Dublin jewellery designer given exposure by Siobhan McSweeney and CMAT
By Cillian Sherlock, PA
A designer who started her fledgling jewellery career from her kitchen table can now count The Traitors host Siobhan McSweeney and pop sensation CMAT among her fans.
Dubliner Daki Zdravka Rezic, 46, studied to be a midwife and a Montessori teacher and worked as a special needs assistant in a secondary school – but her love of jewellery always lingered in the background.
She eventually signed up for a jewellery design course at the National College of Art and Design and will now feature among more than 400 exhibitors when Gifted, the Contemporary Craft and Design Fair, returns to Dublin’s RDS from December 3-7.
Earlier this year, the Croatian native behind Daki Daki Design, received the strongest validation yet that she had chosen the right career when Derry Girls star McSweeney wore four sets of her handmade earrings on The Traitors Ireland, the reality show filmed at Slane Castle.
⚠️ SPOILER ALERT ⚠️
The Faithful have finally clocked their first Traitor! It’s slán go fóill to Garda Eamon 👋 #TraitorsIRL pic.twitter.com/w6kUf2ORr4— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) September 8, 2025
“I was watching The Traitors and she (Siobhan) wore four of my brass and aluminium pieces throughout different episodes, and later bought a pair for herself.
“It was so nice that people recognised my work and reached out with lovely messages, it gave my work more exposure.
“She looked great wearing them, what a person she is, she was a legend in the show and in Derry Girls.”
Weeks later, Daki learned that Euro-Country hitmaker CMAT also wore a pair of her earrings in the video for her single When A Good Man Cries.
The Official When A Good Man Cries Music Video 🎻🌾https://t.co/RJyh2HlGXB pic.twitter.com/oXbbKuRfIH
— cmat (@cmatbaby) September 3, 2025
Daki – the nickname she earned when she had trouble pronouncing her own name as a child – says a borrowed book also helped to change her life.
“I wasn’t able to find what I was looking for,” said the designer from Deansgrange.
“The book was called The Artist’s Way, about creative discovery, I didn’t even finish it because it unleashed something in me and that’s where it started.
“I started this from my kitchen table, I never thought I’d see this,” she said.
“I make accessories for everyday use, vibrant and chic pieces that make you feel good.
“They are made in small batches, they are bold yet wearable, and no two pieces are exactly the same.
“The jewellery I create says that it’s OK to be a bit different, to stand out a bit.”
Sustainability is a major factor in her work – pieces are durable and made to last, metal pieces are upcycled or recycled and bum bags are made from Pinatex, a leather made from pineapple leaves.
