Style Icon: Samantha Hahn

Samantha Hahn opens up about living her deeply creative life, how she developed and now balances her many-pronged career, and which pieces of jewelry in her personal collection inspire her.

Earrings: BRVTVS, Necklace: Vintage, Rings: Left hand: wedding band: Lisa Ceccorulli, engagement ring: Mari Tome, Right hand: ruby and opal rings belonged to Samantha’s Nana.

Samantha Hahn is a true powerhouse. And a deeply creative powerhouse at that. She’s constantly producing beautiful watercolor illustrations and hand lettering for publications like The New York Times, New York Magazine/The Cut and Vogue Japan, as well as for fashion brands like Brandon Maxwell and Marc Jacobs. She’s the creative vision behind a lot of stunning lookbooks for jewelry brands like Odette and CASTLECLIFF, and for photo shoots that have landed on the pages of Nylon and Tidal Magazine. And if that weren’t enough to make you feel like you should sit down and start making something, she’s published two books, and just launched a brand new online shop that’s bursting with colorful rainbows.

I photographed her in her Brooklyn home and asked her about her life in jewels.

Tell me a bit about yourself – where you live, your work, etc.

I’m Samantha. I live and work in Brooklyn. My studio is in my home. I do illustration and art direction. My work has been internationally exhibited from New York to Hong Kong and featured in numerous art and design books. I authored two books of my own as well––Well Read Women: Portraits of Fiction’s Most Beloved Heroines and A Mother is a Story: A Celebration of Motherhood. My illustration clients range from Vogue Japan and The New York Times to the Paris Review and the Penguin Random House. I also do photo art direction, visual and editorial strategy. I love working with a range of clients in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle as well as in publishing and editorial.

Could you please tell us about the trajectory of your career? How did you become an artist? Who were some important people who helped you along the way? How did you develop relationships with your client roster?

I've been drawing and painting since I was a tiny child. It felt completely natural to pursue that path professionally. I studied illustration and after a stint in other jobs after college I came back to it. The industry seemed impossible to break into but I kept plugging and doing small jobs for independent designers and eventually started getting editorial illustration jobs which lead to bigger projects in branding, advertising and publishing. I learned early on that it was important to think up my own creative projects too. I always have something cooking in addition to commercial work. I authored a couple of art books and just launched my own all rainbow art shop called Maison Rainbow. I still work across all of the aforementioned areas. I'm always grateful to clients who see my work as a fit for their project. I'm also grateful to friends in the field who support my projects and take a look at what I'm working on before I launch. For Maison Rainbow I showed the idea to some creative pals including: Randi Brookman Harris, Linsey Laidlaw, Liz Libre, Abby Low and Erin Jang who offered feedback and encouragement.

Besides making beautiful watercolor paintings for your many clients, you also work as a creative director. How do the two professions work together, and how do you balance it all?

I love creative directing. It's an opportunity to illustrate ideas without putting brush to paper. Instead of seeing an idea through to fruition alone, I create mood-boards that illustrate a concept and then bring other creatives in to collaborate. I love working in a group with creatives such as photographers, makeup and hair artists, prop stylists, set designers and stylists. I get to direct a vision but also collaborate and let organic magic happen, letting the original idea expand and flourish. Creative direction is a collaborative form of illustration with the end result being a set of photos rather than a painting. Essentially both illustration and creative direction are the creation of imagery that convey a mood, feeling or concept to an audience.

I'm such an introvert so after working on a campaign I love getting back to my drawing table and working alone. On the flip side, after working alone going back to creative collaboration is challenging, invigorating and inspiring. The two fields inform each other and I'm grateful to do both.

Since the pandemic began, you've been hand lettering the thoughts of a number of people in your community about how they're processing this enormous change in our world. Has this series helped you navigate through this strange time? What are you learning from reaching out to everyone?

This project started organically. When the virus/quarantine started I felt untethered and in so much fear. There were so many unknowns. Staying creative and connected helps me. This is such an isolating time. I believe that giving voice to our collective and individual experiences would not only help me but could also make others feel connected. People have responded to it so well, telling me that the words I'm lettering are resonating with them. If I can help make people feel less alone, I'm happy. We really are in this together.

