Meet the Designer

Who’s that girl in the little black dress? … For those of you who have not yet heard of fashion designer Samantha Leibowitz, that is all about to change. Samantha arrived on the scene in August 2015 and officially released the launch of her company, Samantha Leibowitz New York. With her love of fashion and sophisticated style, Samantha followed her dream and became the CEO and Creative Director of her own company.

From dresses, tops, skirts, ties, bow ties and accessories, Samantha does it all creating a look from dawn until dusk! Working tirelessly, Samantha and her team design each piece with bright bold prints and the classic black and whites to reach the ever-changing styles for the modern woman. Meet the creative mind behind Samantha Leibowitz New York.

What were the first steps you took in the fashion world?

The first steps that I took in the fashion world were designing purses and dresses as well as matching ties. I also began making my own homecoming an
d prom dresses, as well as designing my date’s ties. Then, by my senior year of high school I actually designed all of my girlfriend’s dresses as well as their date’s ties!

Who is your Style Icon?

My style icon would definitely have to be Blake Lively. To me she is the definition of chic. She is someone who knows how to dress her body from her everyday street style to rocking her baby bump on the red carpet. She is cautious of her body yet is also able to dress as a stylish 28-year-old woman in today’s society. I think my favorite piece that she wore was the Met Gala Burberry dress that was custom designed for her. I thought the flow of the dress was amazing and would be something that I could see myself designing for fashion week.

What are some of your inspirations when designing your line?

Architecture is definitely one of my biggest inspirations, especially living in New York City. I think you can get inspiration from looking at the different shapes of windows to get a cool print idea, or from the structure of a building that is a great curve for a bodice. Also, in the reflections of buildings you can really see unique colors depending on the time of day. It can spark that creative thought process when you see a great blue and try to figure out, “now how do I make it that electric”.

 What is the mood of your latest collection?

         I feel that the mood we are going for in this collection is that fun summer vibe. My team and I have made sure these clothing pieces are a contemporary ready-to-wear line, that you can wear to work and then dress it up to go out that night! I have worked hard to really create a style that is fun, yet can easily be worn by my grandmother, mom and I… and we are all from a very large generational gap!

 How do you hope to differentiate yourself in an industry full of talented designers?

a behind the Little Black Samantha Dress and what inspired it?I think many designers may not always look at the technical aspect, and may jump right to the prints and colors they want instead of the feel and look of a garment. I feel as though I do a great job of putting things in fashion week that are not only going to be on the runway, but also putting pieces in that will be used and worn evryday. To me the fit and structure of a garment are extremely important. I want the women who wear my clothing to be comfortable and to know that the piece they are buying will have that perfect fit.

Lastly, tell us the idea behind the Little Black Samantha Dress

       The Samantha dress is something that I started working on when I was about fourteen years old… so I knew it was something that had to come out instantly! The idea was that every girl wants and needs a little black dress in her closet. From a professional event to a social event, I have worked hard to make sure that every girl wants to wear our little black dress since it is so unique and different. The Samantha dress has a drawstring that comes up the side seam to adjust the length of it. It is a very technical piece, and whether you are six foot or five feet, this dress is easily able to adjust to your height! It the first dress that came out in my collection and is the dress that I will continuously put in every collection, but modify it to fit the season as well as the current trend!