Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Smiley.
Hi Kim, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
When I was three years old, my parents embarked on a yearlong exodus across eight countries in Asia. This trip changed the trajectory of my life, planting the seeds for a social enterprise I would find decades later.
I am a self-taught mixed media artist but was on the path to becoming a professor. While overseas conducting a research fellowship in Japan, I discovered the most beautiful lace I had ever seen. I began incorporating this lace into my art.
One day I had an epiphany. Staring at a series of lace mixed media paintings on my wall, I realized they were too feminine to be static on a canvas. They belonged on a woman’s body. That moment culminated in the creation of a simple lace bracelet. The rest of the story is a combination of perseverance, experimentation, and luck.
Kim Smiley has grown into an international brand that employs women in Canada for a living wage of $22 per hour. The eponymous label has become synonymous with ethical fashion and is a cult favorite among Canadian celebrities, including “First Lady” Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, who skyrocketed Smiley’s brand to the international stage in 2018 during a trip to India — where she wore Smiley’s jewelry and clothing.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We opened the Kim Smiley Global Flagship in Toronto two weeks before a 230-day Covid lockdown in Canada. We were forced to pivot our entire operation. That was definitely a struggle, but we found ways to creatively grow despite the obstacle. We were picked up by TSC — the Canadian Shopping Channel — during this period, which was a massive blessing for our brand — launching us into households across the nation.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I was on the path to become a professor but was always an artist at heart. After completing graduate school at Harvard, I headed to Japan for a post-graduation fellowship. (On this trip, I discovered the lace that would become my canvas for my career in fashion — but never would I have prophesied this!)
Upon my return to Montreal, my hometown, I decided to shift gears and began working in the nonprofit sector. My career focused on human rights, moral responsibility, and enriching the lives of marginalized populations.
I experimented as an artist on the side for 13 years while working in the nonprofit sector, but took the leap to become a full-time artist and fashion designer in 2015 after debuting my collection at World MasterCard Fashion Week the year before.
Fashion can be exploitative.
My greatest point of pride is that we believe in “Beauty for the Public Good.” Kim Smiley employs newcomers to Canada and pays them a living wage of $22/hour to manufacture our designs. We call it “wearable art” because every piece is created by an artisan by hand. Our pieces are created to be as unique as the women who wear them.
Unrelated to my work in fashion but perhaps of interest to incorporate…
In 2015, I began a social experiment on Facebook called The Empathy Effect. My goal was to test whether empathy could be infectious online. That project erupted into a social movement that inspired over 250,000 people in 75 countries. We are a registered nonprofit and charitable foundation. Our goal is to spread empathy in public and private life. On October 8, 2023, we are launching our most ambitious project to date — a Kickstarter campaign to teach 1 million people empathy.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Lead with empathy. Take risks. Get comfortable with failure. Block out detractors. Develop iron-clad boundaries. Follow your intuition. Nurture your passion by constantly learning. Have a beginner’s mindset. Stay humble. Never give up.
Pricing:
- $50-$1300
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kimsmiley.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/kimsmiley
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/SapphoByKimSmiley
- Linkedin: ca.linkedin.com/in/kimsmiley13
- Twitter: @sapphobykim
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Gr2K3jqZgc
- Other: https://m.facebook.com/TheEmpathyEffect
Image Credits
Close up (second shot of earrings) Alex Bradshaw for @FrancesRoseWest Photographs of the designer by Adam Farberman for DreamVision Group
