Last Updated on April 4, 2025
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Whether you’re just starting out in the fashion industry or are a seasoned expert, hearing motivating insight from another perspective could feel like a breath of fresh air.
Valentina Perissi, founder and designer of DAFNE Italy, is someone I’m always excited to chat with — all of her designs carry the message of empowering women to follow their dreams. We met back in 2019 when her hand-painted leather jackets caught my eye at Miami Art Basel.
Here, she shares her top fashion career tips on how to excel in this ever-changing industry.
No matter if you’re aspiring to be a fashion editor, creative director, social media manager, or get into personal styling, graphic design, or brand management, this one’s for you.
5 Fashion Career Tips from Valentina Perissi of DAFNE Italy
1. Believe in the Power of Your Dreams
At age 11, Valentina visited New York City for the first time from Florence, Italy. She came with her father, who worked as a fashion photographer. “I fell in love with the energy of the city and knew that if I were to ever do something big, it would be in New York,” says the designer.
She spent ten years at Italian luxury brand Roberto Cavalli, starting as an intern and rising to manage design, prints, embroidery, and other key tasks.
Along the way, she gained greater knowledge of fabrics, strong communication skills, and experience working with different departments within the company.
Even though she had a dream job in a competitive industry, Valentina decided to take a risk and moved to Milan, then Tokyo, to work with other companies and build a strong portfolio.
But for a while, she knew she wanted to start her own brand. Eventually, she moved to New York to pursue that goal. “I think when you feel something from your core, you just have to do it,” says the designer.
2. Venture Outside Your Comfort Zone
After moving to New York, Valentina started her first solo venture: DAFNE Italy. With her brand, she combined her love for art — especially hand-painting — with fashion.
Her pieces include her signature hand-painted leather jackets, handbags, wallets, backpacks, and jewelry. Many designs include elements of her fashion career tips with quotes like “Believe In You” and “Women of Power” with colorful graphics and embroidery.
This is a great reminder that you don’t need to follow conventional career paths — you can create your own unique role.
One piece of career advice that’s so important to remember is that you can always change. Your first job can help you see both what you want and don’t want to do in the future.
Especially as a creative person, it’s only natural to evolve. The beauty is that you can bring all the skills you learned in previous roles as you continue to grow in your career.
Back when Sex and the City aired, and Patricia Field styled the show, Valentina’s designs for Roberto Cavalli were often worn by characters Carrie and Samantha.
Coming full circle, the designer later worked with Field on her ArtFashion collection, featuring original pieces by a select group of artists. Behind the scenes, it took a lot of hard work and years of reaching out before the collaboration came to fruition.
“I know it’s hard sometimes, but what I hope is to teach people to never give up,” she says. “And if you really, really believe in yourself, you can make it.”
3. Practice Gratitude
Focusing on gratitude can go a long way, bringing many benefits not only to a successful career but also to your overall life and well-being.
Looking on the bright side lets us appreciate what we have and realize how far we’ve come.
“In New York, you have to fight every day and remind yourself why you’re here,” says Valentina. “Some days are hard, some days are amazing. The highs and lows are extreme, but the highs are what make everything worth it.”
4. Self-Motivation Is Key
The first step in growth is realizing that your dreams are well worth it.
Self-motivation is the driving force that keeps us moving forward — to create, share, and continue evolving.
On the origin of her brand name, Valentina says, “Dafne is my middle name. My parents were supposed to call me Dafne, but in the ‘80s it was a bit too different, so they named me Valentina.”
Dafne is a Greek name, a nod to her mom’s roots. The “A” in the DAFNE Italy logo is a triangle with an eye inside, symbolizing Valentina’s most valued sense: vision. “To me, the eye is about discovering your vision and meaning in life. “I always say, you only have one life—keep living and growing every day.”
5. Embrace the Idea of Women Empowering Women
Coming together as a community to motivate and inspire each other is so important in the fashion world.
And in this day and age, social media platforms make it much easier to connect with others, whether they are other fashion professionals or potential clients.
We all need a support system because the truth is, it takes a team to grow, scale any business, and create our best work.
There will be hardships to any venture, but having empowering women and meaningful industry connections by your side can make the journey so much better.
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