly's- Raleigh, NC, Scout & Molly's- Chapel Hill, NC, Monkees of Lake Norman- Davidson, NC, Olive- Jacksonville, FL, C.Orrico- Palm Beach, FL, Snappy Turtle- Del Ray Beach, FL, and Belle Femme Boutique- St.Croix, U.S.V.I.!

This weekend I am headed to Mobile for a trunk show at Holiday, Inc. The trunk show will be a two day trunk show, lasting Friday until Saturday afternoon. I will be bringing Fall 2010 pieces so if you are a reader in the area stop by to shop early for holiday gifts!

The pictures I included are from before and during The Gen Art Benefit. The solo shot of me shows how to wear By Smith Shorts with tights during Fall. Wow! Look at that you can wear them all year round...isn't that amazing?

This past weekend was my older sister Holland's 27th Birthday and our whole family went to Montgomery to celebrate. Happy Birthday Holland! Holland is a photographer and this weekend I was her assistant on one of her shoots which was really fun! She is really talented, check out her fanpage on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Holland-Williams-Photography/153619068004962?ref=ts

Alright that's all for now my friends...more to come later this week!

Kensington Coat in Bella Magazine

2010-11-04T12:11:00.001-07:00

I love this picture!!

By Smith Bridesmaid Dresses!!

2010-11-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Raiza and Sal Ferraro! They had their wedding in St. Augustine and it was so beautiful! The weather was so perfect! We stayed in this adorable bed and breakfast called The Agustin Inn. The breakfast was out of this world! We had pumpkin waffles with apples on top...yummy. The dresses looked so great on everyone! It was a wonderful weekend with family and friends.

Park Avenue Fashion Week: By Smith Trunk Show at DownEast

2010-10-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

We are having a Trunk Show at DownEast in Winter Park, Florida this Saturday from 11:00 am to 4 pm! This event is a part of their Fashion Week so it should be a great turn out. I am hitting the road tomorrow morning to head that way. I am also very excited because on Saturday night I will be attending a wedding in Saint Augustine and the bridesmaid dresses are By Smith. I will post pictures when I return from this weekend.

Atlanta AmericasMart Spring 2011 Show

2010-10-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

This time last year I was prepping for my first apparel show ever. I remember being so nervous because I did not know what to expect.

My Spring 2011 is my third collection and I am so excited to show it to buyers this weekend! My collection is a part of The Linda Underwood S h o w r o o m, Suite 11N101...so there I will be Thursday until Monday! More updates to come after the show!

Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2010-10-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

This month we are promoting Breast Cancer Awareness by donating $11 to Breast Cancer Research for each design sold on www.bysmithcollection.com. This $11 represents my Mother's 11 years of being Cancer free. Christmas is around the corner so shop early and support a good cause!

"Sip, Shop & Socialize"

2010-09-29T07:36:00.000-07:00

Shop By Smith Fall 2010 and Annie Griffin Collection Fall 2010! We will be there selling together!

Pictures from Passion for Fashion at Gus Mayer, Birmingham

2010-09-20T12:56:00.001-07:00

Pictures taken by Andrew Hester

Trunk Show at Hemline on Magazine in New Orleans!

2010-09-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

This friday I am having a trunk show at Hemline on Magazine Street in New Orleans. I will be there from 10 am-7pm and would love to see all NOLA friends and fans there! Thanks to everyone who made it to my trunk show at The Market & Mainly Shoes in Pensacola!

By Smith in Lexington's Top Dressed Fashion Show!

2010-08-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

On August 19th, By Smith made an appearance in Lexington's Top Dressed Fashion Show.

We were quite proud of the Victoria Dress (in green) - it rocked the runway!

Thank you, Bella Rose!

Check out Bella Rose in Lexington, KY to find By Smith's Fall 2010 collection.

For more pictures from the show, click here.

Atlanta AmericasMart Starts Tomorrow!

2010-08-25T07:39:00.001-07:00

Passion for Fashion at Gus Mayer in Birmingham!

2010-08-25T07:37:00.000-07:00

Spring 2011 Photo Shoot Production Shots!

2010-08-25T07:10:00.000-07:00

On August 21st: By Smith Fall 2010 Trunk Show at Effie's!

2010-08-18T14:59:00.001-07:00

Spring 2011 Preview!

2010-08-16T10:22:00.001-07:00

My trip to NYC

2010-08-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys!

Just wanted to share some pictures from my recent trip to New York City. My older sister, Holland, joined me and we had a great time. I was there for a few business meetings.

More to come on those later...

On our way from Times Square to the Fashion District, we stumbled upon 32 mannequins lining the street.

Each mannequin was sponsored and designed by a different designer or design organization/institution.

It was unique because each garment was made from sustainable materials... it was really cool to see how creative and resourceful the designers were.

My personal favorite was Jason Wu's dress; made from burlap fabric.

Click here to read more about it.

Fall 2010 is now in stores!!

2010-08-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

Now is the time to shop our Fall 2010 collection in a store near you!

This collection has already received so much recognition as it is the collection that rocked the runway in FASHIONMiami, Miami Fashion Week and made a debut on MTV's fashion forward reality show, The City.

Check out our store list to find a retailer near you... then shop till you DROP!

