20 Sep 2010, Posted by admin in 20 Questions,Fashion, 0 Comments

20 Questions With Dannijo

Dannijo, founded by sisters Danielle and Jodie Snyder in 2008, has emerged as one of the most sought after jewelry lines in the world. A celebrity clientele list (including Beyonce, Katy Perry, and Natalie Portman), multiple collaborations with fashion houses (including Luca Luca, Carlos Campos, and Walter) and a nomination for Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 Coolest Young Entrepreneurs in 2009, are just a few of the many accomplishments they’ve achieved over the last three years. I recently spoke with Danielle and Jodie to learn more about the experience of running a business as sisters, their recent decision to do their first ever presentation at London fashion week and why sometimes it’s just as important to reject opportunities as it is to take them on.

Jennifer Sung: How would you describe your style and personality?

Danielle Snyder: I’m a little bit more bohemian and rock and roll inspired. I’m inspired by music culture from bygone eras like Woodstock to present music festivals like Coachella. And Jodie is a little more classic and inspired by old world sensibilities with a mix of vintage. So for the collection, we really work off of each other to create a well-rounded collection that speaks to a range of personalities.

JS: Can you tell me about your background before you started Dannijo? How did it prepare you for your current role as entrepreneurs?

Jodie Snyder: Danielle and I have always been creative from a young age. We started designing jewelry when we were kids using our dad’s medical tools. We taught ourselves wirework. While we are not formally trained, this is something we’ve always done together in hopes of starting a company. I’m a few years older [than Danielle], so I’ve worked for the past five and half years in New York.  I worked in men’s fashion [for a company that makes] men’s neckties for everyone from Nautica to J. Press to Calvin Klein. Then I worked in private label sales for Sam Edelman shoes. So both of the companies I worked at were great because they were family-owned companies in fashion and I was able to see all facets of the business and get involved from the production side to the sales side to the design side. Danielle and I really started Dannijo after Danielle had started the non-profit organization LWALA (Living with a Life-Long Ambition), and we designed a capsule collection for a gala for the nonprofit.  Afterwards, we decided that we were going to try to do Dannijo full-time.

JS: As business partners and sisters, how do you divide your responsibilities? What happens when you disagree on an important business decision?

JS: Having a partnership is certainly a lot of hard work but it’s amazing to have a partner that you’re always on the same page with because we’ve grown up with each other for our entire lives. And I think it’s great because Danielle and I bring such different things to the table. We have completely different strengths. While we both design together Danielle handles a lot more of the creative [side of the business] and I do more of the sales and business side. The overlap is the design area but besides that, we really trust each other. We share the same goals and we share the same vision, so it’s been a great partnership that has been relatively easy from the beginning. Danielle is my best friend and we do a lot together in our personal and professional lives so we know when to pick our battles. It’s different when you go to work–we’re sisters when we’re outside of work but we are business partners first and foremost when it comes to work stuff.

JS: What is your daily schedule look like at Dannijo?

DS: We sort of have our hands in everything so as entrepreneurs at a startup company we really are involved in every aspect of the business from day to day. Each day is very different. It could start off with a Dannijo sales meeting with all of our employees and then after that, we could go into production and work on creating collections (either for collaborations or for our own line). We oversee production, so quality control–looking through the pieces that we get back, visiting our stores–is [important]. Particularly at Bergdorf Goodman and Henri Bendel in New York, we’ll pop in and re-merchandise, check in with our sales team, see how everything is moving and get feedback. We’ll also see what’s going on with our PR team. We’ll meet with editors throughout the week to go over the collection. Or we might have a stylist come in last minute to pull something for a celebrity for an event. Right now, we are working on revamping Dannijo.com so we are having a lot of e-commerce focused meetings. No two days are the same.

JS: Fashion Week is right around the corner and Dannijo is preparing to launch it’s first ever presentation without a collaboration. Why did you choose to showcase your collection in London over New York?

DS: We are having our first ever fashion week Dannijo presentation where it’s all about the jewelry and not a part of a collaboration. We have been doing a lot of skyping with the producer in London, the host and the gallery owner and we’re talking to a lot of modeling agencies. Jodie and I made a conscious decision this time to really focus on doing our own presentation and we thought that it would be unique and different to do it in London because we have such a great following there and we’ve always done something on a collaborative scale during New York fashion week. I think New York fashion week can be a particularly difficult time for emerging brands. We are a very young brand and there are so many presentations and runway shows and parties that happen during Fashion Week in New York–it’s a really competitive time. And as emerging talent and small business owners, we thought it would make more sense strategically and economically to do it in London. I think it’s something fresh, unique and different. And we planned the event to go viral, so I think it will extend our international buzz and circle back to New York.

JS: Before your jewelry appeared in the pages of Vogue and worn by all of the hottest celebrities, your designs were initially rejected by retailers like Bergdorf Goodman. How have you responded to the naysayers and skeptics you have come across?

