THE JAMES SMITH STORY
In the early 1980's, Smith began his professional creative life in NYC as a young Model, then later on a Club Kid, Window Designer, Fashion Stylist, Fashion and Video Coordinator for many companies like: La Rue Des Reves on Spring and Wooster streets (80s), Untitled (West 8th st), as well as a private stylist to celebrity clients.
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Smith had the privilege of working with supermodels of the times, nightclub personalities, private clients, and entertainment figures including: Jane Fonda, Gladys Knight and Olivia Newton-John, Sebastian Bach, Lisa Lisa, Cult Jam, Molly Ringwald, Lady Kazan, Carmen Dell Orefice Smith and many more.
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He then set his eyes on 7th Ave after returning to collage to pursue his degree in fashion design, including digital fashion illustrator at the University of Cincinnati, New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, and The School of Visual Arts. During this time while in school, Smith had his own jewelry collection called "Siren's" that he created and sold in NYC, Chicago, and Cincinnati; his jewelry was featured in Details Magazine NYC.
After acquiring his technical education Smith then became a freelance fashion and textile print designer on 7th Avenue for Lida Swimwear and Mattel Toys' Barbie collections. Afterwords, he worked as a Millenary for Whittle & Shon working with Salt and Pepper and many rap artists that loved his designs. This was whilst designing ready-to-wear fashion apparel and textiles for Rebecca Taylor, in the mid-90's and Macy's Product Development, among others in addition to working behind the scenes at fashion week for many years as a Stylist/Dresser.
After this time, Smith decided he needed more funding and became a tenant-based commercial real estate broker on Park Ave, using his fashion contacts to help fashion and beauty tenants acquire design room-space and ground-floor retail locations. This created flagship stores in Nolita for: Rebecca Taylor, The Edris Meat Hair Salon in the Meat Packing district, and much other fashion and beauty related tenants throughout NYC - Smith was written up in WWD as broker to the fashion community.
Smith left the broker business a week after that release, to resume his creative life. Smith returned to his fashion roots as a photographer, after building out his home studio with new funding and equipment, using all his fashion skills from set design, styling, dressmaking, hair, and makeup concepts, apart from shooting events all over NYC.
In 2005, Smith's private works caught the eye of the French art world, culminating in his work being featured in a critically acclaimed show at Reflex Gallery in Paris, France and concurrently throughout Montreal, Canada. In 2013 Smith's work was featured live with other winning artists on the Times Square Nasdaq sign, via the Artist Wanted Contest he had won and was delighted to see his work flashing on Times Square. For over a decade, Smith's camera has focused on the reality of underground night life as well as, to the glamorous side for his private clientele based in the US, UK, and France. Smith also has had the great pleasure to work with mentor Rose Hartman (photographer during the studio 54 era) for her press junket for both of her books: ‘Incompatible Women of Style’ and 'Incomparable Couples' in 2014 -2015”.
Conclusively, Smith has worked with Photographer and Author, mentor Bobbie Miller in P-town where his work was shown for an Aids fundraiser. Additionally, to working within fashion underground, Smith also works with large groups of Businesswomen and Men including NY’s junior League, 100 Women in Hedge Funds, and many independent law firms and business institutions using all his fashion talents to update both men and women for business portraits used on professional websites and social media.
Smith also creates cosmetic events for large groups of women of all ages for Saks Fifth Ave cosmetic events, in NYC and Boston. Smith has shot hundreds of and hundreds of business professionals.
Currently, Smith is working on his first book covering the last 3 decades of his life within the fashion underground.
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Regards, Smith