Danielle Ferrari

Danielle started Valhalla with a vision of sustainable fashion for everyone. Once Danielle discovered that the fashion industry is the number two polluter in the world next to fossil fuels, she knew there was an answer to the problem. And she knew that answer wasn't in asking people to wear less. With a Valhalla membership, we can wear more with essentially zero environmental impact. The key is in sharing. Danielle's ultimate vision for Valhalla is to bring our collective closet to every corner of the world.

Achievements/Accomplishments

• Finalists in the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year competition

• Achieved gold status in the Tampa Bay Time's Best of the Best in the Consignment category

• Achieved silver status in the Tampa Bay Time's Best of the Best in the Women's Boutique category

Favorite Item Fashion Item

It's really hard to pick just one, I love to wear all sorts of different things all the time - that is one of the key parts of the membership after all! I only have two dresses that I own and they actually have a lot of similarities, both are incredibly soft, meant to be worn braless, and are very low cut. One of the dresses came from Valhalla and the other came from The Disco Dolls Studio. It's the Maeve. If I had to choose only one thing to wear for the rest of my life, that would have to be it. It's timeless, stunning, like wearing nothing at all, and I never fail to get complements every time I wear it.

Go To Accessory

I'm almost always wearing some sort of necklace. When I travel, I like to pick up a new piece of jewelry from each place I visit to remind me of my experiences. Almost every clothing item I wear is rented but about half of the accessories I wear are my own.

Favorite Clothing Story

I love that all of our clothes have the opportunity to have as much life as possible before they reach the end of their useful lives. We often hear stories about the lives the items had before they came to us, like the shirt one of our members wore on the first date with her future wife. Or big moments that happen in the clothes that are rented; we've had engagements and even a marriage in our clothes.

Favorite Part of Working at Valhalla

There are probably thousands of things I love about Valhalla but number one; I love empowering people to feel comfortable in their own skin. I also love encouraging our members to break all the rules and push the boundaries they've created for themselves. Exploring your style should be fun and exciting and not full of self imposed rules. If I see some, I'll push gently. ;)

What Inspired Your Love of Fashion

Fashion and clothes were a huge part of my childhood. My grandmother sent my sister and I a huge box every season full of new clothes until we were about 10. I remember being incredibly excited to open the box and discover what treasures were inside and then doing a little fashion shows afterward. My sister and I were the same size so we were able to share our clothes which essentially doubled our wardrobe size. That early childhood sharing may have played a role in inspiring the idea for the Valhalla membership. 

Love Affair with Fashion

One of my favorite things about fashion and something I am constantly mystified by is the magic that clothing has. The magic that putting on a dress that you just know looks amazing on you can do wonders for your self confidence and overall mood. I'm terrified of public speaking and during one of the most important talks of my life, I started having an internal melt down and I swear, the only thing that got me through was remembering how amazing the sheath business dress I was wearing looked on me. I looked and felt like a "boss babe" and that feeling got me through that stressful moment.

Dasonj Smith

Being born in Jamaica, I remember my childhood being spent going to the craft markets with my grandmother and seeing nothing but vibrant colors, an array of patterns/designs, and beautiful smiling faces all around me. There were endless selections of hand-made clothing, footwear, accessories, and lots more! That's when I decided what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, bringing smiles to the people around me by creating something just as beautiful.

I obtained my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design at the International Academy of Design and Technology in Tampa, FL. During my college career, I volunteered at fashion shows working BTS to later creating garments for the runway. Shortly after graduating, I began my career working as a Visual Merchandiser, where I oversaw the styling, processing, and placement of merchandise, to ensure it is aesthetically pleasing to standard. A few years down the line, I knew I wanted to allocate my time between something I'm equally as passionate and happy about, which meant bringing life to my company Alex and Dáj. 

Achievements/Accomplishments

I've been designing garments for over a decade, anything from swimwear, to loungewear, sportswear, and evening pieces. Currently a Freelance Designer, my clients' requests are a variety consisting of photoshoots, birthdays, wedding attire, or even staple pieces to wear when they travel. During my senior year of college, I had the opportunity to intern for a Couturier in Miami, FL, where I assisted with client fittings, photoshoots, and content creation for the brand’s website. In September of 2020, I received the honor of being published in VoyageMia online magazine, where I discussed early life, business ventures, and overall motivation.

Favorite Item Fashion Item

My favorite fashion item are shoes! They're the first thing I buy when I'm shopping, and what I build my outfits from. My must-haves are open toe pumps, backless sandals, and ankle-cut booties. 

Go To Accessory

I would have to say the classic gold hoop earrings and a gold watch.

Favorite Clothing Story

Where I shop has little to do with the brand's name, and more so to do with the quality of the item, how they're made, as well as its proximity to my personal style. Whenever I purchase a new item, I already have in mind where I'll wear it and the many different outfit combinations I can create with the pieces. I have this rule: if I don’t see myself wearing it long-term, don't purchase it. Here at Valhalla, I have an endless closet of items to choose from, and it makes it that much better knowing that their lifecycle is getting its maximum usage through our membership program.

Favorite Part of Working at Valhalla

I look forward to each day here at Valhalla because I get to interact with our members, styling them with pieces that matches their needs, and hearing stories about where they'll wear them. The most rewarding aspect for me is knowing that we're doing our part in minimizing material waste, and contributing to a more green and sustainable lifestyle. All in all, The overall sense of community and the genuine bonds formed while working here is priceless.

What Inspired Your Love of Fashion

A lifelong goal of mine is to have the ability to give back to my community, and ultimately worldwide. Those who aren’t as fortunate as others, should still be given the opportunity to live a fruitful life. It brings me a much greater joy to help others to live with genuine intentions and by paying it forward. My company's mission is to empower those who are willing to make a change for the greater good. Built on love, and unity, Alex and Dáj vow to give a voice to the voiceless, a platform for all creatives, and a community that promotes overall wellness. I absolutely love designing and very passionate about it, but I believe my true purpose is philanthropy. Creating made to order, ethically sourced, and sustainably-made garments feeds my creative side, but most importantly enables me to donate portions of my proceeds to order to carry out my goal, and curating volunteer opportunities for others to do the same.