ABOUT

New York based brand launched in 2011, currently designed by Joy Cioci and Hayley Gentry. Young designer line with a complementary mix of fashion-forward contemporary design combined with highly technical quality construction. 

 

Designers Joy Cioci and @DEARDIARY's Hayley Gentry

Joy Cioci, the American designer, always had a creative spirit; drawing and painting anything that she thought was beautiful. As CIOCI got older, she realized that she can have women become her canvas and make them feel special and beautiful. CIOCI creates designs for women who want to feel inspired by a feminine, influential strength, while having a chic sense of effortless confidence. CIOCI, a Florida Native moved to NYC in 2002 to further enhance her fashion design career at FIT. During her education, she immediately interned with GUCCI and stayed with them for nearly two and half years. She worked in several different departments at Gucci's New York office from PR to special events to design work, learning about every segment of the industry. In 2004, she interned for the PUIG Fashion Group, working with the Carolina Herrera, Nina Ricci, and Paco Rabanne. Upon graduation in 2006, CIOCI launched her career and co-started a contemporary line called Chelsea Flower and also worked freelance for Nina Ricci as Olivier Theyskens, New York based design liaison for the Pre-Fall and Resort collections. In 2008, she launched the WiNK collection, for the NY based boutique and also sold to stores nation wide and internationally. Starting these other contemporary brands gave her the experience and desire on how to start and run a small fashion line, which lead her to launch her eponymous collection in 2010 at Mercedes- Benz Fashion Week for the Fall/Winter 2011 collection.Each season, CIOCI has established universally flattering silhouettes for women, using exceptional fabrics and rich details creating luxurious yet wearable, everyday pieces. Retailers such as Shopbop.com had 100% sell-through success creating reorders and increased sales each season. Some of the first press successes were having dressed Brooklyn Decker at Vanity Fair’s Oscar party, and custom designing Chrissy Teigen’s 2013 Grammy dress. The most esteemed press request was from the First Lady Michelle Obama to be one of five designers picked to design her second inaugural gown. CIOCI, now focused on growing her ready to wear, bridal collections to date.

 

 

 Hayley Gentry is a seasoned fashion professional and the creator of @deardiary, a platform she developed for creative individuals to gain support and to showcase their work with no restraints, as they follow their dreams. Gentry has always had a passion for quality design, style, art, and beauty.  Her motto is “beautiful is a state of mind but a gorgeous dress never hurts.”  She earned degrees in business administration and fashion merchandising and then made her love for fashion into a lifestyle and a fulfilling career.  She worked in style editorials and shopped for refined clients which helped polish her keen instincts for understanding what women want in fashion. Gentry worked with various brands and multiple editorial publications prior to creating and launching @deardiary. Gentry loves meeting new people and taking on new clients.  She is the mother of three kids and enjoys traveling with them and her husband Clayton and their pom puppy Cash Nugget.