Is there anything Steve Smith can’t do?

As Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management at Tougaloo College during the day, Steve Smith also is running his own custom clothing business, iCandy, among many other projects and commitments he’s juggling. Entrepreneur may not be the best word to describe this man, even though it fits. Tireless visionary might be more like it.

A native of Tutwiler, MS, Smith came to Jackson in 1983 on a football scholarship to Jackson State University. Smith played safety for the Tigers while getting his Mass Communications Undergraduate Degree. He subsequently received his Masters in Education Administration Leadership from JSU and has been in education ever since with a few stints spent in the corporate and non-profit sector. Smith is now a candidate for his Ph.D. in Education Administration Leadership and is about a year out in that process.

Smith has also found the time to run his own side business, a clothing company called iCandy Custom Clothiers, in February of 2009. “I have always believed you should dress better than you have to and I’ve always loved good, quality clothing,” Smith says, explaining the motives behind the business. “I had an opportunity to look at the custom clothing business as something to do on the side. After a joint venture with a company that didn’t quite work out, I researched the industry for about a year and decided that I would start my own custom clothing business as an entrepreneur. I decided that my target market would be up and coming young guys, young men who had not quite made it. I wanted the clothes to be affordable for that target group but, also, for the man who did already dress well but perhaps spent too much on his own suits. It’s a myth that custom suits are expensive; they’re not. They’re more affordable and fit much better than anything you could buy off the rack.”

In his mission to help young men “dress for success,” Smith mentions one individual specifically.

“This kid had never owned a suit in his life, not until I did a custom one for him,” Smith says, “and now that’s all he wants to wear! It has totally changed not only his appearance but his outlook on life and self-esteem for the better. I tell young people about some of my own life experiences like the fact that I got a job solely on the basis that I wore a suit everyday and my peers wore khakis. I got the nod because of the fact that I dressed well. Not only because of that, of course; I had to speak well and know what I was doing. But I got the chance because of the way I dressed and I always try to instill that lesson on the young men I meet with and speak to.”

iCandy Custom Clothiers primarily offers suits and shirts, Smith says. “My suits range from Super 1-20’s to Super 1-40’s in terms of the degree of fabric. My shirts are cotton blend, cotton mixture and pure Egyptian cotton. All of my clothes are fitted specifically for the individual which is what makes my business different. Two men could wear the same size suit, say, a 44 long, but they have different body types; it’s going to fit different. By the time you have it tailored, the price goes way up. The great thing about custom suits is that the design is exactly the way you want it and the fit is perfect. With a custom suit you also have features like surgical cuffs, which allow you to roll up your suit sleeves while you eat, for example. The pinstripes should always meet at the top of your coat jacket on the shoulders which they do on a custom suit.”

Smith does all the measuring for his customers, having taught himself the procedure. His wife, Crystal, who is the CFO of iCandy, also helps with measuring. “One day, in fact, we will also start providing ladies’ clothing but, at this point, it’s strictly for the men,” Smith says.

Why the name iCandy? Smith laughs, “I was actually sitting in church one Sunday morning and the name hit me. When a lady describes a good looking man she’ll say, ‘That’s a nice piece of eye candy, and I thought that might be a good fit.”

Smith says that clothing has always been a passion for him so this side company is not really work at all. “My customers are always satisfied because I make sure they’re happy,” he says. “These suits are high quality, they last, and I give my clients all the attention to detail I can to make sure they look their best.”

Smith says he can envision the day where iCandy is his sole occupation…maybe.

“Everything would have to be just right for me to make that kind of commitment,” he says. “Right now, I’m totally focused on my work here at Tougaloo and on obtaining my Ph.D. However, I would also love to leave this business to my kids, especially my sons, because they share my love of, and admiration for, good clothing.”

Married to the aforementioned former Crystal Ballard for 18 years, Smith and his wife are the proud parents of six children: two boys in college, two girls in the middle and six month old twins. So to sum up: Smith works a full time job at Tougaloo, is working towards his Ph.D, helps raise six children and also has a business on the side, “I wouldn’t trade any of it – not usually, anyway!” he laughs.

“The most satisfying part of owning and operating iCandy is when a customer puts that suit on and it fits perfectly, exactly the way he wanted it or better,” Smith says. “After the two week turnaround period, it’s always great for me to get the suit to my customer and see their pride in what I’ve helped produce for them. I love that feeling.” – GJB