Gabriella Khalil

Designer and Creative Director New York, NY

PHOTOGRAPHY
Andy Martinez

Gabriella Khalil

Gabriella Khalil is a designer and creative director with a love of evocative modernism, known for her immersive approach to design, hospitality, and cultural programming. Her most notable projects include being the creative force behind Palm Heights, the design-forward boutique resort in Grand Cayman, and as creative director of WSA, the creative workspace and cultural venue in New York City's Financial District.

In a recent collaboration with Bergdorf Goodman, she reimagined the Decorative Home floor through an immersive, curated design pop up experience accompanied by five store-window installations. With a refined and intuitive eye, her work blends culture, hospitality, and visual storytelling, transforming spaces into vibrant hubs for community and creativity. She continues to shape the future of hospitality and design through projects that merge beauty, cultural resonance, and human connection. Photographer Andy Martinez captured Gabriella in her OSSOU pieces at her Soho loft, showcasing the artful, lived-in sensibility she brings to everything she creates.

Gabriella wears the Tess Shirt in Milk
Gabriella wears the Tess Shirt in Milk Shop Now →

OSSOU: How do you describe what you do?

Gabriella Khalil: I am a designer and creative director. My work involves creating worlds through spaces, experiences and products.

O: How do you think about and incorporate culture into your work?

GK: Culture is and has always been central to my work.  I incorporate culture holistically throughout my projects, usually through collaboration and community. Working with inspiring people, extraordinary brands, and artists in the spaces I create brings me great joy. My research for a project usually expands much further than just design, I love to understand all of the cultural influences from an era and how they affected the design. I then approach my own projects in the same way. 

O: From a bird’s-eye view, what is your process?

GK: I don't have one specific process or approach because I am typically inspired very differently from project to project. I do, however, approach every project I do (big or small) with research. I love to deep dive into an inspiring world or era to understand not just the design but also the cultural influences of that time, whether through the music, film or food. Understanding these nuances and immersing myself in the research allows me to design a space with a very direct point of view, layering it accordingly.

O: What’s a small detail from one of your projects that you’re secretly proud of?

GK: I can't think of one particular detail from a project but I have always felt extremely fulfilled seeing how people interact within the spaces I have created in the hospitality world. Seeing people create beautiful memories or feel inspired in a room I designed, based on how the space feels, is such a thrill for me.

Gabrilla wears wears the Rider Jeans in Milk Wash
Gabrilla wears wears the Rider Jeans in Milk Wash Shop Now →

O: What is taste? How did you develop your sense of taste? Is it innate or can it be taught? 

GK: Taste is having confidence and a strong personal point of view. I think that taste is extremely personal and for me it means embracing what truly resonates with me rather than what I see when I scroll on social media or what is trendy. Travel and collaboration have had the biggest impact on my own taste. I also think that taste absolutely evolves over time and can change, so yes I think it is innate in us but our taste is effected by what we surround ourselves with. The most important thing for me regarding taste is staying true to my own inspiration and point of view.

O: What would your next dream project be, in any field?

GK: My dream project right now would be designing a collection of furniture and home decor.

O: What makes a pair of jeans feel like yours?

GK: Comfortable jeans are most important to me but they also need to look great with heels.

O: Where have these jeans already been with you, and where are they going next?

GK: They have been all over New York and are now heading to Paris with me. 

Gabriella wears the Rift Tee in Dusk
Gabriella wears the Rift Tee in Dusk Shop Now →

O:  A film scene that captures your mood today.

GK: Last night was a full moon (a strawberry moon),  and so I would say the full moon scene from Moonstruck 

O: Morning ritual in 3 words. 

GK: Giving gratitude, English Breakfast tea with milk, and morning hugs with my daughter.

O: What’s usually in your back pocket? 

GK: My grandmother's rosary 

O: These jeans are your uniform for what kind of day?

GK: A day in the office or a day with meetings. 

O: If these jeans could talk, what would they say about you?

GK: She is busy and excited about new projects. 

O: Structured or slouched?

GK: Slouched.

O: Which artist, architect, or designer always re-centers you?

GK: Eileen Gray

O: The one piece you always pair with denim.

GK: Black bodysuit or a cropped t shirt

O: What makes this pair that pair?

GK: My best jeans are the ones I wear day and night. Ones that feel amazing with a sweatshirt, a blazer or a slinky top

O:  What’s the wildest thing you’ve done in denim?

GK: I wouldn't say it is "wild" but I have done everything in jeans from attending fashion shows and traveling, to having life changing work meetings, to hanging with my daughter on the sofa on a chill Sunday. 

Gabriella wears the Bends Jean in Butter Wash
Gabriella wears the Bends Jean in Butter Wash Shop Now →
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Gabriella Khalil for Ossou
PHOTOGRAPHY
Andy Martinez

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