This round of Girl Talk finds friends Liv Ryan and Gwyneth Giller proving that relentless yapping can, against all odds, turn poetic.
Liv Ryan is Brooklyn-born, effortlessly cool, and, I admit, intimidating upon first impression. There’s a calm certainty to her—a directness that requires no flourish. Most of her days are spent moving through denim in her studio and by the blue “coast” of Red Hook.
From trivial debates—like which Girls character we’d be or how long we’ve been keeping up with the Kardashians—to heavier questions of home and grief, Liv offers a rare, deadass thoughtfulness.
New York City hums, bleeds, and never forgets. Each street corner a memory stitched into asphalt, and Liv moves through it like a compass or Citi Bike weaving through Chinatown crowds. Her designs, grids embedded into denim, trace the rhythm of neighborhoods that have shaped her. Between hoodies, hype men, and an evergreen “YOLO” outlook, she carries home with her, and the city carries her back—a love song played in real time. So perhaps in Brooklyn, the real ones will always find you.
Gwyneth Giller: Hello and welcome to my Zoom call.
Liv Ryan: I literally think I’ve Zoomed once in my life.
GG: Are you serious? For what?
LR: It’s so funny. I got interviewed for MSNBC during COVID about living at home with your parents.
GG: How was that?
LR: It was pretty chill. I don’t even know if it ever aired on TV. They asked me what it was like being a New York kid moving back in with my parents, and I was like, “Actually, I never left—so it feels pretty normal.” I guess that was my one star moment.
GG: [laughs] What were you doing earlier today?
LR: I’ve been waking up really early lately—I just have my best moments in the morning. Usually I’ll go down to the water to journal or do some holistic reading type stuff. But today I grabbed coffee with my friend Alana—she just got back from Haystack, that artist residency in Maine. Sometimes we do these 8 a.m. coffee-and-breakfast hangouts in the neighborhood, still in our pajamas, which is honestly the best vibe.
GG: That’s very HBO Girls coded.
LR: Yeah, kind of. Actually, Jermima Kirke is always at that coffee shop.
GG: That’s so funny. You’ve seen Girls, right?
LR: Of course.
GG: Which girl are you?
LR: I haven’t seen it in so long. Hmm. I’m trying to remember what their vibes are. I’m definitely not Lena Dunham’s character.
GG: Hannah, that’s Lena Dunham’s character. Shoshanna is the one who is super type A and moves to Japan, Marnie is the crazy one who sings Kanye West’s Stronger at her ex-boyfriend’s party, and Jemima Kirk is Jessa, who is basically the blueprint.
LR: Okay yes, I feel like I’m a mix of Shosanna and Jessa. I don’t remember Jessa’s storyline so much.
GG: She stole Hannah’s boyfriend, Adam Driver.
LR: See, I would never do that. Girl code.
GG: Both you and Jessa have effortless mermaid hair too. Anyways, let’s stop talking about Girls.
LR: [laughs]
GG: You’re a Brooklyn girl, born and raised. What does “home” mean to you?
LR: It’s definitely a feeling. It’s weird because I’ve never left New York. I was talking to Kat (our friend) about this recently—how for me, New York is my hometown. It carries the same weight, baggage, ghosts, and memories that other people associate with small towns. But no one really thinks of NYC in that way.
I run into people from middle school or even elementary school. There are so many strange memories—like the Connecticut Muffin near my parents’ house—if these walls could talk.
GG: Well you just left NY for a month to live in Spain with Mauricio (Liv’s boyfriend) so that’s something.
LR: Totally, but nothing makes me feel more like myself than being here. It just feels right.
GG: Home is home.
LR: There’s this documentary I always recommend to anyone who lives in New York. It’s called The Cruise. It’s from the ’80s, black and white, and really beautifully shot. It follows this guy who works as a driver for one of those New York City tour buses. He’s kind of this quirky, loner type—doesn’t really fit in, doesn’t have relationships—but he talks about New York in this really beautiful, kind of sad way.
He describes it almost like a toxic relationship. It’s love-hate. He refers to New York as her—like she’s a partner. And sometimes you’re fighting, and sometimes you’re totally in love. That stuck with me. It really is a relationship. The city feels like this living, breathing organism that’s always shifting. There’s just so much energy here—how could you not react to that?
GG: What was your last fight with NYC?
LR: I’ve actually been having some great moments with the city lately. But anytime it’s disgustingly hot and I have to be in Midtown, I’m just like, what the fuck?
I guess the big thing that’s been bothering me recently is how overdeveloped my neighborhood is getting. It’s really disappointing—like, it just makes me lose faith in the people running the city. Why are you trying to ruin a good thing?
GG: Money.
LR: Exactly. Money is running everything now. And a lot of the people moving to the city—the ones who can afford to be here—are tech bros. They’re not investing in the culture or the people who’ve actually made these neighborhoods what they are.
