New York Fashion Week Edition: Lafayette 148’s Emily Smith – ‘We want to represent ourselves in our own way through our own stores’

NYC-based luxury womenswear brand Lafayette 148 has earned a loyal, influential customer base in its 28-year history — many members of which turned out for the brand’s spring 2025 collection presentation in NYC’s Chelsea neighborhood on Monday. Among recognizable attendees viewing the elegant, art-inspired designs were actresses Beanie Feldstein, Rachel Brosnahan and Karen Pittman, among others.
A designer at the company for 22 years, starting as a design assistant, Emily Smith is now Lafayette 148’s creative director. As such, her work is largely fueling the brand’s fandom.
“It’s women dressing women,” Smith said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “We know the fuss of getting dressed in the morning and what you do and don’t want to deal with. … And we want to dress our customer seven days a week.” 
Also on the podcast, Smith discussed the importance of fashion week in today’s fashion ecosystem, the secrets to navigating the “up and down” luxury market, and the perks of working for a “completely vertical” company.