Габриэла Шварц стала главным офицером бренда Julien's Auctions, объединив маркетинг поп-культуры и аукционный бизнес

The art of storytelling has been a constant in Gabriela Schwartz’s long career as a marketing executive in the music industry. During her tenures at companies such as J Records, Island Def Jam Group, and Capitol Music Group, she was involved in campaigns for Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Lil Baby, Migos and City Girls. More than two years ago, she pivoted to the auction world, particularly at Julien’s Auctions, where she was recently promoted as the company’s chief brand officer. To her, the transition represented the perfect career arc. “It only affirmed for me that every artist has a story,” Schwartz says. “Especially when you're marketing music or a new chapter of an artist’s sonic evolution, it's not about just getting people's attention. It's about reminding them why they already care about the artist and the music. That's where I felt it was so synergistic with what we're doing at Julien's.” Since joining Julien’s in late 2023, first as a consultant, Schwartz has focused on luxury and celebrity fashion, including building out the company’s corporate partnership ecosystem and expanding into other areas of the business. “We have a publishing division, which I'm very excited about,” she explains. “We have some great titles that are going to be coming out this fall. And we're really focused on bringing in younger collectors. So it's a good innovative time for us to stay hyper-focused on pop culture.” Schwartz sees similarities between her experiences in the music industry and at Julien’s. “Julien's preserves pop culture, memorabilia and collectibles and has primarily been really focused on music and street art,” she says. “Hollywood, of course, is a huge category. And I was able to pivot from being a contractor into really focusing on an area of growth, which they saw and I saw, which was luxury and fashion.” During her time at the company, Schwartz has been involved in projects that included the Unstoppable January Celebrity Fashion Auction featuring Princess Diana’s famous pieces. Subsequently, the Bold Luxury series was launched, serving as a “platform for celebrity fashion and collectible luxury,” according to Julien’s. Auction sales under the series featured notable celebs like Bob Mackie and Gwyneth Paltrow. “We saw that there was a runway for us to build out luxury and fashion and celebrity fashion, and people were really interested in that,” Schwartz says. “We see that with major celebrities. They want to wear pieces that have stories. They want to wear pieces that have nostalgia. That's what they want to wear on the red carpet now. And that's what stylists are interested in. So we jumped on really focusing on that, and I'm really proud of what we've been able to do in the last two-and-a-half years.” One of the recent Bold Luxury auctions highlighted the personal items of singer Boy George, including apparel and memorabilia from the last 45 years. Says Schwartz, “What I really loved about the Boy George auction for Bold Luxury is that we were able to be edgy and cooler because Boy George is so much more than music. He is fashion. He is identity. He is expression. He is an entrepreneur.” Further continuing Julien’s connection between music and commerce is its upcoming auction of over 100 pairs of sneakers from Eminem’s personal collection signed by the rapper; proceeds from the Aug. 25 auction will go to the Marshall Mathers Foundation to help Detroit youth. “It's about pivoting and transitioning to really being a culturally relevant brand and really making sure that the tone of voice of who we are and our pillars, that that gets really cemented,” Scxhwarts says. “For me, it's always about excellence. We want to make sure that we are showing up to the best of our ability and really supporting our talent, staying playful and in line with who we're partnered with.” Social media also plays a role in spreading Julien’s message. “That's really where we get to show off who our brand is and what our tone of voice is. And we put a lot of content out, and we try to show people that we know the history of pop culture – whether you're a film fan, or you love Hollywood, Star Wars or Carol Burnett. “We pay homage to pop culture. We embrace it. We preserve it. And what I love about our social media is that we're also really collaborative with our partners. We want to make sure that if we have a sale with Gwyneth Paltrow, that she's in that conversation with us because it only underscores the authenticity of what we're doing. And it shows that we are an extension of their world and their ecosystem. I think that through TikTok and through Instagram and obviously YouTube that we're able to hit all of our collectors globally and also bring in new people to understand who Julien's is.” Arts and culture have been in Schwartz’s DNA. Originally from Puerto Rico, she came to New York in the late 1980s; her parents are artists and musicians, and she went to music school and ballet. “So I grew up in a really artistic household,” Schwartz recalls. “I was around creatives, whether they were painters or dancers or musicians. “New York in the late '80s and '90s, it was like a petri dish of culture. I was in the city, and it only affirmed for me in my early adolescence that I knew I wanted to be a protector and a nurturer of art and artists' craft, and that I would have to work with artists no matter what. And lo and behold, I got to J Records at 23-24 years old and spent 20 years doing it.” As a woman executive of color, Schwartz acknowleddges being a role model. “I really think leadership is not about being the only one at the table. It's about making sure that we create more seats and spaces. As a woman — and a Puerto Rican and a Jewish woman — it's always been a huge purpose of mine to support everybody and make sure that inclusivity is really, really, really important. And I can't wait to keep being an ambassador for growing opportunities.” In the end, what remains for Schwartz is sharing the unique stories of Julien’s auction items while further elevating the company’s brand. “Of course, we are selling collectibles that are pop culture and memorabilia,” she says, “but we're also preserving the legacy of so many of those pieces. And we have the responsibility of telling new stories about these pieces and really giving consumers the opportunity to learn more about a Kurt Cobain guitar or a Gwyneth Paltrow Versace dress that she wore to the Country Music Awards for the first time. “Those are all little stories that make people care about collecting pop culture. That pulls on their heartstrings,” she continues. “That is nostalgia, and that increases the value of these pieces because for me, pop culture is the new history, and provenance is the new luxury. People want to understand what they're collecting. We get the chance to tell these stories about the pieces that we're auctioning. It's no different than highlighting a piece of fine art, or if you collect fine wine or luxury handbags — these pop culture artifacts have that legacy and story.”