Willi Smith influenced a new generation of women entering the workforce. He made style accessible with smart fabrications at reasonable rates as the head designer of his own multi-million dollar business WilliWear.

Joyful clothing with mass appeal seemed central to Smith’s creative vision before his sudden death in 1987. Attributed to conditions brought on by AIDS, Smith’s body of work and creative legacy continues, and his influence on fashion lives on. #WorldAidsDay