Gaâla, a sustainable brand that combines classic French aesthetics with Belarusian craftsmanship. The brand apparel features the nostalgia of time-honored silhouettes with contemporary designs for the modern woman. “It is hard to find vintage inspired clothing that is not considered as a costume. Our customers do not need to choose between being stylish and timeless.”
Gaâla was founded by the husband-and-wife duo, Kelly de Gaalon and Alexander Zhalezka.
The brand name came from Kelly’s last name, de Gaalon. “At a family dinner in
Normandie, it was my 97-year-old French grandfather who came up with the idea.”
The couple has an international background behind them, both Kelly and Alexander have travelled and lived all over the world. They met each other in Beijing and later moved to Alexander’s native country, Belarus, where they spent most of their time working on the new collections.
“One of the wonderful things about doing business together is that you have a great partner that you can trust. Building something together is also an opportunity to learn more about each other.” Although the couple face challenges while separating work from home life, they
believe it is all part of the learning process.
Kelly grew with eight siblings and remembers her mother adjusting garments for them. “I have always been interested in design, I love elegant dresses, jumpsuits and workwear cut in classic silhouettes, but I had difficulty finding good quality clothing at reasonable prices.”
While struggling to find desirable garments, Kelly decided to create her own and lately began getting requests from family and friends. The support Kelly received soon encouraged her to begin a new chapter in life.
Gaâla was created with a vision to have sustainable designs for professional and everyday wear. Kelly and Alexander work alongside a small team of highly skilled professionals where each piece is handmade from start to finish by the tailors. The tailors work in a safe and ethical work environment, where everyone is provided with health care and vacation days.
Alongside with the fair labour, Gaâla has a zero-waste policy. The team works exclusively with deadstock fabrics such as linen, silk, viscose and tencel, as well as recycle old materials into accessories.
Model: Paola Cossentino
The fabric remnants that are used would end up in landfills otherwise. The materials are found in Hangzhou, China, a place known for tradition of silk making, Italy and Belarus.
“The research for new fabrics fuels a lot of creativity, it is like hunting for treasures. Our search for beautiful and diverse textiles often leads us to discover new places, cultures and ateliers, which inspires us and our designs.”
Kelly believes that it is always a surprise what you are going to find, therefore the brand does not have a specific color scheme. “It is all part of the fun.”
The deadstock materials also allow to create limited garments. The tailors can only produce 1-2 pieces per day and limited garments from one fabric. Gaâla has exclusive collections which allow every customer to have unique items in their wardrobes.
“In a world of fast fashion, we are proud to be a part of the slow-fashion movement. We seek to create durable apparel that transcends time and trends.”
The founders are continually learning and finding new ways to become sustainable. “Create for the needs of today while
enabling the needs of future generations” is Kelly’s and Alexander’s mantra while working on new collections.
“Sustainability is not a destination. It is a never-ending journey. Each step of the way, we uncover new ways to do things, learn what works and what does not, and
continuously adapt.”
The SS21 collection was launched in March. It introduces new designs as well as brings back popular garments from previous collections.
“Our next step is to find a way to use sustainably made fabrics such as bamboo viscose and eco-cotton. We also want to develop more small-scale workshops with good working hours, a positive atmosphere and fair salaries.”
Kelly and Alexander believe they have a long sustainable road ahead but “we are committed as a team to moving forward and learning as we go.”