Over a conversation, we catch up with the designer who shares advice and insights on his partnership with Samsung.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00I just continued to think about my woman.
00:03I started thinking about who my woman is
00:05and what kind of women that I was inspired by.
00:07And then it really got even deeper
00:09because beyond designing, it was like,
00:11well, where is she wearing these designs to?
00:13Where does she vacation?
00:15What does she drive?
00:16What kind of automobiles does she drive?
00:18What kind of hotels does she stay in?
00:20What does she smell like?
00:21What's her favorite cocktail?
00:23I really started breaking these layers down
00:25to try to understand exactly who my target audience is.
00:28And it really was just, for me,
00:30it was very clear to me that my woman understands quality
00:34and she understands luxury and she loves her body.
00:37And, you know, she has an affinity of New York City
00:40and the true authentic culture.
00:42So it was very easy for me to just tap into things
00:46that really resonated and amplified
00:49all of those different moods and aesthetics.
00:59I'd love if you could kind of talk about
01:01what you feel like this era is about for you
01:03in terms of creatively.
01:06Creatively, what this era is for me.
01:10I am still building.
01:11I'm still creating.
01:13There is a constant need for inspiration.
01:17You know, I feel like in a time right now
01:20where the world is in a very weird place,
01:23I'm just constantly trying to seek inspiration,
01:27trying to find new ways of telling stories
01:30and sharing my experiences through, you know,
01:33my lens as an African-American designer.
01:36You know, in terms of building a luxury brand,
01:38I'm like in desperate need of finding inspiration.
01:42And I think that right now is the most important time
01:46to really inspire.
01:47It's the most important time to really create
01:50and dive into giving some,
01:53in creating and giving people something to be hopeful for
01:57and have a sense of optimism.
01:59That's where I'm at creatively.
02:00I'm right now, I'm working on my fall winter 25 collection,
02:04which is scheduled to debut in February.
02:08And I just launched my men's collection exclusively available
02:14at Saks Fifth Avenue.
02:15So I'm really excited about that.
02:18And I just left the Puma photo shoot.
02:20We just did a Puma campaign.
02:21So I'm doing a small capsule collection with Puma
02:24and we just shot the campaign here in LA.
02:26I got a lot going on creatively.
02:28So I'm really excited.
02:29There's a lot to be done.
02:30There's a lot happening.
02:31Met Gala's coming up.
02:33I'm excited to continue my partnership with Samsung.
02:36So, I mean, all across the board,
02:38Laquan Smith is very busy,
02:39but I am really thrilled and excited to continue to,
02:44you know, mark my stamp in this world.
02:48Absolutely.
02:49So what can you tell me about the Samsung partnership?
02:53I know that you brought some students to the CFDA Awards,
02:57which is an incredible opportunity for them.
02:59So if you want to start there,
03:01totally would love to hear more about that.
03:03Yeah, I mean, for me,
03:04this partnership with Samsung has been just extremely
03:10inspiring and extremely helpful, I think,
03:13for the future of the generation of new fashion designers,
03:17young designers on the rise.
03:19I was able to bring along incredible mentees
03:23to the CFDA Awards.
03:26It was a very unique experience.
03:27I had never done that before.
03:30And, you know, it was great having the scholars
03:32accompany me along with my muse, Victoria Monet,
03:36who was also dressed in Laquan Smith.
03:38It was such an amazing event.
03:41I'm all about, you know, giving back.
03:44I'm all about mentorship.
03:46You know, I have, along my journey,
03:50I've had so many incredible mentors help me
03:52and guide me along the way and really, you know,
03:54just sort of nurture me.
03:56So I think it's only right that I pay it forward.
03:59I think it's really important that, you know,
04:02you can sit someone down and really just guide them
04:06through, you know, through the journeys
04:07of this really, really tough industry,
04:09because it is extremely tough.
04:10So I think just having the platform
04:13and having that channel through Samsung
04:15helped me amplify that and empower the future generation.
04:19And I'm super excited about it.
04:21Absolutely.
04:22So in addition to bringing students to the CFDA Awards,
04:26I do also know that Samsung was a part
04:28of your last collection shown at Fashion Week.
04:30So can you tell me a little bit about
04:31how you incorporated Samsung into the collection?
04:35Yes, so with Samsung's help,
04:37I designed a limited edition men's and women's
04:39unisex sleepwear collection
04:41that was pretty much inspired by technology,
04:45the Galaxy Ring, the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
04:48I got a chance to spend time
04:50with pretty much all of the products.
04:52And, you know, I believe technology and creativity
04:56pretty much goes hand in hand.
04:58You know, it really allowed me to sort of dive
05:01into the elements of lucid dreams.
05:05I started taking a look at all of the ways
05:09that these products inspired me,
05:11and I was ultimately inspired by the luxury idea of sleep.
