Recently we hosted a virtual chat between Gab Waller and our LuxuryVerse members in our LookLook platform. We touched on several topics from her business model to trending pieces. While only 30% of our chat attendees have used fashion sourcers/personal shoppers, 65% follow them on social media for trend inspiration – showing us that they are becoming a vital part of the luxury fashion ecosystem, not just for procuring hard-to-find items, but also as a key source for discovery.

About Gab:

Gab is a fashion sourcer, which means she scours the globe in conjunction with her network of global retailers and brand contacts to source fashion’s most-coveted items. On the back of a fulfilled request for a Céline coat for Rosie Huntington-Whiteley that swept Instagram by storm, suddenly all eyes were on Gab as fashion’s best-kept secret. Since then, Gab has been featured in print issues of Vogue Australia, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar with additional coverage in Forbes, Vanity Fair, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, WWD, and Vogue. In 2023, Gab became a contributor for Vogue America, with a monthly column titled “The Hot List: 20 Must-Have Pieces, According to Instagram’s Favorite Fashion Sourcer.” Currently, Gab resides in Los Angeles and services a growing roster of global clients including Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Hailey Bieber, Lori Harvey, Khloé Kardashian, Sofia Richie Grainge, Sabrina Elba, Hilary Duff, and Behati Prinsloo Levine.

Testimonial from LuxuryVerse member Calli C., a client of Gab Waller:
“I’ve reached out whenever it’s a piece (usually shoes/bags) that I haven’t been able to find in my size or feel I’d have difficulty finding. I love how seamless you make it for your clients!”

Below are excerpts from the chat, read on to see what our LuxuryVerse members wanted to know…

We would love to know how you got started as one of the original fashion sourcers! Tell us your inspiration for starting your business.

I started my company from Australia (Sydney) back in June 2018. The original concept was to source pieces internationally for Australian clients, as we unfortunately tend to receive collections later and in very small quantities. Little did I know how quickly word would spread and suddenly, the US was and still is my fastest growing market! The business to date has been built entirely off word of mouth, and I truly love so much servicing my clients every single day and locating their pieces for them – making them happy is what I love most.

How do you become a client?

I like to keep it as quick and easy as possible. You can DM my team and me on Instagram at @gabwallerdotcom or via email to contact@gabwaller.com, with an image of the item that you’re looking for and your exact size. From there, the hunt begins and we will be in touch with a total quote the moment it has been found. Our door is always open and we take new clients daily. My business model is quite unique in that I have a large percentage of recurring clients, but a lot of clients are one-time clients looking for a specific item.

Ps. the best part of all – there is never any obligation to proceed with the purchase once your item has been found 🙂

Why should I use a fashion sourcer/personal shopper?

More than anything, fashion sourcing saves you time. It is the quickest and most convenient way to shop luxury fashion. All you need to do is send in a DM or an email with the exact item that you’re looking for, and I will handle the rest – it truly doesn’t get any better than that! Clients love that they can shop all their favorite luxury designers, including Chanel and Hermés, from the comfort of their own home. I remove all the time wasted aimlessly scrolling online for your size in the style that you’re looking for. If it’s sold out or hard to find, I will find it.

Where do you see your business going?

The most exciting part has been building and witnessing the growth of the fashion sourcing industry. It didn’t exist when I started, and I can only see it getting bigger and better. I’ve always seen the business split into two different categories: fashion sourcing and personal shopping. To date, I’ve focused on fashion sourcing (my reputation has predominately been built on finding the unfindable), but I am eager to lean more into the personal shopping side of the business, which would consist of me selling pieces directly prior to receiving a request for it. Watch this space!

[Note: Fashion sourcers do not provide styling expertise. Stylists work with clients to find clothes and accessories that fit their body types and lifestyle – sometimes this overlaps with personal shopping. Gab Waller says she doesn’t consider herself a stylist but is happy to refer you to one!]

How does it work?

