Danielle Romero
Artist in Residence
When minimalism first entered the art world in the 1960s, it was declared a rejection of imitation and ostentation. By removing boundaries between mediums and replacing excess with essence, its practitioners showcased their work’s “soul.” Think: Less is more, a now timeless idea that underpins our wardrobe essentials and played a literal role in our SS18 collection.
The Donald Judd Foundation in Marfa, Texas, with its spare sculptures, was a clutch stop on the road trip that inspired the season. Considered simplicity also informed our collaboration with multidisciplinary Miami-based artist Danielle Romero of Flora + Form. Danielle distilled the desert flora and fauna from our post-trip mood board into vibrant, abstract line illustrations that adorn select tops and dresses, and make a subtle, yet strong statement akin to Danielle’s description of minimalism as a whole: “It’s quiet, without being invisible.” Below she shares some additional insights.
What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Open all the curtains in my home to let the light in and see outside.
When did you know you wanted to be a professional artist?
When I discovered that of all the many career paths I considered, and even experienced, I felt the purest form of happiness simply creating.
Your last google search.
What makes you feel vulnerable?
Being photographed.
Flora Print worn by Teressa Foglia.
A great movie about an artist.
A place you go to hide.
The last book you read.
The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben.
In process: wMM SS'18 Flora Print studies.
Why is art important?
Art is important because it facilitates something very sacred: creation and imagination.
What job would you be doing if not the one you do?
Something that would pay the bills so that I could create in my spare time. I received a degree in environmental studies and had aspirations to work in conservation…
What is your biggest fear?
I have many, many fears. This is one of the main areas of my life I feel the need to work on. My biggest instinctual fear is dying at an early age (and I mean before the age of 85, or something like that). But having a terrible quality of life for most of those years is worse, so… I’m also quite fearful of not experiencing everything I would like to before my time is up.
An interior you wish was your own.
White walls, multiple doors and large windows for sunlight.
An artist you admire.
A song you have danced to at home.
Why do you like creating illustrations/paintings versus ceramics — and vice versa?
I like creating paintings because I feel, perhaps incorrectly, that I can make more of a statement on the issues that move me with a painting. I enjoy creating ceramics because of the tactile nature of it, and because I feel it connects me with our ancestral history.
Acupuncture or Psychotherapy?
I find both have equal benefits if the person receiving is open and willing to accept all that each has to offer.
An underrated site.
What do you like most about being the age you are now?
The increasing self-confidence or acceptance and the stability I currently have in my life, in general.
Chandra of These Native Goods wearing the Hazel.
What are you looking forward to this year, personally and professionally?
Personally, I am looking forward to the simple things. I just started an edible garden for the first time in years (I love gardening and am pretty obsessed with plants), so I’m really excited to simply tend to it and watch it grow. I’m also looking forward to spending a lot of time this summer in the Florida Keys, where my parents live, being in the sun and on the ocean. Basically, enjoying a slow pace if life allows for it. Professionally, I am looking forward to creating the second collection in my “In Progress” series. Additionally, I am planning a branch of the Flora + Form studio, which will be solely dedicated to my ceramic work. I’m also very much looking forward to continuing my collaborations with brands like wMM and taking on more garment-design work.
What is the last thing you think about before you fall asleep?
Always something different, but I fall asleep to Seinfeld every night so that’s a constant.
Discover more of Danielle's work.
All imagery provided by Flora + Form Studio or photographed by Michael J. Spear for wMM.
