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Community Archive



The Willi Smith Digital Community Archive invites friends, collaborators and admirers of American designer Willi Smith to share in writing his history. This site collects and publishes personal recollections, new scholarship, video, and digital ephemera that contributes to a greater understanding of Smith’s life, work, and times.


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Willi Smith for WilliWear, City Island Spring 1984 Presentation, 1983



Willi Smith for WilliWear, Sightseeing Spring 1985 Presentation, 1984


Forest Young



I first encountered WilliWear shopping with my family. There was a ritual phenomenon that existed—the moment of discovering WilliWear had to be followed by a loud “Willi!” I’m imagining I was eight or nine years old, totally smitten by the alliteration of the brand name. There was a subtly celebratory quality knowing the creator was a designer of color and that his clothes were within a price point to be acquired immediately. The clothes were there to move in and have fun in an innocent, straightforward way. He was somehow able to exact fun in the form of an object. 
This website was designed by and created in collaboration with Cargo, as part of its ongoing initiative to support arts, design and culture.

This website was designed by and created in collaboration with Cargo, as part of its ongoing initiative to support arts, design and culture.