Find out how Stephanie, a career woman and mother of one, finds substance in style
Tatler Asia

Stephanie Kienle-Gonzalez is a busy woman. As the head of sales and marketing for Philux—her family’s furniture business—she is always on the go, shuttling from one end of the city to another on a regular basis. Today, she has found 45 minutes of free time for her to get a pedicure before our interview, and though she is just dressed in white linen shorts, a Harlan+Holden top, and flip-flops, she still looks glamorous and effortlessly put together. It’s difficult for Stephanie to carve out time for herself, but she takes it all in her stride. “As someone who manages people, you need to be strong, because it’s always three steps forward, two steps back. It’s never a happy fairy tale, but you just need to be positive.”

Tatler Asia

When did you start having an awareness of style?

My earliest memory would probably be watching my mother dress up before going to parties or dates with my dad. As a young girl, I was very curious as to what she would do to prepare, and it was also kind of like our bonding time. I would hang around her vanity and talk to her while she would get ready and just watch that whole process.

Growing up with such a glamorous mum [Zelda Kienle], did you ever feel any pressure to be like her?

Up to this day I look up t o my mum, who is just as beautiful inside as she is out. Rather than feel pressured, I am so grateful to have her in my life. She is someone I look up to for many things.

Do you have any style icons?

I don’t think of a particular person. Instead, I think of Paris. It’s a place that’s very personal to me. I spent a lot of time there, and in terms of fashion, I just think about the average Parisian woman walking down the street—she is carefree, sophisticated, and knows how to put herself together without all the pomp. I just love that air, that natural flair that they have without trying too hard.

How about favourite designers?

There are a couple of Filipino designers that I go to a lot—Rajo Laurel, Rosanna Ocampo-Rodriguez, and Inno Sotto. But I also like mixing things up; I don’t like doing everything local or international, or everything high street or high-end. It’s not all about the name behind the piece. I’m very visual, so when I choose something it’s usually because I like it at first sight, not because it’s designed by a certain person.

Tatler Asia
Tatler Asia

Do you follow trends?

Not particularly, but I like this whole simple thing going on now. But then again, I say I don’t like trends and then I go on a trip and come back with something like a pouch with leather eyelashes coming out of it. Let’s just say I don’t like sticking to rules.

What would you say are the marks of a man/woman with style?

Someone who exudes subtle confidence and who stays true to who he or she truly is. I was so nervous when I gave my speech at the Tatler Ball. I didn’t know what to say initially, but I eventually realised that style is really about inspiration, about what inspires you. It could be a person—an artist, a designer, an environmentalist; or something you read or saw in a magazine; or a feeling you have when you’re extra confident and you think, “Okay, I can pull this off.” It’s really about you at the end of the day. It’s not about following a particular trend or designer, it’s about being inspired to express yourself, to be confident enough to wear something you thought you wouldn’t dare wear. Why not? You only live once. Enjoy. At the end of the day, it’s also knowing who you are and knowing who you are not, and respecting that.

Tatler Asia

Where do you go to for inspiration?

I travel. When I’m away, I have more time to smell the roses and enjoy my surroundings. We like escaping every month, whether it be just outside Manila or abroad. Our trips are usually timed around work commitments so we try to plan smartly. We also bring our daughter along sometimes, depending on the location.

What has travel taught you?

There’s this feeling I have in the bush in South Africa that I don’t get anywhere else in the world. It’s the feeling of being so minute, of being so insignificant in the world, but in a good way. You realise how beautiful the world is and how your daily problems are just so small. That’s what’s so great about the place. It really allows you to step back, breathe, gain some perspective, and think, “Wow. I’m alive, I have a beautiful family, I’m so lucky. Why stress over this little thing?”

 

Read the full story in the January 2016 issue of Philippine Tatler, available now on newsstands and bookstores. Download the digital version from Zinio, Magzter, and PressReader. | Photographer: BJ Pascual | Stylist: Samantha Tidalgo | Hair: Jan Endrosolan | Make-up: Byron Velasquez of MAC Cosmetics

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