{"id":5532,"date":"2018-10-02T22:35:31","date_gmt":"2018-10-02T22:35:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dia.com\/blog\/?p=5532"},"modified":"2022-07-22T16:08:02","modified_gmt":"2022-07-22T20:08:02","slug":"spotlight-on-danielle-faulkner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dia.com\/blog\/love\/spotlight-on-danielle-faulkner\/","title":{"rendered":"Spotlight on Danielle Faulkner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Meet Danielle Faulkner<\/a>, Dia Domino and playwright. She is one of the biggest conversation drivers in the Dia Community, and for good reason\u2014there\u2019s nothing she won\u2019t talk about. Read on to learn about Danielle\u2019s approach to fashion and life.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I grew up on the eastern shore of Maryland. But it\u2019s a really, really small part of Maryland. I\u2019m in Baltimore now. I came across the bridge for college and then just decided to stay. So I\u2019ve been here almost six, seven years.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I always felt like, ‘Oh, you’re this size, you’re not supposed to wear that.’ But it\u2019s no big deal. The world’s not going to stop.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"danielle<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Style Icons<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Growing up, I had, I guess you would say, a typical black Southern family. Going to church was a fashion show\u2014that was the only time I would dress up. You would see everything at my church, from big hats to people who were just coming back from partying. I loved the wife of the pastor. She wasn\u2019t from here, so what she wore was totally different from everyone else on the eastern shore. I always thought she looked so pretty and so put together. My grandmother, who raised me, is a teacher. Teachers dress a certain way, so I would just wear stuff my grandmother would wear. I had a set of pearls when I was 10 and my cardigan game has always been on point.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, I tend to go more practical, just because I\u2019m in the city and I\u2019m always in a rush. It\u2019s more about function and being practical. I don\u2019t really consider myself to have a specific style because what I wear is dependent on my mood. Now, I\u2019m at a place with Dia&Co where I can try different things and say, \u201cOh, okay, I can wear that.\u201d So I\u2019m still trying to figure out my style and what it could be. But it\u2019s still very classic, with that Southern mentality of cardigans with penny loafers, and jeans pressed with a crease. The fit-and-flare dress. Yeah, it\u2019s still that, but I hope it\u2019s a little bit elevated. In my head it is.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Community<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Growing up, I always felt like, \u201cOh, you\u2019re this size, you\u2019re not supposed to wear that.\u201d But it\u2019s no big deal. The world\u2019s not going to stop. I think that\u2019s sometimes really hard for us to get over mentally. In the Dia Community, we all give ourselves permission to at least try. We\u2019re not saying you have to go walk outside with it if you don\u2019t want to, but at least try it on and see how you feel. There\u2019s a nice freedom in the community\u2014just the idea that you could try something and see if you like it instead of just saying no. I think that\u2019s a good thought process.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve started small this year with trying to showcase my curves more. I got a pencil skirt earlier in the summer, so I\u2019ve been wearing that more and more. I posted some pictures in the group for support because I\u2019m used to hiding or camouflaging my curves. Pencil skirts show everything. In a dream world, I\u2019d like to be able to wear a bodycon dress, no cardigan, no jacket\u2014just the dress. That would be the holy grail. But, for right now, it\u2019s the pencil skirt first.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was raised in the mindset of, ‘You dress for the position you want, not the one you have.’<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"danielle<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Professional Life<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I work in development, so I\u2019m raising money for other people. A lot of my job is giving presentations, meeting people, or networking, so I always have to be thinking about style. I was raised in the mindset of, \u201cYou dress for the position you want, not the one you have.\u201d So I always think of that, even on the weekends, like, \u201cWho am I going to bump into?\u201d I can\u2019t look like a slob, because that might be someone I\u2019m working with or someone who I\u2019m going to ask for money. I always have to be dressed, and that\u2019s how style plays out in my head. Like, \u201cOkay, I guess we\u2019re going out to the movies. But there\u2019s the potential that I could see a donor there. So I can wear jeans, but I can\u2019t wear holey jeans.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was trained in playwriting. And for close to 10 years, that was my full-time job. There\u2019s a rant in my head that I can\u2019t shake, and then I write it down. I stopped writing professionally because I needed health insurance, so I started working for non-profits and writing grants. I\u2019m always still in playwriting mode, but I do it more after hours. I have a writing group that I write with, so we go to local theaters and write as an entity, then try to get it produced either on our own or in small playhouses. <\/span>I can feel my voice changing as a black woman and a black writer because there are a lot of stories that aren\u2019t being told. So I find myself thinking about inclusivity, but it doesn\u2019t stop me from writing what I want to write\u2014I just have that lens when I\u2019m writing. I try not to write in a way that\u2019s size-specific. I think any story can be played by anybody, as long as they\u2019re a good actor. I try not to limit myself in those terms because then I\u2019m stereotyping\u2014and who\u2019s got time for that?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think I\u2019m one of the bigger women in the Dia Community, so I felt like that had to be represented. And I was willing to be the one to do that.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"danielle<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dia Domino<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I was a customer for a while and then I stopped. When I came back, Dia&Co had started this program. I think people assume I\u2019ve always been a member and I\u2019ve always loved Dia&Co\u2014and it\u2019s like, \u201cNope.\u201d I paused it for a good while and then decided to come back. So this is all a choice, and I think everyone has to look at it like you\u2019re choosing to be in this group\u2014you\u2019re choosing to participate. I love the ladies. I try not to have my favorites, but I do. They\u2019re all really helpful and supportive, and it\u2019s just really nice. <\/span>Being part of the group makes me appreciate my body more.