Who is Samantha? Introducing Team LèMert

We’re live! With the launch of LèMert, we’re proud to also introduce our team of globetrotters with some crazy fashionable questions. This week, creative director Samantha Rocca’s up. Who is she?

Introducing Team LèMert: Samantha Rocca

After studying Fashion Design and Fashion Trend Forecasting in Milan, our Italian Creative Director Samantha Rocca interned for Vivienne Westwood in London. She worked as a product developer for Michael Kors, where she oversaw four collections each year. Furthermore, she was a creative consultant at Color Coloris. How did she meet Team LèMert? It was an unexpected turn of events – Samantha went on a cruise to the Dominican Republic and decided to move to the island. Now, she’s back in Italy, where she oversees our production. Learn about Samantha’s influences and sources of inspirations!

What would you do when…

You’re left on a deserted island with only one piece of swimwear. What does it look like?

Samantha: I am a free, wild spirit inside, which is why I would go for a jungle theme, a rough look.  I am totally in love with nature and the primordial look of women and man - the typical and traditional costumes and make-up of societies which luckily are still being handed down. My swimsuit would have the color of nature: shades of greens, turquoise and beige tones with an accent of vivid yellow or pink to make it more sparkly. Of course, these would all be mixed in a nice pattern! The material would be smooth like a suede, and it would have some decoration with shells all around. I would go full island girl, repping Team LèMert.

You’re asked to go to sensual Zanzibar for a very cool work trip with Team LèMert. The only thing – you leave tomorrow, and can only pack hand luggage. What kind of clothing would you bring?  

S: Wow, in a few hours! Let me pick up my swimwear first, flip flops, pareos and a great pair of mirrored sunglasses. Straw hat & bag on the list as well! And yes, I need some non-beachy clothes as well. So I would go for versatile pieces, wearable from day to night. Think shirt dresses, a nice skirt to wear with elegant tops or with more casual t-shirts, a pair of shorts and one big scarf to wrap myself if it’s windy while doing a safari or cheering in nighttime at the beach!

You’re able to do one creative masterclass from a local artist/craftsperson, anywhere in the world. What kind of masterclass would you pick and where would it be?

S: There are plenty of crafts and crafts(wo)men to discover around the world. We need to preserve the traditional artisanal abilities we have around, so I’m happy to answer this question! I would definitely go overseas to feel different smells and experience something far from my personal visions.  I would do a masterclass of ‘Indigo Shibori dyeing techniques’ in Japan!

You could be any other woman for just ONE day. Who would it be?

S: For just ONE day… I would be Iris Apfel, wish she was on Team LèMert. I would love to see life through her colorful lens, to discover her secrets on how she became such a successful trendsetter, to live in her eclectic house and spend some time with her closest friends. She is of great inspiration to me; an energic, lively woman, forever young and absolutely Cool!

Now for some REAL situations:

Describe one real incident where you were just going about your day, but ended up totally flabbergasted/excited about someone/something happening on the street. What happened?

S: I was visiting Corfu (Greece) with my best friend. We spent a beautiful night with a couple of Greek friends in their house. Traditional dinner, great laughs and good wine!  It was 3 am, I was so tired and only desired to be in our apartment, but we still needed to drive back home. The surrounding was peaceful but pretty scary because of the darkness, a total absence of lights in the street. Of course... we got horribly lost. And then lost again and again, up and down the hills of that island. I was so nervous! After 30 minutes of driving, we finally found some lights so we could ask for help.

The plan changed within a minute. We had stumbled upon a whole little town in the mountains, all completely awake at 4 AM! Restaurants, live music, children around playing, a real hidden world! A festival was going on. I was so impressed and suddenly ready to party we joined a group of 20 people dancing Sirtaki in the square. Also, we shared fresh made lamb ribs with a Greek family! You really never know what’s behind anything.

How did you arrive at your own style?

S: Wow, style? Totally in evolution! I look at style as a never-ending process, a bit like learning new things! With this in mind, I kept changing and embracing my needs in clothing without really caring about fashion or trends! I have always bought what I loved in terms of style or meaning, and this makes me feel good about what I wear. It’s in line with what I feel, and that’s what I bring to Team LèMert!

Yeah, of course, some of my fashion considerations were totally wrong. When I was around 15 I had a weird obsession. I used to buy shoes only because of their soles, and I ended up buying horribly shaped acid green shoes!! Only later, I realized that these were not ‘me’.

And lastly, the most important question. What type of candy/fruit are you?

S: Candy wise, I am a big red heart-shaped lollipop!  A bit childlike, fun & romantic.

And also I am a mango! A mango that takes time to mature… that you cannot find everywhere but only in specific areas. One that has a nice green skin to protect it and that, when open, is surprisingly bright orangy/yellow and incredibly sweet!

Next up: another Team LèMert member!