KALITA Girls: Danielle Copperman
We sat down with Danielle Copperman - nutritionist, food writer and chef. Follow her for great style, sustainability and a guide to slow-living.
A brief intro about yourself and what you are currently working on?
I’m a model, writer and entrepreneur turned content creator I guess you could say; although I'm spinning several plates at once. I still model and and write, and work now more on social media sharing inspiration and advice on sustainable style, slow living and self development; underpinned by an effortlessly classic and timeless approach to style, beauty and wellbeing.
I’m currently focusing most on content creation, consulting and producing shoots for brands, and also now styling work for future brides - in response to such a huge influx of enquiries following our own wedding at the end of last summer.
What three words some up your style?
Effortless, classic and conscious (in terms of the fabrics/production).
What’s been your most memorable trip to date and why?
There are far too many to choose from but always the most cultural and expansive are the ones that stay with me, and the ones I take things from that really remain in my daily life back home.
A trip to Hawaii with my parents when I was younger was just an example of pure, easeful living which I loved; and amazing weather and food. I've always wanted to go back.
Cuba and Central America with my best friend; at a time I most needed to take time off and found it most difficult to. After an intense break up and in the middle of starting my business. It was pure joy and warmth for the soul. Not to mention so humbling. I quickly adjusted to slower, simpler living and the small things bringing such positivity and pure joy and bliss.
A trip to France for my 3rd date with my now husband. For obvious reasons!
Our honeymoon, for obvious reasons!
Kos, Greece - where we went for work just after getting engaged. It felt like a honeymoon and I loved nothing more than being on the back of my husbands scooter, driving around the island in the evening sun, and just being in this little love bubble.
The colours of Cuba... a Kalita dress, the perfect accompaniment
What's your favourite way to unwind?
Lying in the garden with our dog and my husband during summer. In general I find it easier to unwind during summer; I love to just be in the sun and find it easier to read or ‘do nothing.’ The rest of the year, I unwind by cooking, reading, sewing, painting, writing (journaling or poetry), listening to podcasts or watching old classic movies.
I love that even having worked in wellness for 10+ years, unwinding and self-care doesn’t have to mean yoga and meditation. For me it’s any simplistic activity that fills me with ease and joy, and is something I can completely zone out doing.
What is your favourite KALITA piece from this collection and how would you style it from summer to winter?
I love all of the Kalita maxi dresses; the fabric just floats and it’s so effortless to wear but at the same time feels super elegant and unique. You feel like you’ve made a huge effort and the dresses make such a statement in their bold colours, yet it’s so simple and easy to wear. I wear them most during the summer with sandals or barefoot, and with heels for evenings or events.
The Kalita Beachwrap - from the new Je Ne Sais Quoi collection
Bucket List Top destination and which KALITA you would take?
Have wanted to go back to Hawaii since I first visited when I was 12, and am also dying to see Sri Lanka. I have plans for Jamaica and Mauritius this year and the colours of Kalita would all be so beautiful in tropical settings like these.
What’s the biggest & smallest lesson you’ve taken from your travels?
People with less physical things have more happiness and positivity and gratitude, and generally kindness, too.
It’s important to take time out, regularly.
It’s important to travel, as often or rarely as you want. But it’s important to explore this beautiful world; to understand it better but also to understand yourself and others better, too. It’s grounding, humbling and generates compassion, consciousness and awareness.
Mangos and avocados in Cuba are the best and biggest I’ve ever tried; I rarely eat them now at home as they never compare.
Food is a big part of traveling. Eat like the locals.
Culture is a big part of traveling. Live like the locals, too. I never saw the point of staying in a resort and eating at the same hotel restaurant every night, ordering the same foods you’d eat back home. Let go, and explore with openness and curiosity like a child!
Let's go, and explore with openness and curiosity like a child!
How does wearing KALITA make you feel – 3 words to sum up the feel of the brand?
It makes me feel empowered, elegant and intensely feminine. The dresses are so delicate and gentle, they feel like air to wear, yet they make such a statement in the floor length styles and bold colours. I feel like I turn heads in Kalita dresses more than ever; they have a really powerfully beautiful essence about them.
What causes are you passionate about and would like to raise awareness for?
Sustainable living, slow living, self development, manifestation, using the mind to feel and heal. I am so passionate in helping people to make more out of lives, to reframe the conditioning we have picked up over the years, and to empower people to take more control over the course of their lives.
Also sustainability it’s a huge one for me, to raise awareness about the speed at which our actions are affecting the health of the planet, our own health and our future. It’s a hard feat, many damaging aspects of our lifestyles are almost unstoppable, but I’m so committed to it.
Holiday cocktail of choice?
Depends where I am in the world! A rose in Provence or South of France, if I’m feeling like something stronger, a margarita, caipirinha, pina colada or a paloma - mirror less my go to drink of choice.
Cocktails in the South of France? Dreamy... check out our new Je Ne Sais Quoi collection.
Last book you read?
Small Great Things by Jodie Picoult, which was amazing; I was glued to it and I love speeding through books you can’t put down. It made me feel really capable of making time to read outside of summer too; I usually don’t make time for it but it has been amazing to reduce screen time and keep me occupied whilst traveling.
I’m now reading a book on Hypnobirthing. I’m not even sure whether we’ll have kids or not - we’re not in the mindset of ‘planning’ this and want it to happen naturally as and when it should, if it is meant to be. But I wanted to educate myself as I feel it’s an area we still have little understanding about. It’s not so much about hypnobirthing but more about empowering women to regain control and understanding of the process of giving birth; a power and intuition we’ve lost and a concern which we’ve given over to medical professionals. It’s fascinating to reframe how you think about modern pregnancy.
Go to guilty pleasure?
Pistachio gelato all summer long
Your “dance like no-ones watching” song?
Literally every song, anytime, anywhere. I have no standards and no shame when it comes to dancing. I was born a dancer and find it so freeing; and the wilder and messier the better, in my opinion.
Which three inspirational women (dead or alive) would you want to have dinner with?
My Aunty Kathy who I never got to know; Oprah; maybe Zendaya, why not?!
What did you dream of when you were a little girl - and what would you tell her today?
I think I dreamed to be a dancer or a singer for a while, then a teacher, then a fashion editor at vogue. I would tell her that nothing is as it seems, and nothing is as difficult as you think.
We pick up conditioning based on other people’s experiences, but you’re on you’re own unique path, and you’re capable of as much or as little as you think you are. I’d tell her you have and are enough to do anything you dream of, and that what you dream of might change over time, several times.
I’d tell her life is a collection of experiences and projects, to try as much as possible, to not be concerned with ‘failure’, to focus and work hard and above all to listen to your intuition - to never lose that connection with your true self, and inner guidance. And also that any failure or challenge is just a diversion away from what’s not meant for you, to re-route you more ease-fully to what is.
D x
Be sure to check out Danielle's brilliant new podcast about the Process of Life, where she sits down with some truly inspirational minds. Check out the Process Podcast on Apple Music and Spotify.