AVANT GOTHICA WITH VSA

We’re excited to share an interview from our Athleisure Mag Summit Series which gives you an indepth look at a brand that we have had the pleasure of including in our photoshoots from celeb covers, model editorials, and even wearing it personally with a number of looks. Virgins Saints and Angels is a brand that includes a number of accessories that tell an array of stories and adds visual texture to whatever your style may be!

We sat down to talk with Cheryl “Finn” Finnegan, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Virgins Saints and Angels. We talk about the origins of the line, the assortment, her design process, and essentials you need as you begin to build your own collection.

ATHLEISURE MAG: I have to say it is such a pleasure to be able to chat with you finally for this Athleisure Mag Summit Series Virtual Event! This series allows us to talk with great fashion brands that I know our readership and community should know about. Having them hear from the brand, learning about their assortment, and what we can expect from them in upcoming seasons! As you know, I have been a fan of your brand for the past 2 decades from wearing it personally when I’m out and about, for TV segments and also including it in our photoshoots for Athleisure Mag!

In talking with you right now, I am wearing the first ring that I ever received from your collection as that in itself is a full circle moment as it was the first piece that I wrote about for a blog that I started back in 2004 and how was I to know that in 2011, my boyfriend who I am still with who is a Co-Founder of Athleisure Mag, would not only buy this ring without knowing that I knew about it, but he ordered it through Ylang23 which is a retailer that I knew and would talk to off and on when I was working on my site! They knew me and thought it was such serendipity and then around that time, I was in Santo Domingo designing my collab line with Sebago as we were were preparing to launch the collection on HSN and I ended up meeting the leather team that supplied leather for your belts because their company was supplying the leather for my shoes!

CHERYL FINNEGAN: Oh my gosh thank you so much and I just think the world of you!

AM: Same! It’s a brand that I have loved ever since I knew about it, it’s what I wear every single day and I love everything about it. I just want to say thank you for creating it and your aesthetic is something I appreciate and I really love that you are taking the time!

CF: Of course!

AM: So prior to launching Virgins Saints and Angels, I’d love to know about your background because I know you are a fashion veteran as you worked in marketing for Levi Strauss and Co.

CF: Yes, I have been working in fashion since I was probably 16!

AM: Same!

CF: Yeah, starting out in the local department store and moving on from there. I worked with Levi Strauss and I had the best title on the planet! I was called an Image Consultant!

AM: Ok, that is the best title!

CF: It is the best title! I loved handing that card out! So, I was in charge of going out and checking out boutiques. I was searching out for places for us to be in. So I was always on the cusp of what was happening. So when I moved down to San Miguel I originally started doing these plastic woven bags. They were super cute and I reinvented the whole plastic bag in the mercado and I had to brand it because I am a marketing person.

The branding in these plastic bags – I couldn’t sew anything in there and it was cheesy to glue something in there. So I had the weavers who were prisoners, they did that job in the prison system in Mexico – I had them weave the little ring in there and I did a key fob.

AM: Ah I’m seeing where the DNA of VSA came from the minute you said that and now I know why the brand also has key fobs!

CF: Then that key fob turned into a belt buckle which then turned into a ring and then a rosary and that is how it all began!

AM: Yeah, I always wondered what was the piece that sparked everything else – this is fascinating because it’s an extensive assortment that has an array of pieces that speak to each other inside of the collections as well as those adjacent to it, but I couldn’t figure out where it started and what the root was.

CF: Right! I was making these little itty bitty key fobs and I had a sweet little logo under resin and then Fred Segal was buying the bags. But one day he said to me, “do you think that you could just sell me some of the key chains?” I thought that was great because the bags take up major bulk right?

AM: Yes!

CF: So most of the cost of the bag was the shipping. So I thought, I could ship 100 key chains in a little box. So then I started putting in the religious imagery in them. Then I had cute little hangtags on them so it would be Adam and Eve and the cute little tag would say, “They always look better than they taste” or something fun about the Virgin of Miracles or whatever. I had these cute little tags on them and Fred Segal went crazy over them! I was just selling them as fast as they got in and then eventually, it turned into a belt buckle. Literally, I was walking down the street in LA with my belt buckle and Laurence Fishburne’s (Matrix franchise, John Wick franchise, The Amateur) relative stopped me and asked me what I was wearing and I told her that I had just made this belt buckle and it was my prototype. She said that she had to have one and I just took it off my body and I sold it to her!

AM: Oh my God, that is insane!

CF: Then I thought, I think that I could be onto something!

AM: The pieces are so iconic. When we had Lala Kent from Vanderpump Rules as our cover for our MAY ISSUE #29 in 2018, she wore one of your crowns for the cover.

CF: Yes – insane.

AM: It’s just amazing the responses that you get when you’re wearing them even in the wild. On days where I’m running between editor’s appointments and showrooms and I’m just rocking leggings and a top but I have my VSA which takes it to another level, I do get stopped and you have mini conversations about them and it’s so fun to engage with people in that way.

What is your sourcing process like? I do like the elements in the pieces an San Benito and then the Magdalena – where do you get all of these things from?

CF: Well inspiration is local, I mean you’re in Mexico. When I first got here, I didn’t get it. I come from the Midwest –

AM: Same!

CF: Right, your religion is private.

AM: Same! That’s how I was raised too!

CF: I’m from near Chicago.

AM: I’m from Indianapolis originally and obviously, I’m in NY now. But I totally get it. Like growing up there you’re religious, but it’s not something that I would just throw out in conversation.

CF: It’s reserved right?

AM: 1000%

CF: In Mexico, Guadalupe is on every other tattooed man – it’s just very visible. I found it interesting and then I started looking into it more and then I started adding in this Gothic kitsch. I was definitely more of a punk goth chic when I was young. I had the spiky hair and black that was my thing. I definitely have a bit of those elements in every piece that I do. The Magdalena was that ability to wear a rosary and to wrap it around. I particularly love the belt buckles and to me, those were it! That was my go-to piece that I was known for and every celebrity would wear the belt buckle and be pictured in it and you would see it! An earring you may not see necessarily, a ring you may not see, but a belt buckle – you’re going to see that.

AM: I do love the Gothica style of it. I always say that there is this noir/macabre feeling in the pieces that are pleasantly moody where it’s not fully leaning in that direction but you get that essence. I’m not a preppy girl by any means, although I growing up that is how I dressed – hello Midwest. But, I love that I feel when I wear them that it grounds the look, it gives an edge to it. It feels approachable, it has visual texture, and there are always great conversations around the pieces and it goes on for minutes! You see a cross, then there is an interesting design, or some other fun element.

CF: I know! It does kind of push the limits! I will never forget when I was in San Francisco, I was in a store and a woman came in and she told me that her parents had a dining room and it was all in black velvet and had Jesus and Mary in it as they were very religious. This woman was wearing her Virgin of Guadalupe belt buckle and she felt kind of dirty wearing it there – ha! It definitely pushes something.

AM: It does push the limits but you have created this world from the jewelry to the campaign imagery that you put around it that creates a cohesive story and what it means to be in that space. Sometimes our shoots end up popping up so quickly that I may not have time to reach out to your team to put a request in for something that is in a new collection or an archive piece and I will shop my personal VSA collection to bring it to set as it adds that element of drama.

CF: Oh honey! We’re so happy to work with you!

AM: Of course sometimes when there is a tight window you have to make do! You had a cameo set that we pulled a couple of years ago and I had requested various pieces from it as I wasn’t sure how we were going to have it with our model and by the time I saw the looks, I realized that they all needed to be worn together as we shot it at the Algonquin Hotel here in NYC.

CF: Oh yes! I loved that!

AM: Your team was great to work with to get that going. And between the dress and the layers of statement necklaces and the earrings this Cameo Noir moment just really came together. My team was like, wait all of this together and I’m like the whole thing!

CF: You’re too cute!

AM: Where do you start in your design process? Being where you are in Mexico, walking around definitely must be something for the senses and crazy inspiration.

CF: My new collection is just coming out and it’s called Brigid. So, Brigid took me back to my original roots. So when I was first introduced to San Benito, I was in Ireland. I saw the Celtic cross and I remembered being in San Benito and seeing the San Benito Monastery. That was the Celtic cross and I have Celtic roots. So Brigid takes me back to the first trip in Ireland when I was first introduced to that Celtic cross in a town called Kildare. Killdare happens to be the town where Brigid is. I wanted to do something that was very Irish and I started looking back into it and the famous Celtic cross in Ireland is in Kildare and Brigid, she is the only Goddess who is also a Saint. So she is a pagan Goddess and a Saint at the same time.

AM: Interesting!

CF: She is all 4 elements. She is Air, Water, Fire, and Earth.

AM: Now it makes sense with the images that you sent knowing that!

CF: Exactly right? So, I’m tying things back to my Celtic roots but yet, it is so very Mexican inspired for the pieces. All of my pieces are handmade!

AM: That’s another thing that I love about your brand! It already comes out with that heritage aspect to it due to how it is crafted. It is polished not like something that is mass produced, but in a way where you feel that an artisan made it and it is passed down to you. Every time I put it on – even if it is a new piece or one I haven’t worn in a while, you have this feeling that is warm and as if it something that you have had for years.

CF: You need to come down here and come down to the workshop!

AM: I want to come and see this, I would probably freak out!

CF: All of my clients that come to the workshop, they always say, “you don’t charge enough for your pieces.” They are blown away!

AM: I have to say that I have always felt that your pieces are a great price point; however, you have all the people that are making it by hand –

CF: It’s a lot! I have the same workers for 25 years.

AM: Really?

CF: Yes, the same people! They are the best of what they do. They love when I bring a magazine photo in and show them. They love seeing Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus or a number of the people that have worn their brand. They all have their little alters at their work stations. They really put a lot of love in what they do.

AM: When you make a collection each season like Brigid, how long is that process from concept to finish?

CF: It’s a lot. It can take – Brigid is coming out on Feb 1st and what we do is that we always wear the pieces beforehand. So after awhile in wearing a piece, you can see how it feels and you may say, this isn’t right. So we have to change and we have 2 pieces that we are right now in the process of getting ready. For Brigid, we have been working since Oct on this. It takes a long time and as a designer, I’m working all of the time. You don’t just stop your brain from being creative right? Every time you are looking at something, you’re saying, how does this translate?

It’s very interesting and I love it. I sit with the workers, I don’t hand them a sketch. I sit with them while we are making the pieces. I don’t have my cell phone with me or my laptop, I sit with them and I say, let’s do this and let’s do that. Then, they give me ideas, and we do it together.

AM: I did the same thing with my shoes as there was so much to learn by being able to talk with the artisans that have been doing this for years. I was able to share my vision, how I wanted the leathers arranged and then to watch them put it together, offer directions and adjustments to make a beautiful collection that I sold on HSN. So being in Santo Domingo and to have that experience really opened my eyes to craftsmanship. They knew that product and it was a pleasure to work with them. They knew that leather better than anybody, they knew about the last and so many components of the shoe.

CF: Yes! I have to say that it is very different than going to a factory in China where they are throwing things in a machine and spitting it out. There was a period where there was a copy cat of mine and they were making it in China and you could tell that it wasn’t the same.

AM: You knew the difference! Just the weight alone. It always surprises me that the pricing of your collection is so reasonable and then when you think about the hand made element as well, it’s amazing that your prices aren’t higher.

CF: People know once you start wearing it and playing with it. Our pieces in addition to being hand made are also hand polished. In this industry, when people say handmade – what does that mean because there could be elements that are and others on a machine. I do such a volume that I am fortunate that I am able to keep the prices at where they’re at. That definitely helps and we have a nice kind of flow to our factory – I don’t call it a factory I call it an atelier. We have about 13 people who work with us and every piece has its own hand antiquing. I don’t like that usually in jewelry when you antique it, they throw it in a black pot and they tumble it. I don’t like that. I like to brush it on by hand and I tell them where I want it to be more intense and where I want it to be less intense.

AM: Oh wow that explains something else I have always wondered. It’s yet another little detail that I am learning about you and the brand! I always noticed that it wasn’t the same all over in terms of my rings as I have more in this category than other portions of your line. So I will see certain parts of the ring will look one way or another when I am turning my hand or picking something up. I just thought that my skin was making it do that!

CF: There is a designer that wore my cuff to death in the shower, swimming in the ocean and I ran into her in NY and I said Nicole, would you like for me to replate that for you? It was black! And she was like, it’s my natural patina piece – my personal patina! I was like ok!

AM: Oh wow!

Who would you say is the VSA customer if you had to put a person in a category or categories?

CF: I know! There is the woman that I think she is that is this punk rock cool chick. But it’s so difficult because we have people from Miley Cyrus to Maria Shriver to Marilyn Manson. It is the most bizarre brand. A marketing company will come to me and say who is your customer and I really know that we are all over the board. We are being included in the upcoming season of Euphoria –

AM: Oh yeah, that’s huge! It’s their 3rd season!

CF: Yeah and they’re using my pieces all over! Yeah! So I have that kind of client and I have no idea as I have never seen that show.

AM: I did try to watch it but I feel like the show the cast when it first started they were like 16 but they’re definitely show the cast going through it. They’re drinking, doing drugs, navigating relationships. For me, watching younger kids do that isn’t for me versus seeing the same thing done with adults. But it is an acclaimed show and I know people really love it! I mean Zendaya (Challengers, Dune franchise, Spider-Man franchise), Colman Domingo (The Four Seasons, Fear the Walking Dead, Sing Sing) – so now I feel like I need to get on that train.

CF: I know! I have to watch it.

AM: So now that VSA is in it, I have to support it.

CF: You’re not going to see Zendaya in it but it’s another main character –

AM: Could be Sydney Sweeney (White Lotus, The Housemaid, Eden) as I know she is in it.

CF: I don’t know, but the main character is going to be wearing a signature rosary as that is her thing. You’ll see a belt buckle and you will see everything. I don’t want to say too much but I am excited.

I have also had a number of programs contact me as there is this whole witchy aesthetic that has been going on lately. When VSA started, Passion of the Christ came out, The Da Vinci Code so there was a lot of the religious thing, then we moved into Disney because there was Once Upon a Time –

AM: Yes! Loved that show and the pieces for that were huge as that was such a major collab with Disney!

CF: I fit in with those things personally. Then things got a little boring and now there is this whole witch thing going on. So there’s a movie called Forbidden Fruit that they chose my pieces for and then there is this new series that they are filming in Canada right now and I sent them 150 pieces. They went crazy for everything!

AM: I would love to see them in White Lotus, I don’t believe they are in production just yet. When they were filming in Thailand for S3, I was reached out to by someone working with them and they were looking for designers to partner with. I don’t know if it was for the show or for promotional items that would flow coming off of that and I told them then that they should talk with you and that I would be happy to connect the 2.

CF: Love it! I will tell you that my team is so professional and you have worked with them so many times. We say that we will have it on X date – we do, we have the return label, everything is packaged clean, we do what we say we will do. I don’t know how many people in the industry do that.

AM: Not a lot! Many times I have the request with a buffer and you’ll have some people still missing that window – so crazy!

CF: They’re kind of taken back at how easy it is to work with us!

AM: Oh yes, you guys package it nicely and everything is just ready to go. I find that in this business even though some people don’t do things to standard, when you are not a massive brand or with a massive firm or whatever the case may be, you have to be more on point and easy to work with so that you can continue to navigate and I always appreciate when people take care and pride in what they do! It’s about the details and the follow through!

CF: I also have this immense archive!

AM: I was just going to ask you about that!

CF: It’s massive – it’s crazy! So this program called The Body that is coming out, they shared the storyline and I told them that I would pick all of the pieces so they could give me direction. I gave them my mood board with all of the pieces. The pieces I showed them were not on the website. I can just pull from the archive and it’s so fun and most people don’t know that I do head pieces – I have thousands! I’m not going to put them on my website. People don’t necessarily want to spend a $1,000 on a headpiece that they will wear once.

AM: But it is there should they want it!

CF: It’s been so much fun and I can’t believe that I have had this life.

AM: Your photoshoots are productions in themselves and I get it as we do a number of them here at Athleisure Mag. What is that like as they are immersive and they have such a storyline and you had one that always comes to mind which was a Last Supper motif.

CF: I know! That one was so controversial. I would have surprise photoshoots with my team and that one was a team photoshoot.

AM: Oh wow!

CF: They didn’t know it was going to happen we were just eating like we normally do. I do them at my house, so I have the MUA sneaking in, the costume guy, the hair guy – everyone is setting up. So I let everyone know this is it – the Last Supper photoshoot. I have Mariana there with her long black hair naked, covering her breasts with the black tears and huge belt buckle. We have 12 women dressed super elegantly with the hairdos and I wanted a crystal turkey – the food had to be crystalized! We have so much fun with these shoots and they are all at the office or at my house!

AM: I always enjoy seeing your campaigns, photoshoots, and videos. There have been times that I have used them in terms of creating my moodboards for a shoot or concept. It’s art and it has everything in there.

CF: I go outside of it. When I do Marie Antoinette, she’s going to have the white makeup on and we’re going to go all out. Forget about the hybrid! I’m the real deal!

AM: What do you feel are the 3 key pieces that someone should have if they are just starting our their VSA collection?

CF: Ok, well for certain my Magdalena which is a multi-beaded piece that is super versatile and the first necklace that I designed! It’s still in the line and still my #1 piece. Lady Gaga wears it, Madonna wears it, everyone! That was the necklace that Britney Spears put me on the map. Then when she was going through that period of time where it was about Save Britney Spears was all over the Internet. She decided that she was going to pose naked on the Internet with only my necklace – she is like Maria Magdalena reincarnated. Lady Gaga wore it for her half time show and people choose to wear my pieces during key moments. Miley Cyrus wore that necklace for forever. It means something to them.

I would definitely say a VSA ring. I would also say a belt buckle. These are great statements. A lot of people think that with a belt buckle you have to have a skinny waist – no you don’t. You can wear your belt buckle high on the waist if you want our buckles are big it’s somehow an illusion!

AM: I tell people it’s a look that should be incorporated.

CF: Those 3 items the Magdalena the beaded necklace, the buckle, and the ring. My rings are statement pieces as you know – don’t be afraid of them!

AM: I say that too. You get used to wearing them and I don’t leave the house without them! I would feel weird leaving the house without them. The few times I do, they are probably in my bag waiting to be put back on. I workout in them and they sit in the little ring tray when I am getting my nails done.

CF: It’s like protection.

AM: I do feel that they are a bit like armor when I put them on. I have had them for so long and I like being able to choose a nice arrange of rings as I tend to wear 4 and always 2 from VSA. The fact that you have archives I do want to dig into those as a few years ago I was looking through that with one of your team members because we thought a project was going to take place and I couldn’t believe pieces I was drooling over that I had never seen on the website.

CF: Oh yeah the archive!

AM: Right and to your point, I was like we need to go to San Miguel because I can only imagine!

CF: You and Paul need to come down you would have so much fun! I love how versatile the pieces are the people that love this brand. I remember when Tim McGraw was in a photoshoot and he was styled in various pieces. The shearling coat was Dolce Gabbana and the best photo of all is a full page shot of him in his lounge chair in his office. He had his belt buckle on – VSA belt buckle and his hat and his favorite denim shirt and the credits said that the buckle was designer’s own. He was so proud of wearing that piece. I don’t care that he didn’t say my name –

AM: I remember seeing that picture and looking at the credits and I knew it was VSA!

CF: Yeah! That’s the thing – he chose that outfit because that was the picture and he looked so relaxed and so great.

We get phone calls and emails of people claiming that the pieces have done something to save their life – it is bizarre. We had a woman from NYC call the office and she was crying. She told me that she was weaing the Guadalupe belt buckle in Central Park and walked up to a woman crying on a park bench. She put her hand on her shoulder and said can I help you? The woman looked up and saw the belt buckle and said, “you just did.” The woman on the bench had prayed to Guadalupe asking for a sign or she would end her own life.

AM: Oh my.

CF: I mean, we were all crying by the end of that story. It was just amazing and we get these stories. People from Patagonia that had a life changing event that happened while wearing the necklace and now they aren’t going to take it off. You can’t believe some of the things that we hear and there is a power behind it.

AM: I always feel settled when I wear them it’s putting on those last elements to take on the world like armor.

CF: Listen to us!

