Christopher Smyk
United States
0
years old
Christopher Smyk is an accomplished musician, composer, real estate entrepreneur and fashion designer with a keen eye for taste and sophistication.
Christopher Smyk is best described as a talented, visionary, dynamic, modern-day renaissance man. Having worked as a musician, a composer, a producer, a real estate entrepreneur and now a fashion brand owner, he is able to move seamlessly between professions. Although Mr. Smyk expresses his creativity and vision through a variety of mediums, at the moment he is most excited about his emerging luxury lifestyle/clothing brand.
Contributing score to movies and television
Having completed a degree in music and jazz studies at New York University, Christopher Smyk is well-equipped to lend his talents as a musician and a composer to a variety of projects. In the past, he has composed scores for several successful movies and television shows. Among his most notable achievements was - while still an undergrad at NYU - writing and producing the score for the film Man About Town, which won Best Short Film at the 1997 Sundance film festival. Mr. Smyk even had the opportunity to compose for the hit HBO show Sex and the City.
A prolific and versatile musician
Mr. Smyk has achieved remarkable proficiency on several musical instruments. While he was formally trained as an upright and electric bass player, he is also sings and plays guitar and drums. Having the skills to express himself on more than one instrument has allowed Chris to create music of depth and sophistication throughout his career.
Starting his own fashion label
After making a name for himself as a musician and a design-oriented real estate entrepreneur, Mr. Smyk decided to start his own clothing line. His designs draw from his love of Japanese streetwear and the edgy and sophisticated looks emerging from Europe’s underground fashion scene. For Smyk, fashion is not about appearing over the top but about blending understated elegance with edge.
Contributing score to movies and television
Having completed a degree in music and jazz studies at New York University, Christopher Smyk is well-equipped to lend his talents as a musician and a composer to a variety of projects. In the past, he has composed scores for several successful movies and television shows. Among his most notable achievements was - while still an undergrad at NYU - writing and producing the score for the film Man About Town, which won Best Short Film at the 1997 Sundance film festival. Mr. Smyk even had the opportunity to compose for the hit HBO show Sex and the City.
A prolific and versatile musician
Mr. Smyk has achieved remarkable proficiency on several musical instruments. While he was formally trained as an upright and electric bass player, he is also sings and plays guitar and drums. Having the skills to express himself on more than one instrument has allowed Chris to create music of depth and sophistication throughout his career.
Starting his own fashion label
After making a name for himself as a musician and a design-oriented real estate entrepreneur, Mr. Smyk decided to start his own clothing line. His designs draw from his love of Japanese streetwear and the edgy and sophisticated looks emerging from Europe’s underground fashion scene. For Smyk, fashion is not about appearing over the top but about blending understated elegance with edge.
From the time that he was a mere boy, Christopher Smyk displayed an uncanny talent for music. It was no surprise to anyone when he enrolled at New York University to study music after graduating from high school. At NYU, Christopher specialized in jazz studies. After graduating from the renowned school with a degree in music and an impeccable command of playing the bass, he was ready to make a living as a serious musician in New York City.
Composing the score for an award-winning film
While Christopher Smyk was working on his degree in jazz studies at New York University, he often played his bass on the city streets with a friend who played the saxophone. It was during one of their frequent street performances that Smyk was approached by Kris Issacson, an emerging director who was then working for Miramax. After attending one of several shows that Smyk’s band was playing regularly throughout the city, Isaacson asked Christopher to compose and produce the score for his short film, which was entitled Man About Town. In 1997, the film went on to win Best Short Film at the Sundance Film Festival.
Contributing music to Sex and the City
Not only has Christopher Smyk written and produced music for award-winning films, he has also contributed music to the hit television show Sex and the City. The experience of using his artistic talents to provide music for such a legendary network show provided Mr. Smyk with an overwhelming sense gratitude and artistic accomplishment.
Working with the legendary David Bianco
After establishing himself as a bass player as well as a composer and producer in the world of film and television, Mr. Smyk decided to further his artistic scope. In order to provide himself with more of a creative canvas, he polished his singing and learned to play the guitar. Soon thereafter, Nick Ferrante - his high-school best friend - moved to NYC and together they formed the first of several rock bands. The first was Raw Deluxe featuring the now legendary singer Lisa Shaw. When Lisa left in 2001 to pursue her solo career, Chris and Nick began recording new demos for their next project. Although these recording were made on 8-track cassette in Chris’s bedroom, they ultimately made their way into the hands of Grammy-award winning record producer and engineer David Bianco. Bianco, known for his work for some of the most iconic male rock vocalists of the past 30 years (including Tom Petty and Mick Jagger) invited Chris and Nick to Los Angeles to record. It was for these sessions that Chris wrote “East Coast Liner” which was later called “one of the three best hard rock songs” of 2004 by the Village Voice.