Our First Year in Pictures

2010-08-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

1 Year of By Smith!

2010-08-03T07:35:00.001-07:00

By Smith's Spring 2011 photo shoot was a success!

Each and every outfit looked fabulous on our model, Ashley.

She did a great job and I could not be more pleased with the way the pictures turned out.

I will share some of the pictures later on.

Last week my business celebrated its first anniversary!

I have had a very busy year with many ups and (some) downs, but for the most part I have had a good year. My mom keeps telling me that I must have an angel on my shoulder and I am really starting to think she’s right.

As I look through pictures, I can see how my business has grown over the past year...
There have been some big changes and I am excited to see how things are continuing to expand.

I've learned that when I go with my gut feeling it’s normally the right choice. My Dad has always said to go with my gut when it comes to making decisions - and finally, I have learned to do
just that! This year has been a year full of trial and error, and I truly believe that I have learned a lot about myself.

So now, I will leave you with a summary of By Smith after one year of business:

First off, we changed our name from “Smitten by Smith” to “By Smith” (ah so much cleaner).

We have opened over 40 accounts from the south east, to The Virgin Islands and back up to
NJ.

We made an appearance in Charleston Fashion Week.

We got a mention in Women’s Wear Daily.

I've put 25,000 miles on my poor Jetta.

I've eaten one too many meals at Chick-Fila to count.

I lost 5 lbs.

We attended 4 Apparel Marts in the great city of ATL and 1 in NYC.

Then I gained 5 lbs.

I was invited to participate in Gen Art Fresh Faces as a Fashion Top Emerging Designer (wahoo).

Then I lost 5 lbs again.
We made an appearance on MTV’s fashion forward reality show “The City”
(great pensive shots of me pondering with my finger upon my face, ha).
Lastly, I joined a showroom in Atlanta and now have a fabulous sales rep named James!

That’s a wrap for year 1… I wonder what will next year be like?

We need an intern for Fall!

2010-07-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

Today was Katie's last day and we are super sad.

Boy, are we going to miss her! She was awesome. I wish she didn't have to go... but I guess it's OK if she goes back to Tuscaloosa to finish college.

That being said,

if you are interested in learning more about fashion (or know someone interested in fashion) in Atlanta - please let me know.

We need a part time intern for Fall.

You will learn a lot about the fashion industry - trust me!

Submit all resumes (plus cover letter) to:

holland@bysmithcollection.com

Thanks!

Fall orders are arriving soon!

2010-07-14T16:56:00.001-07:00

This week I have been preparing for my fall shipment to arrive and my apartment is filled with boxes. I am awaiting my largest order so far and am trying to get as organized as possible before it comes. Once my packages get here from Thailand my place will really be turned upside down. I guess it's a good thing my roommate-Collier is in with the business with me so she is understanding about the mess. I feel like we have a pretty good system arranged to get things repackaged and sent out on time.

On another note, last week my first set of Spring 2011 samples arrived!! I am so excited about this collection and wish I could share pictures now, but I must wait and keep it a surprise. We are prepping for our photo shoot this weekend! Today I picked the location for the shoot and it's so incredible! I will post pictures when I can!

Fall 2010 will hit stores by July 31st- August 15th! Be sure to check out our store list on my website www.bysmithcollection.com or on the main page of the blog!

The By Smith Journey.......

2010-06-24T10:49:00.001-07:00

Hi guys!

So exciting things have been happening for By Smith! I was so excited that my collection received so much air time on "The City" last week! It has been great exposure for my line and to be honest I have been swamped with work ever since the show aired, but I am not complaining. It has been wonderful!

The weekend before the airing of show, we showed my collection in The Linda Underwood Showroom for The Holiday 2010 AmericasMart show in Atlanta. We really had a great show! We are now a permanent line in the showroom. This is very very exciting news! Collier and I have opened 31 accounts on our own and now we are passing the torch to our new Sales Rep, James. James is AWESOME! We love him and I believe he is going to do a great job with my line. He is actually on the road with By Smith right now. Now Collier and I have more time to focus on promoting the line, trunk shows, and everything else we have going on with the business. So I guess for now- no more road trip stories, sad. Although we are passing on our sales torch we are both feeling rather accomplished with where the company stands with 11 months of work under our belts.

August of 2009, we were selling By Smith to only 2 stores and with a lot of traveling in the Jetta and hard work we built the brand to where it is today. Its been a roller coaster with trial and error, but we both agree that with every little mistake we have made we have learned something. We were just two little girls that believed in what we were doing and put everything into it and it really has paid off. Our 1 year anniversary for By Smith will be July 27th, 2010!

A few shots from The City

2010-06-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

Last night, By Smith appeared on MTV's reality series, The City.

Here are a few shots from last night's episode, 'Work Horses and Show Ponies.'

"The hit of the show was easily By Smith. Her designs were whimsical pieces inspired by bygone eras, sort of like Victorian-meets-mod with lots of color. To top it off, the models were accessorized with vintage jewelry and hats that belonged to Smith's great-grandmother."
-Miami News Times, March 11th, 2010

If you haven't seen the episode, you can watch it here.

Thanks for all of your support!

By Smith on The City!

