MILLY is an American fashion company specializing in women’s clothing that was founded by fashion designer Michelle Smith. The company is based in New York City and retails worldwide in department stores, via its own boutiques and online.
Brand history
Michelle Smith won a scholarship to Moore College of Art and Design to study fashion illustration during high school, moving on to New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. Smith worked at the Hermès boutique in Manhattan to help fund her tuition. After graduating, she wrote to the president of Hermès and was given an internship at the Paris headquarters. Alongside her internship at Hermès, Smith studied at ESMOD, also working as an apprentice at Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior Haute Couture. She returned to New York after three years and established the brand in 2000 with her business partner and husband, Andrew Oshrin. MILLY has been worn by Beyoncé, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Middleton.
Collections and stores
MILLY collections merge American sportswear influences with Parisian atelier techniques, incorporating custom-made fabrics and prints. The MILLY range includes ready-to-wear, accessories, swimwear and childrenswear. Retailers include Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's, and Harrods. MILLY has a flagship store on Madison Avenue, New York.
References
External links
- MILLY NY website
- NBC New York interview with Michelle Smith January 2014
- Fall 2014 collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
