Rico's rants: Cuba with the Dannijo sisters

12 February 2016

Cuba with the Dannijo sisters

Travel & Leisure has an article by Stephanie Wu about visiting Cuba:

In December of 2015, sisters Jodie and Danielle Snyder (photo, bottom), the brains behind statement jewelry line Dannijo, took off on a trip to Cuba to see how their new collection, Dannijo Cubano, would fit in the environment that inspired it. “Cuba has a rich heritage and culture, and it’s so colorful,” says Danielle. The collection itself was designed based on a mood-board of images, so the trip provided an opportunity to photograph the collection in situ. "We wanted to capture the collection with the locals we met on our tour and in their natural environments. We loved the idea of connecting with real people to bring the collection’s story to life.”
The trip was organized through Conscious Cuba, run by Francis Harrison, a friend of a friend, who also connected them with local artists and musicians. “It felt like a time warp as soon as we got off the plane,” says Danielle. “We wanted to meet artists and dancers and see anything that showcased the soul and spirit of Old Havana. It was amazing to have someone there to show us what locals’ lives truly look like.”
The sisters are often on the road— other trips they have coming up, for future jewelry inspiration, include Aspen, Colorado, Paris, France, London, England, and Palm Springs, California. But they also have distinctly different travel personalities. “I think of it as a cartoon where my sister is the one with the road map, and I’m along for the ride,” says Danielle. “I’m picking flowers and catching butterflies.” Typically, Jodie, the older sister, is the planner, taking care of where to stay and visit. “I like to let things just happen,” adds Danielle. “My trips are much better when Jodie is there. We’re each other’s co-pilots.”
Their Cuba collection will be available on 8 February 2016. In celebration, Danielle shared snapshots from the trip, as well as a first look at some of the jewelry.