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.

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. 

Meet Moorea, jewelry designer, "pinfluencer", store owner, & best selling author

1) You are a lady of many talents. Why don’t ya give us a little list of what it is that you do!

Probably the best word to describe what I do is entreprenartist. Does that count?

• I am the CEO of Moorea Seal, yes, it’s a company that has the same name as me. I’ll explain why later (I promise I don’t have a huge ego!) Moorea Seal is an online retail site mooreaseal.com where we feature over 160 designers who are either handmade makers or focus in sustainable fashion/ethical sourcing. We donate 7% of all proceeds to non-profits.
• I also have a storefront in Seattle, WA. After having a cute little shop in Belltown for 3 years, we are now mid-build out on a huge new storefront in downtown Seattle, right in the heart of the city. The new store opens in October and we are having a huge party all weekend long, Oct 14th and 15th. You’ll be there, right Dani ;)
• I have been a jewelry designer for 8 years now! Though I took a little break in the middle while launching mooreaseal.com
• I am an author. I published The 52 Lists Project just 2 years ago and it’s gone on to be featured on Oprah and is currently being translated into 9 different languages! My second book 52 Lists for Happiness came out a year ago and has been been just as successful. And my new book Make Yourself at Home comes out Sept 26th. So exciting!
• I design desktop product, you know, since I seem to have so much free time. And I’m hoping to get a new line out this Winter/Spring.
• Above all else, I deeply believe in empowering others. I do advocacy work for women in business, I am extremely passionate about women’s rights, minority and immigrants rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and children’s rights and hope to create positive change within the Foster Care system one day (I hope to get into politics in the future). And you can bet that you’ll find me at a rally, protest, or meeting with local and national policy makers more and more as the years go on.

2) Walk us through the path that got you to where you are now. 

Woo! I’ll try and keep this as short as possible, haha.

I graduated college during the recession in 2009. And jobs were beyond scarce in Seattle so a few months before I graduated college and had to start paying back my college loans, I started a blog in hopes that I could get my voice and my art out into the world. By 2010 I was nannying over 70 hours a week, blogging daily, I was teaching myself graphic design and a little bit of coding, I was in a band (I sing and play guitar) and I was working as an artist’s assistant. Despite doing all that, I still had very little money and was barely surviving. I wanted to make art but I couldn’t afford to. So I kind of accidentally stumbled into business.

I started redesigning my blog as a way to practice coding and graphic design and eventually I started designing other people’s blogs as a side gig. As a musician, I had a ton of friends who needed design work for posters, album covers, etc. So I started doing design work for musicians. I started doing illustrated portraits for bloggers. And I taught myself jewelry making as a way to make mini sculptures that I could sell, get money back, and keep making more.

In 2010 I also started using Pinterest when it was in Beta. I thought it would be a great way to create inspiration boards for my blog design clients. Once I started using it, I realized it was like creating an online museum of everything I wanted and dreamed of but couldn’t afford, from “Beautiful Eyebrows” to “Dresses” to “Bathrooms” you name it, I had a board for it. It was the one space where I wasn’t hustling as hard as I could. And one day in 2012, when a sponsor for my blog asked me my stats on my social media channels, I checked out Pinterest, saw it say 250,000 followers and I thought, ok that’s a glitch. So I emailed Pinterest and they said, nope, it’s real. By the end of 2012 I had major retailers wanting to work with me as an “online curator” or “influencer” and it blew my mind because I had been hustling so hard just to survive since college, trying every job I could and making more up as I went, and somehow, Pinterest became the space where I really took off. My childhood dreams of being a museum curator somehow translated into being an online curator.

By late 2012 I had done content creation and collaborations with Madewell, Nordstrom, P&G, L’Oreal, Gap, and tons of other major brands. But I started to feel like my voice didn’t matter when I worked for other brands. I didn’t want to be known as “Moorea who has a big Pinterest following.” I just wanted to create and be known for being me.

So because my following online had happened so organically, I knew whoever followed me anywhere online trusted my voice for being honest. So I decided to create my own online retail site focused on handmade goods and that gave back to non-profits I deeply cared about. I was lucky to band together with my cousin and one of my best friends to bring it to life and now they are the CFO and COO of our company. We chose to keep the name of the company Moorea Seal because by 2013, I had almost a million followers on Pinterest who knew my name, my jewelry line was already under my name, and my blog was under my name. So here I am, with a retail site with my name on it! Accidental brand consistency.

