SKY'S THE LIMIT WITH NOAH NEIMAN

This month, we've been sharing a number of people that have been focused on building their brands that impact the lives of others. Joining this group is Noah Neiman, who is known for his successful studio fitness gyms that include RUMBLE Boxing and Rumble Training. He's known for his dynamic personality and pushing people beyond their limit while also empowering them to believe in themselves. We took some time to talk about how he came to the industry, building his gyms, how he continues to grow his brand as well as his recent partnership with EASTBAY.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We remember the first time we saw you when Work Out New York premiered. How did you come to fitness and when did you decide to work in the industry?

NOAH NEIMAN: Wow! Not the Bravo throwback! Do you remember when Andy Cohen had me half naked on his show!? Sorry mom! My start in the fitness industry was one of those stories that was a lifetime in the making; I just didn’t realize it at the time.

I was one of those overweight kids that would always try to finesse my way onto the shirts team instead of skins playing pickup ball. T-Shirt on in the pool type. So early on, I started to study and learn all I could about physical fitness and nutrition. I had a lot of behavioral problems as a kid, and I found the more that I trained, the less likely I was to act a fool running around the streets of Pittsburgh, Pa. Fast forward to post-college, where I went to Hofstra and got my degree in accounting, a series of unfortunate events led me to leave NYC and returning to my hometown of Pittsburgh.

During my stint in Pittsburgh, I was being incredibly self-destructive again. I was heavily depressed, suffering panic attacks regularly, and forgot how training my physical body helped me keep me emotionally in control. I let myself spiral into a pretty dark place. I remember being in the hospital after a hard night of partying and seeing the concerned and disappointed look on my parent’s faces as they rushed to see me. Seeing that look is one I will never forget. That night, I stopped doing drugs! Now over 13 years ago!

That following week I happened to be driving by a new jiu-jitsu studio that was opening up near my hood: Warren Stouts Renzo Gracie Training Studio. I traded the drugs for jiu-jitsu. I trained with those guys for a year while going through on and off again anxiety issues; 'til finally my parents told me that I needed to head back to NYC. They conveyed in me the belief that I was destined to accomplish great things, but I had to do so in New York.

So I returned back to NYC with very little money and no real purpose. A friend asked me to attend a workout class with him at the newly opened Barrys BootCAMP; and that ended up being the serendipitous moment that most underdogs stories have at the beginning.

I was in that class cheering on my friend and losing myself in that workout. Fortuitously, the now CEO of Barrys, Joey Gonzalez, was the trainer leading the class. He approached me and asked if I wanted to become a trainer there. All my football, strength, conditioning, jiu jitsu, training and a lifetime of studying was about to pay off!! I was READY for a moment, I didn’t even know was coming; but you know the old saying “if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.”

I found my purpose. For those hours I was training people and leading these big group classes; all my anxiety and all my depression seemed to just melt away. I had to focus on OTHERS. Making sure they were hustling and making sure they were having a great time. It was therapeutic to me. So I THREW every ounce of effort and energy into it. The world quickly responded; and I became one of the most talked about and featured trainers. Finding myself featured in everything to Vanity Fair to the New York Times, then ultimately landed that show on BRAVO!

Fast forward a few years of building my reputation, my now business partner Eugene Remm; the founder of iconic CATCH restaurants (CATCH HOSPITALITY GROUP) and I got together and started planning what our own gym experience would look like. We wanted to bring an elevated experience to the group fitness game; one the was highly effective, but highly FUN. One that had the aesthetic and vibes that only we could create because of our unique lenses built by decades of our own tastes…. and so RUMBLE was born.

AM: If we wanted to train like you do in an average week, what are your workout routines and what are the foods/meals that you are eating throughout the day?

NN: I actually take RUMBLE Boxing and Rumble training for a majority of my workouts each week. That’s why I created the space! For my body; strength training coupled with conditioning via running and boxing has always had me feeling and looking my best; and the MENTAL benefits of punching things, hard, throughout the week are immense! I try to eat as healthy as I can so I normally hit up my go-to spot HONEYBRAINS to eat fresh whole foods. Throughout the week I eat a lot of fish, steak, eggs, and chicken coupled with potatoes, white rice, spinach, salads, beans. Then when I feel like it, it’s burgers and fries..pizza and ice cream. I try not to be one of those holier than thou trainers. I like to keep it real, eat sloppy when I want, and then get right back to eating clean when I want.

AM: I remember a few years ago I took a class led by you at Barry's Bootcamp and then when Rumble Training opened, I attended an editor event that was led by you. As a well-known group fitness instructor, your passion for motivating and empowering people is so impactful regardless of your workout level - what is your approach to working out with your celeb as well as daily clients and why is this important?

NN: I call fitness the great equalizer! It doesn’t matter who you are, how many followers you have, I treat everyone the same! I keep that same energy like Teyana Taylor (coincidentally also one of our investors). My passion and energy is the driving force of what I do, and I treat every class like it’s Jay Z's My First Song; I treat my first class, like my last class, and my last class, like my first class, so my thirst and energy is the same as when I came!

Everyone is the same at the end of the day. You either do the work and get better by it, or you don’t. I think that’s one of the most refreshing things about training with me, and our philosophy at Rumble. We treat every like Jason Derulo, or Justin Bieber…you just might also happen to work out next to them one day.

AM: Boxing is one of my favorite sports to watch and I know you are passionate about it. Why is this your preferred workout method?

NN: The efficacy of boxing is undisputed as the champ! There’s a reason they call fighters “Lean mean fighting machines,” but to be honest, boxing was always mediative for me. I had a lot of problems growing up. ADHD, getting kicked out of schools. So training to me became therapeutic. It was an outlet for a lot of anger and the vast well of energy I had. Meditation comes in many forms, and this one is mine!

AM: You’re the Co-Founder of RUMBLE Boxing. When you were in the early days of launching this brand, what was it like to know that you had people such as Sylvester Stallone and Justin Bieber as investors?

NN: When you open a boxing gym, and have Rocky believe in you; the provides you with a certain level of confidence. However, at the end of the day, if the experience and workout doesn’t live up to that level of hype, you’re going to fail. It was important for us to come correct, especially knowing we had so many powerful and renowned personalities backing us!

AM: Tell us about RUMBLE Boxing, Rumble Training and Rumble TV and why you wanted to create this universe. For Rumble Boxing and Rumble Training, what cities are you located in and are there new cities you will open in?

NN: Plainly put, I wanted to bring boxing to the masses. Polish and package it in a way that I thought our clients would love! So Rumble Training, Rumble TV, and our OG RUMBLE Boxing were just ways we could positively impact our already highly engaged customers. We’re in NYC, DC, Philly, San Francisco, LA, Chicago; and with our new partnerships with Xponential; you’re going to see Rumbles popping up from Alaska to Australia with 100’s of locations opening up across the world.

AM: In terms of working on the Rumble brand, what is an average day like for you?