AM: I’ve always felt that when you wear an accessory and especially when it comes to jewelry and that skin to skin contact, there is what the designer intended by designing it and then it merges with who you are as a person and then it becomes like a totem in many respects. You wear it every day, stories and moments in time are being associated and there is something there.

CF: I think jewelry does that way more than a sweater or something of that nature.

AM: Totally! I think it’s like when you walk into someone’s home, you feel a vibe because you are in the space of the inhabitants that eat, sleep, and live there and the home becomes an amplifier of the energy and sentiments that are there.

CF: Exactly.

AM: So the pieces that you’re wearing, because it is everyday and next to your skin – it is a thing.

IG @vsa_designs

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 56 - 65 Virgins Saints and Angels | PG 73 - 75 Paul Farkas

Read the DEC ISSUE #120 of Athleisure Mag and see AVANT GOTHICA WITH VSA in mag.

NEW YEAR, N3W YOU

Read the DEC ISSUE #120 of Athleisure Mag and see NEW YEAR, N3W YOU in mag.

GO GET 'EM MODE | MICHELLE BUTEAU

We’re 2 days into the New Year and we’re making sure that we are setting ourselves up for the best success! Although we know that the 1st is the beginning of the year, it’s that first Monday that really lets us know what we’re in for. Jan 5th, is really the beginning of a series of days and weeks where we really have to get in gear!

We sat down with actor, standup comedian, producer, Co-Creator and star of Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest Michelle Buteau to talk about her career, her creative process, her projects and why she partnered with Premier Protein! She talks about the importance of showing up for herself and being good to herself.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Hello! We met briefly at Chuks Collins dinner this Fall when he shared his collection at Bryant Park Grill. I was waiting to be seated, turned around and then there you were looking stunning walking by and all I could get out was, I love you in Survival of the Thickest!

MICHELLE BUTEAU: Oh yes, that was a great dinner and Chuks is so special!

AM: Yes it was such a good dinner and it’s great talking with you now as the interaction was so quick and a bit rushed on my part as I was just spitting out the words - so hello!

MB: Oh no it wasn’t! I love to hear that people love the show because it makes me feel like I am doing my job, so thank you for that! I will never get tired of that.

AM: Well you looked phenomenal and I was a table away from you and kept saying (in my head), that’s Michelle!

I am a fan of your energy, your humor, your authenticity and all the things! Honestly, I don’t know where I was in life, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that I was like wait who is this – I loved you on Netflix’s Barbecue showdown, you were the host of a social reality show that I loved watching, being on BET’s First Wives Club – I was like this woman is working! You literally got me through the pandemic which then brought me to watching the other things that you do as well!

You’re an actress, a comedian, a producer, a host, you can do drama – when did you realize that you wanted to be an entertainer?

MB: Oh my goodness! I feel that every kid thinks that they can be an entertainer. I think that it was when I was around 12 or 13 that I was like, “I think that I want to do this” to my parents and they were like, no you don’t. I don’t think that I really told myself or gave myself permission or license to really go far with this until my 20’s which is so crazy, but you know, whatever makes you happy!

AM: Well, whether you’re preparing for a character or an upcoming film, or series, what is your creative process or what do you pull from when you’re trying to get ready for things that you’re working on?

MB: You know, that’s such a great question! I don’t really have a process, the main thing that I have to do because I have a husband, 2 dogs, 2 kids, and responsibilities at home and in life. The main thing for me to do is that I am happy and healthy, that I have all of my vitamins, and I am taking care of myself because my brain is working! When I have a good amount of rest because I like to be busy – the main thing is that I am taking care of me throughout the day!

AM: In Survival of the Thickest, I love it with the energy of that show! You are showing the industry and what goes on in it. I am the Co-Founder/Creative + Style Dir of Athleisure Mag but I am also a Fashion Stylist. So when I am watching the show and your character, I’m like oh yeah – that is what it is!

MB: Yeah, you get it!

AM: Yup, I’m like, that’s pretty much it! It’s glam when it’s glam and then it’s just not.

MB: Yeah and I love that about it. It’s a parallel to comedy which is why I chose that job for my character. That job will humble you real quick and the next day you could be flying first class or private in this whole different realm so I think it is important to know that there are a whole of different places that you can live especially with the job that you love.

AM: What made you want to be a Co-Creator of this show and also star in it as well? I know that you’re back in production on S3 and I am so bummed that this will be the final season – but the series has everything!

MB: I mean, it was just really natural right? I have been doing standup for 24 years and it has helped me figure out my voice, my platform – and when I wrote this book when I brought my kids home from the hospital. I was like, “oh, I have twin babies now and I guess I will be at home so I need to write a book – I mean what? What?” But I will say, hot tip, I do put some Premier Protein Shake in my coffee because that’s how I get my protein! I get my coffee kick, my caffeine kick, my protein kick! So that was very helpful! Obviously lots of hugs and fresh hugs too – but anyways!

AM: What is life without fresh veggies and hugs?

MB: Ok now! Downward dogs and everything – cat/cow!

I mean, I wrote the book and then when Netflix optioned the book, they said, “do you want to build this world yourself or would you like to work with someone?” There’s nothing better than collaborating. When you find the right person it just sings and so I am so happy that Netflix introduced me to my Co-Creator Danielle Sanchez-Witzel (My Name is Earl, New Girl, The Carmichael Show) because we had a time! We had a whole kiki! It’s been so fun! It is 3rd and final, but that’s ok because I think that it is a gift knowing that you are not coming back so that you can do what you want to do. Also, no one is a 1 trick pony! We can go out there and do other things – I mean look at you!

AM: Tell me about The Surviving and Thriving Tour!

MB: Oh my goodness! Well, you know, everybody has got – the whole point is that we can live in 2 places at once. While we feel like this is really hard, there also some really good things too. You have to wake up really early, but isn’t it really good that you get to wake up really early and get to do all the things that you want to do? I feel like being busy or stressed is a privilege – I get to have the responsibility to do these things which is really fun. So Surviving and Thriving is named kind of after that. I love standup and I can’t wait to go back out on tour. I love performing and just writing hard jokes, hard jokes. I want people bending over with laughter! I want people to just be cackling because laughter is medicine and I’m a doctor!
AM: I mean, I will take in all the prescriptions that you’re providing!

MB: Yeah! There’s no Co-Pay, come get you some laughs!

AM: Spa Weekend looks amazing! It’s a great cast! Why did you want to be part of that project?

MB: I mean, there is just this beautiful, wild and comedic powerhouses coming together! I love Isla Fisher (Now You See Me franchise, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Nocturnal Animals), Leslie Mann (The Other Woman, Blockers, Motherless Brooklyn), Anna Faris (Scary Movie franchise, Mom, The House Bunny) and how could I not want to be part of that team? I also love the idea of strong female bonds and relationships when we are from different walks of life. The one thing that we have in common is that the women of Spa Weekend, go on a spa weekend because they need it. They are really busy with the responsibilities and the mundane things that are done in life and they have to go away. They just go away for a wild weekend and they just have a lot of fun stuff going on and a lot of hijinks!

AM: I cannot wait to see it!

You recently partnered with Premier Protein as a part of their New Year campaign and Go Get ‘Em Mode. Tell me about this mode and what it is and why did you want to partner with this brand?

MB: Oh my goodness because I like to Go Get’ Em so let’s Go Get ‘Em, come on sis – let’s roll! Are you for real? So I remember and this was a full circle moment. My dad, he was like the busiest man alive. He would lift weights in between meetings, take me to the mall and he was so busy. He would always have a Premier Protein Shake! So I grew up watching the busiest man I know always being in Go Mode and getting it done and always taking care of his body. So when Premier Protein Shake approached me, I said yes! Everyone knows about that hard start of the year at the top of January 1st and it isn’t always that and then people beat themselves up – it’s the Monday – it’s the January 5th of it all. It’s really exciting because Premier Protein wants to set people up for success by going to goget2026.com and you can go on there and try them out for free! They will send it to you in your house in select cities (Atlanta, NY, Chicago, LA, Philadelphia and Miami). We all know what that is! We know what the pre-party is before you have to go to work so it’s that 5-9 where you’re like, uh-oh how am I going to do this, who am I going to be, what am I going to wear? You know, can I touch my toes, will I have enough energy – yes you can! It’s Premier Protein and they want to help you get that energy sis so let’s go!

AM: I love that and a shake is a great way to do all of that!

What do you love about drinking these shakes? Do you have a special flavor?

MB: I’m a Chocolate or Caramel girlie! What I love about it is that I am doing something for myself. I feel like because women – I mean, I’m no doctor – I only play one on TV – actually I did!

AM: I was going to say you did!

MB: You got me!

AM: You did!

MB: We need between 40 and 65 grams of protein a day. So you get 30 in one shot with the bottle, it’s like pretty great! When I have more energy, I’m nicer to people! There’s no road rage you know what I mean? I hope you heal! Oh my God there’s a spot! I found a parking spot? Yes you can cut me in line! You go –

AM: That’s right!

MB: I’m just a nicer person when I have more energy. So yes, I do that for myself - treat yo’self all year long!   

We want to make sure that you have your best foot forward when it comes to kicking off the new New Year right and being able to kick off Jan 5th right! Premier Protein is giving away free morning shaked from January 5th - 9th in select cities. To fuel people 5-9 before their 9-5, Premier Protein will be giving away free protein shakes delivered straight to their door in under an hour (powered by GoPuff!) between 5-9am from Jan. 5 to Jan. 9 on GoGet2026.com in NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami and Atlanta. 

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

KINDNESS MATTERS | CHEF KRISTEN KISH

We have been fans of the Bravo’s Top Chef universe since day 1 and it comes down to a number of factors including: telling a story on a plate, the chefs actual stories, and in many cases even visting their restaurants. It has grown into a network of alums that we enjoy seeing again and again whether they’re on TV, doing a phenomenal project or popping in to eat their latest creation.

Avid readers and the Athleisure Mag community know that we have interviewed S10 Top Chef winner, Chef Kristen Kish a number of times whether it’s a fun partnership/collaboration, various shows she has been a part of or for our MAR ISSUE #99 cover story with her alongside Chef Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons of Top Chef when she took the reigns as host of Top Chef starting S21. She loves the journey of food and the chefs that are involved, she’s always asking questions, and gives words of wisdom that can really be applicable to whatever it is you do in life!

This month, we catch up with her to talk about the upcoming season of Top Chef, S23 in the Carolinas, joining the cast of Peacock’s S4 of Traitors, why being kind matters and her partnership with KIND for the CHOOSE KIND campaign, holiday dishes, gifting, and more!

CHEF KRISTIN KISH: Hello! It’s so nice to see you again!

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s so nice to see you again! Well, we’re always so excited anytime we get the chance to chat with you, because you’re always doing amazing things. The last time we saw you, that’s when you were our cover for Athleisure Mag right before you hosted your first season of Top Chef which was phenomenal! Now, you have so many things going on, so it will be great to chat with you.

CHEF KK: Likewise, thanks!

AM: So, looking forward to S23 of Top Chef, you’re going to be be in the Carolinas which is amazing – what has it been like for you to be on Top Chef as the host?

CHEF KK: I mean, it’s like, the greatest job. I have very little complaints. I think that the only the only thing that was the most challenging this past season was, you know, the Carolina humidity, which we were certainly prepared for. But other than that, I mean, I, I love making Top Chef. I love spending time with all the chefs that we have coming in to dine with us. It’s a really great quick 2-month crash course in a location, introducing you to new people, and then also hearing from so many people amongst the industry or even not! But just like how other people think and talk about food, I think it’s just - it’s incredible!

AM: Amazing. We know you can’t talk too much about the upcoming season, but what can you share with us that we should be looking forward to?

CHEF KK: I mean, come on – every season is just the best. It’s great chefs, it’s great food, and honest feedback. And you know, I think one of my favorite things to do is - I mean, I love watching the show, but because we don’t get to see the chefs thought process.

AM: Right!

CHEF KK: You know all those interviews, and in the kitchen scenes, we don’t see any of that.

AM: Yeah.

CHEF KK: The only time we see them is when they’re in front of us, and so I always get really excited, and I look forward to getting the whole story and the whole picture.

AM: You’re like, wait, that’s what happened.

CHEF KK: Yeah, I’ve tasted the food, but I don’t know sometimes how they’ve fully arrived.

AM: We also love the companion series Dish with Kish. The format is really interesting how elements of the challenge from the episode as well as working with Top Chef alums in each episode are presented in the series! We just interviewed, Chef Gregory Gourdet (Top Chef S12 Runner-up, S17 Finalist) last month, during the Food Network NYC Wine Food Festival. He was so kind and sweet. We’ve never been able to talk to him before, but it’s always fun to watch him with you on this companion series as you guys have great chemistry together!

As soon as we finish the night’s episode on Bravo, we go to Peacock and start off with Last Chance Kitchen with Chef Tom Colicchio to see how eliminated players fight there way back to get on the show and then we end it by savoring Dish with Kish!

Why do you love having this companion series?

CHEF KK: You know, I think it, it’s just - it’s obviously Top Chef related, where we’re pulling inspiration from that challenge. You know, we’re getting to see some of your favorite Top Chef alums in the kitchen again, cooking. You know, it’s no rules. As you see, the entire set is fair game. It is as if you were in the kitchen with me, albeit I’m in full glam, which I normally wouldn’t be.

AM: The looks you rock in those episodes as well as in the flagship show are always amazing every time – you don’t miss.

CHEF KK: Thank you.

But it’s like, it’s like a fly on the wall moment.

AM: Yeah.

CHEF KK: You get to see real interactions and the time that is spent with sometimes Top Chef alums that I have known for many years, like Gregory, and who we are deeply like, wonderful friends or me being introduced to a new Top Chef alum that I know very little about because I just haven’t had the time to interact. So, I mean, it’s just it’s fun. It’s 11 - 15 minutes of whatever. It’s my kind of TV.

AM: Love it!

You mentioned that shooting this competition series takes place over a 2 month period. How do you take on a show like that in terms of preparation? Clearly, you’re immersed in this environment, but how do you get your mind ready for it before you step into that abyss?

CHEF KK: You know, I think it’s a great abyss to be in. So, like, you know, there’s not a lot of like pumping myself up. I think the the first year that I was hosting, I had definitely more like internal personal work to work on.

AM: Yeah.

CHEF KK: Because I was really wrapping my brain around the pressure that I was putting on myself.

AM: Of course.

CHEF KK: But come Canada and now, obviously, the Carolinas like, you know, I go in a couple days before it. I like to go see the set. I like to get my bearings. I like to unpack and like organize space, equals organize mind. For me, really, the preparation is oftentimes the morning of, so whatever call time, my time is, I need my quiet, introverted recharge battery time. So, I wake up 1 hour and 40 minutes to 2 hours before, no matter what. Even if it’s crazy early, I will still need my time for my quiet and my coffee. It’s a daily practice keeping my mind ready and sharp for every single day.

AM: You’re joining the cast of the Traitors. We love this show, whether it is the US, UK, Australian, or New Zealand editions! And literally, we’ve watched various times for the US portion of the franchise, and thought, “what would it be like to have Alan Cumming (GoldenEye, The Good Wife, X-Men franchise) and Kristen together – we need these interactions”. So when it was announced that you would be doing this, we are ready. So, why did you want to join this show?

CHEF KK: You know, there was a lot of reasons going into it. I think that, for me, cooking competitions are something that I would dabble back into if it were for charity, or fun – but something that is less pressure. But like competition, I kind of hung up my hat on that one. This one is so outlandish, unrealistic in terms of the theme. honestly. We’re all running around the Highlands of Scotland trying to murder banished people!

AM: I know right?

CHEF KK: It’s insane!

AM: And some of those challenges, like the whole bug thing – yikes, so much anxiety for you.

CHEF KK: It’s silly.

AM: Yeah.

CHEF KK: So I felt like that lent itself to just like fully immersing yourself into fun. That was one reason. Another reason is, I’m always trying to find new ways to push my introverted self to get out there and do more, especially if you know it’s like even loosely tied to promoting my show.

AM: Oh yeah!

CHEF KK: So I mean, I’d be lying if I said I went on there not doing that. And then, also, they keep beating us in the Emmys, and Alan keeps beating me in the host category, so I was, like, if you can’t beat ‘em -

AM: You might as well join them. We can’t wait to see that!

KIND has been a brand that we have enjoyed eating. It’s healthy, a great mix of ingredients, and it’s fun. How did you come to this brand, and why did you want to partner with them?

CHEF KK: You know, they came to me, and I think the beauty of something like, KIND, is obviously I’ve had many KIND bars. I know exactly the brand. So when someone or a brand comes to me and says, well, obviously, it’s in the name, right, like World Kindness Day - let’s see what can we do, how can we shine a light on it, and how can we give back? That already, is check, check?

AM: Yes.

CHEF KK: It’s a yes, yes, and yes. I think it’s our duty if we are able to give and shine a light on things or have a platform in order to celebrate something, someone or an organization that deserves it, it’s an automatic yes. You know, I think it happened so organically because I was already going to New Orleans for the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, donating my time to cook at the reception there, and so, what better way to amplify all parties than to really like join forces in a way and give back in an even greater way. So, you know, It just it all made sense. It’s an incredible organization. With KIND, we’re able to give $25,000 to the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, 10,000 bars to YEP (Youth Empowerment Project), like, wow, it was a win-win for everybody.

AM: Will there be other things in this partnership as well, or was it just this with the Emeril Lagasse Foundation?

CHEF KK: The good thing about the Emeril Lagasse Foundation and KIND and myself donating $25,000 is that Emeril Lagasse Foundation supports programs like, YEP, but also everything else. So, they’ve already done a lot of the legwork. So if we can give back to them, they’re then giving back to x amount of organizations.

AM: It’s always great to be kind and to do kind things and how much more important is it during the holiday season to do so?

CHEF KK: Well, I think it’s 100%. Like, definitely, during the holidays to give back to those who might need more, whether that be food, money, time, or you know anything. We’re all capable of giving back in some form. Even if it’s just a smile and kindness throughout the day. You know, I think, on top of that given our climate, it’s not just the holidays.

AM: Yeah.

CHEF KK: It’s an everyday thing. And you know, many hands makes light work. I think that if we can all focus on impacting what we are capable of doing financially or time-wise, or whatever? All those little ripples do make a huge difference. For me, I sometimes get overwhelmed with the the amount that has to be fixed and course corrected, but the beauty of kindness is that you can give it for free.

AM: So true!

We always love chatting with you about different foods. We are in the holiday season. So, what are three dishes that you’re loving to make during this holiday season?

CHEF KK: Oof man!

AM: I know! But you’re always sharing things that we store away to make or to order when we’re out and about!

CHEF KK: We have entered baking season. My wife is Australian as you know. She had never gone apple picking. So, this past Fall, we went apple picking! That was awesome. I was like, how do you not know about this?

AM: I mean – it’s the perfect Fall thing to do and is just part of the checklist for the season – come on! right?

CHEF KK: I mean it’s a lovely tradition! You pick too many apples, you don’t know what to do with them. So, like anything like that, it adds so much like warmth and sense to the house. I love it so much.

AM: Yup!

CHEF KK: The warm spices! My wife is totally into baking from Gregory’s cookbook (Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes For Modern Health) recently, which is fabulous. I mean, honestly, for me, especially being East Coast based - you know, winter is cold. Anything that gets you to hunker down, get a fireplace going, warm meal, and people that you love gathered around the table. I think that there’s nothing better and then the food is almost a secondary to the feeling that it can bring.

AM: You’re always having your hands in a number of pots. We’ve talked about a number of things are coming up, but are there any other projects that we need to know about to share with our community?

CHEF KK: You know, not anything new that I can speak about at the moment. Obviously, January 8th Traitors, Top Chef - Spring of 2026.

AM: Which is exciting.

CHEF KK: And then, you know, great holiday gifts. Kish Aperitif and my New York Times Best-Selling, memoir, Accidently on Purpose.

AM: Love Kish Aperitif, a must for the bar cart.

CHEF KK: Thank you so much! We have a new label, looks a little bit different. I’m just, I’m really, really, really proud of that product. I think it’s delicious.

AM: As always, we appreciate you taking the time. It’s so good to connect and it’s always awesome to see how you authentically navigate with things that we know as well as new things that you do! We can’t wait for Traitors and will be cheering for you. And of course, when Top Chef drops can’t wait to see how everything unfolds!

CHEF KK: My pleasure! I’m sure we’ll be speaking again very soon.

