Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see THE PICK ME UP in mag.
Today, the GRAMMYs announced the nominations for the 68th award show that will take place on Feb 1st on CBS at 8pm ET and you can stream it live on Paramount+. Music’s biggest night will not disappoint! As we do throughout Awards Season, we share our predictions in bold, the ones we correctly identified as winners are in bold italics and winners that we didn’t predict are in italics. On the night of the event, we will share who we predicted correctly as well as those we didn’t that won.
DtMF
Bad Bunny
Scotty Dittrich, Hydra Hitz, La Paciencia, JULiA LEWiS, MAG & Tyler Spry, producers; Antonio Caraballo, Josh Gudwin, Roberto Rosado & Tyler Spry, engineers/mixers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
Manchild
Sabrina Carpenter
Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter, producers; Jack Antonoff, Bryce Bordone, Jozef Caldwell, Serban Ghenea, Sean Hutchinson, Oli Jacobs, Michael Riddleberger & Laura Sisk, engineers/mixers; Ruairi O'Flaherty, mastering engineer
Anxiety
Doechii
Doechii, producer; Jayda Love, engineer/mixer; Nicolas De Porcel, mastering engineer
WILDFLOWER
Billie Eilish
FINNEAS, producer; Jon Castelli, FINNEAS & Aron Forbes, engineers/mixers; Dale Becker, mastering engineer
Abracadabra
Lady Gaga
Cirkut, Lady Gaga & Andrew Watt, producers; Bryce Bordone, Serban Ghenea & Paul LaMalfa, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
luther
Kendrick Lamar With SZA
Jack Antonoff, Bridgeway, M-Tech, roselilah, Sounwave & Kamasi Washington, producers; Jack Antonoff, Ray Charles Brown Jr., Hector Castro, Oli Jacobs, Jack Manning, Sean Matsukawa, Dani Perez, Tony Shepperd, Laura Sisk & Johnathan Turner, engineers/mixers; Ruairi O’Flaherty, mastering engineer
The Subway
Chappell Roan
Daniel Nigro, producer; Chris Kaysch, Mitch McCarthy & Daniel Nigro, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
APT.
ROSÉ, Bruno Mars
Rogét Chahayed, Cirkut, Omer Fedi & Bruno Mars, producers; Serban Ghenea
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
Bad Bunny
Big Jay, La Paciencia, MAG & Tainy, producers; Antonio Caraballo, Josh Gudwin, Luis Amed Irizarry & Roberto José Rosado Torres, engineers/mixers; Benito Antonio Ocasio Martinez, Roberto José Rosado Torres, Marco Daniel Borrero, Jay Anthony Nuñez & Marcos Efrain Masis, songwriters; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
SWAG
Justin Bieber
Eddie Benjamin, Justin Bieber, Daniel Chetrit, Dijon, Carter Lang & Dylan Wiggins, producers; Felix Byrne & Josh Gudwin, engineers/mixers; Eddie Benjamin, Justin Bieber, Daniel Chetrit, Dijon Duenas, Tobias Jesso Jr., Carter Lang, Jackson Lee Morgan & Dylan Wiggins, songwriters; Dale Becker, mastering engineer
Man's Best Friend
Sabrina Carpenter
Jack Antonoff, Sabrina Carpenter & John Ryan, producers; Zem Adu, Jack Antonoff, Bryce Bordone, Jozef Caldwell, Serban Ghenea, Jeff Gunnell, David Hart, Mikey Freedom Hart, Sean Hutchinson, Oli Jacobs, Jack Manning, Joey Miller, Michael Riddleberger, John Ryan, Laura Sisk & Evan Smith, engineers/mixers; Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff, Sabrina Carpenter & John Ryan, songwriters; Nathan Dantzler & Ruairi O'Flaherty, mastering engineers
Let God Sort Em Out
Clipse, Pusha T & Malice
Pharrell Williams, featured artist; Pharrell Williams, producer; Mike Larson, Manny Marroquin, Rob Ulsh & Pharrell Williams, engineers/mixers; Gene Elliott Thornton Jr., Terrence Thornton & Pharrell Williams, songwriters; Zach Pereyra, mastering engineer
MAYHEM
Lady Gaga
Cirkut, Gesaffelstein, Lady Gaga & Andrew Watt, producers; Bryce Bordone, Serban Ghenea & Paul LaMalfa, engineers/mixers; Henry Walter, Mike Lévy, Lady Gaga, Michael Polansky & Andrew Watt, songwriters; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
GNX
Kendrick Lamar
