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NEW YORK DESIGNER SAMANTHA PLEET HAD AN ENCHANTING VISION FOR HER LATEST COLLECTION.
How did your label Samantha Pleet come to be? The year was 2006, I had just finished fashion design at uni, and was filled to the brim with energy. It started with hosting lots of cheese and wine nights at the studio to plan fashion shows, photoshoots and pop-up events – basically, physically getting people together to make something magical. Of course, there was lots of ground work, too, like going into stores with my lookbook and really putting myself out there to make the perfect jumpsuits and dresses.
Tell us the story behind this collection. SS20 is the story of a beekeeper in an enchanted forest, where there are many midsummer picnics and friends to run around with.
What was on your mood board while putting it together? I actually didn’t even make a mood board for this – it was all in my head. The mood board was out my window and my own experiences from summer. When I’m not in Brooklyn, my design studio is in Upstate New York, in a house surrounded by wildflowers and forests. I watched monarch butterflies going through metamorphosis, gathered flowers every day and hosted friends, creating my own surreal dream space.
Were you listening to or watching anything in particular? When I work, I love listening to anything from Venetian baroque music to harpist Mary Lattimore, Alice Coltrane’s surrealist jazz, dreampop from Mr Twin Sister, and of course, the magical Solange. Film-wise, I love period pieces, and watching things that take me to a relaxing place, like The Durrells in Corfu.
What kind of person are you designing for? Someone who doesn’t take the magic in every day for granted. Who wants to look like they came out of a modern-day fairytale; smart but with their heads a little in the clouds.
Talk us through some of the techniques used to embellish the garments. For SS20, we embroidered a picnic onto a classic check, complete with sunscreen, ants and strawberries. I collaborated with a painter to create the beautiful floral – it’s actually a painting of a floral fabric that had been folded, creating unexplained dimension. I also used appliqué for a few pieces.
And what about the colour palette? I was inspired by a natural bouquet of wildflowers and bees, from yellow stripes to the dreamy pastels and pop of poppy red.
Your pieces evoke a real mix of nostalgia and fantasy. Would you say you’re more influenced by the past or the future? I’m inspired by the best elements of the past to create an inspiring, happy future, where you’re free to express individuality. I’m so inspired by historical costume – I love taking from my favourite eras, like those Renaissance sleeves, or 1960s high-waisted pant sets and shirt dresses, updated for a modern fit.
What are your top priorities when designing a new garment? That it fits lots of different body types, that it’s of the best quality fabric, and that it will last. I want people to really wear the heck out of the pieces.
Which fictional character can you imagine wearing your clothes? Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter.
Where can we see more of your stuff? At samanthapleet.com, or on Instagram at @samanthapleet.