Ruby Sampson

Who We Are
Ruby Sampson is a fashion utility brand with storytelling prints and signature silk lined head wraps. Founded by Ruby’s granddaughter Ashley Powdar, we design textiles, apparel and hair accessories for the hair fragility market. We exist to bridge the grooming gap for textured-hair women and build time equity so that you can devote energy to what matters. We’ve been featured in Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It, Black Girl Ventures, Naturally Curly, Style Caster and voted by Essence Magazine as the Top 10 Silk Products on the market.

Brand Story
The heartbeat of our brand traces back 3 generations with a shared love of the sewing machine. In 1913 Ruby Sampson was born in Guyana, South America. A mother of 8, she was passionate about education and taught her daughters to sew and tailor clothes. By 1965, she was a prominent seamstress and designer. Her granddaughter Ashley Powdar founded the company in her honor in 2016 and opened a branch of her company in Ruby’s original home in 2018.

The Problem We Solve
Did you know that according to a University of Chicago and University of California study grooming outweighs attractiveness in terms of higher income potential? The study confirms black women are disproportionately affected by the pay equity and grooming standard, spending on average 9 times the amount of time and money on hair care than their professional peers? That equates to about $472 million annually on black hair products, or $32 every 30 days per consumer. We exist to bridge the grooming gap for textured-hair women and build time equity so customers can devote energy to what matters. We design textiles, apparel and hair accessories for the hair fragility market. Our apparel and accessories are strategically lined with silk and satin, a curl-friendly fabric, to offer additional protective styling options that are intrinsically built into the garment design. Protective styles save an average of 60 minutes each day, or 420 minutes each week. Given the fact that black women represent at least 42% of new businesses started during the pandemic, it’s safe to say this consumer demographic is educated, ambitious and busy!

Storytelling, identity-driven prints
Our print design process starts with the inspiration of the world around us, whether it’s our favorite fruit, hairstyle or just mood of the day. We want customers to feel understood, celebrated and joyful when wearing our garments. Our prints are exclusive to the Ruby Sampson brand and participating retailers.

Where our products made
Ruby Sampson’s supply chain spans across China, the United States and Guyana (our birthplace). We are dedicated to creating jobs and contributing to the local economies of our suppliers. Founder Ashley Powdar has an intimate connection with each country, as a year-long study abroad student in Shanghai and first generation American born to Guyanese parents. Our process begins in the United States with print and pattern making in collaboration with American manufacturers. Next we stop in China to translate our digital concepts into textiles. Our supply chain journey concludes in the hands of our female artisans in Georgetown, Guyana who translates our raw materials into the garments and hair accessories you see here.

Our Commitment to Sustainability
Ruby Sampson supports sustainable, eco-friendly production methods in the development of its garments and accessories. Limited run, small batch production and digital printing allows us to manufacture fabrics to the exact quantity needed to minimize waste. Our garments are predominantly cellulose and biodegradable fabrics, such as cotton and silk. Our products are created in the USA, China and Guyana, supporting our local businesses and artisans with fair, ethical wages.

Social Impact
As a small business, we’re committed to the economic health and stability of our communities. We recognize skillsets are the future currency in the global marketplace, but to build a pipeline of talent we must first close the skills gap. That’s why Ruby Sampson and the Carnegie School of Home Economics have partnered to train the next generation of seamstresses. When you make a purchase, you sponsor a student’s tuition.