As the fashion and fitness content creator celebrates her 60th birthday, Grece Ghanem’s love of movement, and her commitment to family and sustainability, are stronger than ever.
Words by Devinder Bains. Photography by Annie Reid.
Grece Ghanem is glistening from an hour-long workout when she joins me for our chat. She’s dressed in her training gear but still ‘giving chic’ as always – her slightly damp hair sitting perfectly in its signature silver bob. How does the fashion and fitness influencer, who will celebrate her 60th birthday in a matter of weeks, always make it look so easy? It’s because “all my gym wear is from On” she jokes, making a quick reference to a partnership built on shared values and love of movement. “I don’t compromise on style when choosing functionality with what I wear. Even when I dress for a workout, I want it to align with my aesthetic.”
This is a woman who knows a thing or two about aesthetics. Ghanem has grown her @greceghanem Instagram following 1.8million fans by sharing her take on movement and fashion, and wearing pieces with a prowess that mature women are rarely platformed doing – despite these women very much existing. Her posts are fun, authentic and at times refreshingly unpolished. Ghanem shares regular workouts for fans to follow – each keen to learn this super woman’s secrets to aging well.
“At least an hour of exercise every day,” is Ghanem's starting point. She maintains, too, that she eats virtually no sugar other than low sugar fruits, and follows a predominantly pescatarian diet.
While healthy eating and a love for exercise has been part of Ghanem’s lifestyle since her early 20s, being an international style icon is a more recent phase in her life. Ghanem first joined Instagram seven years ago when daughter, Cheyenne, created her an account in an effort “to stop mum constantly stealing her phone” to check out the platform’s fashion and photography content. “I always loved fashion, and I also liked taking pictures with my daughter of what we were wearing when we were traveling,” recalls Ghanem. “So, when she set me up, I was so thrilled to be able to combine both things.”
Cheyenne did have one stipulation, that she would shoot and curate the pictures of Ghanem herself in order to give the account a cohesive aesthetic. First, taking the photographs on her phone before learning to use professional equipment. “Nobody knew about our account, we just posted photos from our trips and when we ran out of photos, we started going out in the street here in Montreal to take pictures,” recalls Ghanem of those early days. “After six months, people were like; ‘wow she’s old, she’s stylish and she’s fit’, and then hair, fashion and beauty brands started doing campaigns with me.”
Eventually, Cheyenne left her job in finance to work with her mother full-time. “My message to her, since I started doing this, was to show her that I’m in my 50s, yet I’m living my dream through fashion and travel,” says Ghanem. “It’s never too late to reinvent yourself and make your dreams come true. No matter what your age. That’s the same message to my followers.”
“It’s never too late to reinvent yourself and make your dreams come true.”
Mother and daughter still live together, as well as work and travel together, which can be tricky for even the best of relationships. “It’s a matter of trust, and I definitely trust that she brings the best out of me, and then sometimes she pushes me to do stuff beyond my comfort zone,” Ghanem explains honestly. “Sometimes we don’t agree, and then it is a bit hard, but we always try to find a compromise. We’re very lucky to be creating precious memories together. And honestly, I am so grateful to her.”
Although Ghanem is now a household name for anyone who is interested in fashion, fitness and wellness tips on aging, it was a challenging trajectory to get to where she is today. Born in Africa, she was raised in her parents home country of Lebanon, before leaving for Canada when Cheyenne was nine-years-old – in the hope of raising her daughter in a conflict-free country. Ghanem is quick to point out that this love of fashion and fitness was inspired by the female family members that she grew up with in the Middle East.
“My mom and grandma always dressed well, even if they were working in the kitchen. I still remember my grandma’s aprons, they were always artistic, a broderie style and colorful, she always had her hair done and her lipstick on, even when she was cooking,” recalls Ghanem fondly. “My grandma was my inspiration, I remember running into her bedroom, playing with her clothes, wearing her jewelry and her sunglasses.”
“My auntie was very active, she used to play tennis, do aerobics and lots of movement exercise, and the family always practiced healthy eating. I’ve passed that on to my daughter now. She sees how I exercise, what I eat, how I take care of my skin, my mind and my body – so now, she's very conscious of that as well. She joins the classes I do, we go jogging together, we exercise when we are traveling and she will join me in the pool, as I love swimming.”
Ghanem and her daughter made the move from Lebanon to Montreal in 2005. Despite having a master’s degree in microbiology from the American University of Beirut, and having worked as a lab technician and in physical education roles, the content creator was told her qualifications didn’t transfer to the Canadian system. Ghanem was left to look for an alternative vocation in her 40s.
Having always enjoyed fitness in Lebanon, even covering for her aerobics instructor when she was on holiday, Ghanem worked for her personal training certification – landing work in both a gym and as a mobile personal trainer soon after. “I loved helping people, my clients were in their 20s, 40s, 60s, 70s, some had shoulder injuries, back or knee injuries, so I would educate myself on the best exercises for them, encouraging them to stay active and strong,” says Ghanem. “I liked being creative with what equipment was available, and enjoyed working on balance and strength.”
Ghanem continued training clients until recently, giving sessions on video calls while she traveled, but her busy schedule meant she couldn’t commit to them as much as she’d like to. It also freed up more time to concentrate on her own workouts while traveling. “I try to do at least an hour a day, wherever I am, my elastic [resistance] band and my small [exercise] ball are always in my luggage if there is no gym,” she says. “I try to do a variety of workouts; using weights – which is very important for my muscles and to prevent osteoporosis as I age, stability work through balance exercises to help with posture, and also stretching workouts.”
“I do a variety of workouts; using weights – which is very important for my muscles.”
Ghanem admits that she doesn’t struggle with motivation, working out is just an intrinsic part of her day. “I can’t make a decision if I don’t exercise. I have to workout to clear my mind,” she laughs, but she does have advice for those who might need a little nudge to get moving. “I always say start little by little, maybe just five or ten minutes of exercise in the morning, and aim for compound exercises that work all of your body at the same, like push ups and planks. Or just get moving, try to take the stairs more, or skip a metro stop or two and walk instead. If you join the gym, don’t force yourself to go every day for an hour, just promise you’ll go twice a week to start.”
Another tip: “Just put your training gear on.” Ghanem says this first step can sometimes be the toughest, but once you’re in your gym wear it will encourage you to move. “Just put it on even if you’re not planning to exercise, maybe before taking the kids to school and you’ll be motivated to exercise afterwards,” she says. “My gym wear is very important, it makes me feel good – I know that I’m about to do something good for my body.”
“I can’t make a decision if I don’t exercise.”
“My followers message to ask me how I look like this, at my age, so I want to show them my workouts, my training gear, my character, and the person behind the clothes. I’m showing them that I’m still myself; I’m unique but I want to be relatable. I’m very transparent, and this has helped grow my community.”
Ghanem explains that the importance of building community through movement is a value she shares with On, and “of course we also place value on sustainability,” she adds. “You want something that lasts. It’s something that’s been very important to me since I was young. I would buy quality, timeless pieces that I could style forever, and some of them are still in my wardrobe. I still have clothes that I wore in my 20s that I wear now. When I shop, I look for things I can use with what I have in my wardrobe already, things that can complement or refresh a look. I also try to buy second hand pieces, things I didn’t get the chance to buy when they came out or they were very expensive. It’s quality over quantity for me.”
As Ghanem says goodbye to her 50s and one of the most stylish decades of her life, she has a message for her followers. “Many ask how they can be like me when they are older, but I say you don’t need to wait, you can be like me now. Be stylish, be fit, be happy, and live your dreams.”
