The queen of trendy 90’s styles!
In our latest interview with the founder and CEO of By Samii Ryan, HOLR chats with the girl boss herself, Samii Ryan, who is the visionary behind the iconic Los Angeles-based, 90’s-inspired women’s brand. Samii talks us through how she started her journey, her favourite pieces on the site right now and what the future has in store for By Samii Ryan.
Keep reading to find out all about our favourite boss babe!
Tell us about yourself and how you started your brand, By Samii Ryan.
I started the brand shortly after I graduated high school by hand-making accessories that I would sell at music festivals like Vans Warped Tour and Bonnaroo. Part of the excitement was being able to connect with my customers and share the pieces I was making in person. I think that really helped build a dedicated following from the start. Through those festivals, I was able to get my accessories on some celebrities, which led to Nordstrom reaching out, who then carried the brand in 40 stores. Fast forward to 2017, I launched the apparel side of my brand with my fiancé as my business partner. We started small and worked with friends to pitch a couple of graphic tee shirts to specialty clothing store Zumiez. The designs were quickly bought into and they launched in 35 stores in December of 2017. Six months later, the brand was being carried in 650 Zumiez locations nationwide. Since then, we have expanded the brand to offer cozy loungewear, dresses, and accessories such as hats, scarves, and more. We have built our own e-commerce business in addition to selling to Zumiez, Revolve, etc.
Where does the inspiration for your pieces come from?
I am really into nostalgia and referencing things from the ’90s and early 2000’s because that’s when I grew up. Whether it be pop culture references, toys, trends, or styles that were of the moment, I like incorporating them into the line with a modern, feminine twist.
What are your favourite must-have pieces available on the site right now?
I love the BSR x Dessie Jackson collection because Dessie is a close friend of mine and creating with her is something I always look forward to (this is our second collaboration together). For this collection in particular we pulled directly from her paint palettes and created all-over prints from her original artwork. It was really cool to see the collection come to life and for us to introduce new categories such as; satin shirts and shorts, a dress, overalls, and satin scarves.
What can one expect when shopping on By Samii Ryan?
When you shop the site, By Samii Ryan, there are a lot of fun graphics, pastel colours, unique tie-dye patterns, and positive empowering messaging. All of our pieces are super comfy and perfect to wear all year round.
90s-inspired items are super hot right now! What are your favourite 90s trends and how do you love incorporating them into your pieces?
My favourite 90’s trends are definitely oversized sweats and bright colours. I love baggy, short crop tees and baggy bottoms. Incorporating 90’s and 2000’s pop culture moments into some of our graphics and colour palettes has been our goal from the beginning and I love sharing that with our customers.
Can you hint at any exciting news or future plans for the brand?
We have a lot of exciting new collaborations that we’re working on throughout the rest of 2021 and into 2022. I can’t give too much away but expect to see more from our partnerships with Smiley® and Care Bears™ amongst others. Also, we are expanding into even more new categories, such as home accessories, which will be hitting this summer. We are constantly brainstorming what’s next as the brand grows!
To shop By Samii Ryan, check out the website here and keep up with the brand on IG here!