Galleria Groupies
“Commit. ‘Cos if you’re gonna change lanes, and you hesitate for a second, you will crash out.”
This is the story of designer and stylist, Stanley Osais, who took a chance on his clothing brand, Galleria Groupies, and dropped everything to pursue it.
By Zuza Gaboush
Osias grew up in Miami, Florida and has always been an artist. Growing up in a strict household where he wasn't always able to acquire whatever clothing he desired, Osias was forced to become creative. He got his start experimenting with fashion at an early age. From creating different looks by wearing the same black hoodie with a different t-shirt over it to give himself a new everyday look, to selling snacks at high school in order to grow his bucket hat collection, Osias made do with what he had available. This mindset paid off heavily later in life, when he started to tap more into the streetwear culture.
He began to gain the inspiration to start his own clothing brand from different social media influencers. Being a natural artist himself, he put down the designs for a few different items of clothing, came up with the name and designed a logo for his brand- all within the span of a single week.
For the final step towards the release of his brand, Osias had one big decision left. He worked at a typical nine to-five job at his local gym. Up to this point, Osias had been putting out teasers of his clothing collection on Tik-Tok, and had amassed an audience.
“I was inspiring a lot of people on Tik Tok, [and] it’s almost as if I needed to make it for them. I had to inspire them.. and they’re, ‘like man that’s so tough.’ Too many people kept [telling me] you’re not gonna work [at the gym] soon. And I was like, I don’t wanna work here now! I’m tougher than that...[so] I recorded myself quitting... that video went viral and everyone said good job. So now, I also gotta keep in mind, I inspired them and showed them that I had enough boss to do that- I can’t ever go back to a 9 to 5. Why? Because that can stop anyone’s motivation. So that just means, work harder.”
Within the same week of Osias quitting, launching his new clothing collection and brand, he
received a DM from one of his favorite Instagram fashion inspirations, Hollywood Hideout. It
seemed like it could only go up from there. When questioned on his risky decision to set forth
with no safety net and chase his dreams, Osias replied: “You have to truly be sure of yourself to
jump off a porch like that... If I’m making clothes and I seen an opportunity: a store that needs
me, or a person that I can actually work with- that’s an opportunity. Don’t hesitate. I’m not typing
up a DM and being like, I don’t know... nah, I’m gonna press it. And when I press it, and it
sends? I hit that lane and I go further and further. Don’t hesitate, be intentional and commit.”
Osias’ brand is filled with intention and detail. From the very name, Galleria Groupies, to the
combination of a happy and sad smiley face, Osias has a very calculated and deliberate vision
for his brand.
“Galleria Groupie [means] basically the love of art. So when people hear the word groupie, they always have this negative connotation to it- like a groupie of a rapper, some typa fan girl; when I think of the word groupie, I think of an extreme love for something. So when it comes to Galleria Groupies... the extreme love for art is how I came up with it.”
From his logo which incorporates two opposing emotions, to one of his biggest clothing collections which boldly states: ‘F*ck You/F*ck Off,’ Osias’ brand is full of contradicting yet harmonious pairings. All of these symbols and phrases work together to create a well-rounded and full representation of Osais’ brand and his beliefs. “To speak on the F*ck Off [hoodies], right- a lot of people that might not be understanding of my brand, might think too much of like a negative, rebellious kinda thing, when truly it’s not even that. The F*ck off is just a representation of how we feel when it comes to the things that we love. And a lot of people are super judgemental... [there’s] racism, homophobia, xenophobia there’s a lot of things that not everyone’s gonna agree with. But I’m living in my path. So if I’m taking this route, all the pedestrians on the sidewalk don't exist.”
“So it’s truly F*ck You, Fuck Off. And for any brand that’s listening, you don’t have to go with just one representation. The smile [logo] is one. F*ck You, F*ck Off is one. Galleria Groupie- all of that represents my brand. So now... I’m tryna push that, you can see F*ck you, F*ck off and know that’s Galleria Groupie. You can see Galleria Groupie and know that’s F*ck You, F*ck Off. Or you can just see the smile, and know they are all infused.”
This mindset, from Osias’ inclusivity of different identities, to his determination towards his goal, to his purposeful vision that ties together multiple elements of his brand, is what has led him to become such a successful up and coming clothing designer. This has not gone unnoticed, and he has been hired to work as a stylist for multiple celebrities and athletes as a result.
“For a brand owner that don’t have my type of connections giving out merch does a lot. There’s a lot of people that give out PO boxes everyday, so if the clothes are stand out, you’ll see the reaction... if you truly try, you can get in contact with them. Send [more] merch, but write a letter out. Tell them that you got pieces for them for days. And actually, build that connection.” From working at a gym, to motivating people through his journey on social media, to styling celebrities and being the clothing designer and CEO of a successful streetwear brand, Osias’ story speaks volumes to how far self-confidence and trust in your vision can take you. And his vision is definitely powerful; with collections containing out of the box, interesting and fashionable pieces. Osais is constantly expanding his creative vision and taking his brand to another level.
Wrapping up our conversation, Osais ended the interview with this final thought. “My mission statement, the thing I’m going to die with at the end, is not just creating a brand, having it out there and living off a fortune [then] disappearing. My goal is me motivating, me inspiring and me creating clothes and going to elevate [others] at the same time. I love when I speak to people, speak to kids- or just the fact that I’m able to share my story.... I just want to represent or show you guys what I’m actually doing on my end everyday, with the people that surround me or the people that follow and watch me. That’s why I do it. “
