Today we’d like to introduce you to Grayson and Buddy DiFonzo.
How did you and Buddy meet?
Grayson: Buddy and I met in the fifth grade. We were in the same homeroom class. For Buddy, it was love at first sight, for Grayson, it was more like finding her partner in crime. They went on to be best friends until they went away to college.
We went off to separate universities, but he went to Texas State in San Marcus and Grayson went to TCU and Fort Worth. We came home to float the Comal River after our first year of college after we hadn’t seen each other for a year, and that was it, we were madly in love❤️.
Buddy: It was honestly meant to be, we fell in love on the beaches of the Caribbean in Saint John, but the story doesn’t start or end there. We met in 5th grade in New Braunfels, TX because we had the same homeroom. We had the best friendship until the summer of 99”. Grayson set off to attend TCU in Fort Worth, while I went just up the road to Texas State University. As most freshmen do, we headed home for the summer to float the river and hang out with friends! That summer led to something neither of us expected… a HOT DATE! Fast forward to December 2008, when we finally married and started to settle down and build a family (we now have two little BuddyLove babes in training, Lola Bett, and Gigi)!
How did you come up with the name BuddyLove?
Buddy: BuddyLove is a family name given to me by Grayson’s family when we were in high school together. I seemed to always be around, especially if Grayson and her girlfriends were down at the island resort on the Comal River. When Grayson opened the doors to her showroom at the Dallas World Trade Center, the name was given a new life and the brand was born!
G: WhenI decided to open up my own showroom I went back-and-forth with a couple of names, but BuddyLove kept coming back to me. That’s what my parents called buddy in high school when he would come to the house and hang out with me and all my girlfriends. For some reason I love the story it told me and my husband and I thought it was something that we could really build on I knew that name was gonna be something special someday.
What is your career background?
G: I did styling and PR internships for Nicole Miller in NYC before heading to London. There, I worked for Charles Jourdan and Kurt Geiger. After that, it was all about showrooms before I eventually started BuddyLove!
B: I’ve always been a little bit of an entrepreneur and seemed to have a knack for making money to cover the entertaining lifestyle I set out to have! My first job was at the age of 12 setting pins at a Nine Pin bowling alley for tips and free candy! I spent my summers on the construction site in high school, lifeguarding at the Olympic pool in Landa Park, and waited tables throughout college. My most exciting endeavor happened to be on the island of Saint John… until BuddyLove came to be!
What led to the decision to make BuddyLove a clothing label?
G: What led me to start the clothing label was really a lack of contemporary collections that I felt any passion for at the time. I didn’t see any great bodies or outstanding prints. I would see things and think to myself “oh if I could add this to that or switch it up or change the color or fabric that it would be much better!” Making people look good and feel good is my passion and I always believed that the right ensemble could do that. I was the stylist of the group in high school… in fact, my friends still call/text me today to help them put outfits together. I honestly just felt like the industry was kind of stale, and that if I could bring my personality to a clothing line that people would really respond to it. At least that was in my prayers every night, and still is!
What inspires you + the brand:
G: I can be inspired by anything! Art, interior design, nature, sunsets, my kid’s watercolors, etc. I remember being inspired to create a color palette for a collection I was launching after going on a trip the aquarium with my two kids. It’s personal things like that that just makes this line and these clothes so unique and special.
B: Inspiration is everywhere, but especially in our travels. Grayson and I love the beach and the tropical lifestyle in general. The laid-back culture and bright colors spark so many ideas from color palettes to patterns and even bodies. Travel always helps us creatively!
How would you describe the BuddyLove brand to someone new to the site?
G: I would say BuddyLove is unique because we speak to all different generations of women. We have a lot of mother-daughter duo‘s that shop with us. While the daughter might wear something like a mini dress, the mother wears it as a tunic and pairs it with white denim. Our silhouettes fit very well, we repeat the same bodies a lot because it’s what our customer wants! I think our prints are what really drive our business though. When I talk to buyers they say they come to BuddyLove first to find all of their prints, and then fill in the rest of their orders with what they need because our prints + patterns set the tone of their season in store.
