Silvana Danies Returns to Miami...with Goodies

© Rati Sahi

Every creative person wants to be “discovered” in one way, shape or form. They want for the fruits of their imagination to exist outside of themselves; to be "real" to others. This happened for Silvana Danies when she walked into Mia, a jewelry boutique on Alton Road, four years ago wearing a necklace she had made for herself.

“The owner went crazy for it. She wanted me to make more.” So Danies did. She went home, made more, and started selling her funky, three-tiered bodhi bead and charm necklace at Mia.

She was in school then, studying psychology at Carlos Albizu University in Doral. But something just wasn’t right. “I didn't want to sit in an office all day, listening to other people's problems. I'm a really artistic person. I decided that I need to be in the fashion industry.”

She also decided that she needed to get out of town. So she moved to San Francisco to attend not one, but two, schools. Danies is now attending San Francisco’s city college for fashion merchandising, and Reviere Jewelry Academy, where she studies jewelry making techniques. “You can’t teach art. But you can teach technique,” she says.

© Silvana DaniesSo it would seem like Danies has a lot going on. But that hasn’t stopped her from creating an entire summer line, “A Precious Hippie.” Better yet, Danies is bringing her line back to her hometown for its launch.

Beginning this month, pieces from Danies’ collection are being sold at the Miami boutiques Market, Green Grass and Art With a Purpose.

Danies says her pieces, which use semi-precious gemstones, sandalwood, gold, leather, feathers, and bone, are perfect for the exotic Latin woman. But that she had to alter her aesthetic just a bit when she moved out west. “San Francisco girls are more conservative as far as fashion goes,” she says, “so I had to learn about the kind of things that appeal to them [too].”

This is evident in Danies’ collection, which combines bolder, chunkier looks with smaller, more delicate pieces. The result is pieces that you can wear together, combining them to achieve the funky, bohemian look that’s so hot right now.  

Danies says that women should be creative with how they wear her pieces pairing them with other pieces from their collection.

“I always say that people should dance to the beat of their own drum. I’m very emotional so how I wear jewelry depends on my mood. If I’m feeling quiet and want to dance to slow music, I might only wear one piece. But on days where I want to dance the tango, I want to wear seven pieces!”

To combine pieces, Danies suggests you stick to odd numbers, using one, three, or five necklaces. “There’s just something about odd numbers,” she says, “It’s very appealing to the eye.”

She’s also a big proponent of wearing one (not two) long, bold earring. “It’s just a little thing, to be playful. I feel like two is too much.” 

And her earrings are very, very bold. They make use of large, beautiful feathers, and large pieces of quartz paired with gold. Given that, you could see why two would be too many, and one, given the right mood - the right look – can be just right.

But for Danies, who was born in Columbia and grew up in Kendall, it's not just the look that's important, but how it makes you feel. Danies chooses stones not only for their asthetic appeal, but for their meaning. "When I work with citrine," she says, for example, "I feel very good. There's just something about yellow."

Along with her jewelry, Danies provides background information about the power of the stones used in each piece. Onyx, for example, is a source of protection and helps guard against negativity. The beautiful and multicolored Agate, on the other hand, helps provide courage and reduce stress.

Talk about art with a purpose!