Gabriela Hearst has built her business on sustainability and a long-term approach to growth, both of which have “helped to build in the past, before COVID-19,” she says, and will continue to help going forward. At home in New York City, with three children and a company to manage, she has found strength in family routines, and design inspiration in two contrasting sources: Formula One racing and lipstick.
In the wake of self-isolation, typical facets of life become habitual sources of motivation. For Hearst, getting dressed up and wearing lipstick every day is key to positive mental health, and a sit-down lunch together as a family is paramount to maintaining a healthy home dynamic. “I’m not a makeup person and all of a sudden I started to wear lipstick,” she says of her favored Bordeaux-hued Hermés shade. “Then it clicked on me—this is war paint.” The family’s lunch tradition takes place at a long table in their light-filled family room. The wall behind is adorned with a collection of equestrian-themed prints that speak to the family history. “My husband’s mom was obsessed with horses and so is my mom,” she says. “I grew up in the middle of nowhere, he grew up on Fifth Avenue, so it’s just the only point of connection that we have.” Of this matriarchal parallel, Hearst notes that “it’s a very strong woman behind that, that raised us and put strong values into our code.” Hearst’s values, cultivated in her early years growing up on a ranch in Uruguay, have been carried through to her eponymous ready-to-wear and accessories line today. Dismissing the opportunity for growth as to not compromise quality and ethics is fundamental to her process. The designer has taken a slow approach with a strict set of standards for determining fabrication. “I don’t believe you can be a true luxury [brand] in the way we want and build it fast. You just can’t do it,” Hearst says.