NN: As an entrepreneur in general, there are no average days. Especially living in NYC! My role is to really make sure our brand is staying just that; OUR brand. To ensure consistency and clarity in delivery; and making sure our trainers and staff have the discipline and help they need to execute. I’ve never been a great boardroom leader. I need to be in the mix with my team. Teaching classes, seeing how the front desk engages with clients, cleaning the benches and studio if need be! I try and keep that Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines approach; don’t tell. Show! Be there for your team and they’ll be there for you. It requires a tremendous amount of energy to lead in that manner; which is why I’m so passionate about health and mental wellness. It provides you with that unlimited well to tap into. You said you responded to my energy when you were at my classes long ago; and I told you I have to keep that same energy. So when I can; I’m investing in myself, so I can better serve others!

AM: What is the best piece of business advice that you received that has allowed you to navigate the industry as a fitness entrepreneur?

NN: I’d like to think I’m just an entrepreneur; working and consulting with companies in a variety of spaces; but my number one rule of thumb is 'chase relationships, not checks”. Everything I have been able to achieve has been a collaborative effort. I’ve earned my spot at the table by freely giving my energy and skills to whoever engages with me. You’d be surprised the return you get on an energy investment when you invest in PEOPLE.

AM: Recently you partnered with EASTBAY with the release of their new line EASTBAY Performance. You were a team captain for a flag football game in McCarren Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We heard that your team was impressive through 3 of your games and you just missed out on the championship game. Why did you want to participate in this event?

NN: I’m on that Peter Pan! I was so honored to get the call to participate it was a no brainer. Thinking back on my childhood; running home to check out the EASTBAY catalogue, or taking a girl on the date to the Monroeville Mall in Pittsburgh to check out the FOOTLOCKER, is super nostalgic. To be surrounded by such iconic brands, in iconic Brooklyn, and most importantly surrounded by such positive and powerful PEOPLE; I HAD to be a part of this. I'm still rocking scabs on my knees as I answer this question. I look at it as a badge of honor. Young me would be so proud that I’ve worked hard enough to be recognized by EASTBAY and Footlocker; and to be honest, old me is too! Plus, that new EASTBAY line is fire, had to be one of the first to cop!

AM: What are your 3 favorite products from the Eastbay Performance line?

NN: The t-shirt, tights, and shorts combo is a trifecta. Deion Sanders said “if you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. If you play good, they PAY good!" I took that to heart as a child, so rocking the new line it not only LOOKS fresh, but it’s functional to enhance you playing good too...and you know what happens when you PLAY good. Ka-ching $$$!!!!!

AM: In looking at your IG, beyond your passion for fitness and style, we know that you love your dog Oz. How has he been impactful in your life especially when we were all going through the craziness of quarantine?

NN: I’m gonna go super mayonnaise corny on you now; Oz saved my life. He taught me firsthand what it was like to care about something, and have to take care of something other than myself. I learned not to be selfish from him. This dog has been with me from first blood; through thick and thing. Through happiness, depression, poor, rich; Oz has been by my side. During the pandemic I actually rescued two more dogs that look exactly like Oz from Buddy’s Rescue. I may be biased, but I have the sweetest and best-looking trio of dogs on the island of Manhattan.

During the pandemic, I was feeling very anxious and uncertain like the rest of us; so once again I found myself needing to get out of my own head. Who better to escape with than with two little puppies and one sage old pitbull. The puppies even earned a little money over the pandemic shooting for brands like KITH and PETCO.

AM: When you’re not working out, focusing on your business, appearing on TV etc, how do you take time for yourself?

NN: I’m an ambivert so to contrast the extreme extroverted nature of my job, I like to spend a lot of time by myself. I love to walk the dogs through Washington Square Park, read a book, going to ZERO BOND which is my friend’s members-only club. I like to ride my Ducati motorcycle around NYC like the island-ordered Batman on WISH! Sorry mom, I won’t sell it! It’s also meditative to me. The correlation between boxing and riding a motorcycle is strong. In both pursuits, you have to be present. You have to live in the moment. You can’t think about the past or the future; you have to live in the now. I think more people would be better served if they could find those things they love that ground them and bring them home to the present moment.

Growing up, I was never ok to be by myself, because I didn’t love the person I was spending time with; so as I get older, I’m learning to love and invest in that person more. To contrast all that; when I’m really trying to get after it. I will 100 percent get a table at CATCH and hit that dance floor full up on a belly full of the best steak, sushi, and tequila. The perks of being in business with Eugene Remm are numerous; but that is definitely one of the best!

AM: As someone who is always on the go and working on the next thing, are there any projects that you can share that you are working on?

NN: The universe provides if you know how to harvest, so I keep working on my universal agricultural skills. I’ve been fortunate to work with brands across a variety of industries, from NIKE, to BOSE, to Tag Heuer, to Vital Proteins, to MCLAREN to name a few, and each one has been a great learning experience. Its enabled me to spot opportunities across a wide spectrum.

The biggest things I’m focusing on now is helping EMERALD EQUITY GROUP create a brand around their new high end luxury rental building they just purchased 2 COOPER SQUARE. Helping create that elevated living experience people have come to expect from me, albeit in a different arena, with Rumble.

I'm a longtime fan and investor in HONEYBRAINS, the restaurant I mentioned before where I eat 80 percent of my meals. I used to just be a customer and ending up striking up a conversation with one of the owners. Now I’m an investor and helping them grow the brand! All because of giving off that welcoming energy that created the environment for me and the co-owner to strike up a conversation. Remember what I said about chasing relationships! You have to be open, aware, and receptive to the early stages of them!

I’m working with my boy Louis Denaples who owns Ducati New York City on some branding projects for his motorcycle shops; and helping him create a retail line around the Ducati lifestyle.

I’ve been in talks with SIRIUS and other networks about my own show which is something I’m extremely passionate about now. At the end of the day, I just want to impact people. I want people to engage with me, through a variety of platform; yet always know that they are going to get that positive energy and support they need to unlock the greatness within themselves. I pitched a lifestyle travel show with my own unique twist pre-pandemic that is picking up some attention and steam; so stay tuned for announcements on that!

IG @noahdneiman

PHOTOS COURTESY | Noah Neiman

Read the OCT ISSUE #71 of Athleisure Mag and see Sky’s The Limit with Noah Neiman in mag.

STOLEN MOMENTS WITH NIECY NASH

We have been fans of Niecy Nash for a number of years. Whether it was when we first saw her hosting one of our favorite shows, Clean House on The Style Network, her comedic talents in Reno 911! or her dramatic roles such as Netflix's When They See Us or FX on Hulu's Mrs. America - Niecy always steals the show with her dynamic personality and ability to absorb her role. Like many, we're fans of TNT's Claws where she plays Desna Simms who roles with some of the baddest manicurists who create nail art along with navigating the underworld of Palmetto, FL. Throughout the show, we have seen her rocking dazzling styles in front of the camera and bringing us into the world of nail artistry as well as showing usher directorial chops behind the camera! With the final and fourth season airing in 2021, we caught up with her in New Orleans where they are currently filming. She shares the importance of Christmas, the 2021 Staycation that we have all endured and upcoming storytelling projects.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to work in the entertainment industry?

