For Clark Samuel, consistently reimagining the Miami-based brand SAMMY is a crucial part of the design process.

With inspiration coming from his Miami roots and landmarks like The Standard, SAMMY is emerging as a leading fashion brand in South Florida with eyes on a certain global pop star wearing a SAMMY design! I sat down with Clark Samuel to talk about the path he took to get here, why Miami is such a source of inspiration, and what it’s like seeing someone in the street in a traffic-stopping SAMMY design!

I love this new line you have for SAMMY. I think it’s fantastic to see people in the community not just purchasing what’s already out there, but actually creating their own fashion. What made you want to do that, especially when it’s so easy to just buy fast fashion online.

I think it started because I had such a hard time finding what I wanted. Sometimes I’d find pieces in the women’s section and think, “Okay, these designs exist.” But there’s still that line in the sand where people say, “This is for girls, this is for boys,” especially with things like bodysuits.

So I finally thought, “Why not just make it myself?”

I think saying “why not” is the core of creativity in fashion. Most people are creative, but they stop themselves because they’re worried people will think it’s weird or judge them. You just have to become okay with that commentary. I get tons of negative feedback. One of my videos actually went viral because there was so much controversy around it. But you have to be okay with people talking and still do something different.

What’s your background? Did you study fashion or textiles, or did you just decide to learn it yourself?

It’s honestly a mix of things. My main background is being a shopper. I’ve always loved shopping with my mom. That led me into retail, so I learned a lot from the inside out. In college I went to Parsons and studied photography, so I’ve always been interested not only in clothing, but in presentation and visuals too. Then I went to Istituto Marangoni and studied luxury brand management, which shifted me toward branding.

Eventually I combined everything-my own taste, what I learned from retail sales, and branding experience. Working directly with clients taught me what people really care about. A lot of the things we release come directly from customer feedback. For example, our Brazilian cut came from people emailing us wanting something a little more cheeky. Now one of my favorite parts is actually doing the shoots myself and editing all the photos.

So you’ve really taken pieces from every chapter of your career and blended them together. What inspired this new collection specifically?

Everything I’ve done has felt like a natural evolution, but this new collection is definitely sexier than what we’ve done before.

We recently shot at The Standard in Miami, and the new underwear is a lot more sheer. We’ve got this red flame color, and one of the models is literally holding a lighter and licking the flame. A friend looked at the shoot and said it had this “Brat” energy, very Charli XCX, and I totally saw it after he said it.

I think culturally there’s a movement toward being more sex-positive, especially for men. Men are becoming more comfortable wanting to feel sexy and wear sexy things. The whole collection ties into that energy.

I think Miami itself really feeds into that. Places like The Standard have so much texture and aesthetic history behind them.

Totally. And the whole vibe there is very sex-positive. I think subconsciously I pulled from that environment a lot.

You can definitely feel the Miami energy throughout the brand. Every part of Florida has its own aesthetic. Miami feels very different from Tampa or Fort Lauderdale. What is it about Miami that you love so much?

It’s the spice. The second I land back home I’m like, “Okay, Miami.”

It’s not just the weather; it’s cultural. The kissing on the cheek, the openness, the Latin American influence. People wear very minimal clothing and it feels normal. I’ve never really wanted to dress up as someone else. I want to wear what I wear. Miami gives you that freedom. Especially on South Beach, there’s this “wear whatever you want” energy. People might stare, but it’s usually because they wish they were wearing it too!

Have you ever seen someone out in the wild wearing your pieces?

Yes! That’s honestly one of the biggest validations.

When we first launched, we were selling in places like The Standard and Soho House. I was a Soho House member, so sometimes I’d see guys laying by the pool wearing Sammy swimwear that they’d bought from the shop there. That felt huge to me because those are people who care about quality and are willing to invest in it.

Okay, let’s manifest a little. Who would you absolutely love to see wearing Sammy?

Troye Sivan. One hundred percent. We DM him constantly. We mention him in interviews. We’re trying to put it into the universe. He just fits the vibe perfectly. His style sits in that middle space; it’s not hyper-feminine or hyper-masculine. He wears things casually and authentically. It never feels forced.

Exactly. It doesn’t feel like he’s trying too hard. It just feels like him.

Totally.

So let’s end with this: five years from now, where do you want the brand to be? Troye Sivan is already wearing the line in this scenario, obviously.

Obviously! Five years from now, I’d love to have brick-and-mortar stores. Right now we’ve focused heavily online because it lets us reach more people, but what really sells Sammy is the quality and fit.

I think once people can actually come in, touch the fabrics, and try things on, they’ll really understand the brand on another level. I want to create an experience in person that’s even more powerful than what we’ve built online.

Follow SAMMY on Instagram @sammymenswear