Samuel Amoia’s meteoric rise in the design world is one of those “only in New York” stories, one where raw talent, hard work, and sheer luck come together serendipitously.

A decade ago, at a party at the Top of the Standard (a boîte then, and now, frequented by tout le monde), the former model met Stephen Sills and managed to parlay his way into an apprenticeship with the celebrated interior designer. By 2015, Amoia had established his own studio and launched a furniture collection.