Today we’d like to introduce you to Dayra Cardoze.
Hi Dayra, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started off by studying fashion design in the School of the Art institute of Chicago where I was able to experience a conceptual perspective of fashion and design. SAIC gave me the opportunity to further explore what clothes mean and represent to the person wearing it. After graduating from SAIC I moved to New York City where I further explored the fashion industry by working side by side with Anna Sui. I always knew I wanted to have my own clothing brand to explore and explore my creative side, so in 2019, after moving from New York, I launched Dayra Studio.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like any business, it has its ups and downs. Some of the difficulties have been finding the best plan for production while at the same trying to grow the business. When I first started, we were just 4 people in a small studio in Panama, as sales started to increase, we needed to change the way we produced to increase speed and reduce costs. 1 year and a half after launching the brand I began sourcing for small factories in Colombia where I knew I could find quality and the scale I needed at the time. I was not only sourcing for new factories, but trying to survive the pandemic, lockdowns, and coming out with new designs, marketing, etc. it was a lot to handle. This lead to another struggle, the pandemic, and other personal reasons lead me to close our offices in Panama and become fully remote.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m the Founder and Designer of Dayra Studio. I design all of the collections and the featured prints. I’m mostly known for the colorful pieces and funky prints that complete the DNA of the brand. My main mission is for my clothes to be a tool for people to express their identity. We mix vivid and bold colors with versatile silhouettes resulting on statements pieces that are meant to be worn anytime and everywhere.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
Although I consider myself very lucky, the amount of hard work and dedication needed to be able to get to where we are cannot be taken for granted. I’ve been very lucky because I’ve been able to meet amazing people that have helped me grow my business and overcome the many obstacles we have faced.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dayra.studio
- Instagram: @dayra.studio
- Other: TikTok – @dayra.studio / IG – @es.dayra
Image Credits
Daniel Cornejo
Oliver Olivella
