| Issue #50, March 23, 2007 |
Who’s Here
B. Smith
Lifestyle Expert
By Sabrina C. Mashburn
Although many Hamptonites may appear stylish to the outside world, B. Smith is the real deal and she has the credentials to prove it. Recognized by Elle Décor as one of America’s ten most outstanding non-professional chefs, B. Smith has applied her culinary talents to three eponymous restaurants in New York City, Washington, DC and Sag Harbor, where she and her husband also have a summer home. Barbara, known as “B.” to her fans, often enjoys Bay Street Theatre and taking walks along the wharf with her husband, Dan Gasby, since, she says, “Sag Harbor was one of the best kept secrets in the Hamptons.” She and Dan chose Sag Harbor as the site of their second home because they were “enchanted with the beauty, history and sense of community we discovered together there.”
Once they began spending time in the Village, they decided that Sag Harbor was “the perfect village to purchase a second home and raise our then young daughter.” Her seasonal restaurant, B. Smith’s on Long Wharf, was a natural progression once she and her family became a fixture in Sag Harbor. When the opportunity presented itself ten years ago, Barbara knew that she “couldn’t resist opening a new restaurant at such a ‘premier’ waterfront location.”
Along with her love for and talent in the culinary arts, Barbara has always been known for her sense of style. When she was just a teenager, she had a successful career as a fashion model, and earned the distinction of being the first African American model to grace the cover of Mademoiselle magazine, as well as the covers of fifteen other nationally and internationally-renowned fashion magazines. Though she now concentrates her talents behind the camera and on the design board, Barbara is still called upon to represent products, and is currently the face of Colgate Palmolive Oxy Plus dishwashing products and General Mills Betty Crocker Cornbread and Muffin Mix.
In 2001, Barbara launched the B. Smith With Style Home Collection at Bed, Bath and Beyond, hand-picking fabrics, patterns and artwork to complement the relaxed, Sag Harbor lifestyle she promotes in her books and on her television show. Some of her greatest design inspiration has come from spending time in Sag Harbor, as shooting her television show in the Hamptons “opened doors to homes, nurseries, gardens, yachts, fashion, food and just plain fun, from polo matches to parties to fundraisers.” For other style influences, she loves “visiting designer show houses and rummaging through the store Yard Sale in East Hampton and Sage Street Antiques in Sag Harbor, to name a few.”
Currently, Barbara is working on a home furnishing collection inspired by Sag Harbor, in partnership with La-Z-Boy’s Clayton Marcus line, called “At Home with B. Smith.” The collection will reflect her aesthetic of clean, modern shapes balanced by crisp, summery fabrics and antique details. Barbara is extremely excited about the launch of the furniture collection. “It’s a natural evolution of my lifestyle brand,” she says. Although the collection will debut at the International Home Furnishings Spring Market on March 26 in High Point, North Carolina, Barbara assures her devotees, “after the show, I hope to announce a retail home for my collection here in the Hamptons.” The availability of her gorgeous, modern-preppy furniture in the Hamptons will ensure that B. Smith’s gently chic touch will likely appear in many of the homes in which the inspiration for those pieces was first found. Along with designing her new furniture line, Barbara has also begun experimenting with jewelry, and has launched her own line of 14k gold and sterling silver jewelry for QVC called The B. Smith Jewelry Collection. The style of this collection mirrors Barbara’s own eclectic taste in accessories as well as her love of simple, elegant designs. Available now through QVC’s website and telephone hotline, this collection widens B. Smith’s audience to include women across the country who appreciate style.
Bringing her graceful sense of style to all of her fans, Barbara has been featured in almost every facet of the American media. As the host of her own television show, “B. Smith With Style,” she has reached audiences in 40 countries, as well as all across the United States, spreading her message of relaxed elegance. Other celebrities gravitate towards her — she has appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Good Morning America,” “The View,” and the “Today” show. She has also penned two coffee table books, Rituals & Celebrations and B. Smith’s Cooking and Entertaining for Friends, and is a columnist for Soap Opera Digest. She also hosts a radio show on WBLS-FM, “B. Smart Tips for a Better Life,” and has produced four television specials for TV One with her husband.
Through all of her stylish endeavors, Barbara Smith remains a constant reminder of how someone with quintessential Hamptons style, coupled with ingenuity and a flair for embracing the arts, can break down all barriers to show us how to live with grace.
For more information on B. Smith and her eponymous restaurants, please visit www.bsmith.com. Both Rituals & Celebrations (Random House, 1999) and B. Smith’s Cooking and Entertaining for Friends (Artisan, 1995) are available through www.amazon.com and at bookstores nationwide.
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