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THE ROAD TO THE WORLD CUP | REGGAE GIRLZ

We had the opportunity to screen Reggae Girlz which follows the Women’s National Jamaican Football Team! This documentary film talks about what happened on and off the field as the team prepared for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

In this feature, we had the pleasure of chatting with one of the filmmakers, Trish Dalton. We wanted to know more about how this project came to light, their creative approach to telling the story of football, capturing the women’s team, the Jamaican Football Federation, and the impact that Cedella Marley and the Bob Marley Foundation’s on providing the resources needed to get these women to the biggest stage in their sport!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into Reggae Girlz, what was the first film that you fell in love with that made you feel like you wanted to work in this industry as a filmmaker?

TRISH DALTON: I think I was inspired by films that were telling women stories. There were a lot of independent films and then those about women told by women! It sounds crazy to say, but you know seeing a woman’s voice being shown - it’s a softer voice, and I hesitate to say one director because I feel like it was more about all of them. Many, you know, men, men’s directors as well, were aspiring to me like ones that could make a difference such as Michael Moore. I felt like he was creating a social impact, and I was an activist. I was interested in battling kind of all the things - race rights, class rights, and I was anti-war. I was an activist and making films. I felt like I was always drawn to women’s stories. That was always the thing for me. They needed to be told, and I felt like the best way that I could help women was to amplify their stories.

I fell into documentaries. As somebody who already loves storytelling, I was always into painting, writing scripts, and directing scripture. So, I started out making films. And then it was making plays and art.

When I would watch stories on women, I felt so seen and I knew that this was my world. I also traveled a lot when I was in High School and in University. That’s really when I fell into telling stories.

What did you think about the film?

AM: I have so many thoughts. I remember in prep for this interview I knew it was getting later in the day and as it is about an hour and a half, I knew I had time. As I watched it, I enjoyed seeing the Women’s Jamaican Football team and how they navigated getting to the World Cup, their graciousness, athleticism, etc was so great. But it’s a challenging film as you see how there were complications at every turn and not just related to being on the field. The lack of the friendlies, the federation providing resources, and more was really eye opening. At the same time, seeing how Cedella and the Marley Foundation stepped in and even how Adidas in the Netherlands supported them. There were a lot of dynamics so the film was excellent and very multi-dimensional, but seeing the issues was something that makes you reflect throughout the film.

I’ve also been a fan of you and your creative partner’s work as well as I did see Student Athlete a few years back, but it was the film, Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge was the first film that I saw from you guys which was amazing. DVF is such a blueprint when it comes to being a woman who has created an incredible fashion empire, a classic go-to for our closets, and also being a major beat in the pulse of so many changes and portions of the industry from various sides. Seeing that come together in your film was amazing.

TD: Oh wow, thank you!

AM: Speaking back to the dynamics of my initial thoughts of the film, you get the sense that you were with the team for awhile as we see them at various months.

TD: Laura Smith is a Director/Producer in the UK, and she saw them play in 2019, and she thought that they were incredible. At that time, they were the first ever Caribbean women’s team to go to the FIFA World Cup. She was like, there’s a story here. So, she partnered with Astronaut Films in the UK, and they reached out to Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and I because we had made Student Athlete, which is about sports rights, and we had both made a lot of women’s rights stories. So they reached out to us and asked if we were interested.

We met the players during the 2020s over Zoom. I was immediately hooked with these women who were supporting their families. They’re dealing with all of this - just incredible women and great stories. I said, “no matter what happens with the team, I think this is a great story.” So, we started pitching and trying to fundraise. We had some interest, but nobody came in until Red Bull Studios took a chance on us. We were so grateful because when they qualified for the second time, which was the first time that any Caribbean team men or women’s had qualified twice, so it was huge. They agreed to fund our filming so, we filmed leading up to the Cup as you saw.

She says that by participating in this project, it allows not just the Reggae Girlz team, but all the young women in Jamaica, the opportunity to be able to play. It shows the power of one person and the importance of having the resources and the support of Bob Marley Foundation to do that.

AM: One of the things that I love the most about the film is that there is an intersectionality between seeing them as individuals, team members, being focused on going to the World Cup, and also having to talk to the Jamaican Football Federation to talk about the things that didn’t make sense for them as they prepare to hit the world stage. As a collective they come together to voice their frustrations and to seek accountability as well as solutions. Seeing them in the room with the JFF and asking how their travel accommodations differ so greatly from the executive staff. During this tense but gracious exchange, you have the screenshots of their social media and what was taking place at the time. Hearing the JFF commend the women on voicing concerns and being ok with the push back but really as an audience member being left with the feeling that the resources still won’t be there. How did you balance showing these tense moments along with rounding it out with the fact that this is a cohesive team that is happy to come together to play for their country?

TD: Great question! It was really hard. There was actually a lot more things that happened. We wanted to dance the line of showing what a wonderful place Jamaica is, the community, the amazing humans, and what a really special bond the players had with one another as well as with their coaches. We actually dialed down some of the things that were going wrong, as we know that there was a lot of issues taking place with the JFF, but there was also support and love there as well. It’s kind of like, family. When you want to show someone’s family, you have to be mindful that you’re not just showing the bad things because then you’re not showing the love.

AM: Exactly.

TD: It was really important to me that Jamaica was well represented and that we showed the love and the magic. It was really important to me how we filmed it, how we portrayed it, and I was working very closely with Cedella Marley, because obviously, I’m not Jamaican, and it’s very important to me always in my films to partner with either producers or people on my team who can make sure that I am telling the story properly and speaking truth. It was very important to Cedella. She helped me by saying, we can say this, but let’s be careful about this because this isn’t the end of the story and this is a partnership.

AM: In various parts, I would watch and I had to pause it every 10-15 minutes. I was amazed at how deep the documentary went into some areas while still keeping it where you can see the 2 sides from where the team and Federation were coming from. It was important to voice the issues; however, you knew the women were still active participants in wanting to play for their team and country.

TD: Right, at the end of the day you see how the women never complained or whine. That is not the kind of movie that this is. I wanted the voices to be represented exactly how they were right when they said what they said.

AM: Even in that movie that could have been very tense and highly animated, the women shared their points, illustrated their points by juxtaposing how the same experience such as travel was for them versus the Federation.

TD: Yes, they were very mature on how they managed their situations. I think we wanted to show what they were up against. We also wanted to show their strength!

AM: They had a lot of restraint and I was struck with that level of poise in a situation that was beyond frustrating and also distracting to their efforts to play the game that they love so much!

TD: I think at the end of the day, they just obviously have this extreme strength, but a big part of the story is women helping women.

AM: Seeing how Cedella stepped in and brought the Bob Marley Foundation in to support their goals – this was another element that is powerful in the film.

TD: If you think about women’s sports and where they are in the UK and in the US, it’s only been 5 – 10 years.

AM: 100%!

TD: I’ve developed a lot of sports films, and it has been difficult to get funding for them. One of my friends who lives in LA, told me that she walking into a full stadium for the Los Angeles Angels and she just cried. And that’s how I felt going to the World Cup in Australia, because every stadium was full and filled with such energy! So being able to see that, people can connect with it and ultimately support it.

When you look at the support for women’s US teams, it’s about having that audience, and sponsors come in to spend. Here in the US, that exposure and awareness happened because lawsuits were filed as the women on the team decided to stand up for themselves to ask for more. I think Trudy speaks to this in the film that she’s not asking to be equal to their male counterparts in the same sport, because she gets that it’s different and has a different base, but it is about getting the respect.

The team was aware that there was a climb to be had, but I do feel that the more that people can watch them play, it is my hope that this will allow more sponsors to come. From there, there could be celebrity involvement. When you look at the LA Women’s soccer team, a lot of U.S. celebrities got behind them and that was a part of how they built it. I think it’s a really exciting time for women’s sports in that way that we’ve seen.

I feel like we’re at this tipping point, that now, your women all over the world, have someone to look to. In this film, you see that women in Brazil and Jamaica have these great women to look up to. Young girls in Jamaica can now say, “oh, my gosh. You could do this.”

AM: It was good to see that component as well. The juxtaposition of some of these women that play for other around the world whether for their collegiate teams or pro leagues and then seeing them go to Adidas in the Netherlands and having this immersive moment that was just for them. We see their pictures being painted at their headquarters there. They have their teammates model their kits for FIFA World Cup. You could see in their faces, that if they had the opportunity to have their friendlies that would be another component that would make them feel like they were properly prepared. But at least they got that moment where they were honored, embraced, and respected.

Why was it important for you to have that particular moment in there and of course Cedella was also at Adidas in the Netherlands with the team.

TD: We wanted to show what it looks like when they can get respect!

AM: Exactly.

TD: I think that was such a huge difference, and it’s just a little taste of what a lot of the teams from First World countries are like from more developed countries have, yeah, you know?

Yeah, just that those are just basic resources in a lot of countries. And here they were getting that from the Netherlands. It’s pretty special.

AM: Is the plan to do a follow-up with these particular, maybe not those girls per se, but the continuation of this team well?

TD: I mean, that would be great, right? Our hope right now is to get this film out there so that people can root for this team. It would be awesome to have more films made about them and continue sharing their story.

