My Story
My name is Cassidy Donai Mantle, and I am the creator of Donai Designs.
Donai Designs began with the search for my wedding gown, fueled by a faint but significant little girl’s dream to create her own wedding dress.
Though I was not remotely aware of it at the time, as I set out to form my wedding dress, the product I ended up with was something so much more than I could have ever imagined. Not only was I able to construct then wear the dress that I had envisioned, but I also found a very real yearning inside of me to create. This experience changed the course of my life. It helped me discover art, and my interest and love for it. As well as a love for sewing (I had never sewn a piece of clothing until my wedding dress)!
I graduated with my bachelors degree in Art and my minor in English Literature from Southern Virginia University. Along with designing and creating my wedding gown and a number of others, I continue to build my portfolio as I enjoy exploring various methods of creation such as printmaking, drawing, watercolor, and styling.
I currently reside in Arizona with my husband Mitch, who is also an artist, and our two children.
Why Donai?
"Donai" is a family name. For me, it represents generations of hard-working, dream-chasing men and women who I greatly look up to. Two of these individuals are my great grandmother's, Rokha and Dorothy. Rokha (who comes from the Donai family) and Dorothy, were perfectionist seamstresses and creators. I believe that my love for art and creation comes from them. I aspire to their success, of constructing and creating handmade items and garments that have lived on past their own telling lives.