An Interview with Gia Seo, Art Director
Today we have the honor of chatting with Gia, a talented, steadfast Taurus. Originally from Bethel, Alaska, she’s a mainstay of the New York design world. Her futuristic, consciousness-forward collaboration with Nike was recently on view in SoHo. Needless to say, we were thrilled to hang out and talk zodiac.
Taurus is an earth sign, typically pragmatic, with a concern for what is tangible and concrete. Tell us about your Taurus essence. How do you weave your Taurus traits into art direction?
“I’m really, really particular about the way things are in my home, and I’m fiercely loyal to all of my friends. But some bad traits that I share with Taurus are that I am really, really, really stubborn so it’s hard sometimes when I’m working with clients to compromise. Especially when it’s about having an ethnically diverse set or any sort of political message. I’m pretty strict about the way I work with that.”
Taurus is the sign of the builder with an eye for the small, but important details. How does that manifest in your work?
“I believe in work ethic above all. I prefer to collaborate with people who are not self-entitled, who have worked really hard in their industry, who are actually influencing the culture in a positive way – people who really care about the message they’re projecting vs the dollar signs behind them.”
Consistency and thoroughness are hallmarks of a Taurus. Can you tell us a little bit more about what you do?
“I’m a freelance art director based in New York. What that means is that on any given day I can start a one-week project or a three-month project with a client. I help them conceptualize campaigns based on the message they’re spinning. And then I help them with the creative execution – building a team, making sure that everyone shows up on set, making sure that the art direction goes smoothly… down to the very menial laborious tasks. Since I’m a freelancer, I can really talk back to clients, especially when they’re putting information in front of me that I don’t necessarily agree with or I don’t think is right for our culture. I love that I don’t feel this fear of getting fired if I speak up for myself or for women and men across the board. Being my own boss is my favorite thing about my job.”
We’re huge fans of your work and personal style, so naturally your Instagram is one of our favorite accounts. Weirdest birthday memory? Kind of a random question, but Dooz is zodiac-inspired so…
“We don’t really do birthdays; we go ALL OUT for Christmas [in my family]. Since my sister had my niece and nephew, we only get presents for the kids. And the money that we would spend on ourselves, we actually donate to different charities. Last year we worked with an all-girls orphanage in the suburbs of Seoul, Korea. What we did was help them build a school and a monastery, and then we provided them with food for the rest of the year. For me, that’s what Christmas is about, anyway. Right? It’s not about receiving, it’s all about giving.”
Incredible! That’s amazing! We’re curious, what did you want to be ‘when you grew up’? Becoming an art director isn’t necessarily something you dream about as a child...
“I grew up being an athlete, started training when I was four, went to all of the all-star camps (my dad was super hardcore). Then, I got into dirt biking, running, swimming all of the sports that I can’t really do in New York. But ever since I was a kid, I was like, ‘I wanna be an athlete. I wanna be a LeBron James. That’s what I wanted to do, but look at me now! I still play basketball, though. I still play pick-up games. I still support my community. I’m pretty much at every Nets game, they’re not my favorite team, but they are a NY-based team – loyal Taurus right there.”
That’s real loyalty right there. We want to hear about your favorite geometric shape. Do you have one?
“I don’t really have a favorite shape but, if I had to choose, it would have to be a triangle because I like things that are in a trifecta formation and I don’t like shapes that have curved edges.”
Fascinating! On behalf of The Scope, we would like to thank you, Gia, for your incredible generosity. Rain or shine, we’re rooting for you! Be like Gia, wear the Taurus Céleste Bag and Taurus Sweater-T to show your undying loyalty.
