ABOUT US

Our DS7 Family 

Benita is our Co-Founder and CEO was born in South America and grew up near Amsterdam, the Netherlands. B as everyone calls her,is a self-proclaimed “triple immigrant,” arrived in the United States in 2007 with her teenage daughter and a suitcase full of shoes. She followed her love of footwear and accessories as the Director of Sales for a luxury handbag brand, followed by a stint at a New York Sample Sale Company. Shortly thereafter, she landed at an old school custom leather atelier in South Orange, New Jersey with a vision to make leather goods. She cleaned up the shop, and with a team of 8 expert Russian shoemakers, fitted and made over 2,000 pairs of bespoke shoes. She also led custom footwear projects for the Met Opera, several Broadway musicals and feature films.  In 2019, after beating cancer, B and her partner Tony, started planning DS7, a small luxury footwear and accessory house. With her in-depth knowledge of the luxury & mid-market, her lifelong passion for leather, she travelled to Italy and Spain to visit factories and tanneries. She now splits her time between Brooklyn and Orange, NJ. Wanderlust takes her back to Europe several times a year to catch up on trends, food and family. She loves country walks with her husband, Tony, and their pooch Libby.