RAID MY CLOSET - DANNY NEWMAN

Interview by Editorial Director Josefina Lopez de Romaña, Coordinated by Maya Davila

Born and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, Danny Newman is a 20-year-old student at The Fashion Institute of Technology, majoring in Graphic Design. Danny is instantly recognizable on and off campus and is known for rocking some of the most extravagant, colorful outfits. She makes her own jewelry, is a lover of old Disney Channel movies, and is not afraid to create a new persona with her clothing each day. Last month, we got the chance to interview Danny, raid her closet, and check out some of her handmade pieces.

Film photos by Fifi

Josefina Lopez de Romana: What are some of your favorite fashion pieces at the moment?

Danny Newman: Anything that has sequins at the moment…I usually fight the urge to wear that every day.

Maya Davila: You’re, like, my accessories queen.

DN: Aww, thank you!

JR: What’s your thing with the collection bras? Tell us what’s going on here. 

DN: I always style bras as part of my outfits. I think I started doing this back in high school, because I saw it as a way to make any kind of shirt more fun! I still have a separate collection of bras I wear underneath my clothes [laughs], but after getting these first couple of lacy bras from Victoria’s Secret, I just started to put them over everything! I mean, people always made comments about it, and they still do now, so I was definitely more hesitant at the start. It also brought some unwanted attention from the wrong crowd. But I just realized that I loved the look of it so much that I couldn’t stop. If you are wearing a loose shirt, you can put a bra on top to cinch it or even wear a bra as a belt.

JR: How many bras would you say you have on every day?

DN: Oh, girl…I always have more than one on [laughs], but the ones I wear underneath will never see the light of day. I think I do have a certain system, but most of them are different sizes, because I like to thrift whatever I can find that’s cute. Of course, sometimes they are a tad too small, like this flame one—

DN: —but this bra has to be one of my favorites! When I first thrifted it, I was trying to figure out how I would style it since it’s a bit small, but then I figured out that by wearing it upside down, I could use it as a belt.

JR: Lowkey, this is kind of like a feminist move. If you think about it, bras represent us. We are bras!

DN: So true! We spend so much money on bras, and no one ever gets to really see them. But there’s also always some hesitation, because I don't want people to perceive a certain idea. I mean, men are men, you know? I hate being oversexualized, but that happens with everyone, unfortunately. It's part of life, I guess? I think some people take wearing bras on the outside as an invitation to comment on it, and of course, most of those comments come from men, but at this point, I really just don’t care. 

JR: I feel like the more you start loving something and relating it to your style and personality, the easier it gets to block those comments. 

DN: For sure! Back in high school, I had to mentally prepare myself every day to deal with everyone saying and doing the absolute most, just because of the way I expressed myself. Being in New York, it’s so nice not even to have to think about it. Living in the city really grounds you, and it’s helped me realize that no one truly cares. I’m super thankful that I don’t care anymore, but it obviously took me a while to grow out of that. I’m honestly glad I was insecure at some point in my life, because now I know that when people hate on something, it just stems from insecurity. Like, it was never about me, and you don’t hate me, I think that they just happen to be struggling with something at the moment.

JR: Bible!

JR: You are originally from Connecticut, but you moved to the city for school. Thrifting in the city can be such a hit or miss. I was wondering where your holy grail thrift store is located?

DN: My favorite thrift store is actually in Iowa, which is where my grandparents live. I think most of my clothes are from there, and it’s my favorite place EVER! And that’s where I found the flame bra, who would’ve thought?

JR: Is there any color that you don't wear?

DN: I’ve noticed that I barely wear yellow, but I do own a couple of yellow pieces, yet  I don’t reach for them often. I don't know why [laughs]. But my favorite color is green! 

JR: Seeing all of your Justice shirts really brought me back to my childhood, and I love it. 

iPhone photos by Maya

DN: Omg I know! Shoutout to Justice, kids’ clothes are like my favorite thing ever. I’m actually doing my thesis on this now. I don’t understand why, but I’ve noticed that when people become adults, it starts to be frowned upon to wear a lot of color. All that kids ever wear is an array of colors. I just don’t get when that flip happens. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when people wear whatever they want, and it’s super attractive to see people comfortable with themselves.

JR: It’s surreal to think about this because growing up, all I ever wore was color, and now 80% of my closet is either black, grey, or white…but mostly black. I love seeing your closet because all of the pieces looked so loved, and that’s so hard to see nowadays. Everyone seems to be shopping all of the time, and throwing away pieces in perfect condition like it’s no one’s business. 

DN: Thank you, that’s so sweet! I love connecting with my pieces, and I truly have a genuine attachment to every single one of them. I feel like I built a closet that I love so much, with stories behind all of the outfits I’ve worn. I pretty much memorize all my outfits. I never repeat them because it’s just so fun to come up with something new every day. I’m so glad that I’ve gotten to the point where I wear whatever I want, where it just flows naturally to me, like I don’t have to worry about anything that anyone says about it, because I’m just in love with my closet. What can I say? I just love it! 

Interested in being a part of our ‘Raid My Closet’ series? Email us at 2latemag@gmail.com!