Spring 2011 Preview!

My trip to NYC

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!!

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

1 Year of By Smith!

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!

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!

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!