If you follow the news—and you must, it is a necessity—we are living in very perilous times. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause global havoc on world economies and the health of world populations. Coupled with this ongoing reversal of stability, inequality, police violence, climate disaster, and disrespect for human life have become a part of the new normal. It is not supposed to be this way!!
Despite global violent outbreaks and rumblings around the world, there are some bright spots. Sustainability in fashion is becoming the new normal. And as the old way of doing things—particularly business practices that no longer work—there is a new brand of designers/fashion brands that setting a new standard for not only how we should live our lives, but also how we dress.
Gigi Moda is one such brand. As many top fashion brands and retail giants are crumbling under the load of this new normal, Gigi Moda is experiencing success.
Francine Wathelet
That is because there is a tactile understanding of what consumers want and the changing world we are all living in. Gigi Moda also adeptly understands that sustainability is more than making product that doesn’t hurt the environment but also paying a sustainable, living wage to workers. Fashion Reverie had the great pleasure of interviewing Gigi Moda CEO Francine Wathelet about her vision, her passion, and her love of accessible fashion.
Fashion Reverie: First, let’s start with the name, Gigi Moda. How did you come up with the name?
Francine Wathelet: I love Italian fashion, and everything is made in Italian factories. So, I chose the Italian name for fashion “moda,” and “Gigi” is a common Italian name for women. I put the two Italian words together to come up with the brand name. I am Belgian and I wanted to settle in the US, develop a brand that was affordable, but styled for the American consumer and made with European craftsmanship.
FR: What is your fashion background?
Francine Wathelet: I have had other business ventures in Belgian; however, initially I did not have a career in fashion before Gigi Moda. I started my fashion venture in the US with Gigi Moda, and in just a few years we are topping 2.5 million dollars in revenue.
FR: That is incredible to have such success in a small amount of time. What do you contribute to your early success?
Francine Wathelet: I try to always source high-quality fabrics. I always employ designs that are modern and that flatter the body. Additionally, I offer product that can fit a lot of different-sized women; in other words, most of the garments are one size fits all. The sizes of the product are small, medium, large, and XL; however, I have some garments that fit all sizes. This really helped me acquire a lot of wholesale buyers because there are never sizing issues.
FR: Why did Gigi Moda go the sustainable fashion route?
Francine Wathelet: In Europe craftsmanship is extremely important and I wanted to work with very knowledgeable artisans for this brand. And my angle of sustainable is the brand employs very skilled artisans who bring traditional textile techniques and craftsmanship to the brand. I believe in fair wage, so I pay fair wages in Europe and the US to the workers.
FR: Your design aesthetic is very baja chic, West Coast. Why that point of view?
Francine Wathelet: I am based in Orange County, California. There are high-income earners in this area, so my target audience is those very well-heeled moms and female consumers. I am represented in lots of stores that carry resort wear and beach garments.
So, my collections are very novel, but for that woman who wants to be comfortable and relaxed, but chic and stylish at the same time.
FR: What are the price points?
Francine Wathelet: My price points are mid-ranged and can go upward from that. The average price of my garments is about $100. My customer wants something that is well-made, functional, and obviously designer based, but not too pricey. My price points are indexed on my customer base.
FR: How are you faring doing this COVID-19 pandemic?
Francine Wathelet: Because of how well Gigi Moda was doing before the COVID-19 pandemic, we are holding strong. Our orders are somewhat reduced because of the pandemic. Still, despite the pandemic, we are getting new buyers from all over the world.
FR: Any changes to your business model because of the pandemic, and if so, what are the changes?
Francine Wathelet: I haven’t changed my business model; however, how we work is that we always add new garments every month. We don’t work on a seasonal collection rotation. My designs are created independently and whenever I have something new, I put it on the website. If I have an idea, we put it into production and then we make it available for consumers.
FR: What’s next for Gigi Moda?
Francine Wathelet: What’s coming next is our beautiful over sized linen jackets that you can wear to the beach. I love ruffles, and we recently did a photoshoot that demonstrated my love of ruffles and linen. It is very beautiful, and we believe our customers will be impressed.
—William S. Gooch
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