Catching the attention of top producers and artists
From 1996 until 2006, Mr. Smyk had the esteemed privilege of collaborating with a veritable ‘who’s who’ of producers and artists, including:
• Grammy award-winning songwriter Itaal Shur (Santana, Maxwell)
• Grammy award-winning engineer and producer David Bianco (Bob Dylan, Tom Petty)
• Nikka Costa
• Lyle Workman (Sting, Beck)
• Jeff Trott (Sheryl Crowe)
• Roger Manning, Jr. (Beck, AIR)
• Keith Carlock (Steely Dan)
• The Neighborhood Bullies
• Davey Farragher (Elvis Costello)
• James Fearnley (The Pogues)
• Lucy Woodward
• Lisa Shaw
• DJ Swingsett
• Dennis Davis (David Bowie)
• Courtney Williams (Run DMC)
• Michael Urbano (Cracker)
• Mark Anthony Jones
• Brian Delaney (NY Dolls)
Finding a new form of art in renovating real estate
In 2005, Christopher Smyk had worked in the music industry for more than 13 years and felt that he needed the opportunity to spread his creative wings once again. At that time, he discovered a run-down house for sale in the neighborhood his mother lived in. Having had a longtime fascination with architecture and interior design, Christopher decided to buy the property. Over a period of 4 months he transformed what was then an unattractive, ordinary house into what several local real estate brokers called a “jewel box.” Smyk soon realized that he had a talent for interior design as well as solid business instincts that he had yet to fully tap into.
Impressing local real estate professionals
Mr. Smyk knew that he had found his next passion in life when he was able to impress real estate marketers with his newly renovated property. The agents and prospective buyers who toured the house found it hard to believe that Christopher had no previous experience with interior design. Taking their feedback as a sign of impending success, Smyk continued to hone his design skills at Parsons/The New School for Design.
Bringing forgotten homes back to life
After discovering his unexpected aptitude for design and business investment, Christopher Smyk became interested in re-imagining historic brownstone buildings. At that time, he found the challenge of making over an overlooked wallflower of a house into something as inspiring as making music. When renovating a landmark structure, Mr. Smyk always focuses on creating a timeless, sophisticated look that also incorporates a tasteful modern edge. Smyk never attempts to cover up a historic home’s structure. He instead tries to reiterate the relevance of its style in a contemporary manner, a theme he would later carry into his clothing brand.
Meeting economic challenges head on
When the housing market collapsed in the mid-2000s, many investors simply abandoned ship and found other means of employment. Mr. Smyk, however, accepted the challenges of a difficult economy and dug in even deeper. Rather than giving up on his dream, he saw the financial crisis as an opportunity to push himself to the limits of his creativity. During this time he was even one of a team to bring a boutique hotel to the Bowery in New York City. Throughout his entire experience as a real estate entrepreneur, Mr. Smyk learned how to think like a businessman while maintaining a sense of artistic integrity. After achieving this level of success despite the collapsing economy, Christopher felt confident enough to pursue his next project - starting his own fashion label.
Creating timeless, chic menswear
After enjoying artistic freedom as a musician, a composer, a successful investor and a home designer, Christopher Smyk was ready to stretch himself creatively in a new way. While music has always been his first passion, Smyk’s second love in life has been fashion. Through his journey in music and real estate, this deep interest in styling and clothes only grew, so it made complete sense to him that starting his own clothing line was where his heart would lead him next on his artistic journey. After studying fashion in a variety of contexts, he knew exactly what kind of label he wanted to create. His goal was to create not just clothes but a brand that would be identifiable with whom he was as an artist. He sought to create clothing that was edgy, classy, sexy, sophisticated, and most importantly, timeless. Christopher’s intention was to create distinct yet understated clothes that would walk the line between high fashion and luxury streetwear.
Christopher Smyk gives back to his community
In an effort to help out needy individuals in his area, Mr. Smyk often volunteers for a variety of charities. Currently he is a team leader for New York Cares where he conducts mock job interviews at the FEGS Health and Human Services facility with inner-city adults who are transitioning from welfare to work. His goal is to help them build their confidence so they can successfully re-enter the workforce. Next he plans to become involved with other causes that resonate with him; organizations that support the arts in public schools are of course ones he is particularly interested in contributing to.
