Photo: Kenard Smith in his studio at The Cordial Eye (Julia Cumes in collaboration with Lipe Borges)
Experimentation, continuously learning, and growing. This is an artist’s approach to life.
And this is what Kenard Smith Jr. has embraced since moving to Cape Cod three years ago. In that short time, Kenard has become a self-taught (and highly successful) fashion designer and tailor, all while he finishes his culinary degree at Cape Cod Community College (he is set to graduate in December).
Born in Jamaica and having grown up in Georgia, Kenard followed his parents to the Cape in 2022; his first jobs included working in landscaping as well as at The Knack and Subway. “I enjoyed it, but those jobs weren’t for me,” he said.
Wanting something more — and fueled by a drive to grow and always learn more — Kenard was home one day when he pulled up a YouTube video that showed him how to make a blazer. Today, that completed piece, which he created out of a curtain, sits proudly in his studio at The Cordial Eye in Hyannis.
It’s a reminder of not only how far he has come, but what one can accomplish when they put their heart and mind into something they are truly passionate about. “Not being trained or anything, for the first time, it came out good,” he said.
Since then, he has made everything from pants to jackets to hoodies to shirts while posting photos and videos of his creations on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. He quickly attracted attention with people seeking him out for commissions, alterations, and custom pieces.
By the summer of 2023, Kenard was so busy he quit his job at Subway, “going all in on fashion,” launching his brand, Ken Tailor, which is a play on his father’s first name (Kenard) and his grandfather’s nickname. “He is known as tailor,” Kenard explained. “He did [clothing] alterations in Jamaica.”
His clients not only include friends and family, but complete strangers; some on Cape Cod and others as far away as Boston, Los Angeles, New York City, and New Orleans. He has designed outfits for eight separate shows for Signed Management on Cape Cod and participated In New York Fashion Week in September 2024.
While still learning, Kenard willingly shares his knowledge with the next generation, offering internships to students at Barnstable High School. “I wish I had someone like that to help me out when I was younger,” he said. “I’m showing them it is possible to have a future in fashion design.”
Still, there is so much more Kenard wants to accomplish. That’s why he jumped at the opportunity to participate in our Capacity-Building Program at the beginning of this year, joining 14 local artists who took workshops focused on strengthening their business, received small group coaching, created a business plan, and received a $1,000 stipend upon graduation in May.
“It was a major help to me,” he said of the program. “Before I did it, I didn’t know how to brand myself as a business. And it helped with storytelling, the business side of my practice, making connections, and how to promote my business. All the classes and sessions helped me be more vocal about my brand and be more confident in speaking about myself.”
On October 1st, Kenard took those lessons and put them into practice as he commits to recording himself speaking once a day for 91 days straight, through January 1st, and posting those videos on his Instagram (@kmjsmith). He is doing this while he works on creating 12 separate outfits (six females; six males) for Massachusetts Fashion Week this month in Burlington.
Kenard had this advice for anyone pursuing a career in the arts: “If you’re truly passionate about it, go all in. There should be no fear.”
You can follow Kenard Smith Jr. on his YouTube channel here.
Learn more about the Arts Foundation’s Capacity-Building Program by clicking this link. The program supports artists on Cape Cod and the Islands, helping them strengthen the business side of their creative practice.