Before you start reading this article, how about hitting play on the playlist Gabi curated for us?
The heat in Costa Rica is intense, but the ocean breeze softens the atmosphere as the sun reflects on the landscape. Surrounded by palm trees and the sound of waves crashing in the background, Gabi de Godoi moves with the ease of someone who has experienced countless photo shoots. After all, she has posed for iconic brands like Tiffany, Cartier, and Dior. Photographer Eva Wong captures every detail, but this time, there is something different. The sparkle in Gabi’s eyes reveals what makes this session so special.
Some of the pieces she wears are black and white, emphasizing elegance, with delicate rose appliqués adding a romantic touch—her signature style. Others are vibrant, in shades of pink and yellow, with small charms on the ties—subtle details that evoke lightness, youth… The same freshness that Gabi herself embodies. Of course, this time, she is not just the model. She is the creator, translating her international experiences and keen eye into pieces that carry her identity.
The photo shoot for D’Idées marks the beginning of a new journey, a bold step for someone who has always seen fashion beyond the runways. As she adjusts one of the outfits, smiling between shots, it’s impossible not to feel the energy of someone who is exactly where she is meant to be. With passion, talent, and an unstoppable desire to create, Gabi de Godoi presents herself to the world in a new way. And we say: Hello, Gabi.
Hello Gabi is a store where I have the opportunity to sell the things I love the most, the things I truly enjoy
Gabi has always had a genuine connection with the people who follow her, both online and offline. Her journey in the fashion world helped her build a loyal network, and it was this bond that sparked her desire to go beyond the runways. “I wanted to offer something that truly added value to these people,” she says. The desire to become an entrepreneur had always been there since she was young, but finding a strategic first step led her into this world.
So how does it work? The website is like a wishlist. Gabi curates her favorite pieces from different brands, selects what best matches her style, and makes everything available on Hello Gabi. “It’s like my own selection, a personal curation that anyone can access and buy from,” she explains. But the platform goes beyond that—it is also where she took her first steps as a designer, creating her own line of bikinis. Hello Gabi has become a fusion of her sharp fashion sense and her first creations, offering not only style but also product recommendations she has personally tested and approved. Through Hello Gabi, she explores the fashion market without compromising authenticity. For her, it’s a way to connect even more with those who have always followed her.
What sets Hello Gabi apart from other online stores? For Gabi, the answer is simple: authenticity. “The website has my touch, my vision, and I think that makes it unique,” she says. Unlike brands that follow market trends, Hello Gabi doesn’t impose anything—it reflects her identity, her personal style. Every piece available there has been carefully selected by her, whether in curating brands that align with her or in her own creations that bear her signature. “It’s not a generic brand, it’s an extension of me.” And that’s exactly what makes so many people relate to it. The site is for those who share her tastes, her routine, and her way of seeing fashion—a personal selection transformed into a collective experience.
For Gabi, her brand is a reflection of her personality and a light, authentic lifestyle. “I believe it’s for girls around my age, who think like me, who have an open mind,” she explains. The brand embodies a vibrant and effortless spirit. “It’s for a girl who is very happy, very cheerful, who loves to celebrate, who is always relaxed. In a good mood! I think it’s more for that kind of girl.”
At the same time, Gabi acknowledges that this energy can be found anywhere in the world. “We can find this girl in many places, everywhere. So maybe, yes, maybe it could be something global. I hope so, fingers crossed.”
Every time I talk to Gabi, I discover something new. In our last interview, nearly a year ago, for the first edition of D’Idées, she had just launched a jewelry collection for Fiori and was preparing for a new step: creating her own brand, Apartment 6 (set to launch in April). Now, as she talks about her website, I see that her creativity and ambition go far beyond the runways. But none of this feels forced or calculated. Entrepreneurship was always there, even if she only realized it later.
“I didn’t have this desire to be an entrepreneur. What I really wanted was to be a Victoria’s Secret model,” Gabi says, laughing. “I thought that once I achieved that, my life would be set.” It was the dream of a 16-year-old girl, new to the fashion world, full of aspirations that didn’t necessarily reflect reality. Over time, those dreams changed. “I wanted to work in investments, open an ice cream shop, a restaurant, a beauty salon… I had so many ideas.”
Looking back, she realizes that her journey had already given hints of what was to come. “As a child, I loved playing with Barbie dolls, creating outfits for them, styling their hair, making beaded bracelets… I always loved working with my hands, creating things.” For Gabi, the desire to become an entrepreneur came with maturity. “I think age started showing me reality. And I realized that entrepreneurship was a space where I wanted to be.”
And although she explored other possibilities, fashion was always in her path.
In the end, I think I didn’t even choose it—it was written in my story since I was little.
Gabi understood that entrepreneurship required a completely different mindset than the one she had developed as a model. “I learned that sometimes you have to be tough,” she says, with the honesty of someone who has lived in both worlds. “In fashion, you have to be patient, relevant, and very nice to everyone, even if that means going home frustrated some days. In business, it’s different.”
She explains that as an entrepreneur, there is no room to please everyone all the time. “You can’t be nice to everyone. You can’t take problems home without solving them, and if you think looking helpless will work, it won’t.” The game requires strategy, resilience, and, above all, a long-term vision.
“Business requires thick skin,” she says, referring to the need to develop resilience to handle challenges and criticism without taking anything personally. “You always have to think long-term and make decisions rationally.”
If fashion shaped her aesthetic and curatorial sense, her travels around the world expanded her perception of culture, behavior, and lifestyle. “Traveling greatly influences the way we see the world. Sometimes we think we have a huge problem, something impossible to solve, but then you travel somewhere and see that people face the same challenge but solve it completely differently. It’s all about culture and how each society lives and perceives life,” she reflects.
In the end, this blend of intensity, humor, and authenticity is what makes Hello Gabi such a special project. And if her journey makes one thing clear, it’s that taking risks is part of the game. As she herself would say: “Just start!”
Digital Edition - March 25
The High Summer Edition isn’t here to list trends. Now, the focus is different: it’s about truly enjoying the moment.
May these pages inspire you to embrace the now.