Composing the score for an award-winning film
While Christopher Smyk was working on his degree in jazz studies at New York University, he often played his bass on the city streets with a friend who played the saxophone. It was during one of their frequent street performances that Smyk was approached by Kris Issacson, an emerging director who was then working for Miramax. After attending one of several shows that Smyk’s band was playing regularly throughout the city, Isaacson asked Christopher to compose and produce the score for his short film, which was entitled Man About Town. In 1997, the film went on to win Best Short Film at the Sundance Film Festival.
Contributing music to Sex and the City
Not only has Christopher Smyk written and produced music for award-winning films, he has also contributed music to the hit television show Sex and the City. The experience of using his artistic talents to provide music for such a legendary network show provided Mr. Smyk with an overwhelming sense gratitude and artistic accomplishment.
Working with the legendary David Bianco
After establishing himself as a bass player as well as a composer and producer in the world of film and television, Mr. Smyk decided to further his artistic scope. In order to provide himself with more of a creative canvas, he polished his singing and learned to play the guitar. Soon thereafter, Nick Ferrante - his high-school best friend - moved to NYC and together they formed the first of several rock bands. The first was Raw Deluxe featuring the now legendary singer Lisa Shaw. When Lisa left in 2001 to pursue her solo career, Chris and Nick began recording new demos for their next project. Although these recording were made on 8-track cassette in Chris’s bedroom, they ultimately made their way into the hands of Grammy-award winning record producer and engineer David Bianco. Bianco, known for his work for some of the most iconic male rock vocalists of the past 30 years (including Tom Petty and Mick Jagger) invited Chris and Nick to Los Angeles to record. It was for these sessions that Chris wrote “East Coast Liner” which was later called “one of the three best hard rock songs” of 2004 by the Village Voice.
Catching the attention of top producers and artists
From 1996 until 2006, Mr. Smyk had the esteemed privilege of collaborating with a veritable ‘who’s who’ of producers and artists, including:
• Grammy award-winning songwriter Itaal Shur (Santana, Maxwell)
• Grammy award-winning engineer and producer David Bianco (Bob Dylan, Tom Petty)
• Nikka Costa
• Lyle Workman (Sting, Beck)
• Jeff Trott (Sheryl Crowe)
• Roger Manning, Jr. (Beck, AIR)
• Keith Carlock (Steely Dan)
• The Neighborhood Bullies
• Davey Farragher (Elvis Costello)
• James Fearnley (The Pogues)
• Lucy Woodward
• Lisa Shaw
• DJ Swingsett
• Dennis Davis (David Bowie)
• Courtney Williams (Run DMC)
• Michael Urbano (Cracker)
• Mark Anthony Jones
• Brian Delaney (NY Dolls)
Finding a new form of art in renovating real estate
In 2005, Christopher Smyk had worked in the music industry for more than 13 years and felt that he needed the opportunity to spread his creative wings once again. At that time, he discovered a run-down house for sale in the neighborhood his mother lived in. Having had a longtime fascination with architecture and interior design, Christopher decided to buy the property. Over a period of 4 months he transformed what was then an unattractive, ordinary house into what several local real estate brokers called a “jewel box.” Smyk soon realized that he had a talent for interior design as well as solid business instincts that he had yet to fully tap into.
Impressing local real estate professionals
Mr. Smyk knew that he had found his next passion in life when he was able to impress real estate marketers with his newly renovated property. The agents and prospective buyers who toured the house found it hard to believe that Christopher had no previous experience with interior design. Taking their feedback as a sign of impending success, Smyk continued to hone his design skills at Parsons/The New School for Design.
Bringing forgotten homes back to life
After discovering his unexpected aptitude for design and business investment, Christopher Smyk became interested in re-imagining historic brownstone buildings. At that time, he found the challenge of making over an overlooked wallflower of a house into something as inspiring as making music. When renovating a landmark structure, Mr. Smyk always focuses on creating a timeless, sophisticated look that also incorporates a tasteful modern edge. Smyk never attempts to cover up a historic home’s structure. He instead tries to reiterate the relevance of its style in a contemporary manner, a theme he would later carry into his clothing brand.
Meeting economic challenges head on
When the housing market collapsed in the mid-2000s, many investors simply abandoned ship and found other means of employment. Mr. Smyk, however, accepted the challenges of a difficult economy and dug in even deeper. Rather than giving up on his dream, he saw the financial crisis as an opportunity to push himself to the limits of his creativity. During this time he was even one of a team to bring a boutique hotel to the Bowery in New York City. Throughout his entire experience as a real estate entrepreneur, Mr. Smyk learned how to think like a businessman while maintaining a sense of artistic integrity. After achieving this level of success despite the collapsing economy, Christopher felt confident enough to pursue his next project - starting his own fashion label.
