Jim Smith’s early days as a fashion designer started from raiding his father’s closet in London, Ontario. “I used to steal my dad’s old shirts, cut the collars off and refit them. They were from the 1950s, so he didn’t mind.”
But despite his early interest in fashion, Jim followed a more traditional path. “I went to an academic high school in the 1970s," he explains. "There wasn’t even an art class. It was at a time when math and science were the most important.” Following high school, he entered Western University in his hometown. “After two years, I realized I had no idea why I was there.”
Jim’s true calling came to light after he applied and was accepted to Ryerson University for fashion design in the early 1980s. “It was all hands-on. I knew all the teachers and the teachers knew me. It’s a great school," he adds. "The best thing is that it’s right at the centre of the city so you get a good life experience.”
