For model and social star Giovanna “Gio” Ramos, every day is different. She might be going to a photoshoot with PAPER in New York, walking a red carpet in LA, or joining a livestream from Atlanta. But no matter where she is, Gio moves through every city with an it-girl aura, boldly taking up space with her silver grills on and the flyest pair of adidas to match.
Gio, 26, moved to the United States more than ten years ago from Brazil, in that time, she’s grown a following of more than one million followers, and is known for her friendship and close proximity to some of culture’s biggest names including Drake, Latto, Lil Yachty, and Mariah the Scientist.
When asked about what this collaboration with adidas means to her, she told PAPER, “My favorite part about working with adidas is that they let me be myself creatively. They like me for who I am and they want me to bring whatever I have to offer to the table.”
After much anticipation, the new adidas Adistar XLG 2.0 is back, blending old-school nostalgia with a modern take on the classic sneaker. Gio sat down with PAPER to share more about her newest collaboration, and the pivotal lessons she’s learned growing her career on social media and in fashion. Read the entire interview below:
How did you get your start in social media and in fashion?
It started off from just being bored in a way. Just posting things that I thought were cool, and then I realized certain things that I did post made people want to see more. So I just started going towards that side and then trying new things out until eventually I found a lane that I liked and I just kept doing it until it worked out.
Your career has taken off tremendously in the last few years. How do you reflect on your younger self, and how do you think she feels about where you are now?
I'm thankful for my younger self. I feel like a lot of the mistakes that I made got me where I'm at right now. So I feel like without her, I wouldn't be here right now.
Laruicci silver bracelet.