We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dae Thomas. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dae below.

Hi Dae, thanks for joining us today. Let’s go back in time to when you were an intern or apprentice – what’s an interesting story you can share from that stage of your career?

I was very blessed to have Olwen Zarlengo as a mentor, very early on in my fashion career. Her guidance was invaluable. She introduced me to industry-specific challenges and solutions, shared insider knowledge, and provided opportunities to work on real-world projects. With her, I was able to work on movies, commercials and multiple fashion shows. I will always be grateful for her.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My journey began with a deep love for thrifting and reviving discarded items, which inspired me to start my brand, Haus of VanGaudy. The art of upcyling is so incredibly powerful for my brand. I want to help people on their thrifting journey as well as inspire more designers and stylist to use sustainability in their fashion game. This passion naturally evolved into an interest in sustainable fashion and how I can be apart of the movement that will inspire change in the fashion industry.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I feel that being creative and having no boundaries to it, is the most rewarding to any creative. I find myself the happiest when I am working on my personal projects and seeing the vision come to life. Sometimes I feel discouraged, but I push myself on working on something that inspires me to keep going.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I always try to be solution based. When a client needs something, it’s my job to make it work. I think that my problem solving is what makes me stand out as a stylist/ designer. I’m going to do whatever in my power to make my client feel good about trusting me with their ideas and projects.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: VanGaudyhaus & dae_by_daelv

Image Credits

Sean Jones
Dillion Mays
The Eye Visuals