IG @kristenlkish

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 59 + 60X KIND | PG 63 Sam McElwee/Peacock | PG 64 David Moir/Bravo |

Read the NOV ISSUE #119 of Athleisure Mag and see KINDNESS MATTERS | Chef Kristen Kish in mag.

SPARTACUS REVISITED

We enjoyed Spartacus on STARZ which ran from 2010 - 2013. It brought the vivid life of the Roman Republic in 73-71 BC. The show focused on a Thracian gladiator who led a slave uprising against the state. Ancient Rome was filled with sex, violence, political corruption and more.

Now on Dec 5th, Spartacus is back with Spartacus: House of Ashur which is a alternate timeline that looks at what if Ashur (Nick E. Tarabay) didn’t die from the previous season. In this new world, we are met with characters that we have seen before as well as a host of individuals that are part of this retelling. We had the pleasure of attending the press junket for this show to talk with Steven S. DeKnight (Pacific Rim franchise, Spartacus, Daredevil) - Creator/Showrunner/Executive Producer/Writer, Nick E. Tarabay (Star Trek Into Darkness, The Cleaning Lady, Stargirl), Graham McTavish (The Hobbit franchise, House of the Dragon, Outlander), Tenika Davis (Saw VI, IT: Welcome to Derry, Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities), Claudia Black (The Nevers, Ahsoka, Transformers: EarthSpark), India Shaw-Smith (The Magicians, The Pines Still Whisper, Andor), and Jaime Slater (Jupiter’s Legacy, Pacific Rim: Rising, DareDevil).

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s a pleasure to talk to all of you about this incredible series. Starting with you Steven, we have been a fan of your work for awhile with Pacific Rim, Spartacus, and DareDevil – what led to your creating the original, Spartacus and then deciding to come back with this amazing Spartacus: House of Ashur?

STEVEN S. DEKNIGHT: In the original, I got a call from my agents one day saying that Sam Raimi (Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness, Spider-Man franchise, The Quick and the Dead) and Rob Tapert (Xena: Warrior Princess, Evil Dead franchise, Time Cop) wanted to do some gladiator show for STARZ. They asked me if I was interested in taking the meeting. I said, Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi – yes! I will take that meeting. I didn’t know it was Spartacus until I was in the meeting. They had already sold the concept to doing Spartacus to STARZ and they needed someone to come in and to figure out the story.

That was really the start of it and I was thrown into the deep end. I didn’t know anything about Roman history except for Ben Hur and the original Spartacus. That’s all I knew, but we had some great historical consultants. So that was the genesis of the first show.

For the second one, STARZ and Lionsgate has been reaching out over the last decade every now and then to see if I had any interest in doing some more Spartacus and I was always too busy or recovering from the original show. But the last time, I guess it was about 2.5/3 years ago, they reached out and I was free. I had had enough time to rest up from the original show and so I started kicking around ideas. It was what you would expect – it was Caesar, the Triumvirate, Anthony and Cleopatra, but there was something that I loved about the original couple of seasons about Spartacus. I liked the upstairs/downstairs, the political intrigue of the city – I wanted to capture that feeling. So at the end of Vengeance with the original show, Nick has a line where he talks about the rise of the House of Ashur. Then he gets his head chopped off so he never gets to do that.

AM: Right.

SSD: So, I always thought that that sounds like something fun and that would be a show that I would want to do. I love working with Nick so I pitched the idea, they really liked it and here we are!

AM: Wow! Nick, what drew you to the original Spartacus and what do you think about coming back into this series which is like an alternate history type of aspect?

NICK E. TARABAY: Originally what drew me to it is that again, that world has always been fascinating to me. The original Spartacus is that world of the gladiator, Roman history, and all the drama that goes with that in between. I have always been intrigued by this. I then remember that at the time that I auditioned for it, I thought it was really interesting – the character. So going into it and because the character evolves so much as you go into it, originally he was going to be friends with Spartacus or maybe he was going to be part of the rebels – then they switched it and he was going to become an enemy to them. That’s what intrigued me, I was always behind Ashur meaning, I was never ahead of him. As an actor, I like to be surprised as I’m reading! Now after developing this and I was lucky enough to be able to work on the prequel and to be able to show why he is the way he is. That was just a gift. Then in S3 in Vengeance, I got to play a little bit more. So it was a great arc for a character – beautiful arc for a character. So coming back to that, you can’t say no to this! It doesn’t happen very often.

AM: Right!

NET: And to think, they have added even more colors to him this season which I really like! It’s really a full embodied character and I really love that. So yeah, it’s a privilege to be back on this.

AM: We just heard from Nick and Steven about Spartacus and Spartacus: House of Ashur, we’ll be looking at this new series as we continue to talk with the rest of the cast. What drew you to Spartacus: House of Ashur?

INDIA SHAW-SMITH: What certainly for me, I was such a huge fan of the original series. So when I heard there was to be a new iteration focused on Ashur, I was so excited to watch it – let alone to audition for it. So certainly when that came through, I jumped at the chance to be part of this world that I love so much!

CLAUDIA BLACK: I wanted the opportunity to embody a woman who is in her 50s as I am who is fighting for relevancy. While I don’t want to fight necessarily as that can become scrappy and ugly, it’s a bizarre situation to find oneself in in mid life with culture sort of turning its cheek. Quite specifically, when I had the meeting with Rick and Steven, they said that “they were doing something new and fresh and that they were going to have a Black Gladiatrix.” Every being in my body said that it was a hard yes to that! It was really interesting to know that they were for women and Black women and that they were going to do something and this was really just so important. I thought, that this tells me that they want to bring this show which is so beloved – into the new age and the new era. That feels important and relevant.

GRAHAM MCTAVISH: Well, so many things! First of all, I’m such a fan of Steven’s writing. I just think that it’s such a unique writing style that he has. It’s semi-Shakespearean and it’s Shakespeare meets Conan the Barbarian kind of vibe. I love that. I was a huge fan of the original Spartacus and I watched all of them when they came out. So the opportunity to do this was a no brainer. I don’t know if you know this, but when Steven wrote the character, it was for me for Korris. So that was very flattering!

Also, I’m a huge history buff so ancient Rome is a place that I have always been fascinated by and when I did Outlander, people always asked where I would time travel to and I would always say Rome – just for a day, I wouldn’t want to spend more than a day there. After that, it’s good, I will just catch the last plane out. That would have been fantastic. I think that the thing about Rome is it seems like this far away world and obviously there are things that when you look at it, obviously there’s this, that, costume, weapons, gladiators, etc. But there are actually things that are more in common with their world than what we think. I actually think that we have more in common with Rome then we imagine. I think that there is a Roman inside all of us. We just dress differently. In similar circumstances in the world that they were working with, that’s how we would have been – you and I. We would have been part of that world. If we were dropped in there now, there would be certain things – probably the smell – that would be pretty unusual although the Romans were very clean people. They had baths, spas, and all of those things – maybe a bit like a Four Seasons experience perhaps – who knows? But in all seriousness, you would probably find yourself going, “I recognize these people.” I recognize him, I know what he is thinking and I recognize her and I think that is what is so interesting about doing anything historical because it is the chance to bring it into a modern world and to be able to hold up a mirror to us.

JAIME SLATER: What didn’t? I mean it was everything! It was just such a vivid, colorful, depraved world where anything goes. It’s just fun and entertaining.

TENIKA DAVIS: I’m a huge fan of the world. I just love shows that are bloody, audacious, sexy, and drama filled. That initially made me hooked already! But the fact that I got to play a female gladiatrix and tell that part of history and not only that, a Black Kushite (Editor’s Note: Kushites are ancient Africans from the Kingdom of Kush, an area that encompassed parts of modern day Sudan and Egypt. Historical figures includes Queen Amanirenas a formidable leader who fought and led her army against the Roman Empire in 27 and 22 BC – she halted the Roman invasion and buried a statue head of Augustus Caesar under her temple. The biblical figure of Moses’ wife who is described as a Kushite women. The Kingdom of Kush was known for its powerful queens and warriors.) woman who now becomes a female Gladiatrix. It’s powerful in and of itself and we get to redefine history and retell stories that have not been told before. It’s just bold!

AM: So bold! In reading the notes about this series and learning that a Black Gladiatrix would be in it, it reminded us of the Black Samurai named Yasuke who was African and arrived in Japan in 1579 and became a samurai under the warlord Oda Nobunaga. He was the 1st non-Japanese person to achieve the rank of samurai in feudal Japan.

Tell us about the characters that you are playing!

CB: Cossutia is to be villainess, but she is really fighting for her safety and her daughters because in this environment, when women are not well matched – they really fall through fast cracks. They have fought their way to being in this elite world and they don’t want to lose their power. In this environment, power is really everything and it is their main currency.

ISS: So, Viridia is the daughter of Cossutia. She is a young Roman noble woman and when we first meet her, she is in a period of deep mourning for her husband who was killed by Spartacus and his rebels at the show opening. Viridia is a very raw ethereal soul. She is very good natured and kind hearted. She really sees the best in people and I think that that is something that makes her very unique and a rare figure in this world that is really driven by brutality, death, deception, and high stakes. Certainly where we find her in the beginning of the series, there has been some regression. She was a wife and now she is once again the child. She’s having to find her place in society and she knows that she will have to do her duty by her family and likely remarry.

JS: Cornelia is one of the elites. She is the elite on the show. She is the wife of Caesar. She is very powerful and very wealthy. She plays by no rules and she has zero consequences. She is menacing, duplicitous and I have heard some refer to her as evil. I had to kind of come at this from a different angle because of all the things that she does and says! There’s a lot of things that are hard to relate to with her so I had to approach this in a very much so “what if” state of mind – what if this was fun, what if I liked this, what if this felt good? Once I did that, things started to fall into place.

GM: He’s a fascinating character because he starts in a very typical way as someone who is very guarded, very reluctant to become friendly with people based on experience really. They live in a world of sudden death and to become close to somebody who can literally be dead the next day is probably not a good idea and he has probably lived through that experience. However, as the show progresses, you see those relationships develop particularly through Achillia and Ashur and with Opitur (Arlo Gibson). Those are the 3 principal relationships along with Celadus (Dan Hamill) – but those are the other ones where you will see the other side to Korris. The vulnerable, emotional, tender side and that is just such an interesting area to explore for an actor.

TD: I really believe that life prepared me for this character. I have black belts – a 2nd degree Black belt in Martial Arts. To earn that in and of itself, was a huge feat in really fighting awesome Korean men in our version of the arena at the time. There were lots of tournaments, competitions, and all sorts of stuff. I started realizing that this character Achillia is actually going through a version of the same thing. So I do believe that I was built to play this type of character. Now, there are new elements that are brought into it. I had never used a sword before or a shield or those kinds of weapons to fight somebody. It was normally my arms and legs, but I remember going to that place where I said to myself, “you know what to do in this world. You have been here before and if you’re frustrated and you’re annoyed – understand that that is part of Achillia’s journey and she knows that she is the underdog and that she is going to have to find her way with these new weapons.

AM: What was your biggest takeaway in playing Achillia and being able to showcase something like that that we have not been able to see before?

TD: For me, it’s empowering. But it is important because we haven’t seen this world before, we haven’t seen these types of characters before. We haven’t seen these characters depicted in this version of Roman society. So that just makes this show new, bold, and audacious.

I know that as a little girl, I grew up with the role models like the Warrior Princess – Xena – Lucy Lawless (Spartacus franchise, Battlestar Galactica, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D.)! She was so good in that role and I remember just looking at her and thinking that she was strong, fierce, and powerful. But even with that, she didn’t really look like me. When I had the opportunity to create a character in Achillia and to understand that the responsibility of that is that somebody is going to look at her and feel empowered and that maybe one day they can look like that and be her too. That is the relevance and importance to this telling of this story, and to this world that we have helped create.

AM: What was your biggest takeaway in being able to play Cornelia?

JS: She’s so powerful and I am a very petite person, so the power she exudes over men that tower over her, the way that she humiliates them, the way she makes people tremble and to have an experience and embodying that level of power was really fun. Because in real life, that just doesn’t happen – not that I want it to!

AM: We were fans of the original so we’re excited to dig into this series. So what should fans of this show from the original who are now coming into this new alternate timeline with its colors and tones – how can we frame our minds best as we begin to watch this series?

SSD: Oh I think that you’re going to have everything that you love about the original and more! It’s brutal, it’s romantic, it’s sexy, it’s operatic!

NET: Yes! I just said this before and I am going to say it again! The new show is like cocaine with sugar on top! There you go! That’s what the fans should expect – it’s full on!

CB: I think that the original DNA is there sufficiently. The passion, the people involved at the head of each department, they worked vigorously to make sure that the beloved DNA is still in this. We now have a sort of refreshing trajectory so it has something for everyone, every age group, there’s some wonderful representation for the LGBTQ community, it’s nuanced, it’s layered, it’s dense, it takes a minute to set up this whole new world. But, I do think that it’s juicy and that people who say that they are just so attached to the original – I get it. I order the same thing from the same restaurant every time and yet, I would say in this instance, this is really great on the menu – give it a go and it’s not going to disappoint.

TD: Fans of the previous show, me included, you’re going to get all of the wonderful things that made Spartacus the powerhouse of a show that it is. Spartacus: House of Ashur is going to be bold, it’s returning to that world of blood, sex, drama, but this new chapter focuses on new things that we haven’t seen that is defined in a new way – that’s power, legacy, defying expectations, giving a voice to underdogs and outsiders in a society that doesn’t want them. Doing all of this with new characters that are telling stories through a fresh lens.

JS: Come in with an open mind and expect anything!

IG @spartacusstarz

Read the NOV ISSUE #119 of Athleisure Mag and see SPARTACUS REVISITED in mag.

FOOD NETWORK NYCWFF 2025

For a 3rd year, we’re covering the Food Network NYC Wine Food Festival presented by Invesco QQQ. This year’s culinary event took place at The Seaport featuring tastings, dinners, and education from Oct 15th - Oct 19th. As we have done in the past years of coverage, we cover the events, interview those who hosted events as well as culinary participants, and adjacent activities, restaurants and our partnering hotel that hosted us this year to add in the perfect Staycation to bring it all together. Each season, the coverage gets larger and we know that you’ll enjoy getting a bird’s eye view on what takes place as you begin to think about planning for next year’s event!

On the first day of the NYCWFF we made our way downtown to The Wall Street Hotel, which is where the culinary talent stays due to its proximity to The Seaport. We picked up our press passes and tickets so that we could attend all of the events we were scheduled for as our first was later on that night.

We then navigated to the CODA Williamsburg Hotel who hosted us for 5 nights. Make sure to read the in depth interview that we had with this hotel following our NYCWFF interviews and coverage.

A TASTE OF THE TIN BUILDING: A PARTY HOSTED BY JEAN-GEORGES VONGERICHTEN + GREGORY GOURDET

The Tin Building is a Food Hall that we have always enjoyed attending a number of editor events as well as to swing by when we are downtown. On this night, A Taste of the Tin Building: A Party Hosted by Jean-Georges Vongrenichten + Gregory Gourdet took place on both floors for an epic night of bites and sips.

Our first interview was with one of the night’s hosts, 3X James Beard Award Winning Chef Gregory Gourdet who is known for Kann in Portland, Oregon as well as being the Culinary Director of Printemps New York which has 5 dining options including: Maison Passrelle (fine dining), Cafe Jalu (all-day cafe), Salon Vert (raw bar), Red Room Bar (cocktail lounge), and Champagne Bar (a bar). We were first introduced to him on BRAVO’s Top Chef: Boston S12 where he was a runner up and Top Chef: All-Stars LA S17 where he was a finalist. You can also see him during various episodes with Top Chef: Dish with Kish.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We have enjoyed seeing you since you first appeared on Top Chef and have loved your storytelling around food and how you shared yourself with us, so it is an honor to meet to you!

CHEF GREGORY GOURDET: Thank you! It’s so nice to meet you too!

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be a chef?

CHEF GG: I was cooking for myself for the first time to feed myself in college! I went to college in Montana. It was, like the first time I had to feed myself!

AM: Right.

CHEF GG: I just kind of like had a knack for it I think. My friends told me I was good at it. I would do a lot of potlucks and dinner parties, and it was just like, really, really fun, and I had really been struggling with finding what I really wanted to do in college anyway. I mean, back then, I didn’t even know where culinary school was. So, my first job was washing dishes and the chef suggested that I should go to culinary school and I literally went there! This was in 1990’s before any Food Network or what we knew like what a chef was.

AM: Exactly!

What led you to say that you wanted to do Top Chef? I mean, that is such a competition.

CHEF GG: Yeah, I mean, honestly, I’ve had friends who’ve been on Top Chef since S1. Actually, very funny, my friend, Lee Anne Wong (Top Chef: San Francisco S1, Top Chef: Colorado S15, Top Chef: All-Stars LA S17), was on S1. She worked at 66, which was a restaurant that was owned by Jean-Georges which is where I worked at! So this is a very full circle moment! I always grew up with Top Chef. I grew up as someone who was in my career and Top Chef was always an option, and I actually auditioned twice and finally by the third time, I got cast.

AM: I mean, your season was amazing. I love how you brought your point of view with the food. Why was it so important to present Haitian cuisine?

CHEF GG: Yeah, I mean, I think the thing about Top Chef, and what makes you really good at it, is when you know your food, you know? I think a lot of us, we worked in whatever space, fine dining, and it’s a different culture, and we’re just trying to learn. For so long, French fine dining was really the foundation of so much!

AM: Absolutely.

CHEF GG: You know, it’s like, when you’re on that show and you’re asked to push yourself – you’re trying to find out who you are.

AM: Right.

CHEF GG: As a chef, the best way to express yourself is through your food. So you start to find out what your food is, and you know you, you’re triggered on memory and taste, and things that you’re comfortable cooking.

AM: We’re here tonight, at the Food Network NYCWFF. Why did you want to be part part of this?

CHEF GG: Well, JG asked me.

AM: I mean, say no more!

CHEF GG: He’s my mentor and I’ll do anything for him.

AM: Exactly!

CHEF GG: I worked for him for a really long time for the formative years of my career! We’re still extremely close. He still influences a lot of my cooking, from seasonality to using lux ingredients, to him introducing me to so many spices! I consider myself a global chef today, and it’s a lot of the things that he taught me when I was a young cook.

AM: Thank you Chef for taking the time! We have been a fan for years and we always love seeing when you and Chef Kristen Kish (Top Chef: Seattle S10 winner, Top Chef: Wisconsin + Milwaukee S21 Host, Top Chef: Destination Canada S22 Host, and upcoming Top Chef: Charlotte, North + Greenville, South Carolina S23 Host, Athleisure Mag MAR ISSUE #99 2024 cover star) are together!

IG @nycwff

@tinbuilding

@theseaportnyc

@gg30000

ASIAN NIGHT MARKET HOSTED BY PADMA LAKSHMI + JEAN-GEORGES VONGERICHTEN | CHEF JEAN-GEOGES VONGERICHTEN

For our 2nd night, we made our way to the Asian Night Market Hosted by Padma Lakshmi + Jean-Georges Vongerichten at The Seaport for Asian street food, as well as to interview Chef JG himself, who was also the host for this event. We have had the pleasure of eating at a number of JG restaurants over the years including Spice Market which was a place we enjoyed everytime we were in the Meat Packing District, abc Kitchen, abcV, and more. After all of the many meals we have had there, we were excited to talk with him about how he got into the industry, his restaurants and why he enjoys being part of the NYCWFF.

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s such a pleasure to chat with you as there is so much going on! We have been fans of your restaurants for years.

When did you realize you wanted to be a chef?

CHEF JEAN GEORGES VONGERICHTEN: Oh, my God, before you were born! It was in 1973, I was 16 years old. I was terrible in school - almost a dropout – I felt bad! I was bad in school, but my parents took me to a 3-Michelin star restaurant for my 16th birthday. It was just my parents and I, we never went to restaurants. At that time it was too big for kids, it was a time where people still had their grandparents and uncles living under one roof! It was 3 generations living under one roof, that doesn’t really exist anymore!

AM: Right –

CHEF JGV: So, they took me to the restaurant. I couldn’t believe how people were out there eating at this restaurant! For me, you ate at home, the pot was on the table, and you serve yourself! Seeing everything that I saw at that restaurant changed me and I enjoyed everything! When we finished our meal, the chef came to our table and he asked how everything was and my parents let him know that if he needed anything, whether it was to wash dishes or to peel potatoes, I was his man because they saw that I had shown an interest in this.

