DAUGHTERS OF SIMONE STARTED OUT OF A YEARNING TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN THIS BIG WIDE WORLD OF WEDDING DRESSES. THE NAME WAS INSPIRED BY THE PHILOSOPHER SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR, A WOMAN WHO DID HER OWN THING, TOOK NAMES, AND ALWAYS LEFT A MARK DURING A TIME WHEN THAT JUST WASN’T COOL FOR WOMEN TO DO. SHE IS THE HEART & SOUL OF DOS AND THE LABEL STRIVES TO SPRINKLE HER IN EVERYTHING THEY DO. A DAUGHTERS OF SIMONE BRIDE IS JUST THIS WAY. SHE KNOWS WHO SHE IS AND WHAT SHE WANTS. THE STATUS QUO ISN’T A BOUNDARY, BUT A CHALLENGE.
MEET THE SISTERS BEHIND THE LABEL, ASHLEY AND BRITTANY CASTANOS. RAISED BY A CARPENTER FATHER, AND AN ABSTRACT ARTIST MOTHER, MEANT THEIR CHILDHOOD WAS ANYTHING BUT ORDINARY. A TYPICAL CHILDHOOD ACTIVITY OF THEIRS CONSISTED OF THROWING ON TRASH BAG SMOCKS, SETTING UP A CANVAS IN THE BACKYARD, AND SPLATTERING COLORFUL PAINT WILDLY AROUND UNTIL A “MASTERPIECE” EMERGED. INDEPENDENCE, SELF-DETERMINATION AND CREATIVITY WERE CORNERSTONES OF THEIR FORMATIVE YEARS. AND, OUT OF WHICH, THEIR EYE FOR THE UNORTHODOX NEVER FALTERED.
THE BEGINNINGS OF DAUGHTERS OF SIMONE BEGAN NEARLY FOUR YEARS AGO DURING A TIME WHEN BRIT BEGAN TO QUESTION HER LACK OF CONNECTION TO THE BIG WIDE WORLD OF ALL THINGS WEDDINGS. INADVERTENTLY THIS NOTION SPARKED A DESIRE TO BRING ROMANCE AND AUTHENTICITY BACK INTO THESE CELEBRATIONS. TO GET THERE, BRIT EXPERIMENTED WITH DESIGNS, ALTERING VINTAGE PIECES SHE DUG UP AT LOCAL THRIFT STORES WITH WHAT SEWING SKILLS SHE COULD TEACH HERSELF. AS DEMAND STARTED GROWING, SHE ASKED HER KID SISTER ASHLEY TO HELP OUT. IN-BETWEEN STUDYING FOR HER MASTERS, AND SHUFFLING AROUND HER ROOMMATES SCHEDULES, ASHLEY BEGAN HOSTING REGULAR BRIDAL FITTINGS, AS WELL AS PACKAGING UP ENDLESS GOWN SHIPMENTS, DIRECTLY OUT OF HER SAN FRANCISCO APARTMENT. INEVITABLY ASHLEY AND BRIT DECIDED TO JOIN FORCES AND GO INTO DOS TOGETHER AS PARTNERS. WHAT STARTED OFF WITH JUST HANDFUL OF RECONSTRUCTED VINTAGE GOWNS, AND A PERSONAL VISION, HAS SINCE GROWN INTO BRIDAL BRAND THAT OFFERS FOUR IN-HOUSE DESIGNED COLLECTIONS AND A CURATED SELECTION OF VINTAGE GOWNS.
ASH AND BRIT ARE INSPIRED BY THEIR MOTHERS VERY OWN 1970’S OFF THE SHOULDER WEDDING GOWN, BACKPACKING TRIPS THROUGH INDONESIA AND AUSTRALIA, AND THE YEARNING TO CREATE GOWNS FOR THE SOUL-BARING & TENACIOUS WOMEN OF THE WORLD WHO REMIND THEM TO KEEP CHARGING FORWARD.
