Fashionista collects clothes for a cause

By Amanda Grisafi

Samantha Sutton has found a new way to incorporate her passion for fashion into her daily life.

Sutton, a junior journalism major, runs her own fashion blog called Trendii Sammii. She uses the blog to post about current trends and to connect with other people interested in fashion.

“I’ve pretty much always liked fashion,” Sutton said.

She describes her own style as “trendy with a twist.”

“In high school, I went through a rough patch with my friends. It was really a blessing in disguise because it gave me time to focus on who I really was [outside] that group, and I began to express that through my clothes,” she said.

She follows all kinds of fashion trends as well as hair trends, such as the braid headband. She is currently covering neutrals, this season’s popular colors. She views fashion as an outlet for self-expression and as an important representation of oneself.

“One of the first things people notice about you is the way that you look. No one is going to take you very seriously if you are wearing sweatpants. If someone takes the time to pick out a nice outfit, people will notice,” Sutton said. “It also works both ways — if I’m wearing a nice outfit, I feel happier and act more confident than I would if I was wearing a T-shirt and jeans.”

She also hopes to use her blog as a catalyst for her career. She wants to work in fashion either through a magazine or the Internet. The blog allows her to hone her writing skills and provide samples of her work to potential employers.

“I found that when you apply to a lot of internships, [employers] always want to have samples of your writing,” she said. “I decided I should start a blog so that I would have something for my writing.”

Her interest in fashion extends beyond the seasonal trends and into charity work. Sutton is involved with Project Prom, a program that collects dresses, accessories, and beginning this year, suits and tuxedos, for students who cannot afford their own. Sutton has been using Facebook to send invitations and information about Project Prom to people on campus about donating their old formal wear to the cause. She collects the dresses and handles the shipping through Morgan Stanley, which is working with  the YMCA on Project Prom.

At an event to be held at Pasha in New York City on May 1, students will be able to pick out prom dresses and accessories. Sutton says potential donors should not be concerned about how formal the dress is or about minor flaws, like loose beads.

“Everyone deserves to go to a prom,” Sutton said.

Sutton is accepting all formal-wear donations. Anyone interested in donating can contact her through Facebook or e-mail and arrange a meeting. All donations must be collected by April 15. To see some of Sutton’s fashions, visit her blog at www.samanthasutton.wordpress.com.

Additional reporting by Kaitlin MacRae.