Hello Everyone! It certainly has been a while, but I am back with an exciting announcement that I have moved to Geneva, Switzerland with the partner and the kitty… Permanently! If you’ve been following my blog for a bit now, you already know that I was living in Cannes, France and that I moved from the United States. While the experience in Cannes was incredible, I wasn’t truly happy there. I consider Cannes/Monaco like a fun spot to vacation in, but living there? It gets very superficial very quick. While I love fashion and luxury, it’s exhausting to see it flaunted in front of your face day in and day out. And can I be honest? It made me be a bit repulsed by the whole industry, especially after having worked for a luxury fashion house in Cannes. More to come on that in the future!
Why Geneva?
So, why Geneva? While there are many reasons, the biggest would have to be the safety and work/life balance. It’s unmatched. In terms of what we all love on this blog… Geneva does have it’s fair share of luxury! But it truly is an old money aesthetic, and not the ridiculous trends you see on TikTok! This is the real deal, guys. However, even though that was my niche I have decided to hang up my personal stylist hat and venture back into finance. This is another reason why Geneva was the obvious choice as it is a finance hub. I know, I KNOW! Major changes, right?
The best way to describe it would be that fashion is my hobby. I love watching runways, seeing the new trends, watching documentaries on the evolution of fashion and great fashion icons, and, of course, shopping. However, my passion lies in finance; my whole career in the States was centered around a major Fortune 500 bank and that’s what I missed. Working in luxury fashion as an entrepreneur and an employee for Gucci made me almost lose my love for fashion! I certainly look at it with a different eye now that I know how the industry works. Let me know if you’re interested in learning more about that!
Geneva Details
Geneva itself is a gorgeous city with old buildings that are very well maintained, a very international population, very clean and safe streets, excellent public transport, and the most amazing chocolate and fondue ever. The locals are quite kept to themselves, but the expats are very friendly and there are many networking and socializing events happening if you know where to look. However, it is EXPENSIVE. Let me tell you! The salaries do line up with the cost of living, but it’s tough on a non-Swiss salary. Even as an American, you’d have to be upper middle class at the very least to truly enjoy yourself here on vacation. For example, buying a pair of Louboutins in France VS Switzerland will save you about a hundred Euros! Switzerland is not part of the EU, so not only do we deal with importation fees on goods, but also the currency difference with the Swiss Franc and trust me, you feel it very quickly.
And The Fashion in Geneva?!
In terms of fashion, I’ve already noticed some common themes here. The Swiss prefer neutrals and high-quality fabrics. You don’t often see bright, flashy logos and rainbow-colored outfits. The most logos you will see will be the occasional Gucci GG or Hermes H belt buckle or a logo scarf. It’s really quite subtle. As an example, I have a gorgeous bright blue Versace La Medusa purse. I’ve decided to sell it as it’s not really my style (I want the black and gold version), and I am struggling. Second-hand luxury stores are bountiful in Geneva and they’ve all told me it’ll be very hard to sell because the color isn’t what the Swiss look for! It’s very much a French Riviera bag. Speaking of which, the most color you’ll see in these luxury second-hand stores is red and maybe a dark blue! It’s a massive change from the bright and bold colors of the south of France.
Even the clothes displayed in the luxury boutiques are discreet. You won’t see Versace’s iconic baroque front and center or Gucci’s GG prints in the window. I can imagine that Alessandro Michele’s Gucci didn’t do too well in Geneva, but Sabato De Sarno may have success due to his more quiet, classic take on the brand. Where you do see wealth exposed is in the form of watches and fine jewelry. While nothing is gaudy, it certainly looks expensive. Personally, I love this – this was the type of style and luxury that I loved before moving to Cannes and I cannot wait to re-discover that part of me again.
What Now?
So, what can you expect from me in the future? I will continue the fashion tips and tricks, luxury reviews (within reason because we don’t want over-consumption!), and a focus on fashion at the office. I may add in some travel and beauty here and there, too. My goal is to continue giving you honest advice, inspire fun looks, and promote sustainability and the capsule wardrobe concept, just like what I did with my personal styling business!
I look forward to starting this new journey and I hope you’ll join me! In the mean time, be sure to check out the last blog post I did on Styling Summer Dresses so you’re ready for the upcoming season! I’ll have new fashion posts out for you soon, I promise. 🙂
Outfit Details:
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XO, Tess
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