This weblog is brought to you by Samanta Cortes.

Samanta Cortes is CEO of Fashion Design Concepts Inc. (www.fdconcepts.com), a company Samanta founded to offer assistance to designers in the apparel and home furnishing trades for development of embellishments.  Samanta launched her business seven years ago in a small space in the heart of New York City’s Garment Center.  Within two years, the company grew so rapidly that Samanta was able to move her operation to an entire floor.

Samanta is a well-respected trendsetter in the field of embroidery and embellishments, who travels internationally to research the latest trends in construction, stitching techniques and color. Samanta is a frequent speaker at such trade shows as Direction and the International Textile Design Show. Samanta is also a former member of the Color Association of the United States.

Samanta is the founder of www.savethegarmentcenter.com, a coalition of Garment Center business owners who have initiated an advocacy campaign to raise awareness of the immediate threat that urban development is posing to the existence of the Garment Center. This endeavor has succeeded in getting a great deal of attention in the press, with articles having appeared in such publications as The New York Times, Associated Press, The New York Observer, Crain’s New York Business, and WWD.

Samanta is also President of Fashion News Workshop (www.fashionewsworkshop.com), a non-profit organization created in the late 1950s, whose mission is to exchange information and ideas that are relevant to the creative and business needs of the fashion, textiles and related industries.  

In fall 2008, Samanta Cortes will be launching the latest of her endeavors.  Conciencia is an exciting and creative women’s wear line, employing the use of eco-friendly fabrics (in order to combat the depletion of natural resources).   This entire collection (from samples to production) will be manufactured in New York City in order to support the growth of the local infrastructure of New York’s Garment Center.  Samanta’s ready-to-wear offering illustrates ultra-feminine lines as well as sophisticated details for everyday living with unique style.