Battle Ground married couple Vanna and Rasha Pecoraro are on a dapper mission to make a difference.
They founded the lifestyle brand Dapper D last year, completing a successful Kickstarter project in June. They raised $17,300 to open their online store. “We were surprised by how supportive the community was, even from people that we don’t even know, because they believed in us and our idea,” said Vanna.
“I wanted to dress lesbians better, basically,” said Vanna. “I thought, ‘Maybe I can be a stylist,’ but where do I get the clothes?” Dapper D became the resulting answer. Vanna curates pieces of clothing from around the globe. She orders samples to check for quality, affordability and the ease of modifying the pieces to be more gender neutral.
Founding a clothing company is also very personal for Vanna. “I’ve been wearing men’s clothes since I’ve been able to buy my own clothes.” But shopping in the men’s department often equaled a lack of customer service and clothing didn’t always fit, said Vanna. “I knew I wasn’t the only one out there.”
Dapper D offers men’s styles tailored for women, emphasizing a tomboy style. “We’re catered to the LGBT community, but we wanted to make sure we’re all inclusive,” Vanna said. Their customers range from straight women who enjoy a comfortable fit to transgender men.
Rasha, a former plus-sized model, emphasized that their line is modeled by their friends, as their way of representing everyday people. Working in the fashion industry, she said the industry’s standards for beauty weren’t reflective of what she saw as beautiful.
“I want people to feel better about themselves every day, and empower them. We want to make a difference in the world, live by the words of our brand,” said Rasha. Their signature T-shirt is printed with their company’s ideal: Be brave, be authentic and be you. Their line includes hats, hoodies and cardigans.
Dapper D will be holding a pop-up store at Cupcake Jones in Portland, featuring new and signature pieces. Part of the sale proceeds during the temporary store will go to Outside In, a Portland social service agency that helps homeless youth. “We want to give back to the community as much as we can, since we were funded relatively quickly (on Kickstarter),” said Rasha. It seemed like a natural fit to ask owners Lisa Watson and Peter Shanky of Cupcake Jones, since they have been friends and longtime supporters, they said.
For the future, said the couple, they hope to run a pop-up shop every month, with the aim of traveling to different states and cities. Their next big addition to the shop is a pair of jeans, which has offered a different challenge. “When I buy men’s jeans, there’s a lot extra material that I don’t need,” said Vanna.
The Dapper D pop-up shop will be open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 14 to 16 at Cupcake Jones, 307 N.W. 10th Ave., Portland. For more about the brand, visit www.dapperdfashions.com.
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