STARR SOLIÉ SMITH
New York, NY
2024-2025 Scholarship Fashion Institute of Technology
Scholarship 2022-2023, 2023-2024
Starr Solié Smith is pursuing a BFA in Spatial Experience Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in NYC. She is passionate about the program’s opportunities for dynamic design with functionality. “I am firstly a visual artist and painter, secondly a graphic design and creative technology specialist, and now proudly an aspiring Spatial Experience and Exhibition designer,” she says. She notes that her knowledge of art history, craftsmanship, and design principles led her to the exhilarating world of New York City’s art and fashion design industries. “I plan to pursue a career designing & curating artistically driven exhibits and pop-up activations for museums, events, and brands,” she says, aiming to focus on Large Scale Installation and Exhibition Design. She draws inspiration from New Orleans architecture, noting that studying the French and Spanish influence on the city sparked an interest in the history of design and how culture’s reflection on our spaces impacts those who live there.
“What inspires me are the possibilities for the future,” she muses. “I am working towards spreading a message that leads the youth to look to higher goals, issuing in a new black renaissance where we as a community uplift creativity, individuality, and passion.” Her goals include investing in the beautification of neglected communities, advocating for higher learning, and sharing the beauty of life and art with others.
Solié Smith earned an AAS in Communication Design Foundation and an AAS in Fine Art from FIT before beginning the BFA program. She first joined the YAYA Guild in 2013.