05:15And that's how I came up with this concept of lucid dreams.
05:18And it's just a really beautiful collection
05:21that I think just incorporates the idea of fashion
05:25through the lens of technology.
05:28Gotcha.
05:29And did you have any other sources of inspiration?
05:31There was a really fire trench coat
05:33that was a part of the collection.
05:35There were all of these innovative items.
05:37I feel like you kind of do this most seasons.
05:40I've always loved to see the bustier moments as well.
05:43So were there any other sources of inspiration
05:45besides the tech side?
05:47I mean, I think, you know, for me,
05:49the root of inspiration for Laquan Smith
05:53is always just the idea of New York glamour.
05:56I mean, it's all about this sort of idea of sensuality
05:59and creating, you know, really fun classic,
06:03but yet provocative silhouettes
06:04that women can be inspired by, you know,
06:06to where Laquan Smith is truly an experience.
06:10And it really does stand for this idea
06:12of being unapologetically sexy, you know,
06:16and I wanna just always continue
06:18to keep that core DNA consistently
06:20and making sure that I'm creating a product
06:22that's modern and progressively fashion forward.
06:27And I think, you know, for me,
06:29that's always been the start of the inspiration
06:31is making a product and designing a collection
06:34that a woman or a man can feel empowered by.
06:39Gotcha.
06:40And did you have any moments in 2024
06:44that really stood out to you career-wise
06:47or even personally,
06:48just things that you kind of ticked off
06:50your bucket list this year?
06:51I've had a great year, you know,
06:54everyone from dressing Kamala Harris to dressing Beyonce
06:57to, I mean, even going to the CFDA
07:01with the incredible mentees, working with Samsung.
07:05I mean, it's been a great year.
07:07I think, you know, for me,
07:09it's just been about building a supportive network,
07:13being able to balance my success
07:16because, you know, it takes a lot out of you.
07:19I just also wanna remember that, you know,
07:22it's about maintaining my creative motivation
07:25and always making sure that I'm doing the necessary things
07:29to find inspiration in my daily life
07:32and also through my travels, through my experiences.
07:36There's been a lot of growth,
07:37there's been a lot of failure,
07:39but at the same time, handling the industry pressure,
07:42you know, I'm really proud of being able to stand firm
07:46in a lot of the difficult situations that I have been in.
07:50And, you know, being faced
07:53with some of the biggest challenges, building a brand,
07:57you know, I'm happy to have overcome them.
07:59I'm happy that I've been able to create
08:02and implement changes to be able to really build and grow.
08:05And I'm still doing that, you know,
08:07I'm still sort of in this phase of growing and creating,
08:11but I mean, I think that I've done such an exceptional job
08:14in terms of creating a really dope brand
08:17in a very unconventional way.
08:19And I'm really most proud about that.
08:22It's beautiful.
08:25Also curious, do you have any projects
08:28with Samsung in the pipeline
08:30or with CFDA that you can talk about?
08:32I know you did mention Met Gala,
08:35do you have anything on the horizon as well?
08:38Yeah, I mean, right now, again, continuing to, you know,
08:42continuing to push boundaries with fashion and technology.
08:45I'm really looking forward to going with Samsung
08:48for Met Gala, there's so much more to do.
08:51Continuing this partnership in terms of, you know,
08:56in terms of mentorship,
08:57and I'm sure that we're gonna be able to expand on that
09:00in such a greater way.
09:02I mean, I don't wanna give it all away,
09:03but I'm looking forward to doing so much more
09:06with Samsung for sure.
09:08Gotcha.
09:09Do you have any advice that you give to students
09:12that are rising in the industry or emerging designers?
09:15What would you tell them?
09:18I would just say, you know,
09:21just think about leaving an impact,
09:23think about focusing on the lasting impact of your work.
09:27I know we live in such an era
09:29where everything is so short-term and really, you know,
09:31fast-paced and everybody wants everything so tangible,
09:35but it really is about sort of, you know,
09:38how are we defining like the measures of success
09:41and really think about the longevity.
09:43Don't think about just the short-term,
09:45but think about, you know, long-range goals, you know,
09:48and I really do,
09:49and just pushing the agenda of, you know,
09:53staying the core, staying true to who you are,
09:56you know, know how to adapt to change,
09:58know your audience, engage with your audience.
10:01I mean, I think that's really what makes up, you know,
10:03for me, the most authentic, you know,
10:06vision and growth and brand building
10:09and ultimately accomplishments.
10:12I hear you.
10:13I definitely think we live in an era
10:16where everything is kind of at people's fingertips.
10:20So I've been seeing with Gen Z sometimes,
10:23they think that a lot of folks are overnight successes
10:26and that don't necessarily have to like be gritty
10:30and like really like put your best foot forward
10:32at all times and kind of be a workforce
10:35for like, honestly, like eight to 10 years
10:39in order for things to really pop off.