DS: I think it’s always been really important that Jodie and I are a team. We really push each other and we both know that there is always going to be failure before success. We both really believe in what we are doing and we know that we have a fresh perspective and that we can bring something new to the marketplace. So I think that despite all the naysayers, and despite our initial rejection, we sort of decided that we were going to continue to push forward and we weren’t going to let one small rejection stop us from continuing to make Dannijo the brand we wanted it to be.

JS: What are some of the biggest mistakes you made early on when you first launched your business?

JS: I think that any time you are trying something new, you are going to make mistakes and you learn from them as you grow the company. One of the biggest challenges for us was that we grew so fast as a brand in the beginning–so staying organized and delegating responsibilities [was crucial] because [as a two person team], we were trying to do everything ourselves. I think that it takes so much to build a company, and you become so overwhelmed because there are just so many aspects of the business you need to focus on. We were trying to do so much so fast. We finally realized that adding more people on would help the business grow at a faster pace and would be better for the overall longevity of the brand.

JS:  Going into your third year of business, what has changed the most since you launched and how do you see it changing in the years to come? Do you have plans to expand into other categories outside of jewelry?

JS: We keep hitting goals that we make for ourselves. We’re always looking for the next big thing and the next direction for the company. Danielle and I have really wanted to stay true to what we believe in. And as we build this [company], it’s a [give and take process] to build the type of brand that we want. We don’t believe in quick fixes. It’s all about the longevity of the brand and the relationships we have established with stores and people along the way. We really focus on nurturing the relationships that we have. In the last year, we are really excited about our international growth. We now sell to as many international accounts as we do to accounts in the United States. Our focus right now is on revamping our website. We believed in e-commerce from day one and it’s been such a big part of the brand. Even the social aspect of our website and our blog [allows the] world to learn about Danielle and I as people and learn more about the brand itself. So we have really focused on interactive, e-commerce, and social content as the window into Dannijo. We’ve also branched out into new categories. Dannijo is [currently] a jewelry brand but we also see ourselves as more of a lifestyle brand. It’s not just about the jewelry–we also want to curate what the Dannijo girl would want. Since we are really big on technology, we launched iPad cases for Fashion’s Night Out this year. We have iPhone cases and a curated handbag collection ranging from everyday backpacks to messenger bags for the girl on the go. We are really focused on growing the handbag business next year. And we have a lot of exciting collaborations in the works.

JS: Fashion can be a very fickle business where trends come and go with each season. How do you create a brand that will stay relevant to consumers?

DS: Jodie and I have never really followed trends when we go to design our collection. I think as designers we view the jewelry design process much more as artists than as formally trained fashion students, and I think that’s what keeps it open-minded and fresh and new in the marketplace. We are aware of trends and cognizant of what’s happening in the industry from an economic and strategic standpoint but when it actually comes down to the design process, it’s based on where Jodie and I have traveled to, what we are inspired by, what we want to wear and what’s working with our wardrobe. As soon as Jodie and I don’t have something to wear with an outfit, we know it’s time to design a new piece that works.

JS: Can you share your design process with us? How does one of your pieces get made from start to finish?

DS: Because Jodie and I were not formally trained, we tend to design the jewelry by laying the materials out and working [directly] with them as opposed to using sketches. We do sketch but our primary process is getting the materials in the right color palette, the right feel, and the right texture, and then literally sitting there and playing with them. We make all of the first mock-ups and we do storyboards. We try to just get inspired by whatever overarching theme we are trying to achieve for that collection. We are very hands-on in the process and we tend to make the first of every sample and then everyone thereafter is made in New York City.

JS: Do you source all of your materials locally in New York or do you pick up pieces from your travels?

JS: We are always traveling. I think that’s what’s so exciting–we want to be doing something that’s different and be inspired by different cultures and different places. So our pieces are very eclectic. One of our pieces from the collection [featured] African coins–old African trade beads from the 1800s.  Right now, our fall collection is very inspired by India and Africa. We travel every year and we pick up different materials internationally and locally wherever we travel. We are also very inspired by vintage and antique shopping. We’re always looking for interesting pieces or visiting museums to look at heirlooms and jewelry from long ago. The thing that is so great about jewelry is that [it can be] passed on from generation to generation and can be worn from season to season.

JS: Can you share your thoughts on how online businesses like Rent the Runway (an online store where customers can rent designer goods), fit into your growth strategy? How does it supplement your regular business?

