Walee Smith, a former accountant turned fashion designer, was born in Bangkok, Thailand and moved to the United States at the age of nineteen. As a child, she was always obsessed with arts and fashion. As a young girl, she enjoyed playing with paper dolls more than with regular dolls and it was here that her obsession and skill become more apparent. She had a unique talent for sketching, drawing, and painting at young age without any formal training. She would meticulously design, create, and color each layer of an outfit and made entire wardrobes for her dolls. Little did she know that this passion of designing for her paper dolls would lead to an opportunity to fulfill her dream as bridal industry design artist.

She wanted to pursue a career that expressed her artistic abilities. It wasn't until many years of working in accounting that she decided to commit to her true passion of design. That led her to attend Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas where she received her Bachelor's of Art in Fashion Design.

While in School, her passion for design in the bridal industry continued to grow. She had the privilege of working in Watters Bridal atelier. It was this experience that gave Ms. Smith the knowledge, experience, and formal exposure to understand the importance of quality, attention to detail, and fit to flatter every shape.

After she graduated, she launched her own bridal line, "Noina Bridal" which is a Houston based bridal gown design firm.