10:41So I'm just curious if-
10:44I always say to young kids,
10:46like just slow and steady wins the race, you know,
10:50and it's always about celebrating the small victories,
10:55the small wins, you know,
10:56those things truly, truly do matter.
10:59I remember once upon a time, you know,
11:02it was hard for me to really get my manufacturing in order.
11:06At one point I was designing everything,
11:08sewing everything myself, you know?
11:10I mean, it really is about small increments.
11:13It's about small, small victories.
11:15And I think that those victories matter
11:17and we have to continue to really celebrate ourselves
11:20and making sure that we are, you know,
11:22moving the needle forward
11:23and making sure that we're doing the right things, you know?
11:26So, I mean, that's the best advice I could give.
11:30Yeah. No, I hear you.
11:32I'm trying to instill some of these things in Gen Z.
11:35I feel like it's tough sometimes to try to explain.
11:40You have to sometimes do things that at times
11:43may not feel connected to what you're most passionate about
11:47in order for the return to really come to you
11:49if you stay consistent with these things.
11:52Had a convo with someone recently where she said
11:55she doesn't want to do anything
11:56if it doesn't have anything to do with her purpose.
11:59And I told her, I love that for you, sis,
12:02but realistically, there's going to be some things
12:05that you have to do in order to get to, like,
12:08where you actually want to be career-wise.
12:11And maybe once you get to, you know,
12:14like those areas of your career where you really feel like
12:17you can kind of stand firmly on your own
12:19due to your experiences,
12:20then you can only do things that are, like, purpose-filled.
12:24So we went back and forth, and I love that she said that,
12:28but I just wanted to reiterate to her, like, sis,
12:32sometimes you got to do things to pay the bills
12:34in order to get to where you kind of want to be.
12:37And then when you can stand firmly on your own,
12:40then you can kind of, you know, like,
12:42turn down opportunities and, like, say,
12:45actually, this is what I'm most skilled in.
12:48Do you have any opportunities here?
12:49That's kind of what I was trying to let her know.
12:52Yeah, I thought that was really great advice.
12:54I mean, I think that there is such a thing
12:56about balancing commercial success
12:58with artistic integrity, you know?
13:01You really have to recognize the business side of fashion
13:04and understand what kind of demands that requires
13:07without it letting it,
13:09without it overshadowing, you know, your creative vision.
13:12And that some people, it's very tough.
13:14You know, it's a very tough thing,
13:16but, you know, it's about focusing on projects
13:19that ultimately inspire you, you know?
13:21I mean, why do something for a dollar
13:24or do something for coin
13:25if you're not even gonna put your heart into it,
13:27if it doesn't push you, if it doesn't inspire you?
13:29So, I mean, I think it does go hand in hand.
13:32But with that being said, you know,
13:33it's also about the power of no.
13:35You don't have to say yes to everything, you know?
13:38I think it's about setting up, you know,
13:40just understanding, like, how you're aligned
13:43with the projects that you're presented with
13:45and, you know, like, zeroing in on, you know,
13:49on projects and creating, you know,
13:52this sort of ultimate idea in the scale of, like,
13:56your dream wishlist, you know?
13:58I mean, that's what I did.
13:59Once upon a time, I came up with, like,
14:01this obnoxious list of, like, you know,
14:04my dream partnerships, you know?
14:06And a lot of people, a lot of businesses and companies
14:09that was on that list, I didn't even think twice
14:11I would ever have, you know, any dealings with.
14:14And, you know, slowly but surely,
14:17things started really opening up for me
14:20outside of the fashion space.
14:21I was able to fuse fashion through other avenues
14:24and in the scale of luxury.
14:26And, you know, when I think of, you know,
14:28finance and automobiles and films and technology and,
14:32you know, it just, the list goes on and on and on.
14:35I think there's so many ways to,
14:37and so many opportunities in storytelling
14:41and in the landscape of Laquan Smith, you know,
14:44I'm really excited to continue to write those memoirs.
14:48I hear you, I hear you.
14:49No, I think everything you shared is relevant.
14:53And I think, I just love seeing
14:57how playful you are with your designs
15:00and then also how there's always a story with everything.
15:04And so I'm just curious with each collection,
15:08what kind of advice could you give to an aspiring designer
15:12or someone that's kind of starting off
15:14that is really having a hard time keying in
15:17on what their narrative as a designer is
15:21in terms of like design prowess, design code?
15:24Do you have any tips for someone
15:26that's kind of really trying to figure that out?
15:31That might be a hard one.
15:32I feel like.
15:34You know, I mean, see, it's really hard for me
15:39because, you know, I have managed to, you know,
15:45maintain a very distinctive brand identity
15:47within this very competitive industry by honestly,
15:50I mean, just being honest, by staying true to me,
15:53by staying true to my initial beliefs, you know,
15:58I just continue to think about my woman.
