Fashion career profile

Brian Smith

Brian Smith is an Australian entrepreneur and the founder of UGG. After studying accounting and developing an interest in surfing, he moved to Southern California and began importing Australian sheepskin boots in 1978. Smith sold the practical, warm footwear through surf shops and built recognition around a product already familiar in Australia but unusual in the United States. He later sold the business, which Deckers acquired in 1995 and developed globally. Smith's role is recorded as the California brand founder and early distributor, not as the inventor of sheepskin footwear or the designer of every later Deckers product.

Role
Founder, UGG
Nationality
Australian
Age
75
Career appointments
1
Fashion houses
1