Truvelle’s Gaby Bayona takes on lingerie

‘I didn’t want to make lingerie that was too bridal-y’

Sitting in Gastown’s The Birds and the Beets, Gaby Bayona is sporting an all-black jumpsuit from One of a Few on Water Street, thick-framed glasses, and ash-blond hair in a bob that’s precisely the length everyone is trying so hard to achieve right now. She is, in other words, the living definition of being on point.But her sense of style is also inescapably effortless, and that’s reflected in (and by) the international popularity of Truvelle, Bayona’s kinfolk-inspired bridal collection that launched in 2013. It’s also why the underwear line she started recently with Toronto designer Mary Young is almost certain to be a success.“I didn’t want to make lingerie that was too bridal-y,” she says. “I wanted to combine Mary’s aesthetic with my minimalist style, but nothing too syrupy.”It’s that inclination towards teamwork and willingness to work with partners—along with her robust network of industry contacts—that’s at the heart of her expanding empire of fabric. “I bumped in to Mary in Toronto—she’s so cool, and I was like, ‘We should do something together.’ That’s how it started with the headpieces too; my friend Sandra has this collection called Olivia The Wolf and I said, ‘Sandra, let’s do something together!’”That approach also applies to Bayona’s successful jewellery line with local designer Catherine Hartley, and it’s a big part of why her brand is growing so quickly. She’s learned that all you need is the infrastructure—a studio, a production team, and the machinery—and a willingness to let the relationships flow naturally.“I reach out, tell them I’m a fan, and say I would love to work on something kickass with them,” she says—and says it so casually that it’s easy to forget she’s a 23-year-old that’s running a multitude of successful labels and travelling across North America to do it.We’d say big things are in store for her, but it seems like they’ve already arrived.Truvelle235 Cambie St., Mezzanine604-602-0498truvelle.com

Get the look

Rooney underwear set ($150)Bayona combined Truvelle’s signature lace and colour palette with Young’s commitment to comfort