Gabriela Hearst facts for kids

Gabriela Hearst (born November 3, 1976) is a famous fashion designer from Uruguay. She creates luxury clothing and accessories for women. Besides her own fashion brand, she also manages her family's ranch in Uruguay.

Early Life and Learning

Gabriela Hearst grew up on her family's ranch in Paysandú, Uruguay. This ranch is about 400 kilometers (250 miles) from Montevideo, the capital city. She went to The British School of Montevideo. Later, she earned a degree in communications from Universidad ORT Uruguay. In her early twenties, after a short time in Paris, she moved to New York. There, she studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre.

Her Fashion Journey

In 2004, Gabriela started her first fashion company called Candela in Brooklyn. She began with just $700. Her first designs were T-shirts with cool pictures of a winged woman on a horse. By 2006, her collection grew to include more clothes and shoes.

After working in design for eleven years, Gabriela Hearst joined the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in 2012. This is a group for top fashion designers.

Starting Her Own Brand

In the fall of 2015, Gabriela launched her own fashion label, named Gabriela Hearst. Her brand quickly became known for its high quality and beautiful materials. People often compare it to other luxury brands like Hermès.

Her collections are known for great craftsmanship and new, special materials. For example, she used a fabric that helps block radiation from mobile phones in jacket pockets. She also used very fine merino wool and aloe-treated linen. This special linen process makes the fabric soft and helps moisturize skin.

Focus on Being Green

Gabriela Hearst's brand cares a lot about the environment. They use wool from her own sheep farm in Uruguay. This helps them control the whole process and reduce harm to the planet. Her brand was also the first to use special compostable bio-plastics for all their packaging. These plastics can break down in compost in just 24 weeks.

Famous Bags and Recognition

The first handbag she designed was the Nina Bag, named after the singer Nina Simone. Gabriela first gave only 20 of these bags to women she admired. Soon, many people wanted the bag, and it had a very long waiting list by 2017.

In January 2016, Women's Wear Daily (WWD) named Gabriela Hearst one of the "Ten of Tomorrow." This meant she was a rising star in fashion. In September 2017, she was added to the Business of Fashion BOF500. This is a list of people who are shaping the global fashion industry.

Growing Her Brand

In January 2019, LVMH Luxury Ventures invested in Gabriela Hearst's brand. LVMH is a huge French luxury company. This investment helped Gabriela Hearst expand her brand around the world. It was the first time LVMH invested in a creative fashion label.

In January 2021, Gabriela Hearst designed the dress worn by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden for the presidential inauguration. The ivory dress had embroidered flowers from all 50 states and Washington D.C. This design showed a message of unity. In December 2021, the Financial Times named her one of the 25 most influential women of the year.

In January 2023, the outfit Dr. Jill Biden wore to the 2021 inauguration joined the Smithsonian's First Ladies Collection. It is now at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

Gabriela Hearst also designed costumes for the world premiere of a new Carmen ballet at San Francisco Ballet. She used merino wool, which is a very sustainable fabric, for all the costumes.

In March 2024, TIME magazine honored Gabriela Hearst with a 2024 TIME Earth Award. This award recognizes people who are making a difference for the planet through their work on climate justice. In 2025, she was included in the first National Geographic 33 list. This list celebrates 33 global changemakers who have made a big impact in areas like science and culture.

Leading Chloé

In December 2020, Gabriela Hearst became the Creative Director of Chloé. Chloé is a luxury fashion brand from Paris, started in 1952. Gabriela Hearst is the first female designer with both Uruguayan and American heritage to lead a major Paris fashion house.

For her first collection at Chloé, she honored the brand's founder, Gaby Aghion. Her collection focused on sustainability. She brought back classic Chloé details like scalloped edges and used recycled materials. She also worked with a non-profit to create backpacks from leftover fabrics. Sales of these backpacks helped donate special sleeping bag garments to people experiencing homelessness.

Caring for the Planet

Gabriela Hearst is very committed to protecting the environment.

Eco-Friendly Fashion Shows

On February 14, 2017, Gabriela Hearst had her first runway show. She made sure the show created very little waste. There was no plastic used, and she brought furniture from her home and office. Cashmere pillows for guests were made by a non-profit group called Manos del Uruguay using leftover yarn. Seven outfits were made from fabrics and materials she already had.

With her Fall/Winter 2018 collection, her brand became the first to use compostable bio-plastics for all its packaging. This special plastic can be thrown into compost and breaks down in 24 weeks.

For her Spring/Summer 2020 show, Gabriela Hearst made it carbon-neutral. This means they worked to reduce the carbon footprint of the show as much as possible. They booked models who didn't need to fly and used local food for catering. They also reduced electricity use backstage. To make up for any remaining emissions, she donated money to a project in Kenya. This project provides efficient cookstoves to families, which helps reduce wood use and harmful fumes.

Smart Technology for Sustainability

For her Spring/Summer 2020 collection, Gabriela Hearst also introduced digital IDs for her clothes. Each item has a QR Code that customers can scan. This code tells them where the garment came from, what materials it's made of, how it was produced, and its carbon footprint. This technology helps customers understand their clothes better and learn how to recycle them. It's a step towards a "circular fashion economy," where clothes are reused and recycled.