2010-06-11T13:06:00.001-07:00

The Fall Holiday Apparel Show

2010-06-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Its time for another apparel show in AmericasMart in Atlanta! I will be showing my fall/holiday collection in Linda Underwood's Showroom for the first time June 10th-13th. I am excited about the show and hope that it will be a good turn out. It will be the last time I am showing my fall collection.

Another exciting update-last night when I was watching "The City" on MTV I heard someone mention going to Miami. I am pretty sure that the episode that my collection will hopefully appear on is airing June 15th. I was told that we would be on the 8th episode so look for preview next tuesday! I am excited to see what ends up being on the show. Our whole experience in Miami was filmed by MTV so we shall see!

Summer is here!

2010-05-25T04:00:00.001-07:00

Summer is officially here! Today marks the day of my first By Smith intern! Katie Staub is going to be helping Collier and I this summer. Katie is from New Orleans and just finished her junior year at The University of Alabama. She is majoring in Apparel Design in our awesome HES program. Katie was a KD with Collier and I as well! Its going to be great to have a new member on the team! We are getting ready for the next apparel mart in June, finishing up sales for Fall 2010, and believe it or not preparing for Spring 2011 to arrive in a couple of weeks. It is hard to keep up working so far ahead! Spring 2011 is going to be a larger collection- so get ready! If you are planning on coming to market, stop by Linda Underwood's Showroom, 11N101! We are excited that we will be in Linda's showroom for the next Atlanta Show- AmericasMart!

By Smith Bridesmaid Dresses!!

2010-05-19T06:53:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Emily and Greg Oliff!
For more pictures go to www.burnhamphotography.com

SPOTTED: WEARING BY SMITH OUT & ABOUT!

2010-05-19T06:48:00.000-07:00

After market update!

2010-04-13T09:51:00.000-07:00

Hello!

To all of my blog followers out there who aren't officially following- make your presence known. I am curious to see who is out there reading. And I promise from here on out I will not mention my Chick Fila experiences and focus more on the good stuff! I have been asked if I am an undercover rep for Chick Fila or if they are sponsoring my travels-I would be honored, just kidding.

This past weekend By Smith showed in AmericasMart Apparel Show marking our 4th trade-show appearance. The show was a success for us and we made new friends! Collier and I love going to market because we end up meeting some pretty cool people. This show our booth was set up next to some new designers- Annie Griffin and Terri King. They both have amazing lines!! Annie is another Atlanta designer which is exciting! I now have a local designer friend! It will definitely be nice to have someone near by working in the same field- as Atlanta is definitely not saturated with local fashion designers. Her fall collection is fabulous! During the show she had one of her close friend's Shibahn from Memphis helping out. Shibahn if you are reading- thanks for keeping us entertained! Terri's collection is innovative and one of the coolest things I have ever seen! She is the designer for V-Moda which was originally the company that launched those metal headphones. Most of Terri's designs transform so they can be worn in several different ways. I bought a pair of leather shorts from her that are so cool- I may need to plan a trip around these shorts and go somewhere very posh. Terri King has done custom designing for rock legends such as Keith Richards, Grace Jones, Marilyn Manson, etc.
Check out Annie Griffin's Collection: www.anniegriffincollection.com
Check out Terri King's V-Moda: http://www.v-moda.com/fashion/fashion.aspx

Things are rolling right along for Fall 2010! I think you could say we have come a long way from our list of two stores in September of '09 to our list of 25 + for Fall! We are not stopping here!! It hasn't been an easy road, but the success makes everything worth it. Get excited for more news to come! For now I am getting back on the road! This upcoming weekend Collier and I will be in Birmingham for a Trunk Show at Lulie's on Cahaba. If you are in town the show is from 11 am to 3 pm- stop by and see us!

By Smith Herbal Shorts in Charleston Fashion Week!!

2010-03-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

The Herbal Shorts in gold made an appearance on the cat walk in the Gwynn's of Mt. Pleasant show during Charleston Fashion Week! This is very exciting news as this marks our second appearance in a Fashion Week this month!! We are thrilled!
To check out more pictures from the show go to: http://www.charlestonmag.com/fashion_week/photogallery/friday_runway_shows_by_fashion_wire_press

Or to view the gold shorts in action check out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bsM-YzimF8

By Smith Gen Art Pictures

2010-03-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share some of my pictures from The Gen Art Fresh Faces in Fashion!

I had the best time in Miami.

It was such a great experience (plus exposure) for By Smith.

I loved meeting the other designers, the Gen Art team, hair stylists, and make up artists.

I hope you enjoy my pictures!

Gwynn's of Mount Pleasant

2010-03-22T14:05:00.001-07:00

Holland, here.

I was in Charleston, SC this weekend for a girls trip.

We decided to swing by Gwynn's, and look what we found...

All three window displays were decked out in By Smith!

If you are ever in the area, check out Gwynn's of Mount Pleasant!

More Pics from Fresh Faces

2010-03-17T12:55:00.001-07:00

Images courtesy of www.Exposay.com

Gen Art's 6th Annual Fresh Faces in Fashion

2010-03-11T20:10:00.000-08:00

Just a little preview...

More later!

*Image from LIFE.com

By Smith in WWD

2010-03-04T09:40:00.000-08:00

Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion

2010-02-25T10:49:00.000-08:00

First of all, I would like to announce our name change!

