How Tibi’s Founder Came Up With Her Signature Style Phrase

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Amy Smilovic, founder and creative director of Tibi, doesn’t fit her personal style—or her brand—in one box. This realization led Smilovic to coin the term “creative pragmatism” in her book The Creative Pragmatist. “The idea was born out of just frustration that I had had for years not being able to define my brand in one word, which seems to be the expectation in the industry,” Smilovic said. As Smilovic notes, creative pragmatists have a creative eye but are grounded in practicality. “I came up with the term creative pragmatists to really describe someone who is highly creative and expressive, but they’re still very pragmatic,” Smilovic said. “Their feet are really rooted on the ground.”