Gisela Stellmacher (Gisele) is an inspiration to many women who strive to succeed in the fashion industry. She moved to Canada in 1953 as a young woman, nine years after the war ended, leaving behind her home country of Germany and boyfriend Freddy to start a new life. She arrived in Canada alone, without any family or friends, and faced many challenges as a result. However, her determination and hard work paid off in the end, as she became one of the most successful women in the fashion industry. Freddy eventually followed a year later to Kitimat and later joined her in Vancouver where they were married.
Gisele began her career as a coat buyer, using her knowledge of European fashion to help the industry. She later became a bathing suit and coat buyer at a chain store called Sweet 16, which had over 100 stores in Canada. She had a significant influence on the fashion choices of young women during that era.
After working for Sweet 16, Gisele started her own wholesale agency called Algi International. She offered European fashion wholesale to Canadian stores and was one of only two women in the wholesale industry at that time. It was a man's world then, and the fashion industry was extremely tough, lucrative, and competitive. However, Gisele was one of the first women to break through and became a trailblazer for future generations of women in the fashion industry.
Gisele's success in the fashion industry led to numerous appearances on talk shows on television and radio. She also judged beauty pageants, and her presence inspired countless women who looked up to her. She was sophisticated, elegant, beautiful, intelligent, and strong.
For many years, I had the privilege of working for Gisele at Algi International. She taught me well, and she was my biggest inspiration. Even today, as we celebrate her 90th birthday, Gisele continues to inspire women in the fashion industry. Her legacy lives on, and she will always be remembered as a trailblazer who paved the way for future generations of women in fashion.
Gisele Stellmacher with her husband Freddie