The Working Wardrobe: Grece Ghanem
The term ‘age appropriate’ doesn’t exist in GRECE GHANEM’s vocabulary. Here, the content creator and model, who turns 60 this year, talks to FRANCINE HEATH about ripping up the rulebook and having fun with fashion
On set at the west London location for our shoot, Grece Ghanem is elegantly perched against a sleek marble kitchen island. She’s sipping a black coffee while taking in the interior design around her. Purposefully, the buttery orange chairs and retro blue lamps echo the 59-year-old tastemaker’s well-documented love of color. Neutral walls, a curving staircase and an abundance of natural light reflect her serene demeanor. In this moment, it takes a minute to realize that photography has wrapped and Ghanem has slipped back into her own clothes: a perfectly oversized trench coat, a cream sweater and relaxed blue jeans. Whatever she has modeled throughout the day – from a yellow Bottega Veneta dress draped with chains (her favorite look) to slouchy Loewe denim – the confident way in which Ghanem wears clothes is special; and it’s the reason that 1.6 million Instagram followers are so enamored with her.
“My love of fashion and my curiosity has led me to where I am today,” says Ghanem, revealing that she used to collect fashion magazines as a teenager to keep up with the latest trends and learn about different designers. Fashion also became a lovely way for Ghanem and her daughter to connect. “Whenever we get to travel and spend quality time together, we always have a lot of fun getting dressed up, walking around new places and taking photographs as we explore,” she says. What began as a family hobby – taking a few stylish snaps – became something so much bigger when Cheyenne, Ghanem’s daughter, grew tired of her mother stealing her phone to see what fashion bloggers were posting. Cheyenne set up @greceghanem with the idea of it being a curated feed, allowing Ghanem – who has a master’s degree in microbiology and a certification in personal training – to become a fully-fledged fashion influencer.
Ghanem’s firm point of view is that style has no age. “I really don’t like the word ‘anti-aging’ because it is very graceful to age. Your beauty doesn’t disappear as you get older, it just changes and evolves,” she insists. For Ghanem, who likes her trademark silver bob to look undone and wears little more than a sweep of mascara and lipstick, age is not a taboo and there should be no hard-and-fast rules around what is appropriate to wear. “I consider style to be personality-related, and I believe that you cannot be truly stylish if you lack self-confidence,” she shares. “You can be trendy and wear absolutely any piece if you feel comfortable in your own skin. Clothing can give you strength, but ultimately it should make you happy.”
Read on to discover more of Ghanem’s thoughts on personal style, and her tips for fearlessly playing with print and color.
Invest in quality
“Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga and Acne Studios are some of my favorite brands because they each symbolize quality, timelessness and practicality. I like how I can find something empowering in each of their collections – usually something with big shoulders, or a silhouette that accentuates my waist. I turn to these names for their level of craftsmanship. When I’m buying a new piece, I always turn it inside out to see the finishing.”
“I have clothes in my wardrobe that are 25 years old, and I still wear them now… Eventually, I want my pieces to be passed down through generations – and for my daughter and grandchildren to be able to wear them
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Give your clothes a second life
“When it comes to clothes, I don’t throw – I keep. I have clothes in my wardrobe that are 25 years old, and I still wear them now. Some of them hold great memories and some are souvenirs. Eventually, I want my pieces to be passed down through generations – and for my daughter and grandchildren to be able to wear them. To achieve this, whatever I buy doesn’t necessarily have to be classical, but it should have a basic structure. It should accentuate my femininity in a way that’s strong. When I was younger, I didn’t think about timelessness as much, but I have always had an eye for quality. Now I’m older, I try to shop consciously, as I understand more about sustainability, the environment and the risks for our future. Anything I buy, new or vintage, should be able to be worn in so many ways – for daytime, night-time and different occasions.”
“To me, style is a form of self-expression. Choosing what to wear comes very naturally, and I think of my style as ‘basic with a twist’
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Don’t be a copycat
“To me, style is a form of self-expression. Choosing what to wear comes very naturally, and I think of my style as ‘basic with a twist’. I often mix contemporary pieces with vintage, or masculine with feminine – and the reason it always looks effortless is because I don’t have to put too much thought into it. Sometimes, my audience reaches out to me on Instagram for advice, asking for tips on what to wear for a wedding or an important meeting. I give them tips, but they’re general notes and guidance because fashion is not a copycat thing. I would need to know their character and their personality to be able to give them better advice.”
Dress in color
“Color is a good booster for energy. It’s fun and can make you feel happy – or even make you reflect when you’re already feeling happy. Green is one of my favorite shades, because nature is one of my biggest inspirations and I draw a lot of strength from it. I also love animal prints and checks. Often, I wear colors and prints together because that’s my personal style, but I always want to be relatable. Sometimes, people see what I’m wearing and think it’s only me who can pull off that look. My advice to them is always the same: try it. Don’t judge an item of clothing until you’ve put it on and seen how you feel in it. More importantly, don’t be afraid to experiment.”
“Often, I wear colors and prints together because that’s my personal style, but I always want to be relatable
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Focus on one key piece
“When I’m getting dressed for fashion week, there might be a certain item that I want to make the centerpiece, so I keep everything else subtle. Even though I always look forward to Bottega Veneta’s shows because it’s like living art, my best fashion week is Copenhagen. It’s there where you can see real fashion and spot so many people wearing the same pieces but in different ways. It always inspires me. A memorable Copenhagen Fashion Week moment for me was when I walked the Rotate Birger Christensen runway. When you’re an attendee, the show passes so quickly; but when you are a model, you get to see just how much work is behind it – it’s a really nice experience.”
Know your essentials
“If I must name three wardrobe essentials, I would start with a very good coat. Whether it’s a trench coat or something cashmere – you put it on and it’s a staple piece by itself. Something else that I couldn’t be without in my wardrobe is denim, because it’s easy to style, elevated and effortless. I’ll go with sunglasses as my third item, but I’d like to add that I never finish my look without a spritz of perfume. I love Tom Ford’s fragrances because they’re just so feminine.”
“Don’t judge an item of clothing until you’ve put it on and seen how you feel in it. More importantly, don’t be afraid to experiment
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Find your inspiration
“My style icon is Iris Apfel. She presents her own take on fashion and style with playfulness, and in a way that connects to her childhood. I relate to the way she mixes bold shades and patterns together without feeling afraid – there are no rules! My grandmother was also an inspiration to me. I would go into her wardrobe often and try on her clothes, accessories and necklaces. She always looked very elegant, even in the kitchen. I remember her embroidered aprons that were always clean, neat and in nice colors. They even accentuated her silhouette.”