Meet our social media & event maven, Sammi! Sammi joined the Velvet Lounge team six years ago when she was just a senior in high school. During her internship, we quickly realized she had a knack for events and creating relationships with people. Our annual Free People Garden Party was actually her idea, and thus Sammi’s  Velvet Lounge mood boards commenced. Since then she graduated from West Virginia University with a PR degree and holds many great experiences under her belt, including a kick ass fashion PR internship in London! Although she was wowed by the city life, she realized that her home, and her people were in Frederick. Now she keeps the VL Insta lookin good as well as other businesses (check out her side hustle @sljsocial) Check out our interview with her below to learn more about our favorite to – do list making, IG taking, chaotic #VLgirl!

If you could be any celebrity assistant, who would it be for?
Kate Hudson! She seems like such a sweet soul and I love how into fitness she is. Plus, getting to hang out with Goldie Hawn all the time!? Umm YES. 

If you could work for any of the brands Velvet Lounge carries, which one would it be?
Rebecca Minkoff! Her social media is amazing and I love how she continuously sculpts her brand to meet her consumer’s needs. 

What is your theme song?
Let Me Blow Ya Mind by Eve ft. Gwen Stefani. That is THE jam and forever will be. 
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Late night drive thru breakdown?
Late night drive thru starts with my girls and I begging the Uber to stop at Taco Bell, all of us yelling our order at the same time, then scarfing down my 3 soft taco supremes and a baja blast before I even make it home. 

Team Jen or Team Angelina?
Offended this was even asked! TEAM JEN! Do we need even teams anymore though? I think it’s clear Jen won this one……

What is your favorite scent?
Day Scent: Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede, Night Scent: Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir (Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb is a close second!) 

If your house was on fire and you could only grab one thing what would it be and why?
As much as I love my Louis bag... I would grab my grandmother’s bible that she carried down the aisle on her wedding day. She gave it to me on her 50th wedding anniversary and wrote the sweetest note inside <3 

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When you think of the Velvet Lounge, what is the first thing the comes to mind?
Friendship. These girls are my homies and have shaped me into the person I am today

What is your ideal dream date?
I’m a sucker for boutique hotels and fancy drinks! (People say high maintenance like it’s a bad thing??) Some sort of staycation or a night away that ends with the dance floor sounds dreamy to me. 

Name something on your bucket list?
Italy! I spent 2 months in London one summer and all the Italian people I met there were the warmest & kindest people. They told me stories of beautiful Italian places and amazing food. Ever since then I’ve been dying to go!

What is the last book you read and loved?
Tuesdays with Morrie! Highly recommend to all! It really makes you think about the important things in life and how important being grateful is. P.S. I've been bugging April to start a VL book club, who would be down??

If tomorrow you woke up with a new quality, talent or ability what would it be?
​Uhhh to successfully parallel park? I will park so far away if it means I don’t have to parallel park! LOL. 

Sneaker or heels?
That’s a tough one. The Carrie Bradshaw in me says heels all day but in reality I live in my Adidas and Vans! 

If you were stranded on an island what are three things you would need to have?
Dry shampoo, tanning oil, and Diet Coke. 

What is the best present you ever received from someone?
My parents are divorced and on my 16th birthday my dad gave me a necklace that had my mom’s wedding diamond in it. My step – mom said he had this idea for years and went to the jeweler and designed it himself! 

Photography: Brad Barnwell 

Frederick, MD home of the national anthem, good locally brewed beer, and creative people. For this shoot, we tapped into the latter and teamed up with the lovely Paula B photo and Lindsey Swink, CEO of Bare Ink Co (Check out their IG’s & thank us later.) This shoot is what we think is September’s must have outfit. Special thanks to The Record Exchange for letting us take over the shop and shoot! 

​​First thing first, can you have a fall wardrobe without combat boots? Answer is no. The 90’s are back baby! We recommend these Dolce Vita boots (Bardot Boot $200.00) because they go with everything, they are sturdy, and light weight. The light weight factor is so important when it comes to combat boots, this way you can get the edgy look you’re after without uncomfortable clunkyness. 

Yessss. Jacket season!! We have tons of them in the store right now, but one of our favorites is this Free People camo number (Slouchy Military Jacket $148.00.)  This is the fall addition that is going to take your outfit from basic to bad ass. We layered it over this deep red tunic, but you can also rock it with a white tee, blue jeans and sneakers. The outfit possibilities are truly endless with this piece…. Make sure to grab it in store before they sell out. 

​The store is quickly starting to morph to fall colors with every box of new shipment that we receive. One of the colors we keep seeing for fall/winter is RED. Some people tend to be scared of red, but don’t be! It’s a bold, unforgettable color that looks good on a lot of people, you just have to give it a try :) This tunic (Terry Tee $78.00) is the perfect layering piece, we styled it as a dress but it could easily morph into a shirt to rock with your chunky cardigan and tall boots.  This piece is a no brainer and under $100!