Venezuela is a country where beautiful women reign - but not all beauty comes naturally. An increasing number of Venezuelan women go under the knife each year to achieve the curves they want. With cultural perception over realistic body proportions changing dramatically, mannequins in shop windows have also begun to reflect these outrageous measurements.
Sugar and spice and everything nice, that's what little girls are made of - and so are their toys, or so we are led to believe. With an increasing amount of gender stereotyping plaguing children's playtime, Katie Aske considers if there is still such a thing as a unisex toy?
by Katie Aske
In her investigation of extreme cases of 'beauty' imitation, which included the likes of Toby Sheldon and Valeria Lukyanova, Julie Rubinger uncovered why mimicking another person's image through body modification is not necessarily as eerie as it seems.
The quintessential English trait of sartorial elegance combined with an icon of 1960s swinging London makes for an unique business concept. Andrew Adebowale pays a visit to the company that is taking Savile Row to the people via scooter.
Bow has become one of Dublin's go-to destinations for fashion, both new and vintage, over the last four years. This unique boutique is run by two friends, Wendy Crawford and Margaret O'Rourke, who have successfully united their two separate businesses under one roof.
by Briana Palma
Throughout the years, there have been several cases of notable art pieces reappearing after years of investigation. The implications of these 'treasure hunt' discoveries and the important conversation of 'cultural heritage' were at the forefront of New York City's Annual Conference of The Lawyers' Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation earlier this month.
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.
Cristina reports for The Genteel from Rome. She is a professional freelance journalist with ten years of experience.
Semhar Woldeyesus is writer whose primary reporting interests include design, music and culture.
Erin hails from the San Francisco Bay Area, but has called Madrid home for the last four years.
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.
Amanda is a photographer and writer with a love for travel, fashion, design and adventure.
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.
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".
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."
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.
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.
After a flop at Tiffany & Co., Irene Kim searches out distinctive jewellery gift ideas for the women in your life.
A cultural look at the corset unveils a controversial history. Since its origin in the 1500s, the garment has undergone a radical metamorphosis, blossoming into a revolutionary element of modern day fashion. Whether as underwear or outerwear, the corset is a masterful tool of transformation, which few designers have had the ability, or proclivity, to resist.
NEW YORK - Ashley Gilroy is the radiant journalist-turned-jewellery designer behind the brand, J/Hadley Jewelry.
NEW YORK - Mercedes Delusive in one of my favourite looks of the year thus far.
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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.
