Meet: Kennedy Smith
LA-Based Brand Marketing Consultant
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Join us as we chat with Kennedy about leaving New York for Los Angeles, trusting your gut, cultivating personal style, and creating a life that prioritizes joy, curiosity, and a little more play.
Before we start, for those who don't know you, can you share a little bit about yourself, what you do, and where you're currently based?
Hi! I’m Kennedy. I recently relocated to LA – Santa Monica, specifically – after seven years in NYC. I have a black toy poodle named Martini, and a fiancé named Adam – we’re getting married at the Hotel Chelsea in December.
I’ve been building a career in fashion I suppose since I was around ten years old, when I went to acting camp. I would spend most of the day drawing dresses. My acting “teacher” was very enthusiastic about these drawings and would tell my parents how I must pursue fashion. Of course, I was annoyed – hello! You’re supposed to want me to be an ACTRESS! Anywho. He was right!
My career began with a high school internship at Selima Optique – yes, the designer of those CBK sunglasses – and eventually evolved to my first and, up until five months ago, only job, at Hill House. I joined Hill House straight out of college, I was one of the first five employees. At the time, all they sold was bedding. And some PJs. No fashion… yet! When I transitioned out of my full-time role, Hill House had grown into a $110 million fully realized fashion and lifestyle company, and I was leading Brand Marketing (social, influencer, collabs, etc.). I could not be more proud.
That brings us to the present day. I'm incredibly fortunate to work as a full-time consultant, partnering with brands and creative founders I genuinely admire across the fashion, interiors and art worlds. I do feel a bit like the subject of all those memes about mysterious incomes and work schedules, it’s very LA of me.
You recently traded New York for Los Angeles. What inspired the move, and how has it been treating you so far?
To make a long(ish) story short – we moved because of my fiancé’s job. I never in a million years thought I’d be living in LA. That being said… It might be the best thing to ever happen to me? I tell everyone it’s added YEARS back onto my life. I’m a sagittarius. I’m extremely receptive to change and have always fantasized about moving somewhere I have no friends or family. Other sags will understand. For me, LA certainly checked that box. All of my family and friends are on the East Coast. And let me tell you – it was everything I thought that it would be (read: positive, lol). I’m a bit of a work horse, so having this literal physical barrier of miles and miles between sectors of my life has been wonderful for my work-life-balance and allowed me to, for the first time, really put taking care of myself first. The sunshine, happy dogs, friendly people and health food stores now surrounding me help with that as well.
Has moving across the country changed the way you create, get dressed, or move through your day? What surprised you most about starting over somewhere new?
Oh my goodness, in every single way, yes. To start: I’m a matcha girlie now. You don’t need to hear another LA girl sing matcha’s praises, but let me just say one thing – no more afternoon sleepy slumps. I stay energized all day. I didn’t think that was possible. It might also just be my new found lust for life, idk.
In terms of getting dressed – some people who deeply know me might recoil in horror or concern as they read this – but, all I want to wear are… t-shirts? Particularly long sleeve t-shirts, per the consistent temp of a perfect 65 degrees. There really is something about Cali that just shifts your focus to wanting to get out there and enjoy your life, which has me leaning towards unfussy, practical, timeless pieces that I can throw on and go.
As for how it’s impacted how I create, I really could cry – I feel like myself again in a way I hadn’t in a long time. I almost feel like my high school self (highly energized, open, creative, hungry to create art for arts sake) has re-entered my body. I’ve never had a lower screentime – more driving, more walks with Martini, more cooking – but, also never been leveraging social media and feeling more inspired? TikTok has really been a favorite outlet as of late, it’s feeling reminiscent of Tumblr. I love how you can just shamelessly post anything you have the urge to share on there – it’s the true embodiment of that audio that’s like, wait… this is MY social media!
Also, I cook now (previously, was not a thing for me, let’s just say that). Having a car to put groceries in rlly helps.
What's been inspiring you lately?
Southern California! Both past and present. I’ve always had a fixation on 1960-70s sunset strip culture, Joan Didion, and the darker, more subversive undercurrent that somehow thrives beneath the endless sunshine. It’s been fun to dive back into that history and learn more.
I also must shout out the general genre of 90s/early 2000s rom-coms. The soundtracks, the color grading, the style (unfussy, chic, practical!), the joy. It’s also probably the fact I am now close in age to a lot of the protagonists of those films, but it feels like a north star and a warm fantasy to manifest into during this next chapter.
One thing I love about your style is that it always feels very you. In a world where we're constantly being fed trends and aesthetics online, how do you stay connected to your own taste?
Thank you – that is my favorite compliment! Some of my greatest “aha!” moments regarding my inner and outer identity were recognized through music, film, art, and physical spaces I had the pleasure of viewing. Things I can return to again and again, and often do. There’s nothing that snaps me back when I’m not feeling quite like myself than slipping into bed and turning on The Royal Tennenbaums or getting in the car and blasting my all-time most-played songs. In terms of getting to that point, I feel ridiculous calling it this, but, a hack, if you will – do your research. Love a particular film? Look into the films that inspired the director. The books that informed the story and character. The real-life people whose style the costume design was molded after. That’s where the magic starts happening.
