Ramya Giangola

Ramya Giangola maintains her finger on the pulse of what moves the fashion and design industry, working with major retail groups and emerging brands alike, while simultaneously serving as a recognized influencer and tastemaker.

Since the mid-1990s, Ramya has been involved in many facets of the fashion industry, starting in design and, a few years later, moving to the business side, where she has since remained. In 2005, she established advisory firm Gogoluxe to scout and source emerging designers, provide market intelligence, negotiate trade terms and develop creative marketing initiatives (including pop-ups, collaborations and shop-in-shops) for leading multibrand retailers across the globe. She has been fortunate to work with Lane Crawford, Joyce, On Pedder, ImagineX, Vakko, Hudson’s Bay Company and India’s Aditya Birla Group, among others.

Harnessing a deep understanding of the domestic and international retail markets, Gogoluxe has expanded to consult with both emerging and growing brands. This has taken a variety of formats, and typically includes both creative merchandising (seasonal direction and collection development) and retail strategy (launching or growing existing wholesale business). With an in-depth view of the spectrum of designers from her years covering the market for her retail clients, season after season, Ramya understands which collections and which pieces resonate most with the global buying audience, balancing editorial needs with the underlying commercial requirements of any brand business. She has launched countless brands in global markets across leading retailers, and parlays this experience to assist individual brands enter the marketplace and grow within it.

Insightful of the evolving nature of the retail industry, Ramya works closely with brands to create unique opportunities to develop meaningful retail partnerships through customized programs (such as pop-ups, curated exclusive co-branded products and brand extension development) to ensure that all parties reach maximum awareness and profitability. Through developing special and customized brand experiences for a retailer to provide its clients, brands are best able to connect and grow within this wholesale arena. In addition to working with Ms Min (China), Silvia Tcherassi (Colombia), Saloni (Hong Kong), Tanya Taylor (USA), Kaelen (USA) and Edie Parker (USA), Ramya serves as an official mentor for the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) {Fashion Incubator} program. She also served on the expert committee with DHL and IMG for the “DHL Exported” emerging talent program.

While closely monitoring fashion, design, retail, food and architecture, Ramya is always a step ahead and on to the next thing, before it is the “next thing.” Ramya is uniquely positioned to understand and straddle the often disparate roles of commerce and creativity, achieving a balance between the two that translates to profitability for the businesses that rely on her expertise. Through Gogoluxe, Ramya ensures that her clients have both awareness of and access to the best from across all fashion and lifestyle disciplines. Ramya, along with her market team, serve as Gogoluxe clients’ trusted and respected brand ambassador. In part, this is accomplished through her refined cultural sensitivity, allowing her to recognize the varied needs of consumers in different parts of the world.

Industry peers have acknowledged Ramya for her ability to identify emerging designer talent and knowledge of the international retail landscape. This includes the ability to recognize both the trendability and commerciality of brands within the portfolio of major specialty retailers, and the awareness and expertise she brings to individual brands looking to flourish to the next level. In addition to understanding the direction of the industry and all things fashion, Ramya is recognized for her personal style, and is often profiled and engaged for campaigns by leading media and brands, including Vogue, Man Repeller, Coveteur, All the Pretty Birds, J.Crew, Joie, Equipment and Mango, among others.