All photos by Ashley Camper
Peggy Flanagan and Samantha Rei
Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan knew she didn’t want a traditional gown for Saturday’s inaugural celebration—but the idea of a buffalo plaid dress started as a joke. “People kept saying, ‘Oh, it has to be buffalo plaid,’” she says, referencing her now-signature print, which she and Governor Tim Walz consistently wore together on the campaign trail. “But then I decided, no, it has to be buffalo plaid.”
Photo by Ashley Camper
Samantha's original sketch
Samantha Rei's original sketch.
There was only one woman for the job. Lt. Gov. Flanagan knew she wanted to work with someone local, and she met Minneapolis designer (and 2016 Project Runway contestant) Samantha Rei in late December 2018, through mutual friends and a very Minnesotan six degrees of separation. “We have such a strong arts community here,” Flanagan says. “And it’s great to be able to lift up women of color.”
Flanagan says she trusted Rei with the bulk of the design. “She told me she wanted something buffalo plaid and badass,” Rei says. Rei and Flanagan collaborated on the design—a cocktail-length dress with lace sleeves and a gathered skirt—over just a few weeks.
Photo by Ashley Camper
A medallion from Flanagan's godmother adorns the dress.
A medallion from Flanagan's godmother adorns the dress.
Rei wanted to nod to Flanagan’s culture, since Flanagan is a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe and the first Native American woman elected to Minnesota’s statewide executive office, so she added beaded medallion that belonged to Flanagan’s godmother. But the dress’s crowning jewels, and the features that made Flanagan jump up and down during her final fitting, were the deep hip-level pockets. Perfect for an on-the-go, never-sits-still lady like Flanagan.
As of late Saturday morning, Flanagan was still deciding on her shoes—she’s been a little busy focusing on more pressing matters, like working through her first official days as lieutenant governor—but was leaning toward a pair of moto or cowboy boots comfortable enough to stand in all evening long. She’d pair the dress with teased hair, stud earrings, and her favorite leather and metal cuff bracelets.
“It’s a little unconventional for an elected official,” Rei says of the look. “But she’s young, and she’s shaking things up!”
Photo by Ashley Camper
Peggy tries on the dress.
It's a perfect fit!
The inaugural celebration will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 11, at the Minneapolis Convention Center. To see more of Samantha Rei’s work, visit samantharei.com.