My Sourcing Assistants (currently 10 all based globally), are all on the ground working from their specific region. Paris was the first region I hired a Sourcing Assistant in (we love Europe and the euro!), and I’ve expanded into other regions from there, with Canada being my most recent. I knew in the very early days that although I would be able to build the relationships remotely, I really needed a physical team member based in the specific region to manage logistics. All our Sourcing Assistants conduct our own thorough quality control checks, and every item dispatched is packed in beautiful GW packaging.

What are the best regions for luxury shopping?

100% Europe all the way! Specifically, France and Italy – the two main fashion hubs. I will say though, price matching within each country has become a lot more common (we’ve witnessed this with certain countries experiencing price increases, so that their prices match other countries when you do the conversion). I still find nothing beats the euro, but from an availability and stock perspective, I do find a lot of hidden gems in South Korea (HUGE luxury market there!) and within Dubai. I do however find those regions x2 more expensive compared to the rest of the world.

Where do your clients find their inspiration?

Celebrities and influencers still play a big part in this – notable celebrities that I often receive requests for if they wear it are Hailey Bieber, Sofia Richie Grainge, and Morgan Stewart. I’ve also seen a huge increase of requests coming from TikTok screenshots, my clients will see something they love on TikTok > screenshot it > and send it into my DM’s to find. We also get screenshots directly from the runway, I love when this happens. In those cases, we work closely with our contacts from the brands to organize direct pre-orders for that style.

What do you get the most requests for?

Chanel is by far my most requested brand, the team and I always prepare ourselves well in advance for Chanel launches – we know it’s going to get busy!

What has been the most challenging to source recently?

My mind immediately went to the Loro Piana L19 bag and The Row Margaux bag – these styles have by far skyrocketed to become my most requested. For the Margaux, my personal recommendation would be the 15 size. It’s the best everyday size, and so great for travel!

Do you get a lot of requests for vintage pieces?

At present, vintage requests are roughly 10% of the business. I don’t receive a lot, which may be surprising. With that said, I really do love these types of requests as they’re always the most challenging. We source our vintage pieces from less than 5 VERY reputable vintage dealers, with our best contact based in Japan.

How do you stay on top of trends?

My number one strategy is to stay laser-focused on the requests that I’m receiving, if I see a continued rise in requests for a specific item, I know to jump on it quickly before it increases even more. I’ll then do some digging on what caused this demand – did a celebrity wear it, did an influencer post it, or was there a press article on it? I also keep a close eye on certain celebrities and what they’re spotted wearing and will also dedicate time block hours to TikTok (always fun haha!) so I can see what is going on there, which influencers are posting what, etc. Lastly, media does still play a part in my requests. It’s not rare for me to receive campaign images from magazines. I keep a close eye on what magazines are posting what, and will read BOF, Vogue etc. daily.

Speaking of trends, what is trending in bags?

While we are seeing the trend of steadily increasing handbag sizes at Gab Waller, via styles like the Balenciaga Rodeo bag, shoulder bags in general are having their day. Styles by The Row like the 90s Bag and the Alaia Le Teckel are highly coveted items at present.

What are your wardrobe staples?

My mind shifts to a few things for this: a great everyday bag that you can wear on very heavy rotation (The Row Margaux is a great one currently, or the Hop bag by Bottega Veneta), a great pair of everyday jeans (my favorite jeans are by Khaite – the fit is fantastic!), a number of basic t-shirts (my favorites are by a smaller brand called Shop RLT), the dreamiest most comfiest ballet flat (Chanel are great, or Loro Piana – their leather is like butter), a classic blazer (Khaite is also a great option for this), and a statement black chic heel (Saint Laurent do the most beautiful heels in my opinion). With these pieces alone, you can mix and match but they’re all timeless classic styles that are well worth investing in.

What is YOUR unicorn/holy grail fashion item?

I feel that anything old Céline holds a very special piece of my heart, as it is the brand that really set off my career – it’s what I was predominately sourcing in the very early days. There is one silk shirt that would be a forever piece to me and is a true unicorn piece.

To learn more about LuxuryVerse chats (including how to host your own) please email us @info@looklook.appor follow us on Instagram @luxuryverse100

To learn more about Gab visit gabwaller.com or follow @gabwaller on Instagram