When Gaia Rialti joined Polimoda Talent, Menabòh was an ambitious idea challenging conventional notions of fashion, ownership and luxury. Today, the project has evolved into an Italian atelier transforming personal garments into one-of-a-kind contemporary pieces, with growing international ambitions. In this conversation, she reflects on entrepreneurship, storytelling and the importance of believing in an idea before it becomes a business.
What did Polimoda Talent give you?
Polimoda Talent gave me something no course or work experience could have given me in the same way: the legitimacy to believe in an idea before it truly existed. When I presented Menabòh, it was still a vision — a different way of thinking about luxury, fashion, and the value of what we already own. Talent gave me a space where that vision could be taken seriously, questioned, and strengthened. I learned to translate a personal intuition into a project with a clear direction. But above all, I understood that the starting point was not fashion itself, but the people and the stories their garments hold. That awareness is still at the heart of everything we do today, even though our business model has changed over the years.
What has been the biggest challenge you've faced, and how did you get through it?
The biggest challenge was explaining something that did not yet have a name. Menabòh is not a tailoring house, it is not vintage, it is not a circular platform. It is an atelier that redesigns the most meaningful garments people already own, turning them into contemporary, one-of-one pieces. Finding the right language to tell that story — without slipping into categories that don’t belong to us — was a long and necessary process. We rebuilt our narrative starting from my own story, from my mother’s archive, from concrete gestures. When you stop looking for the right container and start telling the truth of what you do, people begin to understand. And often, they recognise themselves in it.
What is the current status of the project, and what are your future goals?
Menabòh today is an Italian atelier for your archive: we redesign the most meaningful garments people already own, turning them into contemporary, one-of-one pieces. We don’t produce collections, we don’t follow seasons. We work with what already exists — with garments that carry a story, an emotional value, a quality the market rarely offers today. Each piece is born from a co-creation: the client’s garment, our creative direction, the craftsmanship of an Italian atelier. The result is something unique, something you cannot buy anywhere else. Geographically, 2026 is the year of our expansion to London, a market that deeply recognises the value of the personal archive and of Italian craftsmanship. In parallel, we are strengthening our editorial presence and our relationships with international media. The goal is not to grow in volume, but in authority: to prove that the most desirable wardrobe is the one you already own. We have also brought our creative director on board, whom we will announce in September.
Project Information
- Founder: Gaia Rialti
- Project: Menabòh
- Founded: 2025
- Industry: Luxury / Craftsmanship
- Polimoda Talent: Winner 2025
- Website: www.menaboh.com
- Instagram: @menaboh_
- LinkedIn: Gaia Rialti
- Substack: gaiarialti
Highlights
Media
- The Spinoff: Menabòh upcycling project is landing in NY
- TEDx Talks: Fashion wake up call: Upcycling is the future! | Gaia Rialti | TEDxOltrarno
- Vogue Italia: Il matrimonio in Toscana di Gaia e Andrea. La sposa indossa l’abito della mamma riadattato grazie al suo progetto Menabòh
Milestones
- London expansion
- Creative Director appointed
- Italian atelier established
Founders stories
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