NIECY NASH: I was 5 years old and I was watching TV with my grandmother and I saw the most gorgeous Black woman that I had ever seen in my little 5 years of living. I said, “Grandmama, who is that?” and she said, “Baby, that’s Lola Falana.”I said, “Ooo,” and I felt that in that moment, that was definitely stamped on my canvas of my imagination and I was like, that’s what I want to do – that right there.

AM: You know, you’re involved in so many projects and you’re constantly on the move, why is the holiday season so important to you?

NN: The holiday season is so important because there is so much connective tissue there. There’s so much time and space to bring families together. But because we have all been in this mandatory 2020 Staycation when we have had to stay in the house, it has really become about curating moments and memories in the best way that we can given the circumstances.

AM: What are ways that we can curate those memories as we continue into the holiday season since we are spending so much time at home.

NN: Girl, I’m glad you asked! I want to tell so many people what I have stumbled upon and that’s HP Printables. I just got married and I was able to through HP, create my own holiday card they offer free crafts and activities. I thought this was so interesting because we can’t go out. I can stay in and involve my family and to have fun. So I found the most gorgeous tulle skirt, all the way down to the floor. Guess where I went when I wore it?

AM: Where?

NN: To my sofa girl! I went to the sofa, laid out and took a picture. I made it into a holiday card! It was absolutely gorgeous! I have to tell everybody about this because it is something that you can do with your whole family. We were able to change and do different looks as well as wearing our pajamas. It was so much fun!

AM: Are there other things that this printer can also do?

NN: Well, girl, you’ve got some good questions today! Here’s the other thing that I love about it. It’s the fact that HP has a subscription program called InstantInk meaning that if you’re in the middle of a crafting project, or your children are using it or if you have an important task that you’re working on – you will never run out of ink. This is because the print-er will let it be known and like magic, the ink will pull up to your house so you don’t have to worry about that! I feel like they are really thinking about families because in this time that we are in right now, the fact that you have services that are free is good, the fact that they’re accommodating families so we’re not making extra trips – that’s good. And listen, here’s the uptick. It’s so easy that you can let the kids sit down and do the crafting and you can go take a much needed break, if you know what I’m saying! That’s the most important part.

AM: How do you take time for yourself especially during the holiday season when itis so busy?

NN: You know, I have what you call “stolen moments.” It may not be where you can sit down and have an entire hour, but you can curate maybe 10 or 15 minutes here and 10 to 15 minutes there to do those things that make you feel restored and renewed. Whether that’s a little book on tape, making a phone call to a loved one, going into the bathroom and closing your door to pluck your eyebrows and put on your favorite song. You just have to find stolen moments.

AM: We have enjoyed seeing you on a number of TV shows and movies over the past couple of decades. Being able to see you on screen and representing Black women is something that inspires so many people with the ability to see ourselves. We know that right now you’re filming the final season of TNT’s Claws and although you can’t tell us too many details, what can you say about this show and what can you tell us about projects that we should keep our eye out for?

NN: I’m filming Claws right now and we’re in our fourth and final season. So with big promises to our fans of the show, they will leave completely satiated with our show. They will not be disappointed!

In addition to that, in 2021, right at the top,I am doing a project for ABC that Jay-Z is producing called Women of the Movement and we’re going to be telling the Emmett Till story. That’s going to be great story-telling!

IG @NiecyNash1

PHOTOS COURTESY | Niecy Nash

Hear Niecy Nash on our show, Bungalow SK - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multimedia companion podcast network! Subscribe to be notified when the episode drops. Listen on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

Read the Dec Issue #60 of Athleisure Mag and see Stolen Moments with Niecy Nash in mag.

CONTACT HIGH

We enjoyed Contact High, a Visual History of HipHop: Pop Up Experience at the Hasselblad NY Experience Studio in Soho. The exhibition celebrated the recently published book Contact High: A Visual History of Hip Hop by Vikki Tobak, documenting the history and progression of Hiphop and some of its key influencers over a 40 year span.

Curated by Vikki Tobak, based on the bestselling book of the same name, and with creative direction by Fab 5 Freddy and forward by Questlove, it includes works from 60 photographers forming a chronological journey from old-school to alternative hip-hop. The ultimate companion for music and photography enthusiasts, Contact High is the definitive history of hip-hop’s early days, celebrating the artists that shaped the iconic album covers, t-shirts and posters beloved by hip-hop fans today.

On display at the pop up experience were images made with various Hasselblad cameras from Janette Beckman, Danny Clinch, Armen Djerrahian, George Dubose, Jamil GS, Danny Hastings and Jayson Keeling.

Founded in 1941, Hasselblad is the leading manufacturer of medium format cameras and lenses. Made in Sweden, Hasselblad cameras are renowned for their iconic ergonomic design, uncompromising image quality and Swedish craftsmanship. For over half a century, Hasselblad cameras have captured some of the world’s most iconic images – including the first landing on the moon - and helped shape the way we look at the world through genuine photographic artistry. Trusted by NASA and used by the greatest photographers in the world, Hasselblad continues to create products with uncompromising image quality that inspire. In 2016, Hasselblad introduced the world’s first compact mirrorless digital medium format camera – the X1D.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We loved seeing the contact sheets presented in the book at Hasselblad's pop-up experience exhibit. When did you come up with the concept for the book and how long was the process making it?

VIKKI TOBAK: The whole process took about three years for me to write and research the book, but the idea came from me actually working in the music business in the early ’90s. I worked for an indie Hiphop label called Payday Records and Empire Management and worked with a lot of young Hiphop artists. I would coordinate a lot of their photo shoots, so I also met all these young photographers way back then. As I started my writing career and became a journalist working for bigger news organizations like CNN, I saw how they treated their archives, contact sheets, and historic photos and got to thinking about all the photos that I had worked on in my younger days – all the photographers who had these archives they were sitting on. So I set out to tell that story: The story of the photographer and a deeper story of those photos.

AM: How did you go about connecting with and interviewing the photographers and essayists featured in the book to hear about the accompanying stories of the shoots and how the images were created?

VT: I t wasn’t easy because photographers don’t generally like to show their contact sheets, they don’t like to show their outtakes or imperfect moments. So I started by going to the photographers who I already knew and who really trusted me with their stories. One by one, I started reaching out to Janette Beckman, then to Delphine Fawundu, Jamil GS – photographers that I have been on-set with when they photographed young Jay-Z, young Mos Def, young Gang Starr… I started writing a column for a magazine called Mass Appeal while I was researching the book. At first, the photographers thought it was kind of weird, like, “You want to see my contact sheets?” And I was like, "Yeah, I want to hear the back stories and I want to see all those weird photos of the person not looking into the frame or the photos that you shot of what was going on around them to kind of give it a more candid, documentary feel. And they loved the idea because they also like seeing each other’s contact sheets – photographers work really independently, so just seeing the work of their peers and just seeing that all these photos lie on a historic continuum (if you will) was really great. They realized that they were part of this great collective that documented this music, this new music that was created in our lifetime and was really something that nobody had ever seen before. They visualized that music.

