Written by: Valeria Rubino, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
A visionary childhood dream turned into reality, Daisy Lane is a revolutionary fashion brand made of totally unique, one-of-a-kind creations inspired by the empowerment of the inner child and by a pure freedom of expression of creativity and style.
Disenchanted with the stifling norms of adulthood and the confines of traditional art forms, Daisy Lane’s founder Yasemin Germiyanligil embarked on a mission to harness the untamed spirit of her childhood dreams.
The 23-year-old artist from Turkey refused to limit the expressiveness of her creations, choosing to fully embrace and cherish her true self and the uninhibited freedom of childhood: Her recipe for happiness and for full creative development.
Her journey into the world of arts started at the age of 6, when she learned how to sew. During her childhood, she enjoyed embroidering jeans, t-shirts, and even her dad’s clothes.
She put on dance recitals for her teddy bears and decided, from a tender age, that she loved being a kid too much to ever give that up. When people asked her “what do you want to be when you grow up?”, Yasemin would always answer: “I am never going to grow up.”
This choice is and will always be her philosophy and the way she decided to live to the fullest. When people started telling her it was time to grow up and be an “adult”, she decided to become an artist. “It seemed the only way to escape the adult world and truly get to be myself,” explained the Istanbul-born designer. She moved to New York, attended NYU for a Fine Arts Degree and decided she wanted to become a painter. “I’ve always seen New York as a place of freedom. Doing whatever you want, and becoming who you are,” she stated. “I wanted to break free from societal constraints, so widespread in Turkey especially in the art environment, and made the move to New York.”
Despite her deep love for drawing and painting, even in the Big Apple she became frustrated with the limitations imposed by having to report to a gallery and having to follow the rules of the “very institutionalized art world”. Therefore, she searched for artistic ways of expressing herself without restrictions, enjoying complete freedom and listening to nobody else besides her inner inspiration.
“I decided I would make my own clothes and it was the first time in years that I felt like a child again,” declared Yasemin, having realized this was her calling. Her adventure in the fashion world began with making bikinis for a girls’ trip with her friends, but the success of her swimming suits rapidly grew and demand for her extravagant creations surged. Yasemin made the first 50 swimsuits herself, before partnering with a Turkish nonprofit organization, which teaches knitting to victims of domestic abuse, while also housing them for free.
Daisy Lane is committed to local empowerment and craftsmanship. Every creation is a sustainable, one-of-a-kind, handmade piece of art. All the yarn used in Daisy Lane’s latest collections is sourced locally in Turkey and hand-dyed by the artisans who knit the clothes.
Bikinis turned into coverups and accessories, which turned into ready to wear, all season clothing.
In the past, while she was attending school in Turkey, Yasemin had to wear a uniform, but she was always looking for ways to express herself outwardly. “I would add colorful socks, hair accessories, fun jackets, whatever I could find,” she recalled. As time went by, “I started inventing clothes in my head that I wished I could wear to school. I would dream up garments that I didn’t think existed yet and would dream about having them in real life.”
Daisy Lane comes from Yasemin’s decision to bring some of her visions to life. “I had been thinking for years about my perfect crochet bikini and finally brought it to life!”
There is nothing like an artistic need to create something and share it with the world to kickstart your journey.
According to the Turkish designer, a perfect bikini fits well to compliment a woman’s body, captures the vibe of summer either through designs or colors and accentuates your confidence. Yasemin also loves making pants, mostly because she is “a big fan of comfortable clothing and it’s hard to find comfortable bottoms that are also cute and unique.”
In New York, you can find Daisy Lane in these stores: Les Miss NYC, The Canvas NYC or Butterfly Club. If you follow Diasy Lane on Instagram (@daisy.lane.world), you can keep up to date with popups and international stores, such as Lone Design Club in London.
Visit her website.
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Valeria Rubino, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Video Journalist in the Pro Journalists Guild, BBC Radio, published author, PR, travel-sports-fitness-media consultant. Born and raised in Naples (Italy), she has two master’s (Law and Broadcast Journalism) and works for Corriere della Sera, Corriere TV, Il Roma, RAI. She founded Viaggiosport (VSport) and Besplacestokiss. She offers publicity services to people who need articles and media coverage. Valeria is the only Italian to have ever interviewed all the NBA stars, but also many other athletes, politicians, celebrities. She is known for her multi-lingual interviews. Ex long-distance open water swimmer in the Italian national team (5 to 25K races), she is a fitness enthusiast.
