At our recent event in New York City, we held a contest to find our next #Earthmover, asking a slew of trendsetters to tell us how they move the earth in their everyday lives. Ultimately, style blogger Gurj Sohanpal won us over with his drive to inspire men to look good, feel good, and express themselves through fashion–around the world.

CF: Where are you from and how has it impacted your personal style?

GS: I was born and raised in East London and moved to New York to work for an investment bank while also pursuing my fashion & lifestyle blog. Being from London has definitely influenced me, most notably, I maintain a classic and timeless feel to my personal style. London is home to some of the best dressed people in the world, and there is a rich heritage in dressing sharp. My personal style also revolves around a “European fit” which has started to become popular among Americans.   Style, however, isn’t restricted to a certain type. I feel my style has evolved while being in New York, and I have even started to express my style with street looks to show people the different dimensions of what I am all about. Your style should ultimately be an outlet of your personality.

CF: How did you first discover your love for style?

GS: My love for styling goes back as long as I can remember. Being one of the youngest members of my family, I always used to get those “hand-me-down” clothes from my brother and cousins once they had outgrown them. So I’ve grown up thinking outside the box for stylish combinations from a young age. Grooming and style have been deeply rooted practices in my family, from my grandfather’s timeless style, to my father’s passion for exuding style in everything he wears and does. I believe you have to walk the walk and talk the talk – you can’t just put it on.

CF: What is your goal with your blog, Singh Gentry?

GS: Singh Gentry is a platform to inspire people all around the world to be their best self. I launched the site to inspire people to have the confidence to express themselves through the clothes they wear. However, I don’t believe that style and fashion stand isolated to becoming a successful person. That image you present to the world comes with a mindset of being the best you can possibly be, and if you have a dream then go work hard and make it a reality. Over the year that I have been blogging, Singh Gentry has grown rapidly, and the goal is to make it a recognized brand around the world and branch out into other avenues in the future, such as a clothing line, work with some of the biggest brands in the world and become the go-to style site for people. I have already started to realize some of those goals by working with Cat Footwear.

CF: What would people be surprised to learn about you?

GS: People may be surprised to learn that I am a huge sports enthusiast, and I played a high level of cricket growing up. I represented the junior levels of Essex County, my university first team, and even went and trained in an academy in India for two months when I was 16.  Ironically, people may also be surprised that I don’t have an academic or working background in fashion either; I just like looking the part and its been a great learning curve getting to know people in the industry.

CF: What is your motto? 

GS: I tend to live by two:  “If my mind can conceive and believe it, I can achieve it,” and “I can & I will.”

CF: What is on your plate for 2016? 

GS: I am billing 2016 to be a big year for me. It is off to a great start with the opportunity to work with Cat Footwear, and I am hoping that I can take Singh Gentry to a whole new level, becoming one of the most prominent influencers in the industry. 2015 was a good year and helped me build a great foundation, but I am ambitious, so continuous growth and bringing something new to the table is always on my mind.  I have a bit of a travelling bug, so I will be going to Austin, New Orleans, San Francisco, LA and Dubai in the first half of this year.  The biggest thing on my plate will be the move back to London in 2016 and that itself will bring a lot of change but hopefully it will bring some exciting opportunities too.

CF: What does being an #Earthmover mean to you? 

GS: Being an #Earthmover for me is about being bold, standing out, and being dedicated to my journey. I’m not here to fit in to the status quo, because it’s all about having the confidence to be you and hopefully by doing that, it inspires people to go live their dreams too.   I am an #Earthmover because I push the boundaries.

CF: Last but not least, what are your go to Cat Boots?

GS: My go to always seem to be the “Caine Mid” boots. To me, they speak durability, comfort and most importantly, style! The best part about them is that I can either dress them up and go for a smarter look, or go completely street style – that’s when you can tell you are on to a winner!