Word of Mouth: Samantha Pleet
Samantha Pleet has quickly emerged as one of Brooklyn's premiere names for fresh, wearable women's fashion, and her Spring 2011 collection could be her most compelling yet. Signature Pleet styles were in effect (rompers, high waists, flirty details like bows and netting), but this season she took sophistication up a notch. The polka dot starry blazer, the ivory starboard shirt, the goldenrod walkabout shorts...we're talking the quintessence of casual urbane cool here.
Hat tip (and hers are adorbs) goes to Pleet's styling team, who get that gorgeous-gal-breezing-through-Fort-Greene-on-her-bike look just so. The models were rocking deep side parts with flowing locks or long rope braids. The provocative chain jewelry by Bliss Lau and some sexy glimpses of skin at the waist, however, kept this collection perfectly balanced.
Beyond her spring looks, Samantha also debuted a short film starring Victoria Legrand of Beach House (who performed Radio City Hall Wednesday night) wearing the new duds. We caught up with Samantha at her show and chatted about their collaboration and the return of those scrumptious Osborn for Samantha Pleet shoes.
Tell us about teaming up with Victoria Legrand. Did she inform your Spring collection? Or did you design the collection and realize afterward that it might be a good fit for her?
She definitely helped to inform it. Victoria has a wonderfully commanding personality that meshed really well with my inspirations from films like "Walkabout," "Fitzcarraldo," and "Night of the Hunter." Beach House's music is timeless and dreamy, and I want my clothes to be the same way. Musicians are always a big inspiration, so I design with them in mind – for example, the ivory Ahoy blazer has netting in the back to help keep cool under hot stage lights. I had used Victoria's music for my Fall 2010 video lookbook, and we got to talking about a collaboration. It all developed really organically.
That's awesome. That seems to be the case with your brand. You've got a great group of creative collaborators, especially in Brooklyn.
For the film I got to work with photographer David Black whose work I admire. Plus my very creative stylist, Turner, really understands my aesthetic – she's so much fun to work with. My husband Patrick was also there to help with everything. I was lucky to be surrounded by such an amazing team!
Last season we declared our love for the Osborn for Samantha Pleet shoes you showed. You're one of the few designers at Fashion Week who's making footwear that's both foxy and functional. Give us the 4-1-1 on those cuties.
Well, I want to make fun shoes that I would actually want to wear, too. I typically wear flats everyday, and I wanted to make a sexy flat. So I showed some skin on the feet but made them so they were comfortable, too.
Mission accomplished. How did the Osborn collab come about?
I have always wanted to make shoes – my grandfather was a woodworker/cobbler and had a shoe store in Philadelphia. I thought it would be great to work with a shoe designer that I really love. When I first found out about Osborn and that they were based here in Brooklyn, I knew a collaboration was meant to be. I approached them with the idea of making shoes to match the clothes from my last fall collection and it worked out very well. This season we took it a step further by manipulating their original design. I think the results are really exciting.
September 2010
Paper Magazine