The fashion world has gained a much-needed dose of black girl magic thanks to Stylist, Shoe Designer and all around ‘it’ girl Ade Samuel. With a career spanning from red carpet to editorial and advertising, Samuel styled the 2016 February cover of Essence magazine featuring Chi-raq’s Teyonah Parris, Black-ish’s Yara Shahidi, and Social Activist Johnetta “Netta” Elzie.
She’s worked with Nicole Richie, Christina Aguilera, and Miley Cyrus to name a few. And recently, Tracee Ellis Ross donned a pair of her Italian made shoes for a Bust Magazine photo shoot. If these boss moves aren’t enough, her fashion footprint can be seen in VOGUE, Teen VOGUE, W Magazine, CR Fashion Book, ELLE, Glamour, The Block, Populartv.com, and StyleCaster.com.
Beyond the glitz and glamour that comes with the title of fashion stylist & shoe designer, there’s a lot of hard work–and Samuel is here for it. There’s no such thing as a typical day for the native New Yorker currently living in L.A. Her days can include anything from prepping for a photo shoot to lugging around garment bags for a fitting, picking up samples, and packing up boxes for shipment, all while meeting tight deadlines.
As a creator and hustler, Samuel was greatly influenced by her parents challenging upbringing in
Nigeria. “I come from a big family of six siblings. For me, being a part of the Nigerian culture but living in America, was a huge influence in my life. My parents childhood stories of fetching water (which was not close to where they lived) in order to take a shower before going to school or the trek from the village afterwards to make it to school on time and realizing their lack of mobility, allowed me to understand as a child living in America that I was truly blessed.  I knew [I] was going to become something bigger than what my parents imagined for me as their child. My ability to work hard and continue to be persistent is what continues to drive my creativity today as a stylist and designer.â€Hot off the heels of the launch of her shoe line, affectionately named Ade Samuel, a sassy luxury contemporary line that’s not only glamorous but daring, BlackEnterprise.com caught up with the multi-talented trailblazer to learn more about her journey.
BlackEnterprise.com:Â How did you break into fashion styling?
Samuel: I’ve always had a love for fashion and knew that I was going to be a creator in the industry. I just never realized until interning and learning through my many experiences that styling and designing would be the path that I fell so deeply in love with. I started in editorial before becoming a stylist and now today, a designer.
What accomplishments are you most proud of?
To be recognized as a shoe designer, I always had a passion for designing and a love for creating art through accessories. Secondly, working with Christina Aguilera and being able to do shows with her was a big accomplishment for my career. She has always been a musician that I admired growing up and being able to dress her and be a part of her career through styling has been amazing.
Lastly, being featured on BlackEnterprise.com. I have to be cheesy and say as a fan of Black Enterprise.com and the content that’s written to motivate, encourage and highlight the success of our culture and generation, this goes down in my book as an amazing accomplishment.
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Let’s talk about how you turned your vision for a shoe line into reality. Describe your target audience.
My audience is women starting from the age of 16, who appreciate and love shoes! I create for women who embrace their bold style and understand that they can play with the juxtapositions of their sexuality. They can be glamorous but still have an edge, bold but still playful.
How long did it take you to go from concept to execution?
It took almost two years to go from the design process to actually execution. I had a vision about the kinds of shoes that I wanted but needed it to make sense and tell a story.
How did you start the process?
The process started with tons of creative research.  Then I hired an illustrator to take my designs and inspiration and create the specs that were needed before sourcing leathers and deciding that Florence, Italy, was where I wanted my shoes to be manufactured. I chose Italy because I wanted my consumers to have luxury and quality.  I also have a small team in place in Los Angeles.Â
How did you fund your label?
I was in a position in my life where I was able to fund my own label in the early phases. Now, I‘m sourcing investors and additional capital.
How did you learn about what was needed to manufacture, market and sell your shoes?
I am still learning, but every day I speak to my factory. By working closely with them, I learn about the materials needed to manufacture the shoes and I have developed a deeper knowledge of the footwear industry. As a celebrity stylist working in editorial, I am very skilled at marketing myself— that sort of came naturally and I utilize that skill daily when working on my shoes.What is your best marketing tool for building your brand and attracting clients and customers?
Social Media! I can’t emphasize how important social media is for the growth of my business. I make sure that I attract new clients and customers by teasing through my social media accounts, this allows the anticipation to grow, as well — allows for me to gain a following which ultimately will help with sales.
Looking back over your career, what advice would you give someone?
Wanting to become a fashion stylist — I would tell them to intern and utilize your internship as though it is the job you have already. This allows you to learn and build the connections needed in order to be a successful stylist. Aspiring to become a shoe designer? I would say follow your dream and study the craft in order to create shoes that will be comfortable, stylish and also tell a story. It is important to study the craft that you want to perfect.