AM: Did you have the title “Contact High” going into the project, or did it emerge during the course of the book?

VT: I didn’t have the name at first but it came to me pretty quickly. It just kind of popped into my head very early on. I had a good laugh with myself because a lot of Hiphop is associated with weed-smoking and hanging out. But more than that, Contact High speaks to immersing others into this world, this kind of bubble. It speaks to bringing people not just into one photo but bringing them into the world where that photo lives.

AM: We see chronologically, the first featured shoot kicks off in 1979 in the Bronx with Kool Herc. How is it to trace the past of Hiphop visual culture from its early days as a small subculture?

VT: Because I’ve been writing about the music for so long, I understood that this was the music that started with everyday people in neighborhoods, in communities. A lot of the earlier photos are not of the big stars but are of the dancers, the DJs, the kids from the neighborhood where a lot of the MCs came from. You see photos from the early days of Brooklyn and the Bronx all these places where the culture was born. Those early documentary photos also talk about the fact that this is much bigger than the music and much bigger than just this cultural phenomenon that we now know is kind of leading our mainstream. You can trace the history through the photos from the late ’70s and see it going into other cities, all of which have their own styles. You see it go into L.A., which had a very specific look and feel to it, to New Orleans, to Houston, to Detroit, to Atlanta. All the artists and photos that came out of that are super distinct, with their own flavor. So you have to see it and not just hear it. That’s what the contact sheets do.

AM: How was it to have Fab 5 Freddy as a creative director with the book?

VT: Oh my goodness, he’s a dream. He is a historian, he was a part of the culture, and he also gets this as part of the larger storytelling of Hiphop. As soon as I told him about this project, he got it right away. To be able to go deeper into these photos, he also realized there had never been a real retrospective done of Hiphop photography. Individual artists had sort of had little shows here and there but never on this kind of scale. So he not only wrote an essay for the book (which was incredible), he’s also in a lot of photos in the book.

And when it came time for me to curate the show’s exhibition, which we now have at the Annenberg Space For Photography in Los Angles through August 18 and which we hope to make a traveling exhibit after that, I knew he was the right person to be the creative director because he just got it – he got the whole project. We worked great together. He’s now working on so many amazing things related to the culture: He has a new film on Netflix called The Grass Is Greener about cannabis policy and the history of music in the black community. I like that he is a deeper, broader thinker – more than just about the music and more than just about the style. He sees how all the dots connect, which is why I really wanted to work with him.

AM: Core roots and aspects of athleisure are steeped in Hiphop style and culture. We love seeing Adidas, Kangol, Dapper Dan, and an array of other iconic fashion and culture laced throughout the images and contact sheets. What are some stories that the photographers and essayists offered about Hiphop style from the early days to rising to mainstream as a truly dominant and global authoritative stature?

VT: The whole phenomenon and athleisure wear and just comfort was really something that started in Hiphop, absolutely. Young kids were very aspirational in wanting certain sneakers or wanting a certain look, but at the same time this was all super personalized and all flipped on its head to have a very unique look and feel that was very Hiphop. So they started trends, they started a lot of the sneaker culture that you see right now: Run DMC and Adidas, the whole Nike Air Force 1 movement. A lot of even little details like the baggy sweatsuits, the caps, all that kind of stuff was very much self-styled and sort of remixed, if you will, from mainstream fashion. To see it come 360 now and be thriving as mainstream fashion is really cool. All these elements that were originally just about being an individual are now available to everyone.

AM: Tell us more about your spotlight on the importance of telling the story of women and Hiphop in the book.

VT: It wasn’t really a decision to play it up in the book. For someone who has always worked in the industry (as a woman, obviously), writing about the music for years, women have always been a really strong part of Hiphop, both in front of the camera and behind it. I had so many incredible black women editors when I was a writer; so many women ran the label that I worked for: Lucia Cortez, Silvia Rowne, really powerful women. And then of course the artists….

People ask me a lot, “How did you find all the women photographers in the book?” They were there all along. It wasn’t an effort on my part to become equitable – I wish I could say it was, but it just is. To me it’s just been something that I recognized always, and I think it’s a little bit of a stereotype with Hiphop. If you look at Hiphop as a culture, women have always been super prominent.

Also, April Walker started Walker Wear, and a lot of people didn’t even realize she was a woman because Tupac and Treach from Naughty By Nature were her spokespeople. There was this big wave of streetwear entrepreneurs in the early ’90s, and she should really be commended as part of that: she and all the women stylists who gave Hiphop its look in terms of selecting baggy clothes for Mary J. Blige or a lot of the other looks. I think all those women deserve to be celebrated and remembered.

AM: What have you seen with having such a multi-dimensional audience by design as it cuts across music, Hiphop, photography, portraiture and selfies, as shown with such acclaim, like the dynamic Amazon chart success across categories?

VT: A lot of people say Hiphop is now post-genre, so there’s not just one kind of Hiphop, there’s not just one kind of listener or audience. Hiphop now is global on all levels – it’s not just the subculture in a neighborhood anymore. The elements of it have been appropriated. That’s a loaded word; I guess a better word would be integrated into all facets of fashion and music. Kids in the suburbs listen to it, everyone listens to it, but at its core it will always be a music that speaks truth to power. That attitude will always come through in the photos, that attitude will always come through in the lyrics and all the different offshoot of any music culture. But now it’s a global phenomenon. Biggie has this line in one of his songs where he says, “You never thought that Hiphop would take it this far.” Indeed, a lot of people thought it was going to be a passing fad. It’s just really beautiful to celebrate the men and women who documented this culture that has not just stayed around but now defines many facets of our shared lives.

AM: It’s so interesting – and a treat – to get such an extensive intimate look at contact sheets and outtakes and see the interplay of photographers and artists in the creative journey together. What are some behind-the-scenes stories in the book about how the shoots started and went?

VT: Oh my goodness, I have so many. The one that people bring up most often is the story of Biggie in the crown that was taken by Barron Claiborne because it is a very stern-looking photo. The story behind it is that Barron was a young black photographer who was given the opportunity to photograph a fellow young black man and wanted to go against all the cliché imagery that he was seeing in the mainstream media at the time. He decided to photograph Biggie as a king. The editor of Rap Pages Magazine, a woman by the name of Dream Hampton, saw the importance of Barron’s vision of portraying someone like Biggie as royalty. In fact, that photo was called King of New York. The photo almost didn’t happen because Puffy/Diddy, who was leading Biggie’s career at that time, thought that he would kind of look like Burger King. So there was a lot of behind-the-scenes back-and forth, and it was interesting to hear the “this classic photo almost didn’t happen” accounts. I really like that photo for sure. I would say that’s a really good story.

AM: What are some accounts from the photographers about their work at that time? What cameras and gear were they shooting with, and did they comment about how it impacted the look and feel of their work and narrative?

