Savannah: A Sweet Southern Treasure

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Savannah before to work at a wedding, but this time I came to attend the second Layover artists’ conference (last year was in Charleston, SC).  I was thrilled to go back, as it’s one of the most charming cities in the US.  It reminds me of Old Town Alexandria with oak trees and Spanish moss or a more Southern reference would be New Orleans' calm, sweeter sister.

I was especially excited for this year’s conference because it focused specifically on fashion illustration and we spoke extensively about working events, business processes, and what it’s like to work with brands.  But it wasn’t all work and we got to peak around the city a bit so let’s get into it:

Where we stayed:

Home base for the trip was The DeSoto Savannah, a chic hotel right in the historic district. It’s one of those places that perfectly blends classic Southern elegance with modern touches—think spacious rooms, dreamy city views, and an unbeatable location that makes walking everywhere dangerously easy. Stylish but not stuffy, and exactly what you want after long days of learning, eating, and exploring. Conference venue: Soho South Events.

Day 1

Day one almost didn’t happen for me. A historic blizzard decided to hit the Northeast the day before my flight, which led to a flight switch, multiple delays, and a very dramatic travel day (at least I wasn’t the only one). I finally landed in Savannah a couple hours late—but honestly, just grateful to have made it at all.

The entire day took place at Soho South Events, a stunning industrial-style venue with exposed brick, soaring ceilings, and tons of natural light. It somehow feels both cozy and grand at the same time—an ideal creative space that instantly sets the tone.

We started with coffee (because survival), then jumped right into:

• Live Demo: Developing Your Croquis with Jessica Durrant: We learned the art of creating our own dynamic Croquis and how to design fashion figures that feel unique and true to our aesthetics.

• Break-out group for a business audit: We audited our current systems to understand how to optimize processes for scalable growth.

As the day wrapped, we moved into cocktail hour, featuring classic Southern bites like fried chicken and waffles, deviled eggs, and fried tomatoes—basically a dream snack lineup. Dinner followed, continuing the Southern food theme, and by then everyone was full, happy, and ready to crash. Especially those of us who had a hell of a time just getting to Georgia.

Day 2

Day two kicked off back at Soho South Events with coffee and breakfast, followed by:

• Workshop: Dress Your Croquis with Jessica Durrant: We learned how to render different types of fabrics and technique applications to create movement, texture, and depth in our fashion illustrations—from velvet and organza to feathers and embroidery.

Afternoon activities:

• shopSCAD: A unique retail gallery for artwork and designs created by a talented community of artists from SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design).

• Forsyth Park: Spanish moss, sunshine, and that iconic fountain moment. Savannah just gets it.

Next stop: Afternoon Tea at The Gryphon Room, which felt like stepping into a storybook. Beautiful space, delicious tea, and the perfect mid-day pause. Fun facts I learned about the tea room:

1) It’s named after the Gryphon family who first owned the property and their name is in tiles on the entrance floor.

2) It was built in 1926 and used to be an apothecary! The original stained glass is still there today.

3) Today it’s owned by SCAD and all the servers are students at the school.

The evening lineup was equally strong:

• Drinks at Public Kitchen & Bar, I love a good craft cocktail!

• Dinner at Local 11 Ten, where the food was elevated Southern perfection and absolutely worth the hype. Don’t even get me started on the chocolate mousse dessert.

Day 3

• Our final day started—once again—with coffee and breakfast at Soho South Events, followed by:

  • Workshop: Collaging Designs Using Mixed Media Techniques with Jessica Durrant: We learned how to work with French collaging techniques in our paintings, both digitally and analog, and in post-production for endless ways to
    experiment and compose our work.

  • Lunch was served at the venue, which was a blessing because we were locked in creatively.

• Afternoon activities:

  • We made a stop at Pounce Cat Cafe & Wine Bar, where I met the absolute cutest cats up for adoption. Picard, an orange tabby, fully stole my heart and will live rent-free in my mind forever. I regret not bringing him home.

  • We ended the day wandering the Savannah riverside, packed with adorable shops, art galleries, and scenic views that feel straight out of a postcard. A perfect, slow-paced way to close out the trip.

Savannah delivered everything: charm, creativity, incredible food, walkable beauty, and even a little travel chaos for character development. From sketching croquis and networking, to sipping tea and meeting cats, this trip was equal parts inspiring and heartwarming—and I can’t wait to come back.

Savannah, you were a vibe.

Samantha Shammas, Author

A true travel enthusiast, Samantha has been going around the globe her entire life and has visited over 40 countries and counting. With a lust to wander, she’s always excited to visit new places and soak in inspiration for her artwork.