Former Milly designer Michelle Smith has opened up about coming out as pansexual after falling in love with SoulCycle instructor Stacey Griffith, saying she now feels 'more natural' and 'comfortable' with herself.
Smith, 49, and Griffith, 54, confirmed their relationship on Instagram in 2019, two years after the former split with her husband, Andrew Oshrin, with whom she co-founded Milly in 2000.
'I identify as pansexual,' she told Vogue in a new interview. 'I grew up very straight, but around the age of 40, my attraction to people changed: I stopped being attracted to someone through their gender and became attracted to people through who they are and their energy.'
Former Milly designer Michelle Smith has opened up about coming out as pansexual after falling in love with SoulCycle instructor Stacey Griffith
The designer, who now identifies as pansexual, told Vogue that she grew up 'very straight' but her 'attraction to people changed' around the age of 40
Smith, 49, and Griffith, 54, are pictured celebrating Price Month in New York City in 2020
Smith noted she 'never had an official coming-out announcement' and reflected on how her experience greatly differed from Griffith's.
'When my girlfriend [Griffith] came out, she was a gay teen in high school in the '80s and it was horrible — people would write "d**e" on her car in soap and pick fights with her,' she explained.
Smith was in her late 20s when she married Oshrin in 2003, and they have two children together, Sophia, 15, and William, 12.
She admitted she has a 'good laugh' when she looks at photos of herself from this time in her life because she looks 'like such a straight mom.'
'Now I just feel more natural and comfortable with myself,' she said.
Smith and Oshrin were in the midst of a divorce when Milly was sold to a subsidiary of the apparel company S. Rothschild & Co. in 2019.
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Smith was married to Milly co-founder Andrew Oshrin from 2003 until their split in 2017. They are pictured together in 2015
Smith stepped away from Milly in 2019 after it was sold to a subsidiary of the apparel company S. Rothschild & Co. She is pictured at a runway show during New York Fashion Week in 2018
Griffith, who is renowned for her popular SoulCycle classes, has her own celebrity following that includes the likes of Kelly Ripa (far left) and Hoda Kotb (second from left)
The designer, whose fans included Michelle Obama and Jennifer Lopez, quietly stepped away from the brand after the sale and launched her new line, Michelle Smith, a year later.
'Realizing that I’m pansexual definitely changed my design aesthetic and the way I approached collections,' she told Vogue. 'It feels old-fashioned even to define clothing by a certain gender — I want all genders to feel welcome in my clothes.'
Griffith has previously dated Debby Hymowitz for 13 years after the socialite left her hedge fund husband Greg for her in 2005
Griffith, who is renowned for her popular SoulCycle classes, has her own celebrity following that includes the likes of Brooke Shields and Kelly Ripa.
Together, the powerhouse couple has launched Love & Sports, a genderless activewear line for Walmart.
Smith said she makes a point to 'look for nonbinary and trans models' when casting because 'it's important' that 'everyone has a place in fashion.'
The mother of two has been an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ community since before she came out, and she noted it's a troubling time for gay rights.
She mentioned Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill that bans teachers from giving instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.
Smith encouraged people to stand up for LGBTQ rights and also support gay youth, who are 'most at risk and the most vulnerable.'
'Maybe I’m in a microcosm because I’m in New York City, but with my children’s identities and friendships, they’re very comfortable in their own skin,' she said. 'There’s no sense of shame around queerness.'
Smith and Griffith confirmed their relationship on Instagram in 2019, two years after the former split with her husband
Smith shared a blurrier version of the image with a check mark emoji and the hashtags #lovewins and #loveislove
The couple made their first public appearance at the Seeds of Hope Fundraising Gala in 2019
Smith's relationship with Griffith is her first with a woman, and as recently as July 2018, she was saying she was not a member of the LGBTQ community but an ally.
'I’m not coming out, but I am a big, ardent supporter of equality and LGBTQ rights, and my upcoming Fall collection was all about color and using the rainbow as a metaphor,' she told The Daily Front Row at the Big Gay Ice Cream shop in New York during Pride Month.
Griffith had previously dated Debby Hymowitz for 13 years after the socialite left her hedge fund husband Gregg for her in 2005. The couple had two college-aged daughters and a seven-year-old at the time of the split.
Smith first met Griffith when she started taking SoulCycle classes in 2013, The New York Times reported in 2020. Five years later, the two reconnected at a barbeque in Montauk and started spending more time together.
In October 2019, Griffith made their relationship Instagram official by sharing a photo of herself dipping Smith while posing in front of the New York City skyline.
Smith told Vogue that she 'never had an official coming-out announcement,' but she now feels 'more natural' and 'comfortable' with herself
Together, they have launched Love & Sports, a genderless activewear line for Walmart. Smith said she makes a point to 'look for nonbinary and trans models' when casting
'As clear as it gets ... #lovewins every time,' she wrote, adding a heart emoji and the hashtags #partner, #loveyourself, and #tomboy.
She also tagged Smith in the picture, leaving no doubt as to the identity of her glamorous-looking partner.
Meanwhile, Smith shared a blurrier version of the image with a check mark emoji and the hashtags #lovewins and #loveislove. Later, she commented with more hashtags: #lgbtq #equality #lgbtqrights #pansexual #lesbian #love.
The two hadn't come out publicly about their relationship before, so the posts elicited supportive replies from friends and fans, including several of Griffith's A-list pals such as Molly Sims and MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle.
Days later, Smith and Griffith made their first public appearance together at the 2019 Seeds Of Hope Fundraising Gala hosted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City.
'I wasn't seeing her for her gender. I saw her for her energy, and her beautiful light and it felt very natural,' Smith said of falling for Griffith on the Tamron Hall Show in 2020
Smith said she waited until the right moment to tell her children Sophia and William about her relationship with Griffith, but they were ultimately supportive
Smith spoke candidly about her relationship with Griffith during an appearance on the Tamron Hall Show in December 2020.
'I'd always had a very, you know, traditionally heterosexual life and up until that point, I never felt attractions to a woman before,' she said. 'This is my first time but now my life is very different.'
Smith explained that the way she sees 'people and love is very different,' adding that her relationship with Griffith was 'not anything I expected.'
'We did fall in love. She's amazing,' she said. 'It just happened. I wasn't seeing her for her gender. I saw her for her energy, and her beautiful light and it felt very natural.'
Smith also spoke about how she waited to tell her children about her new relationship, which they ultimately supported.
'I didn't want to rock their boat. So, I took some time to be sure that it was the right moment,' she said. 'And when I told them, they had questions. And they too were a bit surprised. But, they're also very accepting, you know, my children, children of their age, are of a new generation.'
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