The Genteel is launched!!
It is with great pleasure and tremendous excitement that we announce the launch of our online fashion and design magazine, The Genteel ( www.thegenteel.com ). It’s almost hard to believe we’re finally here. We have come a very long way in such a short amount of time. My partner, Irene, and I have worked very hard to create a product that is founded on our deep passion for fashion, journalism and life! And here we are, curtains drawn back. We could not be more thrilled and proud of our baby.
This online magazine is the definitive source for informed men and women such as yourselves, who desire global, in-depth, and intelligent stories on fashion and design.
We could not have done it alone. Our global team of contributors shape The Genteel. On a daily basis, the publication dispatches thought-provoking and insightful articles from the streets of Oslo, Toronto, Beirut, Moscow, United Arab Emirates, Seoul and beyond. Today a contributor from Tokyo joins us!
I always said that The Genteel is to be viewed as a fashionable “Economist” publication. Our daily bulletin includes stories told through the lens of Business, Culture, Society, Design, Best Kept Secrets, Commentary and Street Style.
At this point I invite you to visit The Genteel [ www.thegenteel.com ] and enjoy a new perspective on global fashion and design. We also encourage you to “Like” our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/TheGenteelMagazine and follow us on Twitter @thegenteel as we will be promoting stories as they come in.
Sincerely yours,
Mona Chammas
Editor-in-Chief, The Genteel
On turning 30: A tipping point
Today I turned 30, and while I’ve knowingly beaten that fact into most of your heads, it’s a monumental age for me for so many reasons. When I was but a youngling I would often gaze out the window of my overly cramped and tiny school bus wondering what it would be like to be 30. I also had this provoking sensation that I was meant to do something tremendous. I felt different as a child, and obviously I didn’t know what that meant at the time or what it would translate to. All I knew is that I did that weird thing in the bus when I would just shut you out, peer out and wonder about my life. I guess that’s not such an uncommon thing to do when you’re a kid who’s insanely introverted. Nevertheless, I felt different and at times was labeled weird, which in retrospect is a compliment.
Little did I know when I was 11 or so that whatever that feeling of being different was would ALL unfold in my 20s. In light of this, I’d like to dedicate some time to virtually pen an ode to my 20s. Oh, 20s. You have been so harsh and so kind. You gave me my first experience away from my parents, far, FAR away at 21. You made an independent out of me. You outed me to my family at 22. You gave me my first, honest relationship the same year. It ended in turmoil. The next one ended similarly, and so did the one after that. Good times! You also taught me to love deeply for the first time, and so on. You made me move to 4 different cities across oceans, on my own, and to move homes 8 times. You taught me to get far, very quickly. I got hired a WHOLE bunch of times, and got fired once. You taught me to follow my dreams, by starting a business, which brings me passion and happiness beyond what I thought would be the case when I was 11, contemplating 30.
Want to know why else turning 30 is momentous? I’ll tell you. When I was 11, I was petrified of my father. Those of you who grew up with me in that sleepy island of Cyprus know how scary he was when he would yell at us from within his bedroom that overlooked the pool, where we would jump and splash around, for disturbing his daily siesta. At 20 I was distant from him, and he from me. There was love for sure, but distance undoubtedly. I remember one day in my early 20s I made fun of my father for sticking to archaic ways of running his publishing business. I wanted him to go digital, and he just didn’t get it. So what he proposed instead was for me to run his publishing house using technology to evolve and innovate. How do you think I responded to that proposition? Yep, I dismissed the idea before it could settle. My father always peppered in the notion of me becoming a journalist when I was younger. I said no. He offered me his publishing company based on in depth reporting on oil economy and country risk profiling in the Middle East. I said, hell no! And now, my friends, I am 30. My father and I have never been this close. I am also the owner and CEO of a publishing company. I am the Editor-in-Chief of a global online fashion magazine to be launched late September. Have I come full circle? Perhaps. What I do know is I ran away from something my father put in front of me for 28 years, until that one pivotal year in which I yielded. In fact, I came to what seemed most natural to me on my very own, in my very own way. I’ve never felt more connected to my Dad even though we don’t speak regularly. You know what? I’ve never felt more connected to myself.
So, yes, turning 30 is momentous and I plan on milking it for as much as it’s worth. Here’s to an epic 30 years ahead! I truly love and cherish all who have supported me on my journey to get here.
Yours,
Mona…
Your daughter
Your friend
Your colleague
Your Editor-in-Chief
Your sister
Your cousin
You aunt
Your CEO
Your future girlfriend
Your future wife
1 year ago
Heidi, who works at the Ralph Lauren store in Soho, New York, was just too good to miss. So much to the fact that I pulled her outside for a quick photo opp and a chat. Her all encompassing Ralph Lauren outfit was resplendent in detail and geo-era influences. I mean look at the dress. The detailed patchwork reminded me of an art canvas, where material replaces paint, and an amazing melange of colour and texture comes to life. It’s worth noting that each patch was made individually and then combined. Such inspired work by Ralph Lauren, whose vision for this dress rise from Indochine.
What’s great about Heidi’s style is the range she’s chosen to wear from Ralph Lauren. Often is the case that sales clerks from boutiques bear a homogenous look from the brand they represent. Not Heidi, though. She’s managed to unite both the orient and Lauren’s wild west styles with the denim jacket, vintage cowgirl shoes and belt from Lauren’s runway collection. Sublime.
