An interview with the founder of Nessa Samantha, Editor-in-Chief of Nessa Samantha Magazine, and writer on creative ownership, editorial freedom, and building a space where women can recognize their own experiences.
Venessa Samantha Green brings together fashion, beauty, collecting, creativity, and cultural commentary through her work as the founder of Nessa Samantha and Editor-in-Chief of Nessa Samantha Magazine. Her approach is shaped by a commitment to creative independence and a desire to give women's perspectives room to breathe, particularly when those perspectives challenge what society considers comfortable or acceptable. As she develops the Magazine's online editorial platform and its first planned seasonal digital edition, Winter ’27, Green is building a body of work that reflects her interests, her convictions, and her belief in the value of creating something on her own terms.
In this conversation, Green discusses the thinking behind Nessa Samantha, the relationship between personal expression and editorial leadership, and her hopes for a publication that invites readers to engage with ideas at their own pace.
You have several roles within Nessa Samantha: founder, editor-in-chief, and writer. How do you see those roles coming together in your work?
I don't feel that I need people to understand who I am in any particular way. This is who I am, and the work is an expression of that. What I do hope comes across is that I'm a writer who loves and advocates for women's perspectives and experiences, regardless of how often society tells women to be quiet or suffer in silence.
My work is deeply connected to my identity. It gives me the freedom to express myself fully, without interference or someone else's personal biases determining what I can say, while also allowing me to build a community. I want to reach women who share perspectives, thoughts, or feelings they've been told are unnatural, wrong, or inappropriate to express. Sometimes people make you feel as though you shouldn't think a certain way, say something out loud, or even want what you want.
At its core, my work carries a very straightforward message: I'm going to do this anyway. People can choose to participate, observe, or decide that it isn't for them. I'm still going to create.
What inspired you to establish Nessa Samantha, and what did you want to create that you weren't finding elsewhere?
When I first envisioned Nessa Samantha, I wanted to create a world and an experience. I wanted longevity. Part of what I felt was missing from the businesses and spaces around me was the opportunity to have ownership and creative direction over something of my own. I also wasn't consistently seeing the perspectives or positions from brands that genuinely stood out to me.
Brands used to stand for something in a way that was visible to their audiences. They would support causes, share their perspectives, and publish writing that communicated what they believed in. I'm not saying every brand has abandoned that, but I wanted to create a space where women's voices could be expressed honestly, without being watered down because the publication belonged to someone else.
I wanted somewhere I could say the thing people might prefer I didn't say because it makes them uncomfortable. To me, it's like pointing at a tree and saying, "That is a tree," only to have someone become upset with you for stating something plainly. Sometimes that is how society responds when women explain their experiences. The reaction becomes about the discomfort of hearing the truth rather than understanding what the woman is actually saying.
I wanted Nessa Samantha to offer a place for women who recognize that experience and want a community where they can speak openly.
The business itself began on third-party marketplaces, including eBay and Depop. Those experiences taught me what I liked, what I didn't like, and what I wanted to do differently. Over time, I realized I wanted ownership of my own store so I could oversee the entire customer experience, from branding and communication to the way the business develops. Having that control gives me the ability to keep improving the experience and build something with longevity.
Nessa Samantha brings together a curated boutique and an editorial publication. How do you decide what belongs in the world you're creating?
A great deal of it comes down to personal taste and intuition. I tend to have an immediate feeling about whether something belongs. It's either a yes or a no. There may be revising, tweaking, and refining along the way, but there isn't a standardized process that determines every creative decision.
There are practical considerations, of course. When I'm evaluating a product, the material, brand, provenance, and available information can all influence the decision, particularly when the item isn't branded by Nessa Samantha itself. Those factors help inform the choice, but the choice ultimately comes down to judgment and personal taste. I want that individuality to be reflected in the brand.
Sustainability is another important part of the direction we're taking. Our curated resale approach gives previously loved items an opportunity to find a new home, and our Botanical Beauty collection reflects an interest in clean beauty and more thoughtful product choices. People are increasingly conscious of what they put on their skin, and I want that awareness to be reflected in what we offer.
With clothing, I'd like to move toward natural fabrics wherever possible and expand our commitment to sustainable options over time. The current reality of materials and availability means that transition is something we're working toward. I want to keep developing the collection in that direction rather than treating sustainability as a label that can be applied without considering the actual products.
For me, caring for the planet is part of the responsibility we have as people living on it. We depend on the natural world, yet we continue to pollute it on a scale that is difficult to comprehend. I want the business to reflect a greater appreciation for what the planet provides and to make more considered choices as it grows.
As Editor-in-Chief of Nessa Samantha Magazine, what do you feel is missing from other publications, particularly those intended for women?
I want to see more authentic perspectives from women, especially in publications whose intended audience is women. I'd love to see more exploratory essays and deeper examinations of society, culture, and the everyday circumstances that affect women's lives.