AM: Wow!

CHEF JGV: The chef let us know that they were in fact looking for an apprentice. So that’s how I started and I never washed dishes! I started in pastries and you had to weigh everything so I started in pastries for 6 months and then I continued on with my apprenticeship, but that day, I tell you, my eyes lit up at that meal!

AM: You knew it was for you!

CHEF JGV: I knew that this was delicious and it was everything that I was looking for. Everything you touched just made you feel it and I knew I could do it! I found my calling!

AM: Did you ever think that you would have the portfolio of restaurants that you have now?

CHEF JGV: Oh no! For me at that time, it was about getting out of the house, having a job, and being able to start my life and that was it!

AM: We have enjoyed eating at a number of your restaurants as it is always an experience! What do you look for when it comes to opening another restaurant – do you have a series of criteria that you’re looking for?

CHEF JGV: I mean, here in the city, I want to cover every zip code!

AM: Ok, fair, there are a few you have yet to tackle!

CHEF JGV: When I opened my first restaurant in 1991, JoJo, it’s on 64th and Lexington and it still exists. I love cooking for the neighborhood and tourists that are passing by and it’s in a Brownstone and it’s so cute! This was before social media and cell phones. People heard about it via word of mouth and they came, this was in ’91. So having people come and talking about it was great!

Then I opened Vong, then there was Jean-Georges, and then The Mercer Kitchen which is downtown and so on and so forth. I love downtown, I live in the West Village.

Then internationally, I like to go to a city where I’m going to see something so that means – Tokyo, going to Shanghai, going to Singapore, Paris, London, Marrakech – you always see something new! I have 16 restaurants across the world.

AM: That is amazing and it’s definitely a flex!

CHEF JGV: Oh yeah, I could go to Marrakech and come back with 2 new ideas. Traveling for me is –

AM: Your inspiration board!

CHEF JGV: Oh yes and NY is my inspiration as well! We have so many people from everywhere here! We have the best Italian, the best Asian, the best Chinese, the best Jamaican –

AM: You literally can just keep going down the street and there is something!

CHEF JGV: Oh yeah, Indian, Greek, - there is everything. So living in NY, you’re definitely at home because you’re all around the world in one place and NY is a world of it’s own and it’s like a country of it’s own – no?

AM: Basically!

We had the pleasure of being here last night for the first night of NYCWFF’s A Taste of the Tin Building: A Party Hosted by you and Chef Gregory Gourdet which was just amazing. It was just insane!

CHEF JGV: It was crazy, no?

AM: Without a doubt! I kept seeing you like run by, and I was like, “there’s Chef.”

CHEF JGV: Oh yeah! I did my 25,000 steps.

AM: I would think so!

Why did you want to be a part of the food festival?

CHEF JGV: I mean, I have known Lee Schrager for a long time. We have been participating in the SOBEWFF in Miami for a long time – 15 years.

AM: Yup.

CHEF JGV: We’ll do a dinner usually every year for NY so it could be at Jean-Georges, but we always do 1 or 2 of our restaurants for it. This time, Lee was begging to use The Seaport, because everything started down here.

AM: Absolutely!

CHEF JGV: The Fulton Fish Market was here and this was the city’s first working port. (Editor’s Note: The Seaport was New York’s first working port and by the 19th century, it was the busiest in the nation. The Tin Building by Jean-Georges the culinary heart of the Seaport is the former site of the original Fulton Fish Market which opened in 1822, which operated as the city’s seafood center for nearly 2 centuries. In 2005 The Fulton Fish Market moved to its current location in Hunts Point, the Bronx. New York City was once the oyster capital of the world, with the Seaport’s Fulton Fish Market as the central hub for what New Yorkers considered a staple food in their diet.) So I convinced my partners that we should do this here and they said yes!

AM: That’s amazing!

CHEF JGV: I mean, it’s a little boost as well. When we opened here 5 years ago, it was during the pandemic and everyone was escaping the city. Now that are people are back now and we’re all exploring, it was the perfect match to do this!

Doing our event yesterday with Gregory Gourdet was so much fun!

AM: We interviewed him yesterday, we love him as we do you!

CHEF JGV: He is a protégé of mine. We have been friends for awhile and he is such a delight! I am always very proud of him!

AM: I appreciate you taking the time as your restaurants have always been such an experience visually as well as from a culinary standpoint. We enjoyed last night’s event and are so excited for tonight’s Asian Night Market that you are co-hosting with Padma Lakshmi (BRAVO’s Top Chef Host S2 – S20, Hulu’s Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, CBS’ America’s Culinary Cup).

CHEF JGV: Oh yeah, the street foods are going to be so good tonight! It’s a little cold!

AM: It’s a little chilly!

CHEF JGV: I just told my assistant that I need to have my sweater! I can’t walk around like this! My son is also cooking tonight too, you should check him out as well (Editor’s Note: Chef JG’s son, Cédric Vongerichten is the Executive Chef and Owner of Wayan (NYC, Aspen, and Hamptons), Co-Owner of Ma•dé, Maritime at Jeddah Editon Hotel, and Executive Chef/Co-Owner along with his father at Perry St.). Say hi to my son when you see him!

IG @chefjgv

GRAND TASTING: DAYTIME EDITION HOSTED BY SOFIA AND MANOLO VERGARA

Saturday morning’s Grand Tasting: Daytime Edition Hosted by Sofia and Manolo Vergara allowed us to enjoy an array of dishes via a Walking Tasting. It was a great way to see culinary demonstrations, a number of chefs on our favorite TV shows, and tasting incredible bites and sips throughout the day. We even heard hear from Sofia Vergara and her son Manolo who shared their empanada company, TOMA.

IG @eattoma

@sofiavergara

@manologonzalezvergara

BULLEIT + SEAN EVENS HOST OF PRIVATE TAKEOVER @ OLD MATES PUB

As soon as we left the NYCWFF Grand Tasting, we went around the corner to Old Mates Pub, which is an Aussie bar that is a cool vibe, to enjoy catching your favorite games. We were guests of Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, which was hosted by Sean Evans of Hot Ones. In partnership with the whiskey brand, he launched a new content series One More Round in collaboration with First We Feast. The series focuses on celebrating the moments when ideas move from napkin sketches to real action. He chats with WNBA legend Breanna Stewart, Black Thought of The Roots, and Lionel Boyce (Project Hail Mary, Shell, The Jellies) of The Bear.

Throughout the event, DJ BYNX made sure that the vibes were in full swing as we enjoyed Bulleit cocktails and an array of bites in a cool downstairs lounge aesthetic.

IG @bulleit

GRAND TASTING: AFTER DARK – THE STEAKHOUSE VIP SESSION PRESENTED BY OLD FORESTER

We made our way back across the street after the Bulleit event to go to the Grand Tasting: After Dark The Steakhouse VIP Session Presented by Old Forester that took place at Carne Mare, a phenomenal steakhouse. At this event, 4 steakhouses showcased bites as well as classic cocktails that used Old Forester. We enjoyed Carne Mare, Cote Korean Steakhouse, La Boite, and Hawksmoor. It was great to enjoy these bites at the restaurant and to take a break from the festivities taking place outside for the larger Grand Tasting: After Dark.

IG @oldforester

@carnemare

@cotekoreansteakhouse

@hawksmoor

@laboiteny

GRAND TASTING: AFTER DARK HOSTED BY CHEF BOBBY FLAY + CHEF BROOKE WILLIAMSON

After the Steakhouse VIP Session, we went back to the Grand Tasting: After Dark presented by Montchevre Goat Cheese Hosted by Chef Bobby Flay + Chef Brooke Williamson for late night eats. We even swung by the stage on the promenade to hear how Lee Schrager got Chef Bobby Flay and Chef Brooke Williamson to host this particular event. An added surprise was to see the 2 dance the night away under the stars which you can see here.

IG @bobbyflay

@chefbrookew

GRAND TASTING: AFTER DARK HOSTED BY CHEF BOBBY FLAY + CHEF BROOKE WILLIAMSON | JEFF MAURO

We caught up with the Sandwich King, Jeff Mauro right before he did a demo that night with his fellow co-star of The Kitchen, Chef Geoffrey Zakarian. We wanted to hear about how his passion for food and why he loves being part of this festival!

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fall in love with food?

JEFF MAURO: Jumping right into it! Growing up in a giant Italian-American Family, food is everything to us. Seeing the power of food from a young age where, if you were that just, you know, sweeter to your grandma or your aunts, your mom - tug on their apron, oh so gently - they will give you a little morsel while they’re cooking, right? I was, like, oh my God, this is everything! When we had family parties, graduations, funerals, birthdays - all that stuff I was in it for the food. So, I saw how food is so transformative from a young age just because of the the matriarchs in my family!

AM: Wow!

What was the first bite that you felt that you fell in love with?

JM: My grandma used to make this, like, just homemade pizza, right? She caught it with scissors and it was like so undercooked and gooey that I couldn’t get enough of it, right? It was just like homemade dough, and a little bit of cheese and a little thin. She has this old white stove, and I remember these big steel scissors and just the noise of her snipping, the pizza was like a call to action for me, and you take that bite and that was it!

AM: What do you love about being at the food festival? I mean, it’s always such a fun time and so many people to see in the community.

JM: It’s all my friends you know? We’re a tight-knit group. There’s only you know a couple dozen of us if that, and this is when we all get to hang out. We’re not running around crazy on the TV set or competing, or, you know, this is like, we see each other in the lobby at the hotel. We get drinks, there’s Chef Arrón Sánchez sitting there and you know, you’re in the lobby with the Brothers Voltaggio (Michael and Bryan), as I call them. They’re sitting there having a drink at the hotel lobby and then you come here and I’m with Chef Geoffrey Zakarian and it’s a little yearly reunion every time we do these things!

AM: I love that.

IG @jeffmauro

FOODIECON

On the last day of the NYCWFF, we made our way to Foodiecon which is the educational portion of this event. Guests were able to hear from culinary personalities, chefs, and content creators to find out about their business and how they go about doing it. In addition, there were additional bites, sips, and settings that allowed for people to create content for their social platforms to make their own.

SUNDAY SUPPER PRESENTED BY PERONI HOSTED BY THE PASTA QUEEN NADIA CATERINA MUNNO + LIL MO MOZZARELLA

The final event of the NYCWFF was Sunday Supper presented by Peroni Hosted by The Pasta Queen Nadia Caterina Munno + Lil Mo Mozzarella which allowed us to enjoy a number of our favorite Italian dishes and beverages! It was a great vibe and closing to a successful food festival series.

SUNDAY SUPPER PRESENTED BY PERONI HOSTED BY THE PASTA QUEEN NADIA CATERINA MUNNO + LIL MO MOZZARELLA | CHEF KAREN AKUNOWICZ

Our final interview took place with James Beard Award winner for 2018 Best Chef (her restaurant Fox & the Knife debuted in 2020 and in that year, it was a finalist for Best New Restaurant in America) Chef Karen Akunowicz which was another Top Chef favorite of ours! We wanted to take a few moments with her even though her booth was hopping to find out what she loves about being a chef and why she participated in this year’s festival.

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s so great to meet you! We have been fans of yours since we first saw you on Top Chef: California S13 where you were a finalist and again Top Chef All-Stars L.A S17.

CHEF KAREN AKUNOWICZ: I appreciate that, thank you so much!

AM: Of course!

So what was the first bite of food that you ate that made you fall in love food?

CHEF KA: Oh my gosh!

AM: I know, it’s a tough question!

CHEF KA: What made me fall in love with food? My mom’s chicken cutlets. That was my birthday dish every year. I still ask her to make them when she comes to my house. I make them for my daughter, the exact same way that she made them. I don’t chef them up.

AM: Wow.

CHEF KA: It’s like 4C Italian Bread Crumbs. I make them exactly the way that she did, and there’s something in that for me that resonates so much!

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be a chef?

CHEF KA: I realized I wanted to be a chef - I worked in restaurants since I was 17 years old, and I would say that I have done every job there is to do. I worked in FOH for a very long time. I was a barista, I was a server, I was a waitress in a diner, I was a general manager before I ever started cooking. I was applying to get my Master’s degree in Social Work.

AM: Okay!

CHEF KA: While that was going on, I noticed that I never talked about what I was going to do with that, but I would always say, “someday if I own my own restaurant.”

AM: Right.

CHEF KA: That’s what prompted me to go to culinary school. I think for me, you know, that was like a turning point. I said, okay, if I’m gonna do this, I want to have the foundation, the understanding, and I didn’t know if I would continue to cook or not.

AM: Yup.

CHEF KA: But it stuck.

AM: As a fellow Virgo, we like to have all our details!

CHEF KA: Oh yeah, all of our ducks in a row! And also, you know, that, like, I always was aware that, like, I wouldn’t be given many opportunities to fail.

AM: Well, there’s also that part.

CHEF KA: So I had to succeed.

AM: Yup.

CHEF KA: Because I would never be given a second chance and I’m sure, you know, that as well even more than I do.

AM: 100%.

The business of being a chef has gained nuances and layer. It seems like being a chef is amazing, but then adding in TV – shows like Top Chef, social etc. How has that been beneficial to your career?

CHEF KA: It’s beneficial to the restaurants. TV has definitely given that breadth and reach that nobody else has. The thing about it for me is also that it keeps different parts of my brain going. So it energizes me and it inspires me in ways that keep me motivated in different ways in my career, in restaurants, and it also brings new life and ideas to that as well. I think that I’m somebody who I used to say, I really like to be busy. It’s not that I like to be busy, but I like to be inspired and motivated. I like all different sides of my brain to work. I write cookbooks because it works a different part of my brain, even though the entire time I’m writing I’m like, “writing a cookbook is so hard!” It makes your brain work in different ways and it makes everything work better. So I’m so lucky to have these creative outlets in my career.

AM: So you’re here at the Food Network NYCWFF today. Why are you a part of it as we love covering it!

CHEF KA: For me, New York has always been the epicenter of the world, truly. I’m from New Jersey originally, so my dad worked in the city forever, so this is really, you know, it’s the room where it happens, right?

AM: It’s happening.

CHEF KA: It’s always an honor for me to be back. I’m also deeply inspired by what the festival is able to contribute to different organizations there working with the James Beard Foundation specifically to continue programs like, WEL – Women’s Entrepreneurship Leadership. It’s so important. So anything I can do to continue and forward those things is really valuable to me. There’s the stuff that we have to do and then there’s the stuff we get to do.

AM: Exactly!

CHEF KA: The NYCWFF is something that I get to do!

IG @chefkarenakunowicz

@foxandtheknife

SUNDAY SUPPER PRESENTED BY PERONI HOSTED BY THE PASTA QUEEN NADIA CATERINA MUNNO + LIL MO MOZZARELLA | CHEF MATTHEW CUTOLO

While we were at Sunday Supper, we talked with Chef Matthew Cutolo who is the chef at Gargiulo’s to talk about the storied Italian restaurant that has been around for over a 100 years and is a staple in Coney Island. We talked about the restaurant, his love of chefing and why they participated in this year’s festival.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the first dish that made you fall in love with food?

CHEF MATTHEW CUTOLO: Without a doubt, pizza. It’s the first thing I ever learned to make with my grandfather. We have two brick ovens that were imported from Naples in the 1970s, and we spent our summers making brick oven pizzas together. There are photos of me at just two years old, standing on a kitchen stool with my hands in the dough. It wasn’t just about the food, it was about the time spent with him. Those moments in the kitchen are some of my most cherished memories and really where my love for cooking began.

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be a chef?

CHEF MC: My grandfather instilled my love for food at a young age, but I actually went to school for accounting and finance. About halfway through, after a conversation with my Uncle Louie, I realized I couldn’t picture myself sitting behind a desk for the rest of my life. My uncle pretty much said, “are you coming to work when you’re done?” For me it was an easy decision.

From there, I learned from each of my four uncles and aunt, the owners of Gargiulo’s, which gave me a great foundation in every part of the business. But I was always drawn to the kitchen. I learned so much from my cousin Mike the Bake and my Uncle Mike, the head chef. That’s where I truly found my place, and the rest is history.

AM: You’re the chef at the historic Gargiulo’s, which has been around since 1907 in Coney Island! Tell us about this restaurant.

CHEF MC: Gargiulo’s first opened in 1907, founded by the Gargiulo family, and my family purchased it in 1965. Today, my aunt and uncles own the restaurant, and I’m proud to represent the third generation continuing the tradition.Coney Island has changed a lot over the years, but Gargiulo’s has remained a constant. In 1977, we earned 3 stars from The New York Times, which was unheard of for a restaurant outside Manhattan. In the restaurant outside Manhattan. In the early 1980s. we added the catering hall where countless families have celebrated special occasions. We’re a white-tablecloth, tuxedo-clad, fine dining Italian restaurant serving classic Neapolitan cuisine with recipes passed down through generations. Our goal is to make every guest feel welcomed, like they’re sitting at their nonna’s table.

AM: We had the pleasure of trying your dish at Sunday Supper to close out this season’s NYCWFF. Why did you and your restaurant want to be part of this event?

CHEF MC: It’s the best food festival! The energy, the people, the chefs, it’s an incredible experience every year. I love connecting with so many talented chefs, personalities, guests, and brands, whether it’s catching up with old friends or making new ones and always having a laugh. This was my third year at the festival, and it’s something I look forward to every year.

IG @chefmatthewcutolo

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Paul Farkas

During the Food Network NYCWFF our hosts for the 5 days of coverage of this culinary festival was at CODA Williamsburg Hotel. We loved the fact that we could enjoy this staycation, take in the neighborhood and still pop in and out of the city to head to The Seaport to enjoy sips and bites from phenomenal chefs.

We sat down with the hotel’s Interim General Manager, Alberto Hinojosa who talked with us about this poperty whether you’re staying for a vacation, staycation, business travel, or your simply in the neighborhood. He shares features of this hotel from common areas, amenities, their restaurant, and CODA Beach Club!

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did CODA open, and what can you tell us about the hotel in terms of occupancy and its proximity to areas nearby?

ALBERTO HINOJOS: Coda opened its doors in 2023 and is centrally located in Williamsburg, just steps from Greenpoint. The hotel sits in one of the best spots in Brooklyn — easy to reach both Manhattan and local favorites around the neighborhood.

AM: Tell us about the common areas that guests have access to.

AH: Guests have access to our co-working space, a 24-hour fitness center, and our rooftop bar and restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Each space was designed to feel relaxed and welcoming — you can work, unwind, or socialize all in one place.

AM: You also have a restaurant that is part of the hotel, Meili – what can you tell us about that?

AH: Meili is a Sichuan Chinese restaurant led by Michelin-rated Chef Peter He. Williamsburg has a few Sichuan options, but this is the best one.

AM: We were on your rooftop during Bar Convent Brooklyn – tell us about Meili Rooftop.

AH: The rooftop is open daily except Mondays, with a happy hour from 6–8 PM.

AM: Although we’re no longer in the summer season, you also have a pool. Tell us about this amenity, and for those who are not guests, do you have pool passes that people can buy to enjoy CODA Beach Club?

AH: The Beach Club will reopen in May 2026 and run through September. It’s open daily to hotel guests, and non-guests can purchase advance day passes directly from the hotel. The Beach Club is adult-only, though next season we’ll introduce limited extended family swim hours as well.

AM: For guests staying at the hotel, tell us about the kinds of rooms available as well as the amenities that are offered in them.

AH: We offer a full range of rooms — Standard Queen (240 sq ft), Standard King (250 sq ft), Deluxe King (295 sq ft), King Suites (490 sq ft), and our Penthouse at 1,500 sq ft. All rooms include DS & Durga bath products, Kassatex bedding and towels, custom furniture from House of CODA and minifridges/coffee makers upon request.

AM: Tell us about the House of CODA.

AH: House of CODA is a California-based furniture designer that’s been around for over 30 years. They specialize in made-to-order pieces, and every room and public area at the hotel features their work. It gives the property a really cohesive, custom feel.

AM: What can you tell us about the neighborhood, and what are 3 things that we should do, check out, or eat?