VT: A lot o f big photographers – Janette Beckman, Danny Clinch – love shooting with medium-format Hasselblads. Lugging medium-format cameras around different neighborhoods, on the subways, is a little more challenging. But they always said it was very worth it. Not only did they produce this very beautiful, serious, historic moment, the Hiphop artist also felt that way. Janette Beckman shares the story about when she showed up in Hollis, Queens to photograph Run DMC. She had brought her Hasselblad on the subway from Manhattan way up to Queens. When she showed up, they understood that she was serious – not just here to take a few snapshots of us but here to really photograph us. Same goes for Danny Clinch for the Big L album covershot taken in front of his stoop in Harlem. Same thing. I feel like the photographers loved using Hasselblad medium-format because it set the tone.

AM: What have you heard from newer photographer fans, who love seeing contact sheets and negatives as a secret workflow?

VT: In digital culture, Instagram, imagery in general is very disposable in many ways, and we’re also bombarded with a lot of it. For younger fans, it’s often hard to imagine a world where you didn’t see the photo instantly or where you didn’t erase any photos. They’re also used to seeing a lot of finished product. The concept of contact sheets is important because it shows the stakes and it shows growth and it shows the artist in an imperfect setting and it shows the photographer working their process out, their creative process of trying to get the lighting right or not quite getting one out of 36 photos or one out of 12 photos right if you’re shooting medium-format.

So for young people, they see that the process takes time, and a lot of mistakes were made. That’s really important in this day and age. I think they really appreciate it - seeing photos of a young Kendrick Lamar in the studio where he looks kind of tired or frustrated recording his debut album. It’s a different Kendrick Lamar than the Pulitzer Prize winner with this amazing album on the other side of the process. So young people are really loving it. Also, just picking up on all those great style elements of the early days. A lot of it has definitely come back, and a lot of younger fans don’t even realize it’s been around for years and years.

British photographer Janette Beckman began her career at the dawn of punk rock working for publications such as The Face and Melody Maker. She shot bands from The Clash to Boy George as well as three Police album covers and documented the youth culture of the era. Moving to NYC in 1983, Beckman was drawn to the underground hip-hop scene where she photographed the pioneers of the culture such as RUN DMC, Slick Rick, Salt-N-Pepa, Grandmaster Flash, Big Daddy Kane, and LL Cool J.

Beckman has published five books: ‘Rap, Portraits & Lyrics of a Generation of Black Rockers’, ‘Made In The UK The Music of Attitude 1977-1983’, ‘The Beckman has publi-Breaks, Stylin' and Profilin' 1982-1990", 'El Hoyo Maravilla’ and ‘The MashUp, Hip Hop Photos Remixed by Iconic Graffiti Artists’.

Her dedication to documenting the outliers of society remains evident in the works she creates surrounding subjects such as Manhattan based dirt bike bandits, The Go Hard Boyz, an illegal girl fight club in Brownsville, New York, and the hardnosed rodeo riders of the River City Rodeo in Omaha, Nebraska. Her work has been shown in galleries worldwide and is in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Museum of the City of New York and the Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe. She is represented by the Fahey Klein Gallery. She continues to live and work in New York City today. Beckman’s commercial work includes assignments for clients such as Dior, Kangol, Levi’s, Schott, and Shinola.

ATHLEISURE MAG: How did you know you wanted to make portraits growing up?

JANETTE BECKMAN: I always liked portraits, I used to visit a lot of museums like the National Portrait Gallery in London as a kid and stare at the paintings, imagining what life was like in the 1800’s or whenever.

AM: Tell us about the London punk scene in the late-70s and how you became immersed?

JB: I came out of art school and the punk and youth culture scenes were happening on the streets. I was always into music and style, so it was natural for me to start documenting what I saw on my doorstep. I started working for a weekly music magazine called Sounds and soon was photographing 2 or 3 bands a week.

AM: What led you to NYC in the early 80’s and how did you start photographing rap groups?

JB: I saw my first Hiphop show in London in the fall of 1982 and that Christmas I came to NYC to visit a friend. The trains were covered in graffiti, kids with boomboxes on the platform. I loved it.

AM: What were some of the first Hiphop concerts that you attended, and how did the blend of DJs, rappers, break dancers and graffiti artists speak to you and what you saw with the culture at large?

JB: The first Hiphop concert was in London in 1982. I was blown away by the sounds and visuals, rappers, DJs, graffiti writers, break dancers all on stage together - I photographed Fab 5 Freddy, Grand Mixer DST, Afrika Bambaataa, RockSteady Crew, Double Dutch Girls, Rammellzee, Futura, Dondi - legends of the culture.

AM: Tell us about the 1984 shoot with Run-DMC for The Face magazine.

JB: The British magazine The Face commissioned me to photograph Run DMC. They gave me a phone number, which turned out to be Jam Master Jay’s mom’s house. I spoke to Jay and we arranged to meet at the Hollis subway station. Hollis turned out to be a leafy suburb in Queens. I walked down the street with him, met Run DMC hanging out under the trees on a spring day with some friends, and began taking photos - I got that shot in the first few frames. It was really a moment in time.

AM: What camera and lenses did you shoot with? How important was it to be shoot-ready when approaching shoots those days?

JB: I had a Hasselblad with an 80mm lens, I had 3 backs (12 shots in each), always ready/loaded.

AM: What was it like to work with Def Jam?

JB: Def Jam was a small label. I was also working with other small labels like Next Plateau and Sleeping Bag. They would bring their artists ’round to my studio. I had shown my portfolio to Lyor Cohen and Def Jam started to hire me. The first shoot I did for them was when Bill Adler, the Press Officer for Def Jam, brought LL Cool J to my studio for his first press shot.

AM: We loved seeing the early Afrocentric style reflected with your work with Tribe Called Quest. How did this come about and what was the day like?

JB: I was a huge fan of Tribe Called Quest and Hiphop style was becoming more Afrocentric. We decided that we wanted to shoot in nature. We were in NYC and the trees were still bare, so we went to the Chelsea Flower Market and found this greenery. The band had their little cousin with them and we had him in the shot too.

AM: What are some of the similarities and differences between shooting album covers and magazine candids and portraits?

JB: Album covers are square, you have to think about that when you are composing a shot. Magazine pages are usually vertical.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF CONTACT HIGH: A VISUAL HISTORY OF HIP HOP, BY VIKKI TOBAK | Fugees - Jayson Keeling | Jay-Z – Danny Hastings | Kanye – Danny Clinch | Memphis Bleek - Armen Djerrahain | Mos Def - Jamil GS | RUN DMC – Janette Beckman | Salt-n-Pepa – Janette Beckman | A Tribe Called Quest – Janette Beckman |

Read the May Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Contact High in mag.

NERVO YORK

We end our year the way we began it - with NERVO, but this time, in addition to our interview, we hung out with them right before their Lavo NYC show to shoot the International EDM DJ duo. Liv and Mim have been traveling, DJing around the world, releasing new  music and continuing to connect with their fans.

