Amy Smilovic Releases Second Edition of Well-loved Personal Style Guide, ‘The Creative Pragmatist’

Fashion enthusiasts, rejoice. Tibi founder and creative director Amy Smilovic has released a second edition of her 2023 well-loved, solutions-based guide to personal style, “The Creative Pragmatist Book.”

The follow-up offers an updated take on her brand’s sought-after philosophy, which Smilovic initially developed during COVID-19 lockdown as a way to help her customers understand and articulate their personal style. During that time, and still today, Smilovic went viral for her styling tutorials and explainer videos on Instagram, gaining a strong following, and forging ongoing relationships with her customers.

Smilovic said since the debut of her original book, which sold out its 3,000 independently published copies with hundreds of would-be readers remaining on a wait list, she was inspired to expand her philosophy and answer her audience’s common questions and challenges in a follow-up.

“I’ve had a few more years of explaining the concepts; I’ve gotten incredible amounts of validation, and so, as a result I’m clearer here in my writing and you can see there’s really not a lot of hesitation in my thoughts. Because I know how well it’s worked for many,” she told WWD.

For the second edition, Smilovic rewrote the entire book, and while none of her philosophies changed, she dove deeper into all of her creative pragmatist principles, including the Tibi Color Wheel offering tips on how to wear colors together, and her “one, ton or none” styling philosophy of choosing one standout piece, wearing a ton of similar items or opting for none of that style at all.

“I find those two principals have been the ones that have universally unlocked an ah-ha moment in people. It’s like I could write a joke that says, ‘you know you’re a creative pragmatist if….,’ she said of the handy guidelines to finding one’s personal style.

Compared to the first version’s coffee-table book look, the second edition is designed to emulate a softcover workbook, allowing customers to jot down their own notes or easily earmark pages. In addition, the manual is filled with updated in-house photography and new illustrations by Smilovic of the brand’s latest fashions and accessories, including looks from September’s spring 2025 runway.

“I really enjoyed doing the illustrations and thinking of clearer ways to communicate. I can get lost in sketching for hours and hours,” Smilovic noted. 

“The Creative Pragmatist, Second Edition,” $85, is available on the brand’s website, with a bumped-up publishing run of 5,000 books. Following the winter holidays, the brand will start activations, including a six-month book tour visiting the brand’s retail partners, where the book will also available for purchase for the first time.