Earrings: BRVTVS, Necklace: Vintage, Rings: Left hand: wedding band: Lisa Ceccorulli, engagement ring: Mari Tome, Right hand: Right hand: ruby and opal rings belonged to Samantha’s Nana.

You just launched a completely joyful, bright and colorful online art shop called Maison Rainbow. The website is packed with beautiful watercolors of rainbows. What does the rainbow mean to you, and what has your response been so far?

For the last few months, I've been building an online art shop called Maison Rainbow: All rainbows, all the time. Then the pandemic hit and I thought, that's it, I can't do this. But seeing people sharing rainbows as symbols of hope, I figured it might be the perfect time to put a little light and color in the world. Who couldn’t use another rainbow or two? rainbows are the purest manifestation of color in nature. Prescription-strength chromatic medicine for the soul. When skies are gray, we need to fill our eyes with rainbows more than ever.

While it's always nerve wracking to put a personal project into the world, the response has been overwhelmingly good. I've gotten so many notes from people telling me that seeing the rainbows is making them smile. That's the ultimate goal here! I've tried to bottle a bit of the rainbow’s magic for people to keep. I hope people find one that speaks to them and put it in their space providing them with a momentary escape to a place of blue skies and golden sun when things feel bleak.

Earrings: BRVTVS, Necklaces: Zahava, and name necklace: similar on Etsy, Rings: Left hand: wedding band: Lisa Ceccorulli, engagement ring: Mari Tome.

How would you describe your jewelry style?

Minimal and delicate with a soupçon of vintage and heirloom.

What jewelry do you wear on a regular day?

It varies but generally on my ears I wear minimal bars, studs, or tiny hoops by my friend Caroline Ventura. Her brand is Brvtvs. On my neck I’ll wear my Ibex pendant from Zahava (by another friend Jessica Hendricks Yee) representing balance. I also love stacking delicate pieces from Odette (one of my all time favorite clients) or my new favorite, a layered necklace with an engraved medallion by my friend Violet Gaynor for Sarah Chloe jewelry that she gifted to me. This Mother’s Day I got my kids initials in gold by Helen Ficalora. I also have these fun little nameplate necklaces with my kid’s names made in sans serif font. I frequently wear a vintage locket as well. My wedding band and engagement ring never come off.

On a special occasion?

I don’t often delineate but I do have some special rings my grandmother gave me though for an important meeting, party or occasion.

Do you have any philosophy on how to accessorize? Do you plan the clothes first or the accessories first?

I actually usually start with clothing. If I’m wearing a low cut blouse then it makes sense to wear a stack of thin chain, gold necklaces, pendants etc. I think they look best on skin and create a nice composition over the clavicle. If I’m wearing a higher necked dress I usually wear a large gold vintage locket on top.

Earrings: BRVTVS, Necklace: Zahava, Rings: Left hand: wedding band: Lisa Ceccorulli, engagement ring: Mari Tome, Right hand: Vintage.

What are your go-to jewelry brands?

Brvtvs, Zahava, Odette, Sarah Chloe, Dans-La-Main and I have fever dreams of Foundrae (someday perhaps!).

Stores you shop at? Both online and brick and mortar?

I love buying directly from designers if possible. My favorite brick and mortar shop is Front General Store in Dumbo. They have a lovely curated selection of vintage presented gorgeously. I got a pair of vintage French military trousers there. They also carry Hasami which I use to store my jewelry.

What is the most special piece of jewelry you own and why?

My Lisa Ceccorulli wedding band. I never take it off. I love it because of what it represents. My love for my husband and our bond is so deep. He and my kids are my raison d’être so that ring represents that bond.

“The shapes of Lisa Ceccorulli's jewelry take the forms of stepping stones used to make walkways through ancient Japanese gardens. The stones (as well as some of the plants) were arranged in groups of threes, fives, and sevens. Today, Buddhist temples still have gardens based on the 3-5-7 design. To imitate the texture of those stones, Ceccorulli hammers the metal against a rock and then sandblasts it. The fused appliqués of 22K gold reflect her interpretation of the elements in a landscape. Through this collection, she tries to express the feeling of contentment and completeness that a Japanese garden can provide.”