JS: I think the marketplace has changed so much in just the last five years. Two of our best accounts, for example, are Net-a-Porter.com and Shopbop.com. I think online businesses in general are seeing that customers are feeling a lot more comfortable purchasing merchandise online. So that’s been exciting. We love online businesses like Rent the Runway. Our jewelry is accessible luxury and it’s $100 to $1,000, so it’s not something that everyone can afford to buy all the time just like most people can’t afford to buy everything off the runway all the time. So it really opens up your product to a wide range of people. It can inspire people to wear the jewelry, and it’s great because a lot of the time you might only want to wear a dress or a piece of jewelry once for a special event and instead of paying full price for it, you can rent it. I think customers are excited about that, and we are supportive of any kind of new, innovative way of shopping.

DS: I think it’s also a great way to expose people to fashion jewelry. Fashion jewelry is still a relatively new segment. Jewelry has always been around but before this whole rise of fashion jewelry, there was only really inexpensive jewelry or really expensive jewelry. So I think for a lot of people, the notion of statement fashion jewelry can be slightly intimidating and some people might want to test it out first. I think Rent the Runway is a great way for someone to try a statement piece out and see if it feels comfortable and normal to wear. It’s kind of a baby step for fashion jewelry. So Rent the Runway is totally great for someone who wants to wear something once for a special occasion, but it’s also a great way for a customer who might not ordinarily wear your product all the time or feel comfortable wearing statement jewelry to try it once, see that they get a lot of compliments on it, and then say, ‘I want to buy it.’ It’s a win-win for everyone.

JS: What do you think are the three things that have contributed to Dannijo’s success?

JS: I think our creativity, my determination, and Danielle’s fearlessness from day one has really helped to guide us along the way. Bergdorf Goodman and Henri Bendel were our first two accounts and they are such great stores for fashion brands and great places to launch. Beyonce buying our necklace and wearing it all over the world, Dannijo appearing on the Today show, and us being nominated for Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 were milestones that have really made a difference and helped to grow the brand. I think it comes down to the fact that we are really focused on the product connecting to our customer.  We have very high loyalty from our repeat customers. It’s a combination of everything though–it’s hard to put my finger on one thing.

JS: Looking back, knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?

JS: I don’t think we would have done anything differently. I think that’s what is so exciting about growing a brand–you learn from your mistakes. You can never do anything perfectly but I think that with 20/20 hindsight, if we went back to day one, it’s almost better to not know all of the problems we would run into. Everything that we have done along the way has added to the culture of the brand.

JS: You were recognized as part of Inc Magazine’s 30 Under 30 Coolest Young Entrepreneurs last year. Why do you think they chose Dannijo to be part of this group? What are some of the common characteristics shared by this group of entrepreneurs?

DS: I think the group that was selected all had a very strong entrepreneurial spirit and the way that they go about doing their businesses is different and unique. It’s a bunch of fearless kids that are going out there and doing what they love and doing it well and have a lot of passion. I think Jodie and I were chosen because we are passionate about our work and bringing something new and fresh to the marketplace.

JS: I was thrilled to learn that Dannijo interviews individuals for its own blog, PULSE. Who is the most intriguing person you have come across and what did you learn?

DS: Some of the most interesting people we have interviewed are NBC’s Natalie Morales, Elwood Gordon Gee (Chancellor of Ohio State), and actress Natalie Portman. These are all people that inspire us but are still real people. So as much as they have all achieved a certain level of success in their respective [industries], they are very grounded. They are all risk takers but still very humble and I think that’s what made it so exciting to interview all of them.

JS: Do you find it difficult to separate your personal life from your business?  What do you like to do outside of work?

DS: Jodie’s a great cook and I love going to concerts and discovering new music. I was an athlete (I used to pole vault) so I also like to stay active. Jodie and I love to go to SoulCycle and we love the beach, so we go for runs or walks on the beach. In the summer, we like to wakeboard out East. We also like to go vintage shopping. We went antique shopping in Bloomfield recently. We always like to go to new markets and do research to see what’s out there.

JS: What do you think has been Dannijo’s greatest achievement so far?

DS: I think that getting the showroom in the Meatpacking District (in February 2010) was huge for us because it took our business to another level. Before that, we were working out of our apartment so [getting the showroom] was a huge step for us to grow the business.

JS: Who are your heroes in real life?

DS: We are both very inspired by our parents. My dad is a cardiologist and my mom is a health counselor and everything from the way they raised us to their marriage is heroic and really inspiring. They were definitely a little worried to have both of their kids living in New York but they have always been supportive of us, and taught us that we could do whatever we wanted to do.

JS: What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever given or received?

DS: I think that it is staying true to yourself and staying true to your brand. The two things are sort of overlapping. The idea that as a brand or as a company–no matter what industry you’re in–you are always going to be presented with a number of opportunities and [some of those opportunities] might not be the right ones [for you]. It’s just as important to reject opportunities as it is to take on opportunities because whether or not you recognize it early on, that is how you shape a brand. So I think the best thing that anyone can do in any career, is to stay true to themselves and their brand and their vision.

–Jennifer Sung

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