Timeline

Beginnings and Career

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1948
A blurry, yellow-toned photograph of Willi as an infant being held by his parents.
1948

Willi Donnell Smith is born on February 29 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Willie Lee Smith, an ironworker, and June Eileen Smith, an artist and homemaker.

1963
Black and white news clipping. On the left it reads "A History Lesson. Yes, here's a picture of you-know-who as the President of the Student Council. No wonder he knows how to make people look smart!" On the right is an image of a dark skinned man in a light suite, speaking in front of a podium.
1963

Smith attends Jules E. Mastbaum Technical High School in Philadelphia and begins his first job as an illustrator for the dress shop Prudence and Strickler.

1964
Black and white image of a classical building entrance. Stairs lead up to an entrance between 4 columns. The building reads "The University of the Arts".
1964

Smith takes a class in fashion illustration at the Philadelphia Museum College of Art.

1965
Black and white photograph of a man and a woman posing in fancy clothing. She wears a long grey dress, black shoes, black gloves, and a large ornate black hat. He wears a dark suit with polka dotted tie. They stand in front of a mirror.
1965

Designer Arnold Scaasi hires Smith as an apprentice; Smith enrolls in the fashion design program at Parsons School of Design with two scholarships and takes liberal arts classes at New York University.

1967
Black and white photo of man standing in a large industrial room against the wall on the left of the image. On the right wall are large sketches of a storefront. At the rear of the room is a full-scale mockup of the storefront.
1967

Smith leaves Parsons and meets artists and future collaborators Christo and Jeanne-Claude through impresario Harrison Rivera-Terreaux; Smith meets Bethann Hardison, who becomes his fit model and friend.

1968
Color photograph of a dark-skinned man in a tan round hat, brown patterened shirt, high wasted dark orange pants, holding a suitcase behind his back in front of a white backdrop.
1968

Smith designs for fashion companies Talbott, Bobbie Brooks, Mr. Thompson, and Personal Sportswear before joining Glenora Juniors.

1969
Grayscale photograph of a model walking confidently down a runway in a chrome jumpsuit with hands in pockets. A room full of men and women, seating and standing, look at the model as she walks.
1969

Fashion executives Franklin Trigg and Irving Yanous create junior sportswear label Digits; Smith resigns from Glenora and becomes lead designer for Digits.

1970
Illustration of a figure in a red bell-bottom jumpsuit with a white collared blouse and bow necktie; three fabric swatches in pink, black, and red and white polka dots are stapled beside illustration
1970

Smith meets future WilliWear business partner Laurie Mallet while she holidays in New York; Digits forms the new lower-price-point division Syllables, making Smith lead designer.

1971
Grayscale photograph of a Black man with round glasses and a white woman embracing in a hug; the woman kisses the man on the head
1971

Smith hires Mallet as his design assistant at Digits.

1972
Color photograph of two woman running to cross a busy New York Street. They are smiling, holding hands as they run.
1972

Smith is nominated for the Coty American Fashion Critics’ Winnie award; Digits presents its first runway show.

1973
Photograph in a Butterick catalog of two female figures modeling green and red vests, plaid shirts, and denim high-waisted jeans designed by Willi Smith
1973

Smith begins designing for Butterick Patterns and designs costumes for dancer-choreographer Dianne McIntyre’s composition •The Lost Sun•, performed by her company Sounds in Motion; Smith is nominated for the Coty American Fashion Critics’ Winnie award for the second time; Fern Mallis and Suzanne Slesin invite Smith to participate in a designer showcase at Knoll International with fellow fashion designers Willie Woo, Calvin Klein, and Giorgio di Sant’Angelo, among others; Smith resigns from Digits.

1974
Black and white image of three figures. In the center, a dark-skinned man sits on a counter, speaking. On his right, a woman stands in a long dark jumpsuit. On his left, a woman stands in a dress with paper crane patterns.
1974

Henri Bendel invites Willi Smith, Betsey Johnson, and Carol Horn to develop Fall loungewear collections for Bendel’s Studio division; Digits files for bankruptcy; Smith forms Willi Smith Designs, Inc. with his sister Toukie Smith and Rivera-Terreaux; Architect Chauncey Jones designs Smith’s loft on 20th Street and Fifth Avenue; Willi Smith Designs, Inc. closes.

1975
A drawing of a a model in a robe. It reads "Paprika, by Willi Smith."
1975

Manufacturing company LeDamor, Inc. hires Smith to helm its newly launched sportswear division Paprika; Smith designs a 15-piece activewear and sportswear collection of tennis apparel then resigns; Smith and Mallet travel to Bombay (now Mumbai), India, to produce a small collection.

