Yasemin Germiyanligil
Q What do you do?
“I am the lead designer for Daisy Lane, as well as art and creative director, photographer, and sometimes even model!”
Everything Daisy Lane from the website to the pictures on it is by me. I do everything pertaining to the brand, and also help other brands with photoshoots, design concepts, and art direction and sometimes dabble in styling. I am mostly the face of Daisy Lane, but also am a painter and someone who really enjoys making things and sharing them with the world, from clothes to videos to paintings!
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I have a BFA from NYU in painting, and while in school worked for artists Radhika Gupta and Samantha Thomas in their studios. I helped Samantha design her collection for Aviator Nation, which was my first textile experience. I later started working for small brand Les Miss as their creative director, and now have started my own brand doing everything from design to being our in house photographer. I always felt like I wanted to do more. I wanted to have my own creative agency and be able to do whatever felt right to me, without having to take part in an institutional way of being and thinking. Starting my own brand felt like the perfect way to break free.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I take the leap. I try things and am not afraid to fail. I have quit stable jobs before to be able to pursue my passion of creating a world of my own, which is now known as Daisy Lane. I have always known that what I make for the world has its own place, and I have to work as hard as I can for people to know about it. I make most things by hand, and am very much a fan of the process of things rather than the finished thing. If I am creating an ad I like to handwrite everything, as I think to bring your own uniqueness into everything you can sets your work apart. After all, no one can ever do anything the same as you can! I also really value making and creating space for friends in the creative world, as the more room there is for us all the more unique the world will become!
Q What are you working on right now?
Currently, my mission is to make everything at Daisy Lane naturally dyed with natural pigment. I am in the process of changing our dyes, and making pieces that will help the fabric and colors shine. Because I make the pieces all by hand and naturally dye them myself, this transition will help my brand become totally sustainable and clean! I am also working for an ad campaign for this collection, both for posters on billboards and online marketing like short videos, photos for the website, press and social media!
Q What’s your style?
I just think everything should be fun! At the end of the day, we are all little kids! daisylaneworld.com
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
My favorite thing to do is being on set as an art director for a brand, product or person I truly believe in. Image compositions and getting a vibe across, for the lack of a better word, is something that I truly believe I excel at. I am able to work with people with ease, and feel like something I am good at doing is helping people bring ideas to life, and execute their vision to the fullest extent possible. I think not only through my traditional medium, which is textile design, but also through all of my work the center of my practice is creating a world for the product being shown to shine in. From branding to feeling that world in the photos, or real life stores, I would love to be able to focus on bringing these visions to life.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
I have a very hard time with industry norms that I just can't agree with. Sending this much product out for influencer gifting before you can do that, and doing that before you can do this... you need a gallery, you need a collector, etc,etc.... I am not very good at following a path that I truly cannot agree with. This always leaves tasks that I don't truly want to do to the bottom, like influencer gifting and emailing PR companies.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
I would need them to do inventory lists for all the stores Daisy Lane is stocked at, as I feel like keeping excels of all of those numbers can get very confusing if you are also the one trying to keep track of what sells the most, what works and what doesn't. To have some distance from the logging aspect of inventory I think would help me take a more critical thinking approach and be able to create product more freely without having to focus on the expenses and how much revenue we are generating, helping me feel more feel in my art making process. For the same reason, I would have the person write to PR people and press, as again to keep distance from the way I am marketing myself to the world will allow me to have more freedom when it comes down to the actual work.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
Nike was right, just do it! Daydreaming about building my own world, designing and making art always had me longing for another world. I would look up to people while I was in high school who managed to off on their own and live their dreams like becoming artists or fashion designers. I didn't realize until recently that it's as easy as "just doing it". If you "do it", the rest will happen, give it your all and do it !!!
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I would love to have a conversation about textiles and how to source them, dye them and create them all naturally. I think it is a very beautiful thing to surround our bodies with organic material that has not been processed, and I believe the energy around that concept is very pure and high. I would love to talk about how these textiles engage with our skin, how we are in some sort of statement piece, but also in an energetical transaction with the things we put on or around our bodies. If he were alive, I would love to talk to Mark Rothko about this, as well as Agnes Martin.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Art direction, on set and branding wise. Designing and working with textile, whether it is testing patterns, cutting fabrics, or brainstorming on new items. Creative/branding direction for anyone who is looking to create a more holistic approach for their brands.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
My favorite person to work with is my friend and colleague, Elisa Lopez. Her and I have been working together since college, and now she is head photographer at Hypebeast. We got to shoot some Daisy Lane products for a Hypebae feature and getting to work with such a close friend who I know has the same creative vocabulary as me, and being given a budget to do so was a dream come true. I would love to keep working with friends, and in situations where we feel comfortable sharing creative visions, and showcasing what we do best!
Q What is your rate?
Art direction could be a longer, monthly paid employee type situation, or could range from 45 to 55 dollars an hour. Design would be a higher rate of 75 dollars an hour, and if you needed help on a photoshoot or something like that which is a bit more short term I'm sure we could figure something out!
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
You can always email me at ygermiyanligil1@gmail.com with your vision and we can take it from there!
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Elisa Lopez - @elisalopezz
I'd knit that - @idknithat
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
just do it!
This member profile was originally published in December 2023