Wear it to Work: How four of Toronto’s top business leaders define their personal style

by Stephanie Ray, founder and designer, Grayes

I started Grayes because I believe you should feel like “you” in your work clothes, and love your 9-to-5 looks as much as your favourite pair of jeans. You shouldn’t have to invest in two separate wardrobes — one for work and one for the rest of your life. My solution — buy less, buy better. Invest in versatile wardrobe essentials that you can style for the office but also wear more casually off-duty or dress up for a night out. The key is to find a few thoughtfully designed everyday pieces that express your style, and empower you at the office and beyond.

Knowing how important it is for women to feel good in their workwear, we collaborated with four industry-leading Toronto women to design the Driven by Grayes capsule collection. Drawing on inspiration from their careers, each woman collaborated with our design team to create their version of the perfect piece of workwear. The result: four distinct garments designed to drive you through their day. (Best of all, the collection comes full circle, with a portion of the proceeds from the collection being donated to the charity of their choice.)

Laura McGee
Founder & CEO of Diversio

Laura McGee’s career has been remarkable, to say the least. Between her high-profile position in consulting and her latest role as Founder and CEO of Diversio, she still finds time for her charitable initiatives, Summit Leaders and #GoSponsorHer, a social media movement that champions high-potential women and unlocks female talent. Given her busy work life, Laura was craving something stylish and comfortable. She designed the Laura Dress for multi-hyphenates like her — women who need clothing to seamlessly adapt to their unpredictable days. Sales of the Laura Dress will benefit Summit Leaders, Laura’s own not-for-profit organization fostering interest in business and entrepreneurship among Canadian youth.

Michelle Khalili
Managing Director, Private Capital, Investment Banking

After 15 years of blazing her own trail in equity markets, corporate finance and investment banking, Michelle Khalili knows that success is created, not found. Her passion for helping companies look forward and grow is unstoppable. She currently sits on the board of directors for Women’s College Hospital, Ontario Brain Institute, and was honoured with the Women in Capital Markets Award. A classic staple well suited for the corporate world, the Michelle Dress can be styled in any direction, whether you keep it simple or opt to accessorize. Sales of the Michelle Dress will benefit the Canadian Cancer Society, Canada’s foremost organization devoted to those living with and affected by cancer.

Elena Mayer
Senior Manager, PwC and President & CEO, Women Who Rock

As the founder of Women Who Rock and just one of three female students in her global mining management program, Elena Mayer has made it her life’s work to support women moving into skilled trades. She works at PwC and instead of assimilating to the masculine status-quo, she embraces femininity in the workplace and expresses her own personal style. Inspired by the gem-stone hues that colour her career, the Elena Dress makes a statement Elena is not afraid of making. Sales of the Elena Dress will benefit Mining Matters, a charitable organization dedicated to bringing knowledge and awareness about Canada’s geology and mineral resources.

Kirstine Stewart
President & CRO, TribalScale

For Kirstine Stewart, no venture is off-limits. Named to Maclean’s list of powerful Canadians, Kirstine has made major career moves look simple. You may recognize Kirstine Stewart’s name from her time as a Vice President at Twitter Canada. She made her way through the highest ranks of media before diving into tech. Most recently, Kirstine is CRO & President of Canada’s top innovator, TribalScale which she hopes to transform into a globally focused, Canadian-based resource for digital strategies and product development. Kirstine designed the Kirstine Blazer to work just as well dressed up or down, comfortable in a casual tech setting or polished in the boardroom of a venture capital firm. Sales of the Kirstine Blazer will benefit Move the Dial, an organization devoted to the advancement of women in tech.

Shop the full Driven by Grayes collection and support four incredible charities at grayes.com.