Insi the Early Days of Before Jenna Lyons or Olympia Gayot, There Was Ey Car | Vany Fair

Contents:

• HOW OLYMPIA GAYOT BROUGHT BACK
• HOW ’S OLYMPIA GAYOT NAILS NONCHALANT DRSG
• HOW ’S OLYMPIA GAYOT NAILS NONCHALANT DRSG
• OLYMPIA GAYOT’S VISN FOR IS INSPIRED BY GETTG-READY RUALS“THE GOAL IS TO REALLY JT MAKE CLOTH THAT PEOPLE WANT TO WEAR,” SHE SAYS OF HELMG WOMEN’S AND KIDS’ SIGN FOR THE HERAGE BRAND.BY LEAH FAYE COOPERNOVEMBER 23, 2022FACEBOOKTWTEREMAILSAVE STORYOLYMPIA GAYOT.BY STEVEN CARLSON.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVE“WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE BEETS?” IT’S A SUNNY AFTERNOON TRIBE, AND OLYMPIA GAYOT AND I ARE A CURVED BOOTH AT THE OON. SHE’S JT RMED THE SERVER THAT SHE’S ALLERGIC TO EGGS, AND I’VE NFIRMED THAT THERE ARE NO BEETS THE STEAK SALAD I ORRED. “I HAVE A VERY STRONG AVERSN TO THEM,” I EXPLA. “AN EXTREME DISLIKE.”  “THEY TOTALLY ULD SNEAK TO A SALAD,” GAYOT SAYS. SHE GETS . OF URSE, WE’RE NOT MEETG TO DISCS MY ROOT VEGETABLE PREFERENC, BUT SUFFIC AS AN ICEBREAKER FOR TWO STRANGERS MEETG OVER LUNCH. THOUGH, AS A FASHN WRER, I’VE BEEN AWARE OF GAYOT SCE SHE WAS NAMED HEAD OF WOMEN’S AND KIDS’ SIGN AT LATE 2020.  HAVG PREVLY WORKED AT THE STORIED AMERIN LABEL OM 2010–2017, THE 41-YEAR-OLD TORONTO NATIVE REJOED DURG A PIVOTAL TIME FOR THE BRAND, HERSELF, AND THE WORLD. “THEY APPROACHED ME DURG THE PANMIC,” SHE TELLS ME. “IT WAS A NVERSATN THAT HAPPENED OVER A FEW MONTHS, AND I WAS PREGNANT BY THE END OF . I WAS LIKE, THIS IS GOG TO BE TENSE; I’M PREGNANT AND ’S THE MIDDLE OF A PANMIC.” PL, HAD JT E OUT OF BANKPTCY. THE STERLG MID-GHTS ERA MARKED BY SOARG PROFS, MICHELLE OBAMA–APPROVED SIGNS, AND THE MIDAS TOUCH OF FORMER PRINT AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR JENNA LYONS WAS FASHN’S REARVIEW MIRROR. “BUT I KNEW THAT I WANTED ,” SHE SAYS. “IT WAS SUCH AN CREDIBLE OPPORTUNY. I WAS JT REALLY EXCED.” THAT GAYOT END UP FASHN WASN’T PLETELY CINTAL, BUT NOT EVABLE EHER. “[MY MOTHER] WAS ONE OF THE FOUNRS OF CLUB MONA,” SHE SAYS. “SHE WASN’T AN OWNER, BUT SHE WAS A SIGNER AND THERE OM THE VERY BEGNG.” FOR A YOUNG GAYOT, THIS MEANT A WARDROBE OF STRIPED T-SHIRTS AND NAVY BLAZERS, AND A GLIMPSE TO THE “FUN, BOHEMIAN” LIFE HER PARENTS LED. “THEY WERE ALWAYS HAVG PARTI, ALWAYS GOG DANCG, ALWAYS HAVG PEOPLE OVER.” AS CLUB MONA GREW, GAYOT WAS CREASGLY EXPOSED TO AN TERNATNAL GROUP OF SIGNERS WHO MOVED TO TORONTO TO WORK FOR THE BRAND, AND SPENT A LOT OF TIME AT HER MOTHER’S OFFICE ASSISTG WH VAR TASKS. HER FIRST LOVE, HOWEVER, WAS FE ART—A PURSU HER PARENTS MORE THAN ENURAGED. “MY MOM WAS ALWAYS SAYG, ‘DON’T GO TO FASHN.’”  “REALLY?” I ASK. “SHE DISURAGED ?” “I THK SHE JT KNEW HOW FAST-PACED IS. AND SHE JT WAS LIKE, ‘YOU’RE A TALENTED PATER, AND YOU N DRAW, SO YOU SHOULD BE DOG THAT.’ AND I LOVED , PROBABLY MORE THAN ANYTHG.”  AFTER A STT AT THE SCHOOL OF THE MM OF FE ARTS AT TUFTS BOSTON, GAYOT HOPPED ON A B TO NEW YORK, APPLIED TO THE SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS, AND PROMPTLY TRANSFERRED. (SHE FILLED HER PARENTS AFTER THE FACT.) “I WAS ALWAYS STUDYG ART AND PATG, AND THEN DOG FASHN ON THE SI—STYLG, ASSISTG; I WORKED AT DNA, THE MOLG AGENCY, FILG MOLS’ PORTFOL PICTUR.” LIVG MURRAY HILL WH A IEND SHE MET BARTENDG, WAS NOT THE LLEGE DORM EXPERIENCE YOU SEE THE MOVI. “I DIDN’T WANT THAT,” GAYOT SAYS BETWEEN B OF SALMON TARTARE. “I WAS READY TO BE AN ADULT. I REALLY WANTED TO START WORKG AND LIVE MY LIFE.”  THE DRIVE FOLLOWED HER TO PARIS, WHERE SHE MOVED AFTER LLEGE WH A FORMER BOYIEND. “IT WAS ALWAYS A DREAM OF ME TO LIVE THERE,” SHE SAYS. “I WAS DOG PORTRAS AT THE TIME, SO I WAS SURVIVG OFF A MIX OF RANDOM FASHN JOBS AND SELLG PATGS.”  DCRIBG HER TIME THERE AS “AMAZG,” GAYOT MATAS SHE WAS “ALWAYS REALLY HAPPY TO JT GO WHEREVER THE WD TOOK ME. AND THE BEGNG, HONTLY, I DON’T THK I HAD A PLAN. I JT WANTED TO BE BY. I LOVED ART, I LOVED FASHN, I LOVED GETTG DRSED AND GOG OUT AT NIGHT. ALL THAT.” BACK NEW YORK, THE BALANCE GAYOT HAD STCK BETWEEN ART AND FASHN BEGAN TO TILT TOWARDS THE LATTER. PATG, SHE SAYS, “WAS VERY SOLARY,” AND ALSO “A BOYS’ CLUB” THAT WAS OFTEN DISURAGG. SHE WAS FDG MORE OPPORTUNI—AND HAVG MORE FUN—DOG EELANCE SIGN PROJECTS, ASSISTG ON VOGUE SHOOTS, AND STYLG RETAIL DISPLAYS. A IEND SHE MET WHILE SIGNG A PRIVATE LABEL FOR URBAN OUTFTERS HAD LAND AT , AND ENURAGED GAYOT TO TERVIEW.  “I ME AND MET JENNA AND I GOT HIRED.” SAVE FOR A BRIEF MOMENT WHEN I ASK GAYOT IF THE WOMAN AT THE BAR A BLACK CROP TOP IS MKA KELLY (I’M ALMOST POSIVE IS), WE SPEND THE NEXT 20 MUT DISCSG WHAT, AT THE TIME, WAS HER FIRST RPORATE JOB.“I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD END UP AT A BIG BRAND, BUT WAS SO AMAZG. EVEN THOUGH IS A BIG PANY, THERE’S A FAY STYLE VIBE TO , I THK BEE ’S SO CREATIVE. IT WAS A REALLY GREAT PLACE TO BE. I WAS THERE DURG THE JENNA YEARS. I STAYED FOR SEVEN YEARS, WORKED MY WAY UP THE RANKS, AND WORKED WH HER PRETTY CLOSELY; WORKED WH [FORMER CEO] MICKEY DREXLER CLOSELY. I DID KNS, I DID SWIM, SWEATERS, LLECTNS—LOTS OF DIFFERENT TEGORI.” RELLG ’S CROPPED KALEIDOSPIC PANTS, GLTER PUMPS, AND ELEVATED TAK ON NTIL- AND ARY-SPIRED DRSG AT THE TIME, I’M CUR TO KNOW IF SHE HAD A FAVORE.    “I LOVE SIGNG SWIM. EVERYBODY’S THE HAPPIT WHEN THEY’RE ON THE BEACH, RIGHT? [IT’S] JT A JOYFUL TEGORY.” THE ROLE ALSO ME WH A WELE DOSE OF NOSTALGIA. “MY PARENTS HAD A PLACE FLORIDA, SO GROWG UP WE’D GO THERE FOR CHRISTMAS AND WE’D ALWAYS GO TO THE STORE MIAMI, OR WE’D GO [WHEN WE WERE] NEW YORK. I LOVED . IT WAS SO INIC.”  DURG GAYOT’S IAL TENURE, REACHED AN UNPRECENTED LEVEL OF POPULARY. THE BRAND’S LLECTNS WERE BREATHLSLY VERED BY FASHN MEDIA ALONGSI LUXURY UNTERPARTS, AND THE PIEC BEME A FAVORE AMONG CELEBRI. LYONS BEME A STAR HERSELF—HER EVERY OUTF SNAPPED BY STREET STYLE PHOTOGRAPHERS AND MOVE DOCUMENTED BY PAGE SIX. AFTER GETTG MARRIED AND HAVG HER FIRST CHILD (SHE SAYS SHE WORE “A TIGHT, BLACK CROCHET DRS WH A SIX-MONTH BUMP” TO HER 2016 CY HALL WEDDG), GAYOT WAS READY FOR A CHANGE. “SEVEN YEARS WAS A LONG TIME FOR ME TO BE AT ONE PLACE, AND I FEEL LIKE ’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO TRY MULTIPLE THGS TO KEEP THGS H,” SHE SAYS. “I GOT AN OPPORTUNY TO LEAVE, AND I JT TOOK .” THAT OPPORTUNY WAS AT VICTORIA’S SECRET, SIGNG APPAREL, SLEEPWEAR, AND LGERIE. “NOT BRAS AND PANTI,” SHE CLARIFI, “BUT ACTUAL TEDDI.” IT PROVED TO BE A TREMENDO LEARNG EXPERIENCE. “LGERIE IS A PLETELY DIFFERENT WORLD. IT’S SUPER TECHNIL, WORKG WH LACE AND NSTCTG THGS THAT [F CLOSE] TO YOUR BODY. IT’S LERALLY TIMATE.” GIVEN THE FABRICS SHE WAS WORKG WH AND THE VOLUME OF PRODUCT THE BRAND WAS PRODUCG, THERE WERE ALSO BIG FANCIAL IMPLITNS TIED TO HER WORK. “THAT GETS YOU TO BS MO, WHICH IS IMPORTANT. YOU N’T JT SIGN A BUBBLE.”  GAYOT’S CISN TO STEP AWAY AFTER ALMOST THREE YEARS WAS LARGELY FLUENCED BY THE AMOUNT OF TRAVELG SHE WAS DOG. FANCIAL MEETGS WERE HELD AT THE PANY’S HEADQUARTERS OH, AND THE SIGN ASPECT OF THE JOB REQUIRED EQUENT TRIPS TO EUROPE. MOUNTG PUBLIC SCTY OF THE BRAND, SEEMS, WASN’T A FACTOR. MOST POPULARGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZNEW ON NETFLIX: SEPTEMBER 2023'S BT NEW MOVI & SHOWSBY CHRIS MURPHYMEGHAN MARKLE WILL BE JOG PRCE HARRY GERMANY FOR THE INVICT GAMBY ER VANRHOOF“FASHN IS TUMULTUO. IT’S NOT ALWAYS FORTABLE, BUT YOU HAVE TO JT FOC ON—FOR ME AT LEAST—I’VE ALWAYS JT FOCED ON WHAT I LOVE TO DO, WHICH IS THE SIGN PART OF .” MOST LARGE AMERIN BRANDS, SHE NOT, HAVE STGGLED RECENT YEARS, FOR VAR REASONS. “EVERYBODY’S SORT OF HAVG A HARD TIME TRYG TO FD THEIR PLACE. WHETHER ’S ABOUT THE EMS AND WHAT’S WORKG AND WHAT’S NOT, AND THE FANCIAL SUCCS OF THE BS, OR IF ’S A SUATN LIKE VICTORIA’S SECRET WHERE THERE’S A LOT OF OTHER STUFF GOG ON, THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHG. I’VE NEVER BEEN ANYWHERE WHERE THERE HASN’T BEEN SOMETHG. SO, YOU KD OF HAVE TO JT GO WH .” WHEN GAYOT REJOED OCTOBER 2020, THE SIGN TEAM WAS ONE OF FEW THAT WAS GOG TO THE OFFICE. “IT’S REALLY HARD TO BE A SIGNER AND NOT BE AROUND PRODUCT,” SHE SAYS, ADDG THAT SPE THE STRS OF THE PANMIC—AND THAT SHE WAS NEARG HER THIRD TRIMTER—SHE ENJOYED THE MUTE OM HER TRIBE APARTMENT TO THE OFFICE, WHICH WAS BATTERY PARK AT THE TIME. “AFTER HAVG TRAVELED SO MUCH AT MY LAST JOB, THAT I ULD ACTUALLY DROP MY SON OFF AT SCHOOL, WALK TO WORK, AND BE SUPER CLOSE TO HOME, THAT FELT REALLY NICE,” EVEN IF SHE WAS A MASK FOR HOURS ON END.  “THE GOAL IS TO REALLY JT MAKE CLOTH THAT PEOPLE WANT TO WEAR,” SHE SAYS OF WHAT SHE’S AIMG TO ACPLISH. “ HAS SO MUCH HERAGE, AND HERAGE IS SO CCIAL TO THE BRAND, OBVLY. HOWEVER, I DO REALLY RE ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENG THE DTRY, ON THE NWAYS, THE STREETS, WHAT PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY WEARG. AND I THK THAT ORR TO BE A MORN, RELEVANT BRAND, YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE OF WHAT’S GOG ON, AND YOU HAVE TO TEGRATE THAT TO YOUR HERAGE TO HELP BUILD SOMETHG NEW.” SHE’S WEARG SOME OF THOSE NEW PIEC TODAY: A NVERTIBLE APRON DRS YELLOW, AND A METALLIC PAIR OF LUG-SOLE FISHERMAN SANDALS. THE OUTF IS PLEMENTED BY HER LONG, WAVY BLON HAIR, WHICH SHE TELLS ME SHE HAS DONE BY “THE NICT GUY ON THE PLA,” MRIC BERMUZ AT SUE CAROLE SOHO. ACCSORI CLU A BEAD BRACELET HER SON MA AT MP, A FEW OTHERS BY AGMES, AND VAR RGS AND NECKLAC—SOME VTAGE, SOME REPOSSI, SOME PASSED DOWN OM HER MOTHER AND GREAT-GRANDMOTHER. THE LOOK WAS ONE OF MANY GAYOT HAS SHARED ON INSTAGRAM, WHERE SHE HAS MORE THAN 97,000 FOLLOWERS.    “BEFORE , I WAS PRIVATE [ON INSTAGRAM],” SHE SAYS. “I WAS NOT TERTED EVER BEG PUBLIC.” WHILE WASN’T A MANDATE THAT SHE OPEN HER ACUNT UP FOR PUBLIC NSUMPTN, CEO LIBBY WADLE, WHO JOED THE BRAND A MONTH AFTER GAYOT OM SISTER BRAND MAWELL, ENURAGED HER TO POST SNAPSHOTS OF HER LIFE. “AT FIRST I WAS LIKE, ‘ARE YOU SURE? I HAVE, LIKE, 300 FOLLOWERS—’S KD OF EMBARRASSG. DO YOU GUYS WANT TO HELP ME SOMEHOW?’ AND THEY WERE LIKE, ‘NO, NO, YOU’LL GET THERE.’” SHE STARTED BY SHARG MOOD BOARDS. “THEY’RE A HUGE PART OF WHAT I DO, NNECTG THE DOTS BETWEEN FASHN, ART, FURNURE, ARCHECTURE, CULTURE—ALL THAT IS SUPER, SUPER IMPORTANT TO ME. THAT’S HOW I BUILD A LLECTN. SO IALLY, WAS JT SHARG THOSE, PUTTG THEM ON STORI AND LETTG PEOPLE SEE THE DAILY BEHD-THE-SCEN.” NEXT, SHE PUT THE LARGE MIRROR HER OFFICE TO E, SNAPPG PICTUR OF HOW SHE STYLED AND WORE PIEC. “THERE WERE SO MANY DMS THAT WOULD E THROUGH, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ASKG QUTNS.” THE ENGAGEMENT AND FEEDBACK, SHE SAYS, HAS BEEN HELPFUL GGG WHAT RONAT WH THE CTOMER. “I DON’T WANT TO SIGN A SILO. I WANT TO KNOW IF PEOPLE LIKE THGS OR NOT.”  HER SOCIAL MEDIA PRENCE BEGAN TO “SNOWBALL” WHEN STARTED RHARG HER POSTS ON THE BRAND’S ACUNT. AND THOUGH GAYOT ISN’T ON TIKTOK HERSELF, HER SIGNS AND PERSONAL STYLE ARE ALL OVER THE APP, AS FASHN ENTHIASTS REGULARLY SHARE AND DISSECT SCREENSHOTS OF HER OUTFS.  “WHEN I THK BACK TO WHEN I WAS REALLY YOUNG AND THROUGHOUT MY TEENS, AND THEN LIVG NEW YORK MY 20S WH ALL MY IENDS, I LOVED TO GET MY IENDS DRSED UP,” SHE SAYS, SHORTLY AFTER WE BOTH CLE A FFEE OR TEA. “THE PRE-GOG-OUT WAS MORE FUN THAN THE GOG OUT FOR ME, AND WAS ALWAYS ABOUT ACCENTUATG THEIR NATURAL BETY AND MAKG THEM FEEL GOOD. IT’S A THG THAT I’VE ALWAYS LOVED TO DO, AND I GUS NOW ’S MY REER.” THOUGH SHE SAYS HER SOCIAL LIFE “FELL OFF A CLIFF” WHEN SHE HAD KIDS, ON OCSN GAYOT LIK TO VIS GALLERI WH HER HBAND, WHO’S A CURATOR, AND THE FAY SPENDS A LOT OF TIME AT THEIR HOE UPSTATE. (TE TO HER CANADIAN ROOTS, SHE LLS A TTAGE.) “IT’S NICE FOR THE BOYS TO HAVE NATURE,” SHE SAYS OF HER KIDS, WHO ARE NOW SIX AND ONE AND A HALF. “I’M AN ONLY CHILD, MY MOTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD, [AND] MY GRANDMOTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD,” SHE ADDS. “SO TO HAVE TWO BOYS IS PLETELY FOREIGN TO EVERYBODY. BUT ’S AMAZG AND KEEPS ME GROUND. THEY’RE SUPER MSY AND PHYSIL, SO I HAVE TO LEAVE MY WORK AT THE DOOR WHEN I E HOME, AND I WA TILL THE VERY LAST SEND TO PUT MY CLOTH ON BEFORE I LEAVE, BEE EVERYBODY’S DIRTY ALL THE TIME. THEY’RE ADORABLE AND SANE AND CRAZY, AND THEY HAVE SO MUCH ENERGY.” WHAT’S ON HER SCHLE FOR THE RT OF THE DAY BEFORE SEEG THEM BACK HOME? “I GOTTA GO AND DO A BUNCH OF MEETGS,” SHE SAYS. “FUN STUFF, THOUGH. FTGS.” MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORETE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMTHE TAN SUBMERSIBLE DISASTER WAS YEARS THE MAKG, NEW DETAILS REVEALWHY THE GEIA INDICTMENT AGAST TMP AND HIS ALLI IS THE MOST SWEEPG YETIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMER25 PERFECT TV EPISOS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARSA NEW SLIM AARONS BOOK CAPTUR A LOST WORLDFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)LEAH FAYE COOPER
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HOW OLYMPIA GAYOT BROUGHT BACK

