Style Wire: Have you always been into fashion design or did that stem from another passion?
Allison Daroie: I’ve always been interested in design and fashion. As a child my grandmother would help me make clothes. I had a jewelry business before I began law school where I was designing one-of-a-kind pieces, which I sold to high-end boutiques in Boston, LA and NY. However, I decided to take a very different career path and went to law school.

SW: What inspired you to start designing?
AD: Post-law school I was juggling many roles from working at the Karmaloop Headquarters to teaching yoga classes and going to evening events. I noticed a major hole in the market for a category of clothing that can be worn in all environments from work, workout, or night out. I decided to create an apparel brand where all the pieces transition into different articles of clothing. I didn’t have a formal fashion design background and it was a challenge finding a designer who had a great eye for design as well as the ability to create pieces with added functionality. With what I hoped to achieve, it’s almost as if you have to look at fashion design from the perspective of the industrial designer/engineer. So I taught myself how to design and here we are!

SW: How did you come up with the name Paridaez and what does it mean to you? 
AD: I initially came up with the name Paridaez when I was researching parallel meanings for the setting of a short story I was writing. I came across the etymological background of the word paradise. It stemmed from an ancient Persian word that meant a garden or walled enclosure. It was then adopted by the Greeks to mean Garden of Eden or heaven and later came into English as Paradise. When I decided to use it as a brand name, I removed a few of the vowels from the translation. The concept behind the brand is to empower women to pursue big dreams, while balancing a healthy lifestyle and having fun.

SW: You just wrapped a successful partnership with Gina DeWolf, how has partnering with local girl bosses shaped your business and goals? 
AD: We all benefit when we work together. I curate a lot of lifestyle events for Paridaez. When partnering with other brands we have the opportunity to introduce our products/services to one another’s community. It’s a more organic form of marketing.

SW: What's the biggest thing you've learned since starting your business? 
AD: Things are never as easy as you hope and you have to be even more resilient than you expect. 

SW: What's the single best advice you've been given over your career? 
AD: The most successful entrepreneurs make a lot of big mistakes.

SW: You're also a yogi, how does that play into your daily life and Paridaez? 
AD: I still teach yoga classes in the Greater Boston area. Practicing on my own or teaching a class forces me to walk away from whatever projects I’m working on and reset. I love teaching and helping people. With everything I do whether it be the classes I teach, the products I create, or the experiences I curate, the goal is to improve the quality of life for others.

SW: What does an average workday look like for you? 
AD: Everyday is a bit different. I try to have a little “me” time in the morning and spend time with Henry, my goofy dog. Most days start off with answering emails, reaching out to potential collaborators and checking in with manufacturers. I do quite a bit of planning and I love working from cafes.

SW: Everyone has high hopes for 2017; what are your goals for the new year? 
AD: My goals for 2017 are to grow Paridaez exponentially while staying true to the vision. In creating transformative apparel, I want to empower women to experience more and shoot for big dreams. I plan to continue building a socially and environmentally conscious brand. I’d also like to create more valuable content for the blog and curate larger experiential events. Who knows maybe we’ll have our own brick and mortar this year!