We brought them to Grammy winner and music icon, Desmond Child's home (we have an exclusive interview with Desmond following this interview), which was the perfect location for this shoot. We talked with them about what they're up to, who they've been working with, where they'd like to perform, their upcoming show for NYE at the W in Miami and what festivals you'll see them in during 2018.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We kicked off the year with an interview with you ladies and it's only fitting that we close it with you as well as you're gracing our Dec cover - what has been a snapshot of this year from what you were up to personally, musically, - whatever you wish to share.

NERVO: We have had a year of absolute madness. Lots of great things going on that we just need to pinch ourselves sometimes. We also are just doing our best to keep our heads above water and enjoy the little moments you know… We think all touring artists or just busy people, in general, are the same. There’s a lot of pressure mixed with a lot of adrenaline filled moments. It can be a lot sometimes!

AM: You ladies are multiple threats as you're DJ's, producers, songwriters, composers, models, brand ambassadors, etc., so it was only fitting to have you shoot in Desmond Child's home
- can you share some of your projects that you did this year or next year?

N: Tell us about it - Desmond Child is a total legend. What an honour to be shooting in his home! Love how we decked his house out.

So… We released a bunch of music this year, including a few collabs - one with New York based band Sofi Tukker and some others with more dance artists like DVBBS and Danny Avila, Oh, and then there’s the collab we wrote with Cheif Keef which was pretty special! We have been touring mainly Europe for the summer, but we also have our residency at Omnia in Las Vegas, which gets us over to The USA about 16 times a year.

We have a bunch of new songs in the works which we are focusing in on now. Quarters 4 and 1 are always for making new music and that means touring a bit less.

AM: What's the process like when you're creating your music and how is it different when you're creating something for another artist?

N: We’re more relaxed when we make music for others or even for a collaboration. Something about it being less pressure. When it’s your own record suddenly you feel like people are going
to hate on you if they don’t like it. It’s a part time job blocking out that noise!

AM: How do you go about finding inspiration for upcoming projects?

N: We are constantly inspired. To be honest we don’t have enough time to not be inspired. We have so many unfinished ideas that we just need an extra 2 days a week to finish. We must be
ADHD or something.

AM: What is a NERVO Christmas like - do you make it home to Australia for the holiday, do you guys cook and what gifts are you looking for this year?

N: It’s pretty low key and is the same every year. We have a huge lunch in our family home in Melbourne, then we all go to our Aunty Mary and Uncle Max’s home for more food, and then we
eventually pass out around 10pm with belly’s so full that we couldn’t dream of eating dinner! Leftovers are eaten for the next 4 days or so. We are Italian/Australian so there’s always SO
much food!

AM: This NYE, where are you playing and what about 2018 makes you excited to ring it in?

N: We are playing Miamiiiiiii! At the W Hotel. We can’t wait!! Miami is just the best for New Year's Eve. We think we might hang around a few days and have some beach time and Cuban food.

AM: What's on your playlist at the moment that gets you up and moving?

N: Massively inspired by what Jax Jones is doing at the moment. Sampling Booka Shade and flipping it into a 2017 anthem! Go JJ!

AM: Where are some festivals/cities that you'll be hitting this year that we can expect to see you performing at?

N: We are playing Tomorrowland in Belgium again. Always a yearly highlight! We are also playing Creamfields in South America. And of course, everyone can catch us at Ushuaia in Ibiza and Omnia/Hakkassan in The USA for our residencies.

AM: What is a gig that you would like to do ie. Super Bowl Half Time show, that you have yet to be asked to do but want to check off your bucket list?

N: Probably Coachella. It’s such a great festival and one of the only ones we have never been asked to play at. We don't think they like us. ha! Maybe we're too bubbly or mainstream or
something... We dunno. But we have been to the festival and it's such a great vibe. Always perfect weather.

AM: You're rocking a lot of fun styles throughout our Dec cover shoot, but what is your personal style when you head out to play a set for NYE versus when you're hanging out?

N: We like to dress things up when we play a gig. We love body suits, lycra, face jewels, creepers, teased up hair, more is more. When we are hanging out we’re a lot more chilled and casual - for example we are loving the Fenty clothes that we wore in the shoot for our travel/studio days!

AM: You guys travel a lot, what are your 3 musts that you take with you no matter what city you're rocking in to feel like you're at home?

N: Iijin snake skin silver and gold shoes (for Liv), Hairspray (for Mim), and our laptops (for both of us).

AM: The Winter Olympics are coming up and we're fans of curling, what teams/sports are you cheering for?

N: Ooohh we’ll have to check it out!! We do love to ski so that’s something we would like to watch. Does Australia even have a team? If Australia is competing then we would have to go for
them but if they don’t then we would go for Italy because that is where our parents were born :).

NERVO YORK CREDITS

COVER + PG 14 | FENTY X PUMA Blocked Track Jacket + Blocked Taped Track Pant | OUTDOOR VOICES Sport Bra | FENTY X PUMA AnkleStrap Sneaker | FENTY X PUMA Monday Cap | FRAME Le Original Patch Jacket |

FENTY X PUMA Hooded Zip Front Leotard | FENTY X PUMA Printed Bra | RUBEN GALARRETA Legging Harness |

PG 16 | BLACK MILK Fatale Dress | LAGOS JEWELRY Black Beaded Caviar Bracelet | ARTISTS' OWN Wrapped Bracelet, Charm Bracelet, Watch + Hat |

PG 19 | MCM Shearling Bag | ARTISTS' OWN Bra, Shorts + Scarf |

PG 20 | SPLENDID Racerback Turtleneck Sport Bra | ELIZABETH ACKERMAN Palazzo Palm Pants | DIANA ROSH FUR Olive + Blue Fur Coat | LOVE KNITZ Hat |

PG 21 | DIANA ROSH FUR Multicolor Coat | HAT ATTACK Arm Warmers | MIRA RAE Velvet Leggings | MCM Shearling Hat |

PG 22 | ROMPLY Blush Wrap Romper | HAT ATTACK Hat | LAGOS JEWELRY Ring | ARTISTS' OWN Bra |

PG 25 | ROMPLY Navy/Gold Tapestry Romper | NINA JEWELRY Swarovski Bangle | MCM Polke Backpack in Starry Eyed Bunny | ARTISTS' OWN Marcher Jacket |

Athleisure Mag readers know that a number of our shoots take place in luxury apartments that have yet to be released to the public or are being sold. We tend to maintain the privacy of the homeowners; however, this shoot was perfectly aligned as it took place at Grammy-winning and Emmy-nominated songwriter/producer Desmond Child's home!