Jack Antonoff & Sounwave, producers; Jack Antonoff, Ray Charles Brown Jr., Jozef Caldwell, Oli Jacobs, Jack Manning, Dani Perez, Laura Sisk & Johnathan Turner, engineers/mixers; Jack Antonoff, Ink, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Kendrick Lamar, Matthew Bernard & Mark Anthony Spears, songwriters; Ruairi O’Flaherty, mastering engineer
MUTT
Leon Thomas
Freaky Rob, Peter Lee Johnson, D. Phelps & Leon Thomas, producers; Jean-Marie Horvat, engineer/mixer; Lazaro Andres Camejo, Freaky Rob, Peter Lee Johnson, D. Phelps & Leon Thomas, songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer
CHROMAKOPIA
Tyler, The Creator
Tyler, The Creator, producer; NealHPogue, Tyler Okonma & Vic Wainstein, engineers/mixers; Tyler Okonma, songwriter; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
Abracadabra
Lady Gaga, Henry Walter & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
Anxiety
Jaylah Hickmon, songwriter (Doechii)
**APT.**
Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Rogét Chahayed, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Chae Young Park, Theron Thomas & Henry Walter, songwriters (ROSÉ, Bruno Mars)
DtMF
Marco Daniel Borrero, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Hugo René Sención Sanabria, Tyler Thomas Spry & Roberto José Rosado Torres, songwriters (Bad Bunny)
**Golden [From "KPop Demon Hunters"]**
EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (HUNTR/X:EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)
luther
Jack Antonoff, Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Ink, Kendrick Lamar, Solána Rowe, Mark Anthony Spears & Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar With SZA)
Manchild
Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter, songwriters (Sabrina Carpenter)
WILDFLOWER
Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
Olivia Dean
KATSEYE
The Marias
Addison Rae
sombr
Leon Thomas
Alex Warren
Lola Young
Dan Auerbach
Elegantly Wasted (Hermanos Gutiérrez Featuring Leon Bridges) (S)
Harsh & Exciting (Moonrisers) (A)
Holy Ghost Party (Robert Finley) (S)
Love Is Cruel (Miles Kane) (S)
Medium Raw (Early James) (A)
A Million Knives (The Velveteers) (A)
No Rain, No Flowers (The Black Keys) (A)
Our Time In The Sun (Jeremie Albino) (A)
Cirkut
Abracadabra (Lady Gaga) (S)
AEOMG (Coco Jones) (T)
APT. (ROSÉ & Bruno Mars) (S)
Big Sleep (The Weeknd Featuring Giorgio Moroder) (T)
Disease (Lady Gaga) (S)
IT girl (JADE) (S)
A Little More (Ed Sheeran) (S)
Mayhem (Lady Gaga) (A)
Red Terror (The Weeknd) (T)
Dijon
Baby (Dijon) (A)
DAISIES (Justin Bieber) (T)
DEVOTION (Justin Bieber & Dijon) (T)
THINGS YOU DO (Justin Bieber) (T)
YUKON (Justin Bieber) (T)
Blake Mills
For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) (Japanese Breakfast) (A)
Forever Is A Feeling (Lucy Dacus) (A)
Glory (Perfume Genius) (A)
That Wasn't A Dream (Pino Palladino And Blake Mills)(A)
Sounwave
GNX (Kendrick Lamar) (A)
Amy Allen
APT. (ROSÉ & Bruno Mars) (S)
Bad As The Rest (Jessie Murph) (S)
Hail Mary (Shaboozey, Sierra Ferrell) (T)
Handlebars (JENNIE Featuring Dua Lipa) (S)
Just Keep Watching (Tate McRae) (S)
Lost In Translation (Carín León & Kasey Musgraves) (S)
Manchild (Sabrina Carpenter) (S)
Tears (Sabrina Carpenter) (S)
WHY (Jon Bellion Featuring Luke Combs) (S)
Edgar Barrera
Birthday Behavior (BIA, Young Miko) (S)
Coleccionando Heridas (KAROL G, Marco Antonio Solís) (T)
Ese Vato No Te Queda (Carín León, Gabito Ballesteros) (S)
Me Jalo (Fuerza Regida, Grupo Frontera) (T)
Me Retiro (Santana, Grupo Frontera) (S)
Milagros (KAROL G) (S)
Sigueme Besando Asi (Manuel Turizo) (T)
Soltera (Shakira) (S)
Una Noche Contigo (Juanes) (S)
Jessie Jo Dillon
Bless Your Heart (Megan Moroney) (T)
Bottomland (HARDY) (S)
Dreams Don’t Die (Jelly Roll) (S)
First Rodeo (Kelsea Ballerini) (T)
Happen To Me (Russell Dickerson) (S)
Hello S—ty Day (Jake Worthington, Miranda Lambert)(S)
