Though Isabela Rangel Grutman is unquestionably beautiful, she is more than just a pretty face. The 32-year-old model, entrepreneur, philanthropist, mother, and tastemaker is highly sought-after by companies looking to refine their brands and products for a discerning clientele. One half of a Miami power couple that includes nightclub impresario David Grutman, she is also reportedly a friend to bold-faced names like the Messis and Beckhams.
And there’s absolutely no way she’ll tell you what they’re like behind the scenes. “They know they can trust us,” she says.
Born and raised in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Grutman (née Rangel) is the youngest of three girls born into what she describes as an “old-school” family. The Rangels anticipated that their daughters would become doctors, lawyers, or engineers. Though one of Grutman’s sisters modeled in her teens, nobody expected her to stick with it forever, just as nobody expected Isabela to continue in the profession after she got her own start at age 14.
“My parents thought I would make a little bit of money here and there and would have fun, but then I’d go back to study in a proper college or university before starting my real life,” Grutman recalls, adding that one sister is now an architect and the other is a chef. “I don’t think they thought this would be my life, but it has been for a long time, almost 20 years.”
Grutman took modeling seriously, even in her youth, and would spend three months abroad working, before returning home to study hard and finish her school year. After high school, she moved to South Africa, where she began studying fashion design. Not a lot of young adults would be brave enough to take such a leap, but Isa was not like a lot of young adults.
“I feel like when you’re younger, you’re not so scared,” she says. “You don’t know what’s out there. You don’t really know what things could happen. Right now, I’d be a little more scared to take a big risk like that. But I think because I was young and ambitious and I wanted to grow as a model, I knew that would be the best opportunity possible. And my parents were very supportive, because they knew I was always very serious and very mature.”
Which is not to say this period of her life was without challenges. Grutman was devoted to her fashion design studies, making it difficult to work steadily as a model and pay for her schooling beyond a second year. Initially, she thought she’d pause her schooling, work, and then come back to earn her degree. But offers kept pouring in—she has modeled for Stuart Weitzman, Adidas, and L’Oréal, among other—and Grutman never returned to finish her studies. But she learned a lot, she says, and would carry those ideas with her as she traveled between New York and Paris for work. In 2015, on one of her trips to New York, she met hospitality entrepreneur Grutman at a lounge, and the two fell head over heels in love.
“We started talking, and then we were dating,” she recalls, adding that he used to bring her to business meetings for his Groot Hospitality Group and ask for her input, which he still seeks to this day on properties that include The Goodtime Hotel; the restaurants Swan, Komodo, and Papi Steak; and the nightclub LIV at Fontainebleau.
For the first eight months they were together, Isa traveled back and forth between Miami and New York every weekend. Then David proposed, they married in Wynwood a year after they met, and she moved to Miami full-time. Eight months later, the Grutmans were ready to start a family. Daughters Kaya and Vita followed and changed their perspective on life.
“I thought I loved things, loved people,” Grutman says. “But the love you have for your kids is a different kind of love. It’s an obsession. It changed me as a woman too, because I feel like everything I do has to have an impact on them. They’re watching me. So, I’m very conscious about the way I present myself and the way I do my business, because I want them to be inspired and proud.”
Though both girls are younger than 8 years old, there’s no question that they have a growing sense of what a force their mother is. Before they were born, Grutman became involved in the local philanthropy Style Saves, which provides underprivileged Miami children and their families with school supplies, uniforms, haircuts, meals, and mentorship that can increase their confidence as they head back to school. When she started with Style Saves, it was serving 200 kids a year. Now, it is serving 25,000 people in the community.
“Everywhere I go, I try to find some way to help,” says Grutman, who currently serves as the organization’s vice president. “There’s always so much need, no matter where you go in the world.”
In 2022, she drew upon her fashion design schooling—and her own glamorous life—to launch Rangel, a sustainable clothing line that specializes in resort-style looks that are perfect for the warm weather.
“I think of who the Rangel woman is, and she is always on the go, with work and kids, and then, suddenly she has a lunch to go to,” Grutman says. “She’s a woman who is moving all the time, so she needs something practical, that looks and feels good, but is at the same time presentable and chic.”