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I applied to be a Dia Domino because, this year, I\u2019m saying yes to anything. I saw the application and thought, \u201cOkay. Let me just fill it out and see what happens.\u201d I think I\u2019m one of the bigger women in the Dia Community, so I felt like that had to be represented. Some people think, \u201cOh, plus size is just 12 to 20.\u201d And it\u2019s like, \u201cNope. Hi. I\u2019m 34 sometimes.\u201d So you\u2019ve got to have that representation too. And I was willing to be the one to do that.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life doesn’t stop once you’re that big\u2014and I never stopped loving my body at any size.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"danielle<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Weight-Loss Journeys & Body Positivity<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve said before in the group that I\u2019ve had weight-loss surgery. I was hesitant to apply to become a Dia Domino because I didn\u2019t want anyone to think I was promoting it. For me, it was about my health and needing a tool to help me get to a healthier version of myself. At my highest, I was over 600 pounds, and I loved being that size. Now, I\u2019m close to 315, and I still love every pound of me. At either end, I\u2019ve loved every bit of every curve. I had a life at 600 pounds. I dated, I traveled, I lived in London. Life doesn\u2019t stop once you\u2019re that big\u2014and I never stopped loving my body at any size.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photos as Therapy<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I came up with this idea with my therapist to build self-appreciation and self-love. I take one photo a day and I don\u2019t critique it. I take it for what it is. It\u2019s just a moment to exist and be okay with it. When I look in the mirror, I\u2019m usually critiquing my hair or my lipstick or thinking, \u201cOh, I need to fix that.\u201d You can say all this bad stuff about yourself because that\u2019s pretty easy, but try not to do it and see what happens. I didn\u2019t like it in the beginning, but slowly and surely, I\u2019ve started to see less bad stuff. It\u2019s definitely been a process, but it\u2019s a part of my day that I enjoy. I just focus in and take that moment. Now, I have a representation of that with a photo.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to join Danielle and the other amazing women in the Dia&Co National Community Facebook group<\/a>? New members are added every Thursday!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Meet Danielle Faulkner, Dia Domino and playwright. She is one of the biggest conversation drivers in the Dia Community, and for good reason\u2014there\u2019s nothing she won\u2019t talk about. Read on to learn about Danielle\u2019s approach to fashion and life. I grew up on the eastern shore of Maryland. But it\u2019s a really, really small part […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":5534,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[185],"class_list":["post-5532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-love"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSpotlight on Danielle Faulkner - Dia & Co<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After applying to be\u00a0a Dia Domino on a whim, Danielle Faulkner fast became one of our most active community members.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dia.com\/blog\/love\/spotlight-on-danielle-faulkner\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Spotlight on Danielle Faulkner - Dia & Co\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"After applying to be\u00a0a Dia Domino on a whim, Danielle Faulkner fast became one of our most active community members.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dia.com\/blog\/love\/spotlight-on-danielle-faulkner\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dia & Co\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/diaandco\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-10-02T22:35:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-07-22T20:08:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/d3mnyo7e05c2kb.cloudfront.net\/blog-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/comm-meet-danielle-header.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"830\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"540\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Marge Hudson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@diaandco\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@diaandco\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Marge Hudson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dia.com\/blog\/love\/spotlight-on-danielle-faulkner\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dia.com\/blog\/love\/spotlight-on-danielle-faulkner\/\",\"name\":\"Spotlight on Danielle Faulkner - Dia & Co\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dia.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dia.com\/blog\/love\/spotlight-on-danielle-faulkner\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dia.com\/blog\/love\/spotlight-on-danielle-faulkner\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/d3mnyo7e05c2kb.cloudfront.net\/blog-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/comm-meet-danielle-header.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-10-02T22:35:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-07-22T20:08:02+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dia.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/12fa817987a28e5e481cfbdfaa4a81de\"},\"description\":\"After applying to be\u00a0a Dia Domino on a whim, Danielle Faulkner fast became one of our most active community members.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dia.com\/blog\/love\/spotlight-on-danielle-faulkner\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.dia.com\/blog\/love\/spotlight-on-danielle-faulkner\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dia.com\/blog\/love\/spotlight-on-danielle-faulkner\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/d3mnyo7e05c2kb.cloudfront.net\/blog-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/comm-meet-danielle-header.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/d3mnyo7e05c2kb.cloudfront.net\/blog-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/comm-meet-danielle-header.jpg\",\"width\":830,\"height\":540},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dia.com\/blog\/love\/spotlight-on-danielle-faulkner\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.dia.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Spotlight on Danielle Faulkner\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dia.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dia.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Dia & Co\",\"description\":\"Dia & Co is the premier personal styling service for plus-size women. 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