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

Daniela, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Back in 2015, much before the current silver and metallics trend hit every brand, I launched HarmoniaNY.com. At that time fashion was different and to go to a festival like burning man you would shop on eBay or go to small shops on Melrose before hitting the playa. At that time I was living in Hong Kong me and business partner planned our trip and wardrobe a year ahead and we enjoyed sharing a closet and dressing up together so much that it became our business. We began by making feather shoulder pieces with the help of a local seamstress and selling on Etsy. Since the beginning there was organic growth, google ads wasnt a must yet; most of the sales seemed to be from the US. In 2017 we moved to the US and launched a Shopify e-commerce. The business grew consistently and we hit 460k in sales in 2022, as a healthy profitable business. While the business happened I discovered myself as a creative director, went to fashion school, graduating at 36 years old and launching a collection at the Sony Hall during fashion week. My goal now is to raise funds for the first time, get into the official calendar and potentially sell at multibrands I admire such as Revolve.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

“As a fashion designer and entrepreneur to create innovative fashion designs that inspire and empower individuals to express their uniqueness. An immigrant female founder, from an Asian-Latino background, Daniela came to New York to revolutionize fashion. Her inspirations come from her friends, electronic music, tribal futurism, yoga, and spiritualism. The goal is to create beauty, to empower people to be free and have fun by wearing her designs. Aiming to create a new aesthetic, a lifestyle, an escape from everyday routines, a valuable brand.“ Daniela values creativity, innovation, sustainability, inclusivity, and excellence in fashion The direction is towards establishing a recognized brand that creates social value and offers employment opportunities.

I don’t follow trends. My pieces don’t stay only one collection, they live their entire life cycles. Some styles have been selling for 6 years already. I excel in creating something you don’t find anywhere, pieces that are edgy and beautiful int he same time.

Having spent over 10 years working as a model for major brands in Tokyo, Hong Kong,
Singapore, Thailand, London, and China, I signed with a local model agency and
immigrated to New York in 2016 to pursue her passion for fashion and business

My motivation is to create beauty and to make people have fun by wearing something unusual. When someone wears Harmonia they say people approach them. Because the clothes is almost like a costume it removes a barrier, you become a fun person. I get inspired by electronic music, models, stellar people and spirituality, history, and my friends.

* My strength is that I don’t give up. I I get inspired when people doubt me and my passion is to make impossible things happen, like getting married in the Prague Castle in Czech Republic, building a brand from nothing, having a fashion show at Sony Hall during NYFW, having an outdoor of my brand at Times Square.
* I’m Brazilian Japanese. Born in the same day as Bob Marley and Axl Rose, my idols.
* Addicted to anything related to spirituality, like all religions and believe in life after death as certain.
* I have done over 48 tv commercials around the world and won the Elite Model of the Year in Hong kong in 2012. youtube.com/danielawatanabe
* I have a hatha yoga license. An Interior design Associates from Brazil and a Business and Technology of Fashion Bachelor.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Dani Watanabe is a Brazilian-Japanese creative director, model, and entrepreneur. Having spent over 10 years working as a model for major brands in Tokyo, Hong Kong,
Singapore, Thailand, London, and China, Daniela signed with a local model agency and
immigrated to New York in 2016 to pursue her passion for fashion and business. Because of her career in fashion Daniela earned her green card. Daniela is graduated in Business and Technology of Fashion at CUNY New York College of
Technology.
During the 4 years of College, it was not easy to manage 3 roles as a business owner,
model, and student but her determination and passion for learning led her to conclude her dream USA Bachelor’s Degree.
Daniela is Milan’s wife and a pug mom, Dani draws inspiration from her friends, electronic music, tribal futurism, yoga, and spiritualism. I have channeled this inspiration into my brand, HARMONIA.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Doing everything the most economical way was something that I grew up with, that was being smart but as an entrepreneur that can only take you so far. To go where I want I need constantly to remind myself that large spending gives large returns. I like to take risks because my dreams are big. I try to calculate the risks as much as possible and take them.

Contact Info:

• Website: HARMONIANY.COM
• Instagram: HARMONIA_NY
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniela-peckova-watanabe/
• Youtube: YOUTUBE.COM/DANIELAWATANABE
• Other: Last year show https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cii_Olqj3gz/ https://www.instagram.com/reel/CinL_2iuw6Y/ https://www.instagram.com/p/Cicw3Ygsoyh/ TIMES SQUARE BILLBOARD

Image Credits
@lucasilvestre @silvestrephotographer @daniwatanabe @harmonia_ny @silmararibbeiro @paulacoelho97 @aririhz