I’m Sami Reiss, a writer from Ottawa, Ontario, based in Brooklyn. I began this newsletter in 2014 and have since covered vintage clothing and furniture design (and strength sports) for GQ, The Wall St. Journal, ESPN and Ssense. My IG is here. The first era of this newsletter (collected in a book) covered vintage clothing and now Snake covers I would say furniture and health.
What is Snake?
Snake covers design, bringing to light the wealth of archival pieces out there that don’t get written up in any media. I highlight both canon and obscure and sleeper items, usually through pointing out sales and auctions for these items. I believe furniture auctions are the best way to come across the largest breadth of vintage furniture items, and they are as helpful to pore over for people looking for design knowledge as they are for interior decorators, set dressers or just plain design aficionados looking to outfit their places.
I also write about topics in the design world and about how the design market interacts with people like you and me. Here are some sample columns:
Read: Why doesn’t anybody have any good furniture?
Read: Why are people destroying old mid-century homes?
Read: Is design busted?
I write about these topics in each newsletter, and highlight a few dozen archival pieces, with prices, design context, aesthetic comparables—a crib sheet for someone wanting to learn. Paying subscribers it all, as well as regular profiles of designers and houses with brand histories and other crib sheets, such as price guides—what to pay at a flea market, at auction, in a store—where to buy specific items at retail, things like that.
Subscribe today for an education in design for people who don’t know where to start. Read for a year and become an expert, or simply outfit your house.
What people say about my newsletter:
"Snake is the best newsletter around if you are looking to understand and learn about design. Or outfit your dwelling."
"Reading your newsletter has elevated my understanding of interior design and opened my mind to better ways to buy furniture and objects"
"Hey, wanted to say i appreciate the work you've put into this. It's been a real pleasure learning about all of this. This newsletter feels like a part of a lost internet, people don't write about STUFF with this much earnestness anymore. Like, vintage furniture, design, clothes etc. is a wild place and no one talks about it. Any way, please keep it up and please make more hats! "
"Invaluable info, much love from Houston"
“A guy who knows more than anyone about furniture tells you what auctions to bid on.”—Matthew Schnipper, Deep Voices, quoted here.
Other info:
I mentioned a book up top—in 2023, the first 100 Snake newsletters were collected in a full-size volume, Sheer Drift. It is available through Shining Life Press. Read about it here or on GQ.com. You can order the book here.
This newsletter also has merch. It’s often available on snakeUSA.bigcartel.com and is sometimes available throughFantasy Explosion (NYC), Supply Tokyo, Varsity Los Angeles and Lower East Coast (Miami).
Contact me:
I am available here or on email at sami.reiss @ gmail.com, or on social channels @ samisreiss.
