A Look Inside: How Founder and Mom of Three Morgan Smith founded children’s clothing brand minnow—and why she turned to Ariel Okin to transform their new Charleston HQ
ABOUT MORGAN
It’s no secret that minnow swim has taken Instagram by storm—their adorable and functional swimsuits for both baby and mama are absolutely precious. Minnow is a reflection of the life and style of its founder, Morgan Smith, a mother and entrepreneur with a background in premium product marketing. With brand partnerships and capsule collections ranging from coveted it-girl brand Brock Collection to national retail treasure J.Crew, the brand has quickly become a wardrobe staple for stylish parents everywhere. So when Morgan moved the business (and family!) to Charleston and reached out to AOI to help design their hybrid office/showroom digs – we came running!
With the beach inspiring her daily life as an entrepreneur and mom of three, Morgan envisioned a children’s swimwear collection with an elevated approach—sun-kissed color palettes, purposeful details, custom prints and high quality, hand-finished production—and minnow’s spirit absolutely shines through in their new spot in the low country. We sat down with Morgan to chat about her start, must-haves, and designing an office space that speaks to the brand. Enjoy!
Tell us how you started minnow swim! Why swimsuits? Why kids?
The idea for minnow came when my husband and then 14 month old son, we were doing a home exchange for the summer in London. We decided to take a weekend trip to the Amalfi coast so I began to look for a suit for my son. It was mid July in London (a city with a huge children's clothing offering) and I had the hardest time finding a suit for my son without cartoons or loud decals on it. It got me thinking, back home I had the same problem. I often bought vintage suits off Etsy so the length would hit my son above his knee - for function + style. I started thinking, why was it so hard to find classic, simple swim options? Once I got home from our home exchange, I went to work on my first piece - classic and clean boardies for my son.
What’s your favorite thing about what you do?
My children are so integrated into my work, the brand feels truly authentic to our life.
Where do you turn to for inspiration when designing new collections?
Travel, while still always remaining classic, inspire the collections.
We love your office (no surprise!) What was the inspiration behind it? What would you define your style as?
We wanted to lean into our east coast hub, Charleston! Traditional elements with a fresh spin. Being coastal, we wanted to incorporate seaside blues with natural + classic materials like rattan + jute.
Designing an office is very different from designing a home. What did you have to take into account? What were your non-negotiables?
Our spaces have to always remain kid friendly - naturally! We have lots of little visitors come to our photo studio and showroom. So always keeping them in mind! I also love natural light, for a work space.. I feel productive in a bright + clean design space. And last wall paper, always make me feel happy! Especially this chasing paper collab :)
What advice would you give to other business owners when designing their offices?
I am big on having my own creative space outside my home, because it's where I enter the world of minnow. I would say creating an on brand spot that inspires you, even if it’s a corner in your home to feel like you’ve stepped into work!
What are you working on right now?
Our Resort ‘22 swim collection!
What’s your favorite piece/collection you’ve created so far?
Very hard to choose a favorite, most recently I loved our Brock collection collaboration, the french ribbon detail took our signature best seller to the next level.
What’s your best piece of advice when shopping for bathing suits for women and for kids?
I like to go classic and timeless, I like babies to look like babies. Children look like children. I like capturing the sweetness. So when you look back on that sweet photo of your precious baby waddling around at your favorite beach, there is no regret on the style choice! ;)
For women, I think it’s all about flattering fit, wearing a suit you can feel good in while chasing your kids on the sand.
Best parenting advice you ever received:
Do you!
What do you always have in your swim/beach bag:
I have my trusty family tote from minnow that’s filled with Supergoop sunscreen, beach towels, a Yeti water bottle (when in the south), a spare of comfy clothes to change the kids into after the beach (normally this set), beach toys, and of course—snacks!
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food: Sushi
Drink: Coconut Water
Film: Forrest Gump
Hotel: currently: Gasparilla Inn
City: Charleston
Bedding: Matouk
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it): Iced Guava Black tea
Playlist: Leon Bridges
Weekend Activity: Riding Bikes to Sullivans Island
Design Book: I collect design books from every location where we do a campaign shoot, like Palm Beach by Aerin Lauder