Founder Fleur de Vie
https://www.dayannedanier.com/
https://www.fleurdevieonline.org/
Dayanne Danier is the fashion designer behind the women’s contemporary ready to wear brand called Bien Abyé (means Well Dressed). The collection is a combination of French style with a Creole influence. The brand stems from Danier’s Creole roots, and expresses the importance of looking stunning while embracing all aspects of one’s lifestyle. The line has been exhibited in fashion shows in Boston, New York, Washington DC, Atlanta, Miami, and Haiti and has been distributed nationwide in boutiques in New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, Santa Fe, Austin and Dallas. It is also available in the branded popups and online through the company website.
Prior to starting her own brand, Dayanne Danier grew up in Massachusetts and attended Massachusetts College of Art where she obtained a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in Fashion Design. Her background in the fashion industry extends over decades working as a designer for such places like Blauer Manufacturing, Perry Ellis International, and Phillips-Van Heusen. Her designs have been manufactured in countries all around the world which include China, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Africa, Vietnam, and Korea.
While achieving career success with her expertise in the arts and fashion, Dayanne spends much of her time giving back to the community both in the United States and in Haiti. Danier worked in collaboration with Haitian artist, Patricia Brintle, on the “Rassamble” scarf that is incorporated in the Bien Abyé collection where the proceeds are donated to support recovery activities in Haiti. She is the cofounder of the non-profit organization called Fleur De Vie (means Flower of Life) whose mission is to support struggling organizations which focus on implementing positive change in their community in the areas of education, health, and environmental sustainability.
Underneath Dayanne’s leadership, Fleur De Vie started with one school consisting of 120 students in Port Au Prince and has spread beyond to touch the lives of over 800 students. Its flagship program, the Back to School Recreational project focuses on jump starting the educational year with students through highlighting health awareness, physical activity, and team building. Since its inception, its portfolio of programs has increased to include annual projects like Reading is Fundamental, which focuses on literacy and supplying each school with an in-house library and Tools of the Trade which focuses on teacher training on various topics. Fleur De Vie has partnered with institutions in the areas of Port Au Prince, Mirebalais, St. Marc, and Ansa A Veau. Through its programs and activities, Fleur De Vie has empowered youth, supported the local economy, and helped support local job creation in Haiti by buying many of the needed supplies on the ground.
Over the years, Dayanne has traveled to Haiti as a consultant teaching artisan groups of sewing coops pattern drafting, construction, and quality control in Cite Soleil and Hinche. She has also traveled with Haiti Cultural Exchange and the United States Embassy to Haiti to conducted workshops with professionals in the fashion industry. Currently, she has moved the production of the Bien Abyé brand to Haiti where mostly women artisans produce the merchandise. Danier is a recipient of the Mayor of New York Immigrant Women Leaders Fellowship 2015. She is a board member of Massachusetts College of Art and Design Alumni Council and she is a member of the Haitian Roundtable.