AH: Williamsburg should definitely be your second stop after Manhattan. It has everything the city offers but with more of a local, community vibe and a slower pace. My go-to spots: Café Collette on Berry for breakfast or lunch, Amber Steakhouse in Greenpoint for dinner, and Peter Pan Donuts for a great flagel. For nightlife, Superior Ingredients is just a block away and always has top DJs.

AM: What makes CODA Hotel Williamsburg a great option for guests?

AH: The human connection we offer. Our team genuinely enjoys making a difference and creating great experiences for our guests. The reviews speak for themselves — people can feel that authenticity.

AM: Is there anything we should know about as we look ahead to spring or summer?

AH: We’re planning several activations for the 2026 Beach Club season and will be launching the Coda Creatives Speaker Series in Q2. The series will bring together NYC locals and creatives to share their stories and inspire the community.

IG @coda.hotels

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 42 - 47 Coda Williamsburg

Of course, we had an epic time at the Food Network NYCWFF and ate so many bites from our favorite restaurants and chefs! With 5 days of coverage, we found ourselves with a day off and made our way to INDN to enjoy Indian cuisine and phenomenal cocktails. The vibe of this midtown restaurant, the attention to detail, and of course the sweet and savory options are definitely going to live in our tastebuds until we come back again. We had the pleasure of meeting Owner and Beverage Dir. Simran Bakshi to talk more about this restaurant!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into INDN, tell us about the Co-Founders of INDN in terms of their backgrounds and how they came to the culinary industry.

SIMRAN BAKSHI: I’ve been in hospitality for over a decade, building restaurants from the ground up. My focus has always been on creating concepts that balance originality with operational excellence — designing guest journeys, developing menus that tell a story, and ensuring every sensory detail aligns with the vision.

Kanika Vij Bakshi is the creative force behind our design and brand aesthetic. She translates emotion into space — from lighting and scent to flow and materials — shaping how the guest feels from the moment they walk in.

Vicky Vij, Kanika’s father, is one of the pioneers of Indian dining in NYC, best known for founding Bukhara Grill. His decades of experience anchor INDN in real hospitality wisdom.

Together, we represent three generations of Indian dining — tradition, creativity, and strategy — coming together to redefine how Indian cuisine is experienced in New York.

AM: What is the concept of INDN kitchen, and why did you want to open this restaurant?

SB: We wanted to create something New York hadn’t seen yet — a cocktail-driven Indian restaurant where food is designed to pair with drinks, not the other way around. INDN focuses on North Indian flavours presented through a small-plates format.

Most Indian restaurants in the city are built around full meals and family-style dining. We saw the opportunity to present Indian food in a more social, bar-forward setting — bold, fun, and unapologetically Indian, but elevated for a modern audience.

The goal was simple: drinks first, food second — but both world-class.

AM: Tell us about the interior design and what diners can expect from an aesthetic standpoint.

SB: The space is intentionally minimal but expressive — a reflection of Kanika’s design philosophy. We focused on warm lighting, tactile textures, and a layout that draws people toward the bar.

There are no stereotypical “Indian theme” elements. Instead, it’s a New York bar with an Indian soul — subtle details, natural materials, and curated playlists that evolve through the night.

We wanted INDN to feel like an adult playground — refined, energetic, and distinctly ours. The kind of place where you can grab a cocktail, share plates, and stay late.

AM: We truly enjoyed our meal and love how the cocktails, as well as the dishes, are a delicate balancing act! Tell us about the approach you took to the menu.

SB: The entire menu is structured around balance — between spice, acid, and richness; between boldness and restraint.

We start with cocktails, not the kitchen. Every drink informs the food — the spice profiles, the acidity, the texture of each dish.We keep our flavours authentic to India, but our presentation and pairings are contemporary. No fusion. No gimmicks. Just honest flavours built with modern precision.

Every dish is meant to be shared — not to fill you up, but to keep you engaged through your drinks and conversation.

AM: As a small-plates approach, only dinner and brunch on Sundays is offered here. Do you envision adding lunch to the offerings?

SB: Not for now. Our rhythm works best in the evenings — the space, lighting, and energy are built around that. Sunday brunch already offers a different mood with Chai Nashta, so we’re happy with that balance.

That said, we’ll always adapt to guest demand. If the right moment comes, we’ll explore lunch in the future.

AM: We love the bar — it has an opulent vibe while being approachable. For those who opt to be there, is there a special menu?

SB: The bar is the heartbeat of INDN. While there isn’t a separate “bar-only” menu, the experience is different when you sit there.

Guests at the bar get first access to new cocktails, quick-fire small plates, and one-on-one interaction with the bartenders. It’s designed for spontaneity — grab a drink, share a few plates, meet people.

That’s the spirit of INDN — it’s social, not scripted.

AM: Focusing on dinner, what does Chakhna mean, and what are 3 dishes you suggest ordering from this portion?

SB: Chakhna means small, snackable plates traditionally eaten with alcohol in India — the kind of food meant to keep the conversation and drinks flowing.

Three must-try Chakhna dishes are:

Amritsari Fish – 10-spice battered fish fried crisp.

Keema Pao – Slow-cooked minced lamb served with buttered pao.

Paneer Tikka – Tandoor-charred paneer with mint marinade.

They represent the full flavour range — seafood, lamb, vegetarian — all bold, shareable, and built to pair perfectly with cocktails.

AM: What does Daru Ke Baad … Ya Saath mean, and what 3 items complement those small plates?

SB: The phrase translates to “after the drinks… or with them.” It’s our section of larger, heartier plates — for when you’re ready to transition from bar bites to a full meal.

Three dishes to try:

Yakhni Pulao – Aromatic mutton broth rice.

Traditional Butter Chicken – Charred chicken in creamy tomato gravy.

Pudina Lachha Parantha – Flaky mint-layered bread.

They complement the small plates beautifully and close out the savoury journey with warmth and comfort.

AM: To end our meal, what are 3 desserts that we should have in mind?

SB: Shahi Tukda – A rich bread pudding soaked in saffron milk.

Jalebi with Rabri – Crispy spirals with sweetened condensed milk.

Dessert of the Day – Our chefs rotate creative sweets based on the season.

They’re indulgent, nostalgic, and distinctly Indian — a perfect finale to an evening that started with spice and smoke.

AM: Tell us about your beverage program — the cocktails are incredible.

SB: Our cocktail program defines INDN. It’s what sets us apart.

We build drinks like dishes — layering spice, acidity, fat, and aromatics. The base spirits come alive with Indian ingredients like turmeric, fenugreek, saag, tamarind, and ghee, but without being kitschy or overpowering.

Every cocktail is built for depth and drinkability. Our team spent months clarifying, infusing, and balancing to make sure the end result feels familiar yet completely new.

This isn’t just “Indian-inspired mixology” — it’s culinary bartending rooted in Indian sensibility.

AM: What are 3 cocktails we should have in mind?

SB: Butterface – Mezcal, fenugreek, garam masala, and lemon.

Paneer Panic – Gin, cilantro, turmeric, and lime — inspired by saag paneer.

Pink City, Red Flags – Vodka, St-Germain, Bianco, and Indian tonic.

Each one is a playful nod to regional India — smoky, green, and floral — and designed to tell a story through flavour.

AM: As we look at brunch, what are 3 dishes perfect for the weekend?

SB: Pao Bhaji – Comfort food at its best; buttery, spicy, and soulful.

Samosa Chaat – Crunchy, tangy, and perfect with chai or a cocktail.

Stuffed Parantha Trio – Classic North Indian breakfast in refined form.

Our brunch is casual but still elevated — meant to feel nostalgic and social at the same time.

AM: What is Chai Nashta?

SB: Chai Nashta translates to tea and snacks — a cherished Indian ritual that bridges breakfast and lunch.

At INDN, it’s our take on the Sunday ritual: comfort food, shared over chai or cocktails, set to music that feels like a lazy weekend morning turned into a lively afternoon.

AM: What are 3 dishes within Chai Nashta we should consider?

SB: Poha – Flattened rice with curry leaves and peanuts.

Anda Curry with Parantha – Spiced egg curry with flaky layered bread.

Vada Pao – The Mumbai street-food staple: spicy potato fritter in a buttered bun.

It’s India’s brunch culture reimagined for New York.

AM: As someone who loves chai, tell us more about High Chai.

SB: High Chai is our elevated tea ritual — masala chai served with a spread of savoury and sweet nibbles like khari biscuits, cocktail samosas, and cookies.

It’s indulgent yet comforting — a pause in the day that celebrates India’s tea culture with the refinement of a New York bar.

AM: What are 3 brunch cocktails that we should have our eye on?

SB: Bloody Mary Marlo – Butter-washed vodka with curry leaf and mustard seed.

Espresso Martini – Mezcal, fennel, chili, and chocolate bitters.

Garibaldi – Campari, Japanese strawberry, vanilla, and orange.

They’re playful, layered, and refreshingly different — a reminder that brunch drinks don’t have to be predictable.

AM: From a seasonality perspective, will your menu reflect that?

SB: Always. We source fresh produce and adjust marinades, spices, and cooking styles to reflect the season.

In the fall and winter, expect deeper spice profiles and slow-cooked dishes; in spring and summer, fresher herbs, lighter curries, and brighter drinks.

It keeps the menu evolving and the team inspired.

AM: Are there any upcoming events for the Fall and holiday season?

SB: We’re introducing a holiday cocktail series — reimagining winter spices and Indian warmth through drinks.

There will also be special Chai Nashta takeovers during December weekends with festive sweets and DJ brunches.

We’ll close the year with a New Year’s Eve celebration that connects INDN upstairs with our lounge 16 Sola downstairs — two worlds, one night.

IG @indn.nyc

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | INDN

Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see FOOD NETWORK NYCWFF 2025 in mag.

NEW YORK COMIC CON '25

Earlier this month, we made our way to NY Comic Con to hit the showfloor, sit in on press conferences, and to watch panels where we got to see clips from these shows!

Apple+’s Slow Horses press conference gave us insight to what we can expect from S5 of the show. Director Saul Metzstein (Doctor Who, The Musketeers series, Brassic) as well as castmembers Christopher Chung (Waterloo Road, Doctor Who, Blitz), James Callis (Castlevania: Nocturne, Star Trek: Picard, Bridget Jones: Mad About a Boy), Ruth Bradley (Ted Lasso, Doctor Who: Dark Eyes, Humans), and Nick Mohammed (Deep Cover, Ted Lasso, Christopher Robin) talked about the series as well as the story arcs that are taking place in this spy thriller series.

We enjoyed catching up with the cast of Prime Video’s Cross from James Patterson’s series! We started the day with a press conference from Executive Producer, Show Runner and Creator Ben Watkins (Burn Notice, Truth Be Told, Wu Tang: An American Saga) as well as Aldis Hodge (Black Adam, City on A Hill, Leverage: Redemption), Matthew Lillard (Scream franchise, Barkskins, Bosch), Isaiah Mustafa (It: Chapter Two, Murder at Yellowstone City, I Know What You Did Last Summer), Alona Tal (Veronica Mars, Seal Team, Truth Be Told), Samantha Walkes (The Kings of Napa, The Changeling, Murdoch Mysteries), and Wes Chatham (The Help, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay 1 & 2, Tenet). Following the press conference, we also attended the panel on the Main Stage.

This year we also made our way to the press conferences for 2 of Anne Rice’s shows that are on AMC that are within the Interview with the Vampire universe. The Vampire’s Lestat brought us to Executive Producer Mark Johnson (Talamasca The Secret Order, Better Call Saul, The Holdovers), Showrunner/Executive Producer Rolin Jones (Weeds, Boardwalk Empire, Perry Mason), Sam Reid (The Astronaut Wives Club, The Legend of Molly Johnson, The Newsreader), Jacob Anderson (Broadchurch, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones), Eric Bogosian (Uncut Gems, Succession, Billions), Delainey Hayles (Carrie, Too Close, Holby City), and Assad Zaman (Hotel Portofino, Apple Tree Yard, Vera).

We also attended the press conference for Anne Rice’s Talamasca: The Secret Order of Mark Johnson, Executive Producer/Director/Writer John Lee Hancock (Snow White and the Huntsman, The Blind Side, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil), and Nicholas Denton (Eden, Foe, Dangerous Liasons series), and William Fichtner (Heat, Armageddon, Prison Break).

IG @newyorkcomiccon

@appletv

@crossonprime

@amcsannerice

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 166 Prime Video/Cross | PG 168 AMC/Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe |

Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see NEW YORK COMIC CON ‘25 in mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S2. E9. | AND NOW THE FINALE

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Maarten de Boer

This week on The Golden Bachelor, we’ve made it to the finale and it is down to Cindy and Peg! We can tell that both women feel that he is hard to read and they don’t know where they stand. Mel has always said that he doesn’t want to say things to multiple women. We start tonight getting a recap of both of Mel’s dates, We also check in with Jesse Palmer in studio to see what we need to know about what has taken place in Mel’s journey.

Jesse introduces an array of Bachelor Nation couples that are in the audience as well as those that are single from The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette cast as well. He also lets us know that he has a chat with the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, Taylor Frankie Paul (The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives - S3 is streaming now) to see what she has been up to.

Back on Cindy’s date, she tries to get answers and realizes that she is not his person. She wants her person to be sure and not to say that maybe in 2 years he could marry her. She asks him to walk her out and now we know that he only has Peg. You can see her emotions as she knows she is a great match for him, but his lack of commenting was really the last straw for her.

As Mel is still sitting at their dinner table and the fireworks go off overhead, he is shocked that she left - although he calls it quitting. As he contemplates what has transpired, Jesse arrives to talk with him. Jesse reminds him that the women come with the hopes of being engaged - Mel doesn’t agree and likes to make decisions in his own timeline as opposed to the parameters that the show is based on. Jesse reminds him that Cindy is trying to protect her heart. It seems like Cindy hasn’t officially left but he definitely has thoughts and more confusion - Jesse says that she is still here and available to talk with.

Ultimately, when we come back from the commercial break, we see Cindy walk on the stage to talk to Jesse. She says that she just watched the clip that we saw and she was able to see how it all went down and what she thought happened - did happen. Jesse asks her if Mel went to go find here. He didn’t and she also adds that she didn’t want him to come find her. She believes that everyone should have the kind of love and partner that works for them - she realized that what he was giving her wasn’t enough. The lack of specifics of how she could fit into his life wasn’t there and she just heard compliments but now the why and explanations behind it. She was in it until he wasn’t willing to dig deeper. His lack of commitment was their undoing and she had no regrets leaving.

Mel is on the stage with Cindy to talk about their relationship. She lets him know that she didn’t feel that he was ready for a commitment and wanted to know when he realized that. He feels that because she left early from their date and didn’t do the Fantasy Suites, then he feels that she left the game early. She tells him that he said more to Jesse then he did with her. He feels that they needed to talk without the cameras being there so that they could really talk. She hears him out and says that she gets where he is coming from and that they are not aligned. She tells him that she felt that she learned enough and didn’t need to talk further and that she realized he wasn’t going to take a leap of faith. Jesse interjects as he sees that they will continue to go in circles.

Coming back from the commercial break, only Peg is left and we see her getting ready to meet Mel’s sons. She doesn’t know that Cindy has left and they didn’t even make it to Fantasy Suites! Mel comes to her room and she knows something has happened. He shares his feelings with her about how he likes her and he explains that he had his date with Cindy and he wants to be transparent about what took place. He lets her know that she left before the overnight. You can see Peg’s mind racing as she realizes that Cindy was asking questions that he wouldn’t answer and she sees that she is in the same boat with him. He lets her know that he wants to get to the end with her and in his confessional, he says that he feels that she is one of a kind. He’s worried that because of the situation, that she may feel like a leftover.

We see Mel with his 2 sons and friend Diane from college. He lets them know that Cindy left and that Peg is the only one that is left. His friend shares that as much as she thinks that what happened is unfortunate, she can appreciate that she didn’t feel it was right for her and that she removed herself. This is the first time that his sons have met someone since his divorce. It seems like everyone is getting along and that she fits in.

Peg enjoyed meeting his college friend and his sons. She got to see more about him and feels that their connection is real. She hopes that this will help him commit. He knows he needs to make a decision and that he needs to get out of his head and to use his heart and gut.

It’s the day after Peg meeting Mel’s friend and sons. She still has questions but a decision needs to be made after they have navigated this journey. She knows that she can fall in love again, she feels their bond, and she knows that they could be great together. She has let her walls down and has been vulnerable. She hopes that he is the one that she has been waiting for.

Of course, we know that Mel is getting a bit nervous as the time to decide is now. He lets us know that he has let his walls down to listen to his heart - because of Peg. He gives Peg a commitment ring as well as a Golden Rose.

As the After the Rose portion of the episode takes place, we finally see Peg and Mel together. They talk about the fact that they can now be public, they talk about how they get to decide how to navigate their relationship, and they get feedback and well wishes from previous Goldens!

We also get to hear from the upcoming The Bachelorette which is an interesting sneak peek,

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week, we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

---

THE FINAL GOLDEN ROSE GOES TO…

PEG

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

AMY

ANDRA

ALEXANDRA

CAROL

CARLA

CHERYL

CINDY

DEBBIE

DIANE

GERRI

LILY

LISA

MAIA

MONICA B

MONICA P

MYLENE

NICOLLE

PEG

ROBIN

ROXANNE

SUSIE

TERRI

TRACY

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S2. E8. | THE FINAL TWO + FANTASY SUITES

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Maarten de Boer

This week on The Golden Bachelor, we’ve made it to the Antigua with Cindy and Peg! Although his feelings are getting stronger, he notes that Cindy has said that she is falling in love with him and that Peg isn’t. He also lets us know he is looking forward to the Fantasy Suites as well. We see Mel and Jesse Palmer tossing a football back and forth before chatting and going for a beer.

They talk about both women, dates he went on with him, why he is being careful not to say words that are just said casually and carelessly. Jesse reminds him that these are the last days with them and he needs to let them know where he stands with them. He realizes that he knows he has feelings, but he needs to share it with them as they deserve to know that as well. We know that Cindy has thoughts about the fact that she could still feel his walls up during their Hometowns.

Peg has the first date and she lets us know that he fit in well with her family. She also notes that he needs to communicate his feelings to say what he wants and needs. She is excited to take the time with him to figure this out as it’s important for her to know. They navigate the island and she shares that she has been guarded and knows she needs to connect and be emotionally available. When she asks him about it, he deflects to talk about the dune buggy that they took which catches her off guard. As they continue onto the night portion of their date, she knows she will ask the tough questions to hear more about him prior to going to the Fantasy Suites. They decided to spend additional time with one another back at the suite. We see them the next morning and we can tell that their connection has increased.

We see Cindy waiting for their date and she knows that this is an important date for them to be on. Their date involves them laying out on a boat. He lets her know that they will be swimming with stingrays which she has done before (he thought that he was going to get her out of her comfort zone). She can tell that Mel is a little nervous for this activity, but Cindy is super excited and comfortable in this activity. Eventually Mel gets into it and plays witht he stingrays.

They continue onto dinner and Cindy wants to know how he feels. As they talk, Cindy lets him know that he never has questions for her and that he doesn’t feel free to share. She asks him what is holding him back from truly talking about them, his feelings for her, and more. He says that it is difficult for him to say things when he can’t calculate the costs. She also asked him why he waited later in life to get married.

The finale is next week!

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week, we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

---

WE’LL SEE THEM NEXT WEEK!

CINDY

PEG

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

AMY

ANDRA

ALEXANDRA

CAROL

CARLA

CHERYL

CINDY

DEBBIE

DIANE

GERRI

LILY

LISA

MAIA

MONICA B

MONICA P

MYLENE

NICOLLE

PEG

ROBIN

ROXANNE

SUSIE

TERRI

TRACY

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S2. E7. | THE WOMEN TELL ALL

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Maarten de Boer

This week on The Golden Bachelor, we’ve made it to the Women Tell All! You can tell that Jesse Palmer loves the goldens and we connect again with the women from the season (with the exception of those that are still on the journey as well as Diane who is with her family for a wedding).

We always enjoy catching up on the storylines, seeing the women react to what took place over the season and to see Mel chat with them so that there is closure. Debbie lets Nicolle know that she was not empowering other women and that she cut them down in the house. In addition to talking about some of the uncomfortable moments in the house, they also talked about lemon bars as well as being in the Mile High Club. We also got to hear from Kathy and Susan from last season which is always nice!

By the time Mel came on stage, he shared his experience as well as answered questions from the women. They also revelaed the rest of the roast that we had not seen.