Within six months of our online site taking off, we were growing fast and needed to move into a large office. So we figured, hey, all of these beautiful pieces of jewelry and goods are tucked away into boxes for online shipments. Let’s kill two birds with one stone, find a space that can work for a small storefront/showroom and then use the rest of the space for our online operations. So we opened a storefront in Seattle in 2014. Just a few months later, my publishing house approached me (literally approached me... they showed up at my store while I was working as the 6 days a week sales associate/owner) about a project I had done on my blog called The 52 Lists Project and they asked if I wanted to turn it into a book! Obviously, my answer was YES! And here I am, three years in with three books under my belt! I feel VERY lucky.

In the three years since, my team has grown and grown. Within six months of the store being open, we decided to take over the entire space next-door for our online offices. My crew has encouraged me to keep designing with my jewelry line and desktop products. And now after three years at our first little storefront, we are moving our store to a space twice as big and we’ve built out a two story space behind the storefront in a beautiful historical building to house our online operations. We’re moving in in less than a month!

3) In an era where the brick and mortar store is quickly being replaced by online retail how have you managed to succeed?

I think a lot of people are getting sick of seeing the same things over and over and over by big box retailers. In Seattle and across the globe, we're seeing people become more conscious of how they shop and where they are putting their money. And with a brick and mortar, you literally see where you are putting your money. I wanted a physical space where our customers could see and touch and feel the value of the handmade products we stock. From clothing to jewelry, accessories, home decor and paper goods, it’s all so much more fun to shop in person and get to talk one on one with customers. We wanted to not just build a store with beautiful things but also create a space where EVERYONE feels welcome. I see so many stores that look cool but don’t feel inviting, or feel inviting but there isn’t much progressive design to be found. My storefront is about providing a space to shop where you can find something you’ve never seen before while trusting, you are welcome here. Hosting events and parties all of the time also helps to cultivate and future that sense of community in our space. And I can’t wait to see that grow in our new store! Making the space Instagram worthy helps too ;)

4) How did you start the 52 lists project? What was your intention going into it and did you expect it to turn into a best selling book?

When I started the project, it was honestly just a way for me to battle my own depression and anxiety. I’ve suffered from both my whole life as have just about everyone in my family. And after getting to a point in college where I was at my lowest low, suicidal thoughts while also knowing I would never act any of it out, I hit just a snapping point of realizing, the only person who can save me is ME. And with the 52 Lists Project, I wanted to create a free online print out that anyone could use that would encourage people like me to list out answers to prompts like, “List what you are grateful for…” or “List the difficult things in your life that have changed you for the better…” Through the lists, my hope was to create visual evidence of why each person is valuable, worthy of love, worthy of loving and admiring themselves, worthy of living life to it’s fullest and celebrating themselves. It was a tool that I needed to feel well, to see evidence of who I am and what makes me me. And after posting a list each week on my blog for a few weeks, it started to spread across the web like wildfire.

When I was approached to turn it into a book, I was BEYOND shocked. To note, I was still barely surviving financially while trying to get my businesses going. And I thought only people who go to school for writing or just really famous rich people get to write books. But my publisher really believed in my voice and wanted to get my message out there. I expected it to not really take off, or just do well locally in Seattle. But that’s it. My publisher only printed 5,000 copies for the release of the book. But the day it came out, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Paper Source, and many other retailers picked it up. And now it’s been printed over 350,000 times. I’m still shocked. I still live a pretty quiet life with my husband and my dog in a little apartment. And it always amazes me when a friend texts me a photo of the book in their favorite local store or in a store they stumble into in a different country!

5) What accomplishment are you the most proud of and why?

When it comes to mooreaseal.com and the storefront, I have to give massive credit to all the people on my staff. I could have never done any of it without their incredible skills that I lack. So when it comes to what am I most grateful for, it would be the people on my team who believe in me even when I’m not perfect or mess up. And when it comes to what I’m most proud of on my own, it would definitely be my books. They are my heart. I’m still the three year old girl who dreams of saving the world. And now as an adult I understand, you can’t save anyone. But what you can do is support and empower and trust others have the capacity to find their inner strength to live and thrive. And I feel like my books help. That’s all that matters to me in the world, that I’m at least helping someone in some way.

