Global Fashion Collective presented by VFW

Brand

Sam Stringer

Designer

Sam Stringer

Category

Evening Gowns, female

Brand information / About the designer

―What inspired you to become a fashion designer? Describe developments leading up to the brand launch.

I have been sewing since I was 8 years old, so I always knew that fashion would be the path I followed. I had an interest in evening gowns from the moment I learned how to drape, and I started making grad dresses in high school and eventually earned my degree in Fashion Design from the Wilson School of Design at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in 2016, specializing in eveningwear. My first collection featured a line of elaborate gowns for black tie events, and I have since continued on focuses even more on custom design and fit.
 

―What is the brand’s concept? What do you want to communicate through fashion designing? What are the images of men and women you want to project?

Sam Stringer combines traditional mastery with a modern aesthetic to create luxurious and artistic pieces unique to the individual. We provide the entrepreneurial, self-made woman with an artistic extension of her brand through black tie evening gowns that fuse art and fashion. By celebrating the shapes of all women and showcasing custom design, Sam Stringer aims to give each wearer the means to self-expression through elaborate and detailed highly valued pieces.
 

―What is your source of inspiration in creating fashion? What is your process of developing a design concept?

People have always been the driving force behind my designs and are what continue to inspire me. Whether that is an artist and their work, a motivated entrepreneur who is looking to showcase her personal style, or the girl I met in the grocery store who wants her garments to speak to her values, my inspiration will always come from the women around me. I am constantly inspired by the strong, motivated women in my industry and across all mediums of art and expression, and hope to continue to design in a way that allows them to showcase their own personal brand through my own.
 

―Who are your current stockists (areas, retail formats, etc.)? Describe the typical followers of your brand.

Our business is currently 100% custom designs run out of my home studio, with the aim to sell out of a showroom in the upcoming years. The business will always remain with a custom base, but smaller exclusive ready-to-wear collections in international boutiques is one of the goals of the company. Our clients contact the designer directly and collaborate on custom designs for events such as film premiers, weddings, bridal, grad, galas, charity events, etc, and can connect with the designer through the website or social media.
 

―Which brands, designers, styles and cultures have had the most impact on your fashion designing, and why?

It is so hard to narrow down the exceptional amount of talent that inspires me on a daily basis, but some of my main inspirations come from Elie Saab, Alexander McQueen, Martin Margiela, and Zac Posen. Eastern design from the Mediterranean/Middle East/Europe is absolutely fascinating to me, the use of such luxurious fabrics and hand detailing is exquisite.

About 2018 S/S collection

―Why have you chosen Tokyo(Amazon Fashion Week TOKYO) as the venue for presenting your collection?

I am extremely honoured and grateful for the opportunity to showcase my brand at AFWT through my collaboration with Vancouver Fashion Week, they have been long- time supporters of by brand and my vision and continue to support me with my journey to international shows. I am so excited to be presenting my collection in Tokyo on one of the most prominent runways in the world, and to be surrounded by such talent in such a diverse city will be incredible.
 

―What is the concept / image for your brand’s 2018 S/S season?

The 2018S/S collection “Embers and Ashes” is inspired by Sunset on Mars. The colours and design aspects of the collection are futuristic, metallic, edgy, and alien. Rust, charcoal, teal, stone, and gold emote an luxury and other-wordly aesthetic, with references of rock, sand, and copper qualities.
 

―What is your vision for your show / installation?

The 2018S/S collection showcases strong, powerful, and diverse woman with futuristic and elegant and yet edgy design details.

Future

―What are your brand’s future outlook and goal?

Sam Stringer caters to the client who is looking for more out of their clothing, to women who are constantly working towards their next goal and will stop at nothing to achieve them. Valuable garments of high quality and artistic inspiration are meaningful to her, and so a focus on custom pieces will always remain the base of the company. The brand plans to launch a showroom in upcoming years to meet with clients and to provide limited ready-to-wear collections in-between custom orders, and a gown rental aspect of the business will be available in last 2017/early 2018 for special events.

About TOKYO

―What does Tokyo represent for you?

Japanese has hands down one of the most unique and innovative design industries in the world, and Tokyo is at the heart of that. Boasting such incredibly inspiring designers from history, Tokyo represents innovation, creativity, and the challenging of social norms.
 

―Which parts / sites of Tokyo do you like most? Why?

I am excited to be coming to Tokyo for my first time to present this collection, in fact, it will be my first time in Asia, so I am very much looking forward to exploring all the city has to offer!