Fashion Icon: Samaria Leah

Samaria Leah has built an entire denim empire by reworking Levi denim . Her creative approach to the details and distress of them makes her brand stand out . Remember those jeans from the early 2000’s that Mariah Carey and others made popular by removing the top of the jeans .

She has added more flavor to the jeans by adding different trinkets to her unique jeans. I first noticed her rework post about a year ago on her page.

Since then she has reworked several Levi’s , done pop ups and has her own application . She is making herself a household name in the fashion world . I’m excited to see what she does with her brand..

EVEN FROM AT A YOUNG AGE I WAS RESISTING MY MOM’S ATTEMPTS TO DRESS ME—I JUST HAD TO DO IT MYSELF, I INSISTED ON IT. I WOULD CHANGE MY CLOTHES ANYWHERE FROM 3 TO 5 TIMES A DAY.

WHEN PULLING OUTFITS TOGETHER OR ASSEMBLING VARIOUS LOOKS STOPPED SATISFYING MY CREATIVE URGE, I TURNED TO RECONSTRUCTING MY WHOLE CLOSET—CUTTING TOPS, SHORTENING SKIRTS EVEN DISTRESSING OLD PAIRS OF PANTS.

I GREW UP BETWEEN LOS ANGELES AND NEW YORK, TWO FASHION-CONSCIOUS CITIES, WHICH MEANT ENDLESS INSPIRATION AT MY FINGERTIPS. I LATER ATTENDED THE FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (FIT) WHERE I EARNED TWO DEGREES IN FASHION DESIGN AND FASHION MERCHANDISING. DURING THIS TIME IN MY LIFE I FELL IN LOVE WITH VINTAGE CLOTHING.

AFTER COLLEGE, I STARTED TO TRAVEL MORE—DISCOVERING LOCAL BOUTIQUES AND OTHER HIDDEN GEMS IN EVERY CITY. MY EVER-GROWING COLLECTION OF VINTAGE T-SHIRTS EVOLVED INTO LEVI’S AS WELL. AND THAT’S WHEN I BEGAN TO REPURPOSE THEM. IT BECAME A PASSION AND AN OBSESSION.

FOR YEARS I’VE BEEN CUTTING, DISTRESSING AND ALTERING MY OWN JEANS T