90's Baby Scroll Fatigue

I am a 90’s baby.

I start this post by saying that because I truly feel that being born at that time was a wonderful thing. I had a childhood playing with dolls, running wild in the streets with other kids and finished my day watching Disney princess movies on VHS. Looking back, I can appreciate how special growing up in the 90s was, especially in Brazil, where access to new technology was delayed by default. Life was analog, magical, and just the right amount of messy.

As I drink my overpriced morning coffee and doom-scroll before 9 am, I spiral into existential dread over a 30-second reel on cheap dopamine culture. I am sure you’ve heard it before, but in case you didn’t, that’s a popular term used to label our compulsive social media behavior and other brain-rotting activities. I quickly realize that more than releasing quick dopamine, social media is an addiction. We are everything, everywhere, all at once. 

When I talk about social media addiction, I am not blaming the end users that are looking for a quick fix for their human discomfort. I have worked in many -  scrappy and big - social teams and I speak from experience when I say that creators, marketers and brand leaders also get dopamine from their next viral hit and high-engagement post. 

The algorithm? It rewards fast, flashy, shallow. It’s not broken — it was designed that way. 

Now I am in my mindful content era, exploring ways to intentionally consume - and create - social media content. And the first thing that comes to mind in this new journey of mine is: it has to be fun. I want to have fun when I am making it, and I want to have fun while consuming it. 

And by fun I mean true, genuine fun, which requires me to be grounded in the present moment. No more soulless posting just for the sake of being seen. I am diversifying my media menu, more Pinterest mood boards and less TikToks. 

I am officially de-centralizing Instagram from my digital life. Here’s to building a more intentional, creative, and human digital space.

Xoxo,

Gabriela Leme.

Bringing Gothic Back

The Wednesday's season 2 press tour style got me buzzing with excitement!

Photo: Getty Images

This Ashi Studio dress started it all! My new obsession with Jenna Ortega’s press tour style made me realize that I am a true goth girl at heart. Everything about this is look is a witchy dream come true! Working with stylist Enrique Melendez, Jenna Ortega was spotted wearing fabulous outfits at her Wednesday season 2 press tour, but this is definitely my favorite one.

Photo: Getty Images

The dress fits her body perfectly, sleek with that effortless‘ I am too cool to care’ look, which I am obsessed with. The glossy textures and edgy asymmetric layers are pure dark magic! The contrast of a gorgeous dress that is both elegant and rock and roll definitely pull my heart strings.

The silver jewelry, with a minimal yet chic choice of bracelet and rings, complement her look flawlessly. Her shoes, leather lace-up boots, with a square toe and eyelets laced up above the knee from London-designed, Spanish-made brand Miista were also a genius add-on.

Photo: Getty Images

Thank you Enrique and Jenna for giving the goth glam aesthetic a much needed revival!

Xoxo,

Gabriela Leme.

I Am Not Chic

The day that I discovered that I am not chic was a day like any other. I like to think that this happens to all of us, at some point in our adult lives. It’s kind of a big deal. You wake up, put on an outfit, walk through the door and look at yourself in the mirror to realize:

I am not chic. 

I have been around many chic people. As a stylist assistant, I had one particular stylist that I worked for that is the chicest woman I know. Everything she did looked effortless. And a synonym of being chic, in my eyes, is effortlessness. What they wear looks so natural, like it was custom made, and it goes beyond aesthetics - it’s their aura.

They breathe, walk and eat like chic people would. They are a different breed of humans and I don’t think it has to do with how much money they have either. I’ve met my fair share of rich people with awful taste to have this conclusion. Let me start by saying that I am not effortless. Quite the contrary, to be honest. I am working on toning down my masculine energy, if you know what I mean. As women we’ve been told to work hard, hustle, and take the lead. All of which requires a whole lot of effort. 

One of my style icons - The Olsen twins.

I love wearing chunky boots, flashy sneakers, leather jackets, black sandals and slouchy  hoodies. All of my favorite pieces are casual with a touch of edge. Recently I came across the term ‘ Rockstar Girlfriend’ as a way to define a personal style and I immediately adopted it as my own. Not chic. Messy, human, and maybe a little chaotic. 

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”

― Carl Gustav Jung

Xoxo,

Gabriela Leme

These Shoe Trends are Proof that Society is Collapsing

It was a typical Tuesday morning in Manhattan. I had an iced coffee in one hand, and turned on the computer for a full shift of sending emails back and forth while supporting press, stylists and helping NYC creatives prep for upcoming shoots.
As I start reading through the latest fashion news, I read the newly dropped Lyst index of hottest brands and items in fashion now. My jaw? On the floor. I had seen a few scattered posts about those Isabel Marant sneakers, but I didn’t think this was actually happening. Oh, but it is.

The sneakers with heels were extremely popular in Brazil when I was 18 years old. I had a black pair I used to rock with an indigo bandage skirt and a rock band tee—very much the look at the time. Every fashionista in town owned a pair! 

