Today we’d like to introduce you to Daria And Maria Vasilieva
Hi Daria and Maria, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We grew up in a small town in Russia—a town so small and so far from the world that it was hard to believe that someone from such a town could dream of life in America.
But, thanks to TV and the internet, we were exposed to American culture from a young age, and we always knew deep down that we would live in America and become famous. It was an inner feeling that never left us.
We always wanted to be famous singers and loved attracting attention and shocking the public. From a young age, we were also passionate about sewing clothes and accessories. It all started with outfits for our Barbie dolls and eventually led to sewing clothes for ourselves because we couldn’t afford the clothes we liked. We read Vogue and try to create fashionable pieces for ourselves.
Our interest in art led us to graduate from art university as professional artists. Ultimately, we combined our love for fashion and art to launch the DARIA Y MARIA brand in Russia. We are now developing our brand and working in Los Angeles.
However, when we first arrived in Los Angeles, things didn’t go smoothly. We came here with absolutely no money—this wasn’t one of those stories where someone comes to America with $1,000, no, we’ve borrowed money just for the plane ticket. And of course, we arrived with no speaking English, no family, and no friends.
To survive in LA, we had to take on part-time jobs and get involved in a lot of projects. We started working in alterations, then as celebrity tailors, even working for Kim Kardashian and Madison Beer. We took on everything we could to earn enough money to develop our brand. We’ve worked, and continue to work 24/7 and it’s tiring.
We created our brand completely from scratch, without any significant financial investments. We’ve worked hard to promote our products ourselves. Our designs are always exceptionally creative, combining art and fashion with a youthful and sporty aesthetic. Our brand doesn’t rely on financial investments or promotion through popular PR agencies, we do everything ourselves, from developing our designs to marketing them.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The path was certainly not easy. Our biggest challenge was that our mother passed away quite early, leaving us alone, without relatives or financial support. Producing clothes is expensive, and PR isn’t cheap either. Coming from a small town in Russia with no parents to rely on, we had to work incredibly hard to bring our brand to where it is today. It hasn’t been easy, but we are determined to continue overcoming obstacles, developing our brand further, and striving to reach new heights.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We focus on creating clothing and accessories, with a particular specialization in upcycling. At DARIA Y MARIA, we turn sporty jerseys into high fashion pieces and create stunning dresses worn by famous people around the world. We also up-cycle leather and denim jackets through hand-painting and add metal rivets and ostrich feathers, turning them into unique pieces of art.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Our favorite memories are those we have with our mom, grandma, and grandpa when they were alive and we were all happy together. Now, it’s just the two of us in the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dariaymaria.shop
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daria_y_maria/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@daria_y_maria?_t=8ozlDQGLiAi&_r=1
