Samata (fashion designer)

Samata at the 2008 Screen Nation Awards

Samata, also known as Samata Pattinson, is a fashion entrepreneur, director, producer and presenter. The British-born Ghanaian fashion designer, author and journalist is also best known for her role as Global Campaign Director for Suzy Amis Cameron's Red Carpet Green Dress campaign showcasing ethical fashion on the Oscars red carpet.^[1] Samata has written for Guardian,^[2] Vogue and Huffington Post,^[3] covering sustainable fashion. She is an award-winning womenswear designer whose work in the fields of fashion and sustainability have received coverage from BBC Radio 1Xtra, Essence, ITV's This Morning, E! Entertainment, Women’s Wear Daily, ELLE, InStyle, Essence, Refinery 29 and Red Magazine.^[4]

Early life and education

Born on 23 January in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, Samata is the middle daughter of Ghanaian parents. Her paternal grandfather was the tribal Chief Yo Naa Abdulai III^[5] of the Dagomba people. Samata attended Perse School For Girls Secondary School and Sixth Form College^[6] (returning in 2013 to join speakers Sir Gregory Winter and Dr. Harren Jhoti).^[7] Eight months after starting an undergraduate degree in Therapeutic Radiography at City University, she switched degrees to study Economics, Finance and Management at QMUL.^[8]

Fashion career

Samata began her fashion career as a PR Director for exclusive Kings Road boutique Elival^[9] and a self-taught (autodidact designer). In 2005 Samata launched Samata's Muse (now Samata) working with Ken Livingstone on the Festival of Youth Arts Fashion in Piccadilly Circus, going on to become the first British female to show during Nolcha Fashion Week, New York.^[10][11][12]

While designing her eponymous womenswear clothing label, the brand was worn by Dawn Angeliqué Richard, Alesha Dixon and Jennifer Lopez. Samata has been invited to Number 10 Downing Street by both Gordon Brown^[13] and the Cameron administration for her work in the fashion industry.

On 13 February 201, Samata was announced as the winner of Suzy Amis Cameron's Red Carpet Green Dress contest, an international design initiative to create designs made of sustainable for the Oscars' red carpet.^[14] Samata was later named Global Campaign Director of the initiative going on to direct campaigns with Gina Rodriguez, Jake McDorman, Naomie Harris, Olga Kurylenko, Kellan Lutz and Missi Pyle as talent, working with Ekocycle and Vivienne Westwood.^[15][16] Samata presents at the Red Carpet Green Dress Pre-Oscar celebrations in Hollywood each year.^[17][18]

Fashion journalism and broadcasting

From 2007 and until its closure, Samata was Fashion Editor of The Talent Magazine,^[19][20] presenting at the Channel 4 Magazine launch,^[21] and styling actor Nicholas Holt^[22] for the first cover issue. Samata's journalism work extends to articles for The Guardian, Vuelio, Fashion Capital and Vogue UK, most notably on the subject of sustainable fashion and fashion enterprise. Her London Fashion Week coverage for the Guardian coined the phrase 'Eco-Ghosting'. Samata's interviewees include Suzy Amis Cameron, Missi Pyle, Dame Vivienne Westwood, Georgina Chapman, Keren Craig, J W Anderson, Christopher Bailey and Paul Costelloe. Samata has been interviewed by Berkeley College and Radio 1 Xtra DJ Gemma Cairney for the Brits 'Gossip and Fashion Friday' section.^[23] In 2016 she narrated, co-directed and co-produced short doc Designing Change with Suzy Amis Cameron.

Published work

After signing a publishing deal with Bloomsbury Publishing, the Fashion Designer's Resource Book^[24] was published by Bloomsbury Publishing in February 2013.^[25][26] Samata has been interviewed by the U.S Department of State Bureau of International Information Programs,^[27] ELLE^[28] and InStyle^[29] about her book. Samata used to write poetry and in 2006 was invited to perform spoken word^[30] at the Tate Modern for the Surrealism and Minimalism Festival.^[31]

Samata's first fiction manuscript, a young adult dystopian, is currently under edit.

Public speaking

Samata joined Levi Roots,^[32] Baroness Scotland, and Ruth Badger^[33] at the ODEON Leicester Square as a speaker. On 28 March 2011 Samata was one of three invited to the launch of StartUp Britain, addressing PM David Cameron, George Osborne, Peter Jones, Doug Richard, Vince Cable and an audience of MPs, entrepreneurs and media.^[34]

Samata has worked as a guest lecturer and has spoken at conferences and fashion colleges such as SXSW Eco,^[35][36] Central St Martins, London College of Fashion,^[37] Berkeley,^[38] Ravensbourne and Fashion Institute of Technology.^[39][40]

Philanthropy

In 2006 Samata recorded a spoken word charity single for music project entitled Enfants Soldats.^[41] Her spoken-word piece "My Right to Be a Child"^[42] raised awareness about child soldiers.^[43]

In December 2007 Samata organised a fashion show as part of a fundraising concert in Freetown, Sierra Leone for a public sanitation project. She worked with SWAY, Dawn Richards, and WFP initiative CatWALK the World.

In September 2009 Samata designed costumes for the ITV News team^[44] as part of the 'Newsroom's Got Talent'^[45] fundraiser benefitting Leonard Cheshire Disability and Helen & Douglas House Hospice for Children and Young Adults.^[46] The designer exclusively dressed the likes of Romilly Weeks, journalist Steve Scott and Katie Derham for a Grease tribute performance,^[47][48] in addition to donating a gown.

A keen philanthropist, Samata raises funds for America's soon-to-be first plant-based school,^[49] MUSE School CA, founded by Suzy Amis Cameron and James Cameron, and is an advocate for international organisation Women for Women.^[50]

Associated organisations and honours

• Women for Women International charity^[51]
• Peter Jones' Make Your Mark Campaign (Ambassador^[52])
• Global Entrepreneurship Week (Ambassador for UK and Ghana^[53][54])
• Transathlantic Network 2020,^[55] a British Council initiative (Selected Member^[56])
• Courvoisier's Future 500^[57] (Ambassador)
• Red Magazine Top 20 Under 30 and One to Watch^[4][58]
• Black Women in Europe PowerList 2010 (Selected Member^[59][60])
• SpecSavers Everywoman in Retail (Finalist^[61])

Samata is one of Ghana's promiment fashion industry members and was amongst a select group invited by High Commissioner His Excellency Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo to attend the Screen Nation 'Sons and Daughters of Ghana'^[62] at the Ghanaian High Commission. Samata judged the Top Model of Colour finale in The Gambia,^[63][64] meeting President of The Gambia, Yahya AJJ Jammeh.

Citations