The story about DNNA is what expects you here. But it started somewhere else… Highs and lows, kicks and blows, falling downs and getting ups. That is what I’m made of. Overcoming it all and ending up stronger? That’s just me. And this scented candle is just my way to deal with it off the court. My moment of relaxation and simulation for what is about to come. Because tomorrow is sweat and tears all over again. My name is Donna, but I’m definitely not a primadonna.
DNNA was greatly influenced by my tennis career. It took me to different parts of the world and brought me victories and defeats. Some say that you can sense a smell of victory or defeat. I can sense the smell of almost all of my memories, especially those that I have gathered during numerous years of traveling around the world playing tennis. They smell like cut-grass, sweaty jerseys and freshly-cleaned hotel rooms. But they also smell like bubble baths and comfortable pajamas. That’s the way it is in life, you can’t get one thing without the other. And that’s okay, because all of those tough moments remind us that we have something worth fighting for. They also teach us to value moments of relaxation and enjoyment even more. And I want to share this with you — the struggle and the effort intertwined with tenderness and self-love. Like in everything else, my goal in DNNA project was to keep it real and keep it natural. Connection with nature is something I strongly believe in. It is a part of my DNA. Nature can pick you up, or calm you down. That’s why all of my products are nature-based. And that is why this is not just another scented candle.
Of course I didn’t think about DNNA in my early childhood, but that’s when it all started. When I was 6 years old and just a bit taller than a racket, my parents took me to my first tennis practice. And I just knew right then and there: this is where I want to be. So here I am.
Love and passion guide me through life and I always have a team of people standing behind me. In addition to the support coming from them, I also seek it in my surroundings and the ambience of a certain place. Travel discomfort, strenuous workouts and injuries are part of my daily routine, but so are the moments of pleasure and relaxation. The idea of 100% natural products was inspired by that everyday balance. These products provide me with a sense of relaxation and stimulation, and, after a hard day, they allow me to feel like myself again. Like a true Donna.
DNNA products taught me that I may not be able to influence everything in life, but whenever I can,
I give 100%!
It is the same when it comes to DNNA product: scented candles and room sticks — I pay the utmost attention to the quality of fragrances and select only the best. DNNA products contain fragrance formulas designed in the famous perfume creation center in Grasse, France by perfumer Arnaud Fourre. Each fragrance is composed of contrasting and characterful notes, which work perfectly together. I give great importance to the composition of DNNA products: the scented candles are made out of 100% natural wax made by bees from the Kopački Rit nature park in Croatia, and they emit negative ions in order to purify, clean and improve air quality. However, I think that, in addition to the smell, the design is extremely important as well.
Each of our scented candle vessels is unique and made out of the highest quality Murano glass: handmade, blown, heated and cooled, personalized and signed by the Master glassmaker Stefano Mattiello. We have made sure to be extra-careful in the realization of this whole process in order to create the perfect packaging for my candles and room sticks but also, in order to create elegant accessories to the interior. I want our design and fragrances to convey my message, reminding us of fragility, but also, to encourage people to never give up. Every effort requires relaxation, every injury needs healing, and every stress must be released — that is exactly what DNNA products are for!
MURANO GLASS
With Murano glass, you take home a thousand-year history.
The scented candle vassels are made entirely by hand and mouth-blown by the master glassmaker. The glass is put inside the oven at 1100 degrees, then it is collected with a special iron rod and is heat-modeled at about 800 degrees by the skilled hands of the master glassmaker, using ancient techniques handed down for generations. Murano glass is characteristic and unique for its colors. By observing its colors, you can sometimes get a glimpse of small “bubbles” inside the glass. This is a feature that differentiates it from industrial-made glass, in which the colors are transparent and glossy.
By buying a product made out of Murano glass, you are not only taking home a unique and inimitable work, but an article that represents a thousand-year history of glass production. Once the vassel has been made, the master glassmaker Stefano Mattiello places the article in a special oven at 540 degrees for 12 hours, making the vassel temper. In addition to this, a personal logo is applied to these fantastic articles. The technique used is called Logo Decalcomania: the logos are applied to the jars with a special glue and they are then baked at 567 degrees for 6 hours. For the first three hours, the temperature rises from 0 degrees to 567 degrees, and for the following three hours, it drops from 567 degrees to 0 degrees. This results in the irremovable merging of the logo. To complete its uniqueness, the master glassmaker engraves his signature at the bottom of the vassel with a diamond-tipped pen.
We live in the times of increased awareness of the harmful effects to mankind as well as the environment. We pay more attention to taking care of our health, we watch our diet, we exercise and realize the importance of taking time for yourself and enjoying those precious “me-time” moments. Also, we became more aware of the quality of air we breathe into our lungs and we are trying our best to reduce stress to a minimum.
That is the lifestyle that I believe fits my DNNA product well. In order to round up this whole project, we give great importance to the composition and packaging of our products. Our scented candles are 100% natural, made of beeswax, do not harm the environment and improve the quality of the air we breathe. They contain an environmentally friendly wick which is paper-based instead of lead-based.
All of our DNNA products emit naturally strong light of the same spectrum as the sun and our fragrances are certified in accordance with the COSMOS-NATURAL standard.
The packaging materials are natural, biodegradable and suitable for recycling or reusing. Glass and iron are predominantly used in the packaging, as well as the high-quality, comprehensive materials of extremely wide use that work great together and further emphasize the two opposing sides all of us carry within ourselves: gentle fragility and
great strength.
DNNA FOR BEES
Bees help make my DNNA products natural pollinators, they create colors we admire and bring a smile to our faces. They fly tirelessly from flower to flower and with their tiny, valuable legs, worker bees collect nectar and pollen. For 1kg of beeswax processed from 3kg of nectar, they visit 7,500,000 flower clovers, 2,000,000 acacia flowers, and fly 5 miles away from the hive. Bees save us, enable our survival on Earth, and that’s why our duty is to save them back. That’s why my products are aimed to help these angels of nature, bees — DNNA will enrich nature with 50 bees from the sale of each scented candle. Imagine that mutual love: your interior filled with natural scents made by hardworking bees, and 50 bee sisters enriching nature just by purchasing a candle?