Gretta Monahan

You could call hers a Cinderella story—if Cinderella traded in her tiara for a branded line of glass slippers, five spas, two clothing boutiques, and a beauty loft reserved for A-list celebrities. Gretta Monahan, a self-made style maven, is harnessing the fashion world by its stilettos and reinventing the concept of style and pampering for everyone from Hollywood superstars to the mom next door. Offering fashion and beauty tips and treatments to people of all ages and income levels is a philosophy that Gretta stands behind.

Gretta’s award winning collection of sleek boutiques and spa emporiums stretches from Boston to New York City, while her television appearances on the The Rachael Ray Show, TLC’s A Makeover Story, two NBC affiliates, and the second season of Bravo’s Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style brings her down-to-earth and friendly approach into the homes of fashion-hungry viewers across the country. With her just launched GRETTA footwear line on QVC and a newly debuted G Spa in the $700-million MGM Grand at Foxwoods, Gretta’s expertise is now available to the masses.

GRETTA GETS BUSINESS

Raised by her grandmother and aunt in Boston, Gretta attended New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology and trained to become a hair stylist before leaving to sate her entrepreneurial spirit. She opened her first salon at the age of 24, and within 10 years the sales of her multi-faceted beauty and fashion empire topped $10 million.

A graduate of Harvard Business School’s three-year Owners and Presidents Management Program and a chosen case study subject for Harvard Business School, Gretta’s business acuity lead her to be a finalist in Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year contest in 2005. With a how-to book in the works, and beauty product and clothing lines in development, Gretta continues to be the source women can trust on all aspects of style.

GRETTA GETS BEAUTY: Grettacole, G Spa, and beyond

Gretta opened her first salon, Trillium, in Wellesley (an affluent suburb of Boston) in 1994; it would become her first Grettacole Salon and Day Spa, a head-to-toe high-end salon and spa, followed by a second outpost in Chestnut Hill in 1998 and a third in downtown Boston’s Copley Place by 2001. Gretta and her team of highly trained apprentices (each staffer trains for up to two years) focus on listening to clients’ needs, advising them on how to meet these needs, and teach them how to do attain them. “It’s less about the beauty and more about the care, and teaching people,” she says.

Catering to women (and men) on the go, Gretta’s first G Spa opened in Boston on Newbury Street in 2003 offering mini treatments with full VIP services in a sleek, chic setting. The “Quickie” and “Ménage-a-Spa” treatments quickly became favorites. Her second G Spa, a sparkling 21,000 square foot oasis at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods opened in May 2008. This stunning facility provides guests with a full menu of massage, hair, and body treatments, several of which were inspired by Native American traditions and rituals incorporating ingredients like red clay, maize, and mountain laurel. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Gloria Estefan are already fans.

In addition to her Grettacole and G Spa concepts, Gretta consults for Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty, a testament to her efforts to help everyday women look and feel better about themselves.

GRETTA GETS FASHION: Gretta Luxe, Gretta Style, and GRETTA Footwear

Known for fashion as much as she is for beauty, Gretta jets off to Milan, New York City, and Paris every season to go to all the shows as well as visit designers in their ateliers to hand pick the items offered in her clothing boutiques. Gretta Luxe, Gretta’s two Boston-based boutiques, showcase the hottest trends from top designers like Balenciaga, Chloe, and Zac Posen. Each client receives personalized guidance from expert stylists who assist with picking out the perfect frock or stems.

Catering to A-list celebrities and others who require an under-the-radar beauty and shopping experience, the invite-only Gretta Style in New York City offers an integrated approach to personal style implemented by Gretta herself. Besides couture clothing and shoes, she offers $1,000 haircuts, hand-painted highlights, and custom-blended conditioning treatments including a shine serum that lasts up to one month.

“Every woman wants to be fashionable no matter her lifestyle needs or what she is willing to spend,” says Gretta, and with that in mind, she launched her GRETTA collection of footwear by the Brown Shoe Company. During the line’s launch on QVC in May 2008, eight out of nine shoe styles sold out in one hour. From slingbacks to sandals under $79, women across the board appreciate Gretta’s knack for fashion-forward trends.

GRETTA GETS IT: TV AND MORE…

Gretta’s first national show was TLC’s A Makeover Story. She appears as the style guru on The Rachael Ray Show and appeared as Tim Gunn’s “fashion accomplice” and co-host on the second season of Bravo’s Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style which premiered in October of 2008. She also hosts the “Gretta’s Got It” fashion segment on Boston’s NBC station, New England's CW and Miami's Fox Affiliate.

Gretta has been profiled in the Boston Globe and in the New York Times and was one of Boston Magazine’s “100 Most Powerful People” in 2001. Grettacole salons and Gretta Luxe boutiques have been awarded eight “Best of Boston” awards by Boston Magazine.

In addition to her salons, spas, designer clothing boutiques, New York City styling loft, Gretta is involved with community outreach and fundraisers for The Liver Foundation, The Joshua Frase Foundation, the Faulkner/Sagoff Center and more. She splits her time between Boston and New York City. For more information, visit www.grettastyle.com.