Breast Cancer Inspired Me to Start a Lingerie Company

Dana Donofree is a designer and founder of AnaOno. After being diagnosed with stage I estrogen-receptor-positive, HER2-positive breast cancer almost 10 years ago at the age of 27, Dana began to design her first pieces to meet her need for sexy, beautiful lingerie during a recovery period that she calls “anything but sexy and beautiful.”

She has made it her mission to design lingerie specifically for women who have had breast surgery, breast reconstruction, or are living with other conditions that cause pain because she believes that they shouldn't have to compromise between comfort and beauty.

On February 9, for the fourth year in a row, AnaOno is partnering with #Cancerland to put on a fashion show during New York Fashion Week to raise funds for METAvivor. All the models in the show are women who have been touched in some way by breast cancer or its risk — from previvors to people with early-stage disease to people with stage IV disease — to start new conversations between all these groups.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dana talk about:

• her diagnosis and treatment and how it inspired her to start AnaOno
• where the AnaOno name came from
• the show during Fashion Week and what she hopes to accomplish with it
• her tips for someone who has just been diagnosed with breast cancer