Samantha R. Sangster

Biography:
Samantha R. Sangster, working name Samantha Rei, has been designing and sewing clothing since she was 13 years old [1993]. A fascination that led her into not only illustration, but painting, comic book art, and fashion design amongst other mediums.

In 1998, Samm began attending the Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley, Minnesota, choosing to focus on her skills as an illustrator and painter. After graduating in 1999, she spent a year at the College of Visual Arts (CoVA) in Saint Paul to major in illustration then continued her education at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College for Apparel Technologies.

During her initial year of college, she began working seriously on a project which had long remained in the brainstorming process, a dark comic book series entitled Morphea which derives influences and ideas from cultures and myths from around the world, and visualization styles reminiscent of Jhonen Vasquez, Roman Dirge and CLAMP. With the help of her younger brother Achilles as writer, Morphea finally came to fruition. In 2001, Dead Dog Comics published Morphea in an anthology titled "From Heaven to Hell", a collection of comics published by up-and-coming artists and writers. The name "Blasphemina" actually stems from an inside joke in the comic.

With inspirations stemming from historical fashion, fairytales and Japanese youth fashion, she has created a line that fuses all of these things. She began her line and website, Blasphemina's Closet, in 2000. She makes one-of-a-kind pieces, custom projects, and high end items.

Samantha draws her inspiration from such illustrators and Chris Riddell, Brom, Tony DiTerlizzi, Brett Helquist and Mihara Mitsukazu as well as stories like Alice in Wonderland and Snow White. Her style has been influenced by her hero Alexander McQueen as well as designers Vivienne Westwood, H. Naoto, Colleen Atwood, Takuya Angel and Victorian Maiden.

Samantha's line embodies sweetness and innocence. With modest hemlines and flattering colors, she wants women and girls to reclaim their femininity. "You don't have to be naive to be innocent. You can be sweet and girly without showing everything," she said, "And boys can look good, too. My men's line is based on the way my brother [Achilles] wishes he could dress every day. Men like fashion, but a lot of them are scared to admit it."

To date Samantha has been part of several fashions shows (Diva MN, Dances of Vice and the Ann Bancroft Gala to name a few), has run the SGMS fashion show for four years and has won several awards. She has also been featured or shown in Shojo Beat magazine, Minnesota Women's Press, Five For Magazine, Pacific Rim Magazine, Runway, RX magazine, Vita.mn, City Pages, Ouch Magazine, Minnesota Public Radio, Gothic Beauty, Showcase Minnesota, and the American Gothic and Lolita Bible.

"I want people to feel what I feel when the girls wear these clothes. I want them to see how they own the look and become the person the dress was made for. I want the men to feel powerful and handsome," she said.