Daniella Kallmeyer on Bootstrapping, Fashion Week, and Designing for QVC

In 2012, Daniella Kallmeyer began her eponymous brand with $7,000 and a goal to create a line of elevated wardrobe staples. Fifteen years later, her ethos remains the same and she’s getting her flowers for the brand she’s built—in fact, this year Kallmeyer was nominated for Womenswear Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of America. On this episode, Daniella discusses bootstrapping her brand, what it was like in the room at the CFDA awards (hint: Rihanna was sitting next to her), and why she credits so much of her scrappiness to her time spent ghost-designing for QVC.