Gabby Cadet: holy hell

Our first Closet Portrait for June features Gabby Cadet! Gabby’s parents immigrated from Haiti, and brought with them certain style expectations for their daughter. However, Gabby has always felt most confident when dressed sexy and edgy! Her style has evolved over the years, and she feels most herself when wearing something simple but bold. Naturally, she won’t go anywhere without her staple crucifix necklace!

Special thank you to the incredible photographer, Amelia Hammond, who made this closet portrait come to life.

Tell us about your personal style and how it has evolved!

“I am very simple but with a little element of sexy and also a bit edgy. Today, I’m wearing vintage Levis, Nike Cortez sneakers, Martine Ali necklaces, and an heirloom from my mom. And this is an Éterne t-shirt.”

“At first I was a tomboy, and then I became girly, and then I became edgier. Then I rolled into street style in college. From there, it has been about statement pieces and really building my essentials. Now, I love my essential pieces. I like a good pair of sneakers, a chunky black boot, and I love my crucifixes. I even have them tattooed! It’s symbolic for a combination of growing up in the Catholic church but also taking on the darker part of it.”

“I never leave the house without my two diamond necklaces. My bestie, Martine Ali, gifted me this large crucifix necklace. These are also her charms and necklaces. I’m a silver girl and will wear silver until the day I die. Right now, my style is the best it has ever been. It’s pulled back but edgy now. I think there’s a lot of energy in necklaces, and it can completely transform an outfit. If I wasn’t wearing these chains, it would just look cute and innocent.”

Where is your family from?

“Haiti”

How has this influenced your style?

“It influenced it to a point of rebellion. Growing up, my mother always said I dressed too crazy and was too revealing. I would feel bad about it. When I was in high school, I would leave the house wearing one thing and then change in my friend’s car. I wanted to wear something sexier! And my parents are great people and were never too strict, but there was just something about presenting yourself that she was more strict on. Rebellion was part of my identity, and now I emulate it through my edgier style.”

Tell us about this fit!

“This is a ‘night out’ outfit. If you take off the shoes, it could be a ‘night in’ outfit. It’s giving sexy, easy, and comfortable. In the winter, I’ll put a big jacket over it. You can’t go wrong with all black.”

Do you remember a time in your life when getting dressed gave you an extra boost of confidence?

“Recently! I work out now and feel really good in my body. I’ve been seeing the results and am now so excited to get dressed. I feel comfortable in my skin and empowered to get dressed. The transition from a style aspect to a more ‘scaled back’ aesthetic has also given me a boost of confidence.”

What are you wearing when you feel the most confident?

“I have these black short shorts from Sami Miro that I wear all the time. They’re these perfect stretchy cotton shorts. I would wear one of my Staple & Hue tops in black or white. I will wear this chain. I’ll also wear my staple GIA heels and obviously my Martine Ali necklace. I might also wear this outfit with my flat Attico boot. I like looks that I can wear day to night.”

What do you think about when creating an outfit?

“I always think about how I want to feel in it! Am I confident in this? That is key!”

What’s your favorite way to discover new brands?

“As someone who does it for a living, Instagram is a great way to discover. I get a lot of emails from brands, and I DO read them. For the people who are bold enough to send you their brand, you should ALWAYS look at it.”

Where are you wearing this outfit to?

“This is a work outfit…if I reverse the t-shirt. I would also wear this to dinner with friends. It’s really an every day outfit for me.”

Where would you wear this look to and how do you feel?

“I love it and feel hot in it. I would wear this to a weekend lunch and then go into the night.”

“I would say, be yourself! Be confident in who you are, and when it comes to the process of getting into a retailer, go where it’s aligned. If a retailer really likes you and believes in you, then you can align with them.

Many brands might just want to be there because they like the exposure/how it’s being shot, but if it’s not right for the brand, this needs to be prioritized. Sometimes what I advise is to monitor and don’t push to go everywhere. You want to keep the allure as a brand. There is value in exclusivity.”

What’s a major fashion red flag?

“If you’re relying only on designer clothes to style you. There are so many amazing emerging brands that are doing incredible things. Just because you’re wearing all designer doesn’t mean you’re dressed well.”

If you could swap closets with one person, who would it be and why?

“90s Halle Berry! She had short hair and was a little edgy but also pretty clean. I think she’s so cool and naturally gorgeous.”