Ciao, Italia!

Embracing Timeless Silhouettes and Originality

By Hailey Bethke | Photography by Patrizio Marcocci

A budding visionary in the fashion industry, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida-based designer Sierra Smith recently returned from a remarkable two-year study through the Fashion Institute of Technology. Splitting her undergraduate career between New York City and the esteemed Polimoda Fashion School in Florence, Italy, Smith continues to test the boundaries of traditional fashion design while honing her distinct style.

Smith always knew she wanted to pursue a creative career, but she never knew what medium would call her name. In 2020, she began thrifting clothes and quickly realized she wanted to alter her new pieces. After purchasing a sewing machine and watching a few YouTube tutorials, she was hooked. Nothing could have prepared her for the satisfaction that came from making a garment by hand. During this time, Smith interned and worked with local fashion designer Nicole Paloma, where she discovered she wanted to pursue a career in fashion entrepreneurship. Spending hours behind her sewing machine, Sierra taught herself how to sew and set her sights on attending the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) for college.

Once accepted, Smith began her New York City adventure and spent hours in the studio learning from some of the best mentors and professors in the industry. FIT offers a two-year associate’s degree in fashion design, and she planned to spend both years in the city. Then, she caught wind of Polimoda: a premier fashion school in the heart of Firenze, which offers a unique partnership program with FIT. Students spend a year in each location, gaining fresh perspectives, cultural enrichment, and the best schooling from leading American and European professors. She jumped at the opportunity to learn from two different schools and to become a globally-minded designer.

Her time at both campuses proved invaluable, but Smith credits her love for Polimoda to the one-on-one direction from her professors and the intimate relationships she formed with students and staff. “My greatest takeaway from Polimoda was how to take criticism, grow from it, and stay true to my art,” she expresses. “Everyone around you is beyond talented and creating something beautiful, but it’s up to you to stay authentic.”

It is a testament to staying true to what you think looks good in a room full of tastemakers

Smith goes on to tell me that the Polimoda “style” often leans towards avant-garde-inspired pieces: striking, wearable art that plays on volume, texture, and sculptural technique. Her time in Florence strengthened her authentic, feminine style in a workroom where many of her peers preferred to create these bold, grandiose styles. It is a testament to staying true to what you think looks good in a room full of tastemakers. Comparison kills creativity.

Each Polimoda student completes a capstone project before graduating with an associate’s degree from FIT. This year’s theme was “Roots & Transformation,” and Smith pondered how she could make this piece personal. She finally settled on designing a capsule collection of ten pieces inspired by her genetic roots—fitting, considering her parents are both artists. Her professors and design critics helped Smith pick one design to move forward with for the final showcase.

The chosen look was inspired by DNA coils and anatomical elements of the human body, employing jewel-toned shades of red, purple, and blue throughout. The corset models the human figure, and the button-down was inspired by Smith’s mother. The pants include hand-stitched plaid patterning and were meticulously layered and draped on different grains of the fabric.

Smith devoted her spring semester to bringing this look to life, meaning she spent weeks of twelve-hour days in the studio. She tells me the plaid on the pants alone demanded over a hundred hours of labor, as each piece of ribbon was sewn by hand (with five different ribbons total). Several components required hand-stitched embroidery. After creating two prototypes and showing off her inspiring work ethic, she presented her final look alongside her classmates for graduation in May 2024.

Polimoda offers one student the esteemed Critics Choice Award, selected by a panel of reputable fashion critics and creatives, at the end of each year. In addition to celebrating her graduation from FIT, we are excited to share that Smith was the 2024 recipient of this coveted award.

Smith says this recognition was unexpected, and she was extremely grateful to be chosen. The ethos of her final design was not to stand out from her classmates or give her a competitive edge; Smith wanted to create something aligned with her style—a seamless translation of her vision to fabric. This win is a testament to her devotion to her craft and the power of authentic artistic expression. We express our heartfelt congratulations from the team at VIE!

Moving forward, Smith is excited to launch her fashion label in 2025. Inspired by intimate apparel, she plans to bring a new vision to the ready-to-wear and lingerie spaces with her top-class skill set from FIT.

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Be sure to check out Sierra Smith’s website, ArreisStudios.com, and her Instagram @arreis.studios for exclusive updates on when her first collection will debut!