In the Spotlight: Model and Jewelry Designer Gabriele Esposito
Gabriele Esposito has become a face to watch in the fashion industry, both for his work as a model and as a jewelry designer with his fashion label, Zero Three Seventeen.
The 26-year-old Naples-born, Paris-based model first came into the spotlight at the age of 17 when he won Italy’s “Amici” talent show as a dancer, which Esposito described as “‘So You Think You Can Dance’ mixed with ‘The X Factor.’”
More from WWD
EXCLUSIVE: Yellow Rose by Kendra Scott and Wrangler Team Up for Limited-edition Collection
Washington Legislature Takes On Fast Fashion's Environmental Impact
After working as a dancer with the show for several years, Esposito followed his lifelong interest in fashion and moved to Milan to explore modeling and social media influencing. Over the last five years, he’s developed relationships with designer labels such as Fendi, Gucci, Dior and others, as well as grown his Instagram following to more than 660,000.
“I was always dreaming to work with fashion,” Esposito said. “When I was little, my mom was showing me these runways of Versace and I was like, ‘That’s crazy.’ I was super happy when I started as a model.”
In 2020, Esposito shifted his sights within the fashion industry to jewelry design, and ultimately launched his label Zero Three Seventeen as an homage to his upbringing in Naples and to his grandmother’s expansive jewelry collection.
The jewelry brand offers unisex styles made from sterling silver, leather, pearls, shells and other materials. Esposito described the brand as having a “summery vibe,” which is something he’s come to appreciate more now that he’s relocated to Paris.
“I get a lot of inspiration from jewelry from my grandma,” he said. “She had all of these coral [pieces] that are super huge and super colorful and full of shells. I use a lot of shells and stones and I really use the Neapolitan culture that I have in me. It’s something I really use in the jewelry especially with the gold. It’s very baroque and Neapolitan.”
Since launch, Esposito has introduced a line of apparel into Zero Three Seventeen that includes what the model described as essential pieces like tank tops, crop tops, trousers, boxers and other styles.
He explained his focus for the brand will remain, however, on jewelry, as production and manufacturing are done in his hometown of Naples.
While Esposito is still growing the core jewelry line, he stated one of his biggest goals for Zero Three Seventeen is to create a high jewelry collection to experiment with more precious materials.
“I’m very fascinated by diamonds and emeralds,” he said. “I do a lot of research in vintage shops and I’m very fascinated by big crystals and gold. I would love to do at some point high jewelry as a little part of my brand. It would be very fun.”
Best of WWD
