As recently announced. there are many changes in 2017 with Rochester Woman Magazine. The first was the transformation to Rochester Woman Online. Some are skeptical about the decision to go to an all digital format, but staying up with the times is necessary in any prospering venture. This is a change which will set the stage as Rochester Woman Online becomes a trendsetter in the industry and our home community during this upcoming year.

Just imagine as a community of women in Rochester, how we can make a difference not just here locally, but across the globe. This is what Rochester Woman  Online hopes to do as we jump into the New Year. We have an all  new global perspective, as well as the desire to “keep up with the times” here in our own community. Part of this vision includes expanding our writing staff outside of our local team and working with writers who have a unique vision around the world. Writers who represent the patchwork quilt of what Rochester women are. We are powerful. We form a sisterhood. We make up an empowering community.

There are many women who commute to other places for employment, for  pleasure and for many other reasons.  There are women who also live in other locations and contribute to the Rochester community. So why limit the content we bring you to just Rochester?  With this in mind, we decided to build on our Fashion Forward brand that the amazing Joan Lincoln, owner of Panache Vintage & Finer Consignment and Trilogy, had set  forth for us over the past seven years. Introducing Chrissy Monroe, former star of VH1’s Love and Hip Hop; season five, fashion designer, fashionista, and a woman who knows style.

In finding Joan’s replacement, our selection had to  be chosen carefully as she truly set a very high bar. We think you’ll be pleased with our choice, and the new, fresh approach to all this is Chrissy Monroe’s Fashion Foward.

In the October edition of Rochester Woman Magazine, Chrissy was featured regarding her work with her non profit organization Strive to Thrive Global , an organization desgined to assist survivors of domestic violence. This work has local ties to Rochester as our very own editor, (Cheryl L. Kates-  Benman Esq.), sits  on the Board of Directors of  the organization. The article gave Chrissy’s background and discussed how her determination helped her to become a  stronger woman after suffering as a victim of domestic violence. She currently writes for the Huffington Post Magazine and Hip Hop weekly. Now Chrissy will also write her own fashion column for Rochester Woman Online.

Chrissy comes to us with a broad point of view and background for fashion. She prides herself on being someone who stands out from the crowd, and will continue this passion with her monthly column. As a teenager, she loved shopping at thrift stores, creating her own unique look, and standing out with a vintage style. At the time she was growing up in Baltimore, teens followed celebrities such as Madonna and Cindy Lauper. Women who didn’t follow any rules.

At age 15, Chrissy was proud when she landed her first part-time job. She started her career in the fashion industry at the popular mall chain store Merry-Go-Round. Women and girls alike shopped there seeking the latest fashions which included the had-to-have 80’s parachute pants and Jordache jeans. Chrissy was mesmerized by the industry beginning in retail sales and later with fashion merchandising.

Fast forward ten years later at age 25 and we have Chrissy opening her own Vintage boutique; “Funk in the Trunk”. Located in the prestigious Federal Hill area of South Baltimore, the boutique was very successful and the merchandise spanned from as early as the 1920’s .

Over the last fifteen years, Chrissy has become very well-known and respected in the fashion community. She  attends all of the major shows during NYC’s fashion week and often is asked to assist behind the scenes with the styling of models . Chrissy is known by some of the top fashion designers for the ability to use her natural talent in creating edgy,  stylish ensembles along with her keen eye for upcoming, trendsetting ideas which turn into the “what’s hot” on the runway.

Chrissy Monroe’s stand out style definitely caught the eye of the Divas at Rochester Woman Online and we welcome her as part of our new team and we can’t wait to share with you what she brings to the fashion table.