an interview with
LUCY’S 12
SAMANTHA PLEET by SUMMER LEE @summerannelee Samantha Pleet is a New York City-based independent fashion brand, founded in 2007 by Samantha and her husband, Patrick. Their goal is to provide whimsical and dreamy apparel to the magically-inclined woman, which they have achieved through their twenty meticulously curated collections. Well-known for her trance-inducing prints and use of fairytale motifs, Samantha’s line began with dresses, rompers, and separates, but has expanded to now include denim, outerwear, and swim. Some celebrity fans include Jenny Slate, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Lena Dunham, Tavi Gevinson, Lorde, HAIM, Jenny Lewis, and Meredith Graves. The brand also receives regular media attention by publications such as Vogue, Nylon, Rookie, Refinery 29, Galore, Wonderland, and Oyster. On a chilly afternoon in Brooklyn, I sat down with Samantha in her beautiful home to inquire about her inspirations, motivations, and musings on motherhood.
Q: You are a self-proclaimed “designer of magical clothing”. What does that mean to you? A: If you look back at the designers that inspire me, like Elsa Schiaparelli, it’s all about a sense of whimsical details and prints. I think since I started my line ten years ago, we’ve really been known for that - and for having a sense of humor. It’s not like anything else out there. It’s really my goal to create clothes that are pieces of art onto themselves, like you’re wearing a painting. Like my very first print—the illuminated print—has unicorns and mystical plants and there’s just definitely a sense of magic in it. It just comes out. I think my customers love to feel that way too, draped in something so magical. Q: Your Spring Summer 2017 collection, “Midsummer Dream”, featured a Black Wallpaper Print inspired by your grandmother’s house. Do you have a more emotional connection to that print? A: My grandmother is my biggest muse. She is incredible - her house is like a miniature Madonna inn. All the wallpaper is from the sixties, everything is so curated with all of these knick-knacks and art and paintings. She decorated it all herself, and it’s like her masterpiece. That’s what she did for her job, basically, was this house. It’s a work of art in itself. Whenever I go there, I always maybe over-do the photos. I once