During the month of August our long-time partner and dear friend, Judy Smilow, passed away after her battle with ALS. This week we chose to dedicate our newsletter to Judy, a woman of remarkable talent and work ethic who left a dent in the industry, and whom we had the great privilege of knowing.

A trailblazer in the industry, Judy was a champion of high-quality, modern furnishings. In five years time, she reintroduced her father's, Mel Smilow's, pieces to an entirely new generation of architects and designers. Judy brought Mel's modern, American-crafted designs back into the spotlight, going well beyond the breadth of his original work. She adapted and expanded her father's collections to suit present needs and tastes, simultaneously integrating the original design and growing the brand into the success that it is today.

"I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Judy Smilow from the beginning when she was looking for a ‘home' for her father’s designs.  Her passion and work ethic was contagious. We here at SUITE NY respected her and we worked to keep up with her dedicated vision to re-introduce her father's, Mel Smilow’s, designs which she loved and grew up with. Judy was extremely fair, friendly, and had an incredible work ethic. The wind in her sails, in conjunction with our showroom was pure magic. Her designs became one of our top selling collections in a short time.  We will always remember her and continue to work to make her dream live on."
- Maria Sepulveda, SUITE NY Principal

"Judy’s enthusiasm and boundless energy was paramount in relaunching Mel Smilow's designs. She was so generous with stories and anecdotes regarding the development of her father's company and the process behind the creation of each piece in the collection. Judy’s lasting legacy will be introducing her father's work to a new generation of design enthusiasts."
- Chris Kraig, SUITE NY Creative Director

We are proud to represent the American classic, Smilow Design, whose legacy will be kept alive by Judy's husband and daughter, Steven and Maia. We will continue to work together and do our best to keep Judy Smilow's memory alive. We deeply value her hard work and hope to keep honoring her vision for many years to come. Judy will always be a part of the SUITE NY family, she will be remembered first and foremost as a friend.