Olympia Gayot, womenswear director of the preppy stronghold, is a prolific wearer of her own signs.

HOW ’S OLYMPIA GAYOT NAILS NONCHALANT DRSG

You uld already see the template that’s ma Gayot’s looks a phenomenon om the outset: She posed nonchalantly her office, wearg a vaguely ntil striped polo sweater layered unr her sat-lapeled blazer, the buttons undone to reveal a medalln necklace that ordated wh sculptural bangl and large hoop earrgs. Courty of Olympia GayotGayot, who first worked at the brand om 2010 to 2017 as a womenswear signer unr former brand print turned Real Hoewiv of New York st member Jenna Lyons, began talogg her outfs whout much of an agenda, except to pull back the curta on a brand everyone thks they know.

Gayot’s personal followg has grown om several thoand sprg 2022 to 106, 000 today. ” In December, Instagram’s director of fashn partnerships, Eva Chen, lled Gayot’s acunt one of the bt fashn acunts she follows an Instagram Stori Q&A and wrote, “She’s gog to brg back my roll neck sweater. ”Gayot’s mirror is the portal to a new era at, and everyone om full-time edors to average shoppers agree the store is back.

Gayot herself is part signer, part fluencer, but she shgs off her self-portras’ sublimal msag to shop. The are some of my outfs’ way, ” Gayot says. ”There are more than enough receipts to quantify Gayot’s impact.

HOW ’S OLYMPIA GAYOT NAILS NONCHALANT DRSG

)Gayot, 41, has old-fashned Canadian manners and a streak of refed art-school quirks that manifts Annie Hall–spired ti and stacks of chunky jewelry.