That philosophy absolutely shapes the Magazine's editorial direction. We don't hold back from exploring uncomfortable subjects or discussing things people may not want to hear said openly, particularly when they're in the room. There are people who have been thinking about something for years, hoping someone else will open the conversation because they're afraid of being the first to speak. I want the Magazine to be a place where those conversations can begin.
I also think honest writing helps us recognize how much we have in common. You can spend a long time thinking that your feelings or experiences are entirely your own, only to encounter someone else's words and realize that other people have been thinking about the same things. People read to learn, to become informed, to understand something they didn't know before, or to find their existing perspectives reflected in someone else's work.
I want women to have those moments of recognition: I've been thinking about this for so long, and someone's finally talking about it. Maybe an article gives them a new way to understand an experience, or maybe it opens a conversation with other women who have gone through something similar.
I also want that exchange to be possible without the pressure of social media. People should have room to explore a subject and engage with other readers without feeling that they have to expose their personal lives or worry about how they'll be perceived online.
Your interests span fashion, history, art, music, and beauty. How do those interests influence what you create and publish?
I love all of those things. Being able to bring them together authentically, express myself through them, and create a space for other women who want the same kind of experience is something that really captures my attention. I've always wanted to build a community of like-minded women, and that desire influences what I publish, from the subjects I choose to the experiences I explore.
My own experiences also influence my writing. I think about the things women may relate to, including the thoughts and feelings they keep to themselves because they don't feel safe expressing them. My work draws from my experiences growing up, family life, my current experiences, and my thoughts about my place in society. Those things accumulate, and they find their way into what I create.
Art is another important part of my life. I'm particularly fond of acrylic painting, and floral landscapes are my favorite subjects to paint. That interest carries into the creative details of Nessa Samantha, including ideas for our handwritten snail mail offering. I'm more likely to want to include botanical artwork or related paper pieces because those are things I genuinely enjoy.
The brand's inspiration comes from art, nature, and the things you discover when you take time to observe, listen, or try something for yourself. There's a particular satisfaction in hearing a complete song, seeing a finished painting, or reading an article you've finally managed to put into words. You feel as though you've released something that needed to come out.
If you're a creative person, I think you understand that feeling. When you've been holding back your ideas for too long, there's a point when you want to get them out into the world. That impulse is personal to me, and it influences the work in ways that extend beyond any single product or article.
You're developing the first seasonal digital edition of Nessa Samantha Magazine, Winter ’27. What do you hope this first edition will establish?
I want the first edition to establish the Magazine's tone and perspective, giving readers a sense of what they can expect from future editions. I also want it to introduce our tastes and begin building the community I'd eventually like to see around the publication.
When someone spends time with the edition, I hope they come away with something. Maybe they've learned something new or discovered information they didn't have before. Maybe an article leaves them feeling curious, happy, or experiencing an emotion they didn't expect. And maybe they discover that the Magazine isn't for them. I'm comfortable with that, too.
You can love your own product, brand, or business and believe deeply in what you're creating, while someone else looks at it and knows it isn't for them. I think it's important to leave room for that reality. I want readers to have their own genuine experience with the Magazine rather than feel that they're supposed to respond to it in a particular way.
Ultimately, I'd like the edition to invite people to slow down. Social media, changing algorithms, and outside noise can take up so much attention. I want readers to be able to step away from that for a little while, relax with the Magazine, and enjoy time that belongs to them.
Looking ahead, what role do you hope writing and the Magazine will play in the future of Nessa Samantha?
I'd love to see Nessa Samantha become the fashion house I already envision it being. I want to see the ideas in my head become reality, and I want to continue developing the work in a way that reflects that vision.
Writing and the Magazine have an important role to play because I want them to serve as our own vehicle for sharing perspectives candidly. I want a publication where we have greater control over what we say and how our work reaches people, without depending on social media algorithms or worrying about the monitoring and demonetization that can affect what creators are able to publish.
Having an editorial platform of our own gives us a way to develop our perspective and share it directly with readers. I want that independence to remain part of the publication's identity as Nessa Samantha continues to grow.
When someone finishes reading your work, what do you hope stays with them?
I hope the feeling stays with them. Whatever that feeling happens to be, I hope they take the time to examine it and understand what it means to them. Maybe that reflection helps them make decisions that align more closely with who they are and what they want for themselves.
I don't think every reader needs to come away with the same interpretation. I'd rather people have an honest response to the work, take something from it that feels meaningful to them, and decide what to do with that feeling in their own lives.
Ultimately, I want to create work that gives people something worth sitting with, something they can carry beyond the moment they finish reading.
Venessa Samantha Green is the founder of Nessa Samantha, Editor-in-Chief of Nessa Samantha Magazine, and a writer. She leads the development of the curated fashion and beauty boutique and the Magazine's editorial platform, including its planned first seasonal digital edition, Winter ’27.
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