We’re so focused on just getting this out there. It’s premiering with a screening in London with some of the players before It drops on streaming platforms. We’ve been showing it at festivals. We’re also going to keep continuing to screenings as well. We will do them in sports bars across the countries in addition to the festivals. It will kick off on streaming on Joolz. Then there is a bit of delay by a few weeks before it goes to a number of platforms.

We hope that through word of mouth, it will spread. We want people to see it and word of mouth will spread and that people will see it on the platform. We’re living in this sort of brave new world of various streaming platforms. It’s also kind of becoming the new cable television of being able to go on them and to see what is there. It’s sort of a shift from just doing one stream.

AM: Exactly. It’s smart to launch on Jolt Film as an exclusive which is available now to rent or stream and then to have that ability to access it starting on Oct 27th on Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube Movies, Tubi, and Xumo.

TD: I think our goal is just to get it out there.

AM: There is also a companion LP that is dropping in tandem with this film.

TD: Yes, it is so exciting and I love the music. Tuff Gong has curated a number of songs that have Bob Marley of course; however, there are other members of the family as well as up and coming artists that contribute their voices as well! It even includes Tiffany Cameron, one of the players who wrote a song that we used.

AM: Oh wow!

TD: Yeah, it’s probably my favorite song in the film! It’s just because it’s so heartfelt and her music is amazing. She’s a singer/songwriter, and it’s so good. So I’m just super excited for people to get to hear the music and to listen to the tracks from these great up and coming artists along with the Marleys.

IG @trishfilms

After hearing about how the film was produced and the themes that were covered in it, we sat down with Cedella Marley who is not only featured in the film, but also was instrumental in providing support to the Women’s Jamaican Football Team! We wanted to know more about how Cedella became involved, how her father’s legacy and love of the game was instrumental to her decision, and what we can expect from Tuff Gong Collective!

ATHLEISURE MAG: You were the ambassador for the Jamaican Women’s Football Team, how did that come about and what did it mean to you to have that position?

CEDELLA MARLEY: It really came about because my son brought home a flyer about raising funds for the Reggae Girlz. I had no clue Jamaica had a womens football program so i reached out. Captain Horace Burell, who was the president of the JFF at that time asked me and I kinda said ok. I had no idea what I was getting into but I saw these young women fighting for something they deserved a chance to represent Jamaica on the world stage and I felt like I couldn’t just stand on the sidelines and watch.

At the time, the program needed support, visibility, resources, all of it. And once I got involved, it became much more than being an ambassador. It became personal. These girls became my girls.

For me, it was never only about football. It was about opportunity. It was about young Jamaican women being able to dream as big as anybody else and knowing somebody was willing to fight for that dream alongside them.

Watching Reggae Girlz make history and seeing Jamaica represented on that stage was incredibly emotional for me. I was proud of them, but I was also proud of what they represented resilience, determination and that Jamaican spirit that says, “We might be small, but don’t underestimate us.”\

Being their ambassador was an honor, but the real privilege was being able to serve them. They reminded me that sometimes you don’t choose the mission the mission chooses you.

AM: What does Football mean to you?

CM: Football, to me, means possibility. Football is Freedom.

I didn’t grow up thinking football would become such a big part of my life. But through the Reggae Girlz, I learned that the game can be so much bigger than what happens on the field.

Football can give a young girl confidence. It can give her discipline, a family, an education, a way to see the world and most importantly, permission to dream beyond what people may have imagined for her.

I’ve also seen how it brings Jamaica together. When our teams step onto that field wearing the black, green and gold, suddenly we’re not thinking about where we come from or what separates us. We’re just Jamaican.

So for me, football is community, pride and opportunity. It’s another language of One Love. You don’t even have to speak the same language to play together, celebrate together, or understand what that moment means.

And I think that’s the magic of it.

AM: We saw you throughout the film, what did it mean to you be part of it as well as to see the women’s journey close up as they made their way to the World Cup?

CM: Being part of the film was special because it captured something I had been living with these women for years. People see the World Cup, they see the uniforms, the flags, the celebrations but they don’t always see what it took to get there.

I saw the sacrifices. I saw the disappointments, the financial struggles, the injuries, the moments when they questioned whether the dream was ever going to happen. And I also saw them get back up every single time.

So watching that journey unfold so close up was emotional for me because these weren’t just players anymore. These were my girls. I knew their stories, their families, their struggles and how much wearing that Jamaica shirt meant to them.

And then to see them walk onto a World Cup field with JAMAICA across their hearts… that was a moment. I don’t think I can properly explain the feeling. There was pride, relief, joy and probably a few tears too!

The film reminds people that history doesn’t just happen. Somebody has to believe before everybody else believes. Somebody has to keep pushing when the doors are closed.

The Reggae Girlz did that. They didn’t wait for somebody to tell them they belonged on the world stage. They fought their way there.

And I feel blessed that I got to walk a little piece of that journey with them.

AM: What was your favorite moment in the film?

CM: My favorite moment is seeing the girls realize, they did it. They’re going to the World Cup.

Because I knew everything behind that moment. All the struggles, all the fundraising, all the times we heard no, all the moments when it would have been easier to just give up. So when that dream finally became real, it wasn’t just about qualifying for a tournament it was validation for every woman who had fought to keep the program alive.

And seeing the joy on their faces… that got me. Every time.

It reminded me why I got involved in the first place. I knew absolutely nothing about women’s football when this journey started! (laughs) But somehow these girls became my girls, and their dream became my dream.

That moment was pure joy. Pure Jamaica. And proof that when you refuse to give up on something you believe in, sometimes the impossible really does become possible.

AM: We know that your father loved Football and was passionate about the game. It was nice to see that in this film his love and passion was woven within the documentary. Why was this important to have in there?

CM: It was important because football was genuinely part of my father’s life. It wasn’t something added to the film because he was Bob Marley. Daddy really loved the game. If there was a ball around, he wanted to play. Music was his message, but football was one of his freedoms.

And I think there’s something beautiful about that connection. Years later, I found myself involved in football in a way I never could have imagined, fighting alongside these young Jamaican women for their opportunity to play on the biggest stage in the world.

Sometimes I laugh because I think Daddy must have had something to do with it! I certainly didn’t go looking for football - football found me.

But I also think his presence in the film helps people understand something about Jamaica. Football, like music, belongs to everybody. You don’t need much to start - a ball, a little space and somebody to play with. It crosses class, language, race, borders. It gives people a sense of freedom.

That was Daddy. He believed in freedom, he believed in people, and he believed that what you love should bring people together.

So having that part of him woven into the Reggae Girlz story felt natural. It connects generations. His love for the game was his own, and my journey with the Girlz is mine but somewhere in between, there’s this beautiful little thread connecting us.

And I love that.

AM: Tell me about Tuff Gong Collective and your role there.

CM: Tuff Gong Collective is really about taking everything I’ve learned as a family through music, culture, storytelling and building businesses and creating a space where we can carry that forward in our own way.

For me, it’s about protecting the integrity of what Tuff Gong represents while also allowing it to grow. Daddy always believed in ownership and having control of your own work and your own voice. That spirit is still very much at the heart of what we do.

My role is a little bit of everything! (laughs) I’m involved creatively, strategically, and especially in making sure that whatever we put into the world feels authentic. Whether it’s music, fashion, film, partnerships or something completely unexpected, I always ask: Does it have purpose? Does it feel like us?

Because legacy can’t just be something you look back at. You have to keep creating. You have to give the next generation room to bring their own ideas, their own sound and their own interpretation to it.

So I see Tuff Gong Collective as a bridge honoring where we come from, creating for where we are now, and building something meaningful for whoever comes next.

AM: There is also an album that is associated with this film, what can you tell us about this?

CM: Yes, and I’m really excited about that. The Reggae Girlz: Movie Soundtrack is almost another way of telling the story of the film this time through music.

I curated nine songs for the album, and I wanted them to capture that Jamaican spirit you feel throughout the documentary: the strength, the struggle, the joy, the pride and, of course, the freedom. The music crosses generations and genres because that’s Jamaica. Our sound keeps evolving, but there’s a thread that connects all of us.

Daddy always said, “Football is freedom,” and that became a beautiful starting point for the soundtrack.

Football and music have that same ability to bring people together. You don’t necessarily need to speak the same language to feel either one.

And I wanted the album to feel like the Girlz themselves—strong, joyful, fearless and very Jamaican. These women have their own rhythm. They fall, they get back up, they keep moving forward. So the music needed to have that same energy.

The soundtrack is coming through Tuff Gong Collective. It is a limited-edition vinyl record manufactured at Tuff Gong in Kingston, Jamaica. This is the label my parents built, which makes it even more special for me.

For me, the film tells their journey, and the album gives that journey a heartbeat.

AM: Are there upcoming projects that you want us to keep an eye out for that Tuff Gong Collective will be releasing?

CM: Oh, there’s always something cooking!

We have a few projects coming through Tuff Gong Collective that I’m really excited about, particularly in music, film and storytelling. I can’t give away all the surprises yet, but you’re going to see us continuing to create opportunities for the next generation while also finding new ways to tell Jamaican stories.

For me, that’s really where the Collective is heading. It’s not about trying to recreate what came before us. You can’t recreate that. It’s about taking the foundation that was given to us and building something new on top of it.

