Photographed By alex Frank I Styled by Kate Davidson Hudson I Written by Kendall Becker
Peering back to 2010, “multihyphenate” wasn’t exactly a term you’d hear often –– or ever, really –– yet, it’s become a celebrated title. You could say the fashion industry has been influenced (if you will) to embrace not-so-traditional careers –– and Danielle Bernstein has undoubtedly been a trailblazer in that movement over the course of her decade-plus career. She’s held the titles of photographer, blogger, best-selling author, designer, entrepreneur and so on; case in point, the epitome of a modern-day multihyphenate and founder of a formidable fashion empire.
Bernstein unexpectedly started her career when she transferred from the University of Wisconsin to the Fashion Institute of Technology and began documenting the lusted-after looks of her classmates as a source of fashion inspiration on her blog, @WeWoreWhat, for her friends outside of New York City. Soon enough, she turned the camera onto herself for an infusion of her personal style, too –– and thanks to the coinciding rise of Instagram at the time, she’s now one of the industry’s most notable influencers, boasting nearly 3 million followers.
Over the last 12 years, it’s been no secret that the industry has evolved, and Bernstein has managed to stay in lockstep and often lead the conversation around social influence. “We were really just making up the rules as we went along and have since then, obviously worked to legitimize and define what the influencer industry is,” she explains.
I’ve been a lot more flexible, adapting to new technological features and new platforms, and also have pivoted my business to really focus on creating and growing my own brand.
Plus, with the constant evolution of technology, holding the attention of an audience while strategically growing a business is a complex formula she’s been adept at solving. “I’ve been a lot more flexible, adapting to new technological features and new platforms, and also have pivoted my business to really focus on creating and growing my own brand,” she adds. In turn, WeWoreWhat has gracefully transformed from blog to brand.
“I created swim as my first category because I personally had always suffered with my own body-image issues and really had trouble finding swimwear that I felt confident in and that fit me properly. So, we, as a brand, are constantly communicating with our customers and including them in the design process.”
With connection at its core, the WeWoreWhat label not only embodies Bernstein’s creative vision but also the values and desires of her community. Ranging from her famous overalls to coveted denim and dreamy swimwear, her collections comprise “elevated basics and fashion-forward items that [her audience] can truly feel confident in” and are thoughtfully designed beyond aesthetics to solve common challenges of dressing, too.
“I created swim as my first category because I personally had always suffered with my own body-image issues and really had trouble finding swimwear that I felt confident in and that fit me properly. So, we, as a brand, are constantly communicating with our customers and including them in the design process,” she confides to LVR, describing her recipe for style success.
“I’m always really careful not to expand too quickly. And I really want to make sure that with each new category, we focus on quality and fit.”
What’s next for the label? Purposeful, steady growth. “I’m always really careful not to expand too quickly. And I really want to make sure that with each new category, we focus on quality and fit,” she notes, regarding her recently launched intimates collection and upcoming launch later this year that’s still under the radar.
“I don’t want to ever do too much at once, but I’m learning and growing with every collection, and have an amazing team,” she says. Her team has grown from “three to 30” as she’s focused on bringing in the “right people for each category” to ensure the WeWoreWhat label hits the mark with every step of expansion and continues to be one-to-watch for the next decade(s) to come.
