This little bandana Stand
Howdy! Hello! Hi!
I’m Val Smith—the one-woman show behind Sugar Camp and every single one of these bandanas. I’m an INFJ, a mom, a coffee lover, a designer who can’t turn it off (thanks, ADHD), and someone navigating life with complex chronic illness.
From the day I could first hold a crayon in my tiny hand, I was a doodler and an artist. As I grew, the natural evolution was to become a graphic designer. I proceeded to work in design and marketing for much of my adult life. But as I encountered a shift in my health, back in 2021, I realized the corporate life wasn’t for me anymore. I took all that expertise and passion, and channeled it into my own thing—Sugar Camp. I haven’t looked back since.
Every piece that I craft starts with my own two hands. I design bold, and inclusive bandanas and accessories for people with something to say. Each one carries a message—loud and proud if you want it to be, or tucked away just for you.
At my core, I believe everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and treated with respect, no matter their gender, sexuality, race, beliefs, or identity. That tenet is woven into everything I create.
These pieces are made for you to lift your mood and help you show up as your most authentic self.
Bandanas. Audacity. Rebellion
“When Someone tells me they wore one of my bandanas to a protest, that just makes my day.”
On a mission
At Sugar Camp, we craft accessories for people with something to say. Every piece is designed to empower and stir up a little good trouble—rooted in feminist values and made for folks who believe style can be a statement.
Inspired by the grit and heart of the Midwest, we create each piece to spark confidence, rebellion, and connection. Sugar Camp is here to help you show up as your whole self—one unapologetic accessory at a time.
Why Sugar Camp?
It’s roots are in a not-so-well-known, but incredibly important bit of history in our beloved Dayton, O. During WWII, 600 Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) were deployed to our little city to work on a top secret project.
Each day, the troops would march from their encampment—Sugar Camp—to National Cash Register, aka NCR, to construct bulky machines called “BOMBEs”. A BOMBE was a large electro-mechanical machine used to decode German ENIGMA cipher machines which were employed by the Axis Powers to transmit encrypted information. This included info to and from U-Boats. Much of the WAVES’ work is attributed to defeating the Nazis, and bringing an end to the war.
During their deployment, Sugar Camp served as their home away from home—housing them in simple but comfortable cabins nestled in a sugar maple grove. As a small woman-owned business from Dayton, it made sense to honor these groundbreaking women who broke long-established barriers to serve their country.