Her Autumn/Winter 2020 collection focused on "waste." Products were made from old Turkish rug pieces, and some old clothes from her stock were taken apart and remade. About 30% of the collection used recycled cashmere, hand-knitted by the Manos del Uruguay group. The runway show even had giant bales of shredded paper to show the "waste" theme.

Energy for the Future

In November 2022, Gabriela Hearst attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference (CoP27) in Egypt. She spoke about how fusion power can help fight climate change. Fusion power is a way to create energy by combining atoms, similar to how the sun makes energy. It's a very clean energy source.

She dedicated her Chloé Spring/Summer 2023 collection to raising awareness about fusion energy. Her team researched fusion and learned from scientists and engineers.

In December 2023, Gabriela Hearst also participated in a panel at the CoP28 conference in Dubai. At this event, the U.S. launched its first international fusion strategy.

Famous People Who Wear Her Designs

Many celebrities have worn Gabriela Hearst's collections. Some of them include Gillian Anderson, Laura Dern, Selena Gomez, Anne Hathaway, Brie Larson, Demi Moore, Emma Stone, Emma Watson, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Oprah, Julia Roberts, Lady Gaga, Angelina Jolie, and Jill Biden.

Working with Others

Gabriela Hearst has worked with many different groups and artists.

• In 2016, she partnered with Manos del Uruguay, a non-profit that helps craftswomen. They handmade tweeds using wool from her farm.
• In 2017, she worked with an Italian factory to make fine wool fabric from her ranch's merino wool.
• In March 2017, the famous store Le Bon Marché in Paris gave her a special space for her first pop-up shop during Paris Fashion Week.
• For her Fall 2017 collection, she worked with Swarovski. They donated crystals for special velvet dresses.
• In August 2019, Gabriela Hearst opened her London store in Mayfair. She designed it with architect Lord Norman Foster. The store shows her commitment to sustainable design, using natural, reclaimed wood and non-toxic dyes.
• In February 2020, she partnered with EON, a company that uses QR codes to give clothes a "digital identity." This helps customers learn about their garment's journey and how to recycle it.
• In 2021, for her Spring/Summer show, she collaborated with the Navajo community, bringing together crafts from the Americas with work from Uruguay and Bolivia. She also showed shoes made with Clergerie, a French shoemaker.
• In August 2023, she launched her first perfumes with Fueguia 1833. The scents were inspired by her life in Paysandú and New York.
• For her Autumn/Winter 2023 show, she was inspired by Irish artist Eileen Gray. She worked with Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura on the set design and with Tricker's, an old English shoemaker, on special boots and shoes.
• For the 2024 Met Gala, she designed a custom dress and cape for Lily Gladstone. The cape had hand-embroidered stars made from recycled silver and glass beads by an Indigenous artist.

Giving Back

Gabriela Hearst is also very involved in helping others.

• In June 2016, she worked with Tod's on a special sneaker. 20% of the money from sales went to Save the Children.
• In May 2017, she created a limited-edition sweater called Ram Ovaries. .....
• In July 2017, after learning about a severe drought in East Africa, she visited Kenya with Save the Children. In October 2017, she partnered with Net-a-Porter and Bergdorf Goodman to sell her handbags. She promised to donate $600,000 to Save the Children. This money helped over 1,000 families in Kenya buy food, water, and livestock.
• In September 2018, she joined Save the Children's Board of Trustees.
• In September 2019, she launched a special collection with MyTheresa. 20% of the money went to Save the Children's Centennial Campaign.
• From December 2 to 9, 2019, she donated 100% of her brand's profits to Save the Children to help people in war-torn Yemen.
• For her Spring/Summer 2020 show, guests received scarves with pictures of recently extinct animals. She also made donations in their names to Our Children's Trust. This group works to protect children's right to a stable climate.
• From June 29 to July 12, 2020, she teamed up with Net-a-Porter to sell her signature bags. This helped raise money for Save the Children's efforts against COVID-19.

Awards and Recognition

Gabriela Hearst has won many awards for her work in fashion and sustainability.

Where to Buy Her Designs

Gabriela Hearst's designs are sold in over 50 stores in many countries. Some of these stores include Le Bon Marchè, Bergdorf Goodman, Selfridges, and Lane Crawford.

In November 2018, she opened her first main store in New York City, on Madison Avenue. This store was built without any synthetic or chemical materials. It used natural, reclaimed oak wood. Vogue magazine called it "the most beautiful store in New York City."

In London, she opened another flagship store in Mayfair. This store was also designed with Sir Norman Foster. Every part of the store was chosen for its sustainability. For example, the furniture was made from a London plane tree that fell in a storm. The floor is made of reclaimed oak, and the lights dim automatically. Gabriela Hearst describes the store as "anti-retail," meaning it feels calm and peaceful.

On November 9, 2023, she opened her first store on the West Coast in Beverly Hills. This store was also designed by Foster + Partners and features furniture made from natural materials, inspired by her family ranch in Uruguay.

Her Family Life

Gabriela Perezutti married John "August" Augustine Hearst in 2013. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and their three children.