Dannijo Founders on Sisterhood, Tradition & Freedom

Get to know the powerhouse sister duo behind one of our favorite jewelry lines, Dannijo!

This holiday season, you may have noticed a few new pieces in the FreePeople.com jewelry shop. Dannijo is a longtime favorite of the FP family; original pieces full of glitz and glamorous edge that complement EVERYthing. They are a must for any holiday ensemble you’ve got a-brewing.

What many people may not know is that Dannijo is a NYC-based company, founded and run by two extremely inspiring sisters — Danielle & Jodie Snyder. The two have been sidekicks since day one. Sharing memories that stretch back into time, and a bond that goes unspoken. Their creative talents feed each other’s drive. Their power combined is a force to be reckoned with.

The sisters grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, and reunited in New York after their college years. Upon doing so, they reverted to a favorite childhood pasttime: creating jewelry. Seemingly overnight, their passion grew into a successful brand, not only creating jewelry, but also advocating for sustainable economic opportunity for women in underdeveloped areas of the world. All DANNIJO.com packaging is handmade in Rwanda as part of their women’s empowerment initiative in partnership with Indego Africa.

Fully inspired by this sister duo, we sat down to pick their brains. Let’s take a trip down memory lane with Danielle and Jodie Snyder, shall we?

Jo, what is your first memory of your baby sister? Were you guys always close?

My parents told me she was a gift for me so I wouldn’t get jealous. I was three at the time and obsessed with Danielle, carrying her everywhere and including her in everything. Not much has changed thirty years later.

Danni, have you always looked up to your older sister? How do you think she has inspired you throughout your life?

Yes. I’ve been her biggest fan since the moment I was born. Jodie is incredibly confident, opinionated, brilliant, loyal, loving, inspiring and creative. She’s always been the first person I call when anything exciting or sad happens. We’re best friends and I can’t imagine life without her.

What were the holidays like for you when you were young? Do you have traditions that you still practice today?

We’re a big birthday family. We always used to jump in bed on the morning of each other’s birthday and bring all the family’s gifts and cards and open everything together as a family. Jodie I still do this today as she lives one floor above me in the same building. Now Margaux gets to join in on the fun!

The two of you have always been so close. Was there ever a moment when you didn’t get along?

D: No. We’ve had challenges, being that we’re so close and spend so much time together, but we’ve always been very close. Our sisterhood and friendship come before anything else.

You have lived together (in NYC, mind you!) and built a successful jewelry company together. What sort of role do you think that special relationship has played in the design and branding of Dannijo?

D: We have very different personalities and aesthetics — Jodie tends to be a bit more classic, sophisticate and I’m a bit more bohemian, rock’n’roll-inspired so we bring a powerful dynamic to the design process. We also trust each other explicitly which makes for a really solid business foundation.

The Dannijo pieces now selling on the Free People site are astounding! Can you tell us a bit about the design? Where does the inspiration come from?

The style is very bohemian-glam and can be worn with jeans and an oversized sweater just as effortlessly as with a vintage slip dress and a leather jacket for a night out.

Name your favorite item from the current Dannijo collection on FP and tell us how you would style it.