Meet Alyse Gamson

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alyse Gamson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alyse, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

Only in the past few years would I answer, ‘I’m an artist,’ when asked what I do for a living. Yet, I’ve always been an artist at heart. It’s how I see the world—my perspective shapes the stories I bring to life in my art.”

Before embracing my path as an artist, I earned both undergraduate and master’s degrees in accounting, became a CPA, and spent several years in the corporate world. But a transformative time living in San Francisco sparked a shift, inspiring me to pursue my true passion for the arts.

I spent several years in art school studying fashion design and illustration, then explored physical making with a mural business painting kids’ rooms and opened a modern craft studio, Workshop. While blending my business background with creative pursuits, I still felt more like a businessperson than an artist at heart.

My confidence as an artist grew during the pandemic when I read an article on what top artists were doing with their paused time—only two of the eleven featured were women. The journalist noted that some female artists declined due to household and caregiving responsibilities. This fueled my commitment to champion female empowerment, shaping all my work to follow.

In that moment, I set an intention to carve out dedicated studio time, focusing on exploration over output. The next several years became a personal renaissance: I fell in love with creating in 3D, held my first gallery exhibition featuring my genesis NFT collection, Skull Space, presented Joyful Dancer—an animation that celebrates unbound feminine energy—at NFTNYC 2024, and co-founded ARO + STAR.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My dream of creating an apparel brand originated in art school, where I studied textiles and pattern making. I began wearing my t-shirts inside out for the comfort and unconventional style. For 20 years, I envisioned a brand with high-quality, soft fabrics that offered the perfect fit and feel, featuring garments with exposed seams on the outside.

In the early 2000s, I began exploring digital art, and in 2015, I printed my first designs on t-shirts using a friend’s direct-to-garment printer. A few years later, I was wearing only shirts I had designed, including the Reverse tee, with exposed seams to capture that same edgy, inside-out vibe.
ARO + STAR was born during the pandemic when my co-founder, Marla Price—a close friend of over 15 years—and I set out to start a creative business together. Launched in December 2023, the brand was catalyzed by our shared passion for artistic expression and female empowerment. As people began to reenter the world, we saw an opportunity to create an apparel line that blends comfort with style, empowering individuals to express their unique style with confidence and ease.

ARO + STAR values creativity and craftsmanship, offering a collection of stylish, 100% premium cotton pieces proudly made in LA with a commitment to sustainability and social impact. Founder-created art and graphics come to life, focusing on bold icons and empowering messages with an edgy vibe.

ARO + STAR is dedicated to inspiring and empowering women. We believe clothes should make you feel great—inside and out. That’s why we’re proud to partner with The New Hollywood, pledging 1% of our revenue to this incredible organization, which helps create brighter futures for women and their families.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Three Most Important Qualities that were most impactful to my journey:

Gratitude: My personal and professional journey has been shaped by gratitude—for the life experiences that made me who I am, the mentors and community who’ve supported me, and the beauty in the everyday moments that spark my inspiration.

Growth: A growth mindset has guided my transformation from the start, from passing the CPA exam to sitting down at an easel in a figure drawing class. I’ve always loved learning and taking on new challenges. In my art, it’s the process of exploration that inspires me most.

Creativity: Creativity drives my daily life, guiding the choices I make, the paths I follow, and the ideas I bring to life.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

My biggest growth in the last 12 months has been co-founding ARO + STAR and working with an LA factory to build a clothing line from the ground up. From sourcing fabrics and perfecting garment fit and feel to designing art and graphics, my partner and I have tackled each detail involved in creating a brand and building the business behind it.

It’s been a journey of learning, resilience, passion—and gratitude for bringing a dream to life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aroandstar.com https://thehug.xyz/artists/alyse-gamson
• Instagram: @aroandstar @alyseng
• Facebook: aroandstar
• Linkedin: @AlyseGamson
• Twitter: @ang_gallery

Image Credits

Katrina Wittkamp
Monica Kass Rogers