Do you think developing personal style is actually less about clothes and more about trusting yourself? Has that relationship evolved as you've gotten older?
YEAH! The best style is informed by your lifestyle, from what you spend your days doing to how you think. It’s one of the reasons “preppy” style is so aspirational and sought after – you don’t want a polo shirt, you want to own a horse stable and have the kind of schedule that allows you to spend the afternoon there riding horses. This is wisdom that did reach me more recently, as I’ve gotten older. The practicality of it all. It kind of hit me when I was… studying?... CZ Guest. As one does. She didn’t run around in her tweed blazers and riding pants with her short hair perfectly pulled back because she saw someone else do it and thought it looked cool. It was a uniform that worked for her lifestyle, it made her comfortable. It was authentic. Trust your instincts on what you feel comfortable in and what allows you to float through life more seamlessly.
How have things shifted since moving to LA? Mindset, style, routine, friendships, creative energy. And what feels the same no matter where you live?
I’m really happy, I’m more creative. I crave human connection more. I’m sure NYC makes a lot of people feel that way, but I don’t know, something about having so many people around me all the time and everything at the tip of your fingers made me feel a bit jaded and exhausted. I like how you have to plan things out a bit more here, and if things don’t go according to plan, it’s no big deal. I don’t feel guilty doing “nothing” here. I think that’s probably what’s allowed me to get into a space of more creativity, joy, and energy. I’m actually recharging.
Making a big move requires a certain amount of faith in yourself. What have you learned about trusting your gut over the past year?
Per my prior note, I’m a sagittarius. I have a lot of self-trust and confidence in my instincts, which I’m grateful for. I would say it’s a bit less about trusting your gut and more about taking a step back and forcing yourself to identify what you want in the future, and letting those instincts and desires guide you. It can be vague – happiness can be the answer! But then think… how do I achieve that? What makes me happy? Is it being near the water? Is it walking to get a coffee every day? You’ll start to see what looks like a life take shape, go and chase whatever allows you to live that life.
When you're getting dressed in the morning, what's the goal? Are you trying to make a statement, feel comfortable, channel a mood, or something else entirely?
It’s funny, even when I’m wearing what I’m certain others would qualify as a "statement," I never feel like I’m making one. I have an instinctual pull towards pieces that I almost always wind up understanding later – oh! That white zara t-shirt dress I’m obsessed with looks JUST like this dress Jane Birkin was wearing in a photo I pinned and ogled at three years ago! Etc.
I’m a big outfit repeater. I know what I like, what flatters me, what allows me to comfortably go place to place without having to readjust myself or think about something other than the task at hand. That’s the lens I filter and get dressed through.
What's currently living rent-free on your wishlist?
A f*ing Birkin. Courcheval, brown.
Obsessed! Okay talk to me about your shopping habits. Are you someone who researches for weeks, stalks resale sites, and waits for the perfect piece, or are you more of a "see it, love it, buy it" person?
See it, love it, buy it. But I’ll go months without buying anything. I’m picky and know what I like, what I need more of in my closet. I spend most of my shopping time on The Real Real waiting for things I’ve been lusting after for years.
What's one thing in your closet you'll keep forever?
Not sure they count because I have to replace them on occasion – I wear them EVERY. DAY. – but, my Chanel ballet flats in beige and black.
What’s something you've completely stopped believing in, whether in fashion, work, relationships, or life in general?
This myth that if you’re truly passionate about something, and that something is related to work, then you’re really “always working.” Don’t fall for it – it doesn’t make you any less of an entrepreneurial spirit, a boss, or a “creative” because you’re able to flip a switch and just be a friend. A daughter. A girl enjoying a really good book about faeries.
What's a risk you've taken recently that you're really glad you took?
Moving across the country and starting a new chapter in my career.
What's the best piece of style advice you've ever received, and has it actually held up over the years?
I learned so much from my bosses/family/colleagues at Hill House – Nell and Sara. They both really understood how to dress in a way that never compromised their personal style but was flattering, and honestly, I never thought too much about that flattering piece before watching them. That really helped me hone in on a new layer to my personal style – what uniquely works for my shape, height, coloring, etc. and taking advantage of that.
If someone is standing on the edge of a big life change but is scared to make the leap, what would you tell them?
The universe has no budget, but it can’t help you if you don’t show it what you want.
Let’s Get Deep
What’s your theme song?
Bigger Than My Body - John Mayer
Night In or Night Out?
Night Out
When do you feel most you?
Driving in my car listening to my music.
What’s something you’re obsessed with right now?
Arnold Palmers
Call or Text?
Facetime
When was the last time you cried?
Yesterday, thinking about how Martini will die one day. Did I mention I have OCD?
When’s the last time you laughed?
I am always laughing. A good one was this morning when Adam emailed me in lieu of a text, as he was on an airplane and the wifi wasn’t great. It was a brief message formally signed off “Love, Adam”
Current favorite follow on social media?
@endr
What’s one thing you would tell your 16-year-old self?
Trust yourself
Find More of Kennedy here:
Playlist: Here
Instagram: @kennedysmithh
TikTok: @verykennedy
Pinterest: @KennedySmithe