6) As a multi-talented creator do you find it difficult to balance it all?

YES would be an understatement. I have a hard time pulling myself out of survival mode. I have had to work really hard for myself for a long time, even beyond business, just in trying to fight depression and anxiety and dysfunction around me as a kid. I am not always the best store owner, the best designer, the best author, the best wife, the best friend, the best person. But what matters is I try. And those who know me, know that. I love them and they love me, and I’ve learned in recent months to really just forgive myself and move on if I don’t live up to my own high expectations. Regret doesn’t help anyone. I don’t think there is any perfect work/life balance for entrepreneurs or artists, especially when you are a woman. But we all live our own juggle and our own hustle. And as long as we are kind to ourselves and each other, we can keep going to do great things.

7) You’ve talked about your identity being very tied into your work. As someone who feels the same I would love to hear more of your thoughts on this.

I definitely screwed the pooch on this one by keeping my brand name the same as my real name. YIKES. Separating your identity from your work can get very confusing when you share the same name as your business! But what I have learned over the years in identifying as “Moorea the artist, musician, graphic designer, illustrator, coder, nanny, big sister, friend, blogger, writer…” the list goes on, in all of it, I’ve come to discover that what you DO does not define who you ARE. I’ve had to leave quite a few modes of artistic expression behind as I’ve grown in my career, things that deeply fulfill me like writing and performing music. But just because I don’t do that right now, it doesn’t mean that I am any less me. I get to bring that back whenever I want, and right now, it just needs to be put to the side. And I hope all women understand that too: you don’t have to do EVERYTHING right now. Your voice will still be important, even if you did none of the things you are doing now. It’s your mind and your heart and your unique perspectives on life and your own values that matter most. YOU inform your work. The more I practice remembering that I will be fully me even if literally everything I do is wiped away, the more stable I feel in my juggles. The more I name what my followers and customers ARE allowed to be a part of in my life, the more I can feel comfortable owning what I want to keep separate in my life, apart from my business entirely. No one, not even your most trusted friends, business partners or family can tell you what you are comfortable with in the overlap of business and life. Decide for yourself and stick to it.

8) Mental health is something you’re a huge advocate for. What sparked this interest in you?

As I’ve mentioned before, depression and anxiety are not only a part of me since I was little but also a part of my family. My great grandfather died by his own hand. Many of my family members have attempted and I’ve spent years of my life trying to talk some of them out of it. Thankfully, as of the last 2-3 or so years, no one in my family has been suicidal. And I think it’s because more of us have become vocal about our struggles within our family community and vocal within the communities around us. I believe in being a voice, a resource, and I’ve had lots of practice. I’m not here to save anyone or be a martyr, I just want to be a voice that I didn’t hear when I was younger, someone saying, “You are resilient, you are capable, you can keep going, you can thrive and you will."

9) What would you want to share with a girl who is struggling with anxiety and/or mental health?

My friend, I know you have some massive wisdom and strength. It’s inside of you, it has kept you alive up until this very moment. And you have the capacity to live and feel well. It’s fucking hard, but it’s worth every fight. You have had practice already. You can do this. Even in the place that I am with my career, it appears so shiny and fun and exciting, but girl, I fight battles everyday not only outside of myself, but inside of myself. And the same way that I have learned to use the trauma of my past as a resource for my own understanding and wisdom, I KNOW you can too. Those of us who have had trauma and endured pain and suffering that many people cannot understand actually have a secret power. We have knowledge. We have learned a lot quickly, whether we wanted to or not. And if we SPEAK more, honoring all that we are even in our darkest moments, we will find our communities. By sharing my battles with depression and anxiety, you know what I have experienced? SO many other voices around me saying, “Me too.” When we are trapped in our own minds, it can be so isolating. But I promise you, there are SO many of us out there fighting for our own wellness, our own lives. You have endured so much and you know what that makes you? You are not a fuck up. You are not stupid. You are not too much. You are not any of those negative things that have been placed on you. You are RESILIENT. You are mighty. And I expect to see you do great things for yourself because I know you can.

