Retail Diary: Brand Crush - Donni
Crushing on Donni & Founder Alyssa Wasko for the elevated basics, quality and dedication to LA manufacturing and expert styling (including tips from Reva Luft.) Come Crush with Retail Diary.
Retail Diary’s take on a business school case study. Much more fun and shoppable too. “Brand Crush” is where I share the brands and founders I can’t stop thinking about. I breakdown the hero items, what sets the brand apart and reasons you might crush too.
Table of Contents:
Brand Crush: Donni
Crushing: For Everyday Elevated Basics
Hero Products (Retail Diary,
& )
Founding Story & Brand Overview
Material & Price Point Strategy
Manufacturing Highlights
Who is the Donni Customer?
Drop Model isn’t a Gimmick
Styling Guide - tips from
Retail Strategy Deep Dive
Price Point Strategy
Retail Diary Opportunities for Donni
Collabs
Category Expansion
Retail Diary Wrap-Up
Industry Position Evaluation
Future Predictions
Final Thoughts
Brand Crush: Donni
These are all my own thoughts, opinions and research. As I wrote this I did reach out to Donni and
for questions and to learn more from the source. I so appreciate the time and energy she offered to me and Retail Diary readers. I also have a special code: 10% off a customer's first order on the Donni website: SARAH10.Crushing: For Everyday Elevated Basics
Let’s crush on Donni because it's one of those rare brands that truly gets it. The pieces have become the backbone of my wardrobe, especially post 2020 as more of my life has become hybrid everything (WFH, go into an office, travel, work-play-work etc.) - the ones I reach for whether I'm running to cheer for a kid from the sidelines, heading to a meeting, or packing for a trip. They nail that elusive sweet spot of being polished enough for work but comfortable enough for real life. There also aren’t many brands that both my mother and I wear. This is one of those brands. I order a piece, fall in love, and then immediately tell her to order. It's not about age or trying to be everything to everyone - it's about creating pieces that just work, regardless of who's wearing them.
The quality keeps me coming back (these pieces survive weekly washing and still look amazing), but what really makes me crush hard is founder Alyssa Wasko Stein's approach to building her business. In an era of hyper-growth and venture capital, she's choosing intentional expansion and staying true to her values of local production and community building.
In this Brand Crush I’ll highlight the pieces worth investing in right now (spoiler: I’m a huge fan of the rib knit kick flare pants and the eco-terry sweatshirt but I also reached out to
from for her picks too), dig into how the brand maintains quality and get into my take on why Donni's thoughtful approach to growth is a masterclass in modern brand building. Let's dive in!
Hero Products
Retail Diary Favorites:
Worth noting, I find everything TTS (true to size) and many of the sweaters and sweatshirts fit oversized. So if you’d rather have a more fitted look you might want to size down on those items. I’m petite, so the crop lengths are “regular” for me and the regular lengths (ex Pop pants and Bubble pants) which I love, I hem myself on a home sewing machine or you can take to get hemmed if you are petite also. It is also worth mentioning, yes, you can find t-shirts and kick flare pants that are less expensive. But I have found that I will pay more for quality products that look incredible and hold up after washing week after week.
My absolute #1 are the Rib Knit Kick Flare. I own in black and navy and wear every week. The perfect WFH pant. The perfect travel pant. The perfect weekend errand pant. The perfect everything pant. The Rib Knit Kick Flare are the pants I wear when I don’t know what to wear. I just bought the new version in the Box Weave Stretch Kick Flare to see the difference. I will be keeping as they do feel different enough (and I wear the rib knit so much I could use another black pair.)
Rib Knit vs Box Weave: Rib Knit material is thicker but a little stretchier, or more give. The Box Weave feels slightly dressier (but still approachable.) The Box Weave also has a slight sheen while the Rib Knit comes across as more matte.
I’m 5ft 2 and initially I wore my Rib Knit without hemming them. No ankle showed but they were fine to wear with flats. I recently did decide to hem because I wanted them to hit above my ankle to show a bit more skin. I’m keeping the Box Weave a bit longer on me for now so I can wear with boots this Fall/Winter.
Pop Pants are another easy to wear with everything pant. When you want to be casual but don’t want to wear leggings or jeans you can grab your Pop Pants.
The Donni Jersey t-shirts are so well made. They have a beautiful drape, hold up really well and feel so soft.
I’ve also added all my favorite Donni pieces here on ShopMy.
Other favorites:
Silk Stripe Crop Pant - I love the casual stripes down the side but I will wear with a silk top for nights out or a tshirt for during the day with sneakers. The material is nice and a little thicker so they barely wrinkle even when I’m sitting in them. I’ve traveled with these pants and can just shake them out and hang before I wear. I love an easy pant like this.