From this point forward, my line will be known simply as: By Smith

I am happy with the change, and feel it will better suit the line both now and in the future.

If you are reading this now, you probably already know that our blog address has changed, as well.

It is:

www.bysmithcollection.blogspot.com

Don't forget to add it to your Google Reader!

Earlier this week I received some exciting news.

I got a phone call informing me that I had been selected to show in Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion runway show at Miami Fashion Week!

This is a well-known show that has jump-started many designers' careers - and I am so thankful to be one of the 5 to show there in 2010!

Here's a little info from the Gen Art website. Take a look!

** FRESH FACES IN FASHION RETURNS TO MIAMI! **

Gen Art would like to invite you to Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion runway show on Wednesday, March 10th to kick off Miami Fashion Week at the beautiful 30,000 square foot permanent tent where Design Miami was recently held.

Fresh Faces in Fashion is one of Miami’s largest and most prestigious fashion events. Over the past decade it has been "the" show that cannot be missed. Featuring designers from both South Florida and New York. The event will feature around five clothing designers on the 60 foot runway, and several accessory designers in installations.

Over the past decade, the national Fresh Faces program has helped to catapult the careers of designers such as Zac Posen, Rebecca Taylor, Uli Herzner (before her appearance on "Project Runway"), Vena Cava, Milly, Twinkle, KRELwear, Sari Gueron, Julian Chang, Jeffrey Sebelia and dozens of others.

Smitten by Smith's showing in New York City in The Moda Manhattan Show!

2010-02-09T19:28:00.000-08:00

February 21st-23rd Smitten by Smith will have a booth in the juried apparel show- Moda Manhattan! Store buyers come by booth # 330 to see Smitten by Smith's Fall 2010 Collection!!

Smitten by Smith's Spring 2010 line in Saks-Jandel in Chevy Chase, Maryland

2010-01-31T08:28:00.000-08:00

In two weeks Smitten by Smith will appear in one of the finest stores in the country, Saks-Jandel. Saks-Jandel is located in Chevy Chase, Maryland. This store started as a fur shop that was later expanded into a high-end fashion destination. Saks-Jandel was one of the first stores to import modern European ready-to-wear clothing to the United States and to familiarize Americans with the refined tastes of fashion houses in Paris, Milan and London.

Saks Jandel, which is located on Wisconsin Avenue is known as "mini-Fifth Avenue." This store has been the only D.C. boutique to have the exclusive franchise rights to Valentino, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Dior, Fendi, Givenchy, Pierre Cardin and many other lines. This store is not to be confused with Saks Fifth Avenue, its neighbor across the street, Saks Jandel is independently owned by the Marx family of Washington and was established in 1888.

We are very excited that Smitten by Smith will be among fashion legends in this wonderful fashion heaven!

Successful trunk shows in January 2010!

2010-01-31T06:39:00.000-08:00

This month we had two wonderful trunk shows for Smitten by Smith! Our first was in Mountain Brook, AL at Lulie's on Cahaba. Lauren Stewart the owner has done a wonderful job with her boutique! She has beautiful things! If you live in Birmingham be sure to stop by to shop Smitten by Smith and other wonderful lines! Here are some pictures from the show.

Our second trunk show this month was held in Mobile, AL at Holiday, Inc. What a lovely store! Collier and I had a great time! It was a rainy day, but that surely didn't slow down the shopping traffic. That store is busy busy...all the time! We had a joint trunk show with Stella & Dot which made it very fun!

Top 5 Road Trip Essentials...and Chick Fil-A diet?

2010-01-30T16:29:00.000-08:00

After traveling on the road on and off for several months now I feel like I have established a list of items that make each trip more enjoyable:

1. Starting each drive with a starbucks ice coffee and their low-fat turkey bacon english muffin sandwich (the best)

2. Radar Detector (I have driven my little jetta across the southeast for the past 5 months and I have only received 1 ticket...keep in mind I was driving 72 mph in a 60 mph)

3. Satellite Radio

4. Rose Blossom Lip Gloss from Anthropologie which is very addicting

5. Chick-Fil-A lunch break
I know I have previously discussed my love for the place, but let me just say in the past month I have seriously had Chick-Fil-A every other day. If I end up losing weight maybe I can promote a "Chick-Fil-A Diet." If I gain...this will be the last time I mention the place. It seems like the healthiest place to eat while on the road.

Accomplishments: Smitten by Smith will be in 16 stores Nationwide!
Smitten by Smith was just featured in Atlanta in AmericasMart for the Summer 2010 show!
Next stop for Smitten by Smith? New York City! Details coming soon...get excited!

Smitten by Smith Trunk Show in Mobile! Holiday, Inc!

2010-01-02T12:41:00.001-08:00

Smitten by Smith Trunk Show in Birmingham! Lulie's on Cahaba

2010-01-02T12:35:00.000-08:00

You're Invited to the 2009 Holiday Boutiques! Smitten by Smith is headed back to D.C. for the weekend!

2009-11-12T06:29:00.000-08:00

You're Invited to the 2009 Holiday Boutiques

Enjoy a unique and relaxed shopping experience. Free admission, taste-testings, demonstrations, tons of giveaways, special cash & carry sales, custom orders and even a trunk show!