10) What’s next on the to-do list for Moorea Seal?

A nap? JK. My hope over the next coming years is to open another store in LA and Oakland, CA. Then I’d love a store in Austin, TX and Nashville, TN. One day even NYC. I’m dreaming up a new book that I can hopefully release in 2019. I’m working away on a new line of jewelry and desktop products. And amidst all that I want to adventure more, rock climb more, make friends everywhere I go, and continue living in the healthiest state I’ve ever been in. At the end of the day, if my depression and anxiety are manageable and I’m laughing everyday, it doesn’t matter what I do. It’s all a bonus on a joyful life.

11) What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

It means having a voice. And however you use that voice is up to you. But bonus points if you are using it to spread positivity and the empowerment of others :)

#DAZEYEVERYDAY

Feeling slightly silly writing a fashion post after all the really important social and self love subjects we have been tackling. But hey, I guess we are a fashion brand too! I believe you can be passionate about making a positive change in the world and also expressing yourself through what you wear.

As you know I LOVE wearing Dazey everyday and finding fun and new ways to style a graphic tee. One of my recent favorites is wearing overalls or a strapped garment with one side down showing off the graphic, like my first look below. I have started seeing you guys and some boutiques that carry dazey try this look as well and it makes me SO HAPPY!  

The looks below were all shot on different days around Los Angeles with actual outfits I happened to be wearing. I enlisted the help of two of my favorites @phillipbutler and @officiallyquilgey to snap them for me :) Hope it gives you a little outfit inspo! 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD AND SHARE VIDEO PREVIEWS

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 :)

VIDEO BY: Marissa of @reelradfilms

PHOTOGRAPHY BY:  @danidazey of @dazey_la 

HAIR & MUA: Jessica of @bebeautybyjess

DAZEY LADIES PRODUCT INVOLED: @starkthelabel, @metalli_luna, @CBGems, @im_with_the_band_headbands

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: Megan of @thelittleavocadoshop SELF LOVE

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! 

🚨 The #SHAREYOURSELFLOVE challenge has been so impactful I've decided to keep it going all summer long 👊 We will give away a tee each month 🙌 June's prize winner is the amazing @ms_rains ⭐️ Her powerful words: "My journey to self love was long and physically painful. I had always judged myself the way we are taught to do. I could always loose a few more pounds, tone up, wear less makeup, wear more makeup, whatever. Then I was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer at the age of 26. Suddenly I no hair, I gained 50 lbs, and lost both of my breasts. I didn't even resemble what I thought a woman looked like. Neither did my husband. He left me right after the mastectomies & I was devastated. I hated what I saw in the mirror, but it got worse before it got close to better. Due to radiation therapy damage to my skin, I couldn't have implants. My only option for breasts was to cut off my bottom ab muscles and my tummy and turn that into breasts. 40 hours of surgeries, leech therapy, 30 days in the hospital, and one boob later, I was worse than when I started. One breast transplant hadn't taken so now I had tons of scars and only one breast. I had almost died. I had put my life in danger for boobs! How crazy is that? After the months it took to heal, I learned that cleverly designed graphic tees were a great way to distract from the imbalance in my chest. I lost all of my chemo weight and I noticed that people didn't look at my chest. They had no idea, unless I told them. My insecurities where mine, no one else saw them. They saw a warrior, a badass! They were right! So everyday I would look at myself in the mirror naked and touch my scars, there are many more now, and admire the fight it took to earn them. I remembered willing myself to get up, put my life back together, and I did it in a new body. The body of a someone who went into battle and won. How could I not be in awe of myself?" She is one strong and inspirational Dazey Lady 💪 I love how she specifically uses graphic tees to give her confidence ❤️ I can't wait to add one more to her collection ✨ #summerofselflove #howdazeydoes

A post shared by Art Apparel 👉 Shop Dazeyla.com (@dazey_la) on Jul 3, 2017 at 7:15pm PDT

