The New York designer speaks on his partnership with the automaker, recent endeavors, and in-person return to NYFW.&nbsp;

New York designer <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/afterpay-img-nyfw-partnership-laquan-smith-see-now-buy-now-fashion-show-spring-summer-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LaQuan Smith</a> partners with luxury automaker <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/travel-living/bmw-m550i-weekend-trip" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BMW</a> to create a series of original Pride car wraps. The collaboration, which will be unveiled on June 26, marks the second union between the two&mdash;the first coming earlier this year when Smith was tapped as BMW&rsquo;s ambassador during <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/new-york-fashion-week-street-style-fall-winter-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Fashion Week</a>.
The designer had complete creative control over the Pride campaign, resulting in a unique fusion of the luxury and glossy house codes of both brands. A part of BMW&rsquo;s continuing &ldquo;Driven by Pride&rdquo; campaign,&nbsp; the collaboration's 4 Series Coupe will travel the route of the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/politics-culture/faces-of-nyc-pride" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York City Pride Parade</a>&mdash;the first iteration of the event since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic&mdash;on Sunday, June 27.

Born in Queens, New York, Smith gained acclaim with sleek and sexy designs&mdash;worn by the likes of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/rihanna-whale-tail-miniskirt-trend-summer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rihanna</a> and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/beyonce-date-night-mesh-dress-gloves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beyonc&eacute;</a>&mdash;that celebrate and challenge femininity. Smith has created a distinct visual language of skin-tight silhouettes, reimagined catsuits, and an undeniable sense of confidence that has catapulted him into the forefront of the New York fashion sphere.&nbsp;
Since the launch of his eponymous label in 2013, Smith has become a household name at New York Fashion Week. The designer&rsquo;s high-tempo <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/laquan-smith-spring-2019-runway-show-nyfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">runway shows</a> are packed full of glamour, slinky silhouettes, and cheeky accessories. Despite pandemic-induced struggles, Smith is poised for an in-person return to NYFW this September&mdash;certainly a must-see during what will be a jam-packed event. Here, L&rsquo;OFFICIEL speaks with Smith about his collaboration with BMW, being an independent designer during the pandemic, and his NYFW in-person return.&nbsp;

L&rsquo;OFFICIEL: You collaborated with BMW in February for New York Fashion Week. What was your experience partnering with them again, especially for an event as big as New York City&rsquo;s Pride Parade?
LAQUAN SMITH: It's an exciting time. I'm very thrilled to be working with BMW again. This partnership is all about exploring the possibilities of what could be, combining the idea of fashion and automobiles is the true sense of what it means to be luxurious. It's an exciting time, the world is reopening. We've had such a crazy year and it just feels like we're coming back and it's a great time to celebrate. So I'm glad that BMW and I are coming together again to really push the culture forward and celebrate Pride.&nbsp;
 L&rsquo;O: Whether it's cars, fashion, or entertainment, the sphere of luxury has changed so much over the last year. What does the word &ldquo;luxury&rdquo; mean to you, especially as the world starts to return to normalcy?&nbsp;
LS: Luxury is always the one word, the key. It&rsquo;s a feeling and a sensibility when it comes down to the way that I design. That's the kind of woman that I design for. I love anything that's grand and rich. That's my definition of luxury and how I like to incorporate that in my culture.

It's a sense of security, affluence, and wealth. To feel unapologetically glamorous, unapologetically luxurious, and sexy is my brand DNA.

L&rsquo;O: Could you describe your process for creating the Pride car wraps&mdash;how did you blend the aesthetics of your label with that of BMW?&nbsp;
LS: I definitely wanted to keep the aesthetics of the brand with the colors that I use. I like to use soft colors in my collections. The flags were toned to more pastel colors that I would incorporate in my collection. For example, with the Trans flags&mdash;the blue, pink, and purple&mdash;those are actually the colors that I just debuted in my Spring/Summer 2021 collection.&nbsp;
I wanted to take in consideration the fact that this is a time for celebration, but also a sense of unification. People coming together and really celebrating what it means to overcome a struggle in life. I hope that's what I achieved. Even when I was doing the photo shoot, people were stopping and taking pictures, just so enamored and excited by the car. It's a very sexy, luxurious looking car and I had a lot of fun.&nbsp;

L&rsquo;O: Can you recall your earliest memory of BMW?
LS: &nbsp;I&rsquo;m a true New Yorker. I&rsquo;m from Jamaica, Queens, born and raised. My first memory of BMW is honestly as the Black man&rsquo;s wagon. Like proper&nbsp;Paid in Full, very upper echelon. [If] you&rsquo;ve made it, you gotta be in a BMW.
 L&rsquo;O: Being a native New Yorker, what does it mean to be a part of the Pride Parade especially after the difficult past year we have had?
LS: It's a huge honor. My initiative with BMW comes from a place of humility and really wanting to make sure that we're represented. I am a part of the LGBTQ+ community and I understand the struggle that we all have overcome. And that's important for me as a designer of color to be able to step up and speak loud and do it in a way where it makes sense within my lens and in a way where I can use my platforms.

L&rsquo;O: What was your experience being an independent designer like during the pandemic?
LS: Being an independent designer during the pandemic was definitely a struggle. I think it was hard for everyone. I am thankful that my business&mdash;in a weird way&mdash;flourished. I had to obviously overcome a lot of obstacles, but I was really blown away by the way that women were shopping in the middle of a pandemic. Sales were going up. I guess people were just bored and they were at home and shopping online, but it just felt like women were shopping very optimistically. Like, &ldquo;Hey, this too shall pass. When the world reopens up, like I'm going to whip out my LaQuan Smith catsuit.&rdquo;&nbsp;

L&rsquo;O: You debuted your first-ever <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/swimwear-trends-summer-2021-laquan-smith-solid-striped" target="_blank" rel="noopener">swimwear</a> collection recently. What was your vision for the collection?
LQ: I'm just really excited by expanding my product categories. I know that people come to me for sexy dresses, [and] women love coming to me for catsuits and bodysuits. So it felt natural and organic to sort of go into [the] swimwear realm. Doing it exclusively with <a href="https://www.fwrd.com/brand-laquan-smith/5ac237/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fwrd</a> was my trial to test the market and see if people would respond well, which they are. The girls are loving it and it's a proper time to buy swimwear because we've just entered summer. I'm thrilled. And I want to keep it sexy. I think sometimes with swimwear it can be a little safe. I just wanted to push the boundaries. I was very inspired by James Bond [and] Bond girls, so I thought of all these concepts when designing.
L&rsquo;O: Do you have anything exciting coming up that you can share with us?
LQ: Yes, very excited. I am working on the Spring/Summer 2022 collection. We&rsquo;re doing a live, physical show so I&rsquo;m very thrilled about that. This is like the proper time to state that &ldquo;New York is back,&rdquo; the world is opening up and I'm very excited. My show is slated for September 9 and I can't wait to show what I've been working on.&nbsp;

Car Talk with LaQuan Smith: The Designer Partners with BMW for Pride

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