Toronto Street Style: A Saga of Girl Crushes
Like Mona, I have had my share of girl crushes before, but have you ever had a family crush? You know, where you have had to think twice about breaking-up with an ex because you would have missed his/her kin? Melissa and I spotted Stefanie and her family (mother, father, aunt and uncle) taking a stroll on a hot Sunday afternoon in Toronto. We started chatting, and as it turns out, all are involved in the arts in one way or another - actors, interior designers, screenwriters.They were all very warm, the ladies very fashionable (sorry dad!) and also very supportive of our upcoming magazine, The Genteel!
Naturally, creative expression runs through Stefanie’s veins – she studies fashion design, shuffling between Toronto and Paris to learn and develop her craft. She looked positively angelic in a radiant summer white dress, with a chic gamine cut to match! Her pop of colour a la clutch and scarf completed her look perfectly. Stefanie, I am looking forward to following your work!
Writing by Irene Kim, photos by Melissa Sung
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The Goods:
Dress, Line
Shoes, Aldo (not shown)
Bag, Louis Vuitton
Scarf, Ted Baker
Sunglasses, Ray-ban
Ever spot someone and wish you two were friends? When I saw Nicole and spoke to her for 2 minutes, I did. Park for a second the fact that her rocker chic aesthetic and her magnificent jawline are totally disarming. It’s that she looks like she can own a game changing night out on the town, and one should be so lucky to join the ride.
Alright, style talk. I seldom use the word fierce, wary of sounding like a clichéd fashion writer, though I will make an exception this time because the occasion is so fitting. Nicole does indeed look, ahem, fierce, and I will attribute it beyond those avant garde Rick Owens ankle boots. There’s an appreciable effect in looking grand in an oversized black t-shirt and black leggings. Indeed, the boots certainly add that edge, however her overall style is that much more pronounced by the entire package, Nicole 360 if you will. I love Nicole’s look. It’s so, “I don’t give a shit”. I think women who can pull that off and look this good deserve a hat tip.
I’ll be in New York this weekend, and in anticipation of the trip, I’ve decided to rummage through photos I took during New York Fashion Week. There are a handful left I have not published, and I owe them due attention. Like this photo, for example.
The unfortunate thing about sub zero winters is that dreaded winter coat. If you are of the sensible variety during winter, you’ll know what i’m talking about. Glorious looking or not, the coat hides all that style you wish you could show off without freezing your behind off.
What this young gentleman achieves through smart layering is a proper reveal of his outfit. He’s made small, yet significant styling choices such as tying his jacket with a nondescript belt, as if it was a curtain opened just wide enough to check out the goods beyond. The comfy red velvet scarf is such a chic touch to the academia look cued by the leather belt, attache and the moccasin boots.
Miguel Correia, PR intern, writer and fashion enthusiast, charmed us at first sight. His gorgeous smile had me giggling (inside) like a school girl. As we started talking, my internal giggles subsided and evolved into respect. It was exciting to speak with Miguel because I sensed that he had a genuine excitement for fashion and that he was working hard in pursuing his passions. Miguel is certainly busy - he is currently a PR student, interning with fashion label, Kavi Kavi, and at Salim Remix Clothing, a Toronto-based consignment shop and working at Over The Rainbow, Toronto’s go-to for jeans. It takes a lot of heart, soul and sweat to succeed in the fashion industry (and any industry, for that matter), and Miguel seems well on his way.
Miguel described his style as simple but current. His wardrobe is full of pieces that don’t go out of style and, in some cases, which he has been collecting for years. One really can’t get more classic than a pair of jeans and a gray t-shirt. Yet, we loved how modern his look was, owing to the cut of his clothes, the resulting silhouette and of course, his disarming smile.
Story by Irene Kim. Photo by Melissa Sung.
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The Goods:
Top, H&M
Jeans, Nudie’s
Shoes, TOMS
Annie looks positively 60s summer chic in her Diane von Furstenberg plaid dress. All that’s missing is a scarf wrapped around her hair and we’re good to include this red lipped beauty in a segment of Mad Men. The setting is seemingly fitting given that Annie works in Toronto’s own Mad Men-esque hub, Bloor and Bay street, where advertising agencies line up, or stack up I should say, like homes on tree lined streets in suburbia. The dress, made by the doyenne of dresses, is one in which I am mad about. It’s simple, yet ultra feminine, perhaps because it is evocative of a time where women were meant to be perfect wives and beautiful lovers at the same time.
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The Goods:
Dress, Diane von Furstenberg
Toronto Street Style: Striking Style Inspired by Unlikely Coupling
Make-up artist Ashley Lovsin is a photographer’s dream - striking, stylish and a radiant spirit to boot. First, her hair. I have always appreciated a great short cut on a woman and looking at Ashley, how could one not appreciate it too? The cut highlights her features and captures her personality beautifully. She has done many variations of the short cut in the past, and this one in particular was inspired by an unlikely coupling. The side shave was inspired by talented Swedish pop star, Robyn (“doing amazing things these days!”), and the platinum white by the dignified elegance of ladies of a certain age. I love hearing from where people draw their style inspiration as it reminds me that inspiration can literally come from anywhere.
As for her outfit, Ashley’s black could very well have been white. The combination of sheer materials and delicate details resulted in a feel that was far from somber, but rather sweet and light!
But, even Ashley, with her bold style, feels security with a little length on top of her head. I understand where Ashley is coming from, but I say to go with whatever she wants - her instincts are right on!
Story by Irene Kim, photos by Melissa Sung
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The Goods:
Top, Sirens
Skirt, Value Village ($2.99!)
Shoes, Spring
Workwear Revival 
This is exciting! I have been published in the Toronto Standard! Please check out the article by clicking on the title above, and let me know what you think. This is a big feat for me because I am a loyal reader and fan of the Toronto Standard. The writing that comes out of that publication always amazes me. I’m so honored to be a published writer there!
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