SCAD fashion graduate turns motherhood and perseverance into runway success
By Lydia Blackstone
Click here for updates on this story
SAVANNAH, Georgia (WJCL) — When Samantha Covey walked across the stage at graduation this weekend, she wasn’t just celebrating a degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She was marking the culmination of years of hard work, family sacrifice and a dream that began with a sewing machine.
Covey was among the members of SCAD’s largest graduating class in school history. Just weeks before commencement, the fashion design graduate showcased her work in the university’s internationally recognized SCAD Fashion Show.
“My husband bought me a sewing machine and said, ‘Let’s chase your dreams together,'” Covey said. “So we did. I learned how to sew, and we packed up a U-Haul and came to Savannah so I could study here.”
Her latest design, featured in the fashion show, was inspired by French fashion house Lanvin and created as part of a project alongside designer Peter Copping.
For the assignment, Covey selected actress Goldie Hawn and her daughter, actress Kate Hudson, as her muses.
“I wanted to pick a modern mother-daughter duo,” she said. “I picked Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson.”
The gown’s vibrant yellow hue drew inspiration from Hudson’s iconic dress in the 2003 romantic comedy “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.”
“I don’t want to imitate it,” Covey said. “I just want it to embody the feeling of the color.”
While fashion icons helped shape her creative vision, Covey said some of her greatest inspiration came from her own life.
During her sophomore year at SCAD, she became a mother.
Balancing coursework, fashion design projects and raising a young child proved challenging, she said.
“I said a lot of prayers,” Covey said. “We had a lot of help, but it was really difficult.”
Like many working mothers, she learned to maximize every spare moment.
“When you have to prioritize your time, when it’s nap time, it’s go time,” she said.
That determination is reflected in the details of her work. Some of the handmade floral elements featured in her designs took two to three hours each to create.
After graduation and a successful runway debut, Covey and her family are preparing for another major transition.
The family is packing up a U-Haul once again, this time headed to Philadelphia, where her husband will attend graduate school.
Covey plans to continue building her fashion career through custom eveningwear and bridal design.
“I’ll be doing some custom eveningwear and bridal looks,” she said. “Just continuing to gain experience, keep designing and keep growing.”
For Covey, the move marks the next chapter in a journey fueled by family support, perseverance and a passion for fashion — one stitch at a time.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.