Ramya Giangola on Personal Style, Old Céline, and Lifting Up Small Brands

Lifestyle

By Editor On Mar 7, 2023

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Ramya Giangola on Personal Style, Old Céline, and Lifting Up Small Brands

Written by: Amanda Chung

Published on: March 7, 2023

Fashion editor: Sandra Slusarczyk

Photo courtesy of Sandra Semburg

You know the friend—we all have one—who always seems to know what’s cool before everyone else? That’s Ramya Giangola, who has parlayed this talent into a career: After working as a brand scout in NYC, Giangola launched Gogoluxe, a retail consultancy, in 2005. “When my husband and I started our business, we were focused on helping big international luxury department stores with their buying strategy, identifying what brands they should be picking up,” she says. The couple would travel all over—Southeast Asia, Canada, the Middle East—to find the most exciting emerging brands for their clients. And when those same brands started asking for help with creative direction and merchandising, brokering collaborations, and more, the couple broadened their focus: “Now a huge part of our business is brand consulting,” she says.

g. Label by goop Sylvia zip-up top, goop, $395;
g. Label by goop arielle velvet jumpsuit, goop, $795;
Azlee necklace, goop, $4,290

Giangola, whose clients include Colombian designer Kika Vargas and the Turkish brand NACKIYÉ (both are goop shop favorites), believes that the key to success, whether you’re a big retailer or a small brand, is authenticity. “More and more, customers want to know where their product is being made and how it’s being made, so having a point of view and being willing to tell your story is super important and can help set you apart,” she says.

Given her day job, it’s no wonder Giangola has great personal style. “My taste is pretty eclectic,” she says (her Instagram, which is a steady source of styling inspiration with outfit tags detailing where everything is from, is worth a good scroll). “I wore a lot of Rick Owens at one point. Rei Kawakubo is like a god to me, so I’m a big Comme des Garçons fan. And then when Phoebe emerged from Chloé into Céline, that became the brand I’ve most identified with as a woman and as someone who loves style and fashion.” She appreciates a strong silhouette. She doesn’t shy away from color. And perhaps most impressively, she has mastered the art of mixing classic minimalism with more daring pieces. “People love the uniform—and I get that,” she says. “But I think for me, fashion is also about having fun.”