Mauva Gacitua of Gacitua Bridal: Five Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became A CEO
An Interview With Dina Aletras
Know who’s really rooting for you: Not everyone in your circle will support your journey as CEO. Some people may not understand the demands or changes that come with pursuing a big dream, and their doubt can sometimes be discouraging. However, this experience taught me to value those who are genuinely invested in my success and to surround myself with people who uplift me and the mission of Gacitua Bridal.
As a part of our series called ‘Five Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became A CEO’ we had the pleasure of interviewing Mauva Gacitua.
Mauva Gacitua is the visionary CEO and Creative Director of Gacitua Bridal, an inclusive design house where fashion psychology, culture and bridal wear intersect. She launched the luxury brand with the intention of providing options that help women tap into their inner confidence, so they feel empowered to express their unique beauty on their special day.
Her approach and the fact that Gacitua Bridal is an ecommerce brand in an industry that has been slow to adapt to online shopping, make Mauva a forward-thinking leader who’s paving the way for a more accessible, modern bridal experience that embraces inclusivity.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I began my journey into fashion at a young age, being creative with my clothes was always my way of expressing myself and creating beauty around me. And over the years, I’ve worked as a model, costume designer and wardrobe stylist, with each role deepening my love and understanding of how clothing can empower and transform. But I still felt like I could contribute more to the world and do something that really mattered, so in 2019 I took a leap of faith and launched Gacitua Bridal.
My vision was to create a brand that doesn’t just design gowns, but that supports women in feeling truly confident. I wanted to take fashion beyond aesthetics and design with the purpose of evoking confidence and inner beauty. And with empowerment at the core of the brand, I got to build a business that champions women at every level. From partnering with women vendors and artisans on the operations and production side, to designing gowns that give every woman the chance to look and feel beautiful, to launching community initiatives that benefit vulnerable women and families, Gaitua Bridal is for the girls.
That’s my backstory and how it all began. I just made the decision to pursue a lifetime passion and that’s how I ended up on this career path.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
There was a moment when a bride-to-be tried on one of our dresses and immediately welled up with emotion, expressing that she’d never felt so beautiful or confident. It was then that I truly understood the impact of building something that aligns with my personal contribution to the world, as opposed to just following someone else’s vision. And I’ve had a handful of moments like this since, but the realization that I’m helping women create memories that’ll make them smile for a lifetime has fueled my passion ever since.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I first started Gacitua Bridal, I was so cautious and reserved that I unintentionally stifled my own ideas. I was letting the fear of entering a competitive industry block my vision, which, looking back, was a funny contradiction. There I was, creating a brand all about helping women feel confident, and yet I wasn’t embracing my own confidence! The lesson I took from that was to trust my instincts and stay true to my own vision. Now, I lead with authenticity, focusing on what I genuinely believe will make women feel empowered. Embracing my own vision has not only enriched the business development process but also strengthened Gacitua Bridal’s connection with our customers and partners who also value authenticity.
It’s been incredibly rewarding to see how staying true to your ideas can create a brand that resonates deeply with others.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I’m deeply grateful to a designer and hairstylist I met 15 years ago, who has been a constant source of encouragement and support throughout my career. We worked together on countless projects, and witnessing his passion and dedication to his craft has been incredibly inspiring. He’s always been my biggest champion, often saying, “You’re the best stylist in the business,” and despite decades in the film industry, he’s never gone to another stylist — he always comes back to me. His confidence in me has reinforced my belief in my own talent and it helped spark the idea to launch Gacitua Bridal.
Leadership often entails making difficult decisions or hard choices between two apparently good paths. Can you share a story with us about a hard decision or choice you had to make as a leader?
One of the hardest decisions I had to make was choosing to be selective about the types of customers we cater to, rather than attempting to please everyone. Early on, I wanted to accommodate any bride who came to us because, as a designer, I genuinely wanted everyone to feel beautiful. However, as the CEO I realized that working with customers who weren’t aligned with our brand’s vision strained our team, which affected our ability to provide the high-touch, meaningful experience that defines Gacitua Bridal.
This decision wasn’t easy because it meant redefining our brand focus and narrowing our audience, but it allowed us to deliver a more personalized, high-quality experience to those who genuinely resonate with our ethos, ultimately strengthening our brand and better serving our core customers.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Most of our readers — in fact, most people — think they have a pretty good idea of what a CEO or executive does. But in just a few words can you explain what an executive does that is different from the responsibilities of the other leaders?
