Hi!! My name is Samantha. I’m from Massachusetts and studied marketing and sustainability in college. I love 90s-00s nostalgia and love exploring and learning about parts of history such as promotional tie ins like fast food premiums, print advertising and photoshoot concepts and lost media. Outside of fashion, I love road trips, going to drag shows and concerts and thrifting around with friends!

Tell us about your shop

No Rhyme or Reason is the merger of my passions for sustainability and upcycling, fun fashion, and unapologetic self expression. I’m passionate about taking vintage, discarded and unwanted materials such as birthday cake toppers and old bed sheets and transforming them into new fashion. I love using these materials because it prevents more excess waste to landfills and there’s an extra special layer of nostalgia and emotions connected to the materials. NROR is known for earrings, keychains, tote bags, upcycled clothing, hair clips and more!

What inspired you to get started in fashion?

I’ve always been super passionate about fashion and expressing myself through my outfits. I knew back in middle school that I wanted to incorporate fashion into my future. My original goal was to work in marketing for a fashion brand and to be a contributor of making fashion more inclusive and showcase more body positivity and diversity. After being a model in fashion shows for a few years, I decided to merge all my passions and begin to create rather than be solely on the advertising side.

You have a really fun color story – what colors and prints are you drawn to?

I’m super drawn to primary colors, checkers and stripes and often use a combination in my fashion. Bright shades of pink, yellow, blue, green and purple are my favorites!

Did any pop culture influence your journey into the fashion industry?

I’d say the 2010s pop music bubble influenced my fashion journey the most. Seeing camp and full theatrical concepts in fashion and theming with things like Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream & Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball Tour – in the mainstream

Coolest pieces you’ve ever had?

In my own closet, I think my 80s-90s vintage sweaters take the cake!

Goosebumps or Ghost Writer?

Goosebumps! I have my childhood collection of vintage first edition books still plus my vintage lunchbox & sheets too!

Favorite cartoon growing up?

The original teen titans had me in a chokehold. I also loved SpongeBob and Hamtaro a bunch

Describe a typical weekend when you were growing up

Lots of time outside, scootering, listening to my blue iPod nano, plenty of PS2 games, and if I was lucky, getting a mighty kids meal with chicken selects.

What sitcom characters do you wish you were besties with?

Tony Danza from Who’s the Boss

What do you hope for your shop in 5 years?

In 5 years, I hope to continue growing NROR’s store connections but also have the ability to make super specific custom looks for celebs and influencers in the super niche industries I’m passionate about!

A nostalgic snack you think of often

Munchies kids mix. It was a lime green bag with Cap’n Crunch, Cheetos, Doritos and pretzels!! Formed my love for salty, savory and’sweet snacks as a kid!

What was something you feel like everyone loved growing up but you don’t see the hype of it

I remember there were razor scooters at one point that sparked and I was afraid of them while everyone at school thought they were cool LOL

Favorite childhood toy?

I was wholeheartedly obsessed with my PS2 as a kid (I recently rebooted it and it still lives up to my childhood biases)

Favorite mcdonaldland character?

My childhood favorite was Birdie but I’ve got an extra special spot for Sundae in my heart! Plus the fry kids, too!!

A phrase you would leave for a nostalchick

Grow old, but don’t grow up!