Romy Smits
Fashion Designer
Romy Smits was born in the Netherlands and has lived in Antwerp, Belgium for the majority of her life. She describes herself as a couture designer, shunning the six-month cycles of the fashion calendar with the intention of creating work which is timeless. Smits’ handpainted textiles and crafted garments are rooted in artisan and couture traditions. Although Smits has never formally studied fashion design, from 1999-2001, she worked as a consultant for designer Dries Van Noten. After an excursion to Morocco in 2001, Smits was inspired to create her first couture concept. She presented her first designs in 2002, which were subsequently purchased by Barneys in New York.
Since 2005 Smits has been developing her ‘Wooky’ concept, or ‘Wooky Cult Couture’, which is based upon an organic shape. This simple shape is repeated and transformed into graphic and sculptural designs which have been applied to textiles, prints, interior design objects (such as tiles and bathroom accessories), fashion and art.
She was featured in Hywel Davies' 2008 book 100 New Fashion Designers.
Photo: Godewijn Daled
Romy Smits was born in the Netherlands and has lived in Antwerp, Belgium for the majority of her life. She describes herself as a couture designer, shunning the six-month cycles of the fashion calendar with the intention of creating work which is timeless. Smits’ handpainted textiles and crafted garments are rooted in artisan and couture traditions. Although Smits has never formally studied fashion design, from 1999-2001, she worked as a consultant for designer Dries Van Noten. After an excursion to Morocco in 2001, Smits was inspired to create her first couture concept. She presented her first designs in 2002, which were subsequently purchased by Barneys in New York.
Since 2005 Smits has been developing her ‘Wooky’ concept, or ‘Wooky Cult Couture’, which is based upon an organic shape. This simple shape is repeated and transformed into graphic and sculptural designs which have been applied to textiles, prints, interior design objects (such as tiles and bathroom accessories), fashion and art.
She was featured in Hywel Davies' 2008 book 100 New Fashion Designers.
Photo: Godewijn Daled