Washingtonian Woods Clubhouse - upper level
511 Midsummer Dr.
Gaithersburg, MD 20878

November 14th 11am-5pm

Vendors include:
Smitten by Smith, Pink Papaya, Silpada, Pampered Chef, Stampin' Up, What's in Your Heart, Stella & Dot, Functional Fancies, Tastefully Simple, Close to My Heart, Sing A Song About Me, Gold Canyon, B's Purses, Vantel Pearls, Longaberger, Usborne Books & More, Snickerdoodles, Invitation Jane, Kelly's Kids and Private Quarters luxury linens.

River Falls Clubhouse
7915 Horseshoe Lane
Potomac, MD 20854

November 15th 11am-5pm

Vendors include: Silpada; Private Quarters luxury linens; Pampered Chef; Arbonne; Creative Memories; Pink Papaya; Tastefully Simple; Functional Fancies; Razzle Dazzle; Stella & Dot; Lil Cuddle Bugs; Vantel Pearls; Wildtree Herbs; Madison Handbags; Longaberger; Usborne Books and More; Bows For My Girls, Sing A Song About Me, Beijo Bags, Gold Canyon, Barefoot Books and Smitten by Smith.

Grab your gift list and come out and join us!

For more information, please visit:
www.blissfulboutiques.com

Smitten by Smith Summer 2010 looks!

2009-11-12T06:23:00.001-08:00

Smitten by Smith's Summer 2010 has a playful look with geometric shapes!

Smitten by Smith update...

2009-10-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

Things have been a little crazy and I have been bad about updating my blog. This past weekend I had a Smitten by Smith booth at the Atlanta Apparel Mart-AmericasMart for the Spring|Summer 2010 showcase. My booth was on The Premiere floor 2, booth #439. It was a really great experience for me. Collier, Holland (my sister), and Grant (one of my close college friend's) all came to help out during the show. Collier and I set up for the show Thursday which took a lot longer than I thought it would because we decided to put black and white fabric on the walls...which was quite difficult. I would call my first market experience a success. It was great exposure and I feel like I met wonderful people as well!

I fell in love with a new brand called Troubadour. The designer, Lindsey Carter was so nice to talk to- she has been in the fashion industry for quite some time. Lindsey used to design for JCrew and started a golf line called Carter Humphrey as well. Her sales associate Julie was very nice as well! Collier and I enjoyed chatting with them as market definitely had some down time. I hope to stay in touch with them! http://www.troubadourclothing.com/

On Saturday night I put three of my Summer 2010 pieces in the Apparel Mart Fashion Show which featured designs from vendors showing at the mart. It was very entertaining and I thought over all it was a nice production. There was even complimentary food and vino-always a plus. The Apparel Mart was Friday through Monday at 3 PM...so I was rather tired when it was all said and done. Now it's back to work! I am finishing my designs for Fall 2010...it's so strange being a year ahead. I now want to wear my Summer 2010 pieces and its getting cold.

Join the Fight Against Breast Cancer

2009-10-08T10:33:00.000-07:00

If you know me personally, you probably know that my mom, Allison Sinrod, is a Breast Cancer survivor.

She was diagnosed in 1999, and this year we are celebrating her 10th year of remission.

Consequently, this cause will always have a special place in my heart.

To help support Breast Cancer research, I will donate $10 from each online sale.

It's October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month...

Now that's shopping you can feel good about!

www.smittenbysmith.com

Sneak Peak - Summer 2010

2009-10-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs an Oolong Jumper in Navy!

DC - Summer 2010 Photoshoot

2009-09-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Collier (my new partner in crime) and I drove 10 hours from Atlanta, GA to Washington DC for my Summer 2010 photo shoot.
I should mention, Collier Broadaway is my new sales representative for Smitten by Smith! Collier is more than qualified, having had several jobs in the fashion industry - including working for PUCCI. We were KDs together at Alabama.

Smitten is very glad to have her!

Anyways, we have been traveling a lot spreading the word of Smitten by Smith.
We are getting pretty good at whipping out the rack, popping the clothes on, and tootling along into stores.

With all of this traveling, I have learned many things.
First and foremost, I have come to the realization that satellite radio makes songs popular because they repeat songs over and over. The good and the bad... to the point where you sing even if you don't like the tune.

Another road trip routine has been "dinning-in" at the best fast food restaurant IN the WORLD...Chick Fil A. I love the service there...they are always so friendly and they even ask if you want a refill when dinning in. That’s huge, right?

When we arrived in DC, we met my parents and headed to The Tombs for a delicious first meal in Georgetown.
The next day we wondered around Georgetown and located several spots for the photo shoot. That afternoon, we met my parents at The Hay Adams Hotel and walked over to The White House. It was Collier's first time in DC, so seeing The White House was a must on our agenda. For those of you who do not know... I was born in DC and moved to Florida when I was 4. Most of my Dad's family still lives there, and I grew up visiting.

