D'ana Nunez on Blogging, Cuttlefish and Brussels Sprouts

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Don't call D'ana Nunez a fashion blogger, not because she doesn't flaunt her minimalistic, chic style on her personal blog, Collections + Volumes; it's because her site is turning its wheels to become much more.

A former Oscar de la Renta intern, current visual merchandiser for BCBG and content manager for local brand, Furor Moda, D'ana's blog is quickly expanding, to include tech features, business and blogging advice, style spotlights on other fashionable Miami personalities and, soon, personally customized music playlists.

We cozied up with D'ana at Gigi, a late night cult favorite in Midtown, to talk blogger beautographers, juicing and how to not be an average cup of Joe. Over a cafe con leche, ironically, we picked this her brain only to find that this blogger has more than two cents in the bank.

Tell us a little bit about Collections + Volumes. You wrote at one point that the blog was sort of like an experiment or a journey. What is your journey about?
At first the journey was of self discovery. I was still trying to find a way to implement my love of fashion, but without being too niche-y or too gimmicky about it. Now it's more of a platform to expose different things however I want to, whether it's putting up my content with videography, or exposing new music, personal style, free style or an app for your phone. I just don't want Collections + Volumes to be a cup of coffee, because everybody's having coffee. I just want to make something more than coffee.

What's your big next step for Collections + Volumes?
My next big step is music. I'm going to be collaborating with a DJ from Atlanta. He's actually a really good friend. His name is Xavier BLK. He was the DJ for my one year anniversary and everybody loved him, so one day when I was in the midst of coding everything [for my site] I was like, why not offer music playlists that people can download to workout, go running, go partying. I want to make a playlist that inspires my readers to get more knowledge in undercover music.

So Collections + Volumes- it's not just a personal style blog, which is what people might think originally.
Originally yes, it was a personal style blog. But you grow as a person, as an individual, and you see your love for life and things change. I love videos, I love visuals, I love tech (I'm a tech nerd), so if I'm given the platform to showcase that, why not do that? I've been doing that here and there [on the blog] with Blogger Two Cents, Style Watch, my own personal style and then music.

So do you edit everything yourself?
Yes. I'm self taught. I never went to school for it, but I have this thing where I like to touch things until I figure them out... Now I have my partner who went to school for that. It's good to have another creative.

Well most bloggers have a beautographer hanging around...
Yes! That's exactly what he's become!

So then the theory is right! Every successful blogger has a beautographer.
It's such a good asset, I don't know what it is, and I never thought I'd get to that, but one day I gave him my camera and said, can you take my picture? Month's later he's like 'hey, when do we have to shoot? What time? We're going to this location. We're doing that.' Me, Daniela [Nany's Klozet] and J'ana [OJ and Cigs], we have this joke that they're going to create a blog one day and they're going to call it theboyfriends.com and they're going to write about tech, about editing, about their personal experiences, and they can just vent out on their blog.

What do you think about the blogging community here?
It's tough because the community is so saturated. It's filled with girls who want to partake in fashion blogging and it's hard to deviate who's trying to actually make a career out of it to who's just wanting to get free stuff. And that line kind of works sometimes, but before you know it, it's hard to be top tier when you have a bunch of turkeys around. And I love them all, but it's hard to stand out, I guess. There's a lot of brands that go to the same bloggers year after year because they're familiar with them; they've always been here in Miami. They kind of break that opportunity for us to work.

You have a background working with Oscar de la Renta. Has working with high end brand influence your style and your blog?
Overall my style is very laid back and down to earth. I wouldn't say rugged is the right word, but it's a little edgier. In the Oscar days, I worked in their office and I used to wear combat boots, a lot of AllSaints… and I never thought, you know what? I'm going to start dressing like Oscar de la Renta. After I left, I had the itch to dress that way, but I knew it wasn't me. It didn't compliment who I was. [The job] only motivated me to stay myself.

When you're not working on Collections + Volumes, what are you doing?
Collections + Volumes is my side job. My full time is doing the visual merchandising for BCBG and I also do content managing for Furor Moda. And when I'm not doing that, I'm literally just thinking. Or I'm vegging out watching Orange is the New Black or Revenge.

You mentioned you're juicing. Thoughts?
It's not the remedy of the gods, but it's definitely worth it if you're looking for a refresher.

If you were a vegetable, which vegetable would you be?
I'd be a Brussels sprout, because they taste so good. Everybody underestimates Brussels sprouts…Anywhere I go I eat a Brussels sprout, and if I can have that impact on someone else, why not be a Brussels sprout?

What flavor of ice cream are you?
Can I be a combo?

Duh.
Cold Stone's Berry Berry Good.

Dresses or pants?
A fitted pant.

What decade were you supposed to be born in?
I'm a 90s baby, but I should have been an 80s baby.

Favorite 90s pop band?
'N Sync.

Favorite candy?
Laffy Taffy.

Favorite local Miami store?
Fox House.

What's your spirit animal?
A coddle fish. It's a part of the octopus family.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
Hopefully in five years I'll have been able to conquer whatever it is here in Miami or in Florida and I'll be out of state doing some Cali living…with Collections and Volumes being this platform where I can help you out, whether it's rebranding, social media, curating your brand. That's what I hope to be doing.
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