Designer, entrepreneur and sustainability pioneer Gabriela Hearst has a vision that extends beyond her eponymous label. Speaking to Vogue Scandinavia at Brilliant Minds in Stockholm, the Uruguayan designer discusses how going slow has gotten her to where she is today – and where she is going
Every year, some of the world's most influential thinkers, entrepreneurs and creatives descend on Stockholm for Brilliant Minds, a summit dedicated to exploring sustainability, inclusivity and creativity. Among this year's speakers was Uruguayan designer Gabriela Hearst, whose approach to fashion feels increasingly radical in an industry obsessed with speed.
At a moment when fashion continues to chase acceleration, Hearst remains committed to something different: slowness. "I don't take the fastest path," she explains. "I take the longest." And this applies to every aspect of her business, from sustainability initiatives and artisan partnerships to the strategic decisions she has deliberately refused to make.
Naturally, considering the reason for her Stockholm visit, one hot topic on Hearst's mind was sustainability. Sustainability may no longer dominate fashion headlines and discourse the way it once did, but she rejects the notion that progress has stalled. "Right now it's not on trend," she notes. "But that doesn't mean thing haven’t evolved.” She points to developments in material as tangible evidence. “When I started, you couldn't really use deadstock fabrics; now everyone uses them," she explains, pointing to advances in recycled cotton and cashmere. “We were the first to develop recycled cotton, so you can now do recycled cotton denim.” Such advances may not be shouted about in the media currently, but, importantly, they are still happening.