A Line founder Gabriella Santaniello knows the fashion industry inside and out, with a background working in retail and for fashion brands as well as experience as an analyst covering the industry for a broker dealer. Before A Line, Gabriella was a Managing Director, Retail Market Research, at Wedbush Securities, where she built and managed the Retail Research Program, a comprehensive channel-checking program. Previously, she was an independent consultant on brand, distribution and wholesale sales strategy, specializing in department store and specialty chain retailers.
In her first foray into finance, she provided consultative advice to Wall Street analysts as a Gerson Lehrman Group Councils Member Scholar. It was her love of fashion that led her into her first career in the industry, where she held positions that provided her with a solid understanding of brands and retail. On the wholesale side, Gabriella focused on sales and distribution strategy for brands that included Ralph Lauren Childrenswear, Nautica Jeans Company, Mossimo, Natori and XOXO Jeans. She sold into accounts such as Macy's, Nordstrom, Duty Free Shops and specialty chains. She was also co-owner of Linear Fashion, a men’s denim line, where she managed sourcing, production and merchandising. On the retail side, she worked for Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Robinson's-May as a sales associate.
Her expertise on retailer psychology gives A Line clients a depth of understanding of the channel beyond the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet can provide numbers; Gabriella provides the perspective behind those numbers so clients can make informed investment decisions.
Gabriella is Series 7, 86 and 87 licensed.
She received her MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a Bachelor of Science in Italian from Georgetown University.