The Rangel woman is obviously a woman just like Isa, who says that the line is based on things she likes and wears because that is her brand, after all. It’s why half a million people follow her on Instagram to see what she’s wearing, where she’s traveling, and what products or gadgets she’s using. She’s a woman who errs—and errs well—on the side of simplicity and good taste, so you can always count on her to show you how to look great and live even better.
She is also a woman who knows how to accessorize, which is why she launched a complementary jewelry line called Isa Grutman.
“For me, jewelry is about memories,” she says. “There came a point where I couldn’t really find items that I was looking for, or things that reminded me of my mother or grandmother, so I started making a few pieces and selling them. Now I have a store in the Miami Design District that I’m very happy about, because it’s a better way for people to come and see and understand the brand.”
Grutman’s sense of style has been informed by her extensive travels, she says. She sees her journeys as an investment in herself and her point of view, which is why she is a passionate observer of what people serve at restaurants around the world, how local fashion varies, and what special finds she can unearth at a vintage market far from her home in the 305.
“There are a lot of things that inspire me, even walking around and looking at people,” she says. “Right now, I’m inspired by nature and basics—things that were not created by technology—like owls, which are in my new jewelry collection.”
Great style shouldn’t be complicated, and that extends to hair, which is why Grutman also joined IGK Hair Care as a partner in charge of imaging, content creation, and community growth and engagement. The brand, co-founded by Franck Izquierdo and Aaron Grenia, is full of high-performing products developed for women on the go.
“IGK is a very fun passion project,” Grutman says. “I met the guys a few years ago and loved them and everything they do, so it was really fun when they invited me to be a partner on the brand. I see so much potential in it and feel like I can add so much value with the design of the packaging, their photo shoots, and their product development.”
Packed schedules like Grutman’s benefit from a sense of routine. She’s an early riser who works out for an hour, eats breakfast, and then showers (“it’s a moment for myself”) before heading to work at her Isa Grutman jewelry store in the Miami Design District until 5 or 6 p.m. After that, she heads home to have dinner with her daughters, so she can hear about their day and get them ready for bed. Once the girls are asleep, she and David head out for dinner together before checking on their venues.
“I’m still figuring out the balance,” she admits. “But I have a lot of drive to create the brands and do the nonprofit and all the things I do. They’re doing really well, which I’m happy about, but at the same time, I love being a mom, I love being a wife, I love being with my friends, so I think that’s something I will be focusing on this year.”
However, there will be new collections for Rangel and her jewelry line as well. “I will be designing a lot,” she says. “This is the year that I want to be the most creative. I want to be designing every week and having many new pieces out. And at the same time, I want to get more people to hear about my brand and expand it to different cities in America.”
However the coming year unfolds, there’s no doubt Grutman will be moving through it looking effortlessly en vogue.
What’s In Her Bag
Vintage Hermès Birkin 35: My go-to everyday bag is a vintage Hermès Birkin 35. I love how I’m able to fit everything I need for work, but I still can go for lunch or do errands. It’s timeless and chic—just the way I like everything that I make to be.
Bottega Veneta Intrecciato credit card case: This wallet is small, but it still fits all my cards and some cash. I love shiny things, so when I first saw the silver wallet, I had to have it.
Apple MacBook Air: I always carry my laptop with me for work. I’m much more productive when I open my computer to reply to emails and make payments.
Apple AirPods: I love to listen to music, or for when I’m working remotely and need to get on calls.
IGK Good Behavior Spirulina Protein Smoothing Spray: This is one of my favorites from IGK. It’s an anti-frizz smoothing spray—definitely a must-have with Miami’s weather.
IGK First Class Charcoal Detox Dry Shampoo: This is the best dry shampoo I’ve ever used. It’s perfect for when you need to give your hair a fresher look.
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer: I have been using the same type of concealer for around 12 years. It provides great coverage, but it’s still very lightweight.
Summer Fridays Dream Lip Oil in Blush Dreams: This is my favorite lip oil, not only for its long-lasting tint, but because it also leaves my lips very hydrated.
Mini Wet hairbrush: A hairbrush is a handbag essential for me. It comes in handy whenever I want to brush my frizz away with the Miami humidity.
Lined notebook: My notebook comes with me everywhere. I use it whenever an idea comes to mind, or for any important reminders.
Isa Grutman jewelry pouch: I love carrying my jewelry pouch with me everywhere; it keeps my jewelry pieces safe and organized, and lets me switch up my look, depending on my mood and what I wear.
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