Into Neverwhere with Sammitery
From punk beginnings to circus-coded silhouettes, Samantha Lubrano conjures her own brand of NYC-born gothic style
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Images courtesy of @sammitery
For goth girlies, Sammitery has become a social media staple, with viral DIY videos that move fast, make sense and translate to real life. From fashion to home decor, her no-bullshit approach is a breath of fresh air in a landscape overflowing with all things unrealistic and heavily filtered.
Last July, Sam transitioned from DIY icon to card-carrying fashion designer with the launch of the debut collection of her new line, Neverwhere. We step inside her studio to talk through where it started, how it evolved and what it looks like to build something from the inside out.
And yes, she spills her eyeliner secrets ;).
1. Every goth girlie has a moment when the dark aesthetic first clicks. What was the first spark for you, and how did that early fascination grow into the visual language your gravitate towards today?
It started with music for me. My mom raised me on 70s punk and 80s post punk/new wave. When I was a little brat, I was super into UK 77 punk music and dressed the part (poorly) as I got older I found more super niche alternative bands, and my style followed. I am from New York, a beautifully gross city and I have always been inspired by both its beauty and its grime. How I dress reflects my love for weirdo NYC.
Images courtesy of @sammitery (circa 2017, baby bat)
2. When you think back to your teen years, what parts of fashion, music and culture shaped your sense of style the most? How do they continue to influence your style today?
I was a punk kid for most of my life. I love UK 77, UK 82, Crust punk etc. I found a lot of obscure music through the NYC crust punk scene.
Eventually, I started getting into goth music way more. Xmal Deutschland, for example, really opened my eyes to so many goth bands. Punk fashion is DIY fashion so I have always held that extremely close. I think I will always have that messy edge to me. Punk music and tons of Goth bands are left-leaning, so I just want my style to reflect that; a Republican is never safe around me.
Images courtesy of @sammitery
3. Your world has always felt cohesive in a way that extends beyond the closet. How did the alternative aesthetic start showing up in both your personal style and the way you decorate your home?
Childhood was rough, teenage years were rough. I decided a long time ago that I will always try to make my inner child happy. I am 35 now and I get to live my tiny little weirdo fantasy and it's so magical.
I have collected trinkets for years so they have just followed me from apartment to apartment. Now, I have this massive collection that somehow all goes together. I think it's important to mention here that I have been Vegan for 16 years. I do not like Taxidermy. I have either found the few animal pieces I own in the wild or received them from someone who has passed on. I think people expect to walk into my home and see a black box full of dead animals; instead, they are greeted with jewel toned walls decorated with Venetian masks and Mid Century Modern brass wall art.
Images courtesy of @sammitery
4. We are shameless sammitery DIY stans; your pieces feel resourceful and fearless, from your ripped tights hack to your signature hardware chain belt to iconic and designer-inspired corset experiments. Which project has been your favourite so far, and what did it teach you about trusting your instincts as an emerging designer? On the flip side, was there a project that was a hilarious, unexpected failure?
Thank you! My favourite so far has been the blood dress. It was inspired by a massive laceration I got on my hand while making a costume for New York Comic Con. I just started dyeing the dress all the colors of the fat, muscle and skin layers. I didn't realize it was a weird thing to make until I finished. I was like wow my hand wound looks like a little vagina, lemme make a bloody wedding dress inspired by it!
I think it taught me that sometimes you don't really set out to do something profound or super artsy; it just happens. Funnily enough, the costume I worked on while slicing my hand open was a huge flop. It was an apocalyptic Snow White and it just didn't translate well. But I learned very cool burning techniques from that project so it was not a complete miss.
5. You’ve built an engaged community of people who resonate with your style--what has your journey been like sharing your creative life online and discovering the audience that found its way to you?
Oh my goddess it has been so amazing. I love my followers (I hate that word!) so much. I am like....how did I find over 300,000 funny baddies to follow me?? I am so lucky.
They are so supportive, cool, kind and beautiful. I am extremely lucky. I can be myself and I have people cheering me on and I will always cheer them on. I can be a vegan hairy weirdo and they are like LETS GOOOOOO!!!! And I am like YEAHHHHHH LETS FUCKING GOOOOO!! I love them!!!!!!
Images courtesy of @sammitery
6. Your eyeliner has become something of a signature. When did that look become part of your identity, and what keeps you returning to it? Was there a particular inspiration? Do you have a go-to product/tool you use to achieve the look?
Why am I teary eyed at this question?? My eyeliner has become an extension of me. I love that. That is so cool. I have had this eyeliner or some version of it since I was like 16???
It started as a nod to Edie Sedgwick. I saw a photo of her in a record store when I was a teen and I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. Then it grew bigger as I became more "goth," and now my eyeliner is its own entity! I use the NYX Epic Ink Liner.
7. Congratulations on the launch of Neverwhere, we love the collection! Was there a moment that stood out to you when you recalling knowing it was time to bring Neverwhere into the world?
Thank you so much! It had been my dream to be a fashion designer since I was like 9. I would chop up and alter my own clothes just to be different from the other kids. I would shop only at thrift stores just to find unique clothes.
In 2013, I had an online vintage/thrift shop called Bella Malattia that catered to alternative people. I closed it early because my life at the time didn't allow a side gig. Then, during the pandemic, I relaunched it under NeverwhereTHRIFT. I did that for a bit and realized the re-selling world was not for me. I like buying vintage items for myself, not others.
Honestly, I just didn't believe in myself enough to start my own line until 2024. I thought, "I can do this." I can do this. If it fails then at least I can say I tried! I will die happy knowing I went for it! By 2025, we were on our way and it has been a wild ride ever since!
Images courtesy of @sammitery
8. There’s a playful theatricality that sometimes appears in the Neverwhere collection. What draws you to circus-inspired elements, and how do they find their way into your designs?
I am a loud mouth brat from Brooklyn. It took about .5 seconds of me seeing Harley Quinn on Batman The Animated Series to say "THAT'S ME!" I started collecting the comics very soon after. I am drawn to tragically chaotic characters. I see a lot of myself in them.
My mom always compared me to Tinkerbell because of my temper tantrums as a kid so, the Gabrielle mini dress is a homage to that.
My clothes will always reflect the chaos in me! You can have all black clothes that are also fun and don't take themselves too seriously. I don't want to make clothes with skulls on them! I want you to look like a little goth Amy Brown fairy.
Images courtesy of @sammitery
9. Without giving too much away, what can you share about what’s coming next for you and for Neverwhere?
Hmmm......a 1930s girl who just had a few too many martinis falls head first down the rat hole sewers of NYC.
There’s an endearing chaos to Sam’s style; Harley Quinn meets Tinkerbell, set loose in a dark New York alley. It shouldn’t work on paper, and yet it absolutely does, because it’s a glowing example of authentic expression executed with precision and skill.
And, that’s our biggest takeaway. Follow your instincts and let them map a new path. When you get there, send up a flare and your community will find you. Neverwhere didn’t arrive in all it’s gothic glory like we see it today; there was a version, first, that didn’t stick, a stretch in resale, projects that didn’t workout, moments where the idea needed to shift before it clicked.
Try. Adjust. Learn. Keep going. Second star on the right, and straight on until morning <3.
Which Neverwhere piece are you adding to your wishlist?
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