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

---

WE’LL SEE THEM NEXT WEEK!

CINDY

PEG

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

AMY

ANDRA

ALEXANDRA

CAROL

CARLA

CHERYL

CINDY

DEBBIE

DIANE

GERRI

LILY

LISA

MAIA

MONICA B

MONICA P

MYLENE

NICOLLE

PEG

ROBIN

ROXANNE

SUSIE

TERRI

TRACY

STILL SNOWIN' | JAY "JEEZY" JENKINS

As we settle into the Fall, we know that the weeks ahead will be productive and busy! We’re navigating a number of projects while looking ahead to 2026! This month’s cover is definitely on that same wavelength! Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins is a 4X Grammy nominated artist, New York Times Best Selling Author, Entrepreneur, and Philanthropist who is known for a number of songs that have been on rotation on our playlists and more.

We wanted to know more about how he got into the industry, his passion for music, and his creative process. We also wanted to delve into his national TM: 101 Live Orchestra Tour which has been sold out. Due to the success of this tour, he announced his residency in Las Vegas at PH Live at Planet Hollywood with The Masquerade (Oct 31st + Nov 1st) and The Nutcracker (Dec 19th + 21st). On Sept 28th, he dropped his latest album, Still Snowin’! We had to find out this and more from the man himself!

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s a pleasure to speak with you as I have been a fan, and I have enjoyed your body of work musically, as well as being an entrepreneur, so we’re thrilled to have you as the cover of Athleisure Mag this month!

JEEZY: I love that! Thank you so much! This is amazing!

AM: So, you’ve said that for you, music was a vehicle for business. When did you fall in love with rap, and when did you realize you wanted to be an entertainer?

J: I fell in love with music at a very young age. I think my mother bought me like a Fat Boy’s tape, EPMD tape, and that’s kind of when I was just like, “okay, this is something I love, and when we moved from abroad and came back to the States right before my parents separated, we moved into this small apartment complex. The lady, her name was Dimitri. She lived next door, she was, you know about my father’s age and she played Supersonic. Like, all day, every day, I mean, like J.J. Fad, Supersonic, and it was like, I heard this song literally from when the sun went up to when the sun went down. Because she would play it, and I would just put my ear to the the wall and just listen to it. I just couldn’t believe, like what I was hearing, because I was feeling it. As I started coming of age and you know, I found the people that I liked, I ended up discovering Tupac and I just felt like he was for me. Like, I just couldn’t believe somebody else had the same views I did, and that’s why I really like fell in love with it. And I was, like, okay, you can learn from this. I can enjoy it. This is it. That was the moment.

As far as the artistry, I think I was forced more into being an artist more than I chose to be. I learned from music like music has always been my teacher. One of the real reasons why, I still, you know, listen to podcasts is that I’m learning something. I feel like I always learn from the people I listen to. But the first entrepreneurs that I ever saw were the local hustlers or when Cash Money or No Limit, when they were taking off. I was, like, okay, I could do that, but I want to be a CEO, so I basically, was grinding up money to be a CEO of a label, so I would put my money into the artists, and it didn’t work, you know. And over time, I kind of left with no money, a studio, and really a dream. And one of my guys said, “man, you might as well, just try it yourself, because, you’re the most dedicated and devoted to it, but also, it’s your life.”

AM: Wow!

J: I thought about it and I was like, you know what, you’re right. And I just started to, you know, get in the booth and it took me 10 years. But I stuck with it and the next thing, you know, I was dropping, Tha Streets Iz Watchin, Trap or Die, and then Thug Motivation. It’s been on ever since then.

AM: I mean, where do you get your inspiration from when it comes to creating new music and what is your creative process like?

J: Hmm, creating new music for me, so I never looked at it as music. It’s almost like a journal. You have to live to journal. Like, if you’re not living, you don’t got nothing to journal about. You’ve gotta go through some good times, some bad times, some setbacks, some adversity.

AM: Yup.

J: For me, my process is living. You know, I go out. I have all these new experiences. I learn all these new things. You know, I’ll take a couple of chances, take some risks and with that, I’m able to basically journal about what I’m going through right or what just happened. I navigate through it, and that’s how I go into albums. They’re more like journals.

It’s like, what happened? How did you deal with it? How you feel? What are you gonna do better? What are you inspired to do? What’s in line with your purpose? That’s how I write the music. Now, as far as like the temperament of it, and the sound just depends on where I’m at. If I’m in a place where I’m in a great space, like, right now and this project that I’m about to release now, the music’s going to feel that way, you know, like, Still Snowin’ it feels like I’m in a good place, but, my last project I Might Forgive ... But I Don’t Forget, I was in a bad place, so the music was darker. The sound was darker, the production was deeper. The tempo was slower. So it just depends on how you feel. So, my process is where I live. It’s about enjoying your life no matter what state you’re in and when you take a break from the world and you start to journal, let that come out in the music. The rest is pretty much art.

AM: Right?

J: It’s almost like, if you’re trying to keep up with the trends or trying to stay on the radio and stuff like that - it might be a little more tricky because you’re not yelling it from a real place.

AM: I love the idea of you saying, you’re coming from a place of when you’re living, and so it is very interesting. When you’re hearing your music, but it’s always so super authentic, which I really appreciate.

J: Mmm yeah I receive that – thank you. I think the key to this game - any game really is to stay true to yourself. Staying true to how you really feel, stay present and stay in your flow. Don’t really get caught up in the noise because as artists, you have a million people to tell you how to do it, but they have never done it. And then you have people telling you what you should do and it’s almost like a recipe you get from your grandmother. She taught you how to do it and you understand it and nobody else can come and tell you how to remix this recipe if it has been a family secret. Culture is like our family secret. Nobody can come in and tell me how to remix culture. I’ve had people try and you know, I made some unpopular decisions to stay in my flow. Of course, I went through some turmoil, but it all came back around because I stayed solid, and I kept the Integrity of who I am, what I’m doing, and what I’m saying. So, I don’t want to be the guy at the park you know, out with my daughters and somebody’s like, “oh, that’s got to make that whack something!”

AM: Right!

You’ve been in the industry for 20 years, which is not only incredible, but it’s a cultural milestone. You’ve been on this live orchestra tour focusing on your debut album and performing in like some insane venues at the Apollo Theater here in New York. How did you come together and decide that you wanted to incorporate a 26 piece orchestra and and really pushing the boundaries of what blending hip-hop and classical music is together?

J: Well, the thing is, growing up, you know, we watched all the mafia movies. So, John Gotti stuff and all that, and we just associated that with the good life, right?

AM: Yeah.

J: You get to that point in life you just us see it through a different lens because you made it to this point, which is why we were always fascinated with the narcos and all of that.

As far as our culture, we just want to get it to a place where - you know, it was once a dream, a hope, and a prayer that you made it past 21 because of the circumstances you were in. As you make it past 21, you start to think, like, “damn, what am I going to do now?” And as I have matured into this, to meet the next level is this or that, and the next level for me is 20 years later. Staying in my truth was something that I always dreamed of doing with an orchestra. I was able to do that in Atlanta at the High Museum. It was the first time at 45 years old that I had even seen an orchestra! So, you know, on top of being, nervous, because I’m like, “okay, how does this work for me?” I wondered whether people would accept it. By the third song, I was, like, “oh my God, I gotta take this around the world because this is aligned with my purpose, It’s inspiring and uplifting my culture.”

There are people that I see in this crowd that have suits on that I’ve never seen in suits, Right?

AM: Right!

J: There’s people here celebrating life and just happy to be here because they feel as good as they look – and that’s a feeling right? I said to myself, for my 20-year anniversary, I’m going to take this around the world because there’s somebody in Kansas City that’s never been to an orchestra before, there’s someone in DC that hasn’t, there’s somebody in Miami, there’s somebody in Detroit and they deserve that! The best thing I could do is bring this experience to them and present it in a way that’s cool. It was a date night to see all these married couples are out having a great time together because they grew up on the music. But now they get to celebrate together.

It’s the first of its kind and to do it as a tour and to do it independently as well!

AM: That’s quite an undertaking to do for you to personally back it yourself. The logistics that are around that, like, how has that been to put all that together?

J: I gotta say, I have an amazing team, you know? We tight, but we’re strong. Everybody believed in the vision, and we hit the ground - boots on the ground, and we hit the ground running. The experience of some of the orchestra members and their dedication. You know, the people that were breaking down the equipment, and like everybody was just in on this, like everybody gave it, they’re all it’s one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever been a part of, especially in the touring world.

I heard a lot of whispers out there, like, “Jeezy, don’t come to the West Coast.” I was, like, “no, we love the West Coast.” So, just for that, we just got a residency in Las Vegas. We’re bringing a 101 piece orchestra - first time to ever do it and we’re doing it at Planet Hollywood. We’re doing The Masquerade on October 31st, and November 1st, and then we’re coming back with The Nutcracker on December 19th and December 21st with that 101 piece orchestra members, Adam Blackstone, Derrick Hodge, DJ Drama, DJ Ace, and we bringing the whole show to the West Coast, and we want to make it a destination, so it’s more of an experience. Now, mind you, everybody else in the world is more than welcome to come. But I wanted to set up in the West Coast, just for the West Coast.

AM: It sounds amazing. We have previously interviewed Adam Blackstone a couple years ago. I find his artistry to be top notch and he is everywhere! Derrick Hodge, DJ Drama, DJ Ace - all of you coming together, creating this. How has that been?

J: It’s been amazing. I mean, I tell them all the time. Man, you know, I’m rocking with the best.

AM: Yup!

J: Adam Blackstone, brilliant. He’s brilliant, Derrick Hodge is phenomenal. Like, I’ve never seen someone that understands the way he understands how to mobilize the orchestra. Color of Noize Orchestra, has been phenomenal. Everything they’ve done doing, this tour has been nothing less than great. DJ Drama is the legend! The records that we have created and the synergy we have to see him open up the show - it’s almost like I’m getting hyped in my dressing room. Me and DJ Ace, we’ve been together almost 12 years now and we’re like Batman and Robin – you can’t have one without the other! We still give people that so you’re really getting 3 shows!

To me, it’s just like seeing everybody go down memory lane and really, just celebrating! By the way, it is not just a celebration of 20 years of Thug Motivation! 20 years ago, they were not in tuxedos listening to this music. That means you’ve done well for yourself to even be here. I’m just the guest of honor, and I’m coming to help you party! What I love is, in the beginning, a lot of people didn’t understand what an orchestra was because they hadn’t been to one before. So they were thinking more like they were going to come and my music would be playing. They didn’t think that I would be there. Once they realized that no, this is still a party, and when you get here and you stand on your feet, you never sit down - it’s been a party ever since!

AM: Wow!

What do you think your takeaway is going to be once the orchestra tour is completed, and obviously, this residency is an immersive environment. What are your takeaways going to be from doing these kinds of shows?

J: So always bet on yourself. To always stick with your vision no matter how many times people will tell you that it won’t work and what people won’t do and just hold your nose and jump in.

AM: Alright now!

J: That’s it! You have to take chances. You’ve gotta do things that are great. You gotta push the envelope and I just feel like, when you’re independent, you can do all those things. You don’t have to go back and forth with someone and try to get them to see what you see – you just take a chance. I hope and I pray that the generation behind being a generation behind them actually get a chance to see that you can evolve in this. You can give yourself permission to evolve. You don’t have to stay in this box that they put you in because that’s the way you came out in the beginning. You don’t have to stay that person you’re allowed to grow in this, you know?

We didn’t get to see Tupac get to his full potential. We didn’t see some of these greats get to their full potential. We didn’t see that from Bob Marley, you know - you get the right to grow in this. You get the right to evolve in this. Just be unapologetic of yourself and lean in and just be present meaning - I know where I’m at in my career, I know it’s been 20 years, but I feel younger than I’ve ever felt.

AM: Yeah.

J: I feel more creative than I have ever felt. I have more wisdom, more knowledge than that, I have more resources as well as relationships. And it’s just like, the thing that I don’t like when it comes to our culture and our music is that they feel like they can put a timeline on you.

AM: Facts.

J: You don’t get that with country music or rock music. Matter of fact, the older you get in rock, the greater you are. You know what I’m saying? Why can’t you be like that for us?

AM: As you know, sometimes we’re harder on ourselves?

J: Right!

AM: You’re absolutely right! I see Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Metallica, The Rolling Stones and it’s like oh my God, iconic – they’re still doing it and killing it, but we have that, too, and that should be respected within the culture.

J: And by the way, Richard Pryor when he was young he was probably cold but, Richard Pryor when he got older ha ha – he was a whole different beast, a whole different monster! He was a whole different animal!

AM: Facts!

J: That’s what I’m saying! For me, we’ve got to grow up as a culture! We have to grow up as a people. We have to grow up as men. We can’t shy away from that. I’m listening to classical music in the morning, I’m not negating that. No more Patron for me, but I’ll take some red wine! That’s my life!

AM: There you go!

J: You know what I’m saying, ain’t nothing wrong with that!

AM: As someone as busy as you are and you’re on the road touring, how do you stay in shape to optimize yourself? Here at Athleisure Mag, we’re always talking about fitness and/or wellness routines. So, what are 3 things that you do, because you’re always on the go?

J: Yeah, I mean, the good thing is, I’ve been busy pretty much 90% of my life, so I have been dialed in. I would say first, you know, you got to start off, you know, with your mental health. For me, that’s waking up meditating, praying about how grateful I am even when things aren’t going well. Taking the time to journal in the morning and step outside to get some fresh air. I’m definitely gonna go to the gym, and sometimes you know you might not have as much time as you would like, but you still got to do something.

AM: Exactly.

J: That’s my thing, just do something every day. And also, you know, of course, your vitamins, your nutrients, and stuff like that. I think eating right is a big part of that, but also like to be honest with you, the biggest thing I’ve learned through all this is like, don’t let none of this stuff stress you.

AM: That part!

J: If it’s not in your control, there’s nothing that you can do, it’s in God’s hand. He can handle everything.

AM: Exactly!

J: There is nothing for you to worry about.

AM: There’s many a time that I’m like, that’s on you, Lord – I know you got that and this.

J: Then just make decisions! Try your best to make decisions, you know, as quick as you can, so you don’t dwell on them. If you can’t make you that decision, just make sure you got some people that you trust that you can run things by just to get some insight.

I would say, you know, eating right, working out, taking care of your mind, taking care of you, and just knowing when it’s enough because you gotta have a work/life balance. I think that’s how you stay young. If you’re just working, and you’re not playing or doing things that charge you or fuel you, then you’ll be depleted.

AM: Absolutely.

J: Start with God first, then start with your mind, and then start with your physical health and just take care of yourself. Just treat yourself how you would treat your best friend!

AM: Pretty much!

You celebrated your birthday by dropping another project Still Snowin’ on your birthday, September 28th with DJ Drama. The live IG with you. hosted by DJ D-Nice was great, The office went nuts!

J: Yes!

AM: Tell me more about this, and why did you want to do this? I mean, you’re putting on a whole orchestra, and you’ve got this going on.

J: I know right? I couldn’t resist it! We were in Miami and I was getting ready for the tour, and I was just like, “you know, come out and put a studio in this bedroom!”

AM: Ha!

J: I know when it’s time. It was time for me and I felt with the orchestra and all of these things inspiring me this time, you know and getting back into my art bag as far as art collecting and stuff like that, which was one of the reasons why I tapped, Dr. Fahamu Pecou to do the cover art and actually paint the painting for the project.

For me, it’s just like, when you feel it, you gotta go. Because when you’re forcing it, it’s when you shouldn’t be doing it. If you’re doing it for money, you definitely shouldn’t be doing it. But if you’re doing it for the love of it, the passion of it, and it happens to come with some kind of monetary gain – absolutely! I’m doing this for the people that have always had love for me. I feel like they deserve it. In the words of the great Andre 3000, “if you want to hear something, make it yourself. He told me that one time, if you like something and you want to hear it, make it yourself.” That’s what I did, and this project is definitely where I’m at and I feel like, culturally, we need this, the fame needs, the people need this. It’s got to be a higher vibration. This is that. I want people to feel good, you know? I want people to feel good while they out here grinding, anybody out here, you know, solving the puzzle of life. I just wanted them to have some theme music!

AM: Well, one of the things I appreciate about you, is that you’re always involved in various projects, and I recently saw that you were in Trap City. What did you enjoy about being in this film and can we expect to see you more in TV /film as an actor?

J: This film to me was really cool because I had a lot of creative control. I was able to play a preacher that has street ties. I had to preach a sermon, so imagine that!

AM: Right!

J: It was actually fun, though it was one of those things where there was some down time. I was like, let’s try this again. Being in front of a camera, shooting music videos and doing this for most of your career, you just get really comfortable in front of the camera. It’s always those things you do when you have time, and you want to push yourself.

To me, it’s like, that’s another challenge - remembering lines, and showing up on time. Capturing those emotions because they told me that I had to cry and I said, I don’t know about that, but we’ll figure it out.

AM: As someone who is an entrepreneur with an ever growing portfolio, you most recently collaborated with Eastside Golf for their limited edition collab this past August. What was that process like, and what do you think the synergy is between hip-hop and golf?

J: I think it’s the synergy between men and golf and Black men in golf? I think that we looked at the sport as if we had no say in it. Shout out to Olajuwon Ajanaku who just went pro and he is the CEO over there at Eastside Golf. He’s one of the best players that I’ve ever seen, but we joke all the time about making golf cool. Golf is a part of my mental health if I’m honest. When you’re out there on that course and you’re able to have that fellowship, deal with people and be out there in that fresh air and listening to great music - it’s really how these meaningful conversations take place that helps your mental health. It brings up a level of peace you wouldn’t believe, and I think that’s what it is, I think us as Black men - we’re in a place right now, where we love peace, and this adds on to it. So I think that’s what people are actually doing, and the love! Golf is like like, you can never beat the course – you just play it. Sometimes you play good and sometimes you play bad. You’re not going to beat the course. You’re not going to go out there and get a hole in one every time you play the ball. The lesson is, every shot sets you up for the next shot. That’s how you have to live life. Every thing sets you up for the next thing.

AM: You also launched EDGE Energy Drink. Love the packaging. Love the can. Why did you want to add this to your diverse portfolio, and what can you tell me about the assortment of beverages?

J: Well, I’ve never been an energy drink guy. But the first time I had a taste of this, I was, like, oh my God, this is amazing. No aftertaste, it’s fresh. I had them bring down the sugar content in it.

AM: Nice.

J: I love the packaging. I love what it stood for, and I’ve had energy drinks and some of them could be really harsh. Some of them could make you really jittery. This was nothing of the sort. What I really love about EDGE is the opportunity to promote it and market it as a mixer as well.

You know, these signature drinks you like these signature cocktails. Instead of putting all this stuff in it with all this sugar and all this caffeine, you can go with something like EDGE and enjoy the taste and still get the energy you want. I like to do things that align with my purpose and my lifestyle.

You know, I might have 1 a day, 2 a day. I want to run it around so that it gives me the energy to get my work done. If I do, you know, ever, ever have a cocktail or something, I’ll just throw some EDGE in there instead of putting all this other stuff in there. It’s an amazing product. I’m actually excited about it. We’re gonna have a great year next year with Edge, for sure!

AM: When you’re not on the road or working on projects, how do you take time for yourself?

J: I really like to take a lot of time to work on myself spiritually, mentally, healthwise and to say grounded. So a lot of my free time, I’m really looking to be the best version of myself and really making sure that I am balancing my life. I know that balance is a word that doesn’t really exist, but you know, at the same time, I think that it is important to make sure that you are pouring into yourself and that you continue to grow so that when it is time for you to share back into the world, you’re more prepared.

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for?

J: I mean, as far as right now, my philanthropy is the next thing on my table. My annual Snowball will be on Oct 9th in Atlanta, GA. It’s the gala for my non-profit foundation, Street Dreamz Foundation. This foundation is for at risk inner city youths. It’s a big, big, big, big deal this year. This year, the theme is Forever I Love Atlanta. Ludacris Bridges will be hosting. So it’s going to be amazing! I have some special surprises for all of my Atlanta folks. We’re going to raise a lot of money for a great cause and for some great kids.

AM: What do you want your legacy to be known as? You are a 4X Grammy Nominee, you have sold over 10 million albums worldwide, you’re a profound storyteller, NYT Best Selling Author, you have an impressive portfolio entrepreneurially - what do you want people to feel or say about you when they think about you and your body of work?