A CEO drives the vision and direction of the company. They set the company goals, identify the right people to achieve them and empower their team to execute effectively. Other leaders focus on managing specific functions or projects within the organization, while an executive must keep a holistic view, balancing both high-level decision-making and strategic oversight to drive sustainable growth and innovation across the entire organization.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a CEO or executive? Can you explain what you mean?
One of the biggest myths I’d like to dispel is that being a CEO is a cushy, hands-off role where you’re insulated from the daily demands and challenges of the business. In reality, as the CEO, every decision and action reverberates across the company, so you have to take responsibility for everything from the smallest details to the major strategies. At the end of the day, the success or failure of the business rests squarely on your shoulders, which means constant problem-solving, adapting to shifting demands and maintaining high-level involvement in all areas of the company to ensure its vision and values are realized.
What is the most striking difference between your actual job and how you thought the job would be?
The most striking difference between my actual job and how I thought it would be is the constant balancing act between my roles as CEO and Creative Director. While my decades of business experience prepared me for the strategic demands of running a company, I’ve always found more comfort and fulfillment on the creative side. So I didn’t anticipate how critical it would be to switch seamlessly between these two roles. Managing both isn’t always easy, but it’s essential for our brand’s survival and growth.
Do you think everyone is cut out to be an executive? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful executive, and what type of person should avoid aspiring to be an executive? Can you explain what you mean?
Empathy, adaptability and discernment increase your chances of being a successful executive. Good executives genuinely understand people and are able to see the value they bring across all levels because they recognize that every role plays a critical part in the company’s success. They’re also open to ideas, capable of recognizing both genuine teamwork and unproductive behaviors like elitism or stubbornness, and they’re aware of and actively working on their own biases.
On the other hand, someone who struggles to connect with or respect the diverse roles within an organization, or someone who holds biases, should likely avoid aiming for an executive role. True leadership means being willing to get down to the ground level to understand the day-to-day realities that drive the business, so you can foster a culture where everyone’s work is valued.
What advice would you give to other business leaders to help create a fantastic work culture? Can you share a story or an example?
My advice to other business leaders would be to foster a culture where transparency and open dialogue are truly valued, and not just in theory. Too often, executives encourage employees to voice their perspectives but then, consciously or unconsciously, they judge them if those visions don’t align with the company’s established narrative. This creates a culture of hesitancy rather than innovation. For instance, at Gacitua Bridal, we’ve made it a practice to regularly workshop ideas from team members at all levels. When one of our collaborators passionately suggested certain social media strategies, we embraced the idea and tested it to see if it could work for us. Our team knows that everyone’s ideas are worth exploring because this is a regular occurrence for us. This approach helps foster a sense of ownership, which has been instrumental in building a supportive, inclusive culture.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
My success with Gacitua Bridal has allowed me to make a meaningful impact in ways that align with our core values of empowerment, inclusivity and philanthropy. We’ve committed to giving back with initiatives like The Wedding Gift and Christmas in October. The Wedding Gift is a wedding salon experience for a bride who’s struggling financially and cannot afford the wedding of her dreams, where we gift her a wedding dress and other bridal services, like a photographer and flowers. And Christmas in October is a holiday tea party for families displaced by domestic violence, where we bring the community together to spread holiday cheer while raising funds for Haven Hills shelter. Both of these programs allow us to foster joy for families that may be more focused on survival than anything else, and we get to help them make some good memories.
Fantastic. Here is the primary question of our interview. What are your “Five Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became A CEO” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
1 . Building a reliable infrastructure is key to success: When I started Gacitua Bridal, I thought passion alone would be enough. But as the business grew, I learned the importance of surrounding myself with a strong, reliable team and trusted collaborators who share my commitment to quality. Building a reliable infrastructure and leveraging existing networks like the National Minority Supplier Development Council has made a big difference in terms of strategic growth. For example, our Minority Business Enterprise certification through the NMSDC is opening doors to partnerships and opportunities that might not have been accessible to us otherwise. Networks like these are proving instrumental in helping us scale efficiently, which ultimately allows us to focus more on innovation and growth.