And I’m especially excited about what the younger generation is doing. They have their own voices, their own ideas, their own way of seeing the world and I want Tuff Gong Collective to be a place where that creativity can live and grow.

So yes, definitely keep your eyes and ears open. There’s music coming, there are stories coming, and maybe a few things people won’t expect.

IG @cedellamarley

After speaking with Cedella, we also wanted to talk to one of the athletes that is featured in this film, to hear about their involvement and why this was important for them to be part of this documentary.

ATHLEISURE MAG: It is so nice to connect with you. I just watched the documentary a couple of nights ago and a number of times it was when you were on screen interacting with the team or the Federation where I would just pause so it’s great to be able to talk with you about Football as well as the film!

DENEISHA “DEN-DEN” BLACKWOOD: Did you enjoy it?

AM: I loved the documentary. I am frustrated by what you guys had to navigate on the road to going to the FIFA World Cup! But, the documentary was great and seeing how as a team between players and coaching staff came together was great!. But, over the course of a 90 min plus film, I had to pause it and say, “my God, this is crazy!” But then I would focus on the powerful and compelling storytelling of how you guys trained together, supported one another especially when talking with the Federation about what going on and trying to get answers – especially as a team. So it was incredible. I’ve been a fan of the Jamaican Football team for years.

I’m excited to talk with you as It will be great to dig into this more and to see it from the vantage point of the players as we have chatted with the filmmakers as well as Cedella.

DDB: I’m really excited. I haven’t done an interview in a long time, but I think this one is something that as you know, is going to help the film! I will allow people to understand more about the film and, as you said, get more insights into how we came together to figure it out.

AM: Before we delve into the film, when did you fall in love with football?

DDB: So I fell in love with football when I was around 15. I started playing at 13 and immediately, I was on the U15 National Team. I didn’t have an idea of what I was doing. Track and field was my thing because I was fast.

AM: I assumed that at one time you were in Track and Field!

DDB: Yes! Track and Field was my thing. So I love track. But my brother told me to go test football out and I did. So at 15, I was on the U-17 team and I didn’t make it one time.

AM: So, what led to your decision that you would go pro?

DDB: So, the decision behind going pro was that much like in the film, Konya Plummer and I were close. I am also close to Bunny Shaw as well. So when we were in college at that time, they had all of these offers and after seeing that, I wanted to be in the mix too. I wanted to be making money as well as being able to keep doing this. I was selected for the 2019 World Cup team and I knew that that would be my best shot. Once I had been in the camaraderie and being able to be a role model in a sense, I knew that this was what I wanted.

AM: That’s amazing.

You play for the Women’s Jamaican National Team and you also play for Toluca Femenil in Mexico. What is it about this game that you just love doing? I mean, you travel around the world for it. So what is it that makes you just so excited about it?

DDB: What makes me excited about playing football and also representing the National team, are the connections you get to have with people from different races, different cultures, and you get to see the world. You get to understand the world and with that, you get to understand yourself. So I am always grateful for that when I am playing. The connections, the people, and just living in different countries, and being able to be part of different cultures.

AM: What is an average week of training like for you when you’re preparing to play for the next match, especially for the World Cup?

DDB: Okay, I’m gonna give the first day of my World Cup game. But what a week of training looks like for me for a World Cup game is that mentally, the first day I’m like, “what are my intentions for training?” Because my intentions for training has to lead to my intentions for the game. So, I set training goals. Maybe I’m on the left side, so maybe that’s being aggressive in my first tackle. So, in training, going against my teammates were so competitive. So, I’m in their skin in the first moment. I’m taking that first tackle, hydrating - drinking water, drinking electrolytes - I’m really a big fan of electrolytes, stretching, rolling out, and physically getting myself ready too because training is hard. Some days are tactical, some days are a little bit more relaxed. The day before training, you do free kicks, corners and, being able to get that feel of what the game is going to be like the next day. Game Day, I love a Game Day. You wake up and go to the mirror in the morning and you give yourself that pep talk. You remember that you’ve worked, you done everything that you can do and needed not accomplish in that week so there is no need to be nervous as the work was already put in! What you did during training will come out in the game! You’ve got to pump yourself up and it’s on you! I also feed off my teammates when we’re in the field. But in order for them to feed off of me, I have to make sure mentally and physically that I’m ready and prepared to play.

AM: Definitely.

As I said at the top, I loved watching this film. I felt it was a compelling story. What is it like to be at the World Cup, playing for your country and having to play when there are other dynamics that are going on, on and off the field that for many people would make it difficult for them to still be focused on that goal of representing their country. What does it mean to you to be part of this documentary?

DDB: For me, what it means to be a part of this documentary is that I feel like not just in football, but in life, people only see the good, which is the outcome. I think people always say, “oh, the Reggae Girlz, they have good spirits, they’re such a good team together.” What nobody really sees is the struggles and the challenges we have to deal with behind the scenes. Truthfully, we don’t feel respected when we are representing Jamaica. We don’t feel respected by the Federation - we performed things got a little bit worse we performed again and then things became a disaster. At some point we’re like, “okay but the bigger teams are performing and their Federations are seeing them.” So why is it so hard for our Federation to see us when we are performing?

AM: Speaking to that, there is a tense moment between the team and Federation as they are looking for answers. Hearing as a collective that the team provided facts, asked questions, and sought accountability while being respectful. With the issues that your team had with friendlies, travel, etc it was amazing to see everyone maintain their composure without doing antics! It couldn’t be me!

DDB: I think that’s what killed them because for the Men’s Team, I don’t know what happens on the Men’s Team the culture is different, but because we’re females, they expected us to just sit back and take everything. But, these are some of the most brilliant women that I’ve ever come across. We document the stuff we need. When we ask them for stuff, we make sure we have it in writing. Because at the end of the day, proof is the only thing that’s going to set us free.

AM: Exactly.

How did you guys come together to decide, you know what? We need to have this conversation. I can imagine that you have a number of people where they agree but they don’t want to put their neck out like that. So how did that process go about?

DDB: I think at some point, we realized that it’s not about how we feel. It’s not about how we feel. It’s not about how people are going to see us. It’s about the truth. We are actually not being treated right. We have to say something or else we won’t make another World Cup because eventually there won’t be a Women’s program if we just keep quiet. I think we had meetings together all the time while we were in camp. We made votes and everybody understood the risk that was at hand. But we were still willing to take it because we want to represent the country. We want younger girls to come and represent this country. We just decided together that like we’ll take the first step. We’ll take a little bit of the bashment from the outside world. So, we had meetings, meetings, and then voting.

AM: That exchange was another time where I had to pause the documentary. I was like, “did that just happen?” To see you as women come together and in the midst of the frustration and search for accountability and a solution, there were only a few side eyes that were done as opposed to really showing the emotions around this! I had a lot of respect for that moment and it just showed the depth of professionalism and how well put together you are.

DDB: No, for real! As you see in the film, when they were having the harder conversation, I personally wasn’t there. I can’t just sit and just like –

AM: I was looking for you because I felt that if there’s one person that I know is going to give more emotions, it was you – ha! I realized that you must not have been there that day.

DDB: My God, I was like, this is this is crazy. How can you just expect to sit and talk to us like that and that we would just be like okay - we’re gonna take whatever you give us?

AM: Well another point that you brought up which I agree with is that I love that there are highs and lows that are shown in this film. So as much as that moment between the team and the Federation was super tense – I can’t even imagine what it would have been like to be in that room with the cameras and the emotions.

I really loved the joy when you guys went to Adidas in Netherlands and you’re modeling the kits that you will wear during the World Cup. You have a place to play and you get that moment where you are receiving the love and the respect for what it is that you guys do as athletes and as a craft.

What did it mean to you to have that element of support and just that moment getting ready to go to the World Cup?

DDB: Adidas plays a big role in the work that we have done over the years. Obviously, Cedella, we can’t thank them and her enough. But from the side of the players, oh my God, we were so appreciative. We literally felt like this is all we ever wanted - people to see us and to give us the things that we need to perform. Once you do, you won’t have to worry because guess what? We are ready to do the job on the field. They literally removed a number of things that we didn’t need ot work about. They took it off of our hands. We had their gym facility and it was just, it was insane. I have personally never experienced anything like that. We would sit in our groups because we’re a very close team. So we’ll sit in our groups and say that we had to go to the round of 60. Like this is not for nothing. Adidas gave us so much and the Federation hadn’t even put a dollar into all of the things that we’ve gotten. We’ve gotten 4 cleats and everybody was able to go to training every day. This is why we do it. We were just so excited.

We were dancing, having conversation with their team, we got to know the Adidas Corporation. They’re all lovely people. And we tell them too, we’re like, this is all we’ve ever wanted. So guess what? You guys give this to us and we’ll take care of business. And that’s exactly what we went and did.

AM: I was so happy for you guys and to see the artwork that they did for you at their HG in the Netherlands.

DDB: The painter was so good. She talked with us. You see the painting, but you also kind of see how she got to know us too in the painting, which was really powerful.

AM: Really, really powerful.

As you mentioned, we have the thread of Cedella through the film as she is an Ambassador of the Women’s Jamaican team. She also provided various levels of support via the Bob Marley Foundation.

