Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE EDSON (STORE); JOE CORRIGAN/GETTY IMAGES (RAY); SETH OLENICK (DRESS) RIGHT: Gretta Luxe showcases top international fashion labels along with handpicked accessories. But of course Monahan knew that there were scores of sophisticated Bostonians hungering for upscale fashion haunts and spas all along; it's been the cornerstone of her incredible success. She displayed an early penchant for style even as a child in Cambridge. "I was always one of those kids who was trying to sew something or cut someone's hair," she says with a laugh. It was her skill as a hairstylist that launched her career. In part to satisfy her own desire for modern styles and services (not to mention that of other fashionable women in Boston) she opened the salon Grettacole in 1995, bringing "a little bit of New York and growing it in Boston," she says. ABOVE: Gretta Monahan is a regular While Monahan was behind fashion and beauty contributor to Rachael Ray's daily TV show. the chair as a hairdresser in her own salon, many of her clients clamored for her spot-on style advice as much as they adored her coiffure expertise. "People would say, 'Hey, I have a bar mitzvah or a charity event that I want to get dressed for," she recalls. "'I know you love to do that, and you always give me advice. Can you help me find clothing so I can be dressed appropriately?'" After a year and a half of scouring Boston and sometimes New York for the perfect pieces for clients, Monahan realized it would be far more expedient to open her own boutique; she flung open the doors of Gretta Luxe in 2001. "All those brands I was shopping for, I ended up putting in my store," she says. Top sellers today include heavyweights like Phillip Lim, Balenciaga, and Proenza Schouler. As one of the top arbiters of style in Boston, it wasn't long before Monahan was invited by TV shows like The View to share her insight in front of a national audience. From these appearances she caught the eye of the producers at The Rachael Ray show, who invited her on as a fashion and beauty contributor. "I've been a member of that show for eight seasons now, which is unbelievable," Monahan says. "I never in a million years thought it would turn out to be part of my career." Monahan can now add author to her already impressive list of accomplishments. "It's an accumulation of my life experiences, both personally and professionally," she says about Style and the Successful Girl. "I run a very "I run a very highend business in Boston, but I also work on TV helping women on every budget." —GRETTA MONAHAN high-end business in Boston, but I also work on TV helping women on every budget." The impetus behind Monahan's book is similar to that of her first boutique: a lack of product in the marketplace. "I often heard that you can have style at any budget, but I don't always see people telling you how to do it. I wanted to accomplish that," she says. Hewing close to her roots in Boston, Monahan features many local ladies in the pages of Style. "I used women with real-life success stories in terms of how they transformed their style," she explains. While some of Monahan's editors described her book as the modern How to Dress for Success, she's quick to point out how far women have come since Edith Head's influential work of 1967. "That book wasn't really geared toward career women or moms who work. I wanted to show how it really is now and how [your career] affects your style in a big way." If that's what Monahan is after, it's no doubt she'll find even more success. Gretta Luxe, 94 Central St., Wellesley, 781-237-7010; grettaluxe.com BC Tweed placket dress, Proenza Schouler ($2,990). BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM 102-103_BC_SS_StyleSetter_Holiday_13.indd 103 103 10/31/13 5:46 PM