2 . Know who’s really rooting for you: Not everyone in your circle will support your journey as CEO. Some people may not understand the demands or changes that come with pursuing a big dream, and their doubt can sometimes be discouraging. However, this experience taught me to value those who are genuinely invested in my success and to surround myself with people who uplift me and the mission of Gacitua Bridal.
3 . Your time won’t be your own: No one prepared me for how much of my personal time I’d have to sacrifice once I became a CEO. Weekends and evenings sometimes blur into work hours, especially in the early stages of building a brand. And even though we’re five years in, finding balance is still a challenge sometimes. Recently, we launched a new website and it turned out to be more complex and time-intensive than anticipated. We migrated over to Shopify and were heavily focused on creating a seamless shopping experience, but it turned into a project that required countless late nights. However, the extra hours were essential to ensure that our quality standards were met and I know that during growth spurts there may be periods where this happens again. But it just highlights the reality that as a CEO, your time investment goes far beyond a standard workday.
4 . You have to make tough, sometimes unpopular decisions: In leadership, you’re often faced with decisions that not everyone will agree with. When we introduced our inclusive design concepts at Gacitua Bridal, some people questioned if we were taking too big of a risk by stepping away from traditional bridal norms. However, I trusted my vision and knew that empowering women to express their unique beauty was worth any potential pushback. And some of our most popular designs have been our jumpsuits and gowns for pregnant brides, proving that there was a real demand for bridal wear that celebrates all women, regardless of traditional expectations.
5 . Success doesn’t come overnight: It’s easy to think success should be immediate given what we see on the internet, but building something meaningful takes time and patience. There were times where I’d wonder if Gacitua Bridal would take off or if I was doing enough, but with every collection I’ve learned that consistency and persistence are what truly create lasting success. For example, our Spring/Summer 2025 collection, which is the third collection we’ve released so far, is a reflection of years of refining our style, understanding our customers’ desires and improving our craft. It’s been very well received and we’ve even been featured by fashion publications like Harper’s Bazaar because each piece reflects the lessons learned and growth achieved since our first release.
Of course releasing our first collection was a milestone in and of itself, but seeing the difference in how they’re being received reminds me that true success really does build over time. If anything, this journey has taught me to value the process and trust that persistence will eventually yield the recognition and impact we aspire to make.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
If I could inspire a movement, it would focus on cultivating a mindset of abundance, kindness and generosity. I believe in giving back to those less fortunate, so my movement would encourage people to choose kindness and consider how they can positively impact their communities. Because even the smallest acts of generosity can spark profound changes in someone’s life.
A more connected, compassionate world starts with each of us choosing to be a little kinder, more understanding and more willing to share our time and resources.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite life lesson quote is, “It’s never too late to make your life goal a reality.” For me, this is more than a quote, it’s a truth I’ve lived by. Pursuing my passion for fashion has given my life new purpose and joy, even though I launched Gacitua Bridal later in my career. The experiences I’ve gained along the way have made the journey meaningful, so take all the time you need, but don’t let fear or doubt hold you back. When you’re ready the path will reveal itself and your purpose will be waiting.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them
If I could have a private breakfast or lunch with anyone, it would be Bethann Hardison. She’s a trailblazer in the fashion industry and a role model for models and women of color, having broken so many barriers and paved the way for inclusivity. Her recent recognition by the NAACP for Invisible Beauty, a film that captures her journey and impact, is inspiring. As is her CFDA Founders Award, which acknowledges her transformative contributions to an organization that I, too, aspire to engage with. Her career, layered with challenges and triumphs, represents the resilience and vision I seek to emulate in my own journey with Gacitua Bridal.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
About the Interviewer: Dina Aletras boasts over 20 years of expertise in the corporate media industry. She possesses an in-depth understanding of growth, strategy, and leadership, having held significant roles at some of the UK’s largest media organizations. At Reach PLC, the UK’s largest tabloid publisher, she served in various director capacities. Additionally, she held leadership roles at The Independent Magazine Group and DMGT. Her extensive knowledge spans editorial, digital, revenue, sales, and advertising.
Upon relocating to Switzerland, Dina took on the responsibility of managing and promoting the international section of Corriere del Ticino — CdT.ch pioneering the English page “onthespot.” She also was the Co-Editor of Southern Switzerland’s first official Italian and English bilingual magazine.
