Dayanne Danier with models wearing Bien Abyé pieces.

New York fashion designer, Dayanne Danier, was in Columbia this weekend to talk to Stephens College fashion students, critique student designs and shop downtown.

Danier, a Massachusetts College of Art graduate, talked to a group of upper-level fashion industry hopefuls on Friday afternoon. She told students that she knew she wanted to be a fashion designer when she was 9.

Being well dressed was important to her even as a child, as Danier’s dad would often tell her, “Make sure you look good, because I don’t need anyone talking about you.”

After graduating, Danier worked for Blauer Manufacturing in Massachusetts and Perry Ellis International in Miami before moving to New York City in 2004 to work for Phillips-Van Huesen.

She stayed true to her 9-year-old self (and to her fashion police father) and started her own clothing line in 2009 called Bien Abyé, which means well-dressed in French Creole. The line is based on three things that define Danier as a designer: bright colors, intricate details and good tailoring. It is women’s ready-to-wear that adds just enough spice to classic, ladylike styles through details like piping, pleats and ruffles (“I can’t get away from ruffles,” she says).

Danier stays local by sourcing all her materials from the United States. And she evokes Haiti, her core inspiration and where her parents were born, through bright colors and patterned fabrics. Danier’s spring 2012 line is based on Picasso’s blue period.

After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Danier raised money for school supplies and clothes and traveled there to work with school children in an after school program. She went back a year later to teach pattern drafting and clothing construction techniques to sewing teachers and is planning another service trip in 2012.

Danier advised the Stephens students to be patient when looking to land a dream job in the fashion world and to be as creative as possible as students.

Of course she didn’t leave the building without giving out fashion advice. “Your closet should be made up of good staples and fun pop pieces,” she says. What is the one thing that everyone, male and female, should own? A blazer. Yes, buy that magic blazer, which Danier says is the one thing that will make put-together outfits appropriate for every situation.

While shopping downtown, Danier breezes through clothing racks like, well, a pro but spends most of her shopping time at accessory counters, where she is attracted to color and detail. She buys some bright, dangly earrings and holds up a cherry-red high heel to say, “I once made a dress based on a shoe.”

One of Danier’s future goals is to keep reaching out to Haiti and the kids she has met and helped there. She also plans to continue designing with striking colors and interesting detail, keeping Bien Abyé tailored to a classic and powerful cadre.