Meet The Girl Behind The Brand
Hey There! My name is Dana and I am the woman behind Dead Byrd Vintage. Vintage has been a passion of mine since I was just a little babe. I owe this love all to my mom, for taking me to thrift stores and second hand shops growing up allowing me to pick out whatever I wanted... Lending me to make decisions like wearing black patent leather tap shoes as if they were an everyday pair of sneakers.
I am also an artist and over the years my interests have fluctuated and evolved from studio art to fashion design to weaving and photography, but vintage clothing has always been high above the rest. The hunt for the perfect vintage piece is what fuels my excitement when building my collection. I often refer to thrift shopping as my "therapy" or "meditation" because its the one time I consistently find myself completely lost in the moment.
Who Is My Girl?
I have really enjoyed evolving this brand over the years and find my individual identity. I admire all vintage (and take a silent moment to appriciate each piece I leave behind when sourcing my collection) but for me personally, I don't want to look like I just walked off the pages of a 50's Good Housekeeping Mag. I want vintage to be easy and accessible to everyone, whether you have a closet full of finds or it's your first vintage purchase. I have always mixed vintage pieces with modern clothing to create eclectic outfits, and that is the vibe I want Dead Byrd Vintage to embody... Vintage clothing for the modern life.
Having worked in the retail/fashion world my entire life I have always followed current fashion trends. I like to translate those into DBV, whether it is a current hot color or style or must have fabric. As they say, fashion always comes back in style...
So, who is my girl? A girl who has a love for current fashion and vintage and wants to merge the two in her everyday life. Who loves simple elegant pieces with a general ease and effortless vibe. Someone who wants timeless classics to mix with her fashion forward seasonal statement pieces. The girl who walks into a room turning heads in just a t-shirt and jeans with an amazing vintage coat thrown over top.
Vintage is the best way to find those one of a kind special pieces that no one else will have. When your friends ask where you got that shirt they love so much, they can't just run out to the mall and have it on the next day. Finding that perfect piece to add to your collection is really what keeps us all coming back time and time again.
The Story About The Name
Since many continue to ask, I figured I would write it all down for all you internet babes if you also happen to be curious..
I have a BFA in photography from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA. My senior year was spent with the majority of my concentration on my senior thesis. This being the biggest photography project of my career I wanted to do something personal, something that meant something to myself. I decided to do a photography journal.
First for a little background...
At this point in my life I was without a car... mine had died and it wasn't worth fixing, although I had sunk my entire life savings into only to receive $350 back to scrap it. For the first time in my life I was walking EVERYWHERE to school, to work, to meet friends. I started to notice all of the items that littered the ground. Some yes might call the trash, but I looked at them as discarded treasures. I decided I would collect items along my every day travels for 100 days.
Now I didn't pick up everything I saw (that would be insane) I strategically chose things that stuck out to me, something about it that caught my eye... whether the color or shape or meaning I felt it had. As I would collect these items each day I would them come home and arrange them and photograph that final grouping of everything I had found that day. Sometimes it was two things some days it was 25.
Now for the bird part...
One day I am walking to school and on the side walk laying at my feet a small sparrow perfectly still and untouched. I paused, staring at him how peaceful he was, like he had simply layed down to take a nap. I wanted to pick him up and take him with me but I had nothing to put him in so I carried on my way to class. When I got there I mentioned the bird I had found and how I wasn't sure if I could figure out a way to get him or if I should even touch him. My teacher insisted that I MUST! He assisted in prepping me latex gloves and a box to put him in. I left class and headed back, hoping I would find the bird just as I had left him. Excited and nervous I hurried back and then, there he was. I put on a single glove and picked him up so gently, as to not wake him from his nap, placing him thoughtfully in the box.
From that day on, he became the "mascot" of my senior thesis, eventually adopting the name Henry. Still to this day classmates send me/tag me in photos of dead birds.
