Meet Dasha Faires

“Dasha Faires is the Creative Director at Canal Street Market, a new kind of carefully curated retail market and food hall. Originally from Arkansas, Dasha is married to her high-school sweetheart. Together they have two toddlers, Boone and Jed, and live in Two Bridges - a secret little community which they love. Before launching Canal Street Market, Dasha worked in the fashion industry for 13 years.”

♫ LISTEN TO Dasha'S PLAYLIST | ⌨ LAST GOOGLE SEARCH

*Jacket, ASOS ; Pants, Stella McCartney ; Shoes, Acne Studios*

*Jacket, Veda ; Top, Zara ; Jeans, Frame Denim ; Earrings, Ladies and Gentlemen*

on her morning routine

My morning routine tends to be a bit hectic at the moment. I have two toddlers at home and a full time job. My mornings mainly consist of attempting to feed everyone breakfast and getting everyone dressed and out the door on time to school and work. Luckily my husband is is a rare male species that I call a "mom-dad." He is very supportive in that he carries a lot of the morning responsibilities as well.

on being creative

My creative ritual involves being a huge nerd and surfing the Internet all hours of the night. I usually just bury myself in a spiraling Tumblr perusal and run into some super weird and good stuff.

I started out in fashion and I've explored so many different sides of the fashion industry including buying, sales, brand coordination, photo shoot production, etc. I always helped my husband with creative projects on the side, and earlier this year decided to take the leap into something more creative.

on beginning her projects

[Canal Street Market] happened very quickly and was a really amazing and really intense process. I started compiling ideas and working on the project full-time in July 2016 and we launched the retail portion of the market on December 1, 2017. It's a challenging process trying to explain an idea that doesn't exist yet to people, but luckily it ended up being this perfect formula of amazing brands and artists who were crazy enough to dream with me and helped make it all happen.

“The only thing I can tell you is that I really want to read more adult books and I end up just reading kids books all the time. I wish I was one of those moms that could read before bed, but instead I’m usually catching up on chores or work from the day. Wow, I’m really not cool enough to be on this blog.”

— on reading books

*Jacket, VEDA ; Pants, Creatures of Comfort*

on how she started out

I worked at a vintage store during high school and college, and so at one point every single thing I owned was vintage. Then I just sort of grew out of it and started dressing a bit more basic. Now I fall somewhere in between. I gravitate toward all black, but I've been coming out of my shell and taking more chances. I like to pair super simple basics with something special. I like jewelry, and I have a real obsession with buying good pants. I have an ever-expanding list of coveted pants, which makes perfect sense since they all have to be dry-cleaned and I'm never not dodging grubby toddler hands.

some career advice

I wish I could say I have some good tips for achieving a work/life balance, but I don't think I succeed in this area. I tend to lean heavily toward work and hope everything else will fall into place. I know that's not healthy, but I can't help it. I get my work ethic from a certain family member who is famous for never slowing down. I've learned that hard work and a good attitude can actually pay off. Do I sound like an 80 year old grandpa right now?

on her beauty routine

I've figured out how to get by with a very minimal morning beauty routine. At the very least, I always try to get moisturizer and mascara on my face, which feels like an accomplish in the midst of a toddler battleground and complete chaos most mornings. I like to exfoliate every day or every other day. I can't live without Dermalogica precleanse and Dermalogica daily microfoliant, Dr. Dennis Gross at home chemical peels, Lavami "The Balancer" facial serum and then after all this, it's just Loreal Voluminous Mascara and regular cherry chapstick. Not kidding. I can put more makeup on if I'm going to an event or something, but the daily routine is pretty basic. I also use Agent Nateur Holi (Stick) No 3 Deodorant, Oribe Cote d'Azur Luminous Hair & Body Oil, Avene Micellar Lotion, and OLO Cedar & Rose Body Oil.

on her haircare

Every 8 weeks, I get my roots done which forces me to sit in a salon chair for 3-4 hours, which at this point in my life feels like a luxury. The upkeep on my hair is a real pain, but I've learned to enjoy this time and take it as a little "me-time," which is rare these days.

on home decor

I like things that feel a bit stripped down, but not minimal at all. I'm into texture and warmth and basics mixed with weird thrift store finds. Most of the furniture in our house is either thrifted, built by my husband, or from Ikea or some other boring place. We have lived in NY off and on for 13 years now and we're constantly moving around, plus our kids like to create art canvases out of anything they can get their hands on. I really like Cedar & Moss, France & Sons, and Schoolhouse Electric for lighting, Michele Varian for home accessories, and have found some amazing pieces at Angel Street Thrift in Midtown.