Gabriella might have been born in Sweden but her creative genes stem from musical ties in her Italian heritage. But unlike her musical family, Gabriella’s passion has always been fashion and when she left her childhood home in the Dalarna countryside she began training as a product developer.
Over 30 years later and her career has seen her gain vast experience across fashion design, sourcing, production and management, working and living in industry hotspots such as Italy, Hong Kong, Japan, China and many in between.
She’s worked with an array of mid and high-end brands, where she has developed and produced new ranges of apparel as well as premium leather goods and jewellery for some of Europe’s most recognisable fashion houses.
This experience has not only given Gabriella a comprehensive global network of industry professionals, but also a unique insight into the stylistic and quality demands of today’s discerning woman and has made her internationally sought after for her insight on fashion markets and trends.
It’s against this background that Atelier Verdi was conceived and key to the label is inspiration drawn from her mother, who lived and worked in Italy in the 1950s and 1960s. During those years she would buy dresses, hats, knits and shoes that were all made to order by local artisans. They were made with such love and affection that they have stood the test of time and Gabriella’s mother still has some of these pieces today.
Like her mother before her, Gabriella decided many years ago to move away from fast fashion and instead embrace the slow fashion movement, focusing more on buying pieces made using traditional methods that offer both exclusivity and longevity.
“With this inspiration in mind, I wanted to go back to the craftsmen that I’ve built relationships with over decades, to collaborate on my product concepts,” Gabriella says.
“As my mother treasures her pieces after all these years, I hope my customers will feel the same. That’s what Verdi is all about, love and passion for the product, which has allowed us to come up with such a beautiful collection.”