I've been at war with my body for as long as I can remember. I always felt too fat, too flat, too blotchy and blemished. The world teaches girls from an early age to despise and abuse these vessels as loathsome works-in-progress. And if you ever do find peace with your body, confidence is often criticized, self-love is slut-shamed. Our society celebrates body-hatred disguised as modesty. . It's taken me about 26 years, but I am finally learning to love this body. With all its lumps and dimples, mysterious bruises and scars. While in Iceland, I had to shower naked in a room of other women before entering the hot pools. Maybe this isn't the biggest deal to other cultures, but in America, the only naked bodies we see on a regular basis are the ones deemed "desirable". Unceremoniously stripping down in a roomful of bodies of all shapes and sizes, and then going on about our business was strangely momentous to me. These bodies are incredible. They take us on adventures, conquer tremendous feats, bear life. And yet we spend most of our lives hiding and hating them. . I'm done doing that. I'm sure I'll lose some followers and get some flack from those who are more offended by naked bodies than our society's gross body standards. But I'm done trying to maintain the approval of those who'd rather see me secretly at war with myself than proudly loving my body. . Iceland, thanks for helping set me free. 🍑✨ . 📷 by my incredible Instagram husband @realdavegargula ;) . @dazey_la #shareyourselflove

A post shared by Corinne Alexandra (@stuckwithpins) on May 21, 2017 at 7:55pm PDT

I thinks it's pretty obvious that I am an open book! This year isn't even over yet & it has been one hell of a roller coaster. What happen to me in December is old news to some folks but it is still very relevant & real to me! Everyday I wake with it weighing heavy on my chest and every night I go to bed with flashbacks. I don't expect anyone to fully understand how that incident has changed my life. Yet, I do expect consideration, compassion & love. Sexual assault, verbal, emotional & mental abuse is NO JOKE! It hurts in every way imaginable! I am always on high alert. I still have fear of walking or driving alone since it happen. I still struggle with men looking at me or even complimenting me. When I smile or when I laugh know that it is genuine. When I am quiet & closed off ... please don't judge me! Know that I am still healing. I mean no harm & I do not mean to offend anyone when I choose to hide out or not speak. This road to healing & recovery has been very difficult. I don't know when I will be back to "normal." Yet, I do know that I am able to do small things for myself again & that to me is victorious. My attacker changed my entire outlook on life. I do forgive him though and I STRONGLY encourage who ever has endured any sexual violence or abuse... regardless if it is a stranger, family friend, sibling, family member or partner. If it is WITHOUT your consent ... Please speak up! Go to your place of safety and get therapy! Believe me, I neglected therapy for as long as I could after my incident. Feel down inside I was hurting in every way. I was scared of everyone! I struggled silently feeling like I was robbed of my purity for my fiancé. I still struggle daily with my body too. Always feeling like "someone wants to hurt me or take advantage of me." Indeed it is a shitty feeling but it has been much easier to process w/therapy! After several months of therapy, I understand this! YOU ARE NOT DAMAGED GOODS! YOU ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH! YOU ARE WHOLE AND BEAUTIFUL! YOU ARE WORTHY! & " IT IS OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY" Believe me, it's hard but it gets better.

A post shared by #becomingRamirez (@desiraeramirezz) on Jul 23, 2017 at 9:33am PDT

Growing up, I was very self-conscious about being tall and curvy. Most of my friends were shorter and thinner, and I wasn't confident because I was different. Now that I've grown up, I realize how crazy that is! There are so many women built like me, and so many other beautiful body types! There is no "right" body type. We're all unique, and we're all beautiful! With all the negativity that there can be on social media, I think it's important to empower each other. @dazey_la has created a great community across multiple social media platforms for women to share their stories, and for all of us to support each other, which is truly inspiring! The tee says it all: love more. #shareyourselflove #dazeyla #dazeylady

A post shared by Lindsey Livingston (@thelindseylook) on Jul 1, 2017 at 12:08pm PDT

I recently saw @dazey_la post about #shareyourselflove and I thought it was a way to share this message and get this new account started. Whenever I go to a new place people always notice my eye. One is a lot smaller than the other because it's a glass eye and I can't see out of it. In a new place I'm always reminded that I'm different because of the weird stares I get. As I get ready to go to a new country for gap year I think this message is important. I need to remember that the things that are different about me are what make me unique and totally unlike anyone else and I should be proud of that and so should you! #shareyourselflove

