Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriela Parisi.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started sewing when I was nine years old on my grandmother’s old sewing machine, and by my 11th birthday I had my first sewing machine of my own. Fashion and construction have been a major part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started selling handmade pillows in middle school, and by the time I got to high school I was making and selling my own clothing designs. I wanted to attend the best possible place that would help grow and develop my love of sewing and construction while pursuing an actual career as a designer. The options for majoring in Fashion Design are pretty much limited to New York and Los Angeles within the US, and I am a California girl 100%, so attending Otis College of Art and Design was a no-brainer for me when it came to making that final decision. Otis is one of the few schools that really cultivates designers to be ready to work in the industry, and I strongly believe the skills I cultivated while attending Otis greatly brought me to where I am today.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
For someone who has known what they’ve wanted to do their entire life, I definitely did not expect to be second guessing myself so much while attending school. Otis is extremely demanding in terms of how high the expectations are, and the amount of work, hours, and discouraging commentary definitely did not make it easy to stay dedicated. At the end of the day I knew that fashion is the one thing in this world I am most passionate about, and that is what got me through until the very end. There were times when I thought about switching majors or even dropping out because of how intense the fashion design program really is, but at the end of the day I am so proud of myself for pushing through, staying true to myself, and speaking up for myself and others within the program.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Revolve story. Tell us more about the business.
Revolve is an amazing company that has taken over the fashion industry with ecommerce. What makes Revolve unique is that its creators are not fashion designers, they are two individuals who had an idea and turned it into a 500+ brand company that is now looked at for setting trends, making statements, and being an extremely positively influential company within the fashion industry. The fashion industry can be a really horrifying place where the artistic individuals are taken advantage of from every angle, and I am so proud to work for a company that celebrates the individuals who help make it what it is today.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I am an extremely unlucky person actually. I don’t think luck had anything to do with where I am today, I worked so hard to cultivate my skills before college, and I saw how much my sewing skills helped me through the program. I also was not the best illustrator, so I had to work extremely hard to understand the techniques of fashion illustration and technical drawing. Every day at Otis was a struggle just to get through to the next day, and the next day, and the next. Looking back now, if I hadn’t pushed myself as hard as I did through that program, I would have never ended up where I am now. It’s so cliche to say, but hard work and dedication really do outweigh luck almost every time.
Contact Info:
- Website: revolve.com, gabrielaparisifashion.com
- Instagram: @revolve
Personal: @gabrielaparisi
Design: @gabrielaparisidesign
Image Credit:
Alex Mediate – Photographer
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