In celebration of Women’s History Month and Giant Vintage’s fourth anniversary, Her Campus at App State’s Ellie Jensen sat down with the creator of Giant Vintage, Annabelle Gonzalez.
With a lifelong passion for fashion and a special appreciation for vintage trends, Annabelle Gonzalez has always envisioned a career immersed in the world of style. From her early days styling for music videos and red carpets straight out of high school, Annabelle recognized the transformative power of fashion on confidence and mood. Yet, it was her enduring fascination with vintage eyewear that ignited the spark for her entrepreneurial venture, Giant Vintage. Now, the brand boasts a celebrity following, with icons like Hailey Bieber, Paris Hilton, Renee Rapp, and more donning her stylish eyewear.
As a Latina entrepreneur, Annabelle, at the age of 22, not only leads this family-run enterprise but also navigates the responsibilities of single motherhood. Here, she opens up about her journey into the world of vintage fashion, the inspiration behind Giant Vintage and more.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Ellie Jensen: Where did you get your inspiration for Giant Vintage?
Annabelle Gonzalez: Growing up, I had a really cool aunt and uncle who were very fashionable and fashion forward, and I was always very impressed by them and the way they dressed themselves. My mom always wore exercise clothes, so watching my aunt and uncle I was inspired by the way they dressed and drifted towards them.
I went to a performing arts school for high school, CHAMPS in Van Nuys, California– and the funkiest people went to school there. I literally walked in one the first day and saw a girl wearing a skirt with Barbie doll heads glued all over.
There, I realized that my aunt and uncle were not the only kooky, fun vintage people in the world. And there was a world of people that were interested in the type of fashion that I was into. CHAMPS gave me a lot of influence, but I have always been inspired by vintage fashion and music.
EJ: How old were you when you started Giant Vintage, and what did that process look like?
AG: I was 20 when I started Giant Vintage, but I started selling vintage sunglasses during high school. I had an Etsy store and I would source the glasses through my aunt and uncle.
My uncle taught me how to print labels and pack orders, but I wasn’t taught much. It’s been a process of learning as I go and continuing to be myself, because that’s what sets us apart from other brands.
EJ: When I was reading through Giant Vintage’s website, I noticed some of the stuff is “recreated vintage” or “vintage inspired.” When you are doing collections or drops, do you have one vintage piece and then make replicas of it? Or do you have a few vintage pieces and then some replicas? How is the process in obtaining the sunglasses and creating collections?
AG: Every collection we come out with has genuine vintage, to an extent. In the fashion world, genuine vintage are pieces that are at least 20 years old. Some other sunglasses we have are deadstock, meaning they are vintage in some sense, but may be 10 or 12 years old. Majority of our glasses are vintage of some sort, if anything is remade it is because we sold out of something and people are asking for it again, or if I find one piece that I am in love with and want to recreate it. An advantage of working with deadstock is it is bought in large quantities, so I don’t just buy one piece at a time.
EJ: Have you faced any obstacles getting into this field being a woman, especially being a young woman?
AG: I don’t like to think of it as I’m getting myself into a field, I’m just sticking to myself and doing my own thing. I do have some obstacles, running a business is really hard and takes a lot of work and time. I spend all my time working and being a mom. I’d say it’s challenging at a young age to stay focused on your goals and not be distracted by what’s going on, but I try to not find problems. If there’s an issue, I find my way around it. It is not going to determine if I am going to be successful or not. I decided that I am going to be successful in fashion and eyewear, and not allow myself any other option. I take it day by day, and of course I doubt myself at times, but I just keep going.
EJ: I love that you just do your own thing and don’t bat an eye at outside influences. When I was looking at Giant Vintage’s website, I noticed all these influencers and celebrities wearing your sunglasses. How does it make you feel that the Beibers and Paris Hilton, the sunglasses queen, are wearing your sunglasses?
AG: When I started Giant Vintage and when I looked at the glasses, I knew they had the potential to be on anyone, including celebrities. But honestly, it is very heartwarming to know that my ideas and goals are accomplishable. But actually seeing the glasses on them is very surreal. Especially someone like Paris Hilton, who I got a lot of inspiration from. These people are wearing them in their day-to-day life, a stylist isn’t putting the glasses on them. It’s a huge personal complement because I am the one who creates all the glasses and it’s my fashion sense. But honestly, I don’t expect anything less from the glasses.
EJ: When creating new collections are you gathering items and then creating a collection, or do you come up with a collection idea and search for the glasses? Do you experience any creative block while trying to come up with new collections?
AG: Honestly, it’s the total opposite. We have so many collections because I have so many ideas. We’re still a new brand and developing as we go, but for now what is working for us is gaining inspiration from current fashion trends I’m into. I’m a stylist first, so I’ll source what I like to wear at the moment and I’ll put it together as a collection. I build collections based on how I would wear it, the style might not be exactly the same but the vibes are there. The glasses themselves give me so much inspiration for collections.
EJ: What is a message you’d like to give other young women starting off their careers, in fashion entrepreneurship or not?
AG: Life is hard in general and business is harder. As women, we tend to be a bit more emotional, but that is okay, you just have to be willing to go for the ride. Anything you are afraid of, do it. If something makes you nervous, go for it. The sky’s the limit. Something I say over and over again is if you have an idea, it is only because you’re meant to accomplish it or you have the means to and can figure out a way. You just have to start with the first step and it will all unfold with the right timing. The only wrong decision you can make is giving up. Strive to do something that fits right to you, and is truly you.
EJ: I loved all of that, especially if you have an idea you are meant to do it. That is so inspirational. Final question, what do you hope for the future of Giant Vintage?
AG: I really love what we are doing right now. I hope to grow our audience so more people can love Giant vintage and know what we are all about. We are growing and I’m only 22, it is just the beginning and I’m excited to integrate myself more with the brand and share my fashion sense with people.
EJ: Thank you so much Annabelle this was a great experience.