Isabel Marant Wedge Sneakers

But now? It is 2025, for God’s sake. Why are we digging up trends that should have been left in the dark corners of our youth, next to the scent of vodka Red Bulls and bad decisions?  And not only are they back, but they’re retailing for $790?! No, thanks. I’ll pass.

This shocking discovery unlocked an obsessive need for more research on what else is trending, shoewise, this year. Are you ready for what’s about to happen?  You may never emotionally recover.

WHAT.  ARE. THOSE?

Vibram on Anthropologie

Vibram on Anthropologie

Let’s talk about the Five Finger Shoe. Apparently, fashion girlies have been into this since January, and honestly? I’m disturbed. Creepy toe shoes? Really? Unless you’re hiking deep in the wilderness where no one will see you—don’t. just don’t.

Yikes.

And last but not least, the sneaker-wannabe-ballet-flats are just the cherry on top living proof that we are trying too hard. Just stop. Ballet flats are wonderful. Sneakers are wonderful. Why turn two wonderful things into one mediocre?

 It’s awkward. It’s unnecessary. It’s fashion trying a little too hard.

Jeffrey Campbell Ballet Sneakers

If you came this far, thanks for reading. I feel a deep relief in my chest and I can go about living life again. 

Xoxo,

Gabriela Leme.

Polka Dots and Fashion Nostalgia

There’s something uniquely captivating - and may I dare to say poetic -  in how cyclical society is. Political movements and history repeat themselves from time to time and in the fashion world that is no different.

Truth be told, I have been feeling very nostalgic. There’s a profound longing in my heart that follows me around, like I am missing something that I don’t consciously know what it is. While I am learning to co-exist with a nostalgic heart, there’s one thing, and one thing only, that has been cheering me up:

The resurface of polka dots.

I had a roommate once that watched the same show over and over again as a way to self-soothe and comfort herself. Honestly, I probably fell asleep with “Mean Girls” playing in the background for a year when I was in high-school.

Do we, as a society, bring back prints, patterns and trends as a way to collectively feel better?

Giselle for Ralph Lauren's Spring/Summer 2000 collection

Guess 80’s ad

There’s comfort in familiarity, you don’t need to avidly follow spiritual gurus like I do to know that. I come to understand that maybe we are all a little nostalgic in dealing with our humanity. And if Polka dot’s is the light at the end of the tunnel, so be it. I came to terms with it, did you?

Xoxo,

Gabriela Leme.

Why I Switched from Personal Brand to Personal Purpose

I stopped thinking about my personal brand and started working on my personal purpose instead.

The deeper I went into my self-discovery journey, the more I realized that compartmentalizing who I am in my work and who I am in life didn't make sense anymore. I ask to myself:

• What are the values that I want to stand up for as a human?

• What kind of person do I want to be - with myself and in community?

• How do I show up this way at work?

In an era where we are utterly obsessed with authenticity and proving that we are special and oh-so-different, I want to invite you to sink deeper in your personal purpose. 

Being a PR required me to develop an artful skill of shaping brand identity & public perception—with press features, social media and polished personas. By staying true to my inner journey and embodying my purpose instead of obsessing with my personal brand, I unlocked something magical:

I learned that when you lead with values, nurture human relationships, and align with what truly matters to you, you radiate authenticity. Because this isn’t something you chase, it’s something you radiate.

Voilà.

Your point of difference will reveal itself when you are up for doing the inner-work, either that be in your personal or professional life. There’s no magic formula, only trusting that the path begins to open up simultaneously as you take the leap.

Xoxo,

Gabriela Leme.

Fashion as Resistance

Growing up in a middle class family in São Paulo, Brazil, the thought of studying fashion was never well-received by my immediate relatives. My parents, both hardworking and intellectual, didn’t quite understand how I, a smart and dedicated student, was showing interest in pursuing a career in fashion - such a frivolous industry.

I remember like it was yesterday, my weekends as a teenager in São Paulo were spent walking by luxurious bookstores reading fashion magazines, more specifically Teen Vogue. The clothing, the photography, the styling, the composition. Going through the pages made me dream of a future where I was free to play dress up and be myself. Now hear me out - I do not blame my parents for not supporting my fashion dreams. Our survival mode was a belief system inherited by a society that doesn’t see creative work as something of tangible value. I wholeheartedly believe that my personal and professional journey unfolded exactly as it should. 

It wasn’t until I turned 30 that I began searching for a deeper meaning behind the things I loved. And do you want to know what I discovered? Personal style is a quiet type of rebellion. In a society that thrives and profits off trends and represses critical thinking, choosing pieces that you actually love requires you to be grounded in your authentic self. And that is BOLD.

A signature look is more than having a handful of outfits that you wear on rotation to make you feel cute and confident. It’s the result of soul-searching, vulnerability and bravery. Because it takes courage to express who you are, in life or in fashion. And for that reason I am proud of you.

Oh, and I am proud of myself too! 

Xoxo,

Gabriela Leme.