What did it mean to you to have her support and were you able to interact with her directly?

DDB: To have Cedella’s support is just, it’s more than the Federation deserves. We deserve it as players, but it’s more than they deserve. I think she’s a woman that lives by her dad’s words that football is freedom. It’s all about peace and love, and giving back. When she talked about her son bringing that flyer to her, she felt the need to get on board. She’s an incredible person. She came when we were in Amsterdam. Every day we would come in at the training facility and you would hear Bob Marley music. She would come, she would chat with us, ask us how it’s training, maybe kick a ball with us, and take some pictures. It felt like somebody that not only wanted to give, but also to understand who we are as people. I think for me, that’s also powerful. She came and she had conversations with everybody. Her energy is so light and that’s the energy we need around us. I think that energy just spread through the team, through the team, through the coaches, everybody that we interacted with - you know, they feel the energy. I think that comes from us being able to be comfortable with her.

AM: I didn’t realize until watching the film that your team is the first Caribbean team to have back-to-back appearances at the World Cup.

What did it mean to you to be on such a global stage like that?

DDB: It means a lot to me to be on a global stage like that, to be honest. I come from a single mom with 5 kids and no dads. The idea of being on a stage where I couldn’t even hear my own heartbeat was never something that I think about on the daily. I think being in the starting 11 in the first World Cup game, hearing my national anthem with over 40,000 people watching – I felt that I had won in life and that that was success for me. I don’t have to reach at the highest level in the world yet, but I’ve had a lot of success. I think when we are on the field and when we’re together, we always talk about how grateful we are because someone my age could have had the same opportunity and didn’t get it. We’re going to do it for the people who can’t do it for themselves or didn’t get the opportunity to do it.

AM: Or need that encouragement.

DDB: Or that encouragement! That’s why I love this documentary because you go through struggles. It’s part of life. If you’re in a 9-5, you’re still going through struggles, you know, but like people don’t underestimate what you see in the good, until they are able to see the other part too.

AM: What was your biggest takeaway after this film, now that it’s coming out in the next few days?

DDB: My biggest takeaway from the film is never underestimate the power of resilience. You have to keep trying. People will see you when you’re supposed to be seen. I’ve been with the national team since I was 13 and I’m 29 now and we’re just getting seen. So, it’s like, stick with that resilience. If you’re with a group of people who believe that they can change the world, stick with that group of people because the ones who are supposed to get the message will get the message.

AM: Will you be going to any of the launch premieres for this film?

DDB: Right now, I am in the middle of my season as it just started.

AM: That’s what I thought.

DDB: I literally was telling my sister that earlier. I wish I could go and meet people and talk to them in person.

AM: Are you thinking about the next World Cup?

DDB: Absolutely. I am so looking forward to be a part of this next World Cup. We had preseason this past Summer because the Summer is ending. This whole preseason, I knew I need to be my best self mentally and physically.

I need to figure out what that looks like because if you have a goal and once I set that goal, there’s going to be challenges throughout the year leading up to it. But the most important thing is, I have the goal, which is to make the team and that’s staying healthy. It’s getting the recovery stuff that I need. So whether that’s the Normatech boots, going to saunas, cold therapy, getting the body right and, getting the mind right. I like to journal a lot and it allows me to understand myself and keep learning.

My team, we have a new coach and it’s just been really good for me. So I think I’m literally counting on myself to be in this one. I got this tattoo. I don’t know if you can see it. (Editor’s Note: Den-Den shows us her tattoo that has both years of her World Cup appearances on her wrist and she has a little space where more years can be included.)

AM: I see it.

DDB: I made an extra space so I can have one more.

AM: You’re making your goal very apparent! Do you have any upcoming projects? We obviously are in the middle of your season right now, but is there anything that you have going on? And obviously we have the film that’s coming out that you want to share with our readers so that we can continue to follow you and support you?

DDB: I want to be more into social media and brand myself. Just look out for the posts that you will see from me. I’m excited for people to see the things that I do and getting to know more about me! You can also watch my games on YouTube and VIX for Toluca FC.

IG @den_den14

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Reggae Girlz/Red Bull Studios

Read the AUG ISSUE #128 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ROAD TO THE WORLD CUP | Reggae Girlz in mag.

THE PICK ME UP

Read the JUN ISSUE #126 of Athleisure Mag and see THE PICK ME UP in mag.

#TRIBEGOALS

Read the JAN ISSUE #121 of Athleisure Mag and see #TRIBEGOALS in mag.

THE 9LIST

Read the AUG ISSUE #116 of Athleisure Mag and see THE 9LIST in mag.

9LIST STORI3S | GRANT HOLLOWAY

Read the AUG ISSUE #104 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S Grant Holloway in mag.

PARKER THATCH | IRENE CHEN

Accessories are always that key component of your outfit that enhances elements of your look or your features. They are the pieces that become statements of conversation while also being fun ways to change up your style or reflect your personality in a cetain way! Whether you reach for them first to create your look or you finish it off with those touches, it's always something that we are on the hunt for! We have attended a number of editor previews, have enjoyed seeing items on the runway and beyond and of course, it's always fun scrolling our social feeds for great looks to add to our collections.

Parker Thatch is a luxury accessory brand that has been around since 2009 and we became aware of the brand a few years back. We love that its known for great handbag styles that are chic, has a number of fabrications that it offers, and has a great aesthetic that will never go out of style. When we had the chance to talk with Celebrity Costume Designer Allyson Fanger, she reminded us that not only is it a great handbag line, but they also have fun jewelry as well. After deep diving with the brand, we reached out to Irene Chen, Co-Founder of this line. We knew that she had a phenomenal background as a product developer at Donna Karan and we wanted to know more about how she got into the industry, how she came to designing this line with her husband Matt, and what we need to know about this brand as well as upcoming seasons!

ATHLEISURE MAG: I know your brand has been around for quite awhile, but I love how recently in the last few years how I have seen the videos that you do, the fun assortment, and how you engage with your customers as well as showing off how stylish you are as well. It’s so great to be connected to talk about the brand!

IRENE CHEN: Oh thank you! I’m really excited to chat with you as well as I really appreciate and love what you guys are doing with Athleisure Mag in terms of showing the importance of movement and fashion together. For me, it’s an important element of my life! I’m just so happy to speak with you.

IC: That is part of everything that I honestly so connect with and what we do you know. I feel that there are so many products out there these days and I think that the key is that there are so many people that they don’t feel great about themselves and they are stuck in their homes and they are not doing any kind of movement and I think about the connection of how do you get someone to get up and move so that they can feel good about it and make it really easy for you. I think that’s why I think that what you guys are doing is so cool.

AM: Well thank you!

Before we delve into talking about Parker Thatch and this great accessory brand, can you tell us about your background? You were at Donna Karan, that assortment had those elements and bones for that person who lived a full cycle from studio to office and everything in between. It would be great to know about your background and how you came to the fashion industry.

IC: It was totally one of those weirdo things! When I graduated from college, I went to UCLA, and then I cam back to San Francisco and then I just took a job like most people would out of college in consulting and I did that for about 2 years. Sometimes you look back at things that you did and wonder why you did certain things, but consulting really taught me and gave me the foundation for everything that we do like time management and all of that stuff. You wouldn’t be able to learn and that’s what I did. But then, 2 years after consulting, you decide on whether you will stay or go onto Business School in that transition and for me, I had this gnawing feeling as I didn’t want to do either of those things. I have always loved fashion personally and so I sent my resumes out and I think when you're young, you just have more courage sometimes. When I was consulting, you travel a lot and I read a magazine and they showed a picture of the President of Donna Karan and she was in a meeting and she was Asian and it was really interesting because at that time, there wasn’t a lot of representation and for people to see them in magazines and I was looking at this thinking that this was amazing and she was leading these people. For some reason, it dawned on me that I wanted to send her my resume and I had to figure out how I was going to do this.

You know, you do weird things so I pretended that I was sending a package and I called the mailroom as I knew I had to get the specific information in terms of the floor that she was on. So I sent my resume and they did call me and ask if I wanted to come in. It was this crazy thing and it happened in 2 seconds and I honestly leveraged my Excel Spreadsheet skills in terms of getting in the front door!

AM: Ha! We’ve all been there and same!

IC: Slowly but surely, I worked my way through and I really loved working with product. At the end of the day, I worked there a very long time. I got to learn how to develop product and all aspects of the business. It was an exciting time for me actually.

AM: I have such a respect for product developers as my aunt was one for a number of major brands. It’s such an amazing way to extend a brand especially when you get into licensing and other things like that so I think that it is so cool.

What led you to decide to go off on your own and to create Parker Thatch?

IC: Well it’s so funny because I was living in New York and I met my husband Matt who is my husband now. I think it was just close to the dot com time when we met and I was very burnt out with what I did and I was traveling almost every day of my life for a number of years and I was just really exhausted. We met and his mother got sick and I said, “why don’t we just go to Australia,” because that’s where his parents were. So we spent almost a year there and we thought that maybe we could do something on our own. So that’s what started us tinkering with businesses in the year 2000. It has been crazy! I think that when we started that we were a little too early so no one understood it and now it’s like we could have done x, y, and z under this company given now how the business works. We had to survive and we said let’s just do stationary because people kept saying that they loved our paper and they didn’t understand the tech version of it.

