Our Story
The heartbeat of our brand traces back 3 generations with a shared love of the sewing machine. Follow our brand evolution across 2 continents.
1913
Ruby Sampson is born
Ruby Sampson is born in Guyana, South America. A mother of 8 and renowned seamstress in Georgetown, she’s passionate about education and teaches her daughters to sew and tailor clothes.
1965
Ruby teaches Eslyn to sew
Eslyn, Ruby’s eldest daughter, learns the family trade and she teaches the next generation. She serves as the principal advisor to her niece and Founder, Ashley Powdar.
2012
Eslyn helps Ashley solve a problem
Ruby’s granddaughter, Ashley has a grueling transition into natural hair and begins lining her head wraps with silk. After receiving countless requests for purchase she realizes a gap in the retail space.
2016
The Silk Lined Head Wrap Launches
Ashley launches Ruby Sampson with the mission to bridge the gap between hair care and fashion for the textured hair consumer.
2017
Ruby Makes the List
Word of mouth helps the brand emerge as a fan favorite with press features in ESSENCE magazine, Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It, and StyleCastr to name a few.
2017
Silk Safe Stain Remover is formulated
Ashley and her sister Stephanie formulate a silk-friendly stain remover designed to tackle hair product stains, which passes a 3rd party lab test and 90% efficacy rating.
2018
Ruby’s Original Home Becomes Headquarters
Ashley extends garment manufacturing to Georgetown, Guyana.
2019
Unique, vibrant prints for a unique, vibrant brand
Custom print apparel appears on rubysampson.com and select retail stores.