Today we’d like to introduce you to Daja Bailey
Hi Daja, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Zella Fermani was created in 2011 during my sophomore year of high school. In high school I mainly wore sneakers and hoodies. Zella was my sophisticated alter ego and I wanted to start separating myself from others. We wore uniforms so I would find ways to accessorize my uniform such as wearing blazers and personality glasses to show my unique appearance. After displaying my love for fashion in school and instagram, I was nominated best dressed and won. After high school I had a love for photography and pursed it. I needed a jacket with my logo so I can brand myself at events. I created a bomber jacket with my logo and posted it on Instagram. My bomber jacket received a huge amount of attention which led to many messages from my followers asking me to release the jacket. I always wanted to go to school for fashion but my mom didn’t see the value in it. I never really thought about starting a clothing brand despite my love for fashion. After giving the clothing brand idea some more consideration due to the heavy amount of support I decided to take a chance. I started small and sold hats locally featuring my logo in various colors. That was a success but not enough for me i wanted more for Zella. I started working and slowed down with Zella Fermani. In 2018 I was let go from my job with $1000 left to my name I had to make a choice. My first choice was to pursue Zella full time which I stumbled upon a manufacturer who was willing to start production with me. Let me mention this would be my first time working with a manufacturer and I did not know him .So this is very scary for me working with someone unfamiliar and he could possibly take all the money I have left. My second choice was to find another full time job. You guessed it I took a huge risk and started production with the unknown manufacturer. I created Zella Fermani cargo pants and to my success I received 50 cargo pants and was able to sell out my first pair of pants. This success led to many more releases and more attention to the brand. Fast forwarded in 2024 Zella Fermani success has led to many opportunities such as being mentioned in songs, worn by various artists and featured in magazines. Zella Fermani is a small brand with big dreams. Our dream is continue to inspire people and leave an impact on the fashion industry.
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?
Chasing your dreams will always come with challenges. I started this with no knowledge on running a successful business. Along the way I have faced challenges such as financial, consistency and fear of failure. I also faced the most important challenge that many people may face which is support from family and friends. I believed that everyone should and would support my dreams and sometimes that’s not the case. That led to me believing that maybe this wasn’t a good idea or maybe I wasn’t good enough. I personally overcame this challenge by staying focus and believing in myself despite having little to no support in the beginning. As I continued to grow and people would see my accomplishments I received more support along the way. Challenges come in many different ways with fashion such as orders not coming on time, missing items , missing key details that will hinder the items to be sold. The biggest challenge I faced was in 2021 during Covid my mom was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. During that time I was also planning my wedding and my fall collection. This news broke our family in many ways. My mom started chemo treatments which took a toll on me. I had to be the strong one in the family. While juggling all of this I started to lose my creativity for Zella Fermani. I started releasing every other month or sometimes never. I thank my family everyday for their support and just making sure I was doing okay mentally. Fast forwarded mom is cancer free and Zella Fermani and I are both growing stronger everyday.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Zella Fermani is clothing brand where streetwear meets affordable luxury lifestyle in the fashion culture. We specialize in unisex streetwear clothing. We are known for using prints, special techniques and details that bring our items a unique touch. We are proud of the growth and the outpouring support that we have received from our community and customers. We appreciate seeing how our customers style their garments and seeing where we are globally. What sets us apart is our vision and our ability to create unique pieces.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://zella-fermani.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zellafermani?igsh=MW56aGF6d3g0cnQ1Yg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Image Credits
Instagram : HIDDENIMAGESDC
Instagram : ACEBOOGS