1976
Color illustration of a tall dark-skinned man and short fair woman embracing with arms around each other’s shoulders
1976

Smith and Mallet form WilliWear Ltd., positioning Mallet as president and Smith as vice president and lead designer; WilliWear’s first showroom opens at 32 West 39th Street; Smith designs costumes for McIntyre’s Deep South Suite, which premieres during Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Duke Ellington Festival.

1978
A yellow-toned photograph of two figures. In the foreground, a dark-skinned model poses and looks off to the right. Behind her, a dark-skinned man adjusts her clothing.
1978

The first WilliWear runway show takes place at Holly Solomon Gallery with a Spring collection influenced by nautical uniforms and Southeast Asian dress; WilliWear opens a new showroom at 62 West 39th Street, designed by Chauncey Jones; Smith signs a licensing deal with label Gabrielle, Inc. to manufacture workwear pants and is nominated for a Coty American Fashion Critics’ Winnie award for the third time.

1979
A greyscale photo. A light-skinned dancer and a dark-skinned dancer smile and twist in front of a white curtain on stage. They are dressed oppositely, with the figure on the right wearing a plaid top and grey pants, and the other wearing a grey suit top and plaid pants.
1979

Black designers Arthur McGee, Jeffrey Banks, Carl Davis, Jay Jaxon, Kevin Thompson, Robert Miller, and Smith are honored with a fashion show of their designs accompanied by a disco party at the Fashion Institute of Technology; Smith is nominated for the Coty American Fashion Critics’ Winnie award for the fourth time.

1980
A greyscale photo of a darks kinned man sketching at a desk, looking into the camera. His desk is full of drawings and fabric samples. In his hand he holds a pen as he works on one of his drawings. On the wall behind him are fabric samples and images of models.
1980

WilliWear’s Fall collection is presented at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater with Ailey dancers as models.

1981
Photo of wedding ensemble that displays a large floral headdress, white satin coat, and beige jodhpur trousers
1981

The Black Fashion Museum organizes the exhibition Bridal Gowns of Black Designers, which includes a bridal ensemble by Smith; the WilliWear London boutique opens at 14 Drury Lane, designed by António Lagarto; the McCall Pattern Company releases new designs by Smith, including patterns for jodhpurs and bomber jackets.

1982
MoMA PS1 hallway with view of plastered articles of WilliWear clothing and accessories laid upon the floor behind a translucent scrim
1982

Smith participates in a group exhibition at P.S. 1 with fashion designers Cathy Hardwick, Michèle Lamy, Corrine Guibert, and Regina Kravitz and presents the installation Art as Damaged Goods; WilliWear hires Mark Bozek as head of communications and Stuart Lazar as executive vice president of menswear; architecture and environmental arts studio SITE designs the WilliWear showroom at 209 West 38th Street; SITE completes a London WilliWear boutique in Harrods.

1983
Paper with black-and-white photograph of WilliWear showroom with small sketches of garments drawn over-top and notes for Dressing Tables afterparty
1983

Bill Bonnell begins designing WilliWear graphics for marketing campaigns, films, clothing, and runway shows; Smith designs T-shirts and hats for workers constructing Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Surrounded Islands in Miami; Smith and Mallet establish a new division of WilliWear called WilliWear Productions, selling mass-produced clothing designed by artists; WilliWear presents its first menswear collection; WilliWear presents the Street Couture Fall collection at the Puck Building as an interdisciplinary event incorporating video art by Juan Downey, music by Jorge Socarras, and makeup by Linda Mason; Smith stages the City Island Spring presentation with a video installation by Nam June Paik, music by Jorge Socarras, and makeup by Linda Mason; WilliWear funds the world premiere of Set and Reset, a performance by the Trisha Brown Dance Company, during the Next Wave Festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM); interior design firm Patino/Wolf designs Smith’s loft on 2 Horatio Street; Smith is awarded the Coty American Fashion Critics’ Winnie award for womenswear, and food artist Miralda creates Dressing Tables for the after-party.

