Fantastical Fashion: Spikes, Horns & Bold Expression

Q&A on Sammy Baker’s whimsical collection
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Models wear pieces of the "Monster In You" collection by Sammy Baker. Courtesy Photo.

Sammy Baker’s senior collection, Monster in You, debuted at Savannah College of Art and Design’s Fall 2024 Ready-to-Wear Fashion Show, an event showcasing the school’s top talent. The collection was featured in Vogue Runway and Paper magazines. We caught up with Baker, a 2020 graduate of Grand Rapids Public Schools’ Innovation Central High, for a chat.

Grand Rapids Magazine: Sammy, Can you tell us where you went to high school and what year you graduated?
Sammy Baker:
I attended Innovation Central High School (part of Grand Rapids Public Schools). I graduated from the Academy of Design in 2020

A piece from Sammy Baker’s “Monster In You” collection is modeled on the runway at Savannah College of Art & Design’s Spring 2024 Fashion Show. SCAD courtesy photo.

GR Mag: Is there anything about growing up in Grand Rapids that inspired you to take this career path?
SB: Grand Rapids is a blend of old and new, creating a unique space with a diverse population of people from all walks of life who are unapologetically themselves. I’ve explored parks along the river that seem to stretch forever, and winding brick roads filled with colorful houses and gardens, which people transform into their own art galleries. Growing up with the annual ArtPrize and having access to Meijer Gardens, I was surrounded by amazing sculptures of creatures and animals made of metal or collected items, animatronic dragons that breathed fire, and sea monsters that ruled the Grand River. This community in Grand Rapids, combined with an immersion in art, taught me that I can fully be myself unapologetically and, in doing so, create unlimited possibilities.

GR Mag: What made you choose SCAD?
SB: The population of SCAD students in Savannah has created a strong community of artists from all over the world with diverse ideas and interests that I wanted to be a part of. I didn’t realize until I started taking my core fashion design classes that SCAD professors truly will champion, push, and strive to make you the very best designer and artist that you can be. The fashion department specifically takes industry mentorships and critiques very seriously to give students opportunities to make connections and receive feedback from top industry professionals and fashion designers – opportunities that aren’t available anywhere else.

GR Mag: What have your major successes been so far?
SB: After working for over a year on sketches, fabric manipulation samples, mock-ups, and final garments, I had the honor of presenting three looks from my senior fashion collection, “Monster in You,” in SCAD’s annual senior fashion show. In addition to this, I was fortunate enough to be featured in Vogue Runway and Paper Magazine, and to share my ideation process and designs in an interview on WZZM Grand Rapids.

GR Mag: I’ve noticed an element of fantasy (particularly horns/antlers)  in your work. What inspired these whimsical creations?
SB: With fashion, you can truly be whatever you want and share who you are through your clothes. My work aims to manifest how the individual perceives themselves in their head. The horns, antlers, and spikes come from the idea that, at our core, we are all still instinctual animals, but at the same time, there are elements of artificial nature that we create and surround ourselves with. Whether someone wants to stand out as a beautiful force of nature, protect themselves with plastic-infused wool spikes, or blend in with their artificial environment, they can do so through their clothing.

GR Mag: Do ethics play a role in fashion for you?
SB: As a designer and artist, I feel a responsibility to be conscious of the waste I produce when creating, which has led me to be resourceful with the materials I use. Recently, the majority of the materials I’ve been using are second-hand, usually clothing that is on its last stop before being sent to landfills. Practicing sustainability has led to a love of finding things that have had their own life, like old button-up shirts or worn carpenter pants, and constructing them into something new that continues their story. As we fight climate change through sustainable action, I hope to eventually use materials that break down naturally.

GR Mag: What’s your creative process? Do you sketch, use computers…how does a Sammy Baker original come into being?
SB: I have gotten into the habit of sketching a lot, and it’s become one of my favorite parts of the process because I can switch off and interpret the energy I’m trying to produce within the design. While sketching, I focus on the overall shape of the silhouette I’m going for, as well as the personality and character I’m drawing—how they’re moving, what they’re holding, and how that might relate to the clothing and the story they tell. By understanding the color scheme, silhouette, and persona I’m designing, I’m able to draft patterns, deconstruct upcycled clothing, and sometimes hand-dye them. When I have my materials ready, I cut and sew, test the fit, and tweak the pattern once or twice.

The real fun begins when the garment is finished, and I add embroidery, buttons, and found objects I’ve collected—bike reflectors, shoelaces, broken remote controls, you name it. I’m constantly finding things on the street, and collecting them has become one of my favorite parts of the process. Found objects in our environment can say a lot about us. The way I compose them, along with other appliqués and hand embroidery onto the garments, attempts to document this character’s life and tell their story without saying a word.

Sammy Baker. Courtesy photo.

GR Mag: Anything else you’d like to share? An anecdote, memory, or someone to thank?
SB: I want to say thank you to everyone who enjoys my work, everyone who listened, saw my vision, and supported me along the way. My SCAD professor Mae Hedenrich, as well as all of my talented senior classmates who kept me going, and my models who brought my vision to life on the runway. I would also like to give a huge shoutout to my fellow peers and collaborators – other students at SCAD – who made accessories or props for my collection and photoshoot. These details contributed greatly to the realization of my final collection. I couldn’t have done it without Ransome Stuart (B.F.A. Fibers) – Longsleeve Knit Sweater, Jenny Adler (B.F.A. Accessory Design) – Butterfly Backpack, Lilla Rosenberg (B.F.A. Fibers) – Tudor Knit Cap, Sophia Arguelles (B.F.A. Illustration) – Bug Belts, Margaux Menand (B.F.A. Fibers) – Heirloom Brick, and Saskia Eberman (B.F.A. Industrial Design) – Makeshift Radio.

GR Mag: Lastly, how do people follow you? What social media or websites can we point people to?
SB: I am continuing my art and design exploration and documenting this meticulously on instagram@sammybaker.wip

 

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