Hello, Beauties🌸 Today’s post, Do You the Remember Vivid Sportswear Designer, Willi Smith?
This month, I pulled back the African American fashion history curtain with two little-known New York Fashion dressmakers: Zelda Wynn Valdes, the designer of Playboy’s costume, and Ann Lowe, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy’s wedding gown.
It was all about timing for Willi Donnell Smith, born February 29, 1948, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. No longer unnamed but able to be recognized as a viable African American fashion contributor.
The Smith story: Smith studied commercial art at Mastbaum Technical High School and fashion illustration at the Philadelphia College of Art. His artistic talent earned him two full scholarships to the Parsons School of Design in New York City in 1965.
Mr. Smith quit school in 1967 to freelance for Arnold Scaasi and Bobbie Brooks sportswear. Two years later, he met his future business partner, Laurie Mallet. In 1976, Smith and Laurie launched their line of women’s wear under the label WilliWear Limited in a showroom off Seventh Avenue in New York City’s Garment District.
I say the vivid sportswear designer because, during the late 1970s, when Smith launched his 12-piece collection, it was bold yet affordable. Does anyone remember the days of the prime-time soap opera Dynasty (1981 – 1989?) A time we emulated the big hair, shoulder pads, and bold door knocker earrings?
According to the 50 Years of the Council of Fashion Designers of America Impact book, Willi Smith was inspired, he said, not by Paris but by Sunday church in Harlem. His WilliWear line was characterized by loose silhouettes in brightly colored natural fabrics. Exuberant and witty, his clothes were sophisticated yet inexpensive.
Signature garments, such as violet linen blazers and loose cotton separates, appealed to both men and women. His “street couture” significantly impacted fashion in the 1980s.
Smith peaked in the 1980s when black fashion designers began to gain official recognition. In 1976, he increased his sales from $30,000 to $25 million worth of clothing by 1986—his line was featured in more than 500 department and specialty stores.
Awards and Recognition:
The 1970s: Patterns for Butterick, McCalls, and Simplicity
1978: Began lecturing Art History at the Fashion Institute, London
1983: Coty American Fashion Critics Award for Women’s Fashions
1985: Cutty Sark Award for his debut men’s collection
1986: Created the Navy Linen suits with Silver ties for Edwin Schlossberg and his groomsmen when he married Caroline Kennedy
♥ 1987: Costume Designer for Spike Lee’s film School Daze
◊1987: Designed the wedding dress worn by Mary Jane Watson when she married Peter Parker in the Spider-Man Comic Book
♥1987: The first store opened posthumously in Paris
◊1987: Featured in Harlem Museum Exhibit
♥1988: Then New York City Mayor David Dinkins proclaimed February 23 “Willi Smith Day” in honor of his achievements
2002: Smith was honored with a bronze plaque for the Fashion Walk of Fame along Seventh Avenue
2016: Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology Black Fashion Designer’s Exhibit
On April 16, 1987, Smith died unexpectedly at the age of 39 after contracting pneumonia while on a fabric-buying trip to India, apparently as a result of AIDS. Sister and model Tookie, who often modeled his designs, survives him.
In 1987, newspaper fashion writer Liz Rittersporn, with the New York Daily News, declared Willi Smith “as indisputably the most successful black designer in fashion history.”
Do you remember the vivid sportswear designer Willi Smith? I know I sometimes see his label, WilliWear, in T.J. Maxx stores.
How about you?
Here’s a full view of this week’s mural by Vera Primavera, a Latina muralist.
As always, thank you for reading! Have a fabulous week.
