In Conversation with
Gigi Ringel
Model Gigi Ringel exudes a grounded calm—a presence that carries a deliberate, unhurried grace, even in motion. Over the past decade, she has built a life between two worlds: the shifting pace of fashion and the measured stillness of bodywork. In conversation with Maison Ë, she speaks about body, breath, and the subtle rhythms that keep the two in balance.
There is a quiet steadiness and warmth in the way Gigi Ringel speaks—a grounded ease that is apparent during the Maison Ë Winter Fashion Editorial production and that seems to draw from something deeper than the fashion world she inhabits. Ten years into her modeling career, Ringel has found an equilibrium between movement and stillness, between the ephemeral rhythm of travel and the enduring calm of touch, breath, and presence.
Her second profession, as a Zentai Shiatsu practitioner and yoga teacher, began as a way of making sense of constant motion. “When you travel alone, you look for anchors,” she says. “For me, yoga studios became a thread through every city, a way of feeling at home.” What started as a physical practice soon unfolded into a philosophy; an exploration of how body, mind, and the natural world mirror one another.
A Life in Rhythm
Through yoga, Ringel found simplicity—a way to listen more closely to her body’s energy, rhythm, and intuition. That same clarity shapes her work with Zentai Shiatsu, which is rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, Japanese Shiatsu, and Thai massage. “It’s meditation through touch,” she says. “For clients, it can feel like doing yoga without moving. I work with the meridians, stretching, applying pressure, creating mobility. The body tells you what it needs and sometimes it speaks louder than words.”
Together with her business partner Olivia, an acupuncturist, Ringel co-founded a space in Amsterdam that brings different practices under one roof: Shiatsu, breathwork, and eventually, psychology. The aim is not to fix, but to offer direction. “Not everyone processes through talking,” she reflects. “Some do this through the body, some through stillness. We wanted to create a place where people can choose their path, and still feel held within the same walls.”
Gigi Ringel’s Recommendations
- Santani Retreat, Sri LankaAn Ayurvedic retreat center nestled in nature. “It’s the first place I’ve been where hospitality feels like friendship.”
- Byron Bay, AustraliaA place Gigi Ringel tries to visit every year. “A little utopia,” she says. “The energy there is different: calm, creative, connected to the land.”
- Svaha Yoga, AmsterdamHer home studio. “Authentic, communal, alive. When we ask ourselves why we live in Amsterdam, the answer is often: because Svaha is here.”
Freedom of Choice
Modeling remains her primary work. Ringel sees it as a balance of creative expression and grounded livelihood. “I love it,” she says simply. “There’s a misconception that it’s all surface, but when you work with a team that has a vision—a story, a woman they want to portray—it becomes collaboration. You’re part of creating something.”
She distinguishes between the commercial and the creative with a rare sense of peace. “The commercial jobs bring stability, and stability gives space for creativity. I don’t chase; I allow. If a job comes, wonderful. If not, I have this other world that nourishes me.” Now 28, Ringel reflects on the shift that comes with time. “At 17, I was a girl among adults. It was overwhelming, but exciting. Now, I work with people my age, or younger, and there’s lightness. You realize everyone’s just trying to do their best. You learn not to take everything so personally.”
Her definition of luxury echoes her philosophy of balance. “True luxury is freedom—the freedom to shape your own day,” she says. “To listen to what your body and mind need. Whether that’s cleaning your house or walking for hours—it’s that holiday feeling, not because you’re doing nothing, but because you’ve done what you truly wanted.”