Behind the Legacy Campaign: Q&A with Samantha Siu
As the holiday season draws near, Samantha Siu warmly invites you into the heart of the newly launched "Legacy" campaign—a heartfelt celebration of tradition and timeless jewelry that has garnered overwhelming love and support since its launch this week. "Legacy" embodies a collection meant to be cherished by all, capturing the essence of generational ties. Featuring Samantha’s cherished mother and grandmother, this campaign stands as a tribute to her family’s legacy. Through a Q&A session with Samantha Siu, this blog invites you to witness firsthand the love, traditions, and resilience that intricately define and shape her family's legacy. Join us as we delve into Samantha's heartfelt reflections, unveiling the deep significance of timeless beauty that resonate within each piece of “A Love Affair” collection.
Q: What inspired you to create this legacy campaign centered around family and traditions during the holiday season?
A: My brand manager, Jennifer Yassan, is a big believer in authentic storytelling. There was no better story to tell then the power of generational femininity. It’s a beautiful representation of my roots and how versatile I envision the jewelry to be. If you look at the cover photo, each of us are wearing a necklace that depicts our birthplace.
Q: What does legacy mean to you?
A: Legacy to me means a timeless, long lasting tradition. I see legacy not just in companies or objects but in moments. It could be recreating a special moment in your life to evoke the same feeling you originally felt when you first experienced it; like a moment frozen in time.
Q: Could you share a bit about your own family's traditions during the holidays?
A: A big tradition in my family is cooking. From morning to dawn, WE COOK! Well, my aunt and I are usually the only ones in the kitchen so it’s a bonding moment for us. I learned most of my kitchen skills during the holiday. Ironically, I also make most of my mistakes then too.
Q: How do you hope this campaign will resonate with your community?
A: I already know my grandmother has a really wonderful fanbase. Ever since we started our series, we’ve always had great support from everyone. I hope that the community can see the inspiration behind the avant garde jewelry. That the collection is ageless, versatile, and meant to be cherished for generations to come. I can envision the same necklace someone wore in their adulthood following them into her senior years.
Q: Modeling alongside your mom and grandma for this campaign must have been special. How did it feel to capture these generational moments together?
A: My grandmother was a pro! (As always!) My mother was shy at first but she started to warm up toward the end of the shoot. It was a momentous occasion where we are able to commemorate our family and support my brand. It was the first time my grandma, my mom, and I took a picture together! It was also the first time my mom wore my jewelry. So lots of firsts were checked off.
Q: When you received the final photos from the shoot, what emotions or memories did they evoke for you?
A: What was special to me was actually how my mom responded to them. She looks at the unfinished edits and says proudly, “This is me at 68!”
Q: How much preparation and planning went into organizing this campaign? Could you describe some of the key steps or challenges you encountered during the planning phase?
A: This shoot was originally planned for the December Campaign in 2021. But I knew my mother and my grandmother would not be into it. After my grandma and I went viral on tiktok, my mom started to realize the richness in creating these moments. Finding the photographer was also important. Sezen June Sinan and I met through Jen Yassen, my brand manager. I had been secretly following her work already and when we met, I felt she completely understood how special this photoshoot was. I guess you can say I am a firm believer in divine timing. And it felt like it was the right time.
Q: What were some unexpected moments or lessons learned during the planning process?
A: There was so many ideas we wanted to photograph. And at the end of the day, everything was really rushed. Not often do we get my 93 year old grandmother out of the house for a full day’s worth of photoshoot. So, we also had to be thoughtful about timing. All in all, it was a very special shoot.
Q: Can you share any memorable experiences or connections that developed between you, your family, the photographer or anyone working during the shoot?
A: A funny moment that we experienced on set was the sterotype that asian women cannot be warmly expressive towards their children. My mother would not look me in the eye when we were being photographed. As much as we encouraged her to look at me, she just wouldn’t do it. And the same thing happened with her mother! My grandmother would not look her in the eye but my mom was very willing to look at her. That is why you do not see any pictures of us looking at each other! Another interesting moment we experienced was when my mother was photographed with her mother, my grandmother tried to distance herself from her. She said, “I need to be far away from you as possible, so you can cut me out when I die.” Everyone on set was shocked and in disbelief.
Q: Have there been any surprising or unexpected outcomes or reactions from the community since launching the campaign?
A: Though we are slowly rolling out our holiday campaign; it has been intentional. We wanted to slowly test the water to see what everyone thought and I am so pleased to see how receptive it has been. I hope everyone can see that this campaign is a love letter to our loyal friends. From my family to yours, happy holidays!