Siena Blog

Avg. read time 3-4 min.

"Never be ashamed of how you learn and how you communicate what you know" —Belania Daley

Women’s History Month 2026

The National Women’s History Alliance has chosen “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future” as the theme for Women’s History Month 2026. In their words,

Whether developing green technologies, advancing economic justice, strengthening education systems, or building civic power – women are designing blueprints for sustainable transformation. This theme affirms that shaping a sustainable future means fostering systems that support both people and the planet. (Source: National Women’s History Alliance)

With this important theme in mind, Siena is highlighting designer and entrepreneur Belania Daley for leading the change in the fashion industry toward sustainability and increased advocacy.

Belania Daley: Fashion Designer and Entrepreneur with Dyslexia 

As owner and creator of BCD Planet, Daley is not just designing and selling clothes; she’s modeling a dedication to using brand awareness to increase social awareness:

We aim to inspire the community with Dyslexia to be proud of their differences because that's what makes you great. Mixing different shapes and textures to make a statement that moves one to be courageous in their learning differences. (Source: BCD Planet)

In addition to dyslexia advocacy work, BCD is also dedicated to working with organizations for breast cancer and autism awareness because of family experiences (her mother and brother, respectively).

Here are five inspiring facts about Belania Daley:

• After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York with a B.S. in Technical Design for Apparel Production, she worked for Ralph Lauren corporate.
• Daley created her BCD Planet brand in 2018 and has been dedicated to designing purposeful, environmentally sustainable fashion, such as by repurposing or donating as much clothing waste as possible.
• She has dyslexia and is dedicated to “making clothes to empower people with dyslexia,” as she shared in this Behind the Brand video from 2020.
• Her work was part of an exhibition at Cornell University Library, “Black Excellence: Fashion That Prevails,” which features a design she did for the annual Fashion 500 event in 2019. See the virtual exhibition here.
• Daley appeared on Project Runway Season 21 (2025), winning two challenges and making it to the final four contestants. Learn more about her experiences on Project Runway in this interview for the Fashion Institute of Technology alumni news.

As a Black female fashion designer and entrepreneur who strongly connects her fashion work with her learning differences, Daley is dedicated to doing socially conscious work in the fashion industry:

“With my work, I want to show people, hey, I have dyslexia, I’m a Black female, I’m doing fashion; all of this should inspire you…Yes, you should not be ashamed because you learn a little bit differently, you should be proud because it’s your ability, not your disability. So, my work is here to show others that I’m doing it, so you can do it too.” (Source: Cornell University Library)

Siena Resources

See additional heritage month spotlight posts on Siena’s blog, including Books and Podcasts of Interest and profiles of writers Sally Gardner and Laurie Halse Anderson.

The Siena School, a national leader in dyslexia education now in its 20th year, serves bright, college-bound students with language-based learning differences on DC Metro area campuses in Silver Spring, MD (grades 3-4 and 5-12) and Oakton, VA (grades 3-12).