Seven Questions with Vintage Stylist Sammy Davis

 
What do you get when you take a sweet Pennsylvanian girl with a panache for vintage clothes and plant her in one of the world's most hectic cities? You get one Miss Sammy Davis! Entrepreneur, vintage stylist and specialist, and host to her own online TV series, Sammy wears a lot of hats with lots of spunk.  Her website, Sammy Davis Vintage, is the online HQ for all things Sammy and has attracted a bit of a following as well. Even though Sammy always seems to have a new project she's getting herself into, I managed to steal her attention for a hot second so I could catch up with this Vintage guru.

What is your name, age, occupation(s), location(s)?

Sammy Davis, 24, vintage advocate + web series host, New York City

Why do you do what you do? What inspires you in general and in your work? What makes you stand out from other artists?

I do what I do because I believe that fashion can be fun and that experiencing it can make you feel great and inspire you to DO great, too. That's why I love vintage clothing and thrift culture. It's a creative, intellectually stimulating way of pursuing a wardrobe that's not average -- it's awesome. And because of how it makes you feel (awesome) you are motivated to do awesome -- whether it is by treating others with compassion or just donating your time to contribute what you can to the happiness of the people around you.

I believe that my clothes feel better. That my styling looks better. That working with SDV is a 360 experience of feel-good fashion. It's like when you have a loving, Italian mother making you a home cooked -- she could be using the exact same ingredients as Olive Garden, but  because she is infusing her food with love, it just tastes so much better!

That's how fashion with SDV is. It just feels better, because I infuse it with love.

What are some current projects you are working on?

I just launched my web series all about living the totally vintage life. Check it out at youtube.com/sammydavisvintage

Here is where you can see how I not only live the vintage/thrifting/DIY lifestyle, but how I love that life and pursue positive thinking everyday, in all shape and forms. I hope that you won't only be inspired to seek out the style I promote, but to feel *better* after watching one of my videos. 

What are you hoping the future will bring for yourself and your career?

The immediate goal is to grow as a web series on YouTube and offer everything all-about-vintage to existing and new fans. The future is wide open -- I can't wait to write a book about thrift store style and to go on a vintage-hunting road trip. Maybe that road trip will turn into another web series -- or a show on the Home & Garden Network! The future is bright.  

 

What are your favorite places in the general NYC area?

I live in Spanish Harlem, and I represent the area to its core. I love walking below the Metro North, which begins at 100th Street. The Northern end of Central Park is where I begin my morning runs. Nothing is more beautiful than the ripples of the Harlem Meer at 7 in the morning!

I also love hanging out in Morningside Heights/UWS area, near Columbia University. Great people, great eats, low-key environment.

And when I need some stimulation? I'm a sucker for the Lower East Side. There's just too many beautiful, fashion-forward people to admire!

What's it like to be a creative in a city like NYC? Do you feel happy, sad, stressed, paranoid, etc.?

I have highs, and I have lows. But my lows are always on the way to another high -- they are growing pains that I need to carry forward with focus and with fortitude. I am so grateful to be a creative in a city where people understand and respect what it is that I want to accomplish with my time on this earth. It's a blessing that I hope to pay forward to other young, blossoming creatives in this city. 

 

Do you have any advice, life tips, suggestions for the Ladies Lotto community?

Do one thing regularly everyday to keep you centered. Whether it's reading an inspirational quote in the morning or pushing yourself to run 6 miles in Central Park like me -- find an activity that awakes you to your day with a balanced mind and great vision. 

Want to get your hands on some of Sammy's vintage duds? Be sure to visit www.sammydavisvintage.com and enter the "21 Dresses Giveaway" for your change to win 1 of 21 vintage dresses that Sammy is giving away from her own vintage collection.

Seven Questions is a Q+A segment I, Susie G, will be doing EXCLUSIVELY for Ladies Lotto. Seven Questions will be featuring female artists, creatives, and the like from various locations worldwide. The goal of this is to introduce creatives to the LL community and the interwebs, and hopefully create potential collaborations, networking opportunities, etc. All interviews are done via e-mail correspondence. Please feel free to e-mail me if you have suggestions for future interviewees @ d j s u s i e g [at] g m a i l [dot] c o m.