Kelsi, when I first came across StyleSmith, to say I am going to be unleashing my inner Blair Waldorf with some of your AMAZING headbands is an understatement! It is going to be so difficult to stop myself buying the headpieces and jewellery on your site, but where and how did it all begin?
You’re adorable…! Basically this was all a complete accident. I’m a trained actress, I have a degree in theatre, I’ve been to some of the best acting schools in the world, I’m fairly talented. Doesn’t matter. In L.A I’m one of thousands. So in order to supplement my minimal earnings through acting I was doing boring, menial work, waitressing, hostessing…this was just about enough for me to want to perform a self inflicted lobotomy so I quit.

In the meantime I had gotten married and become fond of making hats.

So jobless, penniless, but in love with my man and my new hobby I set up a shop on Etsy. Completely unsure of myself. But to my surprise people actually liked my romantic notions in the form of adornments.

So yay. That was May 2008.

Who/what inspires you and why?
Movies, inevitably given my character are one of my biggest influences, when I fall in love with a film I can watch it again and again and draw from it constantly, sometimes, well, most times, subconsciously. Music is a huge passion of mine, there’s nothing like a perfect melody combined with perfect poetry to give me chills and through me into a creative whirlwind.

Obviously I’m inspired by current trends, I follow  fashion religiously, (I have a blog: Dedicated Follower of Fashion – it’s kind of expected of me!) but that doesn’t mean you can expect to see carbon copies of each and every trend popping up in the Stylesmith shop. That isn’t me as a designer or as a stylish person.

What do you love about being a woman in the world?
We rock. Quite plainly. Sometimes I feel quite sorry for the men of the world on that fact alone. But seriously. If I were a man, I couldn’t get away with half the stuff I do!

I truly believe that a woman can do anything a man can do, I also believe women are special for the things they alone can do. The most important movement for women in the past 50 years is the movement of choice. You can be a stay at home Mum, you can be a corporate slave, you can be a wannabe actress making hats in front of the TV. We, as women in the western world have that privilege, and we should never take it for granted.

What has been your proudest moment so far?
Life – Having the metaphorical balls to travel alone. It’s made me the person I am.

Business – Renegade Craft Fair, this past summer… I randomly got a space at the very last minute, spent a solid week day and night working my fingers to the bone to have a collection to sell and to show – and then sold out of many items at the show. It was a good week!

Which five tracks make your day?
The Morning of Our Lives – Jonathan Richmond and the Modern Lovers
Girl From Mars – Ash
Don’t Stop Believin’ - Journey (the ultimate cheese on toast of songs)
No Children – The Mountain Goats
Anything by The Weakerthans (ANYTHING)

What are your must-have, can’t live without fashion and beauty items?
I cannot live without a pair of black ballet flats. Literally cannot live. And they have to be cut just right. Not any ballet flat will suffice. French Sole and Topshop do the best. Though whenever I’m back in the UK I try and grab a couple of pairs of Primark ballet flats – they rock.

Beauty wise…I’m a lipstick girl. I can go without any make-up so long as a have a bright lipstick on – preferably pink or red…I sourced the best lipstick ever awhile back, it’s a lipbalm, officially, but it has the deepest pigments, it stays on all day, and the craziest thing is they come in the craziest colours! Blue, Green, Purple, Apricot..etc, but they all come out on your lips in different shades of pinks and reds. They’re amazing & I can’t live without them – which is madness because I didn’t buy them to wear but to use as props in shoots! I just  managed to find some more and they’ll be going in the shop soon – they’re too amazing not to share.

What makes you jump-in-the-air happy?
Lipstick… no, I’m kidding. My husband. Red wine. My cat Frank. Lots of things. Going home (to the UK). Going home is the best. I actually jump in the air for that one.

Whats your life Motto?
Just do it.
I can rationalise anything and everything. So seriously. Just do it.

What are your favourite three pieces from the current collection and what is next for StyleSmith?
Favourite pieces…. The Hummingbird the colours are so pretty…I love it. I wear the Heart Hat a lot and The F Scott Fitzgerald locket…

Coming soon…tomorrow I’m shooting a new limited edition winter collection that will be available through the end of February. It includes some new feather headbands, including some feather bows!

I’m also doing a small handbag collection that will test preview at Unique Los Angeles in a few weeks.

The Sassy List: What’s your favourite?
Shop: Forever 21 – it’s a dirt cheap, possibly morally bankrupt, awesome US clothing store.
Book: The Little Prince – Antoine du Sant Exupery. I’ve read a lot of books but that one still challenges me everytime.
Website/blog: I have a lot of go-to blogs but one of my faves is the blog of designer Yasmine Surovec, ‘A Print A Day’ she’s so talented and completely adorable. She also runs the awesome Parasol Mags.
Hang-out: The couch? Seriously though… I love The Edison in Dowtown Los Angeles, it’s the old electric plant, I also love Hotel Figueroa in Downtown L.A – it’s how you imagine ‘Hotel California’ to be in your head…. oooh and The Pantry…ancient diner also in Downtown L.A…so basically Downtown L.A in general. I think I forgot this was the quickfire round.
City: I’m am forever torn between London and Los Angeles. They’re so different but I couldn’t live without either of them. I also adore Rome. I like my cities to be a little dirty…
Must-have beauty item: Those lipsticks I waxed lyrical about before….other than that I NEED hair serum….I’m the Queen of frizz.
TV prog: Ah. Can’t choose…. Weeds/Dexter/True Blood. I’m a showtime/HBO gal…. I hope they’re reading. Give me a job…I promise I’ll keep making headwear….
Food: Curry…. tikka masala. I recently joined my husband in the realm of vegetarianism so the chicken has been replaced with paneer, which is quite yummy.

What does the term Sassy Minx mean to you, Kelsi?
Someone with a bit of spice but NOT a spice girl… Feisty and filthy. In a librarian, shock value way.