MILLY

MILLY sits in an advanced-contemporary tier of American womenswear, known for bold, colorful and feminine designs that blend vintage and contemporary styles. If you want statement pieces with custom prints and a New-York-meets-Paris sensibility, it delivers exactly that. Whether the price suits you depends on how much you value distinctive color and pattern over plainer wardrobe basics.

The brand's collections merge American sportswear influences with Parisian atelier techniques, using custom-made fabrics and prints. Founder Michelle Smith trained at the Paris ateliers of Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior Haute Couture before starting MILLY, which informs that construction sensibility. As always, judge a specific piece on its fabric and finishing, but the brand's design pedigree is real.

MILLY is best known for bold, colorful, feminine designs that mix vintage and contemporary references. Michelle Smith's colorful, patterned pieces were an immediate success when the brand launched, and that print-forward, ladylike-with-an-edge look became its signature. The range now spans ready-to-wear, accessories, swimwear and childrenswear.

MILLY was founded in 2000 by fashion designer Michelle Smith and Andrew Oshrin, her business partner and then-boyfriend who later became her husband. Smith was the creative force, having interned at top Paris ateliers and studied at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology and the French school ESMOD. The two wholly owned and ran the company until 2019.

Smith and Oshrin sold MILLY in 2019 to the apparel company S. Rothschild at auction. Before that, the founders had run the company independently since launching it in 2000. So the label that began as a two-person venture is now under different ownership.

MILLY has been worn by Beyoncé, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Middleton. Notably, Michelle Obama selected the brand to design the dress she wore for her official First Lady portrait at the National Portrait Gallery. That portrait commission is one of the brand's most prominent moments.

MILLY retails worldwide through department stores, its own boutiques and its website. Stockists have included Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's and Harrods. Its flagship store is on Madison Avenue in New York City, with additional boutiques in Dubai, Kuwait and Doha.

After studying and interning in Paris, Michelle Smith returned to New York and established MILLY in 2000. Andrew Oshrin backed it with a $50,000 investment, and it began as a wholesale business aiming for $1.2 million in revenue in its first year. Smith's colorful designs hit that goal in three months and the line was profitable within the first year.

MILLY pairs American sportswear ease with Parisian atelier polish, leaning on custom fabrics and prints to create bold, feminine looks. The New York Observer once described it as a favorite among stylish New York women in their 20s and 30s. Think colorful, pattern-rich pieces that feel elevated but not stuffy.

It's an American fashion company based in New York City, but its design language deliberately bridges both cities. The collections combine New York energy and American sportswear with Parisian craftsmanship, reflecting Michelle Smith's training in the Paris ateliers. That dual identity is central to how the brand looks and feels.