The photo shoot began at 5:30 pm so we started prepping Margaret Leigh (my talented sista and model) around 4:45 pm. This was a very late start (as far as getting her ready), but she looked like a Vogue model rather quickly. A better introduction: Margaret Leigh is my younger sister who attends Georgetown University. She modeled for my Holiday/Spring collections as a favor, but did such a wonderful job that I really
hoped she would model again for round 2.
We did the shoot all around Georgetown which was wonderful because it’s such a beautiful place. The brick townhouses and bright colored doors made the perfect setting for the Summer 2010 Collection. We finished shooting around 8:30 after three long hours.

Collier and I headed to The Bethesda Crab House for dinner where we
became knee deep in crab claws and shared an over due pitcher of Stella beer.
It was a long eventful day!
I am so excited to see how the pictures turn out. My sister was such a trooper and did an
incredible job.
I never listened to my Mom when I was younger when she said that my sisters would be my best friends when I grew up. She would always say it when we were in the middle of a fight... we would all be like, "yeah right Mom..."
But she was so right... sisters are built-in best friends.
Starting a business has made me realize how supportive they really are.
I have one sister who sat through hours & hours of meetings in Thailand, I have another who helps me with all of my promotional items (including this blog), AND another that has given up hours of her time to model for me… when she has plenty of other things she would rather be doing.
If any of you read this...which I hope you do...I love you all and I couldn't do this
without you.
I am headed home to Florida tomorrow for a trunk show, Thursday morning at The Market & Mainly Shoes in Pensacola!
If you are a local please come by to see my latest designs!

-Smith

Recap: Birmingham Trunk Show

2009-09-30T06:57:00.000-07:00

The trunk show in Birmingham was wonderful. We had a wonderful turn
out and the food was so tasty!
My friend, Virginia Harkins, was such a lovely hostess. The appetizers were delish.
Thank you so much!

The Birmingham trunk show was extra special, because it was the first official “sneak peak”
of my Summer 2010 collection!

Check out these Smitten by Smith cupcakes, made by my friends Avery Henry and Ruth Wood!

Smitten by Smith in Bella Magazine

2009-09-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

Check it out... Smitten by Smith is featured in Pensacola's Bella Magazine!

Smitten By Smith
Pensacola designer creates party-perfect style

Whether you’re headed to a holiday soiree or on a girls’ night out, you can look party-perfect with a color-drenched cocktail dress that’s festive and fashion-forward.

These short and sassy styles are not only handmade, but they are designed by someone you may know: Smith Sinrod, a budding designer who grew up in Pensacola. She is introducing her first line, Smitten by Smith. The holiday and spring collections consist of cocktail dresses and separates that are full of girly glamour.

“They are made to perfection,” said Peggy Woolverton, owner of Mainly Shoes, an upscale boutique in downtown Pensacola. “Not only are the shapes fantastic, but the fabrics and construction are unbelievable.”

The Market/Mainly Shoes is the only local boutique that is carrying the line, and Angelique in New Orleans also picked it up. The pieces start at $200 and up, and sizes run from 00 to 14.

Bella caught up with Sinrod, who recently moved to Atlanta. Here, we ask her about her line and about her passion for fashion:
Q: Tell me about your line.
A: My line consists of classic pieces with bright colors and bold patterns. Each design allows the everyday women to look her best while feeling sophisticated and sexy.
Q: Who are the women you envision wearing Smitten?
A: Women who have a sophisticated style and aren’t afraid to wear bright colors. Both of my collections consist of novelty pieces that can be versatile for many types of occasions, whether it’s a cocktail party, family wedding or just a night out on the town.
Q: What was your inspiration for your line?
A: Fabric has always inspired me when I am working on design ideas. I went to Thailand with my design silhouettes sketched and sewn samples. Once I found my manufacturer and fabric source, I was able to pick my fabric for each design, bringing the collection together.
Q: What does creating your own line entail?
A: I went over every inch of each design with the owner of my factory. She would make the patterns, and I would approve each one. The next step was the creation of the samples. Once the samples were produced, I had my photoshoot in Pensacola for the Web site.
Q: What was the hardest part about creating your own line?
A: Getting my foot in the door with boutiques has been hard, right off the bat. I guess it can be hard for people to take me seriously when they first meet me: I’m 23, but I look 16. But once store owners and buyers have seen my collections, they seem to believe in me a bit more.
Q: What has the response been to your line?
A: So far, I’ve gotten a really good response to my line. The quality of my dresses is the best it could possibly be. Every dress is fully lined and has a hand-stitched hem.
Q: How does it feel to have you own line?
A: It’s very exciting! There were a lot of people along the way that discouraged my starting a line right out of college, but I’m so glad that I did. I feel that because I just graduated I have an edge. My life is Smitten, day and night, but it’s worth the hard work.
Q: How and when did you get your interest in fashion?
A: I’ve always been interested in fashion. When I was a little girl, my mom let me dress myself for school, which was probably a mistake because I had some pretty wild outfits and hats. I wore a different hat to school every day because I liked feeling unique. I was called “the hat girl.”
Q: What are your long and short-term professional goals?
A: My long-term goal is to make Smitten a household namebrand. Eventually, I’d like to produce a casual line for Smitten. My short-term goal is to have a photoshoot for the summer 2010 pieces I just designed, and then put them on the Web site. Also, I’m working on selling the line to other boutiques. I have meetings with stores across the Southeast.
Q: What was the best advice you got that you could pass on to other aspiring fashion designers?
A: One of my teachers recently told me, “Of course, it’s hard, difficult, time-consuming, life changing. If it weren’t, everyone would be doing it.”