He is one of the most accomplished hit-makers, having written and produced more than eighty Billboard Top 40 hits spanning five decades including "Livin' On A Prayer”, “You Give Love A Bad Name”, “I Was Made For Lovin' You”, “Dude Looks Like A Lady”, “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” and “Waking Up In Vegas.” From Aerosmith to Zedd, his genre-defying collaborations also include Bon Jovi, KISS, Motley Crew, Joan Jett, Cher, Michael Bolton, Cyndi Lauper, Ricky Martin, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, Meat Loaf, Selena Gomez, Katy Perry, Sia, Mickey Mouse and Kermit the Frog, selling over 500 million records worldwide as well as downloads, YouTube views and streaming plays already in the billions. His upcoming autobiography LIVIN' ON A PRAYER: BIG SONGS BIG LIFE with David Ritz is scheduled for release the Fall 2018. Desmond Child was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008 and serves on its Board of Directors as well as the Board of ASCAP. In 2012 he co-founded the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame and serves as its Chairman/CEO. He is also Chairman of The Fountains of Musica Foundation, who’s mission is to complete Alan LeQuire's aquatic bronze masterpiece MUSICA located at the entrance to Nashville’s Music Row.

ATHLEISURE MAG: It was an honor to shoot in your beautiful home and NERVO was very excited to see that they were in your apartment. Please share with our readers about how you got into the music business and whom you have worked with.

DESMOND CHILD: My beautiful mother, the late Cuban poet and Bolero composer Elena Casals, was always writing her romantic and soulful songs at her old upright piano on the dairy farm in Hawthorn, Florida, where I was born in 1953. At that time, I didn’t know that most people don’t write songs as a natural expression of the ups and downs of ordinary life. I would sit on my mother's lap at the piano and bang out long unrepeatable classical sounding improvisations. As soon as I could sit upright, she would make me play for her bohemian friends sitting around on the floor smoking and drinking during the Mad Men era when that was actually still good for you.

Not being able to afford a gift, I wrote my first official pop song titled “Birthday Blues” at the age of 15 in 1968 as a birthday tribute to a beautiful girl I was trying to impress named Laura
Stern. After that, I never looked back and kept writing songs all the way into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, where I was inducted into in 2008. That only took 40 years. ;)

ATHLEISURE MAG: Your home is awesome and there were so many elements that were amazing, but we all enjoyed your piano - when did you decide that you would have these notable talents sign your piano, and are there signatures that you have yet to get, but still
want to have in there?

DC: It was a random day, and I was walking down 57th Street, and when I got to the Steinway showroom, I looked through the window and saw this gorgeous Steinway D lit up like it was on a stage. I went in, sat down at it, and it seemed to just play itself. I ended up buying it on the spot, but I had to put it in storage for 2 years while my apartment was being renovated. When the time finally came to move-in the piano, I had to hire a crane to lift it up on its side in a massive wooden crate and slip it through the living room window.

It was an incredible feat that tied up Fifth Avenue traffic and pissed-off a lot of people.

As soon as I started doing writing sessions with top stars or important visitors, I would ask them to write their names in the piano along with the date. It started to get crowded in there and some names are completely unrecognizable, so I guess I will have to create a map of the stars to keep track of them all.

These are the names I would love to have in the piano: Joni Mitchell, Sir Elton John, Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Hudson, Sade, Imogen Heap, Paul Stanley & Gene Simmons, Beyonce & Jay Z, Steven Tyler, and Joe Perry.

AM: Are there projects that you are working on that you can share with us?

DC: I am just putting the finishing touches on my auto-biography - LIVIN' ON A PRAYER: BIG SONGS BIG LIFE with David Ritz. I hope to release in the fall of 2018.

AM: What is currently on your playlist?

DC: I only play two records ever… AMOROSO by Jaoa Gilberto, produced by my dear late friend Tommy LiPuma, and Sade’s epic LOVE DELUX. Over the past 5 years I’ve added Concha Buika’s
rare but exquisite albums. Any other music I hear is by accident.

AM: With New Years Eve just around the corner, what's the perfect playlist that we should be creating to celebrate the end of 2017 and the start of 2018?

DC: Any of Amy Grants 5 Christmas albums. Amy is my husband Curtis’ favorite artist of all time…. It just ain’t Christmas without Amy Grant.

We enjoyed finding out more about Desmond Child and his home which is currently on the market. We sat down with Louise Phillips Forbes of Halstead properties to find out more about 1215 Fifth Avenue #8CD as well as the neighborhood it resides in.

ATHLEISURE MAG: There are so many great aspects to this apartment, from its layout to the INCREDIBLE views of Central Park - what can you tell us about this property?

LOUISE PHILIPS FORBES: What’s not to envy in this exceptional home?! It’s a full-floor combination apartment with panoramic views of Central Park that are breathtaking year-round, and an abundance of custom designer details like art-deco moldings and Venetian plaster walls. The grand and expansive formal living room is an entertainer’s dream with four large picture windows (manufactured by Hope's) facing west, high-beamed ceilings and a statuesque
wood-burning fireplace. Plus, the spectacular views carry through to the formal dining room. A peaceful retreat, the master suite also showcases the Central Park views and features superbly crafted built-ins and an oversized walk-in closet that resembles a luxury boutique. You can escape to the spa in the elegant Vitrolite tile and Terrazzo master bathroom with a deep soaking tub, double sink vanity, walk-in steam shower, and heated floors. But it's the park views that will transport you to another world. A culinary delight, the eat-in chef's kitchen is the heart of the home with an open design that includes a substantial casual dining/living and media area. Kitchen highlights are the sophisticated Terrazzo countertops, abundance of pantry storage cabinets, and high-end appliances. A coveted laundry room holds the side-by-side and full-size Miele washer and Asko dryer with a sink and storage. To top it off, there is a new state-of-the-art Lutron lighting system and Crestron integrated surround audio system with built-in
speakers all through the apartment. Two oversized bedrooms and a second full bathroom complete the home with through-wall AC's in every room and great closets throughout. It’s pretty close to perfect!

AM: What amenities are offered in this building for residents?

LFP: A pre-war treasure, the Brisbane House at 1215 Fifth Avenue was developed and built in 1928 by distinguished journalist and columnist for Hearst newspapers, Arthur Brisbane, and designed by the renowned architectural firm Schultze & Weaver. The beautiful 16-story limestone-and-caramel-brick building boasts an elegant lobby and full-service amenities, including 24-hour doorman, live-in superintendent, private courtyard, fitness area, central
laundry room, personal storage, bike storage, and pet-friendly attitude.

AM: Tell us about the neighborhood that is directly around this building and what neighborhood is this considered?

LFP: A premier residence nestled near Carnegie Hill, this elegant gem is conveniently located across from Central Park and along Museum Mile with easy access to world-class exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Guggenheim Museum, and the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, among others. Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue
beckon with high-end boutique shopping and fine art galleries, plus there is an abundance of distinguished restaurants, charming cafes, gourmet grocers, supermarkets, Equinox Fitness
Club, the 92nd Street Y, and many popular retail destinations.

AM: For those that are interested in purchasing this unit, how can they find out more information?

LFP: It would be very easy to call this stunning apartment home given the grandeur of the rooms, designer details throughout, and abundance of Central Park views! To schedule an appointment, simply contact me directly and I will be happy to give you a private tour and discuss the purchasing details. You can reach me via email at lphillips@halstead.com or at 212-381-3329.

AM: Where can readers find out about additional properties that you represent?

