There is strength in our sisterhood and it’s time we celebrate it. In this collection, we highlight the power women have as a collective force and identify that our intersections and differences are what makes us undeniably strong and whole.
We are better together. We are stronger together. And in united sisterhood, together we can move forward.
The Sisterhood collection is made to inspire, unify, educate and empower our growing Dazey community with open arms. We hope that with these new graphics and phrases, we can create conversations regarding inclusiveness, intersectionality, diversity, and sisterhood.
Click the link above to download the video yourself and SHARE to win freebies and discounts throughout launch week. We have a full one min version to share in your Instagram feed and four 15-second clips to share on your Instagram Story. Prizes will be given at random and be shared on our Dazey LA story! This is a great opportunity for ambassadors to give their discount codes and collect commission as well.
A huge shout out to Arielle Estoria, the star of the video and poet who wrote this amazing piece. Dani met Arielle at a conference last year and was moved by her spoken word poetry performance. When she had the idea for this video she knew there wouldn't be a better girl for the job. She wrote the poem based off of the collection and worked closely with Dani to bring ver vision to life.
And hats off to our go-to video guru Marissa Rascon, the fearless female director. Dani knew she wanted a woman led team for this project and we couldn't be more amazed with Marissa and her work withReel Rad Films. We've done many videos with her in the past but this was really NEXT LEVEL and we're so proud of her for stepping up to the plate.
In the graphics, phrases, and content alike, we want YOU to feel represented. It is our mission to create media that matters and intentionally integrate intersections that showcase and celebrate a wider perspective than what we experience in our daily bubbles. We want to learn from each other and make strides TOGETHER.
"Togetherness takes action It takes having not just one but two seats at the table"
As highlighted in our Sisterhood poem created by Arielle, togetherness takes action. Creating a united front with YOU has been such an important piece to this collection from the start. To take action on that, we are SO THRILLED to include designs from our #dazeydesigncontest winners. These ladies brought amazing creativity, skill, and joy to the community through their submissions. Congrats and a huge thanks to these gals---Brooklyn, Nicole, and Lily--- for all their work!
"There is strength in our sisterhood When we realize, empathize, humanize and embrace each intersection within the whole."
And of course, we have to spread love and appreciation to all the women who came together in sisterhood to make this collection possible. We are honored to have a generous cast of women who share the passion for progress and want to create conversation with us. This crew proves that there is Strength In Our Sisterhood. None of this is possible without YOU.
So ladies, follow along this season to celebrate togetherness and all. Check out the video for the collection and continue to contribute to conversations that empower. We can't wait for you to join the revolution!
Arielle Estoria - Poet, Speaker, and Creative of Many Talents
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I met the beautiful soul that is Arielle at Yellow Conference. This gal beams sunshine and brightness. She was the emcee for the whole event and hosted with amazing style and grace. The conference kicked off with a spoken word poem she wrote and performed. It basically had the whole room in tears including myself. We chatted there and I started following her journey on social.
She has started to do some modeling so we planned a photoshoot. Then I decided we may as well do a full Dazey Lady feature! She's always doing creative things, speaking at events, and just being an overall inspiring human being. Quintessential Dazey Lady right there! THEN an hour before she got to the shoot I asked her if she would be down to recite the whole poem she did at Yellow on video, and lucky for us she was down! Then I asked her to come in again a week later to film some b-roll, and she was still game, such a trooper. I'm not a videographer or sound technician so please bear with the not so perfect visual & audio :). The message and gorgeous soul make up for it! I also have a full Q & A with Arielle about all sorts of things from being a poet to how she prepares for public speaking.
This poem went perfectly along with the theme of our new collection, "Dreamer & Doer." She perfectly captures all the different emotions you go through while following your dreams, and how you choose to keep doing so despite setbacks. Because you know it's where you're supposed to be.
Q & A Plus Full Photoshoot with Arielle:
We love that when people ask what you do you use the label “creative” since you do so many things! Why don’t you list all the many creative pursuits you do?
