MILLY AW15’16 READY-TO-WEAR NEW YORK FASHION WEEK
The MILLY collection epitomizes bold, advanced contemporary fashion with a feminine edge. Designer Michelle Smith transforms classic silhouettes by merging American sportswear influences with distinctive Parisian atelier techniques. Smith’s eye for impeccable detail, use of luxurious, cutting-edge fabrics and precise tailoring have made MILLY a cult favorite across the globe.
Convinced from a very early age that fashion design was her calling, Smith earned a scholarship to Moore College of Art and Design to study fashion illustration during high school. She later followed her passion to New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. Smith worked at the Hermés boutique in Manhattan to help fund her tuition. Upon graduation, she wrote to the President of Hermés requesting an internship at the Paris headquarters. Her request was granted, making Michelle Smith, the first American Hermés employee sent to work in Paris with the legendary fashion house.
While in Paris, Smith continued her studies at the prestigious design school ESMOD while interning at Louis Vuitton, Torrente and Christian Dior Haute Couture. Smith returned home to New York three years later, intent on establishing her own design business, and founded MILLY in 2001.
MILLY celebrity fans include Beyoncé, Allison Williams, Kate Middleton, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mila Kunis and Sofia Vergara. The MILLY collection is sold at the finest specialty and department stores worldwide, including Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Harrods, Takashimaya and Isetan.
MILLY has successfully expanded into categories beyond ready-to-wear, including MILLY handbags, MILLY small leather goods, MILLY Cabana swimwear, and for budding fashion lovers, the MILLY Minis childrenswear collection, largely inspired by Michelle Smith’s daughter, Sophia. MILLY ships to 170 countries worldwide, and this year will mark the launch of four free-standing MILLY boutiques in the Middle East to complement flagship boutiques in Tokyo and at 900 Madison Avenue in New York City as well as a boutique at 54 Main Street in East Hampton, New York.