About Smith
• Summer 2008: Smith lived in New York City and interned for Mary Howard Studio. Howard is a set designer whose ads appear in Vogue. At the studio, Smith shopped for props, organized the studio and helped on set.
• May 2009: Smith graduated from the University of Alabama, where she majored in Apparel Design. After graduation, she traveled to Thailand to create her clothing line, Smitten by Smith.

Want To Go?
• Oct. 1: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A trunk show of Donald J. Pliner shoes and handbags, and Smitten by Smith
designer Smith Sinrod for holiday and spring fashions.
• Oct. 13: The Bobbi Brown Artistry Team from Saks Fifth Avenue, New Orleans, by appointment.

• Where: The Market and Mainly Shoes, 248 W. Garden St.

• Details: 434-3012.

• Online: Smittenby
smith.com/portfolio, or Smittenbysmith.blogspot.com.

• Upcoming: In addition to the trunk show, Smitten by Smith will be featured in The Market/Mainly Shoes’ Fashion Show on Nov. 5, a fundraiser for Ballet Pensacola. Look for more details in the next
issue of Bella.

PULL QUOTE

“The quality of my dresses is the best it could possibly be. Every dress is fully lined and has a hand-stitched hem.”
– Smith Sinrod

Smitten comes to T-Town

2009-09-11T13:10:00.000-07:00

This is Smith's sister.

I am guest blogging since Smith has been out on the road for the past few days.

And what a successful trip!

Smitten's found four, yes four, new boutiques in two days.

I want you to know that Smith is so thankful for your enthusiastic response and overwhelming support.

I am SO excited to announce that...

Smitten by Smith will be sold at Solo Boutique in Tuscaloosa, AL!

Check it out &

Roll Tide!

Smitten in South Alabama

2009-09-09T14:16:00.001-07:00

Smitten's been hittin' the trail, fellas.

We are excited and proud to announce that Smitten by Smith will be carried in two new boutiques:

CK Collection in Fairhope, AL

Holiday, Inc. in Mobile, AL

Funny misunderstanding

2009-09-08T14:55:00.001-07:00

Today I was informed that I had a package from Thailand that could not clear customs because it needed to go through U.S. Agricultural inspections. The package invoice listed "Black Tea, Ginger, Jasmine, Chamomile" and the inspectors figured I was importing a large quantity of tea from Thailand-also known as a very sketchy package. I cleared up the problem today when I told them that I am a fashion designer with a line that consists of designs named after different flavors and types of teas. I thought this was very very funny...and thought I should share!

Smitten by Smith Trunk Show in Birmingham, AL

2009-08-31T09:02:00.000-07:00

I am so excited - my dear friend Virginia Harkins is having a Trunk Show for Smitten at her new house in Birmingham. I am so fortunate to have such good friends!
We may have the UA football game on in the background... Come join us for wine, appetizers & shopping!

Follow Smitten on Twitter!

2009-08-26T21:17:00.001-07:00

http://twitter.com/smittenbysmith

Exciting news for Smitten!

2009-08-26T15:43:00.000-07:00

The wait is over...
You can now buy Smitten clothes online.
Just visit our Website, http://www.smittenbysmith.com/ to shop Holiday & Spring Collections!

Smitten by Smith Trunk show at The Market & Mainly Shoes

2009-08-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars, Smitten fans!
Come by The Market in Pensacola, FL on October 1st, 2009 to shop Smitten's Holiday & Spring Collections.

Everyone deserves a little play time...

2009-08-21T16:41:00.001-07:00

While we were in Asia, we decided we would take a weekend trip to Hanoi, Vietnam.
We flew an hour and a half and poof - we were in Vietnam.
Vietnam is a beautiful country. My only complaint would be that they have an over population of scooters in Vietnam.
There were several occasions when I thought my Mom would die... as road kill. Now that wouldn't be pretty, would it? It is truly amazing how many people can fit on one scooter...or in one city for that matter!
There are people EVERYWHERE.
After a couple of days exploring the city of Hanoi, we took a three hour bus trip to Halong Bay. We were with a tour group...which always makes things more interesting. The bus driver drove like a maniac and my Mom was a little freaked out...as was I. My sister seemed fine - probably because she has adapted to the way people drive over there... after 8 years of living in Bangkok.

We finally arrived and the whole tour group piled out of the bus. We were staying two nights on a "Junk" boat called "The Pinta Gold Cruise." Halong bay was beautiful! We took a smaller boat to get to our lovely ship. As soon as we got on the boat, Lyle and I went to check out our room. Much to our surprise, we found rose petals sprinkled on our twin beds. I thought it was a nice touch, however, I was a little worried that we signed up for a "romantic love cruise" by mistake.
Turns out, it was a normal cruise and just a standard way of welcoming guests.
On the second day, Lyle and I were talked into going on a leisurly kayaking trip. We both pretended to be kayaking pros... which slapped us in the face about 20 minutes into paddling.
We ended up getting stuck going against a really strong current in a BAT CAVE... not cool.
The tour guide had to switch kayaks with Lyle in order to get us both out safely.
Scary stuff!
No more kayaking in Vietnam for the two of us.
After two days of eating, eating, and more eating we were ready to roll off the ship.
My Mom loved the early morning wake up procedure:
6:45 a.m. -the engine starts
6:46 a.m.- A.C. was turned off
7:00 a.m.- be seated for breakfast

...her room was right next to the engine room so, between the noise and steamy quarters, she was forced to get up.
Of course, this was so funny at the time, for Lyle and I.
Mom referred to the mornings on The Pinta Gold as "the bataan death march."
Don't ask my Mom to rate the cruise...it wasn't really what she expected.

