Meet Daniella Gershon | Owner of Wildcard The Label

We had the good fortune of connecting with Daniella Gershon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Daniella, what do you attribute your success to?
I believe an integral factor of Wildcard’s success is our strong brand identity and our ability to convey a story. Especially when trying to make a name for yourself early on, I believe you should think beyond the scope of a beautiful product shot or a scenic backdrop. I think it’s more important to set an intention behind each campaign and think about what you’re trying to make your audience feel. In our case, we steer away from traditional sexy poses in lingerie. Instead, we more so direct candid scenes of girls having fun and being themselves in Wildcard in an everyday type of context. We aim to empower girls to feel confident in themselves for themselves to take on the world.

In a world where content is king, I think it’s easy to get caught up in the pressure to consistently put more out there to make your presence known. Unfortunately, this makes it easier for the message to get lost in translation. This especially holds true with a start-up where there can be so many different adaptations of the same concept. It’s up to you as the brand owner to oversee your vision and remember why you set out on this journey in the first place.

Overall, I recommend taking the time at the start to develop a strong foundation on which to build upon. This is ultimately what will separate a product from a lifestyle that people want to be a part of.

What should our readers know about your business?
As a fashion consumer, I saw a gap in the market for a streetstyle underwear brand. I found it difficult to resonate with the existing options out there. In my eyes, a girl only had two choices. You could either buy minimal and comfortable underwear for everyday wear. Or, you could buy statement lingerie that comes with the connotation of sex. It was either 0 or 100. That’s when the idea came to mind to create the happy medium. The goal was to get the best of both worlds — the level of detail and matching set component of lingerie combined with the comfort and mobility of underwear. The result is a high quality, effortless yet put together look that is fun and versatile. Think of it as a little way to boost your mood at the start of each day to feel your best self – to go out and accomplish things in the real world. Because hey, isn’t that what matters most?

With that said, our dainty eco mesh sets feature fun color combinations and custom prints designed exclusively by us. You can wear them out and style them with an outfit just as easily as you can wear them in to lounge. The goal is to elevate your every day while wearing underwear designed by women for women to wear on your own terms. Ultimately, we want to change the narrative to a girl who is carefree and lives fearlessly – a wildcard.

Redefining an existing space does not come without its challenges. Since there is no precedent to guide us, we need to question each industry norm and form our own values. Introducing a new genre of underwear requires us to educate our audience about the problem we are trying to solve. As a result, we are constantly exploring different methods to get our message across.

To end on a high note, we are excited to announce that Wildcard will be partnering with several retailers, both big and small, across the world this year. Stay tuned to shop your favorite styles in person!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I wanted someone to fall in love with LA the same way I did, this is my official crash course. I would take them on a cruise down PCH with the top down so they could feel the wind through their hair while they take in the views of the coastline. We would sneak into the Point Dume Beach in Malibu to surf the waves and inevitably consume our day’s worth of water. We would hit up Venice, get into a food coma at Great White, and take bikes down the boardwalk before ending the day at Waterfront for sunset. We would kickstart the day with a coffee at Verve in Melrose before hiking the Brush Canyon trail to burn off the calories from last night’s debauchery at Mel’s Drive In. We would grab a bite to eat at Croft Alley before going thrifting at Melrose Trading Post and ending the night at Delilah. We would cowork from the lobby of Santa Monica Proper before heading over to Elephante for espresso martinis. We’d order one too many juices at Erewhon before walking across the street for a picnic at Pan Pacific Park. And if we had to have one night in, we’d consider trying a new place but eventually cave and order a box of sushi from Sugar Fish.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My story wouldn’t be possible without my mom, Liliana Montoya. She didn’t have much time on this earth, but she is and always will be my greatest source of inspiration.

She was as strong and fearless as she was kind and nurturing to everyone around her. She was a digital nomad before the term was even coined. She left her hometown in Colombia to travel the world with Coca Cola as a professional yoyo performer while being featured in newspapers across the globe. She lived in more countries than I can count and spoke 7 different languages. She eventually put that life behind her when she met my dad. She became an entrepreneur and started a company of her own so that she could always support herself. There was literally nothing she couldn’t do.

She was my best friend and I looked up to her in every sense of the word. Though truth be told, I doubted if we were really all that alike. I had just landed my dream job at JP Morgan when she passed my senior year of college. I was risk-averse and prepared to live a pretty ordinary life.

Little did I know that she would go on to inspire me to see the world, learn new skills, take risks, start my own company, and live a life worth living. It’s only now that she’s gone that I feel closer to her than I ever have before with all this common ground.

It would have been her birthday this week and it gives me great joy to be able to honor her with this tribute.

Website: wildcardthelabel.com

Instagram: @wildcardthelabel

Image Credits
Morgan Sizlak Kasey Gerst