My ring is a simple gold band with 5 raised lines. I wear my engagement right on the same finger. It’s an emerald green tourmaline made by my friend from college, Maressa Tosto Merwarth who was just starting out on her own at the time she made it. She now has a line called Mari Tome.

I also treasure some ruby and opal rings that belonged to my Nana Sally, which my grandfather had made for her. Her birthstone and mine are opal.

Earrings: BRVTVS, Rings: Left hand: wedding band: Lisa Ceccorulli, engagement ring: Mari Tome.

Can you tell me a story about a time when you discovered an amazing piece (either at a store, flea market, your mom’s closet)? Tell me about the hunt.

My mom had killer style especially in the 70’s which is a time I gravitate toward in my style. I found this gorgeous dress of hers that was assembled pieces of silk from 1930’s dresses cut into a 70’s bohemian shape. It’s unbelievable. She wore it to a party in Laurel Canyon once when my dad was working out in California and I just love imagining that and wearing that dress.

How does your work introduce you to cool brands and pieces?

Oh, it’s the best. As an illustrator I am often commissioned to cover fashion week presentations/shows for media like The Cut or Vogue Japan. So I’m watching shows and pulling out the most salient pieces to paint and in doing so am studying collections and silhouettes and textures which inevitably gives me an overview of the seasonal trends, colors and moods. I then can apply this knowledge and understanding to my art direction clients whether in an editorial concept, the styling mood for a jewelry lookbook or anything else. I feel like I always discover a new brand or two each season. Also being in the art/media world I just gravitate toward other creatives and somehow that means I have a bunch of friends who are designers/makers. I follow editors and friends on Instagram and check out the new brands they’re wearing.

Have you ever found inspiration for your work in jewelry?

I love directing jewelry campaigns. They're an opportunity to celebrate various metal and gem textures against soft skin or fabric and get up close in dynamic compositions. Composition is important to me in all of my work, both illustration and photo.

Could you tell me about one of your favorite shoots with one of your jewelry clients? What made it special?

My last shoot before the pandemic was with Dans-La-Main, an incredible bag and jewelry shop. The extraordinary founder, Kiki, has the best eye, and the products and jewelry just needed to elevate to the level of her curation. I assembled and had the privilege of working with a dream creative team and beautiful/diverse models to see the vision through. It was fun, collaborative and I love the way the images turned out. It was a high note to end photo work till this pandemic ends.

You are the child of two very creative parents. How have they influenced your style, specifically with jewelry?

My parents had incredible style. They were never super brand or label oriented or major collectors (I wish my mom saved more of the pieces I see her wearing in photos). They just evoked a kind of effortlessly cool vibe evocative of the era they were in but without fuss or even much of an effort. Form definitely followed function for them but with a keen eye for detail and high aesthetic. They definitely favored jeans and sweaters, blouses with the occasional cool jacket or blazer. That’s sort of my vibe too. They both wore the Cartier Trinity wedding ring which I have always loved.

Earrings: Zoe Chicco, Rings: Left hand: wedding band: Lisa Ceccorulli, engagement ring: Mari Tome, Right Hand: Vintage, Belt Buckle: Vintage.

Favorite ways to store your jewelry?

I don’t like to have lots of jewelry or clothing. I want to easily access everything and not have piles or clutter. I use some Hasami plates for my main pieces and have a cloth bound jewelry box with slats and sections for rings and things I don’t wear daily. I have a small wooden box that belonged to my dad to store my tiny earrings.

If something breaks, what do you do? Do you have a super special person/store that you can recommend to help with damaged jewels?

No, in fact I wear a vintage ring from Doyle & Doyle that has quite a few missing sapphires. Someday I’ll bring it back to them for repair but I don’t like to treat any object I wear too preciously. It’s imperfect and loved and lived in and I’m fine with that today.

Thank you, Samantha!