A post shared by @mayatakeschile on Jun 17, 2017 at 10:34am PDT

"Body confidence does not come from trying to achieve the perfect body, it comes from embracing the one you've already got." || Shorts or skirts were never really a part of my wardrobe. I would always try to cover up as much as possible because I despised my wide hips and thighs. When we live in a society that profits from our self loathing, it's very easy to succumb to their beauty standards while accepting ourselves is considered a rebellious act. Shopping for pants or jeans were and still are a pain. But, it wasn't until recently that I began to embrace this part of my body. #shareyourselflove @dazey_la | If you haven't already, check out my recent blog post. Links in my bio 🤗

A post shared by D C A D (@intodeeseyes) on Jun 30, 2017 at 3:25pm PDT

When I was younger you would never see me in a photo standing up straight with a huge grin 😁 I hated my smile, my glasses, my flat chest, my scrawny body that made me feel more like a little boy and not a woman coming of age. I created the @dazey_la #shareyourselflove challenge to helps girls of all ages realize we are way too hard on ourselves 💕 As I get older I learn to appreciate the things that make me ME 🤗 I used to be self conscious and shy. Now I love being bold, unique, and standing out 🦄 Last day to enter the contest and share your story ✨

A post shared by Danielle Roxanne Nagel (@danidazey) on Jun 29, 2017 at 9:56am PDT

Fighting for Equallity

Growing up in left-winged California around so many different cultures and people has somewhat shielded me from the bigotry and racism that still happens today. With the current politically charged climate and hate crimes happening all around us, racism in America has become alarmingly apparent. I am shocked and ashamed that in 2017 this is still happening in my country. After the most recent attack in Charlottesville we wanted to use our platform to stand up to violence and racism. I choose to peacefully make a protest against hate using what tools I have, artwork and photography. Dazey firmly believes in equality for all and wants to give marginalized women (and men) their power back.

After the recent attacks my Facebook has been filled to the brim with articles and comments on the matter, but one status stood out to me in particular. A friend of mine, Gleeven (@afro.vogue), posted a status saying how heartbroken she was and how she didn't feel like her friends and family were safe in her own country. That really hit a cord with me. There is zero difference between Gleeven and I, and yet she fears for her life just because of her skin tone? It made me feel even more upset, I had to do something! By chance she reached out to me that same day asking to shoot. We had been trying to shoot for awhile and toyed with the idea of a protest-style shoot before, but now the timing was perfect. She helped me come up with some great signage, grabbed her gal pals, and we took to the streets!  

Gleeven is a model, stylist, influencer, and huge advocate for racial equality. She has incredible creative vision and a strong voice. She wanted to go for a very 60's style shoot which I thought was appropriate because it was in this era that people had to fight for their cilvil rights. I could not think of a more perfect person to collaborate with on such an important shoot. Below you can see the photos as well as some amazing words of wisdom from Gee herself in an open letter.

"I believe one of the most important first steps is realizing that when an issue affects any group, it affects the entire country. Many people go through their daily lives with a privileged perspective, ignoring issues that don’t affect them directly. They don’t speak out on injustices or bat an eyelash on plaguing issues simply because they are not suffering from these problems. If we start to become allies and speak out on behalf of one another in solidarity, I infer that we will start to see changes for the better." -Gee via galore 

Models:

@afro.vogue
@loveebonique
@iamlindaelaine

Photog:

@danidazey

"The United States is seeing hate crimes at an alarming rate. Black men are losing their lives because of the belief that their life is not worth as much as yours. Are you that filled with hatred that you would rather see another man slain than to change your heart." -Gee

"This country was founded on the belief that all men are created equal. If so, why do you perpetuate an idea that in order for this country to thrive, we must rid ourselves of minority groups..in particular; the blacks. Are we not all equal? It took leadership like Martin Luther King's to shape this country. Was he not as important as his white counterparts?" -Gee

"I was birthed by an incredible black woman, Davreen McBeth, who taught me the importance of self love and I hope to serve as a reminder for black women across the globe that black is strong, beautiful and resilient." -Gee via Galore

"I implore you to look into your heart and try to empathize with minority groups that fear for their lives because of the agenda you fuel. Imagine yourself in their shoes. How would it feel being hated for things you couldn't control like your skin color? Would you think America is great? How can you help to combat the racial injustices in this country?" - Gee