Hi Gabriella, lovely to meet you…
What does a typical day in the life of Gabriella look like?
Firstly, I like to wake up and head to 1Rebel gym for an intense, early morning workout, followed by a refuel shake. I then head then to the new Moss HQ in Camden. I’ll spend the day with my team in our design studio creating looks and styles for the new season’s collections. I’ll usually have a couple of meetings throughout the day, but like to catch up with friends for an early supper, normally in Notting Hill. Finally I’ll head home for comfort and snuggles with my dog, getting to bed around 11pm.
Who or what inspires you?
I’m inspired by everything around me. I love London and I’m influenced by different neighbourhoods, shops, libraries, parks and galleries. There are a lot of cool, male style icons that inspire me too and also brands out there doing great things. I recently visited Tokyo and was so impressed by the culture, food, shopping and architecture there.
Who, in your opinion, is the ultimate Moss muse?
I think the Moss muse is a mix of a younger, fashion-conscious crowd and the confident, timeless man- someone with an eye for style, craftsmanship and heritage at their core.
What is the inspiration behind this collection?
For AW24, Moss have leaned into craftsmanship with a focus on the brand’s heritage and tailoring expertise. I wanted to mix smart suiting with casual relaxed pieces creating strong looks that can be worn for work, leisure and celebrating. We’ve focused on elevated fabrics like tweed, silk, corduroy, flannels, beautiful cashmere and alpaca. There’s a real tap into rich colour stories, my favourite being the luxurious brown, cherry and lime green shades.
What’s your favourite piece?
The Donegal black and white DB tweed coat. It’s a relaxed cut, long and the ideal throw on day to night coat for modern dressing! I have one in my wardrobe too.
Do you feel menswear has evolved over the past 10 years,And if so, why?
Yes, it’s evolved a lot. Covid and lockdown influenced a more relaxed approach to workwear, we saw a much bigger demand for casual pieces and embraced a softer way of styling suiting. It’s also created a need for hybrid wardrobes that include versatile pieces that will last. Having said that, we’re also noticing men embrace suiting even more than before and the younger generation in particular are leaning into tailoring, as well as other timeless pieces like ties and cardigans.
How do you feel when you see your collection come to life & worn by people, does that feeling ever get old…
It’s such a buzz! Recently, Stormzy wore a Moss 3-piece suit for his best mate’s wedding and then went on to perform on stage at a Chase & Status gig in Milton Keynes. It was great to see how adaptable a suit can be for such contrasting events. And of course, he looked wicked in it!
What would be your advice to other female designers trying to get into menswear design.
There are a lot of inspiring menswear brands with women at the helm such as Martine Rose and Grace Wales Bonner. I find it weird that there’s not more women in the menswear industry. Nobody questions men designing womenswear so it should be the same. Just keep your drive and you can do whatever you want. Push yourself and redefine your role to whatever you want it to be!