The Moms

Galina Sobolev

Fashion DesignerPhotography by Lauri LevenfeldStory by Lauri Levenfeld

Galina is that bit of sunshine everyone needs in their life. Her positivity and light radiate from every ounce of her and from everything she does. She immediately befriends you, listens to you, wants to help you, mentor you, and connect you. She is a woman who loves and supports all women. I felt this all via our first phone call. And then I saw her in person; the beauty, the energy, and the love for her family. I knew right then she was the full package.

My name is Galina Sobolev. I am a happy, hardworking career mom of three incredible kids. I own a contemporary clothing company called Single by Galina Sobolev. And my children and my husband are my greatest achievements in life.

I love what I do. I have been creating clothing since I was six years old. I started with my dolls and continued on to people. My company is based in Los Angeles and everything we create is one hundred percent made in USA. We support the local community and our downtown factories wholeheartedly. I am blessed to have met so many incredible people in this town and to be considered a fashion insider and expert is quite a treat.

My life outside work, home, and family is very full. I love attending art and cultural events, designer appearances, as well as, fashion and art openings. I am a tireless fashionista and I often attend three to five events a week. I am involved in various charitable organizations that help women and children, as this is one of my lifetime goals to mentor younger women and help them strive and achieve their dreams.

All of the above creates a very busy and very fun lifestyle for me. Thankfully I am extremely organized and have a real zest for life, otherwise, I do not think all of the above would be possible. I love what I do, and do what I love!

I strive to empower women one dress at a time by creating flattering styles, great product, and affordable pieces. I want women to feel confident about who they are, what they are wearing, and about how they walk into a room. The women who wear Single are not only complimented by men, but by women as well. They are unique individuals looking for clothing that speaks to them and that can help them create a one-of-a-kind look. Confidence is the inspiration that drives me as a designer and my collection.

The strength and success of my company came from hard work, late nights, faith in my creations, and the incredible, unwavering support from my husband, kids, and Single fans.

We started very small with four dresses, a tiny sportswear capsule, and some influential stores.

My success story was not overnight, but came in the shape of an embroidered satin vest. And when Fred Segal’s John Eshaya bought it, it forever put us on the map.

We sold thousands of the one item. And that one item gave us the foundation and the revenue to fuel and grow the company. Like a small child, we fed it and we watered it with our sweat and tears. And Single grew into a lovely business which over the years has provided jobs to hundreds of people; contractors, local cutting services, embroidery companies, and fabric vendors.

Our business started as a family business with my husband as my business partner. Our children all grew up on the floor helping with inventory, packing shipments, and even, creating costumes for parties here.

All was going smoothly until the market crash of 2009. There was no time for planning, but only time for reacting. This time in America was our time at Single to observe, analyze, reassess and repave our path back to success. From this point on, we learned to live with less. We got leaner as a company and we survived because of it. And we now know that what doesn’t kill you (or in our case, kill the business), will only make you stronger.

We now run a tighter and more productive ship. We learned to create product with less by getting more stringent and inventive. The product has not suffered at all, but has only gotten better with our better decisions.

My inspiration comes from artists such as Sonya Delaney, Gustaf Klimt, and Jackson Pollack. It comes from my travels to Paris, Florence, and Rome and to my summers on the beaches of St. Tropez and Capri. And now as an LA gal, my inspiration comes from the ocean and the glamorous stars around me such as Elizabeth Taylor, Cate Blanchett, and Jessica Chastain.

I love Renee Russo’s style in The Thomas Crown Affair, as well as Lauren Hutton’s wardrobe by Armani in “American Gigolo”. I also adore Tina Chow, the late wife of Michael Chow. She inspired me to wear tank tops with tuxedo jackets and diamonds.

My style is very city slicker with a bit of a rock-n-roll edge. I collect leather Moto-jackets and I have over 20 of them! I love black leather jeans and torn boyfriend jeans with a high heel. I grew up in NYC during the 80′s so my style icons were Lauren Hutton and Renee Russo.

 

Kids: Julian-age 24, Sara-age 16, Evan-age 12

As a working mom, I make lots of salads. My husband is the great cook, so we partner up for dinners and the kids help out as well. They all know how to cook. My youngest knows how to make a cheese quesadilla if he is ever home alone and hungry. And both my older son and daughter learned to cook for themselves early on.

My kids are amazing and intelligent individuals. Each one is a very different person from the other. They are self-sufficient and pretty independent. They love unconditionally and I cherish the time they give to me whether it’s a mother/ daughter pedicure or lunch, or a mother/ son Sunday spent at the Grove seeing a movie.

The hardest part of being a mom is being the disciplinarian and instilling organizational and independent thinking in my kids. I want to make sure that they are aware of their boundaries and that rewards await them for doing well and achieving their goals. It is hard to say no to my children but I feel that the more I say no, the better people they become. And the rewards, they reward us all as we get to experience something together via a family trip or vacation. I love spending time with my kids, they are my biggest treasure.

Definitely the most exciting moment of my life was giving birth to each of my children and teaching them as they grow.

My proudest moments have been because of my kids and their achievements. My oldest son winning the Science Fair with an earthquake we built and recreated. He went on to the county fair championship. My daughter, as a second grader, being published in the LA Times. I am continually amazed by her writings, they are eloquent and accomplished. My youngest son walking away with six awards at his 6th grade award ceremony. Wow how we all cried!

My most humbling moment is when my kids lecture me on not spending enough time with them.

 

Galina, your spirit, passion, and joy come through in everything you do! It is amazing to see what you have accomplished with a lot of hard work and a lot of faith and love. Check out Galina’s amazing deal below. If you are interested in items photographed but not available on the site, email .

 a day in the life

Task: The LA Lady Who Never Stops

 

5:45AM
Wake-Up

 

6:15AM
Shower, Dress, & Makeup

 

6:50AM
I wake up the kids (they get ready themselves), then I go downstairs and make breakfast and lunches, coffee for the hubby, and feed the dog.

 

7:30AM
The whole family is out the door.

 

8AM
The kids are dropped and I head to boxing on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I am religious about my gym. And on the days I am not working out, I am on the freeway to the office.

9:30AM
The insanity begins. Office, e-mails, meetings, sales teams conversations, design meetings, planning, product, PR, fittings–it’s non-stop! There is never time for lunch unless I am out with a client or at a charity luncheon, so I usually grab a small salad in the kitchen and fifteen minutes later I am done.

 

6:30PM
By now I am pretty tired, but many nights I have an event to attend whether it be a film premier, a store opening, or an art opening at LACMA. There are  way too many events in Los Angeles, so I try and limit myself to attending 2-3 per week max.  I usually change in the office, put a little make-up and perfume on, and run out the door. My husband picks the kids up  from school, and if it is an event night, he will make dinner and feed them.

 

10PM
By the time I get home, I am ready for a glass of wine and off to bed. If I am lucky, I have enough energy to take a bath, take my makeup off, and lather lotion all over.

 
The weekends are usually filled with parties and kids. There is something going on every weekend.

 

 

 

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