The best clothes are the ones you can’t wait to put on, even if you’ve worn them a million times.
A comfy, quirky sweater. A flattering pair of pants. A shirt that fits just right in the shoulders, and doesn’t trap heat when temperatures rise. Sometimes, these pieces don’t start out this way, but rather become something unique and perfect after multiple wears or at-home adjustments. Other times, we get lucky enough to find that just-right piece in the store or online. Such has, in my experience, been the case with the clothing on offer at Samantha Pleet.
Founded in 2007 by its namesake designer, Samantha Pleet is an independent fashion brand designed with the intent to add a little more art and magic to the world. Working alongside her husband, Patrick, Samantha creates contemporary clothes with a twist—namely, the whimsical prints and embellishments the brand has become known for.
And she’s come a long way from her start studying painting and fashion at the Pratt Institute. In the years since the brand was founded, Samantha has dressed actors and artists, partnered with independent boutiques in multiple countries, and acquired features in well-known magazines. She has also won multiple prestigious awards, the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award for Sustainable Design and the Gen Art prize.
Now, she runs operations from a multifunctional design studio located in upstate New York. Here, artist collaborations are organized. Clothing lines are created. Patterns and fabrics are chosen. Each piece of clothing produced by the company is intended to be as comfortable as it is eclectically wonderful, with fabrics including cotton lycra twill, linen, cotton satin, and cotton velvet.
And once the designs are finalized to Samantha’s satisfaction, coordination begins with their manufacturing partners in Delhi, India. The small family business, which has worked with Samantha Pleet since 2018, produces runs of 30-50 pieces per style in fair trade factories, using materials picked to be as minimally impactful on the earth as possible.
These collections run the gamut, with themes and inspirations including floral wallpaper, medieval tapestry, Joan of Arc, the painted contents of a harvest basket, and three-dimensional monochrome flowers. My personal favorite, however, is the collection created using their Attica print, designed in collaboration with American artist Francesca DiMattio.
The terracotta-colored images on black fabric create a look reminiscent of Greek red-figure pottery. This style of decoration saw backgrounds and relief lines painted with black slip, while the featured scenes and ornaments retained the color of the red clay. And with fragments of mythical creatures, decorative motifs, and figures scattered across the fabric, no two pieces are created with exactly the same composition.
Of this collection, I find the Daydream Dress to be the most stunning. It’s as flattering as it is wearable, featuring a corset top with boning and back smocking paired with a flowy circle skirt that twirls fabulously. The side zipper makes it easy to get on and off, while the breathable, fully washable cotton satin fabric ensures I can wear it almost anywhere without worry. And I have. The grocery store (we all need a bit of pizzazz in our day-to-day lives). Dinner with friends. A day at the museum. Beautiful clothes are meant to be worn and loved in equal measure, and Samantha Pleet makes it easy to do both.
Through a combination of skilled craftsmanship and historic design elements, Samantha and Patrick Pleet are taking on the challenge of imbuing contemporary treasures with myth and meaning. Each piece is its own work of art, as quirky as it is beautiful—perfect for standing out in a crowd, adding an extra touch of whimsy to your closet, or just letting your personality shine. So if you’re looking for another just-right piece to include in your repertoire, visit Samantha Pleet’s website HERE, and find your new favorite before it’s gone.