GG: We’re out here in late stage capitalism in Dimes Square nation.
LR: No, literally. Everyone should be getting involved in their community. Even if it’s just hanging out with your neighbors.
GG: True, I just had a funny moment this morning at my coffee shop. There was this guy who was flirting and just generally dishing out unexpected vibes for 8AM. The second he left, the six of us in the shop huddled together to dissect his lore. It was just harmless gossip but felt like community.
LR: Once you actually start talking to people, especially older folks in your neighborhood, they’re so open and willing to connect. Meanwhile, everyone else is walking around with AirPods in.
GG: Yeah, I’m like—hello?? Don’t you feel insane just strolling around with this constant audio in your ears?
LR: My neighbor Anthony— he grew up on the block, does construction here, and he’s basically always outside. The other day, we went out to shoot for this and I was hoping he wouldn’t be around. But of course, as soon as we step out, there he is, walking back from a doctor’s appointment. And he’s like, “What are you doing?” Just fully invested. He stood there watching me like some kind of neighborhood hype man, watching and saying, “You go, girl.”
GG: [laughs] Thank you, Anthony!
LR: But yeah, he just sits outside on this rocking chair, sometimes I bring him cookies.
GG: Wow and I know you’re always baking so he’s a lucky man. Do you think community seeps into your practice?
LR: Definitely. I think it has to—especially because my own practice can feel so singular sometimes. In the past couple of years, I’ve been doing a lot more collaborations, which has been so fulfilling. I love getting out of my own head and out of the studio loop I can get stuck in. Just bouncing ideas off other people feels so refreshing.
GG: You host a really cool collaborative dinner party with your friend Jordan, where you cook and everyone gathers at his Greenpoint studio and eats off of the ceramic dishware that you both make. How did that start?
LR: Yes! I just bought bowls from Jordan one time and then I wanted to start doing ceramics myself so I kind of adopted him as a mentor. It was a slow collaboration, I went to the studio, we smoked a joint and formed this friendship.
He actually owned a restaurant back in the early 2000s, so he was already hosting these dinner parties. I went to one, and afterward he was just like, “You should do one too.” He had this great community in Greenpoint, and it’s been really nice to merge with that—we’re all creative people, so why not come together?
GG: I love that. So obviously your community influences your work, but what do you think your work and community has taught you about yourself?
LR: That’s a good question. I think patience, resilience and just the importance of looking inward.
GG: Yes, we’re looking inward baby!
LR: I feel like with social media it’s so hard not to be like comparative but I’ve really put blinders up. When I’m working on a project, I don’t look at other brands or pay attention to runway at all.
GG: No archival runway????
LR: I mean yes, occasionally, but I don’t spend much time looking at references. But I can see a good look and be like, “oh hell yeah that’s sick,” you know?
GG: Another thing about your work is that I feel like you just design for yourself.
LR: At the end of the day, I just want to make something I’ll be proud of—something I want to wear. For me, it’s like: what do I feel like making? What do I want to wear right now? What mood am I in?
GG: And thus the Windsor Hoodie was born.
LR: Exactly.
GG: I love the denim pieces you make, and I just saw the photos from your LR x Post Jeans photoshoot, it looked so classic and sexy. Kind of like Calvin Klein.
LR: Thank you! I never do studio shoots like that so it was fun to mix it up.
GG: Great jeans. But not like that Sydney Sweeney Levi’s ad.
LR: Yeah, no that’s crazy.
GG: I mean…
LR: I literally feel like I barely even know who she is.
GG: She is hot. I’ll give her that.
LR: But like there’s so many hotter people. You know what I mean?
GG: Agreed, she’s giving Playboy. Wait–speaking of Playboy, Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson?
LR: I’m living for that actually. I just watched Taken. He seems to have a lot of respect for her which I love.
GG: Yes, she needs that, she’s literally an American treasure. Or I guess she’s a Canadian treasure actually. Did you watch The Last Show Girl?
LR: I didn’t.
GG: It’s amazing, it stars her and Jamie Lee Curtis and it’s basically about becoming obsolete as a woman who is aging. It was so beautiful, profound and felt anecdotal to her life.
LR: I love how she doesn’t do any glam now. Neither does Alicia Keys.
GG: I love that, that’s how I’m gonna be.
LR: Yeah, I feel like all of Hollywood does too much. You don’t even know what people actually look like.
GG: Have you ever worn contour?
LR: No, I’ve never done it.
GG: Me neither. One time I got my makeup professionally done and as soon as I saw it finished I started crying. I can’t imagine how people feel who have permanently altered their face.
LR: Like Kylie Jenner.
GG: Well, this is so funny you bring up Kylie Jenner because I actually started my morning today by stalking her Instagram reels. I don’t know why but that’s what I did.
LR: I’m a Kardashian stan honestly. Like I’ve been keeping up since the beginning of time.
GG: It’s honestly hard not to keep up.