So they just wanted to buy the paper. So that’s how we started! We started our company at my parent’s basement in the room that I grew up in.

AM: Well I love a good piece of stationary.

IC: So stationary turned into home and then I think in about 2009, Matt had an idea because we were doing a lot of customizing. He said, “I think that we could customize on cotton.” Can you think of something we can do on cotton. I told him it would be great to have a tote bag and that’s how it happened. I started with the bag at my dry cleaners. It’s the craziest story.

AM: Ok, I love that story and I love when people get scrappy to figure out how to take their vision and bring it to life and to figure it out! What a good synergy it was for you to find her because when you were saying this I thought, “well just because you can hem a pant, doesn’t mean you can make a bag!”

IC: We wondered what kind of materials we could use because we had no money to do any of this stuff so then I was like, “I love canvas and we can cut 2 strips of leather.” So the bags were made from canvas that we bought at Joann Fabrics and 2 strips of leather that Matt cut and grommeted on and that’s how it came about. Then we did these stripes with your monogram on it and stripes with your monogram on it and at that time, it was all about magazine and gift guides. So we sent them out and people loved them and it was insane!

AM: That is incredible!

What has drawn me to your brand as I have always been aware of it from a handbag assortment as opposed to your jewelry, is when I was talking with Celebrity Costume Designer Allyson Fanger for our MAY ISSUE #101 -

IC: She’s the best, I love her!

AM: It was amazing to be able to chat with her as I have loved the work that she has done in her career and the way that she is able to tell story the looks of the character whether alone or when they are interacting with others.

IC: How cool is she?

AM: She is so cool -

IC: She is so damn cool!

AM: The whole time I’m looking at her and all of her jewelry and in addition to my role as the Co-Founder/Creative + Style Dir. of Athleisure Mag, I’m also a Fashion Stylist and accessories are really my thing and it’s what I love utilizing as statement pieces when I am putting looks together.

So when she was talking about pieces she loves, she was pointing to her ring and said it was from Parker Thatch. I was surprised because I knew of your brand, but didn’t know that you made jewelry and she’s wearing it and we have a gab session for like 5 mins and I knew then that I would reach out to connect with you!

IC: Oh my God, I love that and she’s just so great! She’s such a great connector and she’s such a generous person when it comes to expanding to smaller designers and she’s just a great human being.

AM: In looking at the line again closely, I enjoy the clean aesthetic of what the brand is and I also love as you have mentioned that you work with your husband on this line and Athleisure Mag is also co-founded by a couple, my boyfriend and I.

IC: No way! I love it!

AM: We have a great flow. So what is your advice to people who are looking to start a venture whether it’s your significant other, a best friend, or a sister because when you have these relationships especially when you’re first starting out to make a business, it’s always good to keep some things in mind. So what is your advice?

IC: My biggest advice honestly, and I don’t know if you feel the same way, but really having respect for each other and the key I think fortuitously is to be on the same channel in terms of look and feel. The tone of voice – that is already naturally there and I don’t know if you feel that way.

AM: Yup!

IC: So that made it easy. But I think that it is truly respect and we each have skill sets that the other doesn’t have and we really lean on each other for those and I think that it’s also about growing up. It’s about getting away from always being right and becoming more vulnerable with yourself and saying, you know, that’s not my strength.

Exactly! I think that that is about building a team. We can’t be good at everything and I think a lot of time when you start a business, you think I can do everything – but you really can’t and it’s humbling yourself and respecting the other person. It’s like what you said, this is your lane and not mine and it’s worked for a very long time – we’re still married, we have 2 kids, and we’re still working!

AM: Ok, that’s amazing! Because times get hard sometimes!

IC: Haha don’t get it wrong! We still fight over stuff haha!

You know, when you make your own business, there are a lot reasons why you got to where you did and there is a lot of making the donuts and at the same time, it’s a lot of fun! Making your own business is super hard! The key is just moving forward every single day. There will be days where you feel like you can’t do it anymore and that you just have to put one foot in front of the other.

AM: 100% haha there are times you have to be your own hype person and just keep going!

IC: You just have to get it together and just move! That’s the key!

AM: If you’re able to still do things when the mountains continue to grow ahead of you and you don’t know how you would even think to climb it because there is no way to hold on and you find yourself in an

American Gladiator situation you know that you’re going to keep giving it your all!

IC: It really is! It’s a mindset and I think that that is the key. You have to do hard things and sometimes those challenges let you see that you can do way more than what you believe you can do. We sometimes hold ourselves back from what we can do.

I think that it’s fascinating that you said all that because for the last 6 years I have been focused on getting fit and learning about a lot of that. There is this whole concept of Zone 2 training which is about running slow actually makes you go faster. I think that that concept, I really take to heart. That's exactly what you are saying. Sometimes you need to just chill out. When you do that, I think that it makes things go much faster and smoother.

I love the fact that you do that because you’re able to keep moving! Just like you said, it's all about moving forward! That is truly what it is to be focused, to move, and to not be distracted. You want to do everything, but you can’t!

AM: 100% and that’s a huge lesson that you learn and it humbles you ha!

For someone who is not familiar with Parker Thatch, how would you describe this brand to someone who is just coming into it?

IC: Definitely this brand is all about what we say daily, it’s about ease and elegance and I really believe that. It’s about how do I make a product for you that is easy to put on and that you feel great! It’s not about being fussy and it’s always about one beautiful piece that you put on and that’s why I love jewelry. I love a great white shirt and a pair of jeans and then stack up that necklace and you look 100% and that takes 5 seconds. I think that for me, that was very important for that woman that sometimes feel stuck – how do I get you to just get out of the house? Like, you need to feel good to get that motivation so that you can have a good day! It’s not going to be everyday that you may feel that way, but I want to make products that will help you get there!

AM: In looking at the assortment, I love the Charlie bag which is amazing, the Cross Your Heart Sling is another one and personally, I’m not someone who tends to gravitate towards that style, but when I’m styling on set, I actually do use that style as it’s a great way for me to have what I need to set my outfits without running back to our set up since we sometimes take over an entire building or space. So being able to have my jewelry and everything on me as we transition from one look to the next and knowing its secure is how came to embracing slings initially.

What would you say are 3 must haves whether it be in handbags or your jewelry that people should be adding to their closets or to begin establishing their Parker Thatch collections?

IC: I love that! For sure, if you’re not a sling bag person, it’s this weird bag that when you want to be hands free and it’s not just a nylon sling bag. You can also make it into a clutch which is really great for travel. The Charlie bag for sure! It’s our newest bag. It hits all the points. It zips, it’s slouchy, it’s cool, and I just wanted to create a bag that when you feel you’re in those cool jeans that you love you feel it all together. You know, when you look at a surfer or a skateboarder, I’m always inspired by them. Even when they’re just carrying their skateboard, I’m always like, “damn, you look so cool!”

AM: It comes off so easy and effortless.

IC: Yeah and the way that they walk, there’s such a slouch to what they do and that’s how I conceptualized it. It took awhile to get that bag with its material to have that slouch and we had to keep testing it to get it there. I think that when you carry it, it kind of makes you feel like that. So I think that that bag is a fantastic bag! Then for me personally, the Jane bag again, it’s all about slouchiness for me! That bag again is great for travel and if you want to dump all of your commuter stuff in it, it’s a great bag!

So those three bags, I personally use them every day. It’s kind of a bag within a bag that’s within a bag. I do love that!

Now jewelry wise, for sure the Long Links Necklace. The huge Manifestation Crystal is a really popular thing and again, I love it when you can hang it. That Long Links Necklace looks amazing when you do that and again, for me it is about the slouchiness. You can make it long and you can make it short and it has this sexiness when you wear it with an open shirt and I love that. So for me, that’s what I am doing every day.

AM: What is your process in terms of adding styles to the brand or when you are thinking about colorways? Sometimes when you are looking at various brand the assortment is so vast and although there are a lot of options, it can also generate a lot of noise when it is not curated, edited, or rotated so that pieces can stand out.

IC: Definitely, it’s interesting because most of our stuff is pretty evergreen so we will always bring in the colors and I always feel like that. I’m a practical human. If I am going to buy an expensive big item, I’m thinking about if I am going to be using this every day. That’s important to me. When we bring in the colors, I’m always thinking about the little things that you can bring into your bag when you’re looking to go out. We kind of move a little bit with the seasons. Our best sellers are always the Caramel Suede, the tan colors, and so we’re always keeping that as the foundation. Camo is a big thing for me and it’s really interesting. When we first put it out there I was like ok and it’s great to see how our camo with the pink and red stripe has really become a big thing for us.

AM: It’s cute.

IC: Yeah and it’s such a great bag to travel with and a great bag to work with.

AM: Where do you go for inspiration? Even though the line has those evergreen elements in terms of your assortment, I’m sure that you’re still adding things here and there or looking at trend reports, Pantones, etc.

IC: You know, I always say that when you look at the products, for me the designs that we do are always a little familiar to you. But then the inspirations and feel is about putting a little something to it. So is it a red handle versus a brown one?

