July 28, 2026·Interview
Amy Smilovic
The woman who kept Tibi independent since 1997 on inventing her own design philosophy, and rearranging people in her mind like a Lego Man.

Amy Smilovic was asked for years which box Tibi belonged in, bohemian or minimalist or classic. She never had the perfect answer, because she didn't believe people were any one thing, so she made up her own word for it: Creative Pragmatism, the balance of high-level creative self-expression with grounded, everyday functionality. She's built her brand around that conviction, keeping Tibi independent since founding it in Hong Kong in 1997. Here she goes deeper on the three places she goes to clear her head, and rearranging people in her mind like a Lego Man.
Do you have any projects coming up you'd like our readers to know about?
So many things are in the works: a new fragrance with Abel, a series of Color Theory books coming in the fall, and a workshop we're conducting on Sea Island, GA in November for 85 women.
What do you do when you hit a creative block?
I step outside the office or my home. I purposely do things I've never done before. When I'm sketching, I force myself to use my left hand. There's something very freeing about making yourself do the unusual, walking the different path, that opens up your eyes and gives you new perspective. It does it for me every time. So simple.
Where do you go to find peace?
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France; Austin, Texas; and my back porch. These are three places where I can clear my head.
Who is your forever inspo?
I don't have one thing or person. I take people's attributes: someone's mind I love, someone's energy, someone's heart. I rearrange them and put them together like a Lego man
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Follow Amy and Tibi on Instagram, and Tibi on Cosmos.
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