Meet a Maker: Divine Fatale

Behind the Seams: A Conversation with Samantha Taylor of Divine Fatale

Local designer Samantha Taylor is the creative force behind Divine Fatale, a brand blending vintage pin-up inspiration with modern wearability. I sat down with her to talk about how she started, what inspires her, and where she hopes to take her craft. You can find her work on her website, Divine Fatale, and follow her Instagram (under the handle Divinefataleshop) for more videos of the process.

From Grandma’s Sewing Machine to Divine Fatale

Anna Wick:
All right, for the record, I am Anna Wick, and I am sitting here with:

Samantha Taylor:
Samantha Taylor from Divine Fatale.

Anna Wick:
So, I had the pleasure of seeing Divine Fatale in action, some of your pieces up, and your creative space, too, including your sewing machine and your small, but mighty makeshift studio. It was inspiring!

I know you’ve posted a bit of the history on your website and social media, but for my blog and my readers, I want to ask: what sparked your love of fashion?

Samantha Taylor:
I’ve always been drawn to creating—drawing and painting when I was a kid, and photography in high school. I really wanted to be a photojournalist, but that same year, they had laid off a bunch of photojournalists from the Chicago Sun Times, so I felt then that it was a dying thing and I kind of gave up on my artist dreams. But about 10 years later, I’m 28 now, and I started sewing when I inherited my Grandma’s sewing machine. At first it was just out of curiosity, but once I got it working and running, I realized, “Oh wow, I can actually make stuff I can wear—or pieces other people would like too.”

Crafting a Signature Style

Anna Wick:
At this point, had you ever operated a sewing machine before, or had your Grandma demonstrated how to work with patterns growing up?

Samantha Taylor:
She would make small alterations to my Catholic School uniforms, but I never sat next to her and had her show me while she sewed. For a long time, it was just another object in the house. But my Grandmother was a stylish woman who nurtured my love of fashion and art since I was young.

Anna Wick:
That’s brave of you just to jump in! I know a lot of folks, myself included, would be intimidated by learning a whole new skillset on a machine. Even threading a sewing machine and setting up the bobbin feels scary. But you jumped straight into garments, and what you showed me is stunning! And you started less than a year ago?

Samantha Taylor:
Not even—it’ll be a year in October.

Anna Wick:
That’s wild. What drew you to creating the style of garments that you are producing for Divine Fatale?

Samantha Taylor:
I’ve always liked fashion and wanted to wear things that were a little more off-kilter from my peers. Vintage pin-up and boudoir styles, especially the 1940s–50s Americana look appealed to me, and I thought, if I can combine functionality with that feminine, boudoir aesthetic, I can express both sides of myself: everyday wear and stylish, personal pieces. I didn’t want it just to be the classic hot topic, 1950s pin-up dress. I wanted it to be more authentic and thoughtful.

Anna Wick

So less of a copycat of an era gone by, but of inspired by that. You are evolving something completely new with your own brand that has a brilliant, show-stopping look combined with functionality.

Who She Creates For

Anna Wick:
So, in your mind, when you’re holding the piece you’ve assembled after you’ve put in countless hours, selected the fabrics, and tackled a learning curve to create a complete garment, who do you imagine wearing it, and with what purpose in mind?

Samantha Taylor:
I think it depends on the garment, but for me, it’s about expressing yourself and finding that confidence. I can envision these pieces being worn by a burlesque dancer, someone needing a statement piece for a photoshoot, or just someone at home wearing it for themselves. I want people to feel confident and beautiful in their skin, like I do when I put on these pieces. Some of them, like my robes, are more transparent and lacy, and do have that lingerie quality that pays homage to bygone styles. However, my customers can wear these pieces now with more autonomy and expression than the women who might have worn them back in the day.

Anna Wick:
Yes, they come across as empowering when you’re not just slipping into a robe as a kept housewife in the ’50s. I love that you tapped into that vibe of these pieces are made with the intention for you to feel good in your own skin, whether that is for public eyes, private eyes, or just your own. These are big statement pieces with a wow factor that should instantly boost anyone’s mood.

Samantha Taylor:
That’s precisely it. It’s the wearer who makes the piece, and their confidence that brings it to life. That’s why you see certain celebrities wearing, you know, Marilyn Monroe’s iconic gowns, and while it looks beautiful, it just doesn’t fit or impress the same way.