OLYMPIA GAYOT’S VISN FOR IS INSPIRED BY GETTG-READY RUALS“THE GOAL IS TO REALLY JT MAKE CLOTH THAT PEOPLE WANT TO WEAR,” SHE SAYS OF HELMG WOMEN’S AND KIDS’ SIGN FOR THE HERAGE BRAND.BY LEAH FAYE COOPERNOVEMBER 23, 2022FACEBOOKTWTEREMAILSAVE STORYOLYMPIA GAYOT.BY STEVEN CARLSON.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVE“WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE BEETS?” IT’S A SUNNY AFTERNOON TRIBE, AND OLYMPIA GAYOT AND I ARE A CURVED BOOTH AT THE OON. SHE’S JT RMED THE SERVER THAT SHE’S ALLERGIC TO EGGS, AND I’VE NFIRMED THAT THERE ARE NO BEETS THE STEAK SALAD I ORRED. “I HAVE A VERY STRONG AVERSN TO THEM,” I EXPLA. “AN EXTREME DISLIKE.”  “THEY TOTALLY ULD SNEAK TO A SALAD,” GAYOT SAYS. SHE GETS . OF URSE, WE’RE NOT MEETG TO DISCS MY ROOT VEGETABLE PREFERENC, BUT SUFFIC AS AN ICEBREAKER FOR TWO STRANGERS MEETG OVER LUNCH. THOUGH, AS A FASHN WRER, I’VE BEEN AWARE OF GAYOT SCE SHE WAS NAMED HEAD OF WOMEN’S AND KIDS’ SIGN AT LATE 2020.  HAVG PREVLY WORKED AT THE STORIED AMERIN LABEL OM 2010–2017, THE 41-YEAR-OLD TORONTO NATIVE REJOED DURG A PIVOTAL TIME FOR THE BRAND, HERSELF, AND THE WORLD. “THEY APPROACHED ME DURG THE PANMIC,” SHE TELLS ME. “IT WAS A NVERSATN THAT HAPPENED OVER A FEW MONTHS, AND I WAS PREGNANT BY THE END OF . I WAS LIKE, THIS IS GOG TO BE TENSE; I’M PREGNANT AND ’S THE MIDDLE OF A PANMIC.” PL, HAD JT E OUT OF BANKPTCY. THE STERLG MID-GHTS ERA MARKED BY SOARG PROFS, MICHELLE OBAMA–APPROVED SIGNS, AND THE MIDAS TOUCH OF FORMER PRINT AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR JENNA LYONS WAS FASHN’S REARVIEW MIRROR. “BUT I KNEW THAT I WANTED ,” SHE SAYS. “IT WAS SUCH AN CREDIBLE OPPORTUNY. I WAS JT REALLY EXCED.” THAT GAYOT END UP FASHN WASN’T PLETELY CINTAL, BUT NOT EVABLE EHER. “[MY MOTHER] WAS ONE OF THE FOUNRS OF CLUB MONA,” SHE SAYS. “SHE WASN’T AN OWNER, BUT SHE WAS A SIGNER AND THERE OM THE VERY BEGNG.” FOR A YOUNG GAYOT, THIS MEANT A WARDROBE OF STRIPED T-SHIRTS AND NAVY BLAZERS, AND A GLIMPSE TO THE “FUN, BOHEMIAN” LIFE HER PARENTS LED. “THEY WERE ALWAYS HAVG PARTI, ALWAYS GOG DANCG, ALWAYS HAVG PEOPLE OVER.” AS CLUB MONA GREW, GAYOT WAS CREASGLY EXPOSED TO AN TERNATNAL GROUP OF SIGNERS WHO MOVED TO TORONTO TO WORK FOR THE BRAND, AND SPENT A LOT OF TIME AT HER MOTHER’S OFFICE ASSISTG WH VAR TASKS. HER FIRST LOVE, HOWEVER, WAS FE ART—A PURSU HER PARENTS MORE THAN ENURAGED. “MY MOM WAS ALWAYS SAYG, ‘DON’T GO TO FASHN.’”  “REALLY?” I ASK. “SHE DISURAGED ?” “I THK SHE JT KNEW HOW FAST-PACED IS. AND SHE JT WAS LIKE, ‘YOU’RE A TALENTED PATER, AND YOU N DRAW, SO YOU SHOULD BE DOG THAT.’ AND I LOVED , PROBABLY MORE THAN ANYTHG.”  AFTER A STT AT THE SCHOOL OF THE MM OF FE ARTS AT TUFTS BOSTON, GAYOT HOPPED ON A B TO NEW YORK, APPLIED TO THE SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS, AND PROMPTLY TRANSFERRED. (SHE FILLED HER PARENTS AFTER THE FACT.) “I WAS ALWAYS STUDYG ART AND PATG, AND THEN DOG FASHN ON THE SI—STYLG, ASSISTG; I WORKED AT DNA, THE MOLG AGENCY, FILG MOLS’ PORTFOL PICTUR.” LIVG MURRAY HILL WH A IEND SHE MET BARTENDG, WAS NOT THE LLEGE DORM EXPERIENCE YOU SEE THE MOVI. “I DIDN’T WANT THAT,” GAYOT SAYS BETWEEN B OF SALMON TARTARE. “I WAS READY TO BE AN ADULT. I REALLY WANTED TO START WORKG AND LIVE MY LIFE.”  THE DRIVE FOLLOWED HER TO PARIS, WHERE SHE MOVED AFTER LLEGE WH A FORMER BOYIEND. “IT WAS ALWAYS A DREAM OF ME TO LIVE THERE,” SHE SAYS. “I WAS DOG PORTRAS AT THE TIME, SO I WAS SURVIVG OFF A MIX OF RANDOM FASHN JOBS AND SELLG PATGS.”  DCRIBG HER TIME THERE AS “AMAZG,” GAYOT MATAS SHE WAS “ALWAYS REALLY HAPPY TO JT GO WHEREVER THE WD TOOK ME. AND THE BEGNG, HONTLY, I DON’T THK I HAD A PLAN. I JT WANTED TO BE BY. I LOVED ART, I LOVED FASHN, I LOVED GETTG DRSED AND GOG OUT AT NIGHT. ALL THAT.” BACK NEW YORK, THE BALANCE GAYOT HAD STCK BETWEEN ART AND FASHN BEGAN TO TILT TOWARDS THE LATTER. PATG, SHE SAYS, “WAS VERY SOLARY,” AND ALSO “A BOYS’ CLUB” THAT WAS OFTEN DISURAGG. SHE WAS FDG MORE OPPORTUNI—AND HAVG MORE FUN—DOG EELANCE SIGN PROJECTS, ASSISTG ON VOGUE SHOOTS, AND STYLG RETAIL DISPLAYS. A IEND SHE MET WHILE SIGNG A PRIVATE LABEL FOR URBAN OUTFTERS HAD LAND AT , AND ENURAGED GAYOT TO TERVIEW.  “I ME AND MET JENNA AND I GOT HIRED.” SAVE FOR A BRIEF MOMENT WHEN I ASK GAYOT IF THE WOMAN AT THE BAR A BLACK CROP TOP IS MKA KELLY (I’M ALMOST POSIVE IS), WE SPEND THE NEXT 20 MUT DISCSG WHAT, AT THE TIME, WAS HER FIRST RPORATE JOB.“I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD END UP AT A BIG BRAND, BUT WAS SO AMAZG. EVEN THOUGH IS A BIG PANY, THERE’S A FAY STYLE VIBE TO , I THK BEE ’S SO CREATIVE. IT WAS A REALLY GREAT PLACE TO BE. I WAS THERE DURG THE JENNA YEARS. I STAYED FOR SEVEN YEARS, WORKED MY WAY UP THE RANKS, AND WORKED WH HER PRETTY CLOSELY; WORKED WH [FORMER CEO] MICKEY DREXLER CLOSELY. I DID KNS, I DID SWIM, SWEATERS, LLECTNS—LOTS OF DIFFERENT TEGORI.” RELLG ’S CROPPED KALEIDOSPIC PANTS, GLTER PUMPS, AND ELEVATED TAK ON NTIL- AND ARY-SPIRED DRSG AT THE TIME, I’M CUR TO KNOW IF SHE HAD A FAVORE.    “I LOVE SIGNG SWIM. EVERYBODY’S THE HAPPIT WHEN THEY’RE ON THE BEACH, RIGHT? [IT’S] JT A JOYFUL TEGORY.” THE ROLE ALSO ME WH A WELE DOSE OF NOSTALGIA. “MY PARENTS HAD A PLACE FLORIDA, SO GROWG UP WE’D GO THERE FOR CHRISTMAS AND WE’D ALWAYS GO TO THE STORE MIAMI, OR WE’D GO [WHEN WE WERE] NEW YORK. I LOVED . IT WAS SO INIC.”  DURG GAYOT’S IAL TENURE, REACHED AN UNPRECENTED LEVEL OF POPULARY. THE BRAND’S LLECTNS WERE BREATHLSLY VERED BY FASHN MEDIA ALONGSI LUXURY UNTERPARTS, AND THE PIEC BEME A FAVORE AMONG CELEBRI. LYONS BEME A STAR HERSELF—HER EVERY OUTF SNAPPED BY STREET STYLE PHOTOGRAPHERS AND MOVE DOCUMENTED BY PAGE SIX. AFTER GETTG MARRIED AND HAVG HER FIRST CHILD (SHE SAYS SHE WORE “A TIGHT, BLACK CROCHET DRS WH A SIX-MONTH BUMP” TO HER 2016 CY HALL WEDDG), GAYOT WAS READY FOR A CHANGE. “SEVEN YEARS WAS A LONG TIME FOR ME TO BE AT ONE PLACE, AND I FEEL LIKE ’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO TRY MULTIPLE THGS TO KEEP THGS H,” SHE SAYS. “I GOT AN OPPORTUNY TO LEAVE, AND I JT TOOK .” THAT OPPORTUNY WAS AT VICTORIA’S SECRET, SIGNG APPAREL, SLEEPWEAR, AND LGERIE. “NOT BRAS AND PANTI,” SHE CLARIFI, “BUT ACTUAL TEDDI.” IT PROVED TO BE A TREMENDO LEARNG EXPERIENCE. “LGERIE IS A PLETELY DIFFERENT WORLD. IT’S SUPER TECHNIL, WORKG WH LACE AND NSTCTG THGS THAT [F CLOSE] TO YOUR BODY. IT’S LERALLY TIMATE.” GIVEN THE FABRICS SHE WAS WORKG WH AND THE VOLUME OF PRODUCT THE BRAND WAS PRODUCG, THERE WERE ALSO BIG FANCIAL IMPLITNS TIED TO HER WORK. “THAT GETS YOU TO BS MO, WHICH IS IMPORTANT. YOU N’T JT SIGN A BUBBLE.”  GAYOT’S CISN TO STEP AWAY AFTER ALMOST THREE YEARS WAS LARGELY FLUENCED BY THE AMOUNT OF TRAVELG SHE WAS DOG. FANCIAL MEETGS WERE HELD AT THE PANY’S HEADQUARTERS OH, AND THE SIGN ASPECT OF THE JOB REQUIRED EQUENT TRIPS TO EUROPE. MOUNTG PUBLIC SCTY OF THE BRAND, SEEMS, WASN’T A FACTOR. MOST POPULARGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZNEW ON NETFLIX: SEPTEMBER 2023'S BT NEW MOVI & SHOWSBY CHRIS MURPHYMEGHAN MARKLE WILL BE JOG PRCE HARRY GERMANY FOR THE INVICT GAMBY ER VANRHOOF“FASHN IS TUMULTUO. IT’S NOT ALWAYS FORTABLE, BUT YOU HAVE TO JT FOC ON—FOR ME AT LEAST—I’VE ALWAYS JT FOCED ON WHAT I LOVE TO DO, WHICH IS THE SIGN PART OF .” MOST LARGE AMERIN BRANDS, SHE NOT, HAVE STGGLED RECENT YEARS, FOR VAR REASONS. “EVERYBODY’S SORT OF HAVG A HARD TIME TRYG TO FD THEIR PLACE. WHETHER ’S ABOUT THE EMS AND WHAT’S WORKG AND WHAT’S NOT, AND THE FANCIAL SUCCS OF THE BS, OR IF ’S A SUATN LIKE VICTORIA’S SECRET WHERE THERE’S A LOT OF OTHER STUFF GOG ON, THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHG. I’VE NEVER BEEN ANYWHERE WHERE THERE HASN’T BEEN SOMETHG. SO, YOU KD OF HAVE TO JT GO WH .” WHEN GAYOT REJOED OCTOBER 2020, THE SIGN TEAM WAS ONE OF FEW THAT WAS GOG TO THE OFFICE. “IT’S REALLY HARD TO BE A SIGNER AND NOT BE AROUND PRODUCT,” SHE SAYS, ADDG THAT SPE THE STRS OF THE PANMIC—AND THAT SHE WAS NEARG HER THIRD TRIMTER—SHE ENJOYED THE MUTE OM HER TRIBE APARTMENT TO THE OFFICE, WHICH WAS BATTERY PARK AT THE TIME. “AFTER HAVG TRAVELED SO MUCH AT MY LAST JOB, THAT I ULD ACTUALLY DROP MY SON OFF AT SCHOOL, WALK TO WORK, AND BE SUPER CLOSE TO HOME, THAT FELT REALLY NICE,” EVEN IF SHE WAS A MASK FOR HOURS ON END.  “THE GOAL IS TO REALLY JT MAKE CLOTH THAT PEOPLE WANT TO WEAR,” SHE SAYS OF WHAT SHE’S AIMG TO ACPLISH. “ HAS SO MUCH HERAGE, AND HERAGE IS SO CCIAL TO THE BRAND, OBVLY. HOWEVER, I DO REALLY RE ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENG THE DTRY, ON THE NWAYS, THE STREETS, WHAT PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY WEARG. AND I THK THAT ORR TO BE A MORN, RELEVANT BRAND, YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE OF WHAT’S GOG ON, AND YOU HAVE TO TEGRATE THAT TO YOUR HERAGE TO HELP BUILD SOMETHG NEW.” SHE’S WEARG SOME OF THOSE NEW PIEC TODAY: A NVERTIBLE APRON DRS YELLOW, AND A METALLIC PAIR OF LUG-SOLE FISHERMAN SANDALS. THE OUTF IS PLEMENTED BY HER LONG, WAVY BLON HAIR, WHICH SHE TELLS ME SHE HAS DONE BY “THE NICT GUY ON THE PLA,” MRIC BERMUZ AT SUE CAROLE SOHO. ACCSORI CLU A BEAD BRACELET HER SON MA AT MP, A FEW OTHERS BY AGMES, AND VAR RGS AND NECKLAC—SOME VTAGE, SOME REPOSSI, SOME PASSED DOWN OM HER MOTHER AND GREAT-GRANDMOTHER. THE LOOK WAS ONE OF MANY GAYOT HAS SHARED ON INSTAGRAM, WHERE SHE HAS MORE THAN 97,000 FOLLOWERS.    “BEFORE , I WAS PRIVATE [ON INSTAGRAM],” SHE SAYS. “I WAS NOT TERTED EVER BEG PUBLIC.” WHILE WASN’T A MANDATE THAT SHE OPEN HER ACUNT UP FOR PUBLIC NSUMPTN, CEO LIBBY WADLE, WHO JOED THE BRAND A MONTH AFTER GAYOT OM SISTER BRAND MAWELL, ENURAGED HER TO POST SNAPSHOTS OF HER LIFE. “AT FIRST I WAS LIKE, ‘ARE YOU SURE? I HAVE, LIKE, 300 FOLLOWERS—’S KD OF EMBARRASSG. DO YOU GUYS WANT TO HELP ME SOMEHOW?’ AND THEY WERE LIKE, ‘NO, NO, YOU’LL GET THERE.’” SHE STARTED BY SHARG MOOD BOARDS. “THEY’RE A HUGE PART OF WHAT I DO, NNECTG THE DOTS BETWEEN FASHN, ART, FURNURE, ARCHECTURE, CULTURE—ALL THAT IS SUPER, SUPER IMPORTANT TO ME. THAT’S HOW I BUILD A LLECTN. SO IALLY, WAS JT SHARG THOSE, PUTTG THEM ON STORI AND LETTG PEOPLE SEE THE DAILY BEHD-THE-SCEN.” NEXT, SHE PUT THE LARGE MIRROR HER OFFICE TO E, SNAPPG PICTUR OF HOW SHE STYLED AND WORE PIEC. “THERE WERE SO MANY DMS THAT WOULD E THROUGH, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ASKG QUTNS.” THE ENGAGEMENT AND FEEDBACK, SHE SAYS, HAS BEEN HELPFUL GGG WHAT RONAT WH THE CTOMER. “I DON’T WANT TO SIGN A SILO. I WANT TO KNOW IF PEOPLE LIKE THGS OR NOT.”  HER SOCIAL MEDIA PRENCE BEGAN TO “SNOWBALL” WHEN STARTED RHARG HER POSTS ON THE BRAND’S ACUNT. AND THOUGH GAYOT ISN’T ON TIKTOK HERSELF, HER SIGNS AND PERSONAL STYLE ARE ALL OVER THE APP, AS FASHN ENTHIASTS REGULARLY SHARE AND DISSECT SCREENSHOTS OF HER OUTFS.  “WHEN I THK BACK TO WHEN I WAS REALLY YOUNG AND THROUGHOUT MY TEENS, AND THEN LIVG NEW YORK MY 20S WH ALL MY IENDS, I LOVED TO GET MY IENDS DRSED UP,” SHE SAYS, SHORTLY AFTER WE BOTH CLE A FFEE OR TEA. “THE PRE-GOG-OUT WAS MORE FUN THAN THE GOG OUT FOR ME, AND WAS ALWAYS ABOUT ACCENTUATG THEIR NATURAL BETY AND MAKG THEM FEEL GOOD. IT’S A THG THAT I’VE ALWAYS LOVED TO DO, AND I GUS NOW ’S MY REER.” THOUGH SHE SAYS HER SOCIAL LIFE “FELL OFF A CLIFF” WHEN SHE HAD KIDS, ON OCSN GAYOT LIK TO VIS GALLERI WH HER HBAND, WHO’S A CURATOR, AND THE FAY SPENDS A LOT OF TIME AT THEIR HOE UPSTATE. (TE TO HER CANADIAN ROOTS, SHE LLS A TTAGE.) “IT’S NICE FOR THE BOYS TO HAVE NATURE,” SHE SAYS OF HER KIDS, WHO ARE NOW SIX AND ONE AND A HALF. “I’M AN ONLY CHILD, MY MOTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD, [AND] MY GRANDMOTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD,” SHE ADDS. “SO TO HAVE TWO BOYS IS PLETELY FOREIGN TO EVERYBODY. BUT ’S AMAZG AND KEEPS ME GROUND. THEY’RE SUPER MSY AND PHYSIL, SO I HAVE TO LEAVE MY WORK AT THE DOOR WHEN I E HOME, AND I WA TILL THE VERY LAST SEND TO PUT MY CLOTH ON BEFORE I LEAVE, BEE EVERYBODY’S DIRTY ALL THE TIME. THEY’RE ADORABLE AND SANE AND CRAZY, AND THEY HAVE SO MUCH ENERGY.” WHAT’S ON HER SCHLE FOR THE RT OF THE DAY BEFORE SEEG THEM BACK HOME? “I GOTTA GO AND DO A BUNCH OF MEETGS,” SHE SAYS. “FUN STUFF, THOUGH. FTGS.” MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORETE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMTHE TAN SUBMERSIBLE DISASTER WAS YEARS THE MAKG, NEW DETAILS REVEALWHY THE GEIA INDICTMENT AGAST TMP AND HIS ALLI IS THE MOST SWEEPG YETIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMER25 PERFECT TV EPISOS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARSA NEW SLIM AARONS BOOK CAPTUR A LOST WORLDFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)LEAH FAYE COOPER