Our bags are familiar and yet there is something not familiar about it? That’s what makes me want to buy things these days because there are so many things that are out there like the fanny pack which is our sling bag. It is a fanny pack which is familiar, but lets do it in a beautiful leather and let’s use a strap and put in a pop of color so that your personality comes forward. I think that that is my inspiration and I am a practical person so that is what I draw from.

AM: I love the straps!

IC: They are so fun!

AM: I like that you can customize it and make it your own a little bit. Going back to the Sling Bag it’s a style that generally would not be one that I would personally gravitate to.

IC: I know!

AM: But then you hit IG, and I’m looking at how it’s larger than a traditional sling bag and I’m like, “why not change out the one I use on set and bring that in?” or I was just at Governors Ball and I did have a sling mini backpack that I brought, I would have preferred to have this body style and of course, I have styled a number of shoots where I have had sling bags in them. Then once you get to thinking about an accessory paired with my moto jacket you start to see how it can be worn personally. To your point, it’s about the familiar with these tones that have a little something nuanced. I do love a good slouchy bag style and years ago, there were so many and now not so much. There are versions that are oversized but that structure of the slouch that gives that cool girl style is not always there it’s just large. So a bag like XL Jane that is in my wheel house!

IC: It's putting your vision on it where the familiar meets the unfamiliar! That’s what takes it to the next level and you’re like, I need that! The familiar lets you connect with that memory and then the part that isn’t you say hmm there’s something there and together it becomes something that you love – it’s a little link and a little extra!

AM: It’s a little something. I love that and I love visual texture. Now there is a place I love visual texture. Now there is a place for something that is completely new, but then you have to think about it and see how it sits in your life. I knew that these pieces felt familiar while being presented differently. I knew when I looked at the colorways and the fabrications that I would wear a good portion of them and in some cases it reminded me of a bag from many years ago that I either wanted but couldn’t get, or had been part of my collection and had been lost to time, or would just be a silhouette that would be in a primary rotation.

IC: Oh thank you!

AM: Yeah and then you think about how versatile it can be with my leggings, jeans, maxi dresses, etc. I love visual mapping outfits because I love collecting pieces but there is a tight edit of my go-to’s that are with me when I’m out and about, at a meeting, etc. Those are the pieces that you live out of. So I like the classic and effortless components with that little bite so that it’s not too sweet. I’m not a fan of anything personally that is too sweet.

IC: Me neither! That’s so funny! I’m not a frilly person, but I will wear a shirt with a puffy sleeve, but then I have to put it with a pair of jeans.

AM: Same. I had a fun summer boho puffy sleeved maxi dress in black and it felt a little sweet, but of course, I paired it with my Caviar Beaded Lagos and a pair of Adidas Superstars with my Carrera’s to edge it up.

IC: You always have to juxtapose it. Even when we first started with that tote bag, we put leather straps on it and then a monogram and it took a canvas bag to something that was different. It’s fun!

AM: Have you guys done collaborations or are you working on any?

IC: We’re starting to do more of them. We just did one with Larissa Mills, she has a great story. She's a mom in Boston who has this insane following on Tiktok and Instagram and she has amazing style. She has collaborated with everybody like the Gap and for some reason, we really connected and we just did this cool little envelope clutch and we’re looking to do more of that and I just feel that I really love to meet those who share the same sense of sensibility and it can be any product! It’s about making that familiar product and making it a little bit extra!

AM: What will Fall and Holiday look like – or anything that you can share on that front.front.

IC: Yeah, Fall and Holiday is really all about burgundy tones, dark espressos, navy, and a lot of suedes. The Charlie bag has done really well for us and we want to bring more of that slouch in there with the jewel tones. We are doing textures like basketweave and hair – I love hair. So I love a cheetah, I love a great zebra print, and also playing with hot pink hair and yellow hair! That’s really fun on straps! So taking fun stuff and putting it on a strap so you’re not married to hot pink on the main part of the bag. But you can bring that texture in. A lot of croc and shiny things – like little tiny shiny things for Holiday!

AM: Oh that’s exciting! I can’t wait for that to come out!

IC: We’re really excited about that and it’s just really yummy. I love a burgundy and I really love an oxblood which is perfect for fall.

AM: You can never have enough oxblood. I love it when you talk about leather accessories, I love that color when you talk about a gel mani – it’s so rich and although for me it’s like a new neutral, it’s really great in the Fall!

You know, there are a number of brands that have lived in the handbag portion of the accessory category and they are now branching out into travel and travel specific pieces.

IC: Yeah.

AM: Is that something that you envision for the brand?

IC: Yes! That Charlie bag that we just introduced, we just did it in an XL and I tested it by taking it to Iceland and it was awesome! We are going to do more of that. We’re also working on a really good slouchy tote and again, over the shoulder, really slouchy, beautiful leathers and I can’t wait for that!

AM: Oh that sounds amazing and I can’t wait to check it out.

IC: It’s a great bag and it’s going to be one of those things that you’ll want to drag it everywhere! I want people to live in these bags! Also understand that it’s ok for it to get messy. People get so crazy when they spill on it and I’m like, “dude, that’s life man!” You should be proud of that, that means that you are moving and yeah it got dirty. If there is a drop of wine on that, that’s life!

We had the great honor of meeting 4X Team USA Olympic Beach Volleyball Medalist Kerry Walsh Jennings (G3, B1) and I think that she is just so bad ass! I remember when she was pregnant and she won that Gold medal and I was like, damn, she is so badass! So she came in and she had our sling bag on and she was like yeah but I spilled on it and I feel awful and I was like that’s awesome. She carries it everyday and she’s so tall and that’s life and I loved it! It should be your companion and that is what we want to strive for and we want you to grab it and know that it feels good and it does what it needs to for you.

IG @parkerthatch

PHOTOS COURTESY | Parker Thatch

Read the JUL ISSUE #103 of Athleisure Mag and see PARKER THATCH | Irene Chen in mag.

ROCK THIS FOR TENNIS, PADEL, PICKLEBALL, + COCKTAILS

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ROCK THIS WHEN HEADING OUT IN TENNIS-CORE

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'TIS THE SEASON EDITORIAL

This month, our editorial shoot takes us to The Algonquin Hotel Times Square, Autograph Collection, a Marriott property which is a living gateway to the past, present, and the future as it embodies the early 1900's of literary and Hollywood luminaries that graced the rooms of this hotel while currently being a destination of the modern era with an open path to the iterations it will take as the years continue to evolve.

The holiday season is definitely a marathon and not a sprint as it takes place over a number of weeks spanning between the fall and the winter. We wanted to look at the many days that take place that are casual and allow us to connect to one another as we make our way closer and closer to more signature events! We spend a lot of time with friends, family, significant others, co-workers and more. Our shoot took place at the Tallulah Bankhead suite at this iconic hotel that is in the heart of it all. We wanted to find out more about the history of this hotel, why it's an important part of NYC history, what guests can expect whether they're staying for business, a staycation, or a vacation and more. We took some time to catch up with The Algonquin Hotel's General Manager Willis Loughhead to find out more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: It was such a pleasure to shoot at the Algonquin Hotel and being there, we learned a lot more about the property and its history. When did the Algonquin first open and can you take us back and through the storied history of this hotel as it's over 100 years old!

WILLIS LOUGHHEAD: The land for the Algonquin Hotel was purchased in 1901 for $180,000. In just under a year, at a cost of $500,000, the Algonquin Hotel was built and opened on November 22, 1902. Named for a New England Native American tribe, the hotel welcomed its first guests - a room with a bath set a traveler back $2 per night.

From the day it opened into the current time, the Algonquin has maintained close ties to the arts community with early residents who included the great star John Barrymore, Drew Barrymore’s grandfather, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks. Writers, Playwrights, humorists and critics, as well as editors of both fact and fiction, converged on the Algonquin in the decade between 1919 and 1929, founding the legendary Round Table. My Fair Lady was written in suite 908. William Faulkner wrote his Nobel Prize speech in a room. The Algonquin has been both primary residence and preferred NYC hotel for incredible talent like Maya Angelou, Norman Mailer, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, Steve Martin, and Lou Reed, to name a few. Films with a Round Table history include Citizen Kane, Giant, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Sound of Music, and many more.

I continue to host close friends in the arts community such as legendary musicians like Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth, James Ijames, who celebrated his Tony nomination for his play Fat Ham under our roof, and both Colson Whitehead and Richard Hell, New York City legends who read in the Oak Room.

AM: We had the pleasure of shooting at the Tallulah Bankhead Suite (loved the phones which were such a great touch and the blue shade of the paint was so calming) and we know that there have been other suites that are named after notable people, can you tell us about them and why there is such a connection with these individuals?

WL: All 24 of our suites are named after our residents like Dorothy Parker 1106, Herbert Ross 610 and John Barrymore 209.

AM: Who have been some notable people that stayed here and can you tell us more about the connection between the hotel and literary figures? Tell us about the Algonquin Cat! We didn't see Hamlet, but we know that he is just as much a key figure as others who have stayed there.

WL: Hamlet is featured in a children’s book, The Algonquin Cat, illustrated by Hillary Knight who also illustrated the Eloise series set in another famous NYC hotel where I served as Executive Chef for a number of years before moving into Hotel Management.