BuddyLove is one of a kind because we are real people building a real brand. There is no fast fashion here. Each collection takes months and months of prep work and lots of time, though, and travel going to each season. We are also a real family! There really is a Buddy in the office every day and we try to include our two girls, Lola Bett and Gigi in our business as well. Most importantly we have an amazing BabeCrew that without them none of this would be possible. It’s incredible to go back and look at a year and see how much we’ve accomplished, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for all of us.
B: BuddyLove is inspired by our love of the Caribbean, family, friends, and travel. We set out to design a clothing brand that would reflect our own ideas of fashion as well as show our personalities. You will see lots of flirty bodies and bright bold prints. Our clothes are a representation of the culture of our brand and interwoven into our lifestyle. If you were to drill it down into key categories they would be: Contemporary, Playful, Flirty and Fun.
What are the 3 main things you want people to know about BuddyLove clothing label?
G: 1.) We are a hands-on brand here at BL. I design all of our prints and bodies in-house, Buddy is always crushing it in investor meetings, and our BabeCrew is always hustling whether it’s planning a photo shoot, hosting a BuddyLove Bash or shipping out orders to our loyal shoppers. 2.) Clothing can truly boost confidence and self-worth. I want every woman that shops on our site to feel beautiful, empowered and comfortable no matter what life throws at her. 3.) We are a Girl Gang + Buddy (hehe). We believe in girls supporting girls in all facets of life. I try to guide and mentor every BuddyLove babe who works here to be the best they can be.
B: 1.) BuddyLove is for real women, everywhere. We want to be there for life’s biggest parties whether it’s your first baby shower, your best friend’s engagement, a first date, etc. We want our clothes to be lived in! 2.) We’re authentic. We design clothes based on our lifestyle, culture and what we hold dear to our brand. 3.) BuddyLove is fun, flirty, bright, bold and relevant! We are here to set trends and establish a clothing brand that has a real voice, a real story and real people behind it.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I had never owned my own clothing line before. I am learning different things every day. I have made MANY mistakes along the way, but I think one of my best qualities is looking at my mistakes, figuring out what went wrong, moving on, not making the same mistake twice and learning from it. You can’t dwell on your failures or you will never succeed.
Advice/Starting Out:
I am a big believer in surrounding yourself with positive people! People who have your best interest at heart.
Also putting what you want out there in the world. I wanted to start my own swimwear and athleisure line and I kept talking about it and putting it out there and we made it happen this year. It has been a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, but we are going to make it!
We launch this summer, fingers crossed!
Also – whatever business you want to start or you are passionate about, surround yourself with it as much as possible. Get as many internships as you can, listen to a podcast, read books, find out who you think is doing a really good job and ask your self why? And how can you do that for yourself?
We’d love to hear more about BuddyLove.
I am the creative director, designer, and owner at BuddyLove. My days are spent on fittings, design meetings, and creative meetings planning out our next event, photoshoot, or market.
I am known for being the BossBabe to my fearless BabeCrew, where we office out of our warehouse down in the Dallas Design District AKA The BabeCave.
What sets us apart from everyone, and what I am most proud of is that we have built an actual brand! I love my team and we do it all here in the house. Photoshoots, design, sales, customer service, social media, etc… everyone in the BabeCrew has an important job.
Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
I grew up in a small town, but my parents always exposed me to worldly things, and I think that gave me a sense of adventure and bravery. We traveled a lot. I went away to summer camps all summer, I went off to college by myself. I did my summer internship in New York. I feel like I was always put in situations where I had to figure things out on my own and that has really made me brave the waters in entrepreneurship.
Contact Info:
- Address: 143 Manufacturing Street
Dallas, TX 75207 - Website: buddylove.com
- Phone: 817-233-6518
- Email: info@buddylove.com
- Instagram: shopbuddylove & buddylovesgrayson
- Facebook: BuddyLoveClothingLabel
Image Credit:
Mat Wulff
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