Building Toward Custom Work

Anna Wick:
On that note, I’m curious, would you do custom garments given the chance to create for someone’s specific personality and desires?

Samantha Taylor:
Definitely. That’s my goal, and I’ve been taking private lessons to learn how to make my own patterns and draping measurements. I’ve started working with friends for practice. Eventually, I’d love to do bespoke, bridal, and alterations. But first I’d ike to know I’m capable of providing that service of creating custom designs.

Anna Wick:
I love that you’re refining your craft instead of just pumping things out.

Samantha Taylor:
Yeah, I’d rather take the time. It’s not cheap, and I know, as a consumer too, that when I pay for something like a custom piece, there is an expectation that what I’ll be receiving is worth the exchange. Fabrics and materials do cost a lot, and I have to be careful not to waste them. I’d love to offer a commission service at some point, and it is at the very top of my business goals and structure. I hope that by this fall, with enough practice and mockups, I’ll be able to offer that.

Anna Wick:

I really respect the fact that you are putting in the time and money to procure lessons and research to improve your craft! I know a lot of people who would just try to pump out as much stuff as possible, even if it looks like hot garbage and falls apart… but if the price is right, nobody will notice right? You are getting a leg up on any competition by actually taking your time, and that is very admirable.

Staying Authentic

Anna Wick:
So, big picture: where do you see this going in the future? I know we chatted about the other life projects you have going on between school and work, so I’m curious if you see those things co-existing with producing fashionable garments, or you’d like to switch gears to just focus on Divine Fatale someday?

Samantha Taylor:
I definitely never want to compromise authenticity just to make a profit. I don’t see myself mass-producing. I’d love to get to the skill level of couture, maybe even sew for other designers. On a smaller scale, I want to keep it local, but I am open-minded to the process of how things evolve, as long as I can continue to design my own pieces and offer custom creations and alterations to people. I don’t see anything wrong with mass-producing; it’s just not something I’m interested in.

I’ll be collaborating with Cream and Ivory in Pasadena soon; they revive vintage bridal gowns, and I’ll be making veils and accessories for them. Ultimately, I’d love to do this full-time, and get to a skill level where I’m on a team sewing couture pieces for other designers.

My current safety net involves pursuing a career in law while keeping my creativity alive through design and sewing.

Inspirations & Materials

Anna Wick:
What design influences do you draw from?

Samantha Taylor:
Well definitely Vintage catalogs, like Frederick’s of Hollywood. Old swimsuit and lingerie ads from the 40s, 50s, and 60s. Or 90s designs where you’d pick a made-to-order pattern. Designers like Catherine D’Lish make amazing robes for burlesque performers to wear. Those robes are big, flowy, there’s fur, and she’s like the queen of robes. Also drawing inspiration from classic Americana like Ralph Lauren, which can be modest but beautiful. And honestly, I’m inspired by every day people around me and what they choose to wear.

Anna Wick:
Do you have any favorite fabrics or colors?

Samantha Taylor:
If money wasn’t an issue, I’d be picking out expensive fabrics like silk taffeta, silk organza, and Italian tulle. There are fabric warehouses in San Francisco and LA in the fashion districts that would be a dream to select from and work with those high-quality fabrics, but that’s an expensive dream! I love fabrics that challenge me, and while tulle is a nightmare, I love it at the same time.

Color-wise, black is my favorite. Tt’s versatile, professional, sexy, fun and I could wear it every day for the rest of my life. But I also love baby pinks, reds, and warmer fall palettes.

Anna Wick:

I hope that Divine Fatale takes off in a spectacular fashion and affords you the ability to make that high-end fabric shopping trip a reality!

Aside from consuming vintage magazines and designs for inspiration, are you into studying fashion history at all, and are there any books or movies you’d like to recommend?

Samantha Taylor:

Yes. I have yet to buy them but my mentor shared a Publisher style PDF that is basically a series of mini-textbooks going over the history of fabric, styles, throughout the eras. The name of that series publisher is Fashionary. Even if you don’t have the money to buy a bunch of books, there are so many free PDFs and old books online, in addition to our resource of public libraries.

Anna Wick:

Great plug for the Sacramento Library, go support it, folks!

Closing

Anna Wick:
This has been such a great conversation! Thank you so much for sharing your story, your work, and your time with me to capture these photos and give people a peek behind the seams!

Samantha Taylor:
Thank you.