AM: Tell us about The Blue Bar and The Lobby Lounge. Is there a signature drink that we should know about?

WL: The most famous cocktail is none too cleverly named, The Algonquin; a mix of woodsy rye whiskey, pineapple, bianco vermouth and some say a touch of Peychaud bitters like a Sazerac. We also currently feature a Hamlet cocktail with Rocky’s Brooklyn Botanical, Galliano L’Autentico and Whispering Angel Rosé. Our cocktail lists change frequently and right now I am working on some Holiday treats with Hot Cocoa and Mezcal.

AM: For those looking to grab a bite at the hotel, what can you tell us about The Round Table?

WL: The Blue Bar Restaurant & Lounge is a 3 meal restaurant built around the legendary Blue Bar which opened in 1902 with the hotel. At night we feature cocktail cuisine with classic New York City inspiration from the Oysters Rockefeller to a deli-style Reuben, and we do a brisk, healthy lunch with servers who I would put up against the best of the cities’ baristas. You should see the foam they get for a cappuccino even out of the almond milk that I prefer!

AM: For those that are looking to create an event whether it's a launch, sales meeting, etc - what can you tell us about event spaces that you have available?

WL: We host wonderful and intimate occasions in our small private library featuring Round Table first editions, signed collectibles, vintage 1950’s and 1960’s Playboy magazines and recent releases and memoirs like Thurston Moore’s Sonic Life which just came out. In the early 90's, I worked for Arnold Schwarzenegger as a wood burning oven chef at his restaurant Schatzi on Main in Venice California, so sitting amongst the Pulitzer Prize winners is a copy of Arnold’s latest, Be Useful. We also use the Library a great deal for Broadway stars to dress and have makeup done before premieres and on opening nights.

We also have the famous Oak Room, a wood paneled vintage street front room that can seat 110, for formal dinners next to Hirschfeld’s original artwork that adorns the walls.

AM: At the conclusion of our shoot, we actually took in some live music, which was a great way to decompress, what events do you typically have that guests or those grabbing a drink can enjoy?

WL: We have a culture and history of live music at the Algonquin. It was a personal goal of mine to breathe life into that tradition that started with Ella Fitzgerald and so many others like Burt Bacharach, Elvis Costello, Harry Connick, and Oscar Peterson. On Tuesday nights, we feature classic cabaret music with the inimitable KT Sullivan, and on Thursdays, we have live piano and vocals with Rocco DellaNeve who is a legend in the making. You should hear his version of Enter Sandman by Metallica and he also does a killer New York State of Mind. Guest stars always drop by.

October and December are my charity months to raise money for Breast Cancer and Toys for Tots, so our programming expands greatly with Broadway’s biggest talent coming in to belt numbers and dance. Keep your eyes and ears open in December when we have 10 nights of incredible holiday entertainment including one “Santa Baby” drag show that will raise this 120 year old roof.

AM: Tell us about the kinds of rooms that are available and also provide additional details about the suite we were in, The Tallulah Bankhead Suite?

WL: Our suites and king rooms book first. We are a boutique sized hotel with 181 total rooms. None of our rooms are exactly the same and some rooms have a haunted history that has been verified by both official ghost hunters as well as nightly guests. Was it Robert Benchley who moved your towels around or turned on the lamps in your suite living room? Did Dorothy Parker open the shades that you closed before turning in? Perhaps.

In 1959, the filmmaker Preston Sturges passed away in a suite and Montgomery Clift was a frequent visitor. Perhaps.

AM: For a truly decadent stay for our readers is there anything that you can suggest that can be enjoyed at the hotel? I know at one time, you had a $10,000 Martini that had diamonds in it!

WL: We have two packages to note:

• A Dine with a Broadway Star package, where pre-theater you are able to dine at the Infamous Round Table with one of the stars of the show that you are seeing that evening.

• Hex and the City package for 2024 with our Resident Wellness Witch, CardsyB who will help you stay magical by reading your tarot cards and your energy so that you can straighten up and fly right in 2024. All guests will receive a reading, CardsyB’s memoir, a Stay Magical AF candle and a Bad@ss B*tches Tarot Deck.

AM: For those that are enjoying a staycation at the hotel during the holiday season, what are activities that you suggest that are in the neighborhood that they should take out?

WL: All the B’s: Bryant Park, Broadway and Books at the NYPL.

AM: For those who have never been to NYC and are here for vacation during the holidays, what would you suggest that they should do?

WL: Get inspired, keep a notebook, write your story. The good ol’ days are now and keep your mind wide open. New York is an awesome place to be surprised. Rockefeller Center has grown immensely and Central Park is just a shopping walk away up 5th avenue.

AM: For those that have corporate functions that are being held at the hotel, do you have any ideas of what they can enjoy?

WL: I partner with BroadwayPlus.com. One of my close friends - ask for Corey - is the guru of the VIP corporate experience with them. They book custom concerts, VIP tickets, arrange backstage meet and greets, and generally unlock all of the perks normally reserved for the highest tier of celebrity guest and bring it to the corporate accounts. We also encourage a Bowery Boys Walking Tour or one of the many sightseeing tours via boat around Manhattan that my team can arrange.

AM: For those that have corporate functions that are being held at the hotel, do you have any ideas of what they can enjoy?

WL: I partner with BroadwayPlus.com. One of my close friends - ask for Corey - is the guru of the VIP corporate experience with them. They book custom concerts, VIP tickets, arrange backstage meet and greets, and generally unlock all of the perks normally reserved for the highest tier of celebrity guest and bring it to the corporate accounts. We also encourage a Bowery Boys Walking Tour or one of the many sightseeing tours via boat around Manhattan that my team can arrange.

AM: The holiday season is a major time of year, are there events that the hotel will offer that we should know about and can share with our readers? Thinking ahead to Valentine's Day, is there anything that we should know?

WL: Book your 2 night Date Night Package now where you get a $150 credit in the Blue Bar, a bespoke scented candle, a chocolate rose and a guaranteed table in the restaurant.

If your pet is your date, perhaps our Fuwwy Fwiends Package, going live in December, with a:

• Waived pet fee

• Polaroid with Hamlet, you and your pet

• Vintage bronze “A” Algonquin pet tag

• Trip for your pet to the Algonquin Pawwty Chest, a treasure chest of toys and treats from our local pet shops

• Use of our cat or dog beds so that you and your date can sleep in peace

IG @algonquinnyc

It was such a pleasure to bring our editorial to life at the Algonquin that's filled with history, NY glamour, and a vibe of creativity that's all its own. This shoot included our focus on bringing 5 looks that lets us look at fall and winter holidays here in NY that you can enjoy on your next stay at the Algonquin as well as in the neighborhood.

TIS THE SEASON | CREDITS

LOUNGE LOOK PG 97 - 101 | Anna Zaia - PONO Colette Matte Earring | VIRGIN, SAINTS & ANGELS Saint Deco Cross Medallion + Delfina 6mm Crystal Jet Beaded Necklace | MAISON MIRU Floating Sphere Stacking Ring Trio - Gold | MAISON DE PAPILLON Jesse Silk Charmeuse Boyfriend Shirt Longtail | BCBG Ruched Velour Legging | Benjamin Simic - BEN SHERMAN Signature House Taped Track Pant |

FITNESS LOOK PG 88 - 95 | Anna Zaia - PONO Silvia H20 Earring Honey | AMELIA ROSE JEWELRY Fluorite Heishi Necklace Latte | ETTIKA Your Essential Flex Snake Chain 18k Gold Plated Bangle Set | MAISON DE PAPILLON Vail Cacoon Sweater | ABERCROMBIE + FITCH YPB Sculpt Squareneck Slim Tank + YPB MotionTEK High Rise Lined Workout Short | Benjamin Simic - ADIDAS RPT-02 SOL | MAISON MIRU Bubble Bracelet 7" | GREATNESS WINS Performance Training Tank | ATHLEISUREVERSE Bomber Jacket | ABERCROMBIE + FITCH Gym to Grocery Jogger |

WFH LOUNGE III PG 102 - 105 | Anna Zaia - VIRGINS, SAINTS + ANGELS Edie Crystal Post Earrings | PONO Sea Chain Necklace Latte | ATHLEISUREVERSE Cropped Fleece Hoodie + Jogger Set | SAVE THE DUCK Iria Long Hooded Puffer Vest | Benjamin Simic - | BEN SHERMAN Signature Zip-Through Track Jacket |

OUT + ABOUT LOOK IV PG 80 - 86 | Anna Zaia - DEEPA GURNANI FW23 Crab Earrings | DEEPA BY DEEPA GURNANI FW23 Loretta Necklace | ETTIKA Abstract Flex 18K Gold Plated Cuff | CARRERA 318/S | AUTUMN CASHMERE Sweater Dress | AEROSOLES Loafer | Benjamin Simic - MARC JACOBS Shield Sunglasses | BEN SHERMAN Lennon "Imagine" Mod Knit Stripe Polo | AUTUMN CASHMERE Cardigan | MAVI Jake | ADIDAS Samba |

