Danielle Nagel, better known as Dani by her friends and followers, is a female entrepreneur who founded a sustainable clothing line centered around empowering women. In 2 short years, her one-woman business, Dazey LA, has grown substantially. She’s been featured in multiple magazines and will be featured in The New Breed, a documentary about “Social Entrepreneurs.”
While her hand-drawn line was originally women’s clothing only, she recently launched a line for “Dazey Dudes.” Now, men who support women’s rights, including Dani’s long-time boyfriend Phillip Butler, can rock her designs. Not only did Phillip recently get promoted to Dazey Dude, but he also got the chance to start working alongside Dani to help Dazey LA grow.
Ever wonder what collaborating with your love would be like? Dani shared with us about her business, as well as what it’s like working with your significant other!
Phillip recently started working with you. What has that been like?
At the start of 2018, I needed help with Dazey just around the time the start-up he launched was taking a hiatus. He had experience managing that and I knew he would do a great job of keeping my crazy creative side in line. It’s been both amazing and sometimes challenging, haha. Definitely more positive than negative, though!
What are some challenges you’ve faced while working together and how have you managed them?
As a couple, you become very comfortable not holding back with one another. It’s certainly not the formal dialogue you may not be used to in office life, haha. And that goes for both of us! When we get frustrated, it can quickly turn into a passion-filled argument. The professional and personal lines become blurred and it starts to feel like we’re always working, even if we’re just trying to have a night out. The conversation always goes back to biz!
How has having a mutual goal of empowering women benefitted your relationship?
That’s one of my favorite parts about it! Working together as a couple towards the same goal has been incredible. We get to dream big and make plans and ideas together. Phillip has been a huge part of some of my newest marketing ideas like the Ambassador Program. What’s nice is that we really do balance each other out. I’m the scatterbrained creative and he’s the logical thinker—though he’s also creative, haha! He’s been sharing the highs and lows with me and more than ever understands both the excitement and stress I experience as an entrepreneur.
Dazey LA is a part of the slow fashion community and I know you made the choice to shop solely slow fashion and/or secondhand as part of your New Year’s Resolutions. Would you mind sharing what slow fashion is and why everyone should be conscious of what they’re buying and where they buying it from?
Slow fashion is necessary. The way most clothing is being produced is simple, but not sustainable. Our planet and humanity can not keep feeding the beast that has been created. It’s the second most polluting industry and things need to change now. People toil away in less-than-human conditions to make fast fashion apparel. In so many ways, the industry is doing it wrong. Dazey aims to create the least waste possible by creating our tees to order all right here in LA.
Has Phillip made the same commitment?
Phillip has always been a big environmentalist and someone who has taught me so much about sustainability and how to be a better person. As a woman, shopping only slow fashion has been so hard, and for the underserved men’s market, it’s even more difficult. He shops locally-made when he can, but doing it full time is tough!
Do you have any advice for couples that has helped your relationship?
Respect each other. Talk things out. Treat it as a partnership, not a boss/employee situation. Any success he or I receive is mutually beneficial for both of us. We’re committed to building a life together and are both working hard toward the same dreams. We don’t always do a perfect job at this, but we’re learning as we go!
What do you think makes a great relationship?
I think providing for each other in the best ways you can. Phillip does so much for me in areas I don’t excel. It’s literally my saving grace and keeps me sane.
Dani is an incredibly open person who documents her life and business daily through Instagram’s story feature. If you want to know more about her or her business, check her out on social media and read her blog, where she also features other women who are working hard and redefining the norm!
PS, if you and your boo would love to rock her designs, use the code “Honey+Boo” for 10% off your order!
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