1984
Grayscale photograph of Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane posed dramatically in front of a background painted by Keith Haring
1984

WilliWear hosts a presentation for the Fall men’s collection in its showroom, emphasizing deconstructed, oversized silhouettes in liquid-like fabrics; WilliWear’s SUB-Urban Fall runway show includes gender-fluid ensembles; WilliWear presents the Sightseeing Spring collection with both menswear and womenswear; WilliWear funds the second rendition of Philip Glass’s opera Einstein on the Beach at BAM; Smith designs costumes for McIntyre’s Take-Off from a Forced Landing performed by Sounds in Motion at the Joyce Theater; Smith designs costumes for Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company’s Secret Pastures at BAM’s Next Wave Festival—Keith Haring designs the sets, Peter Gordon composes the score; Ronald Feldman Gallery hosts an exhibition of WilliWear Productions artist T-shirts; Public Art Fund hosts Artventure, a fundraiser at AREA with WilliWear Productions artist T-shirts, a performance by Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Dance Company, and the debut of Les Levine’s Made in New York film for WilliWear; WilliWear hires Jeff Tweedy to head womenswear sales under Andy Grossman.

1985
Photograph of Willi Smith dressed in pink and black women's ensemble, wearing colorful makeup, a headwrap, and holding a film slate
1985

Dean Alexander begins to design WilliWear promotional graphics; Smith designs workers’ uniforms for Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Pont Neuf Wrapped in Paris, France; WilliWear presents a boys’ line for Fall and a girls’ line for Spring; Smith commissions caricature artist Robert Risko to draw his portrait for promotional use; WilliWear produces the film Expedition in Senegal, directed by Max Vadukul with music by Peter Gordon, to present the Spring 1986 collection; Expedition premieres at the Ziegfeld Theatre during New York Fashion Week; Smith designs costumes for La MaMa Experimental Theater Club’s Cotton Club Gala; Smith wins a Cutty Sark Outstanding Menswear Designer award; WilliWear presents a collection of pink-and-green faux fur coats for the Fall season in collaboration with Bill Blass; Smith undergoes rehabilitation at the Betty Ford Center; WilliWear hires Mindy Grossman as the vice president for WilliWear menswear; James Mischka joins WilliWear as a designer.

1986
Black and white cover of WilliWear News with image of Willi Smith smiling and holding his English bulldog Rufus
1986

WilliWear grosses more than $25 million; Smith publishes two issues of the WilliWear News with friend Kim Hastreiter, cofounder of Paper magazine; New York magazine features Smith’s Lispenard Street home with interiors designed by Rosemary Peck; Smith designs the groom and groomsmen’s suits for Edwin Schlossberg and Caroline Kennedy’s wedding.

1987
Grayscale image of three African American actresses in homecoming court gowns on set of School Daze film
1987

Working with costume designer Ruth E. Carter, Smith designs the homecoming court gowns for Spike Lee’s film School Daze; Smith designs Mary Jane’s wedding dress for Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man Annual; Dan Friedman designs the WilliWear boutique in Paris on 42 Rue de Richelieu; Smith dies at Mount Sinai Hospital on April 17 from AIDS-related complications; Smith’s funeral is held at Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel on April 20; Parsons holds a memorial service in Smith’s honor on May 1; WilliWear assembles a design team to carry the brand forward including Christine Rucci, Bob Andrew, and Liz Flynn.

1988
White round pin with red text stating, "Willi Smith Day, Tues. Feb. 23, '88"
1988

New York City mayor David Dinkins proclaims February 23 Willi Smith Day; SITE completes the WilliWear boutique at 119 Fifth Avenue; Liz Flynn becomes the lead designer for WilliWear; John Bartlett becomes the designer for WilliWear menswear.

1989
A group of four men and women pose together at an event celebrating Willi Smith Day 1989
1989

Andre Walker becomes the lead designer for WilliWear.

1990
Interior of a gray clothing store with large display windows and gray ivy hanging from the walls and ceiling. Clothing racks and white stackable boxes display clothing. Multiple mannequins wear clothing with ivy leaves draped around them. At the front of the store is a black-and-white sign that reads, "WilliWear, Willi Smith."
1990

WilliWear closes its womenswear operations and files for bankruptcy.

1996
Grayscale image with high contrast showing a dark-skinned man looking at the camera with his hand on his chin. The man wears round glasses, a watch, and a black turtleneck
1996

TJ Maxx releases a Willi Smith collection manufactured by Nash International under the license given by the Pressman family and Laurie Mallet.

During his 20-year career Willi Smith (1948–1987) united fashion and American culture, marrying affordable, adaptable basics with avant-garde performance, film, art, and design. At the time of his sudden death from AIDS-related illness, Smith was considered to be the most commercially successful Black American designer of the 20th century and a pioneer of “street couture”—fashion inspired by the creativity of people from the cities to the suburbs that captured the egalitarian spirit of the age.