In a bid to win hearts (and votes), Parisian politician Natalie Kosciusko-Morizet has published proposals to revamp the city's abandoned railway stations if she is elected mayor later this month. Speaking with Manal Rachdi, one of the local architects behind the designs, Elizabeth Neep discovers how the neglected underground stations may soon become the hottest go-to destination.
It is often said that "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder", and yet rarely does society live up to this adage. With the billions spent globally on cosmetics each year in our attempts to recreate modern ideals of beauty, Katie Aske wonders how much we actually understand about the concept of beauty and how it ought to be redefined moving forwards.
by Katie Aske
In the final instalment of her look Beyond Central Saint Martins, Elizabeth Neep explores how the demanding expectations at ESMOD Berlin push its students to achieve their creative potential whilst upholding the ESMOD community's world-renowned reputation.
Graffiti duo Mint&Serf are back at it, spraying and tagging their message of #ANTIPOP in a new exhibit at New York's Bleecker Street Arts Club. But as Semmi W. came to find out, tolerating the unapologetic complexity of their work is an art form unto itself.
by Semmi W.
In a world producing waste like it is going out of fashion, Ireland's Junk Kouture competition seeks to inspire and educate the nation's youth by challenging them to recycle trash into trends. Elizabeth Neep speaks with competition creator, Elizabeth Curran, and panel judge member, Tracy Fahey, about Junk Kouture's potential to prompt a recycling revolution.
For the past year, Porter - the first print publication from online luxury retail giant Net-a-Porter.com - has been causing ripples across the industry. The glossy consumer publication finally hit British newsstands last week. Grace Carter wonders whether anything new is really being offered to readers within its pages
by Grace Carter
Alina is the editor of frank by The Genteel, freelance writer and occasional portrait painter.
Mona is founder and CEO of Geeky Chic, Inc. and Editor in Chief of The Genteel.
David is an East to West coast Canadian currently skulking through the streets of Vancouver.
Chere contributes lifestyle editorial to The Genteel from Paris.
Semhar Woldeyesus is writer whose primary reporting interests include design, music and culture.
Cristina reports for The Genteel from Rome. She is a professional freelance journalist with ten years of experience.
Grace is Associate Editor at The Genteel and a contributing writer from London, where she has recently graduated with a First-Class degree in English from Loughborough University.
Erin hails from the San Francisco Bay Area, but has called Madrid home for the last four years.
Amanda is a photographer and writer with a love for travel, fashion, design and adventure.
How do high-end designers and fashion houses influence the collections of high street brands? Why do many low-priced pieces look strikingly similar to last season's designer-wear? David Walmsley sheds light on these questions by discussing several permutations of the "trickle-down theory".
Alina Kulesh speaks with Oscar-nominated costume designer, Jacqueline Durran, the creative mastermind behind Pride & Prejudice (2005), Atonement (2005) and now Joe Wright's upcoming film, Anna Karenina. Durran's designs had to reflect Wright's expressionistic and experimental directorial vision - and the result is a stunning blend of two centuries.
Mumbai's Dharavi area is famous for being one of the biggest slums in Asia (and the setting of Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire). But do you know about its thriving leather handbag industry?
What can you do with a bottle of wine? Enjoy a glass at a party, add a splash to your cooking - and make a dress from it? With the Micro'be' project, researchers from the University of Western Australia have been growing fabric from wine. Cristina Fei talks to scientist Gary Cass about the benefits and disadvantages of "fermented fashion."
E-commerce shopping websites, along with bigger retailers, are exploring new ways of connecting with their customers, ways that seem to transcend traditional editorial models. Paul Aguirre-Livingston explores the next incarnations of the mail-order catalogue.
William Morris: renowned textile designer of the late-nineteenth century, founder of the Arts and Crafts movement, fan of Gothic architecture, Renaissance man - and now an artistic influence at New York fashion week. Alex Korchynski observes as Morris's work comes full circle.
After a flop at Tiffany & Co., Irene Kim searches out distinctive jewellery gift ideas for the women in your life.
Paul Aguirre-Livingston jumps into the ring to tackle the biggest issues facing fashion bloggers today: from compensation and collaboration to defining the blogger's role within the ever-evolving blogging industry.
Parisian women have long been regarded as the ultimate symbols of elegance and chic. But is this, in fact, a reality? Photographer Baudouin (yes, a one name wonder) sets out to uncover the world of Parisian women, resulting in the eclectic photo series, 75 Parisiennes.
Couture designers will go to great lengths to tell a story. On the runway, sky-high heels routinely help deliver whimsical plotlines - no matter how impractical they appear. Meanwhile, outrageous, experimental archetypes are elevating street style around the world. But could you withstand the pain?
F. Scott Fitzgerald, Vladimir Nabokov, Jackson Pollock, Alfred Hitchcock and Man Ray: men who have shaped the arts in the 20th century. But look closely at their shadows, and you'll see their unsung partners, better halves, and, in many cases, worst enemies - in female form.
When we consider the tumultuous time of World War I (WWI), our thoughts naturally gravitate towards the grief and conflict that plagued the lives of those involved. But what has yet to be universally noted is that the war also brought one of the most fruitful art movements of our time.
With the recent release of the Yves Saint Laurent biopic we reflect on the brand of today with this video promotion of Saint Laurent's new ballet shoe.
Sign up to receive a weekly dispatch from The Genteel.
The Genteel unearths the forces shaping global fashion and design through the lens of business, culture, society and best kept secrets.
A worldwide collective of contributors currently form The Genteel. On a daily basis our team dispatches thought-provoking and insightful articles from the streets of Oslo, Toronto, Beirut, Moscow, United Arab Emirates, Seoul and beyond.