But Gayot wants more for than five sends of TikTok fame. ” knew need a renaissance before hired Gayot back om Victoria’s Secret, where she’d taken a post signg lgerie 2017. Two CEO rhufflgs and a Chapter 11 bankptcy later, Libby Wadle was appoted to chief executive officer November 2020 to potentially, fally steer back to steadier brought Gayot on board shortly after.

Gayot was several months pregnant and ready to revalize the brand where she’d spent the bulk of her profsnal reer.

13 THGS OLYMPIA GAYOT WOULD BUY AGA

“I jt felt like I had to take the leap, ” Gayot rells.

Gayot, who grew up Canada sketchg the outfs of women and girls around her and moved to New York to study patg at the School of Visual Arts, applied for what would bee her first role at after cidg she wanted a full-time job. Lyons terviewed Gayot for the posn and she “got the job right away. ” Workg together, Gayot says, “was so spirg and very creative.

INSI THE EARLY DAYS OF BEFORE JENNA LYONS OR OLYMPIA GAYOT, THERE WAS EY CAR

” In the terveng years, Gayot married art nsultant and gallerist Matt Black and had two children.

Arrivg at for the send time, Gayot had her work cut out for her—personally and profsnally. Courty of Olympia GayotCourty of Olympia GayotNo roadblock uld ultimately timidate the signer out of a role she knew she uld tackle. ” Gayot, like any signer brought to revamp a brand that’s lost s lter, had a checklist to plete at warp speed: improve the products, elevate the brandg, bump up sal.

JT ENTERED A NEW ERA, THANKS TO OLYMPIA GAYOT

She followed last September wh a social-media-first mpaign highlightg ’s “classic remix, ” rolled out on Instagram by Julianne Moore, Ayo Ebiri, Sadie Sk, and the woman Gayot lled “the origal me, ” Diane Keaton. ” The actor appeared a lamated trench Gayot has clud two llectns so far; to her, the feelg of beg clud was more memorable than the specific outf: “Everyone was so kd at the shoot and let me be me. ”Wadle lls Gayot a “te creative visnary, ” someone who treats gettg drsed like an art form.

'S OLYMPIA GAYOT ON THE ITEMS THAT HAVE ACHIEVED CULT STAT

Gayot seems to do anilly what other signers strive for wh paid celebri and flashy store-openg events: elevate her brand the ey of the general public and get people shoppg there aga. And Gayot’s has managed to tch the attentn of var fashn outlets (cludg this one) whout a naway viral h—save Gayot herself.

Far more important than the star power of the brand’s mpaigns or the strength of one product has been Gayot’s general elevatn of the cloth signer watch nway fashn wh a llector’s eye.

” She’s also passnate about New York Cy–based signers, name-checkg Eckhs Latta and Maryam Nassir isn’t to acce Gayot of gettg to the bs of knockoffs. Instead, spired by the nsired shap, superr qualy, and latent dividualy of her favore signer labels, Gayot is makg a sign-led brand aga. Gayot has plucked some ems om ’s earlier s out of retirement wh mor fabritn upgras, like a striped fx-fur at released November.