ELEVEN SIX WOMEN | CHRISTENE BARBERICH
Film Photography by @jensteele | Jen Steele
Meet our new friend Christene Barberich, a writer, founder, and brand advisor. After starting out in the magazine world at places like The New Yorker and Gourmet, Christene pivoted to become a co-founder of the now legendary early aughts website Refinery29. Over her 15-year tenure as the company's lead editor, she laid the foundation for what would grow into an award-winning global entertainment leader and its many off-shoots. Having followed this evolution over time, Refinery29 didn't just pioneer women's content in the digital space, it initiated a total shift in the way publications connected to their audiences, sparking a whole new age of female-led content that focused on (what was then the beginnings) of street style, body image, sexuality, and ambition. Christene co-wrote the New York Times bestselling book Style Stalking (she's in the final stages of a proposal for a new nonfiction book, too); she's also been a strategic advisor for brands like Thrive Market and Yola Mezcal.
In 2022, Christene launched A Tiny Apt., a weekly newsletter rooted in the thoughtfulness of space and style and also the things we keep (and don't). Just a few months after it launched, Substack named the letter "a must-read," and we agree—It's deeply absorbing, useful, and is an uncommon lens of real life. We had the honor of being featured in her newsletter last week in "How To Wear A Sweater".
Earlier this month, we had the pleasure of visiting Christene's tiny Brooklyn apartment in real-time, and spoke with her about her chosen career path, her long and hard journey with conceiving and pregnancy loss, and we learned, too, about her obsession with vintage, found things, and seeking out small, unique brands. Read on for the Q+A and to see Christene's ELEVEN SIX Holiday Edit beautifully captured on film by Christene's dear friend, the very gifted photographer/filmmaker Jen Steele.
Christene wears the Sienna Sweater styled with her own dress
You launched Refinery 29 in 2005, pioneering the way in the digital media space, focusing on empowering real women by starting conversations about street style, body image, politics, and careers. Please share how the Refinery 29 vision was born, and how it evolved?
"That's quite a long story, but in a nutshell, it was really born out of this yearning for more raw/real conversations about topics and ideas that were largely ignored in the women's space. Seeing the response our audience was having, even from the very beginning, around certain stories and always steadily moving in that direction. I think that's a theme for me in all or most of my pursuits... being drawn to the conversations we're having over here on the side, one-on-one with the people we love/trust. Sharing the stuff that inspires/scares/confounds us.... I like dwelling in those story-telling spaces...it's in that unformed space where we can learn and make sense of stuff."
You launched 'A Tiny Apt' Newsletter in 2022 where you invite readers to think about their spaces, personal style, and the circular economy in a thoughtful way. Can you share what the catalyst was for starting this forum and what does your community love about your content most?
"It was really after selling and then leaving my company at the end of 2020, and then isolating with my family at home during the pandemic, that I began to see our home—aka, the tiny apartment where we live—in this new, kind of illuminating way. How it was fostering so much more than just shelter and protection, but also love and growth and nourishment. And problem-solving! Being adaptable and conscientious about our space and what we chose to have in it, with all of us being home all the time. I've always loved our apartment, but I began to see the restrictions of our space as a good thing. Something to teach me a more heightened sense of resourcefulness and efficiency. And also this kind of everyday joy I had formerly taken for granted. So that's my newsletter... exploring this weird and beautiful intersection between our homes/spaces/style and how so much of ourselves and what we dream of are reflected in that."
Christene wears the Sara Cardi in Scarlet
You openly talk of your difficult journey to conceiving with many miscarriages before having your beautiful daughter. Can you share more about this challenging path and what advice you would give to others?
"It was a decade of trying/failing/starting over. Recovering, starting, failing, stopping...starting again. And on and on. There were many times when I gave up and accepted becoming a parent might not be in the cards for me. But whenever I did, it would be a few months or a year later, and that little voice would start to bug me again. I just couldn't let it go. But I was willing to release that dream as long as I could say I did everything I could possibly do to make that dream come true. Even though I felt old AF and seemed to have every odd stacked up against me. Contending with fertility is a punishing road and it can ruin you emotionally and financially. But, I don't know, I finally found a doctor who seemed to believe that I could really do this. And with his support and care, and my husband being a pretty fantastic cheerleader, I took my last swing at 49 (just a few months shy of 50)...and that was my daughter. And knowing her now, understanding what all those years and that time of starting/stopping/failing/picking myself up was about...I don't wish what I went through on anyone, but I also can see how strong I became through that time. And how grateful I am that I got to know myself in a way I might not have if that hadn't been my path. The only other thing I will say is this: Timing really is everything. If you had told me at 40 when I started trying to have a baby that I would finally be successful at 49/50, I would have told you you were nuts. But that's just how it shook out. And I'm grateful for that."
You have a weekend house in Upstate NY…What are your favorite things to do with the family when you're in the countryside?
"Honestly, work on our house! Feed the birds, plant more wildflowers, discover new flowers or trees we never knew we had. In the past year we've discovered a Mulberry tree, a cherry tree, wild rose bushes, another Sycamore tree....it's been magical to feel like we are the caretakers of this beautiful land. And I have so much love and gratitude to everyone/thing that's lived here before us."
How do you like to unwind and switch off when you are not working?
"Thrifting...it's the only thing I can do for hours and hours and never get bored or tired. It clears my mind and opens my heart in ways that are somewhat indescribable. If I'm having trouble writing something or figuring out what a story needs/wants to be, I go thrifting. And a few hours later when I come back to the piece, I know how to make my way back in. It's both magic and also medicine."
Christene wears the Phoebe Sequin Shirt
What book/movie/series have you recently read/watched that moved you?
"My husband and I were late to the Stranger Things phenomenon, and we literally just spent a month watching all four seasons. It felt like a gift, and now I'm already sad that the next season will be the last. There's also Somebody, Somewhere that I honestly don't have enough time to talk about how profound and beautiful it is. That series is so tender and brilliant....I just love it more than anything.
Do you have a daily mantra?
"I have many, but my favorite is simply, I Love You."
Do you have anything exciting in the pipe-line right now that you can share?
"My book proposal is almost finished, and we will start taking it around in the new year. It's been a longtime coming and I'm excited to see it expand into this next phase."
Christene wears the Luella Cardi in Black styled with her own pant
How would you define your style DNA?
"Oh God, that's always so hard....the dreaded DRILLING it down. Lately it's a kind of sporty grandma thing...with a tiny touch of Vegas or fancy hotel mixed in. Whatever I'm wearing or living with needs to merge comfort, exceptional/original design ethos, and some kind of whimsy/silliness. And of course, vintage is always in there somewhere."
What does the ELEVEN SIX brand mean to you, and, which are your favorite Holiday pieces to integrate with your own style and wardrobe?
"It means femininity mixed with utility and transcendence...I love that your knits have structure and also softness to them. It's a wonderful metaphor for life, don't you think?"
Jenna wears the Jenna Jacket styled with her own dress