I am a Spoken Word Poet both in performance and written, speaker, emcee, I am a blogger, writer, social media and brand enthusiast, I model sometimes, and a dash of acting (trying to).
Of all of these things what is your main passion and why?
Honestly, if I could just live a life and pay the bills from just creating if that could be Speaking: poetry, emceeing, motivational conversations and acting would be a dream! I’ve always been a super theatrical child and loved being on stage and I think I got older and really pushed those things away as not being parts of me or practical pursuits but they’ve always been apart of me, now I’ve just decided not to run from them.
Your poem really hit home to me and so many women who were at this conference. So many Dazey Ladies are still struggling to support themselves while doing what they love. What are some tips on surviving these struggles and not getting burnt out?
Rest- turn the phone off, leave it in the car and go to yoga for an hour. Surround yourself with people who aren't creatives- the friends who keep you balanced and remind you that despite how it feels, you’re not drowning. I have a creative mentor who I meet with two times a month to dream, plan and create action steps for moving forward and she has been such a saving grace-- -i think so often we want to do everything on our own, figure it out on our own but we really need each other. So that would be another thing i would say, be and stay in community with both non creative and creative friends, find the people who will be the fuel under your fire but also the people who remind you when it's time to come down from the clouds for sometime also.
We love that you do poetry, such a lost art in this day and age! What got you into this?
I have a background in theater but I’ve always written poetry, it was how i processed life and everything around me. I’ve always been a very internally processing type of individual. I went to an arts high school and delved into the art of acting and theater and really fell in love with it. I wrote monologues and scripts for fringe festivals and directed plays. When I got to college i continued theater for my first two years and then dropped it because having a double major was hard and honestly I didn’t want to take tech classes. The semester after I dropped my theater minor officially, spoken word fell into my lap and I competed in college on a competitive poetry team for two years, took over the poetry club and it just spiraled from there!
What is the inspiration behind your poetry and your process of writing one?
I am always inspired by what's around me, people, conversations, kids, the things I am feeling. I always write to music and that’s usually like a creative trigger for me. I don't really have a process, usually there’s always music playing but sometimes I could be on a run or a walk and the poem will spill, I say spill instead of write because that's what the process feels like most times, as if the words are just pouring out of me like a stream of consciousness. My goal/mission in my work is, “Words not for the ears but for the soul.” If I can get people to connect deeply and more honestly with their emotions and elicit a reaction to feel then I’ve done my job.
You killed it being the host speaker at the Yellow Conference! Public speaking is one of the biggest fears people have. How did you realize you were good at it and how does one become a professional speaker?
Aw shux, thank you! Honestly I really avoided all on stage/spotlight professions. I thought it was shallow and not for me, and that’s a lot of the reason why I quit doing theater. But then poetry showed up and Yellow asked me to emcee the conference and I said yes, but I had never emceed or anything before that! So this is all very new and also attributes of myself and my gifts that I was good at but didn't even realize I was! The more I got involved with poetry and conferences the more I realized I had a lot to share through poetry but also just through how I communicate in general. I enjoy connecting with people and being a part of storytelling in any capacity so that's how I stumbled into it more than I necessarily pursued it.
I honestly couldn’t tell you what the process is for becoming a professional speaker because like I said I stumbled into it. But a lot of what I do stemmed from creating a website and business cards that advocated how I wanted to be hired and seen professionally. Poetry was just a starting point for that but then voice overs, motivational speaking and emceeing as well. I googled rates and how to get myself out there, built my social media and connected and networked with people. Find your “thing” that only you have and promote and advocate that!
What are some tips on claiming your nerves and learning to be a better public speaker?
Fun fact, I get nervous every single time. I have to breathe really deep and remind myself that it's not about me, that I am on that stage only because I have a gift and words to share with someone out there who might really need it. Once I’m past the first line or two, I usually settle. You remind yourself that this is your space, to take up as much as you need, to do what you were called to do in that very moment. It’s always going to be nerve wracking and terrifying, but it's just about fighting through it and placing the fear in the backseat and not the front.
So you are also an actress and now starting to model! Would love to hear about your journey in these two very competitive fields!
LOL. Okay well I started going to acting classes again in May because I was teaching theater to fourth and fifth graders and felt like a hypocrite because I hadn’t worked on my craft in a long time. I have always loved theater and acting but didn’t think to pursue it because I wasn’t competitive enough or I, “Didn't want it the way everyone else wanted it.” When I was approached by a modeling agency in June I thought it was a scam but to my surprise it wasn't! I booked my first real shoot with them in August and it was so fun! I’ve always loved being in front the camera, trying out different characters. I was the child with the alter egos who was always on whatever I considered a stage in family videos. I am easing into it, seeing what opportunities pop up and trying to be intentional and smart about what I want to accomplish while I’m in it! I’m not trying to apply this make it or break it pressure to it and instead enjoy what does come my way!
What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?
Authentic, beautifully true to yourself, trendy AF and powerful. I feel like Dazey Lady is a term coined for empowering women seeking to build a community of empowering women.
HELP US SHARE AND WIN A TEE: 👉Download one of the video preview clips above and post to your Instagram 👉Make this web page the link in your Insta profile 👉caption: "#dazeysharesselflove, click the link in my profile to see full video"
"Self love isn't selfish, it's necessary." - Dani Dazey
Share your self love
The theme of our most recent collection was The Summer of Self Love. Dazey's mission is to empower women, whether it be in their careers or everyday life. Empowerment begins from within and promoting positive self esteem helps with every aspect of your life.
We started a challenge over Instagram asking women to share their self love by posting a photo of themselves and talking about their personal journey with self love, then tagging @dazey_la & #shareyourselflove. Whether you're head over heels in self love or still battling, it shows other women that they are not alone. It's a challenge that everyone has to face. The stories shared have been incredible and a true source of inspiration. Each month this summer we have been giving away a free tee to one of the brave babes who have joined the challenge. There's still a week left in August so we hope you share and win a free tee! At the bottom of this post we show a few of the Dazey Ladies's posts who have joined the challenge.
We made this video to highlight a few of the amazing stories and to continue spreading our self love message far past the summer! All the women you see in the video and photoshoot below were casted in one week through Instagram. We posted a last minute video asking if anyone was interested in sharing and we couldn't have asked for a more perfect diverse, dynamic, and inspiring group of Dazey Ladies! The girls gathered at a Downtown LA loft early on a Wednesday morning, got decked out in Dazey, snapped some photos, and bared their souls on video. Then something even more magical happened, they began sharing stories amongst each other, taking selfies together, and exchanging contact information. I received multiple messages later that evening saying they had never felt more embraced and empowered as they did that day. It really goes to show through openness, conversation, and community we can begin to build self love. Below are the faces and words of the women who joined us that day. Behind each beautiful smiling face there is a story.
We hope you share your self story love along with this video, we think the world need to see it :)
ADVOCATES & MODELS: Vanessa Acosta, Courtney Cain, Jeanette Ramirez, Alma Lake, Taylor Ulrich, Courtney Welch, Emily Kincaid, Chelsea Moon, Ruth Lanuza, Catrina Banci, Reid Cox Sarabeth Opplinger, Katelyn Suihkonen, Jess Dutkovic, Alexandra Tanner, Arlondriah Lenyéa, Sophia Carter-Kahn, April Quioh
"I'm always comparing myself to people. Wanting to be like they are or in the journey they are in. It's still something I struggle with"
-Jeanette Ramirez (above)
"I do have a lot of trouble with fitting in with what society would describe as female. Having friends in the gay community embrace me allows me to accept that I can be both, and I can be myself."
-Arlondriah Lenyéa (above)
"Providing an avenue for all women to see themselves in the light they want to me seen is crutial, and that's why sharing your own self love journey is so important. Everybody out there is going through something similar or something different or whatever rendition of this they're going through. You have to share because you have to make sure everyone knows they are not alone."
-Courtney Cain
"Just because my struggle has lessened doesn't mean it's gone away. It is comforting knowing that probably every single person you encounter on a day-to-day basis is struggling with something within themselves."
-Emily Kincaid (above)
"For years and years I was having different types of eating disorders, I was trying to fill a hole with food. It wasn't until I actually started basing my worth on what's inside instead of what's outside, that's when I actually started to love what's outside!"
-Reid Cox (above)
"Crying actual tears right now because I have never felt so confident and empowered as I did after this shoot!!!"
-Katelyn Suihkonen (above)
"I was the only brown girl in a private school that was not a size zero. I think it's okay not being 100% everyday. Having that self love mean that you're okay with not being okay all the time."
-Vanessa Acosta
"One of my legs was shorter and larger than the other. I got made fun of in school as a little girl because it was obvious. After the birth of my son my heart started failing. I was dying. I wound up having open heart surgery. That put everything into perspective. I want to live. I've got one leg that's fatter than the other and you know what, I'm flipping gorgeous. I've got a husband who loves me, I've got beautiful children, and life is good."
-Cristina Nagel (above, left)
"Sisterhood was crucial for me feeling good about myself."
-Sarabeth Opplinger
"I was bullied at a young age. A lot of times for me it was skin color or my hair color. (Self love) is about learning to be okay with me every single day, good or bad."
-Courtney Welch
"I deserve to be happy in my body. Whether or not I want to change it in the future I think is beside the point. I deserve to wake up today and think I feel beautiful. Or even if I feel okay, or I don't feel okay, but that doesn't mean I'm going to punish myself."
-April Quioh
"Self love is great, if you can get there great. If you're not feeling it today you're still apart of this community, you're still here, you're still okay."
-Sophia Carter-Kahn
#SHAREYOURSELFLOVE
Below are some real posts by some of the brave babes who shared their story via Instagram. Be sure to check out the hashtag #shareyourselflove to see everyone's journey. We welcome all to join the challenge this summer and far beyond that!
This video explores the full process Dani of Dazey LA takes to design, manufacture, shoot, and release a collection. A true behind the scenes look into running and creating a fashion brand. Follow all the small business fun @dazey_la where we share BTS daily!
There is a lot that goes into the making of a clothing collection and this is my best shot at breaking down the process into five easy steps! I can only speak from my personal knowledge and attest to what works for me. Hope you find it helpful :)
We made a full video on the topic with the amazing Marissa Rascon of Reel Rad Films. Please check out the vid along with the steps broken down in words and images below!
Step 1: Find your theme and inspiration
It can seem daunting to design a whole collection! A great way to get started is to come up with a theme. For this collection I wanted a tropical look mixed with positive verbiage promoting self love. Once I had that established it was much easier to plan the designs to match.
I can pull inspiration from everywhere and anywhere. Once I go into "inspiration hunting mode" I find it in all sorts of places. Sometimes that means coming up with an idea while I'm walking around the street or as simple as scrolling through Pintrest. There's not some big secret to being hit by inspiration, you just have to look for it.
I jot down all of these ideas in my phone so when it comes time to design I have a good list to go off of. I write little descriptions for each idea, and then find a few inspiration photos to reference. I put those photos right next to the blank page I am designing on.The trick is pulling bits and pieces from each inspiration image to create something totally new. I do all of my designs in Adobe Illustrator using a drawing tablet and then texture in Photoshop. It's very important to me that each graphic has a hand drawn feel and vintage vibe to it.
Step 2: Merchandising
This is a super fun step! At this point I have all the designs created but no solid color story or idea the fashion bodies yet. I play with all sorts of options and colors and see what works best.
Coming up with colors has a lot to do with the season and feel of the collection theme! For the Summer of Self Love collection I wanted warm and fun colors that reminded people of a sunny day at the beach. I went for a playful pink and rich cognac to add that pop of color! There is even a splash of teal in two of the designs to add that tropical feel. I try to tie those colors into all of the graphics to make everything look cohesive. Good merchandising is all about making a collection that looks solid together!
We have our classic tee as a staple but I usually design some special cut & sew bodies (term for the blank tee) to make the collection more unique. A lot of tee brands buy blanks from other companies and just print their design & logo on them. At Dazey we wanted to make everything custom just for us! Often times I use flat photos of tee bodies and manipulate them in photoshop to look like a brand new design. For example, the tanks you see below are just photos of the tees with the arms cropped off haha. If it's a totally new body I have to create it from scratch in Adobe Illustrator making a flat illustration.
Once I have all the bodies and color story it's time to match the graphics to the tees! I line up all the bodies in photoshop and plop the graphics on top to get a visual. This process can take some time to get right. I do two color and body offerings per graphics so I try to make them different enough, yet still work on both bodies and color-ways!
Step 3: Production
A necessary evil. Finding a great factory to work with is key. Luckily, I have an awesome production partner who is really great at bringing my ideas to life. We also get along famously and have such a fun time working together! We met though one of my freelance clients at a trade show, networking and putting yourself out there is so important.
My production partner is on board with my mission to make things locally to order. We do this in an effort to avoid waste and create the best quality garment. They sew small batches of the blank bodies and as the orders come in they will print the graphics via a screen printing process. The tricky thing with going about creating the clothing in this way is it takes time! Hence my adoption of the phrase, "Slow Fashion."
I send the team over my mock up of the collection and they get to sampling. Once they have the first samples of the bodies I will try them on and make adjustments on fit and color. Once the bodies are approved they will do the prints and then deliver the full collection ready for the shoot!
Step 4: Shooting the Collection
This is what really brings everything to life! I love putting the clothes on the models and seeing new Dazey in action.
I choose to do my own photography to keep everything cohesive and on brand for Dazey. Shooting graphic tees can be tricky so I'm extra careful about the models poses and hair placement. Plus I love taking pictures haha.
All of my lookbook shoots are a huge collaborative effort. I invite other female entrepreneurs to join in so we can all benefit with killer content. We also benefit from cross promoting each other's brands in posts. I often work on a trade basis, like trading graphic designs or photos, so most of my shoots don't cost me a dime. For this shoot Marissa of Reel Rad Films approached me with the idea of making a video and hooked up the epic location though her friend Michelle of 6th and Detroit. We pulled in a jewelry designer to dress up the Dazey and the models even helped style with pieces from their clothing line, Monatazami Brand. A 4th generation lei maker contacted me via Instagram about collaborating and I knew it would just be perfect for the vibe :) These are just a few examples!
All the Dazey Ladies involved in this shoot and video:
Lastly, I have to get everything up on the site and make some serious commotion about the new collection! I use Shopify to host my website and it makes it pretty easy (yet sometimes time consuming) to upload products. I make sure to post photos showing off the garments from every angle. Descriptions are very important too for an online store since people can't see and feel the goods in person. Be as specific as possible naming fabrics and dimensions. On top of the technical stuff be sure to write a little story about the inspiration behind the piece and what it means to you. When it's all ready, go ahead and publish... ahhh!
Then you have to promote! Post everywhere and anywhere. I'm talking emails blasts, multiple Instagram posts, Insta story, Facebook, Pintrest- basically all the platforms you have. Have your fellow collaborators post that day too so you can really hype it up. Then all you have to do is watch the sales come in haha, though this can take time!
Aloha Dazey Ladies! So excited to release our biggest collection yet. A play on words derived from the "summer of love" concert in the late 60s, The Summer of Self Love collection was designed to promote body positivity and inspire women to know their worth! We believe every woman is unique and amazing :) There can be so much comparison and self deprecation in these crazy days of social media. I wanted these tees to reinforce that YOU ARE VALUABLE. Every time a girl wears her Dazey I want her to feel bold, beautiful, and confident. A little reminder that she is not alone but apart of a the Dazey Lady community!
All the graphics have a playful and tropical touch. I'm obsessed with vintage tiki culture and signage so you will definitely see some of that inspiration in there. We added two amazing new color ways, sun bleached pink and cognac. Both match our new collab swim suits like a dream! We brought back the best selling t-shirt dress, added two amazing new tank styles, and a killer velvet tracksuit with amazing glitter inks!!! All hand drawn with love and made in LA as always :) We hope you love it as much as we do!!
Xx- Dani Dazey
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We always collaborate with fellow female entrepreneurs on our shoots! Everyone wins when we work together :) We had some amazing Dazey Ladies apart of this one. Huge shout out to Marissa of Reel rad films for this gorgeous video and helping me put this shoot together! All involved in shoot:
Just in time for summer our swimsuit collab is HERE! Stoked to partner with fellow Lady Boss Sarah of Swim Like a Mermaid on these suits. We used a few of her best selling swim bodies combined with a custom pattern hand drawn by Dani Dazey. Each suit is handmade right here in Los Angeles with incredible fabrics fused with our original Dazey Design. Below you can see a video Dani made showing the process of designing the pattern in super fun fast motion! We love to give you guys a peak into the design process to show all the love and hard work we put into each product!
I met Sarah in the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey and we have worked together on quite a few photoshoots and pop-up shops. I was beyond excited when she asked to design a suit with Dazey! Having spent most of my career in graphic tees, doing textile design is always a treat.
I was inspired by my childhood growing up in California. Each year my parents let me pick one swimsuit out and I always went for the quirkiest, most colorful 90s prints! I wanted to design a suit that gave me that sweet feeling of spending summers by the beach as a kid. It's playful, colorful, and quirky. I like to call them the "Sweet Suits"! Say hello to happy, tropical, tutti-frutti fun that'll give you all the summer feels :)
Dazey LA was launched exactly one year ago and wow what an amazing year it has been! Dazey has grown so much faster than I ever could have imagined thanks to all the amazing women who have supported me. It would not have been possible without all you Dazey Ladies! What started as a way to have freedom with my workday and designs has grown into so much more. Dazey has become a mission to empower women.
When I started Dazey I always planned on making positive tees with a feminist twist, but I didn't know it would become a company all about supporting fellow females. It started with my silly Instagram videos showing behind the scenes of building a business. I would share all my tips and tricks on design and photography. In the name of transparency I would even show the tough things, both the highs and lows of running a business. Out of that conversations started. I met other female entrepreneurs and we would collaborate and cross promote. People began to join me in my entrepreneurial journey, and a community formed around it.
After a while I wanted Dazey to be about more than just my journey, so I launched the Dazey ZINE. It was a way for me to shine a spotlight on girls who inspired me. I was also able to use it to go more in depth with my girl boss topics! Now I'm ready to go one step further and am so excited to announce: THE DAZEY LADY SHOP!
The Dazey Lady shop is a new section of our website dedicated to selling goods made by our favorite female entrepreneurs. We have curated only the best in girl boss goodies! I think it's an awesome way to further our community and mission. Not to mention a lot of them match perfectly with our Dazey tees ;)
My goal is for the Dazey Lady shop to slowly grow as we discover even more inspiring brands. We will also be opening submissions! I want Dazey LA to be a one stop shop where you can easily browse and discover amazing products made by equally amazing girl bosses. We believe where you spend your money matters. By shopping with small, female-owned brands you are enabling women to follow their dreams have financial freedom while doing it. Forget the glass ceiling, we're over here building our own! On each product page you can learn about the Dazey Lady behind the brand and even find their ZINE features and social media links. You will know exactly where the goods are coming from and all the love that is put into each item. Purchase with purpose my friends!
I'm With The Band is a line of accessories by Kailee Steward. IWTB started with a vision to combine all the things she loves (music, fashion, health and well-being) and make it something rad and tangible. Kailee is super inspired by the music, culture, fashion and attitude of the 60s and 70s. A lot of the bands are named as a homage to her favorite rock stars, icons and muses. Her goal is to do what she loves and to spread light, love, positivity and good vibes while doing it. She carefully sources all of her fabrics for the highest quality and comfort, all with the environment and leaving the lightest footprint possible in mind. Many of I'm With The Band's pieces are limited edition, this is to make them special, unique and exciting for the babes that snag these pieces.
Originally from Vegas, Nikia has become one of LA's most unique fashion bloggers! You might recognize her from Dazey's Instagram. She's one of Dani's good friends and constant collaborators! Nikia has a very eclectic style and pairs Dazey tees with the most wild accessories. After having success in the blogging world, Nikia recently decided to dip into jewelry making to add some flair to her looks. Well, her handmade pom pom earrings have become a mega hit and are the perfect summer accessory. All of her earrings are handmade in LA with love.
A self taught fiber artist, Megan began selling her work in 2015 under the shop titled The Little Avocado. She specializes in both weaving and macrame, all made by hand from her home studio. Based in Los Angeles, Megan designs her work with a laid back, modern bohemian style home in mind. She is available for custom storefronts, wedding backdrops and accents, and all things home. The Little Avocado has been featured on websites such as Refinery29, Nylon.com, LaurenConrad.com, Huffington Post and more!
Born + raised in Southern California, Analisa always dreamt of owning her own creative trade while working closely with local Southern California businesses. As an LA design grad who had big dreams of working for herself and producing her own designs, she aims to always produce products that are thoughtfully designed + hand crafted in a sweatshop free environment. Founded in March of 2014, Analisa started Marloe in very humble beginnings woking out of her home office in a tiny nook. She designes and sews each bag by hand with extreme attention to detail.
Owner and designer Juliet Silva grew up in Los Angeles and is a true Southern California Native. As a young child she would do anything creative she could get her hands on. She is self taught in jewelry making and all items are made by hand in her home studio. What first started as a fun hobby has turned into a passion she truly loves doing everyday. She has learned the ropes from one of the best jewelry designers in Los Angeles, and thrives to become the best at what she does. Each piece is designed and created with lots of love and detail by Juliet herself.
Dominique Nagel, owner of Stone & Spirit, creates jewelry from nature's most amazing gems and crystals. She has been very artistic her whole life, coming from an artistic family (she's Dani's little sister!). When she's not making jewelry, or out buying crystals, she works as a painting instructor at Pinot's Palette, where people paint and drink wine. The focus of her jewelry line is to bring happiness and good vibes through wearable crystals. Using traditional jewelry making techniques, as well as copper electroforming, she makes everything herself at home! Her love of crystals developed when she helped her dad out at the local farmers market in high school, where he had a little stand that sold rocks and fossils. The obsession is real, but it wonderful to have found a way to grow a business out of it!
I met Nikia (aka @madmavenstyle) soon after starting Dazey and she has become a close friend and constant collaborator! Nikia is a well known LA fashion blogger and she has style for days! We shoot for Dazey a lot and I love the way she styles the tees in eclectic ways you would never expect! That's what really makes Mad Maven Style blog unique and a great source for inspiration.
On top of blogging, Nikia recently started making these ADORABLE pom-pom ball earrings that go amaze-balls with Dazey (oh yes, pun-intended). I figured it was long overdue to feature this inspirational Dazey Lady and good friend :) Creep below as Nikia make's pom-poms and talks blogging in our feature video.
And of course in typical Dazey-fashion, we accompany our video along with an epic themed photoshoot! The inspiration for this shoot hit me as I was walking by my house in Hollywood. I noticed the funkiest old apartments that have a very 60s/70s Miami vibe and thought I'd change things up from my usual nature or downtown city photos. I immediately texted Nikia because I knew she would be the perfect model and stylist for the job! I loved the colorful clothing mixed with the bright walls and worn down textures of the buildings. This may just be one of my favorite shoots to date! So expect more of this funky vintage vibes coming your way ;)
I have been Following Storm (@stormcalysta) on Instagram for a few years now and have always been a big fan of her eclectic 70s style. Her feed is filled with the most inspiring almost dream-like photos. I also knew she was a musician, but I didn't realize how incredibly talented she was until visiting her website and seeing her Fleetwood Mac cover. (be sure to check the Dazey edition below!!)
When she reached out saying she was going to be visiting LA from Austin I knew I had to feature her as a Dazey Lady! We met up in my little Hollywood apartment and snapped some pretty magical photos. Having her styling help was key. Girls with mad style and talent just slay me!!!
Check out the amazing live show I got to see in my living room featuring Storm covering "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac. I also secretly filmed the performance on Instagram Live and people were loosing it!! One person even said, "Felt like I was just transported into the 70s, she is a young Stevie Nicks".
We have some fun Q & A's as well as the shoot all below!! Storm is currently working on some super top secret stuff, but for now you can visit her site (www.stormcalysta.com) and catch a few more epic covers.
How long have you been playing music? Would love to hear about your journey as an artist.
I've been creating music since I was about eight years old. It's always been a natural instinct to me, but it also has been a long journey to be able to create what I feel truly represents me.
Who are some of your biggest musical inspirations?
I'm inspired by outer space, nature, as well as element of the past.
You also model, blog, and style. Tell us about how you got into that and how it ties into your music career.
I'm an artist in many ways, I paint & draw as well. Staying creative is what makes me happy, it's what I love, regardless of what medium or platform I'm using.
You have a very solid 70’s aesthetic! What inspires your amazing style?
I enjoying grabbing inspiration from vinyl album art, film photographs from the 60's & 70's, I'm also heavily inspired by glam rock fashion.
What is your five year plan in a perfect world?
I try not to box my self in with specific plans. I know I'll be creating art of some form for as long as I exist on this planet, but I prefer to let the universe to run its course & I just take the risks it throws at me.
Festival season has arrived! I'm sure your feeds have been clogged with all the Coachella Madness, we're just here to add a little more ;)
This past weekend I grabbed some of my favorite Dazey Ladies and we headed out to Coachella weekend one. Our boyfriends tagged along too and we all stayed together in my family's little condo, it was a full house for sure! Going with a good group is key to having the best time. These gals are so much fun and helped me shoot some amazing content for Dazey. Thanks so much @aldensteimle, @sarahloven, and @officiallyquigley! Also, major shout out to Sarah's Instagram Husband (hehe) Josh who is amazing and shot the group pics and this adorable little video :)
I've been going to the festival since I was young and the last few years I've been going out just for the events and skipping the festival itself, too crazy to do both (and cheaper LOL). Coachella has become so much more than the music festival, the whole desert becomes alive and there is so much going on. Brands have huge events and it's a great opportunity to network and have some fun!
On Thursday night I had the opportunity to meet some boss babes who I hugely admire, Mandy Fry the owner of Amuse Society, and Dayna Mance owner of Prism Boutique. They had a collaborative dinner and pop up that was awesome. Friday we went to the Chiara Ferragni x Revolve event and then the Foray Collective party. Saturday was a lovely oasis hosted by The Zoe Report, complete with massages, hair & makeup stations, and gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. Sunday we attended the Revolve event where we finally let loose dancing and swimming. Such a good ending to the weekend.
Theres some photos below of the events, our group photoshoot, and more. Stay tuned for our second festival post featuring @danidazey's #dazeyeveryday Coachella edition!
The Gang Instax style
With Alden & Quigley at the Amuse x Prism boutique event
Dazey every day at the chiara ferragni x Revolve party (left) and The Zoe Repost Oasis (right)
Candid shot at the Amuse X Prism dinner
Dani & Sara ending the weekend with a SPLASH at the Revolve event!
Can't get over how Sara styled the dress with this belt, perfection!
How long have you been playing music? Would love to hear about your journey as an artist.
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