Savannah: The Ladders Store

June 6, 2023

Savannah is a dedicated artist who finds joy in creating constantly, exploring various mediums to express her unique vision. Alongside her artistic pursuits, she ventured into the world of fashion by starting her own clothing brand. Through her designs, she aims to empower individuals to embrace their individualism and express their authentic selves. With a determined commitment to creativity and self-expression, Savannah continues to inspire others through her artistry and clothing brand.

What inspired you to start your own clothing brand?

I have always been a dedicated music fan and always loved going out to shows. Something about shows for me is I would always want to bring home a memento of that feeling. Sometimes it was to keep the memory of the joy of being at that concert, or even the emotion of the music played. Buying merch was important for this for me and ultimately began my love of t-shirts!

Whats the story behind your brand's name and logo design?

Vulnerability and authenticity are important to Ladders. Being vulnerable and authentic can always connect to personal values. Part of my values are connected to spirituality such as manifestation, luck, etc. With luck comes superstitions, so I liked the idea of walking under a ladder being bad luck. I wanted a name that could have multiple meanings to it, so not only does it connect to luck/superstitions, but a ladder can also be your own growth, going up (or down) the ladder. It can also represent the hands-on aspect of working on a project, which reflects my personal creative process. For a logo I knew I wanted it to be text. I have always been inspired by punk typography, band poster designs, and even horror movie typography which inspired the wavy, crooked logo.

How do you approach the creative process when designing new collections or pieces for your brand?

When looking to create a new collection, I definitely look for inspiration in my personal life and the emotions that come with it. This kind of goes back to the idea of the memento at a concert, a lot of lyrics these musicians write are related to their life, so I like to look at what is going on in my life in a similar way to create these collections. I definitely like to think of collections the way I think of albums. Sometimes there's an overarching theme, but other times it almost acts as a diary for myself, but it is always honest and authentic.

What are some of the core values or messages that your brand aims to convey through its clothing?

It aims to be vulnerable and also show that vulnerability, and sometimes hard emotions, off as a strength rather than a weakness. It also aims to resonate with that idea of the memento. Almost like having band merch from an era of your life.

Are there any particular fashion trends or influences that have inspired your designs?

I am very inspired by brands like Pleasures bringing vulnerability in a different way and giving the t-shirt value. I am also inspired by lefthand LA, they're very diy punk and have a visually hands-on process. On top of that, I am always looking at various band art and posters as inspo and listening to music. Most of the time I am creating a collection, I create a coordinating playlist to represent it.

What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to start a brand?

There's always going to be a list of reasons you can't start yet, but you just have to go ahead and get started. If you have a message it is important to get that out.

What are your future goals or aspirations for your clothing brand, and how do you plan to continue evolving and innovating in the industry?

My future goals would be to combine my message with the genre/community of music that has inspired me in some way. I think further connecting those two worlds and thinking of the value of the t-shirt in that punk/show-going world can be super important to that community and I would love to figure out how to further evolve that relationship.

What message or impact do you hope to leave on people?

I hope to give a bit of the passion that I have and the value that I recognize to the customer and, as previously mentioned, I hope to give the message that vulnerability can be shown off as a strength rather than a weakness.

What's your endgame? What do you ultimately hope to accomplish in the future?

Ultimately I would like Ladders to become an innovation of punk/west coast streetwear. Ladders has been my passion project, while designing merch at my design job for names like Xbox, The Walking Dead, and more, and I would love for it to become my main gig. A HUGE goal of mine would be to create collabs or pieces with/for bands I love. It's important to me to keep creating authentically and keep that emotional connection and hands on process throughout Ladders in the future.

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