ROBYN NICHOLE SMITH
I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in a family that encouraged creativity and the pursuit of dreams. My father, a graphic designer and painter with a keen eye for perspective and realism, helped me develop strong observational drawing skills early on. My mother, a calligraphist and hands-on DIY craftswoman, nurtured my imagination through countless creative projects–our “craft nights” filled with hot glue, glitter, paint, and found materials. Those moments sparked my imagination and encouraged me to be free and expressive. I also admired my older sister, who sketched fashion designs and hairstyles, which ultimately sparked my interest in fashion.
From middle school through high school, I continued developing my skills through fine arts classes and summer art programs. With a growing sense of direction and ambition, I moved to New York at 18 to pursue fashion design. I attended The New School for my foundation year and was later accepted into the Parsons School of Design fashion program. During my time there, I interned with Peter Som and
Gap Inc., and received recognition including the Zack Carr Fashion Designer Award and the Jasco Fabrics Design Competition.
After graduating in 2005 with a BFA, I began my career designing women’s ready-to-wear for House of Deréon. During that time, I traveled internationally to Hong Kong and Mainland China to visit production factories, and domestically to California and Las Vegas for industry events, including Project Las Vegas.
I later transitioned into menswear, where I designed cut-and-sew knit collections and led print and graphic design within young men’s sportswear for Macy’s private label brand, American Rag. My illustration work has also been featured in the book Fashion Illustration (Design Media Publishing Limited).
Today, I approach design as a multidisciplinary and creatively fluid practice–working across fashion, print, and graphic direction, and adapting my focus depending on concept, context, and category. My work balances creative exploration with commercial awareness, with an emphasis on clarity, cohesion, and thoughtful visual storytelling.
This site reflects my ongoing exploration of fashion, illustration, and visual expression.
-God is Good-
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” -Thoreau