About

From Art Education to Fashion Design

Born in South Korea, moved to New York in her early 20s and attended Parsons School of Design. She was scouted by Ralph Lauren Purple Label Womens Collection at the same time she was teaching Fashion illustration as main Instructor of the faculty of Parsons.

In Korea, Samantha Sung was educated at Sunwha in middle-high school, one of South Korea’s most prestigious art schools. Her background in art schools during her youth gave her an exceptional ability to illustrate fashion ideas on paper, making her stand out among her colleagues.

This talent was highly valued at Ralph Lauren, where she transformed concepts into clothing by sketching designs and bringing them to life as finished garments

 

Appreciation Craft Art in Multi Culture

While attending Seoul National University, College of Fine Art, widely regarded as the country’s top university in South Korea, she studied Fine Art and Graphic Design and graduated in Craft Art major.

Craft is rooted in a nation’s history, passed down through generations. It is not merely created as Art, but emerges from the appreciation of everyday objects that gain meaning over time. Her education shaped her belief that art should not exist only in museums, but should be woven into daily life. For her, clothing became one of the most powerful ways to express an appreciation for art and culture.

Her father traveled extensively around the world for his work as a minister and founder of a venture agency. From each country he visited, he brought back meaningful gifts such as tablecloths, handcrafted objects, records of classical music, and so many books about local cultures. These experiences deeply fascinated her from a young age, inspiring a lifelong appreciation for multicultural crafts, art, and music.

Later, while working for Prada in Italy, she drew inspiration from a wide range of Asian cultural influences, incorporating Balinese batik techniques and Japanese tie-dye shibori into elegant women’s designs. During this time, she built strong relationships with Italian friends living in Bali and traveled there frequently for inspiration. She was deeply fascinated by the island’s people, whose handcrafted work reflected extraordinary patience, skill, and dedication. In Bali, she discovered the possibility of creating highly intricate handmade pieces that were too complex to produce elsewhere, while still maintaining a non-mass-production, boutique approach to fashion.

 

Her days in Europe and America

She is one of the few designers who work in both Europe and America.

Her collection today is a fusion of multicultural influences shaped by her life and career.

It reflects the Asian heritage she was born into, the sense of practicality and casual elegance she developed during her years at Ralph Lauren, and the refined European perspective she gained through her experiences at Cerruti, Piazza Sempione, and Prada.

At the time, European fashion was centered on couture and luxury, while American fashion embraced a different philosophy—sportswear, casual elegance, and practicality. Ralph Lauren’s vision was not about constantly creating entirely new designs, but about preserving heritage and timeless authenticity passed down through generations. She studied thousands of fashion photography books and historical references, drawing inspiration from iconic aristocratic women.

This aesthetic reflected old-money sophistication: timeless grace, understated elegance, and a deep respect for tradition—an image historically associated with women of the upper class.

Although Ralph Lauren womenswear could sometimes feel conservative and predictable, her European experience at renowned fashion houses such as Cerruti and Prada expanded her perspective and taught her how to reinterpret traditional styles with a modern and sophisticated sensibility.

 

Starting Her own collection in 2006

What set her apart from others was her determination to create a distinct identity of her own. Rather than following trends, she sought to express something deeply personal through her work.

While many designers traveled to major fashion trade shows such as Première Vision to select the season’s trending fabrics, she took a different approach. Before even creating silhouettes, she focused on developing her own textiles, designing original prints and fabrics herself. This became one of her greatest strengths and made it different than other creations, at her first collection she sold close to half million USD.

 

Her designs stand apart because they are not only beautiful, but also deeply personal. Drawing from her background as a painter and her lifelong appreciation for art and craftsmanship, she creates pieces that combine original hand-drawn prints, refined silhouettes, and multicultural influences into a style that feels both timeless and uniquely her own.

 

Hand Crafted Production In South Korea and Bali 

In Korea, she operates her own printing factory, where traditional hand-printing techniques are preserved and refined through generations of artisanal craftsmanship. She collaborates with artisans who have devoted nearly 20 years to her collection, mastering specialized printing methods developed exclusively for her designs.

Deeply committed to preserving traditional craftsmanship, she has never compromised her artisanal approach to production. Much like Hermès, renowned for its meticulous hand-screen printing traditions, she continues to uphold time-honored techniques while keeping the heritage of fashion craftsmanship alive.

Her factory in Bali further reflects this philosophy, specializing in made-to-order, bespoke fashion production with artisans highly skilled in traditional handcrafted techniques.