With the opening of the new expanded Tibi store at The Shops on Market Street and a recent visit by Tibi founder Amy Smilovic in mind, we were inspired to put Elaine Griffin to task and have her conduct an interview from one Golden Isles native turned New York designer to another.
EG: What’s your favorite thing about coming home?
AS: I love the marsh so much. Usually we stay at The Cloister because we have the kids. I’m always amazed at how many people still stop me to say hello and ask about my family. I brought the store designer with me and they asked if I know everyone. That level of familiarity is everywhere and I think it’s something we search for. In New York, that’s rare. We find it in places like the silver food truck on the corner where the guy remembers your name. And of course my other favorite thing is seeing my family.
EG: How much is your family involved in the business?
AS: They’re a huge part of it. Of course my mom (Judy Wallin) is there in the office. My sister has now joined the company too, and is now commuting to St. Simons Island and Brunswick from Savannah. We have about 75-85 employees in the U.S. and showrooms in London, Milan, Paris and Tokyo. Our national warehouse is in Brunswick, near the airport. We have 25,000 square feet and handle all domestic shipping from there. About 25% of our business is e-commerce, and 40% is from the showrooms overseas.
EG: What part of your personality comes from being raised in the Golden Isles/the South?
AS: I think I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt. This is where being married to someone from the Czech Republic is an important balance. I’m more trusting and not suspicious by nature. I’ll interview someone and tell him how great they are, and he’ll ask me if I knew they did five years in prison. It has been very valuable. Southern hospitality is ingrained in the sense that I am always concerned with someone else being comfortable in a room or in the office.
EG: Do you think there’s a Southern element that also translates to your clothing?
AS: Yes, I want the clothing to be comfortable, and I also think that there’s a need for it to be feminine and pretty. My clothing is informed by melds of different cultures: living in Georgia, New York, Hong Kong, and having a European husband. At the base of it all, I still want it to be pretty and have some femininity even in the most strict styles.
EG: Describe your typical day when you’re in high season designing a new collection.
AS: I’m up no later than 6:00 a.m. and I drink a pot of coffee. I look, but try not to look too hard, at industry publications like style.com and Business of Fashion. I usually take the 7:30 a.m. train from Greenwich to 14th Street subway, and troll Instagram while on the train. I get off the subway at the office at Bleeker/Bond, where I stop and grab coffee from the guy
in the silver food truck. I get into the office between 8:00-8:45 a.m. and check to see what’s on the machines in the pattern/
sample room. The sewers are usually there by 8:30 a.m. After that I meet with the stylists. Following that is meeting with the music guy. That’s my favorite part: picking out the music. Then there are meetings with the production team about the
runway sets. I’m horrible about lunch. A bad thing about me is that I don’t care about food, so I usually keep 3 Power Bars with me to eat throughout the day. People know this about me and try to plan meetings around times when they know I will have eaten to avoid my “hangry moods.” If I do eat, it’s usually because someone brings me an order of rice with fried chili peppers or something. After lunch, the design teams present prototypes.
EG: When you’re reviewing new designs what do you look for?
AS: My design teams present prototypes to me and I try everything on. It has to sound good as I pull it over my head or slide it on. It can’t have any fussiness where I’m getting tangled or can’t reach a button. If it makes me squirm or fidget, it won’t work. This is where we push each other. I’m looking for what’s next, not what’s now. And if we all love it, we know that’s bad too. We’ve looked back consistently and seen whenever we’ve had a “kumbaya” experience where we’re all in agreement, that’s like being on the Titanic for us. I encourage fighting. If we’re fighting, we’re pushing for something better and that’s what works.
EG: How do you all stay inspired?
AS: I try to make it a rule to get on the 5:15 p.m. train. Tibi is a very right brain/left brain company. I want everyone to be switched on all the time, but not in the office at all hours. I want them to live, eat, and breathe it by documenting what they see when they’re out with pictures and sharing. If someone isn’t sending me a picture of shoes they see out in the club at 11:00 p.m., I’m concerned.
EG: Where does creativity begin for you?
AS: I’m always seeking out what feels new in art. Whether that’s photography or painting, or even sculpture when I’m seeking more structure, volume, or definition. I always try to find what is inspiring in the art I like.
EG: If you could only dress one person for the rest of your life, who would that be?
AS: Charlotte Rampling. I would love to dress her at 20, at 30, and at 60. She has her own style that is so timeless and chic that it works and will still be appropriate even in her 60s. Her beauty is natural, which is refreshing.
EG: What’s next?
AS: One or two new stores. We’re looking at California. In San Francisco, we’re seeing a need for a style that’s eased out but more refined. There’s not much in the market to fill the gap between the Coachella/grunge look and formal/party fashions. Melrose Place would be great. Considering Miami as well, for the international customer. We don’t really cater to individual markets though. We find that the Tibi woman has a variety of looks, just like not all women at The Cloister are lipstick and Lilly.
EG: What’s new and exciting about the store at Shops on Market Street?
AS: Have you seen it?! It’s a fantastic space—very open with tons of light. We sourced 100% of the interior work in the store locally, including iron work for the racks, and sculptural pieces. I’ve even been able to refer the local contractors for work in New York. It’s exciting!
Tibi is located at 28 Market Street and online at tibi.com.
