This Is My South: Sabrina Scott

Sabrina Scott is an up-and-coming fashion designer from Seattle, Washington currently living in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina. She will be showcasing her vintage-inspired designs at the upcoming Charleston Fashion Week.

What do you love most about living in the South?

I love the sense of community here. The people are very warm and supportive, especially of small businesses. Take Second Sundays for example, where King Street is closed to traffic and open to people. It’s a great place to meet people, shop at local stores and dine. As an entrepreneur, it’s also a venue to meet other like-minded people.

I also love being so close to the beach. Whenever I need a break or just want to take a mental health day I go to Folly. Being from Seattle, usually you have to wait till your body goes partially numb from the cold to enjoy the water and most of the time it’s just too cold. But here you can jump right in! My boyfriend and I even did the Polar Bear Swim on New Year’s Day.

What are your favorite places in Charleston?

Club Trio is one of my favorite spots. I am holding a Fashion Show there March 17th that is free to the public. I love their set up with a bar and band downstairs with more of a club vibe upstairs. I am crazy about Thai food so Basil and Fire are delicious.

Shopping has been a big change coming from the West Coast. I grew up going to two major department stores, Macy’s and Nordstrom. Those places aren’t available here, so I really had to find a new way to shop. Now I frequent more small shops and boutiques.

Through an event I did last fall I met the owner of Exchange Factor, a vintage clothing store. They have a location on Meeting St and Rivers in North Charleston. I can’t tell you how many great vintage finds I’ve purchased there.

What is your favorite Southern meal?

I’d never had grits before moving to South Carolina and I never really grew up eating seafood. But, Shrimp and Grits are amazing.

What are your favorite Southern traditions?

With so many traditions to choose from I think what I really appreciate is the sense of history. My designs are often inspired by architecture and Charleston is rich in beautiful plantations and inspiring sites. I obviously love vintage fashion.

So, museums or colonial/civil war locations often have some old garments or pieces. Fashion is very cyclical and tends to repurpose old ideas. Seeing where we have come from helps us shape where we are going.