Christene Barberich: I’ve honestly been wanting to sit down with you for so long now. The fashion industry has changed so much over the last decade. But especially in the last three years, it’s been a complete upheaval of how things are done and the dialogue around it all. Fabric sourcing, labor practices, marketing, merchandising...it’s all changing underfoot. You’ve been at it now for 22 years...a feat in this climate. How do you build an audience on your own terms now, and in your case, do everything on your own terms?

Amy Smilovic: “We started in 1997. But I would say that the last four years have been the most exciting and fulfilling.The internet and social media gave us unbelievable freedom once that became the vehicle of choice for buying your clothing, or absorbing your content. We finally had a place where we could control the message, and I never had that before. I was able to take control of everything and really see our potential. It's just now that I feel like I know what our voice is; it was squashed for a long time.”