We celebrate the accomplishments of women all day, every day. But we can't forget this month, a month dedicated to all the contributions of women and the vital role women play in history.
As a special virtual toast to the power and boundless reach of women, Shall We Wine talked with Dayanne Danier, fashion designer of Bien Abyé and co-founder of nonprofit Fleur De Vie!
Tell us about Bien Abyé and your nonprofit?
Bien Abyé (means “Well Dressed”) is a fashion lifestyle brand of products that encompasses French style with a Creole influence. The brand stems from my Creole roots and expresses the importance of embracing all aspects of one’s lifestyle. The merchandise of Bien Abyé is created by over 50 Haitian artisans whom are mostly women as a part of an initiative to “Empower Women One Stitch at a Time.”
My nonprofit is called Fleur De Vie (means “Flower of Life”) which has the mission of supporting struggling schools in Haiti that focus on implementing social change in the community through education, health, and environmental sustainability. It was founded after the earthquake in Haiti and has assisted over 1000 students in 3 regions of the island.
When did you fall in love with wine?
I would have to say my love for wine was planted when I was in art school studying fashion design. I had an assignment to create a garment from a non-textile and ironically, I chose wine corks. I literally strung each one with wire and create a cocktail dress of corks. And as I grew older, I developed this love for wine that hasn’t left me.
What do you see as the relationship between wine and fashion?
A couple of years ago someone said to me, “food is the new fashion” referencing social media and the pictures we see. My reply to that is, “well if food is the new fashion, wine and beverages are the new accessories”.
There is definitely a strong relationship between wine and fashion. Both are elements of entertainment. Over the last couple of years, I have developed a new table top collection for the Bien Abyé brand for clients who entertain in their lifestyle. Hosting a wine tasting as a form of entertainment was the perfect way to combine my love for wine and exposing the new collection to clients.
How can Shall We Wine readers support you?
Thank you for that question! Shall We Wine readers can support by doing something fun, shopping the Bien Abyé collection because a purchase means keeping an artisans working. Or by donating to Fleur De Vie, we are an approved 501c3 organization and a donation promotes education to student. Education is power and empowering the youth of Haiti is the only solution to change. Visit dayannedanier.com or fleurdevieonline.org
If you could drink wine from one region for the rest of your life, which region would it be?
That is a very hard question. I love wine from so many areas. I do favor south of France region quite a bit, and a close second would be Italy.
