We were lucky to catch up with Gabriela Garcia Olivo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Gabriela, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I knew that entering the fashion industry meant stepping into a crowded space, so I reflected deeply on how my brand could be different. I thought back to my first job at Zara, where I worked as a sales associate and later as a visual merchandiser. That experience opened my eyes to the harsh realities of fast fashion—the overproduction, the synthetic fabrics, the constant pressure for consumers to buy more, more often. I realized I wanted to build something completely different: a brand rooted in sustainability, ethical manufacturing, and a philosophy of buying less but better.

Once I defined the values, the aesthetic came naturally. I’ve always admired the timeless elegance of 1950s fashion—the way women dressed with such grace and femininity every day. I wanted to bring that essence into modern wardrobes through beautifully crafted garments that celebrate the female form in an elegant, flattering way. My designs are meant to make women feel radiant, confident, and seen—to offer that moment of joy when something fits just right and brings out their natural beauty.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Gabriela Garcia Olivo, and I’m the founder and designer of Gabriela Michele—a women’s clothing brand inspired by the elegance and glamour of 1950s fashion, created to honor the feminine figure and celebrate women.

I spent the first half of my twenties building a career in business and technology, following a practical path that felt safe and secure. But deep down, I have always dreamed of being a clothing designer. In my late twenties, I decided to pursue this dream and began the journey of building my own fashion brand from the ground up.

It was a steep learning curve. I dedicated years to learning everything from fabric sourcing to production to brand development. It took four years of consistent work, trial and error, and determination—until finally, in 2023, I launched Gabriela Michele. My brand is a reflection of everything I believe in: timeless femininity, intentional craftsmanship, and empowering women to feel confident and beautiful.

I’m most proud of staying true to my vision. I built this brand with intention, and my greatest joy is seeing women wear my designs and feel beautiful because it fits them perfectly.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My entire journey in building my brand is a testament to resilience. I began working on my first designs in early 2020. It was exciting to see my sketches come to life, but after seven costly sample iterations—on top of the challenges of the pandemic—I had to pause. Being self-funded, it became financially unsustainable. I took time off to regroup and save, returning to the brand in 2022. By the fall of 2023, I launched my first collection, but sales were minimal. I had poured all my energy into creating a beautiful collection while working a full-time job, but I had overlooked a key piece: marketing.

In 2024, I hired a marketing agency, which helped me create the brand awareness I needed and market the brand to the right people. My original designs finally started selling, and seeing that people wanted my designs was incredibly validating.

If I had given up after a few quiet months, I wouldn’t have experienced the learning and growth that came in the last year. This journey has taught me how resilience sometimes means staying committed even when the results take time.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve had to unlearn while building my brand is the idea that if success doesn’t happen quickly, it means you’ve failed.

When I launched and only had two sales in the first month, it was hard not to feel discouraged. I had spent years developing my brand, and yet it felt like no one—beyond close friends and family—even knew it existed.

It’s easy to feel like you’ve failed when you’ve poured so much into something and the results aren’t immediate. As a society, we’re conditioned to view success as something with a clear, measurable outcome—usually tied to numbers and instant gratification. So when people would ask, “How’s your brand going? How much have you sold?” I realized I had to reframe the conversation. I started sharing the truth of what it’s really like to build something from the ground up. The fact that I had brought my vision to life, created a product I was proud of, and kept going despite the challenges—that was a form of success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gabrielamichele.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabrielamichele.co/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/GabrielaMicheleCo/