A sartorial haven for all-things luxury, it’s business as usual on personal shopper Gab Waller’s Instagram account (@gabwallerdotcom). From the latest Chanel slides to internet-breaking Saint Laurent boots, there are photos en-masse of coveted designer items and sold-out styles you think you’d find only in your wildest dreams.
Even better, if you want these hot items in your hands, the process is simple no matter where you reside. Leave a comment on a post or message Waller’s account, and her team will get back to you in a jiffy. Based in Los Angeles and Sydney, Waller’s services are available around-the-clock, and she even handles sourcing requests herself on the weekends.
Rising to fame after sourcing a sold-out Céline coat for Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in 2019, Australian-born Waller explains to me over the phone from Los Angeles how pivotal that moment really was. “Six months into the business, I was connected to Rosie through a mutual friend. At that point, I was servicing only Australian clients. I think I had, maybe, five international clients. Rosie was looking for a specific Céline coat, and I was able to locate it. And she posted that coat on her Instagram story thanking me. At that moment not only did she change the direction of my career, but my life also, opening so many doors”.
With Waller’s name now elevated globally, there’s no shortage of celebrity clients. She’s sourced hard-to-find items for the likes of Khloé Kardashian, Hailey Bieber, and Sofia Richie. But refreshingly, you don’t have to be mega-wealthy or uber-famous to get on Waller’s books. If you’re after a Louis Vuitton tote, a Paris Georgia dress or even a Zara number, Waller’s team will embrace you with helping hands. Once an item is sourced, you pay for its cost plus a flat sourcing fee. With no commission, regardless of whether it’s a vintage Chanel handbag or Adidas Yeezy sneakers, for fashion-obsessives, this is truly the epitome of having your cake and eating it too.
Speaking to Waller about her global successes, it’s clear that she’s come this far due to her curious nature and never-give-up mentality. Perhaps it’s also her down-to-earth nature behind her mission to make designer goods accessible to everyone and anyone.
Starting her fashion career by interning for a magazine and then trying out retail and styling, Waller discovered the wonderful world of personal shopping on her travels to the United States, realising a gap needed filling in the Australian market. She firmly believes that personal shopping is the future of luxury fashion — as evidenced by Covid-19 related lockdowns where fashion-lovers could not pop to the shops for a hit of retail therapy, instead turning to Waller to fulfil their desires.
At the time of our conversation, some of Waller’s most-requested pieces include the Chanel spring-summer collection, the Fendi sequin baguette (attributed to its appearance in the Sex and the City reboot), and Prada jacquard shorts. Her travel-savvy New Zealand clients are booking their overseas holidays, so as we go into winter, she’s helping them source in-season northern hemisphere styles to wear on their adventures in Europe and other far-flung places.
Although Waller is constantly in tune with the latest trends, she’s more of an investment shopper, choosing long-lasting items from the likes of The Row, the cult New York label known for its clean tailoring and timeless appeal. And living in Los Angeles, where the warmer weather and relaxed vibe draws parallels with Sydney, this comes across in Waller’s attire, where she’ll often reach for effortlessly chic, oversized pieces.
For those wanting to follow in Waller’s footsteps and make it in the fashion industry, she says it’s about “getting past that fear of rejection…don’t let that deter you because that was certainly my experience in those very early days. But I pushed through that”.
I come away from our conversation feeling elated, not just because of all that Waller has accomplished, but the knowledge that if I slide into her Instagram DMs, she could literally answer my most fanciful fashion desires.
After a hard-to-find piece? Contact Gab Waller by messaging @gabwallerdotcom or emailing [email protected].
