Multifaceted Style ft. The Modern Jetsetter

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Kortney Gruenwald, known to her fans as The Modern Jetsetter, lives a life the likes of which, many of us can only dream. Her blog and Instagram feed chronicle her many travels and adventures through some of the most beautiful and exciting places in the world. All executed of course in the lap of luxury and with the utmost style.

Multifaceted Style ft. The Modern Jetsetter

Visiting so many magnificent and sunny places means that an indispensable part of her wardrobe is of course a pair of sunglasses, which she chooses to complete her look. Don’t be misled by her modern image though, Kortney pays her dues to the past, and her style is a balanced blend of contemporary and classic.

We sat down with Kortney to coax out some exclusive tips from her and to get a bit of insight into the world ‘behind the scenes’ of The Modern Jetsetter.

Can you tell us a little bit about what you were doing before you started The Modern Jetsetter. What inspired you to create a blog and how has it transformed your career?

Absolutely – I was working as an international editor for a major German publisher for nearly two years before I launched The Modern Jetsetter. It was my first job after completing my journalism degree at the University. I spent my days creating editorial and social media strategies and building up amazing inspiring publications for English-speaking markets. While it was an incredible experience to which I accredit a huge stake of my media knowledge, I had that entrepreneurial fire inside of me.

I secretly (don’t tell my boss) spent my lunch breaks and every spare minute planning how to combine my three greatest passions – writing, travel and fashion – into my own publication and brand. And so, The Modern Jetsetter was born. I put in my notice and haven’t looked back – and never will.

Multifaceted Style ft. The Modern Jetsetter

“The satisfaction of owning your own brand and channeling all creativity and burning ambition into building an audience you love and sharing content you believe in – there is nothing more satisfying and this fulfillment has completely transformed my career. What started as a blog idea has grown into the goal of becoming an internationally recognized travel and lifestyle brand for millennials.”

There must be many ups and downs of blogging as a career – luxurious hotels, exclusive events and delicious foods meshed together with stressful deadlines, sleepless nights and creativity lulls…

Can you tell us what you consider as the greatest satisfaction of being a fashion blogger as well as the biggest challenge you have faced since you started your style blog?

That sounds on point – especially with the sleepless nights and deadlines bit! The greatest satisfaction is connecting with my audience and inspiring them to step back and reconsider how they define the world living. There is an unhealthy notion in the world that traveling and feeling good about your style is a luxury, not a right. I thrive on inspiring women of all ages to realize that they not only can have the jetsetting global life they dream of (and look lovely while doing it), they absolutely deserve it.

Multifaceted Style ft. The Modern Jetsetter

The greatest challenge was realizing I needed to build a fortress around my confidence and never letting anything touch it again. It’s very easy to become discouraged – especially at the beginning of a blogging career – by the flood of competition and other bloggers who have a bigger audience than you. Once I realized that nobody could match my unique direction and vision – and more importantly, that my vision was true and had sustainable inspiration not just for today, but in decades from now – my confidence became a steady stream of fuel.

When you hear the phrase “style icon” who comes to mind? I know I do, and most of my friends, have our own style icons that we are always checking up on when we want to change up our look or try something new. Can you describe your own personal style and is there a person who is a fashion inspiration to you?

My personal style can best be described as European (I love the fashion designers here), preppy and classic. I’ve eliminated black out of my wardrobe, so it’s always bright and colourful. I don’t believe in looking to any one person for style inspiration, as personal style itself is multifaceted and that inspiration stream comes from many directions (hopefully The Modern Jetsetter included – mandatory winky emoji). I myself have a few style icons I always turn to when needing to orient my style.

Multifaceted Style ft. The Modern JetsetterIt starts with my Italian grandmother – who taught me that looking stylish has everything to do with posture and how you carry yourself. She also taught me that quality over quantity is everything when it comes to the wardrobe.

My vintage icon is Sophia Loren – she not only worked Italian fashion (my favorite) to perfection, but also made it publically known that it’s OK to eat pasta and confidently wear tight dresses, too. A mantra I’m 100% on board with.

Multifaceted Style ft. The Modern Jetsetter

My modern icon is (don’t listen, Kimye) Taylor Swift – not only does she have impeccable style and grace, but she is an incredible business woman, philanthropist and inspiration to young women and never for a moment undresses for that hugely influential part.

We know you are a huge fan of Gucci, after featuring many on your blog in collaboration with VisionDirect. Can you tell us why you chose this brand in particular? How do you feel about eyewear in general and would you say that glasses are the finishing touch to any outfit or is there a certain time and place to wear them?

I love Italian fashion and truly believe it’s the creative summit of European design – along with France, of course. Eyewear is critical for me and I don’t leave home without a pair of sunnies on– even in winter, rain or cloud coverage! Not only are sunglasses the finishing touch to any fashion girl’s outfit, but they’re accessory BFFs to those who want to avoid eye wrinkles caused by sun damage. A lesson I learned growing up on the west coast of the USA, where the sun is always shining.

Everyone has their own personal taste in eyewear – can you tell us a bit about yours? What are your go-to shapes, colours and brands? Do you usually stick to the safe choices or do you ever buy something a little crazy just to give it a try?

When it comes to sunglasses my taste gravitates toward classic and vintage shapes – aviators are gorgeous but don’t work on me! I love looking to vintage starlets for that inspiration – Audrey Hepburn, Jackie O., Rita Hayworth. When it comes to colour, I tend to stick to three kinds in my sunglasses wardrobe at all times: black, brown and a vibrant fun shade. When it comes to the brand, Italian designers are everything.

Multifaceted Style ft. The Modern Jetsetter

Multifaceted Style ft. The Modern JetsetterAs you are so in-tune with the fashion world, do you have any thoughts as to what eyewear trends we can expect to see this Winter and next Spring/Summer?

I don’t think we’ll see aviators disappear anytime soon but we’ll see plenty of round shapes and 70s inspired looks, as well as a more risque colour takes on the classics.

7th Jetsetter

And just a few questions for fun…

It’s 4am on a Saturday night and you’ve just returned from a social event with your friends… You’re exhausted but starving! What would you eat to satisfy your late night cravings?

Sticking to a healthy lifestyle and diet is so important, especially when traveling and always needing to feel my Instagram-ready best. With that said, I’m human and dark chocolate (at least half the bar) and pizza (usually whole) is always my go-to comfort food late at night.

Do you have any weird or unique interests/hobbies/talents that your fans may be surprised to discover about you?

I absolutely love baking when I have the time and am at home. I believe one of the best ways to learn about a culture is through its desserts, so wherever I travel to, I find a sweet treat I love and try to recreate at home — it’s only ended in a small kitchen fire two times, so I consider that a talent.

And we saw you are a Jetsetter– where is your favourite travel destination so far?

It’s hard to pick so I’ll give you two. Italy is always tops my list. It’s such a diversely gorgeous country and each city and tiny town has a unique and vibrant culture to it. Italy is truly an entire universe within itself. I also just returned from Croatia and fell absolutely in love with it – the beaches are out of this world stunning and I think in the coming years it will become Europe’s most-traveled to destination.

You can find out more about Kortney and her lush lifestyle by following her blog here and her Instagram account here. To match her style with some Gucci sunglasses you can search here or if you are inspired to look for another style icon, have a look at our celebrity spotter here.

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