The Eco-Terry Sweatshirt* is so incredibly well made that it immediately goes to my hero list. The Donni eco-terry material is so elevated and easy. I’ve worn this over my workout clothes to start my day, with denim for weekend looks, throwing over loungewear to watch a movie at home. If you think of a security blanket piece of clothing, this is mine.
Satin Wool (gorgeous car coat and cocktail pants) and the Silk Jersey Long Sleeve T-shirt are launching next week and I can’t wait to check them out. The Satin Set looks great for holiday dressing. New Arrivals will pop up here when they launch.
Donni Classics:
I asked Alyssa Wasko Stein for her favorites - I know. It isn’t kind to ask a Founder to pick her favorites, but I always want to know what someone who is surrounded by the brand goes for.
V-Neck Cotton Cashmere Sweater - These really are great. The cotton with the cashmere makes them so approachable and easy to throw on for every day. The v-neck is easy to wear and pair with a t-shirt, turtleneck or wear alone. The colors are so crisp too.
Baby Rib Scallop Pant - Easy, comfortable and so soft. A lounge pant with an elastic waist and a delicate scallop detail at the ankle to make it a little special.
Pointelle is also back in a big way for layering and loungewear and I think we need to talk about just how incredible the pointelle at Donni is. It is thick, soft and holds up really well.
A stylist’s top picks
I interviewed
(see below for the full interview and how she styles) for her favorite pieces to wear, style and what she recommends to others. Here are a few of her selects.Baby Rib Boatneck - “And the boat neck long sleeve. So good. In black, it's a full proof top to wear out for dinner” RL
Cotton Sweatshirts - “the oversized knits I adore them” RL
Silk Simple Pants -”I brought the silk simple pants in black on a trip to Mexico recently. I was there 4 nights and wore them out for dinner THREE of those nights. They wore so well. Didn't crease. Can truly be casual or fancy.” RL
Do you have a favorite Donni item? Haven’t tried yet but a style you have your eye on?
Founding Story & Brand Overview
The origin story of the brand Donni goes back to 2009 and Alyssa Wasko’s initial iteration in honor of her father, Donni Charm. While studying at the University of Arizona, founder Alyssa Wasko's world was turned upside down when she suddenly lost her father, Donald. As she navigated her grief, she found herself drawn to creating scarves - pieces that brought both comfort and style, much like the warm, embracing presence of her father. What began as Donni Charm, making scarves adorned with meaningful charms in her college dorm room, would eventually evolve into something much bigger. (You can read more about Alyssa Wasko’s start and early days with Donni Charm from this profile in Teen Vogue written by Leigh Belz in 2011.)
While building Donni Charm, Alyssa was also starting her career in the fashion industry at Chanel, where she spent nearly six years working her way up from intern to Image & Visual Merchandising Coordinator in New York City. While in some ways Chanel’s luxury styles might feel removed from the casual everyday-ness of Donni, you can see how one might have influenced the other. Chanel has a deep DNA and styling details through materials. Bouclé, pearl, chain, etc. You see an item and you immediately know it is Chanel. Additionally, Chanel takes great lengths to support and invest in their suppliers. Often buying the factories to protect and invest in the education of production. Alyssa Wasko Stein has created "elevated classics" with Donni and the manufacturing and supply chain is a key component of the business.
The brand hit a turning point in 2013 when Barneys NY (RIP) placed their first order. As Alyssa recalls, this was her "okay, this is legit" moment, giving her the confidence to leave Chanel and focus on Donni full-time.
Today's iteration of Donni has grown far beyond those initial scarves, but the core values remain unchanged. The brand has expanded into a full apparel line of "elevated classics" while maintaining its commitment to comfort, quality, and thoughtful details. Everything is still produced locally in Los Angeles, with 78% of their vendors - from factories to pattern makers - being women-owned or women-run businesses.
What's particularly remarkable about Donni's evolution is how it's grown thoughtfully. The brand has masterfully scaled from a college dorm room project to a beloved fashion label while keeping its founding principles of comfort, quality, and meaningful details at its core. The Donni Instagram account feels like checking up on a friend and everyday moments in comfortable clothing.
You can also read this recent Q&A with
from Substack written by “Long Live Q&A: Donni Founder, Alyssa Wasko Stein”
Material & Price Point Strategy
Donni's decision to manufacture primarily in Los Angeles is a strategic choice that directly impacts both quality and pricing. This local production allows for tight quality control and efficient sample editing, resulting in exceptional products. However, it also means higher production costs compared to overseas manufacturing.
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