Erin Smith of Humanite in Bryson City.
BRYSON CITY –– Erin Smith grew up in Bryson City with parents in the retail business, but when she left for college a decade ago, she never planned to come home and open a store. It’s funny how things come back around.
Smith moved back to Bryson City with her husband and opened Humanité in 2009. Humanité is a mission-driven women’s boutique that brings an urban fashion sense to a town who’s style has been defined by outfitter shops up to this point.
Humanité (pronounced like Humanity but spelled a la Francais to invoke the spirit of values like Liberté, Fraternité, and Egalité) has two goals. The first is to deliver fashionable clothes to the growing demographic of 25 to 50-year-olds living in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
The second part of Smith’s mission is to raise money for two nonprofit causes that are close to her heart. Ten percent of the store’s profits go to support the efforts of Heart For Africa and New Century Scholars.
Smith traveled to Swaziland with Heart For Africa, and the experience changed her life. She doesn’t take things for granted anymore, and she believes that life is what you make of it.
In that spirit, she’s transformed a retail space on Everett Street in Bryson City into a fashion teleportation device. The moment you walk in you realize you’re not in the mountains anymore. But you are. Which is the point.
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Smith has used found objects and refurbished barnwood to create a modern space with a country chic.
“The design genre that I came up with is renovated rustic farmhouse with a little modern twist,” Smith said.
The store’s fashion philosophy mixes the practical and the playful. Having grown up here, Smith knows people can’t afford to buy something they’ll only wear once.
“For the clothes I try to pick really unique pieces that could basically be a staple in people’s wardrobes,” Smith said. “It’s taking a conservative jacket and adding a fun color.”
Doing fashion in the mountains comes with unique challenges. One wholesaler Smith wants to buy from has insisted that Bryson City, NC doesn’t exist.
“I was like, ‘That’s funny, because I’m pretty sure I live there,’” Smith said.
Also, some of the walk-in traffic still needs to be convinced that her stores isn’t overly expensive.
“It’s just convincing them that it’s not an arm and a leg,” Smith said.
Smith shops for her clothes and industry marketplaces in Atlanta, Miami, and New York, but she only buys items that meet her price points.
“I don’t care how much I love a piece of clothing, if it’s not affordable and it’s not in the price range of the store, I don’t get it,” Smith said.
Humanité is Smith’s business, but it’s also her life. With her partner in crime, Liz Nance, as Art and Web director, Smith has created a new cultural node in the mountains focused on fashion, contemporary culture, and design.
“Fashion’s always been a hobby of mine,” Smith said. “It’s always been fun and I have been able to translate something that’s really fun and interesting for me into my full-time career.”
Check out Humanité on Facebook to see what Moxie the Mannequin is wearing this week… and stay tuned for Erin Smith’s fashion blog on Tuckreader.com.
Wow! Thanks for introducing me to Humanite! I can't wait to visit. It looks like a fantastic boutique. Good Luck , Erin!
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