J: You know, I want to be a great father and to continue to be a great brother. As far as my legacy, I want to be known as somebody who took all of the risks that he had to take to pour back into his community, to pour back into his culture, to pour back into his people, and also the younger generation that it’s 1,000% ok to evolve. It’s 1,000% ok to be in your truth. It’s 1,000% ok to who you are.

AM: It was so great to sit down and talk with you as I know you have a busy few weeks ahead! As a fan of your music, I’ve enjoyed hearing about your vision, purpose, your com mitment, and your focus on community. I think that’s super important and that you’re a reflection of what people should look for when it comes to someone who is resilient and just doing it.

J: I appreciate that and receive it!

IG @jeezy

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT/BACK COVER Matt Swinsky | PG 16 - 33 + PG 36 -39 JWJ Enterprises | PG 34 Erika Goldring |

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see STILL SNOWIN’ | Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins in mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S2. E6. | WELCOME TO HOMETOWNS!

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Maarten de Boer

This week on The Golden Bachelor, Hometowns takes us to Las Vegas and Peg to her firehouse! She lets him know that she has not brought anyone to her work. He even meets her colleagues and gets to see a bit of what she does so that he can get an idea of what her life is like. Peg said she is not looking for the fireworks, she is looking for the fireplace - it’s a nice image to let us know how she sees her life.

They make their way to Peg’s home to meet her family. We find out that Peg’s mom has been part of Bachelor Nation for over 20 years! Her family gets down to business by asking him questions to get to know him and to see how he feels about her mom. Her brother sits down to talk with Mel. Peg chats with her mom and you can tell that she also likes Mel and part of us thinks that she loves the fact that a show she has enjoyed is now happening in front of her. Mel and Peg’s daughter have their conversation and she’s not giving him any wiggle room to fall into vague answers. She wants to know his intentions and to see where his head is at. She even tells him that she is very protective of her mother.

Next up is Debbie in Denver! They’re going to walk around her hometown and she looks like the ultimate Athleisure girly as they walk around Red Rock. As they sit down taking in the sights, she tells him about leaving her boyfriend over a decade ago and then finding out that 2 weeks after they broke up, he took his own life. It’s a very heavy story, but now we know why she has been single for so long as that experience would have to be something that truly changes you as a person. It’s such a story that really makes you pull for her and makes you hope that if he does decide to not continue with her that he lets her down gently.

Debbie also takes him to her family where they have a barbecue going. We see some of Mel’s moves as he tosses the football around with the men in her life while finding out more about her. Debbie sits with her sisters and they let her know that she needs to find her person as she is so deserving.

He continues onto Austin to meet with Cindy. Their first stop is to have lunch with her 3 daughters, her SIL and her soon to be SIL. They talk about how it has been to be on the journey and she shares that one of her dates had Paula Abdul there which her kids loved hearing as she was formerly a dancer. Although she loves her life in Austin, she lets her kids know that her love and life with Mel may mean that she is going to live in California and she is there for it. Mel chats with her SIL’s and you can see the good vibes between them. After a successful meeting with her kids, she takes him to her condo for a cocktail. She lets him know that although she knows her kids liked him, she shared her concern that they felt that he may not like her as much as she does. She lets him know that she is falling for him and she wants to have a gut check with him. She is very self aware that he has 2 other dates going on, but in the end, the assurances that she was looking for were not given - so she is left in a bit of a void as she didn’t want to continue pushing on the subject. We hear him say in his confessional that as much as he enjoyed his date with her, he isn’t where she is and that his decision is going to be a tough one.

It’s the night of the last rose ceremony and next week is the Women’s Tell All! That means the week after, we get to see what he decided to do. Jesse Palmer is there to meet each of the women as he asks them about their Hometowns experience. None of the women know what happened in one another’s dates.

Cindy and Peg are both given roses and Debbie does not have one. All 3 of these women have been people that we have enjoyed. Somehow in watching Debbie’s Hometown we knew that Mel would not choose her.

THEY RECEIVED ROSES | Cindy, and Peg

THEY DIDN’T GET A ROSE | Debbie

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

---

HERE’S WHO IS ONE STEP CLOSER

CINDY

PEG

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

AMY

ANDRA

ALEXANDRA

CAROL

CARLA

CHERYL

CINDY

DEBBIE

DIANE

GERRI

LILY

LISA

MAIA

MONICA B

MONICA P

MYLENE

NICOLLE

PEG

ROBIN

ROXANNE

SUSIE

TERRI

TRACY

BACK TO THE CUL-DE-SAC

Last year, we got hooked to a twisty romantic thriller The Couple Next Door on STARZ. Each week, we were hooked on couples who lived in a cul-de-sac who had so much going on in and between their homes. As we don’t want to share any spoliers, if you have yet to check this out, you need to. With S2 of this show currently airing their latest season, you hear more about what took place in S1 as well as getting connected with new characters that will leave us open mouthed on what takes place!

We sat down with Sam Palladio (Nashville, The Princess Switch franchise, Catherine the Great) as well as his co-star, Sendhill Ramamurthy (Never Have I Ever, Heroes, New Amsterdam). We wanted to know how they came to this franchise, approached playing their characters, as well as preparing to bring them to life, and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Well we have been fans of both of your work, so it’s good that you guys are here! What drew you to The Couple Next Door?

SENDHILL RAMAMURTHY: It was just very different! I was doing a show for Netflix that was a real kind of fantasy show where there were a lot of special effects, and it’s very kind of heightened where people have powers and all of that. This was just more of a grounded scenario and it really appealed to me, because I’ve been talking to a tennis ball stuck on a stick for weeks and weeks! So to be able to actually speak to Sam and to Bel was really nice to speak to human beings! That was the draw for me!

SAM PALLADIO: Yeah, for me. I think you know I grew up in the UK. I’ve been in Nashville and in the states for over a decade, but I really felt a draw to go back and do some, um, great, you know, British television, even though we shot it in Belgium!

Finding a role that was something different. This is my first time sort of playing that character that’s not just the sort of charming singer/songwriter, you know? Jacob obviously, given a huge arc to the show and becomes our villain, you know, and that was really exciting for me to lean into that as a sort of? As I sort of age into my late 30s and finding a bit more gravitas and having lived a lot more life, it was a really exciting challenge to a bit like Sendhill says. Play something real and grounded, but a character that that does some dark things you know and explore that world with a British production behind it.

AM: Wow!

What is that creative process like when you’re bringing these kinds of characters to life? Are there certain things that you do and how do you connect with each of the people you play with?

SR: We were really lucky in that we actually got to sit down for a few days, just kind of like the 4 of us around the table with our director, Dries Vos and just read through the scripts. I mean, it wasn’t quite a rehearsal –

AM: Right.

SR: Bit, it was as close as you get on television to a rehearsal. I don’t know about you Sam, but for me, that that’s never really happened. We’ve never had the opportunity to kind of like, sit there, and you know, you get the table. You get a table read every once in a while, but we, you know, you never get to sit around for hours, talking about scenes, and like, “hey, I’m not sure this works or I don’t understand this –“

SP: Yeah!

SR: This was all before we guys came on set, that was like it was a huge blessing really. I’m grateful that they made sure that we were able to have that because I think that it was hugely helpful for all of us!

SP: I think that’s it. The production team were really collaborative, and I haven’t been part of a show where I felt like we were all equal, you know, and had a say and and they really valued our opinions. You know, there’s a lot of jobs you do where you’re a number on a call sheet, and you turn up on the day, you learn the lines, you’re in and out, and nice to meet you guys bye! This felt from the ground up, like a like a big collaboration. For me, sort of preparing, well, one thing we got to do, which was amazing, was, you know, I? I play an anesthetist and Bel is my wife and an incredible heart surgeon. Ahead of filming, we got to go and observe, a real open heart surgery.

AM: Oh, wow!

SP: We were able to be in the room and be a fly on the wall. Well, kind of more than a fly on the wall, actually, because the surgeons were really excited to meet us, even though they were in the middle of the bowel replacement! We were really chatty, and myself and Aggy (Oh Ramona, Eden Lodge, The Perfect Escape) went along that that morning and was just trying to like, be quiet, and they were just asking questions and they were really excited. But for me to observe the anesthetist and his world, it was just invaluable, you know? Because a lot of that hospital drama and the medical drama, you know, we didn’t want to just be actors.

AM: Right.

SP: You know? So that was a really great grounding for all that medical side of the show. And then, for, you know, the sort of emotional side, I just had lots of threesomes!

AM: As you do, apparently!

SP: Haha no – no!

AM: Right, exactly?

Well, we were huge fans of S1. This show is all about the intricacies and dynamics that take place over the season, and if S1 was any indication, it will be exciting to see how it plays out here as well!

What can you tell us about Jacob and Leo that we should be prepared to know in watching S2?

SP: What you need to be prepared to know is that, I think what was so great about series 1, and that we’ve sort of expanded on in series 2, is this relationship drama. This sort of, you know – coming from episode 1, there’s this kind of tension, and this this thriller aspect to it, which I think is really watchable and really enjoyable for a viewer. It’s nicely paced. It doesn’t sort of jump straight in and throw these characters into crazy situations. It’s like a slow burn, which I really like, because that allows you to sort of get to know the characters.

You know, Jacob, is this sort of high flyer? Got it, got it. All you know, seemingly has a great relationship, but they are also at a stage in their life where they don’t have kids, they’re sort of like they’ve reached the kind of peak of, like, we’re great at what we do. We’ve got the house we’ve got all you know, what’s missed in and there is something missing from their relationship, and it turns out that Mia is quite a catalyst for bringing out this darker side and these darker fantasies, and I think it’s just interesting watching a couple explore that. Obviously, Jacob’s jealousy, professional jealousy, and personal jealousy really starts to amp up and progresses as things start to unravel. So for me, it’s a really great opportunity and challenge to show some of those darker colors, and you know, and not giving too much away - it’s quite a journey.

AM: It’s exciting!

SR: From Leo, the thing that I guess the audience should know about and the thing, though I really enjoyed about him, was also very hard to kind of, you know, to convey. He was an insider in this group, but he was a very different person. He wasn’t a fully formed human being. He came from an extremely wealthy family. He was very spoiled, very self-involved, and he has his heart broken, you know, by Bel’s character, Charlotte and he leaves. This is him coming back as a much more involved person and somebody who’s learned from life. He’s kind of like an observer a lot of the time, you know?

He’s able to see Charlotte, for who she was and who she is now, and what may be lacking and saying to Jacob, like they’ve never had a great relationship. They’ve always kind of been like in opposition to each other, and those were, you know, some of my favorite things to play actually were with Sam when we got to, you know, kind of, because we get along really well off camera.

AM: Right!

SR: We’re living above each other in the same facility, and we were hanging out all the time, but we got to have this very different relationship on camera. That was something that was a lot of fun to play, but I think it’ll be fun for the audience also to just kind of watch. Like, it’s always fun watching, like two kind of alphas going for the same girl.

AM: Love it.

SR: Yeah, it’s fun. I think that people can expect a thrilling kind of ride, and it goes in places that I never thought it was gonna go! As I was reading it, I was like, “we’re gonna do that?”

Okay! I think there’s a little something in there for everyone.

IG @sampalladio

@sendhill_rama

After chatting with both of the male leads in this series, we took a few moments to chat with another co-star, Annabel Scholey (Apollo Has Fallen, The Split, Dead and Burried) who plays Charlotte, a surgeon that is married to Jacob. We wanted to find out more about how she came to this series and what we should expect when we’re about to watch this thriller.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What drew you to want to be part of The Couple Next Door?

ANNABEL SCHOLEY: Well, I saw series 1 actually and really loved it, and I’m from that part of England. I’m from Yorkshire.

So that was a big draw because I haven’t - I don’t always get to play that region!

AM: Right.

AS: Because I went to drama school, and I have a pretty RP accent (Editor’s Note: An RP accent or Received Pronunciation, is a non-regional, educated accent of English associated with the upper classes and public schools of southern England, rather than a specific geographic region.) So, it was really nice to go back to my route, and I’ve always wanted to play a surgeon because I’m a big Grey’s Anatomy fan –

AM: Same.

AS: Oh yeah! Christina Yang (Sandra Oh) has always been my favorite, so I was, like, oh my God, this is amazing! I get to be Christina Yang! It’s kind of the initial attraction and it is just a really brilliant part - very complicated and quite challenging, physically as well. I like a good challenge normally.

AM: And what was that creative process like, for you and being able to bring Charlotte to life?

AS: I had to work pretty hard on particularly the medical stuff, because obviously you can’t really - you have to fake it so well, right? It just looks, shit, basically if you don’t do it right.

We did do a lot of research. We went into an open heart surgery.

AM: That’s what Sam was seeing this morning!

AS: Yeah, it was incredible. It really was it. I thought I might faint because I can be a bit fainty, but I just thought it was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen and really empowering. And I just thought, thank God, there are humans who can do this!

AM: Exactly.

AS: Sam and I had quite physical things to do together with the big scene towards the end. It’s very physical, very difficult. Obviously, the sex element of it was quite a big challenge as well. Sam and I got on so well, right from the start from our chemistry test so we’d be comfortable with each other, which really helped obviously.

AM: Well, what can you tell us about Charlotte? Like you, we love S1, so it will be exciting to see what the dynamics will be for these characters.

AS: Yes, I think, because she’s 40 and so am I, that is an interesting point in a woman’s life, I think, you know? Charlotte hasn’t got any children, I do, but she’s at the top of her game. She’s worked really hard on her career. But she doesn’t know what’s next.

I think it’s an interesting moment turning 40. It doesn’t mean what it used to mean like, that’s it, you’re done. And it certainly doesn’t mean that anymore. It’s more like a rebirth, and I think that that’s what she goes through during this. She has a rebirth and that was really attractive to me to explore.

AM: So, what do you want fans to walk away from as we watch S2 and seeing this cast of characters together?

AS: I really hope the fans, I mean I know the fans are HUGE fans of Sam Heughan (Outlander, The Couple Next Door, Love Again), so I, I hope they come back!

AM: Right!

AS: We have the wonderful Sam! I feel like, because it was loved and the momentum of the show, it is shocking. It has a lot of twists and turns. It’s gripping. I’ve been told by everyone over here who watched it that they couldn’t stop. They binged it. I really want people, though, to, to get the sense that, you know, it’s okay to keep exploring yourself sexually. When you’re married, don’t just settle out of a habit, you know? I do think it explores those themes and that has happened in the UK. I think the audience did. That was the topic, the conversation. Like, I think that’s great. What it is to be a woman and to feel sexy also professional, and not necessarily a mother. And so, yeah, I really hope the audience obviously, enjoy watching, the sexy and the thriller side of it this time; more so than in series 1 I think. But yeah, I think that that’s what I wanted to take.

IG @bel_scholey

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | STARZ/The Couple Next Door

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see BACK TO THE CUL-DE-SAC in mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S2. E5. | GETTING OUR WELLNESS

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Maarten de Boer

This week on The Golden Bachelor, we learn that Hometowns in next week and only 3 women will get it. There are only 2 dates - one is a group date and the other is a 1-on-1. There will be no roses given until the ceremony! The news Jesse Palmer gives them definitely feels ominous!

Peg, Debbie, Cheryl, Nicolle, and Carol will be on the group date. That means that Cindy will get the 1-on1 with Mel.

The group date is on Butterfly Mountain and he feels that as a spiritual person, this will be a great date to have with them to see how their energy aligns with one another. They do a number of activities that allow them to open up with one another. The first one is in a group and the rest are 1-on1 activities so they can share an experience as well as to get to know more about one another. It seems like all of the dates go well although Mel just started seeing some of the things that we have all seen about Nicolle (we now know that in addition to growing her social following, she wants to do a cookbook). Just when Carol and Mel get a bit cozy talking about Hometowns, she lets him know that they will not be continuing as she doesn’t think that they are a fit!

On Mel’s 1-on-1 date, he rides a horse with Cindy which is so cute as she is from Texas. They also talk about her past in terms of her marriage, being a parent, and realizing that the relationship wasn’t one that she wanted to be in and how hard it was for her to get to that understanding. Although we loved the idea of Carol and Mel, we have always liked him and Cindy! Maybe they will go all the way! They end their date looking at stars and seeing the city.

Mel arrives at the house and sees Jesse. He knows that now that he is down to 5 women, he needs to pick the right 3 women. They talk about each of the women and you hear how much he likes the 4 women and how he has enjoyed hearing how they feel about them. Then there is Nicolle - he says that there is attraction there and Jesse agrees that he has seen that; however, he wants to know more about what she does and he feels that he never gets that answer from her.

The Hometown group is now locked in! He walks the other women out and of course Nicolle says that if it doesn’t work out, then he can call her because she knows it won’t. In the car, she says that maybe she will be chosen as The Golden Bachelorette - yikes!

THEY RECEIVED ROSES | Cindy, Debbie, and Peg

THEY DIDN’T GET A ROSE | Carol, Cheryl, and Nicolle

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

---

HERE’S WHO IS GOING TO HOMETOWNS

CINDY

DEBBIE

PEG

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

AMY

ANDRA

ALEXANDRA

CAROL

CARLA

CHERYL

CINDY

DEBBIE

DIANE

GERRI

LILY

LISA

MAIA

MONICA B

MONICA P

MYLENE

NICOLLE

PEG

ROBIN

ROXANNE

SUSIE

TERRI

TRACY

9PLAYLIST | WITH LOVE, MEGHAN

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST | With Love, Meghan in mag.

9PLAYLIST MULTI | JEEZY

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST MULTI | Jeezy in mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S2. E4. | WE'RE HEADING TO THE FAIR

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Maarten de Boer

This week on The Golden Bachelor, we see the women working out which together and talking about the fact that there are only 9 of them left! The date card arrives and Peg has the 1-on-1! Nicolle doesn’t get why she got it as she doesn’t see the chemistry between them.

Peg’s date takes her to the OC Fair where she meets Mel. They get to plays games and hope on rides to get to know one another better. They take some time to talk about their partner’s divorcing them and moving on. They continue on to see KC and the Sunshine Band! They dance on the side of the stage and when they are introduced, Mell gives her the date night rose!

The next day, the rest of the house is preparing for their group date. Nicolle happens to mention that she is not dating Mel, she is dating the rest of America and she lets them know that they will have Housewives status. She also trashes the previous season’s house. She lets everyone know that she wants to be an influencer. Various women in the house are rubbed the wrong way by her sharing this (and going on about it).

The group date takes them to Malibu at the beach. They are doing a photoshoot which will be on People. The women are excited about this date and have fun wearing a number of the pieces. The photographer selects the one who had the best chemistry - Cindy. They get the last shot. Their shots are very steamy and Nicolle notes that she will push it the next time that she is with him.

Robin lets him know that some people are not here for the right reason and they are there to promote what they have going on. Ultimately, Carol receives the group rose.

The women are having a tailgate as opposed to a cocktail party. They decide that they should make lemon bars as he loves anything with lemon in it. They enjoy playing beer pong together although they’re sipping prune juice - that’s a twist. They have fun chatting with him individually as well as grilling. Although all the women made the lemon bars, Nicolle says that she made them and she creates a note - the women are seeing this and that’s definitely not something they’re pleased seeing.

In tonight’s ceremony, only 6 women will continue. Jesse Palmer lets them know how important this week is in the overall process. He wishes them luck. Gerri, Robin, and Roxanne do not receive a rose. Although he was told that not every person was there for the right reason, he was never told who - so Nicolle is still there to continue on.

THEY RECEIVED ROSES | Carol, Cheryl, Cindy, Debbie, Nicolle, and Peg.

THEY DIDN’T GET A ROSE | Gerri, Robin, and Roxanne.

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

---

HERE’S WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS

CAROL

CHERYL

CINDY

DEBBIE

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

AMY

ANDRA

ALEXANDRA

CAROL

CARLA

CHERYL

CINDY

DEBBIE

DIANE

GERRI

LILY

LISA

MAIA

MONICA B

MONICA P

MYLENE

NICOLE

PEG

ROBIN

ROXANNE

SUSIE

TERRI

TRACY

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S2. E3. | THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Maarten de Boer

Last week’s double episode did clear the field of women for tonight’s episode of The Golden Bachelor. We see the women getting to know one another more and we see the beginnings of the fall out with Nicholle being so overt. This week there will be a 1-on-1 date as well as a group date. Debbie gets a 1-on-1 date.

