An Atlanta native, Emily Smith was enthralled by fashion from a very young age, when she recalls covering her walls with ads from Calvin Klein and her idol Donna Karan. Her love of art, fashion design and architecture led her to Savannah College of Art and Design, where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts. At her graduation thesis show, the design team from Bill Blass offered her an internship, which sparked her move to NYC, and the beginning of bourgeoning fashion career. Since joining Lafayette 148 New York in 2002, her warm, collaborative design approach, technical mastery, and gift for perfecting a garment from the inside out has propelled her rise to Creative Director for the brand. She takes an architectural approach to construction and finds inspiration for her collections in the skyline of New York City, the worlds of art and photography, as well as strong, adventurous women throughout history. As a woman designing for women, she has an intuitive sense of how to flatter a woman’s body and craft clothes that speak to her needs. From trend forecasting to developing each collection, to traveling the globe in search of the finest fabrics, Emily has helped guide Lafayette 148 New York to a new level of luxury—and built a gifted team to chart the brand’s next chapter.

Emily Smith has been a CFDA Member since 2019.