The dazzling tale of Danielle Daza
WHILE it can be said that Danielle Daza was born with the proverbial silver spoon in her mouth, this talented and grounded lady is more than her famous lineage. At a young age, she is already carving her own path while honoring the greats that precede her generation.
A professional model and a baker/entrepreneur, she hails from the famed Daza clan. Her father, chef Sandy, is a host, restaurateur and author. Her mom Tessa Mendoza, meanwhile, is a renowned artist.
When asked if she felt any pressure to prove herself as the daughter of two talented individuals, she thoughtfully noted, “My family has always been supportive in all that I do. Everyone has their own story and their own timeline. There is no race or competition. There hasn’t really been any pressure to have to match up to those before me. As long as I do my best and give it my all, I shouldn’t have any regrets. It helps to have family in the industry too so I can get advice and support from them.”
And as far as having her own story goes, the younger Daza’s ongoing narrative is a dazzling one.
Carving her own path
Born in the United States, Daza was raised in both the Philippines and Vancouver, Canada and has collected experiences that helped shape who she is. After spending nine years in Canada, she moved back to the Philippines and completed her English Literature degree from Ateneo De Manila University.
“I love stories, analyzing them, and relating them to real life,” she told The Sunday Times Magazine.
At this point, Daza took a surprising twist in her storyline. Call it serendipity but fresh out of college, she stumbled upon an Instagram post of IM Agency — one of the premiere modeling agencies in the country — that was advertising an open call casting.
She could have easily continued scrolling, after all, modeling was the last thing in her mind, “Modeling was very new to me and pretty much out of my realm of possibilities.”
But in ways she could not explain, Daza — a natural beauty — found herself considering the casting call, “I had the strongest, inexplicable urge to go and try out. I was arguing with myself deciding whether to go or not and I ended up going with about five to 10 minutes to spare before the IM team began packing up.”
Thankfully, she acted on her gut feeling as the decision ultimately changed the course of her life, “I met May Flores and Clyde Rivera who helped me start my modeling journey and guided me through it.”
Since then, the 24-year-old has been the face of numerous fashion campaigns and has been slowly making her mark in the industry.
“As I progressed in the industry, I began to find confidence in myself that I never knew was there. I found so much fun and joy being with different creatives and creating art all while learning about fashion, makeup and production.”
Danielle, the baker
Besides modeling, food is another important piece in Daza’s life. Contrary to the popular notion that a model like her doesn’t eat much or is in perpetual state of dieting, Daza said she adores food.
“I love food because when you eat a delicious meal or a really good dessert, it’s one of the rare moments in life where you truly live in the moment. When you close your eyes, chew slowly and really savor a good treat, everything else goes out the window and your only focus is on the food.”
But this love goes beyond consuming food as Daza is also talented in the kitchen. This comes as no surprise being the daughter of chef Sandy and the granddaughter of the late culinary icon Nora, fondly called the Julia Child of the Philippines.
Daza, however, became more inclined to baking, thanks to her tita Stella and her chocolate crinkles.
“My interest started because my dad’s sister, my tita Stella, is also a baker like me. The first time I knew I wanted to learn to bake was when, as a young child, I went into the kitchen one time while she was baking. She just finished making chocolate crinkles. I had never seen a crinkle before and I didn’t know what it was so, I asked her if I could have one. After my first bite, I knew I was hooked.”
At such a young age she already described it as a not too sweet, rich and chocolatey, warm, soft and moist cookie dusted in powdered sugar.
“I’ve never tasted a cookie quite like it. Even years after that, I would dream about that cookie, wondering what it was and what went into making it. Eventually I asked her for the recipe and learned to make it myself.”
And so this crinkle lives on but today, Daza’s the one baking and selling them online to her growing clientele.
“I sell it in Dazzle’s Bakery now and it’s a no fail favorite together with the Ube Crinkles, another recipe from tita Stella. To this day I still ask my tita Stella for recipes and baking tips and honest to goodness, no other recipes are better. I can’t find a recipe online that beats any recipe my tita Stella gave me. She really knows her stuff and I’m so blessed to have her share it with me.”
With this experience, Daza realized that not all recipes are made equal.
“Family recipes are always better than internet recipes because there is love and sentiment that goes behind making it and you can really taste the difference. I would hear my dad speak so fondly of the desserts tita Stella would make when they were growing up. I would make some of her recipes for my dad to remind him of her and bring back the happiness her baked goods gave him.”
And now that Daza is the baker at home, she hopes to have the same effect to her own siblings and to other people who are now enjoying her delicious creations.
“I can only hope my siblings will speak fondly of my desserts in the future like my dad did with his sister. It also gives me such a warm feeling to be able to share her recipes in my bakery. I want to be able to have the impact on others that she made on me when I ate that chocolate crinkle as a child.”
Zooming in on her growing business, Daza decided to name it Dazzle’s Bakery, after her high school nickname, which was given by her friends.
“I decided to make it the name of my business because my favorite thing to do is bake for my friends and loved ones. Dazzle for me represents friendship and camaraderie.
“My dad says that you know you’ve found a really good dish when you eat it then immediately think of your loved ones and want to share it with them.”
Daza recalled seeing the joy his dad would get in cooking and feeding people. Now now that she’s the one doing it for others, she also wants to find that joy for herself.
“It really helps to love what you’re making and how you make it. I love everything that comes with baking — even the clean up.”
She shared that when she’s in her kitchen, she could get lost in her own world and bake for hours. Ultimately, she finds the whole process of baking very therapeutic, “It’s a great hobby because in the end, I have something delicious to share with my friends and family.”
Baking for a cause
Besides possessing beauty and talent, Daza also showed her heart for those in need.
In September 2020, as the ongoing pandemic continues to not only lives but also livelihood, Daza partnered with the non-profit organization Para Kay Kuya to help displaced public transportation workers.
“This was during the first lockdown last year and I felt that it was my duty to give something back to the community. The public drivers are the breadwinners of their families and if they have no work then their families won’t be able to eat. They don’t have the privilege of long term planning. They can only make what they can on a short term basis because they work day by day.”
The kind-hearted Daza saw her countrymen’s needs and acted on it in her own capacity. For the whole month of September, a significant portion of her sales at Dazzle’s Bakery were shared to public transportation workers.
“While people in my country were suffering, I thought it was my duty to do what I can to help out, even if it was just for a week’s worth of groceries.”
Daza was overwhelmed with the great support they got for the cause, “At the end of the month, we were able to raise enough for a week’s worth of groceries. The feeling I got when I was able to donate was indescribable. I would be so glad to do that work all over again. It was such a wonderful feeling to do work I love and help others while doing so.”
The future is bright
At the moment, Daza is just like any 20 something simply enjoying life. But make no mistake, as she is hard at work to reach her goals.
“In the future, I want to excel in the modeling industry and grow my bakery. I want to branch out into different kinds of desserts and eventually learn to cook food.
“I’m taking things day by day and I’m doing what I can daily to reach the goals I’ve set out for myself.”