When Innovation is Ignored – A Fashion Designer Speaks Out
- Oct 20, 2025
- 4 min read
Samantha Regan is a business leader, designer, owner and founder of Fera Poppies LLC. , By Samantha Regan.
This isn’t rage, it’s truth. And in fashion, truth often makes people uncomfortable. As the founder and creative force behind Fera Poppies By Samantha, a luxury label grounded in art, personal philosophy, and global culture, I’ve spent over 15 years building something that is more than just fashion. This brand is a mirror of my story, my principles, and the world I see.
So when a journalist at The Business of Fashion (BOF), an outlet known for its "agenda-setting intelligence, analysis, and advice," used a headline I wrote, already published in multiple international magazines, to describe Chanel, I couldn’t remain silent.
Let me be clear. Weeks before that BOF article went live, my portrait and the headline in question had been published in at least four magazines, including prominent titles in Dubai and France. When I publicly called out the similarity on my Instagram Stories, both Vikram Alexei Kansara (BOF's Editorial Director) and Tim Blanks (Editor-at-Large) viewed the story.
They saw it. And said nothing.
Why this matters
This wasn’t just about a headline. This was about intellectual property, my words tied to my image, describing my brand, in publications that made those ideas public first.
And then, those words were repurposed, almost identically, to describe a billion-dollar fashion house. This erasure reflects a much larger issue in fashion media. Independent creatives are often used for inspiration but excluded from recognition, dialogue, and platforms.
I have repeatedly reached out to BOF to contribute my voice. Not once have I received a reply. Meanwhile, designers like Rick Owens, whose ethos I deeply admire, are rightly celebrated for their radical vision. I speak the same creative language, and yet my philosophies, published and shared openly, are echoed by the same publications that ignore me.
How is it that my words are good enough to borrow, but my voice isn't good enough to invite?
Fera Poppies is not a trend, it’s a testament
Fera Poppies By Samantha is not a fast-fashion brand. We are not chasing trends or algorithms. This is a luxury designer label built from over a decade of vision, artistry, and discipline. Every collection is rooted in deep meaning. Every piece is a dialogue between material, emotion, and experience. This isn’t commerce dressed as culture, it’s fashion with soul.
To date, I’ve invested over $10,000 of my own funds into the brand, much of it toward giveaways and outreach. I believe people should experience the work, not just scroll past it.
And now it’s time that buyers and merchandisers, especially at Revolve, Harvey Nichols, Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman, and Saks Fifth Avenue, take independent innovation seriously.
This journey was never conventional
At age 11, I was building a kids’ summer camp and training alongside Olympians. While other teens experimented, I was making art. When most hid from the world during COVID, I was standing at the top of Machu Picchu, reflecting on resilience.
My father, once a bank president who lost everything and rebuilt, taught me early what it means to rise. That lesson stuck.
I’ve seen grief up close. When my grandfather passed, my younger sister, too young to understand, hid under a conference table in heartbreak. That emotional intensity shaped my sensitivity, and that sensitivity has shaped my work.
I didn’t inherit this career. I created it.
The muse and the mirror
In so many ways, the industry has made me the muse of my own work. Even when I try to spotlight others, editors return the focus to me, my image, my story, my identity.
Now, even my headlines.
But the truth is, the muse can be anyone. Life is the muse. And while I’m proud to embody the spirit of my brand, Fera Poppies was never only about me. It’s about the vision and the courage to pursue something authentic in a space that often rewards the opposite, and building something of lasting value for generations to come.
To BOF and the fashion industry at large
If my headline is good enough to elevate Chanel, why isn’t my name good enough to be credited?
You say you support emerging voices. You claim to uplift global creatives. So don’t just quote us, include us. You claim to champion emerging designers. You say you support global perspectives. So why ignore those whose work you’re clearly consuming?
I am ready to contribute. I am ready for an interview. I am ready for dialogue. But what I am not ready to accept is being erased while my work is borrowed.
Fera Poppies is here to stay
This brand is not a moment. It’s a movement, driven by story, philosophy, and raw creative truth. And whether the industry embraces that now or later, I know one thing for certain.
Fera Poppies By Samantha is not waiting for permission.
Read more from Samantha Regan
Samantha Regan, Business Leader, Designer, Owner, Founder
Samantha Regan is a leader in making clothes, fashion and is redefining the landscape for luxury fashion. Samantha blends fashion, healing, somatic awareness and designing desire. She dedicates her life to helping others unleash their genius through clothes as a ritual of transformation.
