Brand Crush: Donni
I came across Donni, an LA based brand, about 2 years ago and was immediately drawn to the simplicity of the pieces – while simple basics, each piece had an effortlessly cool vibe. This past summer, their beaded sunglass chains and simple choker necklaces were everywhere. Fast forward to Fall 2019, I knew I had to finally make one of their pieces mine, between the thermal henleys and half zip pullovers (absolutely love the pearl zip detail), the cozy options were endless.
Sunglass chain // Pink Henley // Cardigan
When I started looking into purchasing a piece, I also became interested in learning more about the brand itself. Recently, I have started doing that when purchasing from a certain brand or boutique. For me, there is something extra special about knowing the story behind a brand or the people you are choosing to buy from. This is probably driven by the joy I find from engaging and connecting with people – it gives each piece I buy a story. From that, the idea of creating this new series BRAND CRUSH came about and I figured it was fitting to start with one of the brands that inspired me to look “deeper”.
I am so glad I took the opportunity to slow down and taking a closer look. After scouring the internet and reading various articles, I learned that Donni was founded by Alyssa Wasko after her father, Donald, passed away. She initially started out by making cozy scarves that had angel wing charms attached. It was through the grieving process, that the company and brand was born. I had zero idea that this all started in 2009 when Alyssa was in her early 20s – I thought it had been found within the last 5 years. Throughout the process, Alyssa has been focused on mentoring individuals through campus ambassador programs, allowing students to get hands on experience for resume building. Donni also chooses a different non-profit to partner with each season. The initiative to partner with non-profits makes me feel like my purchase is bigger than me and is truly helping others. The brand is now sold at various retailers from Shopbop to Bandier to Bloomingdales – I mean the list is long!
I ultimately decided to go with the tricolor fleece pullover and I couldn’t be happier. I love the combo of textures between the fleece and sherpa. It it the perfect piece to wear over a thin turtleneck on a chill day or layered with a heavy coat on a frigid day. The black, cream, and tan palette fit perfectly with my go to colors for fall and winter. I purchased an XS and it is the ideal fit for styling it with this Agolde denim (definitely size DOWN in the denim!!). I could have gone up a size in the fleece if I wanted a more oversized look.
Tri Color Fleece // Denim: Agolde // Purse: Mansur Gavriel // Beanie: Aritzia
Tri Color Fleece // Denim: Agolde // Purse: Mansur Gavriel // Beanie: Aritzia
I’m excited to continue to watch the brand grow and see where the following seasons take it 🙂
Also, on a completely separate note…with this being my first post of 2020, I plan to post more frequently this year than last. With the blog/instagram less than a year old, I’ve learned so much in the last 8 months. I’m hoping that with that learning and growth, I’ll be able to better plan posts and have meaningful content.
Xoxo, Kel
