In 23 years, the Tibi founder had never laid off a single employee – until COVID-19 changed that.
Amy Smilovic has long been a standard-bearer of independent American fashion executives. She stealthily built her Tibi brand into a contemporary powerhouse with staying power, even after a dramatic shift in creative direction about a decade ago, from sweet girliness to a cleaner, more urbane look. In her two-plus decades in business, Smilovic had navigated major upheavals — 9/11 and the 2008-09 recession — without every laying off a single employee.
WWD: You talked about the speed of change, and where your thought process was on Monday versus Friday. A.S.: That’s what’s made this so unbelievably difficult. My sister is my head of h.r. Her job was always just to process paperwork. Every single person who’s been laid off we have to treat differently. We had to lay off some people who have health issues. I am not terminating their health insurance; there’s no way. I mean, I will sell my house. I’m not going to let these people be put in a precarious, life-threatening situation.
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