Story of The Strut: My Interview with Fashion and Media Entrepreneur Gaby Layne

I had first met Gaby when we were both working at the same advertising agency here in Long Beach.

I knew a little bit about her magazine from what she had shared one day over lunch at the restaurant who is actually one of her clients, and when she announced she was leaving the agency fulltime to start her own venture, I knew I wanted to learn more about this girl. From New York to LA, Hollister to a Graduate’s Degree from USC, she’s already come a long way but when talking to her you can’t help but get super excited about all the amazing things to come, too.

Gaby is originally from East Flatbush in Brooklyn, New York. She explained to me that New York is made up of multiple pockets of different cultures and East Flatbush is very Caribbean. People with the same backgrounds tend to culminate near each other where Gaby grew up so she was fully immersed in the Caribbean culture. Not having easy access to authentic Caribbean food, Reggae music, or most importantly being around people who she so easily connected with back home here in California was quite the culture shock.

The whole reason that Gaby made the move out here was because she received a full ride scholarship to USC to earn her graduate’s degree in Strategic Public Relations.

She earned her undergrad at Binghampton University in English Literature, and it was her writing experience that helped her choose her graduate program. She was 21 years old, and came out here thinking that she’s just moving from New York to LA, so “what could the difference be?” Well– a lot.

The experience she had at USC was multifaceted. On one hand, she was far away from home and surrounded by people who were different than her in many ways. She told me how in New York she didn’t have to deal with racism because the communities are like little pockets of people who are practically the same– both in physical appearance and in regards to how much money they had. LA was a different story, and it was all a lot to take in and deal with at once. On the bright side, however, the education and the school itself were both amazing. The program was very hands-on and offered her some really good internship opportunities, so that part was a positive experience.

Gaby and her wife (then girlfriend, also named Gabby) were living in Downtown LA for a while and then Hawthorne. When Gaby got a job in Van Nuys they started looking for a place to live in the Valley but were not having any luck. Eventually, they made their way to Long Beach where they found a place to rent, and the rest is history. It might be that the city reminds Gaby of Brooklyn, or the great coffee shops, or just the overall mellow vibe, but they are now both in love with Long Beach. This city gave them a place to call home and a chance to start fresh.

Gaby’s very first job was at Hollister as a model where she would greet people who came in the door. She told me that being an entrepreneur was not something that she always had plans to do.

She basically just wanted a job that would pay her because growing up that’s just what people did. They became teachers or went to work on Wall Street. But here in California, it seems like everyone is starting their own business– and being very lucrative at it. A lot of the internships that USC connected her with were startups or family-owned businesses so she just started gravitating to that idea, and it put the initial idea in her head that she could create something of her own and turn that into a career.

Taking that spark a step further, Gaby was meeting a lot of black fashion designers who were starting their own thing which was very inspirational.

She was connecting with women who look like her and who were breaking down barriers that used to be impenetrable. She found her reason, and it was clear what she had to do. Create a magazine, and officially step forward into her entrepreneurial journey.   

It really started when her wife asked her what she would be if she could be ANYTHING, and without missing a beat, she replied with “editor of Vogue.”

No one had ever asked her that question before but the answer just came naturally. The follow-up question was the real game-changer though. Gabby asked her “why would you want to be the editor of Vogue when you could create something on your own?” She didn’t take action on this notion right away, but that’s where the seed was planted.

Gaby’s first internship in California was with an eCommerce fashion boutique. She was their social media manager and started their influencer program, so she would reach out to bloggers to inquire about collaborations, and she noticed that these people were getting to go home with all kinds of great clothing. Being a fashionista herself, she thought this was pretty cool and started her own fashion blog where she would explore LA in cute outfits and post photos. It was fun but not her true calling because she would rather be behind the scenes, so she let it evolve to posting magazine covers that feature black women, and The Strut magazine evolved from there.

Even though it’s a work in progress, Gaby is clear and focused on her mission. She’s not worried about being “politically correct” and teetering the fence by calling her publication a “multi-cultural outlet.”

The Strut gives black designers an outlet and portrays them as the fashionable business owners that they are. Period. Eventually she would love to sponsor a fashion week, host special events, and organize networking parties, but for now, she’s going to keep interviewing people and writing articles about shifting the industry. Something that people aren’t really covering, and something she feels a calling to do.

The most recent evolution of The Strut is The Strut Communications which is a Digital Content and Events Agency.

This newest venture kind of fell into Gaby’s lap in an unexpected way– but sometimes we just need an outside force to give us that nudge towards something we have been wanting but have been scared to leap in and get. When she started at the agency that she and I worked at together, she gave herself a timeline of two years to save money so she could take a couple months off to focus on the magazine and give it the attention it needed to grow its legs. (Aka solidify advertisers and start making her money.) That two-year mark hit, and even though it was at the advisement of our (now former) boss and owner of the company, she took that next step and headed out on her own– while taking a client with her which is always nice. She was scared, but she decided to take the chance, and it’s been working. This opportunity has given her more agency over who own life and how she spends her time and there’s nothing more liberating than that. She “put it out there” and the universe responded. Gaby now runs a successful digital agency of her own, alongside her magazine.

I asked Gaby about trends in digital marketing she sees coming up, and it’s so funny because literally a couple days after this interview I got some “legit” industry newsletter and it was saying the exact same thing. She thinks (and I 100% agree) that events and experiences are the future.

“In general, digital is losing relevance. For a long time all people had to do was cultivate an aesthetic and allude to a lifestyle and that would capture people, but now people want to be immersed in that physically.”

She explains that now you have to create a story along with an experience and relay that through visuals.

We used to be able to just pull pictures but now we have to bring that experience to life. She gives the brand example of Revolve who does an amazing job at this. They throw an annual mini-festival jam-packed with fashionable people, allowing them to share the space along with their aesthetic, and that creates content that goes viral for a week straight.

For her own client, Curvy Fox, she was tasked with throwing an event and given only three weeks to do it (with practically zero budget). But she pulled it off. They were able to solidify sponsors by conveying the event’s purpose in a way that made it clear that attendees would resonate with those featured brands. The event ended up being a huge success and they got weeks worth of content with minimal coast, along with authentic and organic traffic to their platforms.

I asked about the future of The Strut empire, and Gaby said her goal is to get out of her shell more and be the face of the brand.

She’s ready for high-level clientele in the fashion industry, and to make all facets of her brand linear. What can I say– the girl’s got MAJOR VISION. I’m so grateful that I can call her my friend and cannot wait to see what the future has in store for her and for The Strut. Make sure to follow Gaby on Instagram @Glayneberry and her magazine at @TheStrutMagazine.

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