Amy Smilovic

Our Curriculum Vitae Q&A with the artist, entrepreneur, and creative pragmatist behind Tibi.

Astrological sign?
Scorpio

Lucky number?
13

Favorite color?
Grey

Morning, Noon, or Night?
Morning

Uptown, Midtown, or Downtown?
Downton

Met, MOMA, or Movies?
Movies

Football, Baseball, or Basketball?
Basketball

Green Tea, Black Tea, or Herbal Tea?
Green

Sugar, Splenda, or Stevia?
Nothing

Red, White, or Rosé?
Red

Spicy, Salty, or Sweet?
Spicy

Sandwich, Soup, or Salad?
Soup

Black, white, or color?
Black

Is your closet messy or neat?
Messy

What’s your favorite room in your home?
Living room

What do you collect?
Shoes

Dream dinner guest?
Christopher Hitchens

Sunday ritual?
Barre class

Favorite flower?
Tulip

Favorite scent?
Changes every year

Cheat meal?
Beans

Favorite place to escape to when you need a moment of respite?
Headphones

Talent you’d like to have?
Singing

Quality you want to be remembered by?
Honesty

Best thing about New York?
Pulse

It’s hard not to be reminiscent of the past, and distracted by the future. How do you strive to live in the moment?
With creative people around me.

What does Considered Luxury mean to you?
Slow, not bulk, good touch, not everywhere.

What was the inspiration behind starting your brand?
A desire to do my own thing that has evolved into a love of style and expression.

Give three words that describe your brand.
Modern, effortless, and classic.

Who is a woman in your life you are inspired by and why.
My mother. She’s my biggest fan, she and my dad love each other so much (55 years together and counting), she’s so young in spirit, so good to my kids, and I could have never started Tibi without her. She sent out all my first shipments on her own for the first year.

Favorite female singer to listen to when you need some motivation?
Dolly Parton. Seriously I love that woman – a true powerhouse.

What are three words to describe your most fabulous female friend?
Caring. Honest. Joyful.

What are three things all women need in their life?
Confidence. Smarts. Awareness.

What does giving back mean to you and your brand?
It means sharing what I have learned over time. Life is a journey. No one is born perfect, the world is a place to live in and learn from. I’m grateful for the chance to have had great parents and their guidance, to have made many mistakes and learned from them, and to hopefully become better each year and pass that on to others.

What’s one thing you’ve learned in the last year?
That life is too short to make bad clothes and in the broader sense, what I am really saying is that if you can find a way to make a living doing what you truly love, then lean in to that and do it. Make the most of what you have around you. Don’t settle for less but be realistic about what you really need at the end of the day.

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