(NYE/NIGHT OUT) LOOK V PG 106 - 112 | Anna Zaia - LELE SADOUGHI Crystal Pave Drop Earrings | DEEPA GURNANI Helga Clutch | VIRGIN, SAINTS & ANGELS Virgin Cameo Crystal Mesh Choker, Virgin Cameo Large Figaro Necklace 18 + Virgin Cameo Statement Clip Earrings | BCBG Oly Tiered Ruffle Evening Gown | NEVER FULLY DRESSED Black and Cream Coatigan | Benjamin Simic - UNTUCKIT Wool Rawlins Sport Coat + Wrinkle-Free Las Cases Shirt | MAVI Jake |

‘TIS THE SEASON | TEAM CREDITS

PHOTOGRAPHER Paul Farkas | FASHION STYLIST Kimmie Smith | MUA Toni/Ann/Felicia Graham Beauty | NEW YORK MODEL MANAGEMENT Anna Zaia + Benjamin Simic |

IG @athleisuremag

@pvfarkas

@shes.kimmie

@toni__ann

@feliciagrahambeautyteam

@newyorkmodels

@_anna_zaia_

@lilboochie

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS

For this shoot, Paul shot with a Sony Aplha A7R V, Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM Prime G, Sony FE 24-70 mm F2.8 GM1, Sony FE 50 mm F2.8 Macro Prime, Sony FE 90 mm F2.8 Macro G OSS Telephoto Macro Prime G, and Sony FE 70-200 mm F2.8 GM OSS II. In addition, he used SIRUI Dragon Series Bendable RGB Panel Lights set of 2 of B25R*2 Kit + DJ280.

ATHLEISURE MAG SUMMIT EXCLUSIVE

We had a number of brands that were included in this shoot or supported this shoot and they wanted to make sure that you were able to enjoy purchasing your must-haves with a discount!

PONO

Receive 20% off your order with code ATHMAG95 for a 20% discount off PONO orders through 12/31/23.

SIRUI

Receive 5% off your order with code ATHLEISURE (Valid for all products, with a minimum purchase amount of $50; no expiration date).

VIRGINS, SAINTS, ANGELS

Receive 30% off (1x use per customer) your order with code ATHLEISURE30. There is no expiration date. Cannot be combined with other discount codes.

Read the NOV ISSUE #96 of Athleisure Mag and see ‘TIS THE SEASON Editorial in mag.

THE 9LIST

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9DRIP | BIG FREEDIA

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9LOOKS | ADIDAS X GUCCI

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BALENCIAGA X ADIDAS NYFW SS23

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9DRIP | YVES V

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FITNESS IS A LIFESTYLE WITH HARLEY PASTERNAK

A lot has taken place over the last 20 months. We've learned new skills, become profficient in things that we never knew about, assisted others in their time of need and with all of that activity going on, it's important to make sure that we also keep the focus on our health so that we can continue to be our best selves. We checked in with one of our faves, Celebrity Fitness Trainer, Harley Pasternak, who has worked with Ariana Grande, Kim Kardashian and Lady Gaga to name a few. He talked about how we can maintain our goals no matter the time of year and to make it an ongoing priority. He shares how we can stay on track as well as some healthy hacks along the way!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Now that we’re settling into the fall, how can people stay on track with our fitness and nutrition? It feels like a gateway as we’re coming off of the summer and soon we will be thinking about the holiday season as well and there are those that are also focused on getting rid of their Quarantine 15.

HARLEY PASTERNAK: The principles of being healthy and staying in shape, they hold true regardless of what month or season it is. Number 1, you’ve got trying to hit your step goal every day – that’s at least 12,000 steps a day. The fall is probably my favorite time of year to do that. It’s not too hot, but it’s not too cold. Get those steps in and take in the beautiful weather – rake your leaves, whatever you need to do. I love getting my steps. Number 2, is sleep! I think that it’s actually easier to get sleep come the fall because we fall back. There’s a little less daylight, so we actually get sleepier a little bit earlier and we tend to get a little sleepy. It’s cooler, the clocks change and these contribute to getting the best sleep. Number 3 is cutting back on screentime. I think that you should unplug for at least an hour a day from technology and it’s really important. It affects our health, wellness, wellbeing, our mental state and our physical state. Next is food, protein, fiber and healthy fat for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a little snack in between. Finally, you still need to strength train as little as 1 strength move a day. You can work your way up to 2 – 3 strength moves every other day.

AM: For those looking to round out their workout routines, what are some moves that you think that they should do so that they’re hitting the 360 of their bodies?

HP: I don’t believe in doing a whole body workout. I believe in splitting the body throughout the week. One way that I do it is 1 body part a day, 7 days a week. So each day of the week, you’re doing 1 exercise. Sometimes I will do 5 days a week of 2 body parts a day and sometimes I’ll do 4 days a week of 3 body parts a day.

AM: I know that you’ve partnered with Maple Hill. What is it about the brand that made you want to be involved with them and then what are some good recipes that you can make with their products as I know that you’re a fan of smoothies as we are too.

HP: I met them a few years ago at an event that I was hosting for Goop in Texas. I saw the product, I really liked it and we kept in touch. They reached out to me recently and they said, “would you believe that we figured how to filter out the lactose-sugar from dairy?” All that’s left is 2 different proteins, whey and casein, Vitamin D, calcium, potassium and water. I was like, there’s no way. They sent it to me, it was delicious, my kids love it, I love it! I have been using it for my smoothies in the morning – I have a few smoothies that I use such as the PB&J Smoothie. I also enjoy making an Apple Pie Smoothie and a Pina Colada Smoothie where I use it as the base.

APPLE PIE SMOOTHIE

Per Smoothie

15 raw almonds

1.5 red apples, peeled, cored and chunked

1 small frozen banana, chunked

1 1/4 Maple Hill organic plain Greek yogurt

1 cup Maple Hill Zero Sugar organic milk

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

PINA COLADA SMOOTHIE

1 medium orange peeled and sectioned

1/3 cup Maple Hill organic plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 tablespoons whey protein powder

1 frozen banana chopped

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks (fresh, not canned!)

My kids will use Maple Hill in their cereals and in the afternoon, I will use their Greek yogurt with a little bit of cinnamon and I take a baked apple and pipette the cinnamon yogurt in the middle of the baked apple where I will core it out and it’s really good!

HARLEY'S FAVORITE BAKES APPLES

8 apples, cored

32oz Maple Hill organic plain Greek yogurt

Cinnamon

Core apples and place in a baking dish in one inch of water, sprinkle cinnamon over everything. Cover with foil and bake at 400 for 2 hours.

Mix 2 tsp cinnamon into yogurt, pipe yogurt & cinnamon mixture into the center of the apples.

I use a high-tech, fancy method of putting the yogurt in a ziplock and cutting the corner off to squeeze the yogurt into the apples!

AM: That sounds very decadent!

HP: It is!

AM: As always, it’s fun to look through your IG whether it’s looking at a fitness routine, seeing you introduce foods to your kids or just meals you’re making for lunch. You had a Cobb Salad with pretzel sticks! We love pretzel sticks and being able to see you present a hi-low meal with a twist really shows this fun food sensibility in terms of balance. How important is it to have these healthy hacks in your food lifestyle?

HP: I think it’s important because if you want to eat well, you want to eat well forever. If you’re too strict, regimented and limited – you can do something for a short time but not for a long time. I think that by adding a little hi-low into your foods, you have a fun time with it. So even when I do cereal with my kids, we’ll use the milk with the sugar removed like we talked about which is amazing and we’ll use a high fiber low cereal with it, but then, I will sprinkle in a little bit of the sugary cereal on top so that my kids don’t feel like we’re giving them weird health food all the time! They feel like there is some fun it and I think that that’s important to do.

AM: What do you suggest for people that splurge on having those extra cocktails or enjoying something that really yummy that’s off of their typical plan? What’s the best way that they can reset their bodies to get back on track?

HP: I wrote The Body Reset Diet which has now been a Number 1 – 3 times! I think that some people may want to jump in and hop in on Phase 1 or Phase 2 if they feel like they are spiraling out of control and it just puts them back in on that 3 meals – 2 snacks a day with protein, fiber and healthy fat at every meal. It tends to be helpful for people!

AM: We know that you’re always working on a number of projects so what should we keeping an eye out that you can share with us?

HP: Yeah! I design all the gyms for the Four Seasons Hotels around the world. I helped to develop a new technology called FORME which is a really cool technology. I’m the global fitness advisor for Alo.

AM: Yes! If we’re not rocking Adidas, we’re in Alo!

HP: I know, right? So all of these brand partnerships of mine are synergistic. Maple Hill for me, is a natural no brainer. I have been a fan of dairy for years. I even visited a number of dairy farms to see how the cows live, how milk is taken from them and what they’re fed. I think that every brand partnership that I have ever had has been very organic and natural and synergistic with the other ones.

IG @HarleyPasternak

PHOTOS COURTESY | Harley Pasternak

Read the OCT ISSUE #70 of Athleisure Mag and see Fitness is a Lifestyle with Harley Pasternak in mag.

9LIST STORI3S | ANDREW FITZSIMONS

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9DRIP | RIOT TEN

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9LIST STORI3S | PATRICK MAHOMES II

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ROCK THIS WHEN IT'S TIME TO LOUNGE OUTSIDE

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