Meeting time...

2009-08-21T16:01:00.000-07:00

On my first day of meetings, I made sure to dress like a professional young woman - I even wore my hair in a bun. I was nervous that (because of my age) I wouldn't be taken seriously in my series of meetings. I arrived very nervous, and about 10 minutes early. This meeting was in a custom tailoring shop for women, in a large building with many other stores. The lady I was supposed to meet with was not there, and I was soon informed that she would not be there until 11 am. Feeling slightly discouraged, we left to kill some time until the meeting. We went back to the tailor shop on time. However, when we arrived, the woman was there but said she was "not feeling well." She kept repeating herself, saying that she felt very sick - with face in hands.
This was a little uncomfortable because I didn't really know what I could say or do to make things better. She finally asked me what I was interested in doing and I told her... I was starting a women's clothing line and needed to find manufacturers who specialize in silks.
She got on the phone, & within minutes started calling people she knew who did this. After about 15 minutes of listening to her ramble in Thai, she passed the phone to me.
I said, "hello" and got an identical response of: "hello?" from a man on the line...
This continued back and forth several times until I asked if they were manufacturers, and if so, could I meet with them.
I was confused because when the woman passed me her phone she didn't explain who was on it. We set up a meeting with our new contact the very same day. My sister Lyle's driver took us to the next meeting because it was further outside of Bangkok and we did not want to get lost.
We arrived on time and waited about an hour and a half in a small room full of beautiful silk coats.
My Mom, sister Lyle, began to get a bit nervous because we were in there for so long... but sure enough the owners arrived.
We established what we wanted to do and I explained some of my designs, in order to have samples made. After hours and hours of discussing everything, I left my second meeting. I waited about a week and I had another meeting to see the first samples and discuss other orders of business. My brother-law, Pete came with me to this meeting because not only is he a well established "business man," but he speaks Thai. His Thai was essential to my business meeting because he could figure out if we were on the same page and how we were going to proceed. My first set of samples were pretty much perfect, and I was so excited to see my ideas come to real life... without sewing them myself for once.

It was official, I found the people that I would be working with. After several meetings (about 4 to 6 hours each), we went over every detail - inch by inch - of each design for my Holiday and Spring collection!

The trip over to Bangkok and arrival

2009-08-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

My mom...what a trooper, that woman can do anything. She is terrified of flying, but was a cool cucumber the entire way without taking meds or drinking vino. We flew from Pensacola to Atlanta (45 minutes), Atlanta to Tokyo (13.5 hours-a swat team of health officials inspected the entire plane to make sure we didn't have Swine Flu), and Tokyo to Bangkok (7.5 hours) and arrived in Bangkok around midnight.

Yay we are there! Right??

As soon as we got off the plane, we were informed that our luggage was lost... possibly gone. After hours & hours of no sleep, multiple feedings that consisted of things like rubbery/wet ham sandwiches...I started to cry. After circling the luggage carousels like a crazy lady, numerous times, I slowly exited the airport feeling defeated. The man at the airport told us that our luggage would arrive possibly that night. But it didn't.

And it did not arrive the next night... or the next.

So what did we do? We headed to to DKNY.

I needed to find something to wear to my meeting - and surely I couldn't wear my plane "uniform." My mom and I were starting to feel a bit gross.

We found some professional gear at DKNY (that we didn't really want), but were forced to buy due to our circumstances. The night before my first meeting I was so nervous that I couldn't really sleep.

Sure enough our luggage arrived that night!! Yay! I had contacts instead of my colorful/tacky glasses for the meeting!

The beginning of Smitten by Smith

2009-08-17T21:20:00.001-07:00

My name is Smith Sinrod, and I just started a new clothing line called Smitten by Smith.

I never really thought I would be a "blogger," but what do you know...here I am blogging.

A little bit about myself: I recently graduated from The University of Alabama, where I majored in Apparel Design. Last summer, I lived in New York City and interned for Mary Howard Studio. Mary Howard is an incredible set designer responsible for (pretty much) every advertisement in Vogue. I loved working for her because I was able to really get close to many aspects of the true fashion world. My job often consisted of shopping for props, organizing the studio, and sometimes helping on set. After this internship I knew that I wanted to start my own business, just like Mary had started her own set design company.

Before I graduated, I set up my Smitten LLC to make things more official before I entered "the real world."

My older sister Lyle lives in Bangkok, Thailand with her three boys and husband, Peter. Once I decided I was going to actually go through with everything (and my parents approved of my future plans), I booked a plane ticket to Bangkok. I started researching manufacturers, and scheduled meetings if their information looked promising. I graduated, and within 5 days I was off to Thailand with my mom, Allison and sister, Lyle.