16:01I started thinking about who my woman is
16:03and what kind of women that I was inspired by.
16:05And then it really got even deeper
16:08because beyond designing, it was like,
16:10well, where is she wearing these designs to?
16:12Where does she vacation?
16:14What does she drive?
16:15What kind of automobiles does she drive?
16:17What kind of hotels does she stay in?
16:19What does she smell like?
16:20You know, what's her favorite cocktail?
16:21I really started breaking these layers down
16:23to try to understand exactly who my target audience is.
16:26And it really was just for me,
16:29it was very clear to me that my woman understands quality
16:32and she understands luxury and she loves her body.
16:35And, you know, she has an affinity of New York City
16:39and the true authentic culture.
16:41So it was very easy for me to just tap into things
16:44that really resonated and amplified
16:47all of those different moods and aesthetics.
16:50You know, my woman loves nightlife.
16:52And so it allowed me to really go into, you know,
16:54reflective textiles and things that felt more sparkly
16:57and holiday and celebratory.
16:59And I mean, I don't know,
17:00I just think that really it's about writing down,
17:04you know, maybe five to 10 code words
17:07of what your brand resonates, what your design ethos is,
17:11and then really lean into that, you know, on all aspects.
17:15I think really think about your woman,
17:17not just through a collection or a particular,
17:19you know, one dress, but think about your woman
17:21or think about your client from a 24 hour perspective.
17:24I think that that would help really build out
17:26and carve out a DNA for, you know, any designer,
17:30really understanding, you know,
17:33who exactly are you designing for
17:35and just really being able to lean in on, you know,
17:38again, like what your core DNA is.
17:40That's not something that's really easy to find.
17:42But again, for me, that was just like,
17:44it just kind of felt natural.
17:47I hear you.
17:48I definitely love that because I think
17:52when I've gone to like the FIT grad show,
17:56sometimes I see that there's not many black designers
17:59at times showing in terms of them not necessarily
18:02being like a design student.
18:03So I kind of grabbed one this past season
18:07and I've been meeting with her to kind of just talk about
18:11what's next, you know, like what can you kind of do
18:15with the designs that you're interested in doing
18:18or kind of moving forward?
18:19Because I think she's kind of at a standstill right now
18:22because she is working as like a design assistant
18:25for someone, but she's really trying to figure out
18:28when she can either leave this place
18:31to kind of take a leap of faith
18:34or does she need to kind of stay to figure out
18:37kind of what the next phase of her life
18:39is kind of gonna be,
18:40because she graduated last semester.
18:43Okay, yeah.
18:44No, I get it.
18:45You know, it really is about understanding your core values,
18:49you know, define your personal and your brand values,
18:53you know, and, you know, I just think it's about
18:56really standing up and standing firm
18:58and identifying what you stand for as a person,
19:01as an artist, as a creative.
19:03And I think that those, you know,
19:06I think that those principles will then reflect in your work
19:09which then creates a brand DNA.
19:12Yeah, no, I love that.
19:14I'm definitely gonna share that with her
19:15because I think she's,
19:17honestly she's been a little discouraged.
19:19I think I could kind of feel that energy, bro.
19:21I know it can be tough when you graduate.
19:25Like I remember those days when I graduated
19:27and I was just like,
19:28I'm just gonna move to New York
19:28and then I'm gonna figure it out
19:29because I'm not from New York.
19:31But I know like New York natives,
19:34you guys have so much at your fingertip
19:36and I love that there's so much creativity in the city.
19:39You never know who you're gonna run into.
19:41So I'm definitely gonna share that with her.
19:44Did you have anything else you wanted to add about 2024
19:49or just Samsung partnerships, CFDA,
19:53anything else you'd like to add?
19:55No, I mean, I think I've said it all.
19:58I'm just super optimistic about the future.
20:02I'm really excited for the new year.
20:05I'm really excited to continue to,
20:10I'm really excited to continue to tell my story.
20:12I'm excited to take people on my journey
20:15in whatever direction I decide to go in.
20:19Laquan Smith is for the future of women
20:22who wanna be unapologetically sexy.
20:24And I hope that you guys can continue to,
20:26again, be a part of this journey.
20:28I wanna take people on this journey.
20:29I wanna continue to broaden my horizons
20:32when it comes down to mentorship programs.
20:34Maybe someday I'll even have a Laquan Smith Foundation.
20:37I wanna continue to do more.
20:39So just be on the lookout.
20:40But yeah, so far I'm really excited
20:42and really optimistic for the new year.
20:45Incredible.
20:45Well, congrats on everything this year.
20:49It's been amazing to see you.
20:52You're one of the amazing brands.
20:53And also just still be authentically you.
20:55I really have enjoyed watching.