LR: I just entered my Saturn return and it’s in my 10th house in Aries or something. So I Googled what that meant and apparently Kim was entering her Saturn return in Aries 10th house when her claim to fame happened with the tape.
GG: [laughs] Could be your time. So you follow them all on Instagram?
LR: All except for Kris. She kind of weirds me out. Kim’s definitely my fav.
GG: I do love a girl boss, but I am sussed out by her and Ivanka Trump’s friendship.
LR: True. I just love how they embraced the curvy girl thing during that time in pop-culture, because right before there were the 2000s ultra-skinny models.
GG: Yeah, it was a crazy time. I just remember thinking that the floral Hollister miniskirt was going to make me look like the models.
LR: I’m here for them being like, “Yeah, I got a fat ass.”
GG: [laughs] Let’s be serious again. What’s something that a stranger has said or done that’s really stuck with you?
LR: One of my favorite experiences was when a high school class came to visit my studio. As someone who grew up in NYC, I know how important it is to be exposed to the arts at a young age, so it felt really meaningful. Around that same time, I also volunteered with Wide Rainbow—an organization my friend Lucia helps run. We took a group of NYC girls to The Met, and that was such a beautiful experience. It wasn’t even about my own work—it was just about giving back, creating access, and making those connections.
What really stayed with me, though, were the follow-ups. Almost a year after that studio visit, I got emails from a few of those students saying, I still think about coming to see you. And I’m like—me? I feel like such a baby, like I’m still figuring things out.
GG: It’s crazy to think that you made such an impact in those kids’ lives that they’ll always perceive you in their own trajectory. I mean, everyone will always perceive you in some way, how do you take that?
LR: I feel like I’m pretty true to myself on social media. I try to reflect who I really am in real life, and I think that comes through. If I feel like posting some dumb story, a meme, or something that only a handful of people will get, I’m here for that.
GG: One thing about Liv Ryan is she’s going to post a meme if she wants to.
LR: Like this is my one life to live and I’m just going to make it for me and then whoever wants to hop on board can hop on board. Not in a selfish way.
GG: That’s not selfish at all. You’re not going to be in your death bed thinking like, “Oh I wish I had concealed my personality a little bit more online to be more palatable and allusive.”
LR: No, no. I just really can’t fake it. If you don’t fuck with me being my real self, then you’re not meant to be in my orbit.
GG: The real ones will find you. I have a stupid little word game, do you want to play?
LR: How do you play?
GG: I just say words and you pick the one you resonate with, like rapid fire.
LR: Okay.
GG: Oof, actually sorry if these are so dumb. Spiral or grid?
LR: [laughs] Grid. Obviously.
GG: Being witnessed or being left alone?
LR: Being witnessed.
GG: Memory, fantasy, or dream?
LR: I think dream.
GG: What was the last impactful dream you had?
LR: It was about my brother. It was actually crazy, I woke up being like what the fuck? But in it, he was alive and had actually just been taken hostage for 4 years. Basically I was just hugging him in the kitchen.
GG: Was it hard to wake up from that one?
LR: It kind of bummed me out, yeah. But I have those dreams every once in a while. They say your energy doesn’t just disappear after you pass, it’s very much present, even in dreams—that’s the easiest way for people who have passed to communicate.
GG: Yeah, pay attention to those dreams. I feel like they are always a presence.
LR: A few weeks ago I had this wild interaction with a woman on the street. It felt like the universe sent her to deliver a message. That day I’d been feeling really insecure, and the first thing she said was, “You need to be more confident and know your worth.” It hit so hard, because that’s exactly what my brother used to tell me—he was always my hype man. So yeah, even if she was just some random crazy lady, I needed to hear it. Sometimes the random ladies on the street are the messengers we need.
GG: Do you think that your brother has impacted the way that you dress and what you design?
LR: I think it’s more about the way I move through the world. The Windsor Hoodie was his staple—the blue one Mauricio wears was actually his. He was a big rock climber, so he’d always climb in it and really use all the pockets.
GG: That’s very sweet. What’s one thing you realized after he passed?
LR: My life really did a 180 after his passing. It made me realize how short life is, and how important it is to make it work for you—to live by your values. Even if that means going through more hardships or moving in your own direction, it’s about living for yourself.
GG: You really have one life to live, like truly YOLO.
LR: I’m a YOLO girl.
GG: What is one thing, with YOLO in mind, that you want to implement to your life moving forward?
LR: I want to be more fearless and take more risks. I heard a quote the other day, “Nothing new happens in the known.”
Written by Gwyneth Giller
Photographer / Director: Noah Berghammer
Lighting Assistant: Chris Boyle
DP + Edit: Ellie Borzilleri
Stylist: Akil County / Liv Ryan
Production: The PRIV.Y Agency
Photo: Grant Jorissen
Photo: Mauricio Garcia-Miro Jeri
