FOUNDER PROFILE

Julia Smith is the company founder and an international designer, specialized in branding and marketing for the luxury business.  

She is the creator and artistic director of international brands.

Julia grew up on the Isle of Wight, an island of great natural beauty, renowned for its biodiversity, as well as its rich cultural, and historical past. She studied Art and Design at Portsmouth University, having already had portrait work exhibited at the National Gallery, London. Julia moved to London to study fashion and marketing at the University of Kingston, winning multiple awards for menswear, shoes, womenswear, sportswear and a special prize given by Colin McDowell, the leading fashion writer. She exhibited her design work at the Design Centre of London and won the International Wool Secretariat Prize. In London she also worked in the prestigious fashion department of Harper’s and Queen magazine (Harper’s Bazaar) London.

Julia was discovered during her fashion show at Goldsmith’s Hall in central London by Baron Charles de Sainte Fare. Karl Lagerfeld, Jean Charles Castelberjac and Gianfranco Ferre were also selected and worked in their early careers for Baron Charles de Sainte Fare. She worked as the consultant designer for this Munich/Dusseldorf based company for the womenswear collection manufactured in Italy.

In London, at Whistles, she designed and launched, with the founder Lucille Lewin, the first Whistles womenswear collection. She also developed the process of creating non-seasonal “capsule collections” for a responsive and quick delivery to the Whistles exclusive boutiques with manufacturing partners.  

Julia was asked by Nicola Trussardi to move to Italy where at Trussardi she designed the women’s, men’s collections, accessories, and haute couture. Julia also created the uniforms for Milan airport. She created the designs and worked on the organization of over twenty women and menswear fashion shows in Milan and Rome.  Trussardi also entrusted Julia with the business development of the licensee business.

She then acquired her significant influence in Japan, at Itochu, where Julia was the designer and coordinator for two predominant Italian fashion houses in Japan. The experience of working for this Japanese company also established her interest in Japanese culture and design: developing her sense of proportion, sobriety, refined elegance and purity of form. The understanding of which, was to be a major influence in her design of international boutiques and interior design projects.

Her professional experience was recognized by LVMH who relocated Julia to Paris, where she became head of the Givenchy 1st line menswear collection and studio. She also coordinated with the womenswear division and Alexander McQueen.  She was responsable for the repositioning of the menswear line with the strategists of LVMH and the new modern approach to the collection. While consolidating and increasing international market growth, she was the protagonist in the opening of the USA and UK markets during her tenure.   She was also actively involved in the creation of the internet site.

The French men and accessories brand De Fursac chose Julia to reposition the brand, developing a new logo and store concept. She directed the marketing and product development teams.  As well as increasing sales in the brand’s sixty corners and five exclusive boutiques with the new collections, she also made successful fashion shows for the company at “l’école des beaux arts” in Paris. Julia was also the director of the advertising and publicity campaigns, shoots and videos (including a successful co-branding campaign with the French National Basketball team). She initiated the first fashion advertising film in French cinema.

In Paris, she became both Merchandising and Collection Director of Marithé + François Girbaud – head of womenswear, menswear, jeans, leatherwear, accessories, and sportswear. 

As a result of these experiences Julia’s skills include :

• design
• product development and collection coordination 
• boutique and interior design
• branding, marketing and communication projects
• merchandising
• license business
• sourcing manufacturing

Her British heritage and creative talents lead her around the world where she worked in the fashion capitals of London, New York, Milan (+ Florence) and Tokyo (+ Osaka).`

Her country business experience includes Italy, Japan, France, Belgium, Hong Kong, China, Korea, Taiwan, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Portugal, Mauritius, the Middle East, and the USA. Julia speaks English, French and Italian fluently as well as having a good knowledge of Japanese. 

Her multicultural background and international experience lead her to create DESIGN INCORPORATED. To find out more about our design consultancy services, please contact us: