About a month ago Geneieve, a model from Seattle, reached out to us hoping to set up a Dazey shoot while she was in town visiting LA. It's so awesome to have women that are genuinely fans of Dazey and eager to be apart of what we are doing here so I was happy to set up a shoot with her! Starting out at my apartment, we had the wonderful Jessica of  @JZmakeupartistry to help out with make up and hair on the shoot. We decided to do the shoot at one of my all time favorite spots in the city, Lake Hollywood Park. It's right near the Hollywood sign and in the heart of the city, but in photos can look like we are in the middle of no where with beautiful sights for days! 

Last month I had the honor of attending Yellow Conference, an amazing two day event focused on female entrepreneurs looking to make a positive impact on the world. It was seriously so incredible to be surrounded by like minded women for two whole days talking about our hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. They go above and beyond not only to teach you, but to foster a community. I left Yellow feeling inspired, refreshed, and with a ton of new friends! 

The speakers they lined up we're literally all my dream Dazey Ladies! One of the speakers, Moorea Seal, invited me via Instagram to the speakers dinner because she had been following Dazey. I had always wanted to go to Yellow and thought it would amazing to meet some of the women involved. I ended up having the best time and met Joanna, the boss babe behind the conference. I talked to her a bit about Dazey and told her I would love to come and shoot everything for the Zine. 

Below are some photos I snapped at the conference and of Joanna! Be sure to read about her incredible journey and event she has poured her life into. 

Walk us through your early career before Yellow. School, first jobs, basically your path!

My first two years of college I was a fine art major. I learned all about drawing and painting, I studied abroad in Italy learning about art history and about the great artists who came before us. My junior year of college I transferred schools and changed my major to graphic design and digital media. I got a job doing design at an agency in Newport Beach my senior year, was hired full-time after I graduated, and worked there for about a year.

After about a year at the agency, I moved to LA, got a part-time job doing graphic design at a small boutique studio in Echo Park, and worked on building up my blog and freelance work the other half of my time. The studio I worked for eventually switched gears and I got let go, but with that, I had the opportunity to take some clients from there with me. Through that, I was able to build up my freelance work enough for me to go full-time with it!

I worked on building up my graphic design business, Waterfall Creative, for the next few years, had an idea one day to start a conference, and boom- Yellow was born!

Tell us about the graphic design business you had prior. What made you decide to stop doing that?

It was a really slow progression. I didn't decide one day to stop doing it, and I still to this day take on a few clients here and there if it's a good fit. After the very first Yellow Conference, I knew this was something I wanted to be my full-time job, but I had to figure out the business side of it all. It took awhile and being that I worked for myself in the first place, I could slowly start taking on less and fewer clients, and slowly move more and more  into Yellow. It really wasn't until this year, 2017, that I was able to own the fact that I worked on Yellow full time and not put any effort into getting new clients for Waterfall Creative. 

What gave you the idea to start Yellow? What's the main mission behind Yellow and why do you think it's important?

It was an idea that came to me in the shower - a place where our brains can finally slow down for a moment, allowing us to pay attention to our ideas. I had recently met some amazing women who were working hard, running businesses and doing it all for a positive purpose. I started thinking about how special these women were, and what a great example they are to me. I started to think- do other women have these kinds of examples in their lives? They should! How great would it be to get a group of women like this together to talk about and teach others how to use their gifts to spread good. To elevate the world around them instead of focusing simply on ourselves. I have a lot of ideas on a day to day basis (too many!!) but this was one I knew I had to follow through with. It was one of those things that made my heart beat fast, made me feel extremely scared, yet totally excited at the same time. I knew it had to happen!

Our main mission is to empower creative women to become agents of good. An agent of good is someone who invests in herself, her relationships, and the world. We believe that when a woman is living as an agent of good, she is then able to make an impact on the world, simply by being herself. There's big power in the ripple effect!

This is important because as women, we have an inherent desire to nurture. We want to change the world, but often we end up forgetting that first and foremost, that starts with showing ourself care. Once we learn to do that, and we can lean into quality relationships and encouraging friendships, then we naturally change the world. The world needs us to come alive, to be our best selves, and to work for something greater than ourselves. This is important because the world needs us.

Walk us through the process of doing your very first conference! The fears and feelings you may have had.

The very first conference was me completely stepping into the unknown. I had literally no idea what I was doing. Never had run an event before, had no experience with events, and had only attended one conference in my life. I remember talking to my friend the day before the conference telling her how I felt like we lied to everyone and this isn't really happening. We had all of these people buy tickets to this thing that we didn't even feel was real! 

I was so overwhelmed the night before. Completely freaking out. I had no idea what to expect or what would go wrong or what it would be like- the unknown is so scary! 

It ended up being a magical event that everyone loved. We had a great time and enjoyed every minute of it! 

How many years have you held the conference? Would love to hear about it's evolution! 

2017 was our fourth conference. We've grown in many ways. Our first conference was about 150 people, nowadays we're around 500. We've added a marketplace for our attendees to shop goods that we stand behind and are doing good in the world. We also added a third day with just workshops. We found that people were craving more practical content, so we added in the workshop day to really allow them to dive into the tangible take home stuff. It's evolved a lot over the past four conferences, but the heart has always remained the same.

You host panels, speak, and work with some huge speakers and accomplished women. Does this ever intimidate you?

Why is it called The Yellow Conference?

When I was thinking about what I wanted this conference to be, I started thinking how I wanted to encourage women to be like bees. Bees are hardworking, they live and work in community, they do nothing but what they were created to do. And in doing what they were created to do, they make flowers bloom, plants grow and give us fruit to eat. They make the world a more beautiful, nourished place just by being themselves.

This is what I wanted to encourage our community to do. Be themselves, work hard, work together, and see the blooms spread. Bees are yellow! Also, being a graphic designer, I loved the idea because I could see the entire brand in my head. Everything yellow. I knew it would stand out, it's happy, positive and bright. Everything fell together! Aaaand the domain name was available. Always a good sign.

Tell us about your newer project, The Yellow Collective.

The Yellow Collective is our membership platform. We noticed that our community who was coming to the conference wanted to connect year round, but our conference was only annually. We decided to create a membership that brings similar inspiration, content, and community to our audience year round. That's where the Yellow Collective comes in! Members receive monthly Empowerment Packets (that come with a periodical, do-good challenge, discount or download for a product we love and other goodies), online access to our speaker videos, tools and resources and online community, and monthly gatherings either in person or online. We currently have 17 chapters (including a new one in Kenya!) and we're just getting started. It's been so awesome to see a new, deeper community form and come together. It truly feels like we're at the beginning stages of connecting and empowering the women of the world - and that's such an exciting feeling!

How do you see your brand evolving over the next five years? What is your longterm goals for Yellow and yourself?

I have a dream of having a Yellow Conference on every continent. Not sure if that will happen in five years or ten, but that's what I'm working towards! We're going on tour next year and will be really working on expanding our membership platform, connecting and empowering as many women as we can to become agents of good!

 What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

It means joyfully embracing who you are. Imperfections, quirks and all. It means being unafraid to let your true colors show. It means living your best life in your own skin. I'm a total fan of the Dazey Lady!

Even though it is technically Fall season now, LA hasn't given us the sweater weather feels just yet. It is still totally within reason to be running around town in tanks and pool hunting on the weekends. Endless Summer is a thing! Driving around Hollywood I discovered some hidden gems that were the perfect spot for a tropical Dazey shoot and had to stop and snap some pics, per usual! Check out the new paradise in the city pics below! 

Izza the boss babe behind the brand @nestingzone reached out when we had the Dazey one year anniversary party. We hosted a Dazey Lady bazaar and had a bunch of female entrepreneurs pop up at the event. She wanted to join and after creeping her gorgeous products we thought they would be a great fit! She creates everything by hand using all natural ingredients. Izza is also an artist and designs all her packaging to be as beautiful as her products. 

After the event she approached me about a collab. I personally don't know a whole lot about skincare or apothecary, but was curious to try it on the shop. If I was ever going to venture into that world I knew a collab with Nestingzone would be the best way! We met up in her home office and she walked me through all her processes and we designed some amazing scents together. She uses essentials oils to scent her products and we made all sorts of unique mixes! One of my favorite parts was coming up with the soap colors. She creates the most gorgeous marbles textures in her soaps. We designed everything to have that bright happy Dazey feel and fruity floral scents! 

I have been using everything at home and I'm in LOVE! They have been amazing for my skin and I love using natural products. I hope you'll give it a try! Below you can read all about Izza and see our gorgeous collab pieces yourself. Here are some of the fun items we have for sale on the site:

Luxury Soap Collection:
MIMOSA (Champagne - Blood Orange - Grapefruit)
Cheers Dazey Lady! Let’s toast to loving yourself and the sweet smell of mimosa.
POSITIVITY PLEASE (Blackberry - Rosemary - Sage)
This soap is for those days where you are tired of the negativity and need to wash it away.
GOLDEN TROPIC (Lemongrass - Peony)
Seriously who told summer it could end. This soap is like bringing sunshine back into your life no matter what season.

AFTERGLOW CLAY MASK 
Bring back your glow with this botanically powered rose clay mask. Our soothing hybrid clay mask is a mix of detoxifying clays, lavender essential oil, ground lavender and chamomile buds to brighten up any skin type.

LOVE MORE BATH TEA
Love yourself, love your bath and soak in some positivity. Our Mineral rich hybrid bath tea is a blend of pink Himalayan sea salt, dead sea salt, botanicals, and love.

Facial Serums:
SOLARIS - This serum features velvety rich green tea oil infused with ginseng and seaweed extracts to energize your complexion so you can start your day like a glowing goddess without feeling oily. This serum is easily absorbed by the skin, helping you to maintain elasticity and moisture, especially under your eyes.
LUNARIS - This serum is a silky smooth tonic of kukui nut oil infused with sea buckthorn and chamomile extract to soothe and rejuvenate your skin. It's packed full of hydration to work its magic while you sleep. 

BETTER DAZE BALANCING MIST (Cucumber + Rose Facial Toner)
Our facial mist brings together cucumber and rose water to work in harmony to calm, soothe, moisturize, and balance your skin. It’ll bring you out of the haze of every day life and minimize your skincare ritual.

Did you go to college? If so what did you study?

I went to two colleges at the same time — The School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA for short) and Tufts University. They are both in Boston and I studied printmaking, drawing, and art history.

What inspired you to start Nestingzone? 

In my last year of college I was facing the real anxiety of, “What am I going to do with my life.” I knew I wanted to be a maker and wanted a name that would allow me to grow, evolve, and be a space for collaboration. That's when Nestingzone was born.

Why do you think apothecary and self care are important?

Believe it or not, self care is a relatively new thing for me. Before I started creating skincare products, I would often burn myself to the ground with work and I didn’t know how to reset myself. As I began developing and testing the products for the apothecary, I think I learned a valuable lesson in the importance of slowing down and taking some “me time.” Self care is really the only way one can recharge the mind and body at the same time. So now everyday, I try to take a few minutes for myself, whether that's embracing my skincare routine or picking out a new beautiful bar of soap to use.

What do people get from supporting Nestingzone products as opposed to buying from a large company? Expand on your process!

When people support Nestingzone, they are getting a true expression of my passion and love. I love that everything I make is a small piece of my soul. The essence of soul is so important and integral in supporting a small business. I think that my art background amplifies the products and really makes them special. For my drawings I focus primarily on black and white illustrations but with the skincare products, I get to play with color and create beautiful pieces of skincare. They aren’t just beautiful things to use, but the attention to the ingredients is there. The ingredients are everything to the skincare. I don’t believe in adding things that don’t play a part in actively working magic on your skin. So if anything, Nestingzone Apothecary products are skincare show stoppers, you're not only getting the truest expression of who I am as a maker, but you get the purest form of the plant powered ingredients without fillers or other things getting in the way of how they perform!

You are also a very talented artist! Tell us a little bit about that side of you.

Awe, thank you so much! Drawing is my first love. It’s the medium that allows me to fully express myself. I love how powerful and honest a simple black and white drawing can be — it’s just me, a piece of paper and a pen.  One of my favorite things is to watch the viewer explore my drawings, to lose themselves in a new universe, and come out on the other side having a new perspective.  

You recently merged your art brand and apothecary brand into one. What made you decide to do this?

A few months ago, I sat down and had a really honest conversation with my husband about self reflection and an assessment of my creative outlets. While those sorts of conversations can be scary, I feel that it’s the only way to reveal to yourself want you want. I thought about why I had compartmentalized my artist identity and my apothecary into different names. I had the realization that the two weren’t mutually exclusive from one another, but rather the exact opposite.  It actually seemed kind of silly to me, to work so hard to express myself with different names when everything I do is an expression of who I am as one person. It literally clicked and felt right when I decided to merge everything into Nestingzone. Sometimes the simplest choice is often right in front of you the whole time.

Was transitioning your two different talents into one brand difficult?

I think the answer to this question is both yes and no. On one hand, it was incredibly difficult, especially wrapping my mind around all of the work and not feeling as if I am starting all over from scratch again. However on the other hand, the transition was actually far more natural than I may have initially thought. Whether I was fully conscious of it or not, the entire time Nestingzone had been influencing all of my creative and design choices at Beetle + Bones. This realization truly made the metamorphosis quite seamless. On top of that, I had the support of my incredible friends, family, and ‘Nestingcrew’. It was actually very beautiful to see how much support and acceptance I received for something that I honesty kind of dreaded. I’m still trying to strike the right balance, but I’m so honored and thankful to have so many supportive people that want to join me on my journey.

Your previous brand name was Beetle + Bones Apothecary and now you’re Nestingzone. What is the meaning behind these two names?

Both of the names come from a place of dreaming. When I first dreamed up Nestingzone, it seemed like a name that could evolve with me and not confine me. It’s a multifaceted name that represents a combination of all my memories, emotions, and experiences. When a bird leaves its nest, it will go on to make a new one, but they always make their nest ‘home’. That is what the name Nestingzone means to me — A place that no matter where I go, I can call it home.

Beetle + Bones Apothecary also came from a dream state. Basically, the beetle is my spirit animal.  Beetles represent strength, creativity, and change. The “bones” came from my approach to skincare, of using only the absolute essential ingredients to make my products, the ‘bare bones’ if you will. I only add ingredients that will supercharge my skincare products. So there’s no fillers, phthalates, parabens, or other unnecessary additives.

What inspires you as an artist? How did discover your own unique look and style of drawing?

Nature is my main inspiration. Growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I was often around nature.  Whether I was fishing, hiking, camping, or just exploring the woods, I found an organic beauty that really excited me.  My drawings represent visual dreamscapes, often combining elements of flora and fauna that don’t inherently go together yet seamlessly connect in my Nestingzone world.

I think my unique style developed by studying still-life paintings and watching too many cartoons as a kid; It may seem like a strange combo but I find that both have the power to alter your perceptions of world.

You’ve mentioned having very bad insomnia. How does that effect your work life as well as personal?

YES, It is seriously the worst! But I think my insomnia is directly tied to my level of excitement about life — I know this sounds kinda weird, but the more I see work and personal growth through incredible collaborations and connections, the less amount of sleep I get. When we first starting talking about working together, I was honestly sooo excited that my insomnia flared up again. A silver lining to my insomnia is that my creativity has free rein and thus is not inhibited by sleep, which allows me to explore and develop ideas quickly.

What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

To me, being a Dazey Lady is being a boss babe.  An empowered woman who is in control of her own destiny. Knowing that you’re a part of a ‘girl gang’ and that you have sisters at the ready to run with you. At the end of the day, only you can hold yourself back, but it’s such a powerful thing to know that people want to see you succeed. I’m really honored to call myself a Dazey Lady and I’m looking forward to joining alongside you with your adventure!

We are slowly starting to move into Biz Babez, the downtown all-female co-working space Taryn (@vegetaryn) and I are starting! I figured I might as well do a shoot there while it's still a little bare bones because it won't stay that way for long. Right now it still has that cool, downtown industrial vibe and I love how all the pics came out. Sydney's agency, Natural Models, first reached out to shoot when I put out a casting call, and just one look at her Instagram (@sydney.ness) tells you she's got the modeling thing down! Sydney has been professionally modeling for eight years. And obviously you can see she's a super babe that totally nails every look. It was so fun shooting in our new space with Sydney, scroll down to check out the first- but definitely not last- shoot in the brand new Biz Babez!

Zoe is your quintessential cool girl. I've followed her on Instagram for a long time now and always loved her style and look. This gal is constantly shooting and has racked up tons of followers through her hard work and artful approach towards modeling. I met her through mutual friends and she was so sweet and down to earth! I love when you meet people IRL you imagine being intimidated by and then they end up being super nice :) 

In the world of social media marketing, modeling has become so much more than having the "right measurements" and more about your drive, unique look, personal style, comfort in-front of the camera, and knowledge of the industry. These are the things I look for in Dazey models and Zoe has it all. At a young age she thought being only 5'2 would mean she wouldn't be able to pursue modeling, but years later she's proven herself wrong! She is killing it and I have been seeing her all over from Refinery29 to Dolls Kill. 

We met up in an adorable part of the Hollywood Hills and snuck onto a few gorgeous properties. A lot of my photoshoots are guerrilla style like this, with places I scout while driving around! I figure it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission ;) Luckily Zoe was game and we had an awesome time haha.

Below are the stunning photos we snapped along with some questions about Zoe's journey and some serious tips if you're interested in pursuing modeling as well. All the photos were edited with #presetsbymel in Lightroom, they are amazing and have brought my photography to a whole new level so be sure to check them out!! 

What did your life look like before becoming a full time model? School, previous jobs, previous dream?

Before I started modeling full time, I was going to school at FIDM, studying visual communications, ultimately with the goal of working on visuals in store and was really interested in creative directing. I was working at Urban Outfitters doing retail for a bit and then worked at a company called PYLO doing visuals for them. I was modeling while doing all of those things as well. But it wasn't until about mid May of last year that it became full time for me! 

When we shot you talked a lot about how modeling has really become your passion. Would love to hear all about why!

Modeling for me is an art form unlike many others. It's about bringing someone's vision to life in a creative and new way. I've had the opportunity to travel to so many beautiful places and meet so many beautiful people through modeling. It's that that makes me passionate about it. Everyday is a new day in the industry and I just love to be part of a someone's creative vision and create magic with so many talented individuals. 

When you were younger you thought you weren’t able to model because of your height. How did you push past that and do it anyway?

My mom had a huge role in helping me push past these limits I had set for myself. She has always been so supportive about it and reminded me in some of my hardest times that I am doing what I have wanted to do for so long and sometimes it just takes time. It doesn't happen overnight and the let downs I've experienced only push me forward and help me grow. For me, once I got my first job I realized I could do it. The rest is history. I've just been working hard and reminding myself everyday that I'm living my dream. 

What was it like moving from Arizona to LA? How are things different in LA?

It was definitely difficult. I moved to Orange County in high school and from there I moved to LA. The transition was intense and the first year in LA was confusing and tough and I spent so long trying to make ends meet (a common theme amongst us Angelenos). The thing I miss most about Arizona is the endless amounts of free parking to be completely honest. Everything is different in LA for the most part but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. 

Tell us about your style! I love the mix between sweet and sassy you have going. How does this play a role in your work?

My style is all over the board! I love pulling pieces from every type of style. One day I'm very clean and simple, the next day I'm in bright colors and funky shoes. I've always been like that though so I'd say my style is based on whatever I'm feeling at the moment. Style plays into my work quite a bit honestly. When I go into a casting, it's the first bit of my personality that the client gets to see. Sometimes I'll even have stylists ask me on set how I would wear something. It's a way to set myself apart from other models and express myself when I only have a short amount of time to show the client who I am. 

What advice would you give to a girl who wants to start our modeling? First steps?

Get ready to hear no, get ready to not book for awhile, but do not let it stop you from pushing onward. It's a tough industry and there are so many of us trying to make a name for ourselves. The first step is always to put yourself out there. If it's something you want to do, grab a friend and ask them to take simple headshots of you. If you're not scouted by an agency, attend open calls or send an email in to some of the agencies you'd like to be with. Don't be shy to say hey I think I may have something. Even when some say no, try again with someone else. 

You have built a massive following, what tips do you have for gals trying to do the same?

My following grew pretty organically. I was working with a lot of companies who have a large presence and a lot of my followers have come through them. My ultimate tip is to have fun. Don't take it or yourself too seriously. I don't know a ton about growth and all that good stuff but I have always run my account the same. I post what I want to post when I want to post it. And I try to be real with my followers. I like to show them me with my friends just dancing to our favorite songs. It's a tough area to tap into but I just think that you should be yourself and people will like that, they'll want to see what comes next. 

The day we shot you had literally just landed from a flight, ran to our shoot, had another shoot later that day, and an event that night! Is your schedule always that crazy busy? How do you manage it!?

My schedule fluctuates quite a bit! Sometimes I'm uber busy like I was that day and sometimes I get to run errands and relax at home. I'm always on my toes though. Sometimes things come up very last minute and I have to be ready to tackle it. I've always been so horrible at keeping a calendar so I rely a lot of my phone's calendar and am always double checking emails from my agents for dates and timing. If I get overwhelmed, I try to remind myself that it isn't the end of the world and I'll have a day to relax soon! 

 So exciting you just signed with such a big agency, Wilhelmina! Tell us about how you got connected with that and what it means for your career?

I was scouted by Wilhelmina in October of 2016 and signed with them in November of 2016. I am so forever grateful for the connections I made that made it possible for them to even see me. As far as what it means for my career, it's nice to be with an agency like Wilhelmina because they have such a name in the industry and so many connections and clients that it helps put my career ahead by default. My agents are just amazing people and are always pushing for me and booking me amazing jobs. It's been a whirlwind since I signed with them to say the least and I'm so grateful for my little Willy fam! 

What’s your plan with modeling and life in general the next few years?

It's hard to say. I try to live one day at a time but I hope I continue to model in the next few years, who knows, maybe even give acting a try. Or maybe music. The world is my oyster so I'm just excited to see what comes my way in the next few years! 

What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

Being a Dazey Lady is about being a boss. Being your own boss and doing so with grace, fun and a hint of sassiness. It's about showing up and saying, "I'm here. Let's make magic" in every part of your life. It's about empowering other women and by doing so, empowering yourself.

Another month, another round of Dazey Digital! For September we've chosen some of our favorite power messages to display on your computer and mobile screens. Just save right to your phone or drag and drop to your desktop. Have a certain Dazey design you want to see next month? Comment below and let us know which favorite you'd love to see go digital! 

Dazey Your Desktop "Don't Hate, Collaborate"

DOWNLOAD DESKTOP VERSION USING IMAGE SHOWN BELOW

DOWNLOAD THE MOBILE VERSION HERE

Dazey Your Desktop "Wild & Wondrous"

DOWNLOAD DESKTOP VERSION USING IMAGE SHOWN BELOW

DOWNLOAD THE MOBILE VERSION HERE

Dazey Your Desktop "Dazey Lady"

DOWNLOAD DESKTOP VERSION USING IMAGE SHOWN BELOW

DOWNLOAD THE MOBILE VERSION HERE

Victoria reached out to me on Instagram awhile back and we met up for drinks. When you meet a fellow small business owner you instantly have a million things in common so we clicked right away! I was familiar with her storefront, Wallflower, in San Francisco's popular and ultra-hip Mission District.  Wallflower is a magical place filled with the most gorgeous vintage, handpicked by Victoria herself. She lives in LA specifically to focus on buying the best vintage and sends it up to her store in SF! 

Victoria's outfits are always so put together and freaking adorable so it was no shock to me when she decided to start her own line that the pieces were equally amazing. She began wearing them out and about earlier this summer and I knew I had to have them in the DL shop as soon as they were released! I love seeing friends embark on new exciting, adventures, and it's even better when I can play some sort of part in it.

We met up at Victoria's adorable Hollywood apartment to shoot the collection for this feature. She's the queen of vintage, not only in fashion but decor as well! Her place was the perfect backdrop to shoot these gorgeous pieces. I threw on a few too and we did some self timer shots haha! 

Below we have a full Q & A with the boss babe behind the brand. We have also included some photos of her storefront which she runs with the help of her business partner pictured below as well! 

What was your journey up until starting wallflower? College and jobs right before?

I mainly went to school for Fine Art, majoring in Printmaking at the Academy of Art in San Francisco.  Before that I dabbled in Business at American University and Art History at MMC in NYC.  Never really happy with where I was, I made the move to San Francisco without ever having visited, and ended up falling in love with it.  I quit college when I was 20 or 21 and lived and worked in the city for a few years, modeling for live drawing classes and other random jobs as I didn’t know what I wanted to do with myself or the direction my life would take, but I knew I wanted to be in SF and would do what it took to stay.  When I was 23 I met an amazing man who I married a month later, and we lived in my tiny studio apartment in SF together creating and developing our craft- he was a photographer and a graphic designer so it really helped to be with someone so creative and kind to help me figure out what my next steps were and how to tackle that.  That year I decided that I was going to go back to school for Visual Merchandising to get a proper degree and a proper job, and eventually open a store.  However, the thought of taking out another loan for almost 40k was just too much to handle, and instead I said f*ck it, I’ll figure it out on my own. I started selling vintage online, styling and shooting etc and through the power of Instagram I got my first job at Belljar- a local boutique that I loved.  From there I spent a year and a half doing everything from store remerch- clothing, jewelry, art, clothes, and decor- to making handmade window displays that took 40+ hours each time, and really got to learn how to make things look good in every aspect of a store.  I got knowledge of installation, a few power tools, ladders, and those basics of shop maintenance.

So you started with a small space before moving into your current location. Would love to hear about how you began there!

While I was still working at Belljar an opportunity opened up in a friend’s shop and I jumped on it.  My neighbor owned a vintage furniture store that was very large and they were looking for someone to come in and basically rent the back room to drive sales and take some of the burden of overhead of running a giant shop in the Mission off of them.  However the back room was totally thrashed and needed some serious work, so I got down to it.  Literally everything that could go wrong went wrong haha.  I think it took me at least 6 weeks to renovate the space and build it out- sanding, painting, cleaning, replacing floor boards and electrical, etc.  I wallpapered nooks and built racks, I turned the world’s most terrifying closet into a dreamy little dressing room, and I learned how to do everything by doing it and figuring it out as I went along.  

Moving into a shop in such a popular and high cost area must have been scary! Tell us how you found your current location.

For a year at the first space I was in the shop 5-6 days a week, leaving the house at 9am every morning to do all the buying and then lugging all my bags to the shop without a car, steaming and prepping clothes, tagging, making orders, merchandising, helping customers, managing payments, posting on Instagram all day long and leaving around 7 or 8pm at night.  The shop was doing really well, people were loving it, and I wanted to grow it and get out of the back of another store basically.  I wanted to have full control over all the elements, and at 26 I thought I now had the experience to execute that.  When I found the space around that Christmas, it was yet again a turd and a half lol.  Only someone as crazy as me would take a space that needed a TON of work, including a new floor, walls, electrical, the works. But hey, I had already done that once so why not again.  The biggest issue was that it was four times the size of the old store and I was one small person already doing everything on my own seven days a week.  I reached out to my manager at BJ who I had been working with for almost two years and who I adored, and asked if she wanted to partner up and help me make Wallflower a real live Valencia street store!    

But back to the question, yes very scary.  We did the most intense construction on another insane timeline- six weeks- and if anything had gone we would have been screwed.  We didn’t have a huge loan, we didn’t have a huge budget for build out, and we did as much of the work ourselves that we could.  I was back at the wallpaper game haha. I almost asphyxiated myself making glitter walls for the dressing rooms LOL. But it looks beautiful so it’s all good.  The fact is that if you want to be making sales in-store on a daily basis that support you, you need to be in a high traffic area and therefore have high traffic problems like ever-expanding overhead, taxes, crazies, people stealing, construction next door, anything you can think of we’ve seen. Though thankfully no one has pooped in my planters so I still consider that a huge win.  

You sell online and in stores. What would you say are some major differences between the two?

I’ve always loved having a store and getting to create an amazing space that people can experience visually and fall in love with.  Having an online store is similar in a need to tell a story, but also relies on so many other technical elements in addition to visuals that can be way more intimidating for me!  I guess I’m more of an in-person shopper, I like to shop for things by looking at them and touching them and trying them on, but know tons of girls who shop exclusively online so everyone is different!

What's the scariest thing about starting your own business?

I wouldn’t say it’s a scary thing at all to be honest.  For me, working in an office is terrifying. Using my creative talents and ideas to build something for someone else, not being able to say what I want to say, those things are scary.  I’ve always been fine working as hard as I can because I know those other jobs aren’t options for me.  If you can’t take orders, you have to get good at what you do fast.

What got you interested in vintage clothing? What do you look for when buying?

I always loved vintage, the aesthetic of well made garments and decor, the patterns and prints.  I also married a super 70’s dude and our style melded into one, a lot of mustard in that closet.  He took me to my first flea market and I was like hmmm I don’t know about all this!! But every week we would go, and take so little money, maybe $40 or $60 for us both to spend, and take home all our treasure on the bus!  We became pros, living for Sunday morning haha and that’s when I started selling online after learning by osmosis what was rare and coveted and cute and in good shape and the value of it all.  Now I pick based on everything from size, style, condition, time period, color, and fabric content.  After 2.5 years on Valencia and another year before that of being the only buyer for a store you just learn what sells and what doesn’t, and of course I still take into account what I love and what are flattering shapes that our customers keep coming back for.

Your store is in San Francisco and you live in LA! What's your reasoning behind that and do you find it difficult?

I moved to LA a little over a year ago mainly to pursue our Wallflower line.  The vintage game has gotten way more competitive, the best pieces are way more rare, and we wanted to use our experience and reputation for having the best colors, styles, fabrics, and prints to create what was getting harder and harder to find- quality garments. It is difficult, I still do all the vintage buying and process and ship every item up to SF in boxes for the girls to unpack and tag there.  I go up every 6 weeks or so to help with remerchandising the store, any creative or construction-related projects, do new window displays, drive up product, do photoshoots, etc.

I was also fresh out of my divorce last year and was working 7 days a week and just worn out from the stress of it all, so I needed to make a change and get some sunshine and some personal space in my life to stay creative and inspired.  San Francisco has become unaffordable to live in- even as a business owner and decently successful human- and after almost 10 years there I said goodbye, packed my bags and moved South.  

You have a business partner, what are some of the advantages of that?

My business partner is the best person there ever was.  We are both very lucky because we balance out each other perfectly, and each do very different roles in the company so there is not any weirdness or competition internally.  Where I do the creative- buying and designing/production, Lindsey does logistics, manages the shop which is open 7 days a week including training our staff, accounting, scheduling, consignors, bills etc.  She is also a great seller and who I learned to sell from way back in the day!  She is super positive and great with customers, and we have a perfect Pisces/Virgo dynamic going on. The advantage is that we both get to focus instead of trying to do both creative and logical tasks which divides your brain and your attention away from what you’re best at and your long term goals.

Wallflower just launched it's very own in-house line! Would love to hear the process of how you went about designing and producing the collection as someone who is new to cut & sew.

Yes!  Literally a year ago I had no knowledge of how clothes were manufactured in LA or the process at all.  From picking and processing garments, I have experience with the clothes themselves, how and why they fit and look good etc, but not technical book learning lol. I’ve learned a TON since starting, but still go on my deepest instincts when it comes to design.  I worked with a friend to get started who introduced me to my pattern maker, but soon I realized I was accidentally doing all the work I had hired her to do, and loved just working with him and it was easier to do that directly than involve a third person’s input and direction and schedule into the mix. After the first collection I did a lot of troubleshooting for the next one and was able to identify things I would do differently for moving ahead with design and production.  Once you get a handle on your timeline and where to buy all your pieces of the puzzle, it’s all good.

What is your collection inspired by?

Wallflower has always been about catering to awesome chicks who are also on a budget, and proving you don’t have to have a ton of money to have great style.  The perfect fit, color and pattern have always been our focus so making sure that stays true is our top priority.   

What's next for wallflower?! The storefront and collection!

We are currently working on capsule collections for next year and beyond!! Our pre-fall collection was so well received that we are running more of our amazing cropped pants (which I’m personally stoked on because I want them in every color lol).  Get ready for metallics especially, as we meditate on color stories that will blow your whole mind!

What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

I’ve been a big fan of Dazey for a while, especially because I know how hard it is to start a business on your own.  Here was this very young girl putting herself out there for the cause, using her experience to help other women solve the mysteries of Instagram, algorithms, Illustrator, all the tidbits that people usually keep to themselves, and I just loved her instantly.  Being a Dazey Lady is like being a part of an awesome girl squad who help each other and build on each other’s greatness instead of competing and being catty or negative.  They are all doing amazing things and Dani has built a great community just by being herself and being creative and inquisitive and kind. In the fashion industry that’s a very difficult thing to find so I have nothing but respect and love for Dazey and all the Dazey Lady squad!

Last month I met up with amazing photographer, Bob Sala, and got some photos lounging around my apartment in Dazey. I show bits and pieces of my place on the Instagram story but after getting a few requests I decided to do a mini home tour here on the Zine!

I love all things visual and wish I could do it all. I always like to say in another life I would have been an interior designer. Then a friend (@officicallyquigley) called me out one day and said, why not this life? Somehow this silly comment was a revelation! I may not design interiors everyday but it can still be something I incorporate and practice in my life. And where's a better place to start than my home?! I have meticulously been picking out furniture, decor, and art for the past year getting everything ready. Of course I'm still not finished, I'll never be finished!  

This Friday my business partner Taryn and I are moving into the female co-working space we are starting named Biz Babez. A space for inspiration, collaboration, and community. Now BOOM my second gig as an interior designer has materialized and I am so excited. I love the clean lines of mid-century design mixed with the bright colors and patterned textiles giving it that soft bohemian vibe. This is the look I strive for in my home and plan to achieve at Biz Babez. It's a bit of a daunting task to have 3,000 square feet to decorate. Luckily I've done all my internet sleuthing and found some awesome companies who support our mission to help female entrepreneurs and are going to work with us on decorating! Many of these companies I already had in my apartment and I'm excited to share their info below. I urge you to do your interior shopping with these small business who care :)

Biz Babez Partners & found in my appartment:

1) New Made LA - Plant stands, planters, unique accessories

2) DK Renewal - Pillows and textiles, boss babe duo

3) Amsterdam Modern - Gorgeous mid century furniture 

4) Hannoun rugs - LA based vintage moroccan rug company

5) Ponderosa Cactus - LA based cactus company & sister duo

6) The Little Avocado - LA based fiber artist 

7) The Shift Creative - Installation artist 

8) Laura made it - Mixed media artist 

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DAZEY LA X SOLSTICE INTIMATES

SHOP THE SUIT HERE

I could not be more excited to announce our new collab piece with Solstice Intimates! I have been following their journey on social media since the beginning and have always been inspired by their amazing products and boss babe behind the brand, Natalie! She began Solstice just a few years ago sewing everything by hand and now it has quickly become a huge success. 

For our collab we wanted to incorporate the feel of both of our brands into one magical piece. With her gorgeous handmade silhouettes mixed with my hand-drawn graphics we knew it was going to be special. After some back and forth we decided to go with a mod pop-art look to match the bold spirit of the Solstice girl and playful feel of Dazey. The bodysuit is made from a soft beatable cotton with bright screen printed design. Wear it solo or with pants or a skirt! However you wear it we know you won't want to take it off ;) 

Solstice began with unique silhouettes and 70s styles sewn all in velvet. They looked different than any other lingerie I had seen before. Very playful, fun, and looked more comfortable and durable than your usual slinky silk underpinnings. I saw them as being more made for the wearer's benefit than anyone else. They are empowering and all about self expression. With amazing marketing, social media presence, and the support of their fans, the brand expanded. They now carry many more styles including amazing swimwear and dresses!

It only seemed right to include a Dazey Lady feature on Natalie along with the launch! Read below as she talks about humble beginnings, her inspiration, and how she's managing to scale her business!  PS Natalie is the red head babe you see scattered in between our lookbook photos :)

Model 1st look: Reid Cox

Photog 1st look: @danidazey

Model 2nd look: @uhclarice 

Photog 2nd look: Joseph Maddon

Solstice has got to be the coolest and fastest growing lingerie brands! How long have you been in business?

Thanks girl! We have been going at it just under two years. Solstice came about from my own personal love of beautiful underpinnings. I started just making for myself what I could not find in other shops. When I first started it was just the basics: bodysuit, bra, underwear, all in velvet only. I quickly realized that they were being worn as outerwear. I remember the first time I saw a woman wearing one of the bodysuits with jeans, like just as her shirt and at first I was confused. Then I realized I needed to step my game up if these pieces were the actual outfit and not just hiding under the outfits. From there I started adding more panels, colors, textures, etc. 

What did you do before Solstice? Did you get any degree in the art or fashion world?

Yes, I did get a degree in Fashion Design from FIDM in Los Angeles. I started a business with two other friends from school when we were all 18/19 and quickly learned I was in over my head. I didn’t know enough about the business side of things. I also missed my family in Arizona so I moved home about a year after finishing college. I planned to stay in fashion and was working to get an internship while working full time with MAC makeup and making a few wedding dresses on the side. I met my now husband, got married, and had our first baby. I was working lots of hours, and hours I did not want to be working so much with a family so I went back to school, got a job as a finance manager, and got my masters degree in business finance. The plan was to use my degrees to start my own business but I got really comfortable for about 10 years in my 9-5 desk job. I started making kids clothes as a creative outlet while I worked my normal job but it was not something that I felt could support my family doing full time. I put the kids clothes on hold and focused on my career in finance. I started making bras for myself, then my friends, and when others started showing interest I launched a site thinking I would have a few nice friends that bought some stuff and the site blew up the first day. I tried to get orders filled at night after work and when my babies slept but within two months I had to make the choice to quit my job or quit Solstice. Solstice won and I have not looked back since. 

What did you set out to create when you started? What makes Solstice different than other brands?

I am a no fuss jeans and tee kind of girl in terms of my outerwear but I have always liked to get a little more fancy with my underwear. The issue was always that I still wanted to feel comfortable. Underwire and constrictive fabrics make me nuts. I started making pieces for myself that made me feel pretty but still comfortable in my skin. I can't stand taking my bra off and having all those indents and red stab marks everywhere that I am sure any woman can relate to at some point in life. I try to find a balance between intricate beautiful designs but they still have to feel good on my skin and look beautiful peeking out of a low cut tee. 

So each piece is handmade. Did you began sewing each piece yourself? Tell us a little about your growth process as your are scaling.

Balancing business growth and sticking to my handmade roots has been a learning process that I am still getting a grasp on. To this day I still myself sew at least 10 hours a day. Every piece that is shipped I still touch. Last year it was just me, alone in my kitchen sewing like a mad woman. Within about six months of starting I realized it was at a point where it was impossible for me to do it alone. I had a very hard time with that concept but people were already waiting six weeks for orders and I knew that any longer than that and folks would lose interest. I know I wouldn't want to wait that long! So I put out an add for a seamstress and interviewed countless people and cried for weeks trying to find someone that I trusted with my baby. I finally found a woman, Kim is her name, and she had 25 years experience in manufacturing of swimwear. She is perfect and has taught me so much and helped me to improve my product along the way. She sews way faster than I do so she does most of the everyday pieces and I do the specialty and one of a kind pieces. We also have my husbands childhood friend, Dan who helped me with my kids brand and learned to sew knits so he sews with me most days as well. From the beginning I wanted to do swimwear but I have never sewn a swimsuit in my life. They are a whole other beast. I have a small batch manufacturer in Los Angeles that helps me with those, which is why they are ready to ship and not a 4-6 week wait situation. They have also been slowly incorporating some of my everyday designs into their process so hopefully we will be able to add to our ready to ship line as we progress with them. I will never stop sewing. We have built a clientele of women who have a hard time finding ready made pieces. We will always cater to those with the long or shorter torsos, mismatched top to bottom ratios, etc. In order to do that, we have to make the pieces to order just for them. Those are my people, the ones that have been there rooting me on since the beginning. I have rows of patterns special made with customers names on them that I will always adjust as their bodies change. We also just bought a rad workspace so I am now (just as of this week) out of my kitchen and the hope is to expand, hire more people to help sew, and get my wait time down. 

What do you attribute to being the biggest factor in your insta-success?

My husband, Joseph Maddon, is an incredibly talented photographer. He did fashion photography before we started Solstice. We had built in models that are dear friends and he is able to create a culture for our brand based on his pictures. We always want Solstice to feel like a community that people want to be a part of and we are mindful of that and how we use social media. I also have a social media/marketing manger, Kat who also does customer service so many of our customers know her. She does fun stuff like read up on algorithms, media trends, and keeps our brand looking exciting. I never want my customers to feel like just another email so we keep things small, personable, and tight knit. Everyone involved in this venture is personally invested and we pour our hearts into this. The goal is for that to be evident in every garment that leaves our hands. 

We obviously LOVE your aesthetic and 70s vibe. What’s your inspiration when designing? 

My grandmother is a huge inspiration in my life. She taught me to sew when I was very young, about seven. She made my dresses for church and quickly taught me to make my own dresses for church. I wanted a new dress each Sunday so I had to quickly learn to hold my own. I cherish everything about this woman. She has hundreds of photo albums in her home documenting every life event raising her eight children and each of something like thirty of her grandchildren and great grandchildren now has dedicated photo books. The importance of these photo books for me is that growing up I studied them as if they were novels. My grandmother was and is the epitome of cool and her wardrobe in those photos will forever be burned into my mind as the ultimate style. She wore the most amazing outfits and looked like a total badass with a bunch of babies on her hip while wearing floral maxi dresses, her locks in a huge bun on top of her head, and cat eye glasses. I will forever be pushing myself to capture and recreate the image of what is “cool” that was instilled in me by Sandy. 

Solstice uses a wonderfully diverse group of models and often posts photos of pubic hair and lady-nipps. Somewhat “radical" marketing we admire, but some people may find this shocking. Whats your thought process and intention behind this?

We do not have any sort of formula for who we choose to represent our brand. The models on our site are primarily dear friends that we knew prior to starting Solstice. We are always looking for new people to partner with but it has much more to do with how they move, how comfortable they are in front of a camera, and what they represent as a human. Our models are moms, artists, bloggers, dancers, athletes, advocates, students, scientists, explorers, and all around badasses. What makes a photo enticing is not how toned or tanned the subject is. It’s that coy little smirk. It’s the disheveled imperfection that makes that subject relatable. I will often choose a photo where maybe there are twisted straps or the actual product is represented less than perfect but the woman wearing it is flipping her hair in a way that exudes sex appeal. Those are the pictures I want to represent my brand. I’ve had friends stop by, soaking wet out of the shower, no makeup on and I begged them to get photos taken for the site before our coffee run. You know when you wake up in the morning and the person laying next to you just looks so perfectly natural and comfortable? That’s it, that’s the look. 

You guys started out making very unique velvet pieces but have been expanding to things like swimwear and dresses. Whats on the horizon for your brand? In five years now where do you see Solstice? 

My vision changes daily based on what is presented to me by our community and customers. Since we are handmade to order we can evolve at the drop of a hat. If something doesn't work out, we pull it and try again without having stacks of inventory to lose. We are currently focused heavily on inclusion. We created the unisex Billy Brief after we started getting emails about men wanting to join the party. We will continue to expand in that area. Right now we offer custom sizing but I want to have a standardized plus size range within a year. I don’t have experience in grading patterns for plus size but the folks that make our swimwear are working on grading patterns and creating samples for us. Until then I just take measurements and make each piece individually but I really want to be able to offer more in terms of sizing. Another avenue we are working on is a wider range of products for our transgender customers. We have some samples out for testing and are making some pattern revisions but this will be coming soon as well. As we get requests, I do my best to accommodate each person that I come across and if there is a need, we will offer it to the masses. 

What's your biggest piece of advice to an aspiring entrepreneur in the fashion space?

The fashion industry is so fast paced and fickle. I have to just not even pay attention to what anyone else is doing and get all hung up on it. I do what feels right for me. I sometimes find myself checking out other brands and being like, “Crap, why didn't I think of that.” Learning to just sit back and trust myself has been a huge part of my personal and professional growth. I had to stop worrying about what anyone else was doing, if people would like what I was making, or if it would sell. I have had a few pieces not sell and had to get ahold of my self-doubt and just move on. In the end, I only have to answer to myself and know that I put my heart into each piece I create. 

What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

I love that Dazey has the same ideals of culture and friendship. Above and beyond creating a brand, you are creating a community. I love that stuff. I love that when I purchase from a small business I am buying into the dreams of the creator.