Today we’d like to introduce you to Evan Smith.
Hi Evan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
It all started in Oklahoma. I’m originally from Oklahoma City and decided to come to California after finishing my bachelor’s in International Business to pursue a career in fashion and beauty. I’ve always been drawn to the emotional impact of visuals—how design, color, space, and storytelling can move people. The fashion and beauty industries have always felt immersive, expressive, and deeply inspiring to me.
I’ve always been drawn to the emotional impact of visuals. How design, color, space, and storytelling can move people. The fashion and beauty industries have always felt immersive, expressive, and like home to me. One of my earliest creative opportunities was working on a campaign shoot for Thorne Dynasty by Bella Thorne, where I helped with creative direction, set styling, and fashion styling or the models, one of them being myself. That experience showed me how naturally I gravitated toward creative and art direction and I knew I needed to follow that feeling.
From there, I began freelancing, combining my background in design from working for an interior designer back home, along with graphic design and business strategy. All of these experiences gave me a unique lens into the many moving parts behind brand storytelling and visual direction. As I started building a client base, I naturally began to refine my design style. Leaning into inspiration found in the deep, evoking feeling of visual design found in art, print publications, and culture. I found my signature style in editorial design, storytelling, and creative direction that evokes and moves.
Eventually, I launched ES Studio to offer a more intentional, high-touch creative experience for brands looking to stand out. What began as a personal creative pursuit quickly grew into a full-scale studio grounded in storytelling, strategy, and soulful design. Every project is rooted in clarity, emotional resonance, and the belief that great branding isn’t just visual. It’s felt.
I have such a deep love for LA and pull endless inspiration from the city, its culture, its legacy brands, and most of all, its community. The energy here is layered, expressive, and ever-evolving. It’s influenced how I work, what I value, and how I collaborate. That spirit lives in the work of the studio. From the way we develop concepts to how we show up for the people behind the brands.
Most recently, I worked as Art Director for Apothia Los Angeles — an iconic LA fragrance house with over 25 years of history. I led the creative rebrand across digital and social platforms, overseeing everything from campaign direction and content strategy to elevated art direction and storytelling. I helped refresh the visual language of the brand while honoring its legacy, bridging timelessness with modernity in a way that spoke to both long-standing fans and new audiences.
This project was a defining moment. I saw how a legacy brand like this had their community at the forefront when considering campaigns and products and how that translated into the brand itself. That experience solidified what I now consider a pillar of my work at ES Studio: cultivating emotional connection, not just through visuals, but through energy, narrative, and intention.
As a studio, I now work across fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and hospitality spaces; offering creative direction, brand identity, campaign planning, social media storytelling, and strategic content production. I also offer web design, art direction, marketing, and consulting for founders, brands, and start-ups. I specialize in building brands that feel human, elevated, and deeply aligned with purpose. Whether we’re launching a new product, reimagining an experience, or refining a visual identity, my goal is always the same…to create work that resonates and builds lasting connection.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road, but I don’t think it’s supposed to be. Building something meaningful, especially as a creative, requires a lot of internal growth, not just external progress.
In the early stages, I had to learn how to balance the creative side of my work with the realities of running a business. I was wearing every hat: designer, strategist, producer, accountant, and marketer. I was learning everything as I went. There were moments of burnout, self-doubt, and times when I questioned if I was cut out for this path.
One of the biggest challenges was trusting my voice and leaning into my own style, especially in an industry that moves fast and thrives on trends. It took time to realize that my perspective, rooted in emotion, clarity, and intention, was my strength, not something to dilute.
It was also difficult at first to find aligned clients who truly valued the depth and quality of what I offered. But over time, as I refined my process and positioned ES Studio with more clarity, the right clients began to come in naturally. I’ve learned that the more you stay true to your creative values, the more the right people will find you.
The challenges shaped the studio in important ways. I’m proud of what those hard moments taught me. They helped me design a business that feels both sustainable and soulful.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about ES Studio?
ES Studio is a creative studio and design house focused on building soulful, strategic, and visually elevated brands. I work with founders, start-ups, and legacy brands across beauty, fashion, lifestyle, and hospitality to bring their vision to life through art direction, brand identity, content strategy, digital design, and creative consulting.
What sets ES Studio apart is the intention behind everything we create. Every brand touchpoint is developed with purpose, clarity, and emotional depth. I take a highly personalized approach to each project, combining editorial design sensibilities with strong strategic foundations. That balance between aesthetic and strategy is what I’m most known for.
I specialize in helping brands tell a visual story that feels both elevated and human. Whether it’s launching a product, creating a full rebrand, designing a site experience, or mapping a campaign, my work is rooted in how a brand feels, not just how it looks. The process is collaborative, hands-on, and rooted in trust. I see myself as a creative partner, not just a designer.
One of the things I’m most proud of is how ES Studio has grown through relationships, referrals, and word of mouth. Clients come to me when they’re ready for something more aligned, more elevated, and more emotionally resonant. That level of trust means everything.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I believe timing plays a role in everything, but I don’t rely on luck. If anything, the “luckiest” moments in my life or business have been the result of preparation meeting alignment. I’ve had times where an opportunity came out of nowhere, like a dream client inquiry or a chance to work on a major campaign, but it was only possible because I had already done the work, stayed consistent, and remained clear on my vision.
I’ve also experienced what felt like bad luck. Projects have fallen through, payments were delayed, creative blocks showed up, or I hit seasons of uncertainty. But every one of those moments taught me something valuable. They sharpened my intuition, helped me build stronger boundaries, and shaped how I run my business today.
To me, it’s less about good or bad luck and more about being available to receive what’s meant for you. Staying grounded, doing the work, and trusting the timing has always served me better than waiting on luck.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.esstudio.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esstudio.co?igsh=bHlpZW10ZjQ4OHRs
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evansmithco
