Gaâla Accessory Collection was born from the desire to honour the brand’s zero-waste policy and to use up every inch of their beautiful deadstock fabrics.
Inspired by the hues of Spring’s first bloom, the collection is lovingly handcrafted by artisans using luxurious surplus silk from the brand’s collections in soft pastels, fun florals, and vintage motifs.
These hair accessories are gentle on your hair, perfect for everyday wear, and to the plant, show care.
Founded by husband-and-wife duo, Kelly de Gaalon and Alexander Zhalezka, Gaâla is the meeting of two worlds – classic French aesthetic combined with the finest European craftsmanship creating sustainably crafted dresses, jumpsuits and separates for both professional and everyday wear.
Sustainability and Upcycling
Gaâla is constantly striving to become more sustainable and carefully chooses the best quality fabrics from fashion house leftovers and creates timeless pieces that never go out of style.
Whilst all their efforts do not completely remove their impact on the environment, their goal is to reduce it as much as they can. Gaâla makes use of luxurious deadstock materials that would otherwise have been discarded.
“When I was a girl, hand-me-downs were a way of life “states Kelly, “I remember watching my mother hand-sew clothes and adjust already existing pieces so they could be passed down to me or one of my 8 siblings. The idea of taking something and making the piece my own interested me from a young age.
“Entering the professional world as a grown-up I found it difficult to find high quality yet accessibly priced clothing in classic cuts and vintage silhouettes. It was during my time in Shanghai that I began working with tailors to create my own clothing – and what started as a hobby expanded into making clothes for family and friends.
“With the confidence, my designs gave me and encouragement from the positive responses they received, I launched Gaâla along with my husband and a team of talented European artisans.
“Knowing and understanding the impact our actions have on the planet has led us to mindfully craft our designs using luxurious excess production materials, deadstock fabrics, and other low impact natural textiles”.
Gaâla personally handpick a variety of cotton, viscose, silk, and wool fabrics leftover by Italian fashion houses and procures deadstock linen in Europe, where linen has been the primary fabric for centuries. They also source some of the world’s finest silks from surplus stock. Today, more than 120 billion dollars worth of high-quality, unspoiled surplus fabric from fashion houses is being stored while waiting to be thrown into landfills or incinerated. This excess fabric is known as deadstock.
The search for fabric worldwide fuels creativity and their collections are primarily inspired by the fabrics they rescue. Due to the limited nature of deadstock, designs often cannot be reproduced again in the same fabric. This means that each Gaâla garment is unique and one-of-a-kind.
Here are just a few examples of some of the beautiful fabrics that give life to their designs.
Linen – This breathable and lightweight natural fibre requires little water consumption to grow. Across its lifecycle, a linen garment uses 6.4 litres of water, making it one of the most environmentally sustainable fibres to produce and is as gentle on our bodies as it is on our planet.
Crepe silks – require skilled tailors with many years of experience as it is a delicate and challenging fabric to work with. Still, the results are beautiful, elegant garments that will retain their soft and airy qualities for years to come with a bit of love and care.
Wool – One of the most durable of all the natural fibres, wool ensures its wearer longevity and is a renewable resource that is kind on our planet.
Silk Charmeuse – comes from the French word meaning “female charmer.” This luxurious yet durable fabric is relatively heavyweight compared to other silks, thanks to its insulation properties that keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Cotton – their premium quality cotton comes from a small, family-run business in Istanbul. They save their limited quantity of surplus fabrics for us to reuse and give a second life.
Tencel – is made from sustainably sourced wood and is a highly versatile fabric. In addition to its environmentally friendly aspects, Tencel is incredibly soft, hypoallergic, odour-resistant, and itch-free, making it a popular choice for those with sensitive skin or allergies.
Looking to make as small a footprint as possible, their choice to use fabric remnants that would in most cases be tossed into landfills and repurposed for their collections is admirable.
Look at their full collections here
Poppy Watt