LFP: Visit my website and click on the tab for “My Listings”. You can view pictures, 3D floor plans, and videos along with detailed descriptions of each property I’m working with from
downtown to uptown. The available homes range from a three-bedroom loft apartment in Tribeca to a 6-story grand townhouse on the Upper East Side.

Read more from the Dec Issue and see NERVO YORK in mag.

GET THE FACTS | LOW BEAUTY

The world of makeup artistry is ever changing from following trends, making new ones and seeing what exists within the cosmetic and skincare industries. We had a chance to chat with Karim Orange on celebs that she has worked on, her about new line that she has collaborated with via Vapour Organic Beauty, being a Low Beauty Makeup Artist and what that means in a world where we are navigating green, non-animal tested products, sustainable as well as other products.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about your background and how you became a Makeup Artist.

KARIM ORANGE:I have been a professional make up artist for over 25 years. When I was younger I always loved the beautiful girls in the magazines with makeup on. They always looked so happy. I started as an assistant to another celebrity makeup artist. We worked on over 100 videos a year in the early 90s. My big break was touring with Mary J Blige. After that I beat out 23 other make up artists for my spot at The View. This is where I received my two Emmy nominations.

AM: Who are celebrities or projects that you have worked on that we would know?

KO:  I worked on The View and with artists like Jay Z, Nas, Sean Puffy Combs,  Lauren Hill, Rosario Dawson, Goldie Hawn, Mary J. Blige, Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, The Dixie chicks, Deepak Chopra, I've even done Donald Trump's makeup. 

AM: How did Inner Orange come about (from it's name, your partnership with Vapour etc)? 

KO: Vapor Organic Beauty and I have been working together in different capacities for over five years. I have always respected them as a brand because they have always been inclusive of all shades. The name Inner Orange is of course a play on my last name. I find that orange, the color, usually makes people feel excited. The sun has hues of orange, changing leaves have beautiful tones of orange. Some amazing foods are orange. Orange makes you glow. Inner Orange is about glowing strong in whatever-you do, and the colors in the collection reflect a 'glow strong' attitude.

AM: What products are currently in Inner Orange and what are your plans for this portion of the line in terms of extending the product range? 

KO: Inner Orange currently consists of two collections. The first collection is called Spark and it's for light to medium skin-tones. It consists of peachy and soft gold neutral tones. The Crave collection consists of warm burnt orange shades and rich chocolate browns. It is more for medium to darker shades. Inner Orange will continue to develop with Vapor Organic Beauty. You will see the addition of seasonal colors and products to support the crave and spark collection, giving you more possibilities. 

You will also see additional products under the Inner Orange umbrella. The next product is a synergistic essential oil blend called Inner Orange, which will be available in January on the Inner Orange website. 
 

AM: When we talked with you at the event, you explained that you're a Low Beauty makeup artist - can you explain more about what this and misconceptions that people may have on this title/category?

KO: Over the years I have seen the words clean, green, organic, sustainable, natural all used to describe more conscious personal care products. These are the words that I have used to describe personal care products. Recently, I have thought about what it is that I do. What it is that I would like to teach women. It became a concept that I have personally coined to describe my practice which I call 'Low' Beauty. It's very easy for the average person to understand. Everyone likes things in life that are low! Low mortgage rates, low-risk activities, low pesticides in food.

Low beauty is three basic steps and rules, that I try to follow.

*As a makeup artist, I try to use the minimum amount of products to get maximum results. When I teach a woman how to do their make up I try and make it as simple as possible. If she is currently using 10 products I try to get it down to five or six. 

*I also try to introduce products with low undesirable ingredients. 

*Lastly I try to pick products with low carbon footprints. Sometimes the low carbon footprint part can have shades of grey. 

AM: How did your journey to being a Low Beauty artist come about? 

KO: My journey as a low beauty make up artist came about by trial and error. Using minimal products came about on a tour with Mary J Blige. At the time, Mary had her own makeup kit that I was using. Somehow her make up kit got left behind at the last venue. That night I had to do Mary's make up with a few products. It taught me how to be a minimalist. Also working on The View (live television), where you have no extra time for extra products, confirmed my minimalistic approach. 

The need to use products with low undesirable ingredients came about through my personal nightmare. A lipstick that I had been using every day for years sent me to the emergency room because of a sudden allergic reaction. I didn't wear lipstick for almost 10 years after this. I also started making the connection between women and autoimmune disease and what we put in our bodies. There are so many women that have reactions to something they have been using every day. The body one day says that's enough, and makes the immune system go haywire. I was lucky that my reaction happened on the outside of my body immediately. I was able to stop using the product, a lot of women are not so lucky when symptoms happen internally. 

The low carbon footprint aspect can be a bit overwhelming. While I understand that sometimes companies can't do everything right, they should still make an effort not to intentionally incorporate practices that are wrong and harm the earth or animals. They should support sustainable practices and know every element of their manufacturing. 

AM: There is a growing conversation among many about the need to transition a number of beauty products from those that are chemically based to those that have less as well as those that have not been tested on animals.

What products swaps do you suggest for mascara, eyeliner, lipstick, foundation, eyeshadow, cleansers, toners, moisturizer etc. Are there any products that you suggest that people continue to use that may not be Low Beauty oriented but are safe to use?

KO: You're trying to get me in trouble with this question (lol). I believe in education not scare tactics because I'm a magician, not a preacher. I encourage women to switch three products first - their lipstick because they eat it. Their body lotion because your skin is the biggest elimination organ in the body, and your nail polish because the nail beds are so porous and traditional nail products are so toxic.

Let's also remember that I am a makeup artist and I love makeup. I still follow the trends and products in traditional makeup. I have to relate to any woman that comes to me for a consultation. I have to understand what she is using and why.

So, if you come to me as a virgin when it comes to owning cleaner versions of beauty products, I'm going to be very gentle with my recommendations. My first step is to educate you and get you out of any lipstick that has toxic ingredients. With that being said if you're addicted to your Dior Show mascara (which I know is fabulous) I'm going to say enjoy it and tackle other things (first things first). 

Here are some of my favorite products (yes they all fall under Low Beauty lol)

Mascara: Mineral Fusion and Gabriel Cosmetics 

Eyeliner: Zuzu Luxe (they have a ton of fabulous colors and shades, for both eyeliners and lip liners). 

Lipstick: Any color you love that's nontoxic. 

Foundation: I love Vapour and Mineral Fusion in liquid formulas. (they offer so many varieties and formulations). I also like Au Naturale sticks and ZuZu Luxe for powder. 

Eyeshadow: Most mineral shadows are ok. Just make sure they are not made in a country that tests on animals. Also, try and find some that contain no FD & C Dyes. 

Cleansers, Moisturizers, Toners: Try brands like Indie Lee, Kimberly Sayer, Dr. Hascka and Even Healy. All of these brands are amazing.

Read more from the Nov issue and see Get The Facts | Low Beauty in mag.

GAME IS MINE REMIX

This month, we have a mix for you to enjoy whether you're off to work, rocking it at the gym or wherever your tunes take you. Check out our latest mix on Soundcloud, The Game is Mine Mix.

Read more from the April Issue