Martha Nutt

I had the amazing experience of being Willi's in-house fabric designer and production coordinator from September 1985–1987. My small but modern office designed by SITE had a sliding door that adjoined Willi's office. Close proximity allowed me the opportunity to witness Willi’s creative process, his caring relationships, and the multitude of adoring Willi enthusiasts.

My dearest memory of Willi demonstrates how supportive and encouraging he was of other artists. I was granted an interview with him thanks to my friend Bruno Duluc, who had an internship at WilliWear while at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and was later hired as Willi’s women’s design assistant. I had brought with me many fabric designs on paper, but first I unrolled across his desk my collection of bound graduating-sized printed fabrics from my final thesis at RISD. A wide grin came over his face as he picked up the fabrics, threw them over his shoulder and said, “I’ll be right back.” Ten minutes later he returned and asked when I could start.

Throughout our relationship he continued to encourage and trust my ideas and suggestions. He inspired creativity in all of us assistants. He lived and breathed design and style. His expression of art was unwavering and confident. It was a joy to be around his energy.

The majority of our fabrics were woven and printed in India. Because our communication with India back then was solely through faxes, we often went to India to oversee and approve fabrics. During one trip, Laurie and Willi came to attend a traditional Indian wedding. They were both so gracious as to include me in all the festivities they were invited to. What memories!

Martha Nutt, Willi Smith, and WilliWear womenswear designer, 1987

“During my tenure at WilliWear, Willi was extremely into health, taking incredible care of himself and abstaining from alcohol and the like. It was devastating losing him in a matter of months after this photo was taken.”

This group of photos tells the story of the black-and-white optic print group for our 1986 summer collection. The five prints I designed for Willi were an extension of my moiré and optic prints from RISD. They were perfect for the WilliWear look, being fun and easy yet sophisticated. All of the prints worked in any combination with each other. Mixing a vibrantly colored accent accessory and a solid black-and-white jacket offset the optic patterns to create the “twist” that Willi loved having in his work. There was the large and small grid, the large and small optic, and the WilliWear map. Its simplicity was ideal for production in India. Using their tried and true crisp white cottons and linens to print on and needing no color matching gave us no surprises. It was an easy, successful collection everyone loved.