Founder Feature: Sylth Virago’s Danielle Goldman + Athanasia Svec
Unimpressed with the vegan fashion options available in the marketplace, Danielle Goldman set out to create her own. With the help of two friends, she launched Sylth Virago, a seriously stylish luxury footwear brand.
We recently chatted with Danielle and one of her co-founders, Athanasia Svec, about where they find design inspiration, what advice they have for other women considering starting their own business, who they’d love to see wear their shoes and more.
Check out the full conversation below!
What made you want to start your own business? What inspired your decision to launch Sylth Virago?
Danielle: Once I made the connection between the material of my belt and a living breathing animal, I sought brands so that my wardrobe would match my lifestyle choices. I was very disappointed in the selection. I called my friend Athanasia, who was also seeking a more ethical path (and came from a fashion sales background) and said we have to do this; I know together we can build something really great. Now, almost three years later, sprinkled with a dusting of COVID to push us back almost a year and a half, we finally launched this past September. I am an admitted self-saboteur so naturally, I would want to build a brand, work a full-time job, raise a family and maintain a vibrant social life…is there any other way?
What was the most difficult part of starting your own business and how did you overcome it?
Athanasia: We both came to the table with some kind of professional background, but everything we did was and continues to be, a learning experience. One of the most difficult things for me is time management. I left my career right before having my third, so now I’m a stay-at-home with no nanny or cleaning help. Finding the time to take care of three toddlers, maintain the house and work on Sylth is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
What’s one thing you wish you’d known about launching your own business before you got started?
Danielle: Don’t believe everything you see on social media. Entrepreneurship is a TOUGH path and it is not for those who are looking to not work for someone else…you won’t work for someone else but you will work harder than you ever have and it takes a lot of gumption, confidence and risk to put yourself out there and build a business. I never thought the cliché’ motivational memes would be so useful, but I make sure to read them every day because no matter how much you believe in your product and yourself and your team, there is a lot of grind behind the beautiful pictures and edited videos.
What advice do you have for other women who are considering starting their own business?
Athanasia: Don’t think too deep into it. If you’re passionate about it, just dive in and do it. There are many women entrepreneurial communities that are more than happy to help. Starting your own venture is hard work, but it comes with the biggest rewards in the end.
Describe your brand in three words.
Athanasia: SEXY, TIMELESS, UNIQUE.
Your shoes are all stunning — where do you find design inspiration?
Danielle: Athanasia, Kyle Blackmon and I come from uniquely distinctive backgrounds. From the beginning, we came together to build a line that reflected each of us and create signature brand symbols while maintaining the urban luxe feel. The dagger heel on our Antigone Pump, which you will see come around again in future designs (though with a platform) is inspired by the juxtaposition that our shoes are; it makes you feel fierce yet inspires morality and compassion through the materials and artisans who hand make them with ethical materials only. All of our styles can speak for themselves or accessorize a customer with their own bold style, so we try to create products that can do both.
Which piece is your favorite and why?
Athanasia: Although I’m in love with our entire collection, if I had to choose one it would be Demeter. She is the perfect unison of country boot and stiletto heel. Demeter can be dressed down with a pair of ripped jeans and a T-shirt or dressed up with a cocktail dress. Add the beauty of no animal leather or products used to make her and bam, the perfect luxury, mid-calf bootie.
If you could pick anyone to wear one of your designs, who would it be and why?
Athanasia: Gisele. From the start, I told Danielle that if Gisele wore our designs BY HER OWN FREE WILL that would be it for me. She is stunning inside and out. She has made it her mission to promote love for our planet and everything in it. Seeing her wearing Antigone or Persephone would be a dream come true.
If you could see your shoes on the runway at any fashion show, which one would you pick and why?
Danielle: I think our current line and the styles from our next line in prototype phases now would complement an adjacent RTW urban luxury clothing brand. The first two that come to mind are a ROTATE Birger Christensen or Jonathan Simkhai style brand. I love Magda Butrym but she is currently producing shoes of her own. I also think our shoes could have their own runway show one day too!
Tell us more about some of the sustainability initiatives of your business.
Danielle: As a brand with a sustainable-forward mission, we understood there would be trade-offs in order to get the product out there and the materials we would have access to with small quantities and few connections to that world. Thankfully, we were able to incorporate many innovative materials such as recycled rubber soles and biodegradable insoles. In order to offset the areas where we weren’t as successful in securing sustainable partnerships, at the end of every year we donate $1 from every sale to an organization that plants trees, thereby reducing our carbon footprint — pun intended. We also donate $54 dollars monthly to an animal rescue organization based in India that rescues, treats and provides sanctuary to animals in need. Finally, ALL of our materials are and always will be vegan. We understand that leather and other forms of animal skins and hides are not only cruel industries, they are also the number one source of carbon emissions. We will cover a portion of repair costs to extend the life of your shoe in most circumstances. Currently, we are in early discussions to collaborate with a waste management group to incentivize our customers to ship worn shoes to an offsite location, at our cost, so our partners can responsibly discard parts of the shoe regardless of its life cycle and hopefully salvage the parts that can be used again.
What are some of your favorite vegan restaurants or shops in NYC?
Athanasia: Urban Vegan Kitchen on Carmine Street is filled with vegan goodies from Chick-Un & Waffles to Korean BBQ and so much more. Plus, they give a lot back to hungry children, which is pretty amazing. Le Botaniste is all about “prescription” bowls packed with freshly cooked plant meals that are mouthwatering but also healing.
What destination is next up on your travel bucket list and what Sylth Virago shoes are you packing in your suitcase?
Athanasia: Next up on my bucket list is Switzerland and — you guessed it — Demeter will be joining me!
You get one day completely free from responsibilities (work, parenting, etc.) — how are you spending it?
Danielle: I would probably spend the day at a spa with my husband and then meet up with friends for dinner. Between working as a nurse practitioner in NYC and juggling the business day-to-day and being a mom to three kids, and my husband also working a C-suite level start-up, we never get a minute, so that sounds like a relaxing day. I may have to put one of those on my calendar…that or just scrolling the Internet catching up on gossip with naps in between and then looking up and realizing its 7:30 p.m. — that sounds pretty mindless, which would be a nice change of pace :)
What’s in store for the future of Sylth Virago? Where do you see the business one year from now?
Danielle: We are currently in the proto-phase with three new designs and have about five others in the R&D stage. We hope to keep getting the ladies out there, getting ourselves out there and making more beautiful products with ethical sources. We have some early plans for jackets and capes as the next items on our list and eventually, we would like to dip our toes into the men’s side of things — but that’s for another conversation. ;)