Creating timeless, chic menswear
After enjoying artistic freedom as a musician, a composer, a successful investor and a home designer, Christopher Smyk was ready to stretch himself creatively in a new way. While music has always been his first passion, Smyk’s second love in life has been fashion. Through his journey in music and real estate, this deep interest in styling and clothes only grew, so it made complete sense to him that starting his own clothing line was where his heart would lead him next on his artistic journey. After studying fashion in a variety of contexts, he knew exactly what kind of label he wanted to create. His goal was to create not just clothes but a brand that would be identifiable with whom he was as an artist. He sought to create clothing that was edgy, classy, sexy, sophisticated, and most importantly, timeless. Christopher’s intention was to create distinct yet understated clothes that would walk the line between high fashion and luxury streetwear.
Christopher Smyk gives back to his community
In an effort to help out needy individuals in his area, Mr. Smyk often volunteers for a variety of charities. Currently he is a team leader for New York Cares where he conducts mock job interviews at the FEGS Health and Human Services facility with inner-city adults who are transitioning from welfare to work. His goal is to help them build their confidence so they can successfully re-enter the workforce. Next he plans to become involved with other causes that resonate with him; organizations that support the arts in public schools are of course ones he is particularly interested in contributing to.
Although Christopher Smyk has embarked upon many creative adventures throughout his life, he currently draws his inspiration from the world of fashion. In an effort to bring his vision to the medium of menswear, he plans to slowly build his own clothing brand to the forefront of the design world and is planning a small women’s line next year.
The future of fashion
Although many experts in the fashion world try to predict what direction the next trend will take, it is notoriously difficult to do so. Trend-conscious fashion designers will always come and go, but clothing artists with a keen eye for sophistication and timelessness will always have a niche in the industry. For Christopher Smyk, fashion is not about remaining on the cutting edge but about knowing who you are as a person. Whether it is music, design, entrepreneurship or developing his new brand, his credo is to stay true to yourself and the rest will follow.
Mr. Smyk’s future work with charities
Although it is Mr. Smyk’s current intention to build a brand of note in world of fashion, he is also interested in helping out individuals who are less fortunate. Through his many years of experience as a musician and a composer, he has learned that working in an artistic medium gives one a platform to raise awareness for many important issues. Fully understanding his unique opportunity, Smyk hopes to engage in more philanthropic and volunteer work in the near future. He is most interested in those charities that benefit less fortunate individuals and funding for the arts.
The future of fashion
Although many experts in the fashion world try to predict what direction the next trend will take, it is notoriously difficult to do so. Trend-conscious fashion designers will always come and go, but clothing artists with a keen eye for sophistication and timelessness will always have a niche in the industry. For Christopher Smyk, fashion is not about remaining on the cutting edge but about knowing who you are as a person. Whether it is music, design, entrepreneurship or developing his new brand, his credo is to stay true to yourself and the rest will follow.
Mr. Smyk’s future work with charities
Although it is Mr. Smyk’s current intention to build a brand of note in world of fashion, he is also interested in helping out individuals who are less fortunate. Through his many years of experience as a musician and a composer, he has learned that working in an artistic medium gives one a platform to raise awareness for many important issues. Fully understanding his unique opportunity, Smyk hopes to engage in more philanthropic and volunteer work in the near future. He is most interested in those charities that benefit less fortunate individuals and funding for the arts.
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Education
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The New School For Design , United States
http://www.newschool.edu/parsons/01/2008 - 01/2009 -
New York University , United States
Music & Jazzhttp://www.nyu.edu/-
Career History
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Producer , United States
not defined01/1998 to 01/1999Artist , United States
not defined01/1996 to 12/2006Principal , United States , New York City, NY , Luxury Menswear Lifestyle Brand
http://www.christophersmyk.com/to 12/2099Chief Executive Officer , United States
not definedto 12/2099Family & Friends-
No approved location -
No approved location -
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No approved location -
United States, Virginia, Fairfax -
United States, Texas, Arlington -
United States, Illinois, Lombard -
United States, Texas, McKinney
No neighbors Specified
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United States -
United States -
United States -
United States -
United States -
United States -
United States -
United States
Core Competencies- Creative Direction
- Fashion Design
- Entrepreneurship
- Creative Oversight
- Business Strategy
Greatest AttributesNo Greatest Attributes Specified
Business AchievementsNo Business Achievements Specified
Worst Failures in BusinessNo Worst Failures in Business Specified
Political PartyNo Political Party Specified
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