Meet Samantha Wood, the fashion designer and dress maven behind @thedressdesigner.

Samantha grew up in the Washington D.C. area, where she picked up some skills from her godmother (a seamstress) and mom (a hobbyist sewer). Growing up, Samantha created anything and everything, but most loved making her own dresses. After whipping up her prom dress from scratch, she went off to college at Virginia Tech for real design training. Samantha managed to win Best New Designer her first year of school (2005), then Best Designer her last year (2009). She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Apparel Product Development and Merchandising, then went to NYC to pursue her passion. After struggling to break into the exclusive design scene, with a reasonably paid job at least, Samantha decided to take a different direction and gain experience in other aspects of the fashion industry while saving up to make her dream a reality. From bringing dress sketches to life for well-known designers, to buying for America’s top retailers, to developing innumerous marketing campaigns for big brands, she expanded her perspective – while simultaneously doing custom dress projects and figuring out her aesthetic. When she had a tough time finding little white dresses for her wedding events, Samantha decided to bring her vision to life and launch a ready-to-wear collection.

Samantha now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her new husband, XXL Rhodesian Ridgeback and XXS French Bulldog. She currently juggles her Product, Retail and Brand Marketing career with frequent trips to NYC/LA to make this happen.