I was born in Afghanistan and immigrated to the United States when I was 8 years old to Michigan. Growing up in Michigan for the majority of my life, I am proud to call myself a Metro Detroit-based designer.

The first time when I came to the US I saw my adoptive mom wearing pants. Shocked to see a woman picking us up from the airport AND in pants, I thought she was a total badass. This was my first time seeing a woman in pants, not a dress, and driving a car! That was the day I realized the power of wearing pants. I thought it was the highest fashion, stylish clothing a woman could ever wear. It was love at first sight. I wanted to be an American girl; free, powerful, and chic, wearing pants and driving a car. Even to this day, I get chills sitting in the driver's seat with my sunglasses on and wearing a pair of pants.

After living my adolescence in Bloomfield, Michigan I left my childhood home for the south, specifically Georgia, to pursue a degree in fashion design at The Savannah College of Arts and Design on a scholarship. After graduating with a BFA in Fashion Design, I moved down to South Florida to continue my career in corporate fashion with White House Black Market. Although I've set roots here in America, I hold my Afghani culture close to my heart and owe it to my native roots as a continued source.

A few years into pursuing fashion within a cubicle, the pandemic hit and I lost my corporate designer job. I sold everything I had and drove for two days back to Michigan from Florida. I went into depression; with no job, no money, and no honey. I applied to over 200 jobs, with multiple interviews and 100% rejections. It was only then I realized, life repeats in cycles and unless I break this cycle I will continue hitting a dead end. I decided to apply to Project Runway as a form of redirection in life and was accepted. It was time to start again from zero and rebuild myself as a designer.

This experience was truly humbling and has motivated me to become the best version of myself, in every way. I have acquired so many skills throughout my journey in fashion It only seems right to launch my own brand, Sabrina Spanta. If I have learned anything it is to always live as your most unapologetic self, as we are powerful, not powerless.

Brand Values

Versatility - When I moved to Miami, I found it hard to keep up with the “the lifestyle.” In one of the most lavish cities in America, I was stuck with a minimal wardrobe. Creativity and my love for personal styling led me to start wearing my clothing in different ways to expand my closet. Turtleneck sweaters became skirts and scarves became tops. My unique and eccentric outfits began to create a new signature style for myself - versatility. An ah-ha moment had struck me, there is a way to stay stylish and sustainable by repurposing the items you already own. The Sabrina Spanta brand was born around this concept, versatility is sustainability. My mission with this brand is to give you multidimensional clothing that can help you create different styles and outfits with a single piece of clothing. The versatility of our statement garments can also help minimize the redundancy in your closet, building a more sustainable wardrobe.

Sustainability - Sabrina Spanta takes pride in our locally and ethically made clothing. All garments are manufactured at ISAIC, industrial sewing, and innovation center. The Detroit-based manufacturer produces high-quality garments made by local women. Sustainability is the future of fashion. Sabrina Spanta practices slow fashion by bringing awareness to the process, materials, and labor that goes into making a single garment.

Philanthropy - I have lived a life of poverty and hardship, and a life of privilege and opportunity. It is my life’s mission to give women and girls around the world the second chance at life I was given. For each collection we design, a new charity will be chosen to highlight and help. For the X-Pant, Collection 001, we have decided to focus on Afghan women. That is why a percentage of our profits will be given to Women for Afghan Women (WAW). This foundation has grown to become the largest women’s organization in Afghanistan. WAW provides life-changing services, education, and vocational training for their clients across Afghanistan and in the United States who have endured rights violations. To learn more about their services and mission to help Afghan women visit https://womenforafghanwomen.org/ .

OLIVIA SIMONE - BRAND ASSISTANT

It's funny how life brings people together sometimes. I was stopping by shops in the area to spread the word about my new brand when I ran into Olivia at the boutique she was working at, at the time. As I was about to leave the store she asked for my contact information, we met up for coffee, and the rest is history! Olivia assists me with scheduling, content creation, copy design, website building, you name it! She is certainly a jack of all trades.

JESSICA VANDERMASS - PUBLIC RELATIONS

After working with Olivia, she mentioned how she knew of a friend who would be a perfect fit for our PR Intern spot - Jessica VanDerMass. After hopping on a phone call with Jess and reviewing her portfolio, it was apparent that another gem had been discovered. Jess reaches out to brands, influencers, and other local artists on the PR end of things, however, she is also the main writer for our blog "Sincerely, Sabrina."

TIFFANY NUNES - ART DIRECTOR

Next we have my dear friend Tiffany. While working as a server in college I met Tiff's brother who then introduced us to each other. She was a fashion design junior at The Savannah College of Arts and Design when I was a senior and shortly became my intern, assisting me with my senior year collection. I fell in love with Tiff's work and her eye for art direction. Since I already experienced first hand all that she was capable of, I thought she would be the perfect addition to our team. Tiff has helped the brand vision come to life by creating a brand identity through art direction, styling, and editorial photoshoot production.

JENNA LACE - SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Finally we have Jenna Lace, our social media manager. When I was an assistant designer at Chico's, Jenna was my very first design intern. She woo-ed me with her proactiveness, efficiency, and her unstoppable drive. Not only does she have a great eye for design, Jenna has a fabulous personal style and eye for social media content creation. Jenna spearheads our brand content for socials and also helps mold our brand identity through different social media platforms, specifically Instagram. After getting closer to her that summer, she continued to finish her degree in fashion design at the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning. She has also interned at many other companies including Love Shack Fancy.