The group date is a roast and you know the women have a lot of material with Mel Owens providing a number of the information due to his podcasts prior to being on the show.

It’s always fun to see Jesse Palmer enjoy the various activities. Each of the women gave it their all for this particular date. Whoever makes the biggest impression is the winner and Nicolle will have a romantic dinner with him. She receives the date night rose.

Of course, now that the group date is over, we now have Debbie’s date. Prior to it the women talk about how long it takes to get ready and how they handle depuffing under their eyes. Michelin starred Chef Ludo Lefebvre is giving them a cooking lesson and will also make them an epic meal. Back at the house, Kathy and Susan from S1 of The Golden Bachelor swing by for a slumber party with the women! That’s definitely a great way to spend the night. They share tips, advice, and are even gifted vibrators. Back on the 1-on-1 date, Debbie gets a rose and we can see a connection between them.

The cocktail reception before the ceremony - the women have their game faces on. Each of them get time to speak with him and to share more information about who they are. Tonight, 4 women are going home! The Goldens are always tough because you only get an hour per episode and it seems like there are a larger cuts!

THEY RECEIVED ROSES | Carol, Cheryl, Cindy, Debbie, Gerri, Nicolle, Peg, Robin, and Roxanne.

THEY DIDN’T GET A ROSE | Amy, Monica B, Monica P, and Terri.

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

---

HERE’S WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS

CAROL

CHERYL

CINDY

GERRI

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

AMY

ANDRA

ALEXANDRA

CAROL

CARLA

CHERYL

CINDY

DEBBIE

DIANE

GERRI

LILY

LISA

MAIA

MONICA B

MONICA P

MYLENE

NICOLE

PEG

ROBIN

ROXEANNE

SUSIE

TERRI

TRACY

SONGS TO LIVE BY | ROB THOMAS

There are certain songs on our playlist that transcend just being songs. They’re moments, portals to place and time in our lives, and in many cases the sound is timeless no matter how many decades have passed. When we heard Push the 2nd single on Matchbox 20’s debut album in 1997, we were hooked not only to the sound, lyrics and visuals of the video - but we knew that vocalist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Rob Thomas had something to say that was relevant to where we were and where we’d be in the future!

This sentiment hasn’t changed with countless hits from his band as well as his solo career that has included Smooth with Carlos Santana, Lonely No More, and This is How A Heart Breaks which continues to connect with people at a visceral level.

As this month’s cover of Athleisure Mag, we talked with Rob while he is on tour for his 6th non-holiday solo album which drops on Sep 5th. We wanted to know more about the band, his creative process, All Night Days, his tour, and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: You were in my hometown in Indy a few days ago and I know you’re traveling throughout the Midwest right now.

ROB THOMAS: We were just there. We were just through Indianapolis and then last night, we were outside of Detroit and today, we have a day off on the bus just chilling out in St. Louis!

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be an entertainer.

RT: I think when I exhausted all of the other options and I wasn’t good at anything else, you know? I think that when you’re lucky enough to find something that you feel like you’re good at and also – you know, when I was a kid growing up, I was in the South and I didn’t understand cars or sports and so trying to figure out where I fit in – it wasn’t until I found other people maybe in high school when I met the drama kids and the musical theater kids and they kind of spoke to me. Maybe it was the outcasts and the kids on the fringe. As I got a little older, it was musicians that were that way. It was like this fraternal group of the people that I felt like it just made sense to me.

So it was like at some point, maybe when I was like 19 or 20, it was like, I think that I want to do this as I was really writing songs. I thought, “I think that I want to do this.”

AM: Wow!

You’re so talented as a songwriter, a vocalist, and you play multiple instruments. Were you formally trained or did you just come across it all – how did all of this come together?

RT: Yeah, no – when I was a Freshman in high school, my buddies in my band were Seniors and then they all graduated and they went to Berklee College of Music and they would come back and they would bring me their music books. So I started to learn how to sight-read (Editor’s Note: It is the ability to read and perform a piece of musical notation you’ve never seen or played before, without any prior preparation or practice) chords and trying to understand relationship between notes and they would give me some of their books and I would kind of learn from that. So it’s pretty self taught and if you put me next to someone who is a really good player, it’s pretty obvious that I am self-taught.

I was alone with a guitar, I was alone with a keyboard, and I needed to learn how to write songs. I had melodies in my head, and I had songs in my head so I had to learn how to play just enough so that I could be able to write.

AM: Wow that’s interesting how you were able to access all of that as Berklee College of Music is a great school known for its jazz and popular music. My great uncle was Joe Henderson and I know that they have courses about him there.

Before we delve into your latest solo album, I can’t talk to you without talking about your band Matchbox 20. I remember when the debut CD came out, I was a Freshman in college when it came out. So for me, it was like all the things that I needed to learn about adulting and how to navigate emotions and scenarios that I hadn’t had to do before, it came from listening to your music and realizing that these things are normal! How did you come together as a band and did you think at the time that you would have this impact that resonates with so many people over all these decades?

RT: No. I mean, I think it’s funny. When you’re starting out, you have to have some sort of naïve suspension of disbelief that you’re going to make it – right? If you really thought about the odds, it would be so daunting that you would collapse under the weight of it. So I think that there was always this idea that we were going to be successful. I don’t think that we understood what that meant.

AM: Right.

RT: And I certainly don’t think that we had the ability to look forward 30 years later and realize the gift of being someone’s nostalgia. Like having this song like you said, that you went to college and this was your CD and that some people for one reason or another, at an event – someone’s wedding or their graduation and there was a song that was tied to it.

So I think that like, the gift of longevity and the ability to be around for awhile is bigger than like a level of success! It’s more of like being woven into the fabric of these fans and these people and I think that that’s a pretty special part of it.

AM: Is there going to be anything coming up that highlights the 30 year anniversary – that’s literally around the corner!

RT: Yeah, I mean, listen – we’re out on the road right now with the solo work and we’re still back and forth with Matchbox trying to plan out next year! Luckily, the end of next year marks when we put out our first record 30 years ago so we’re probably going to do some festivals next year to start gearing up for something really big at the end of the year and then touring 2027 around the world!

AM: Oh wow!

When it comes to creating music, where do you start in terms of the creative process and how is that different with you as a solo artist, you with your band, or when you’re collaborating with other artists?

RT: I mean, most of it is the same right? I write all the time. When I’m sitting down to work with someone – when I worked with Willie Nelson, we just sat down for 2 days and played each other’s songs. And then when I was done, he had written down 3 songs and he said, “I want to do these 3 songs.” If I’m writing with somebody else, maybe they come in with an idea and we can build on that. As far as if I am writing for someone or with someone, I’m just kind of drawing from this bucket of songs that I have worked on. If I go to Matchbox, I’m like, “do you guys like this song or how about this song?” I think that we all work that way so it’s never really like, gearing up for – well, I’m writing this song for this person so I need to get into this mindset. At some point, if someone wants to write with me, they probably want my point of view. So they will put their spin on my point of view.

AM: How would you define the Rob Thomas sound?

RT: Geez. I don’t know! I’ve been really fortunate that fans have allowed me to step outside and just do – I mean, if you listen to 3AM say 30 years ago, and you listen to Hard to Be Happy now, or if you listen to Lonely No More – those sound like different bands. They could be different artists. But I think that my voice is my voice and it ties them all together. So I don’t know that I have a certain – I write songs and I think about people and how people interact with each other. It’s just a very normal thing, right?

AM: Mmm.

RT: Like if I write about something going on in my life, it’s my job to write about how that thing makes me feel because you understand that – that has happened to you. You don’t need to know about me and my wife having a fight, you just need to know, “oh I know how you feel!”

AM: You’ve said that as a kid of the 80s, there are elements of that throughout your work. How do you add that aesthetic into your music while combining the various genres that you have been on and still making it sound current even if some of it is older?

RT: You know, I think part of it is that I have always went into this genreless. I think that that’s because when I grew up in the 80s, 80s radio was genreless. You would have MC Hammer played right after Van Halen and played right after Whitney Houston and then right after Bobby Brown and then Ozzy Osbourne.

AM: 100%.

RT: All of these things would play because MTV, that was our national radio!

AM: Oh yeah!

RT: It was all over the place. I think that growing up in the 80s made me more fearless where I didn’t have to be this kind of a writer and I’m a rock guy. Like, if in my whole career I had stayed 90s alt-rock like our first Matchbox 20 record, it would have been very limiting in all of the stuff that I could do later on.

AM: When I first heard Smooth, like many, I was blown away by so many things in the song and in the video! How was it for you to navigate the concept that you would be able to do both as a solo artist and then popping back in with your band?

RT: I mean, it took awhile! Looking back, Smooth happened between our 1st and 2nd record. Then we made 2 more records until I went solo. So it was 10 years into the Matchbox career before I made my 1st solo record! So it took me awhile even after Smooth! The thing about Smooth was that it opened the doors as a writer. So even when I was with Matchbox 20, I was doing a lot of outside writing for other things with Carlos, Seal, Marc Anthony, Willie Nelson, and Mick Jagger. I was getting a chance to be an anonymous writer for these other voices which was very very cool and then with Matchbox – we went from record to record to record and then on tour for like 10 years straight, so whenever we took that break, then it made sense and we all went out and made solo records.

AM: We were bummed that we were unable to catch your show at the Seaport earlier this month All Night Days is dropping Sep 5th and you’re currently on tour promoting the album. Why did you want to create this album and what can you tell us about it? We listened to Thrill Me which we really love and I enjoyed Hard to Be Happy and it has a fun video.

RT: Thank you! Thrill Me is my favorite. I think that there is almost an OCD to writing in that – like I said, I am writing all of the time. So if I don’t get some of these songs out, it’s a clutter in my head and I feel like there is no room for more material and other things. We were coming up on my 20th anniversary of my first solo record and I couldn’t think of a better way to commemorate it then to just let people know that I was still writing!

AM: I love that!

Since you’re on tour, you have the US portion and then you’re in Australia and New Zealand with a number of dates that takes place this Fall so you have quite an interesting schedule. How do you prepare for such a schedule, the performances, all the different cities, are there workouts that you like to do or must do’s before you hit the stage or after?

RT: Yeah, I mean, I think that I was much more careless about my body and my health when I was much younger. As you get older, you don’t want to look like you’re trying too hard right?

AM: Facts!

RT: You’re limited with your options out here. So I started with – there’s a Beach Body on Demand (Editor’s Note: aka BODi) that has a series of workouts like Insanity, P90X, Shift Shop and all of these things. Those are kind of great because a lot of those are bodyweight, calisthenics, so I don’t have an excuse. If I’m on the bus that day, I can do them on the bus. I can do a full hour long crushing workout! Sometimes they’re harder then just going to the gym with weights.

You know, I get a bonus workout every night. It’s 2 hours of just screaming and running back and forth you know? We love, the whole band – jokes about how we like a good hot night in the Summer! You feel like it’s part of the weight loss plan. It’s great to go out there and sweat off what we had for dinner.

I don’t do after show food. It used to be a big thing you know. After the show everybody orders some food because you’re really hungry and you’ve burned off a lot of that energy, but when I’m on the road, I find that I am probably on an 18 hour fast because I eat around 5:30pm and I don’t eat again until after I wake up and work out the next day. Keeping that, green juices, keeping vitamins – I think it’s your basic upkeep! I don’t think that you have to become obsessive about things, but I think that if you’re mindful, then you wind up – I have a different relationship with food. I have a different relationship with alcohol than I used to – well maybe only slightly!

AM: That’s fair!

RT: Well, every little bit helps!

AM: Your son is also on tour with you as your lead guitarist! What has that been like to have Maison with you?

RT: Well it’s great! He graduated from Berklee as well.

AM: Nice!

RT: Yeah. He went to Berklee and he has a band called The Lucky and they met there and as soon as they graduated, they all moved out to LA.

My guitar player from my solo band, he had just retired from live music. He’s been producing and writing for other people and killing it. It was his idea and he has been watching Maison on IG and sharing his shred videos and so I reached out and asked him if he wanted to do it. It has been the time of our lives! He fits right in although he brings the median age to the band down significantly! Having that energy has been really great. He’s known this band from when it was formed when he was 7. So when he was a little kid, he was on stage goofing with Al and Abe, my rhythm section. Now to see him as an active and integral section of the band, I have to stop sometimes because I almost forget that I’m performing because I will just stop and watch him.

AM: What do you want your legacy to be known as. You’ve had over 40M+ albums sold with the band, you have your 18M+ album sales with your solo career – what do you want people to feel about Rob Thomas?

RT: I mean, I don’t care! I think that I want the songs that I have written that have meant something to people – for them to carry on. If they ever forgot who wrote them, I don’t think that I would care. I like that those little pieces of music exist out there in the world and that they are out there for somebody if they want to use them for good times or for bad. It’s so selfish what I get to do – you know what I mean?

AM: Of course!

RT: I get to make a living doing the thing that I love. Most people, you spend most of your time working. Most people don’t get the ability to spend that time doing something that they really really enjoy. So it is a gift that is never lost on me. I get to do it and it is a sense of catharsis and therapy to write and be able to share it with people – like minded people. People seeing that you feel that way too and that they are not freaks! So, I think that just in general, I want the songs to kind of remain.

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that you would like to share that we can tell our community about?

RT: I’m in it right now! This is it right now! For me, every night we have to pretend that it is our first show!

AM: Right!

RT: For some people, it is the only one that they are going to come to. We don’t think too much farther then, we’re going to crush it tomorrow. That’s our mantra, “let’s just crush is tomorrow.”

IG @robthomas

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 16 - 23 + 32 - 37 Ashley Haer | PG 25 - 27 Andrew Angel | PG 28 - 31 Randall Slavin |

Read the AUG ISSUE #116 of Athleisure Mag and see SONGS TO LIVE BY | Rob Thomas in mag.

WELCOME TO US OPEN 2025

US OPEN LAVAZZA SUITES - MIXED DOUBLES

This time of year is one of our favorites as the US Open brings tennis’ best and brightes to play at Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong Stadium for 3 weeks. In addition to the action that is on the court, there are a number of adjacent events that take place throughout the city! Although the month of Sept. will continue these festivities, we’re recapping what we participated this month.

We kicked off our US Open experience with the team at Lavazza who invited us to go to their suite to watch a series of mixed double matches with our favorites!

We kicked off the morning hitting the grounds to see where fans can get their coffee fix as they arrive and in between matches. In addition to having a large free standing booth that serves hot and cold coffees, you can also get cocktails there as well such as an Espresso martini. Throughout the complex, there are smaller areas to get a coffee as well as to engage with the brands whether it’s playing interactive games to win prizes, photo opportunities with a “stadium” as well as their mascot Luigi!

After taking the tour, we made our way to the suite where we were able to watch phenomenal matches as well as to meet members from the executive team of hear about where Lavazza is focusing its efforts in terms of where it sits in the marketplace, partnerships that are very interesting that will be announced soon, and their partnership with Jannik Sinner (20X ATP Tour Singles Titles, 2X Australian Champion, 2025 Wimbledon Champion, 2025 US Open Champion).

It was great to sit outside of the suite to catch our first match Gaël Monfils (13 ATP Tour Singles Titles)/Naomi Osaka (2X Australian Open Champion, 2X US Open Champion) - L vs Lorenzo Musetti (2 ATP Tour Singles Titles, Team Italy Tennis 2024 Paris Olympics Bronze Medalist)/Caty McNally (8X WTA Tour Doubles Titles Champion) - W and Iga Świątek (WTA No 2 in Women’s Singles, 24 WTA Tour Singles Titles, 4X French Open Champion, 2025 Wimbledon Champion, 2022 US Open Champion)/Casper Ruud (13 ATP Tour Singles Titles) - W vs Madison Keys (2025 Australian Open Champion)/Frances Tiafoe - L played during Round of 16 which led to the Quarter Final between Iga Świątek/Casper Ruud - W vs Caty McNally/Lorenzo Musetti - L. Ultimately, Iga Swiatek/Casper Ruud won this round and advanced in their mixed doubles.

In the other matches for Round of 16, we saw Jack Draper (3X ATP Tour Title Champion)/Jessica Pegula - W vs Emma Raducanu (2021 US Open Champion)/Carlos Alcaraz (22 ATP Tour Singles Titles, 2X French Open Champion, 2X Wimbeldon Champion, 2022 US Open Champion) - L and then the other match in that round was Novak Djokovic (100X Singles Title Winner, 10X Australian Open Champion, 3X French Open Champion, 7X Wimbledon Champion, 4X US Open Champion, Team Serbia Olympic Tennis 2024 Gold Medalist)/Olga Danilović (2X WTA Singles Titles + 2X WTA Doubles Titles) - L vs Mirra Andreeva (3X WTA Tour Singles TItles)/Daniil Medvedev (20X ATP Tour Singles Titles + 2021 US Open Champion) - W. The winners from this portion of Round of 16 played one another for the Wyarter Final Jack Draper/Jessica Pegula - W vs Daniil Medvedev/Mirra Andreeva - L.

It was a great day of matches and feeling all the magic that comes with seeing the US Open and being part of the action.

IG @lavazzausa

@usopen

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 43 - 44 Kimmie Smith

WTA CLUBHOUSE X GILLETTE VENUS

Later that week, we made our way to the WTA Clubhouse where we got to enjoy a number of activities while celebrating women in tennis. Whether you took in a workout with Tunde Oyeneyin (Peleton instructor, Nike athlete, and NY Times Best Selling Author), enjoyed an array of treats at their cafe, shopped the marketplace or listened to the panel that included Taylor Townsend (WTA world No. 1 in doubles, 8X WTA Tour Titles, 2024 Wimbledon Doubles Champion, 2025 Australian Open Doubles Champion), Tunde, and Nana Agyemang (CEO of Every Stylish Girl) as they talked about the importance of confidence and navigating their careers that was moderated by The Cut’s Tefi Pessoa.

The WTA is the principal organizing body and global leader for women’s professionall tennis which was founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King (39 Grand Slam Titles - 12X Singles, 16X Women’s Doubles, 11X Mixed Doubles - 4X Australian Open Champion in Singles/Doubles/Miced Doubles, 3X French Open Champion Singles/Doubles/Mixed Doubles, 20X Wimbledon Champion Singles/Doubles/Mixed Doubles, 13X US Open Champion Singles/Doubles/Mixed Doubles) to govern the WTA Tour and rank female players.

It was great to hear from these women and to also continue to celebrate their achievements as well as continuing to get excited about US Open.

IG @wta

@gillettevenus

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 46 - 49 Gillette Venus

TASTE OF TENNIS NEW YORK

As we mentioned in last month’s issue, Taste of Tennis is a yearly event that is known for bringing the world of tennis and culinary together. Guests who attend this event enjoy being able to eat a number of dishes throughout the night and this year’s hosting partner for this event was Aqua New York. In addition, they get to meet tennis greats past and present who continue to bring the good vibes. This year Sloane Stephens (8X WTA Tour level singles titles, 2017 US Open Champion), Chris Eubanks, and Genie Bouchard to name a few were in attendance.

IG @tasteoftennis

EVIAN BIG FOE X DANIEL DINNER

We were excited to make our way to evian’s dinner which was held at SUMMIT One Vanderbilt. This sit down dinner brought Frances Tiafoe (along with his family and friends) and Chef Daniel Boulud together with the official water sponsor of the US Open, evian.

While taking in the stunning views, we enjoyed an array of appetizers, cocktails, chatting with Chef Daniel’s and taking a moment from all of the matches that we had watched during the week.

This sit down dinner was inspired by Frances’ favorite dishes that he grew up with. We were able to be among the first people to experience the evian Club’s limited edition menu. Each place setting had a glass evian bottle that had our names etched on it.

You can enjoy this meal exclusively at Chef Daniel’s flagship Michelin-starred Restaurant DANIEL from Sep 3-7th and can be booked now. For those that can’t make it here to NY, you can enjoy Chef Daniel’s Big Foe Treat Box at Goldbelly to enjoy from your home while watching the matches.

IG @evianwater

@bigfoe

@danielboulud

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 50 - 57 evian PG 58 + 59

Read the AUG ISSUE #116 of Athleisure Mag and see WELCOME TO US OPEN 2025 in mag.