Gross has been on the rise since beginning as a handbag reseller in order to make a living. Since then, he’s been creating daily videos talking about fashion, style and his favorite trends of the moment – so make sure to tune in. The topics of his videos range from fragrances to handbags to seasonal trends that keep fashion-conscious viewers in the know.
Vital VOICE caught up with Gross to chat about not only his favorite holiday fragrances and trends, but also his personal gifting preferences.
When did you realize your passion for fashion, style, and fragrances?
I think it was pretty inherent, just through my childhood. My parents both worked in design and fashion magazines were always around the house. It was just something that was in my DNA.
What favorite trends of yours can we see the most this winter season?
Well this season I have been seeing a lot of earth tone pallets in collections that have been coming out for this holiday/winter season, so everyone is doing earth tone. A lot of “distressed” clothing (clothing that looks very worn), a lot of oversized pieces and there’s a lot of layering going on. With those oversized pieces, a lot of designers are encouraging layering their clothing, so it’s a very relaxed 90s look that I kind of love/hate.
What number one trend do you think should not have made a comeback this year?
I think the number one trend that I’m not crazy about is the bomber jacket. I saw it in the Kanye West collection with Adidas and I’m seeing a lot of other designers do it.
My favorite fragrance ever is Chanel No. 5. It’s something that I’ve worn for three or four years now. I always recommend that for a benchmark in any given fragrance collection. My recent favorite has been Black Opium by Yves Saint Laurent. It’s a really sweet, feminine fragrance for someone who doesn’t want to go with something as mature as No. 5.
What is the absolute best fragrance you’ve ever purchased?
I would say No. 5, but the absolute best would have to be Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf. It’s a very sweet, feminine fragrance. Even though it’s clearly feminine, it’s really great as a guy as well. It’s just intoxicating.
What fragrances are the best to wear for the holidays?
For the holidays, since it gets colder for most people in the United States, I tend to go with more spicy and warmer fragrances. You’ll find that in a lot of men’s fragrances. My favorite is Tom Ford Noir. It’s a very, dark spicy scent that cuts through the cold air.
Let’s talk about Sephora for a minute. What do you think would make the best Sephora stocking stuffers?
I love Sephora. I think their best stocking stuffer would be their rollerball perfumes. Also, some really good BB crèmes for someone who is just getting started with makeup. As for the rollerballs, they’re the best because they’re small, they’re not that expensive and it’s a great way to help someone get into a perfume without the commitment of a huge bottle.
And what Sephora item would make the best “luxury” gift?
They have some really good high-end skin care, and I always think that’s such a luxury. It’s a really intimate gift to have a little jar of crème that you use every day. It’s really touching when you give someone high end skin care because the quality is always there. You could also give them a full sized bottle of perfume because that’s always a good luxury gift.
What do you think are absolute “must” accessories for this time of year?
For this time of year, I think an absolute must is a good scarf. It can really elevate an outfit and it screams winter. Good gloves are also a must. I have a really big pet peeve about puffy gloves. If you get a good pair of close-to-the-skin gloves, they can really keep you warm and they’ll make you look nice.
Given your history with handbags, what bag would make the “perfect Christmas gift”?
I would have to say the Sac de Jour by Yves Saint Laurent. It’s a really beautiful, classic handbag. Even though it’s marketed towards women, it is definitely a unisex bag. For instance, if there’s a guy in your life who has an office job and needs a plain black briefcase, this bag would be perfect. It comes off as being masculine and it is being more and more recognized as an iconic handbag.
Do you think mini and micro bags would make cute gifts as well?
It really depends on the person. Some people really love them and think they’re cute, while some people aren’t crazy about them. For a while, I was not crazy about them until a got a mini bag myself, but I do think they’re a good gift, more so for a younger individual. They’re very cute to accessorize, but they do scream youth.
Now let’s shift to “luxury” gift ideas. You talked about the Creed Bespoke Fragrance Journey, which is priced at $475,000, in one of your videos. What would your custom scent smell like?
I’ve thought about this a lot. I would definitely want something that is extremely sweet, but is very on the warm size. A honey-based fragrance, but not very floral and not very biting, with some spice underneath to tie it all together. That way it could be worn all throughout the year.
And no amber right?
No [laughs].
If you could have one “luxe” gift from the Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Catalogue, what would it be and why?
It’s such a hard choice, but I would choose this Chanel watch that I talked about in one of my videos when I was going through the Bergdorf Catalogue. It was so beautiful. I don’t remember how much it was off the top of my head. I know it was extremely expensive for a watch but it was so stunning and it’s a really in your face and out of this world luxury that you could probably only wear to very few places.
What are great gift ideas for those who are on a budget?
I think that going with basics is always a great idea. It’s always good to stick with fashion and wardrobe staples. If you’re going to gift someone something and you’re on a budget, getting something that’s more on the simplistic side will last more than one season and the quality will hold up. It’s not necessary to go to a luxury store to get these staples.
Lastly, what is the best Christmas gift you’ve ever received?
That’s a hard one. A long time ago, when I was very young, I asked for a Coach bag for Christmas. It was my first designer bag ever and I was really young and I had no idea about fashion. Even though I’m not crazy about Coach at the moment, there’s definitely a lot of sentimental value with that handbag.
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