If You Were Mine (Morgan Wallen) (T)
Patterns (Kelsea Ballerini) (T)
To The Men That Love Women After Heartbreak (Kelsea Ballerini) (T)
**Tobias Jesso Jr.**
Another Baby! (Dijon) (T)
Baby! (Dijon) (T)
Daisies (Justin Bieber) (T)
From (Bon Iver) (T)
Go Baby (Justin Bieber) (T)
Golden Burning Sun (Miley Cyrus) (T)
Man I Need (Olivia Dean) (S)
Relationships (HAIM) (S)
Walking Away (Justin Bieber) (T)
Laura Veltz
About You (BigXthaPlug Featuring Tucker Wetmore) (T)
Blue Strips (Jessie Murph) (S)
Grand Bouquet (Maren Morris) (T)
Leave Me Too (Josh Ross) (S)
Parallel Universe (Lauren Spencer Smith) (T)
Someone In This Room (Jessie Murph Featuring Bailey Zimmerman) (T)
Touch Me Like A Gangster (Jessie Murph) (S)
What Tomorrow's For (Blessing Offor) (T)
You'll Be OK, Kid - From The Original Documentary “Child Star” (Demi Lovato) (S)
DAISIES
Justin Bieber
Manchild
Sabrina Carpenter
Disease
Lady Gaga
The Subway
Chappell Roan
Messy
Lola Young
Defying Gravity
Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande
**Golden [From "KPop Demon Hunters"]**
HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI
Gabriela
KATSEYE
**APT.**
ROSÉ, Bruno Mars
30 For 30
SZA Featuring Kendrick Lamar
SWAG
Justin Bieber
Man's Best Friend
Sabrina Carpenter
Something Beautiful
Miley Cyrus
MAYHEM
Lady Gaga
**I've Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2)**
Teddy Swims
No Cap
Disclosure & Anderson .Paak
Disclosure, producer; Guy Lawrence, mixer
Victory Lap
Fred again.., Skepta, & PlaqueBoyMax
Blake Cascoe, Berwyn Du Bois, Fred again.., Darcy Lewis, Dan Mayo & PlaqueBoyMax, producers; Tom Norris, mixer
SPACE INVADER
KAYTRANADA
KAYTRANADA, producer; KAYTRANADA, mixer
VOLTAGE
Skrillex
John Feldmann & Skrillex, producers; Luca Pretolesi, Skrillex & Virtual Riot, mixers
End Of Summer
Tame Impala
Kevin Parker, producer; Kevin Parker, mixer
Bluest Flame
Selena Gomez & benny blanco
benny blanco, Dylan Brady & Cashmere Cat, producers;benny blanco & Cashmere Cat, mixers
Abracadabra
Lady Gaga
Cirkut, Lady Gaga & Andrew Watt, producers; Serban Ghenea, mixer
Midnight Sun
Zara Larsson
Margo XS & MNEK, producers; Tom Norris, mixer
Just Keep Watching (From F1® The Movie)
Tate McRae
Tyler Spry & Ryan Tedder, producers; Manny Marroquin, mixer
Illegal
PinkPantheress
Aksel Arvid & PinkPantheress, producers; Nickie Jon Pabon
EUSEXUA
FKA twigs
Ten Days
Fred again..
Fancy That
PinkPantheress
Inhale / Exhale
RÜFÜS DU SOL
F— U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!! <3
Skrillex
**Abracadabra (Gesaffelstein Remix)**
Gesaffelstein, remixer (Lady Gaga, Gesaffelstein)
Don't Forget About Us
FKAYTRANADA, remixer (Mariah Carey & KAYTRANADA)
A Dreams A Dream - Ron Trent Remix
Ron Trent, remixer (Soul II Soul)
Galvanize
Chris Lake, remixer (The Chemical Brothers & Chris Lake)
Golden - David Guetta REM/X
David Guetta, remixer (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)
U Should Not Be Doing That
Amyl and The Sniffers
The Emptiness Machine
Linkin Park
NEVER ENOUGH
Turnstile
Mirtazapine
Hayley Williams
Changes (Live From Villa Park) Back To The Beginning
YUNGBLUD Featuring Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman, II
Night Terror
Dream Theater
Lachryma
Ghost
Emergence
Sleep Token
Soft Spine
Spiritbox
BIRDS
Turnstile
As Alive As You Need Me To Be
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails)
Caramel
Vessel1 & Vessel2, songwriters (Sleep Token)
Glum
Daniel James & Hayley Williams, songwriters (Hayley Williams)
NEVER ENOUGH
Daniel Fang, Franz Lyons, Pat McCrory, Meg Mills & Brendan Yates, songwriters (Turnstile)
Zombie
Dominic Harrison & Matt Schwartz, songwriters (YUNGBLUD)
private music
Deftones
I quit
HAIM
From Zero
Linkin Park
NEVER ENOUGH
Turnstile
Idols
YUNGBLUD
Everything Is Peaceful Love
Bon Iver
Alone
The Cure
SEEIN' STARS
Turnstile
mangetout
Wet Leg
Parachute
Hayley Williams
SABLE, fABLE
Bon Iver
Songs Of A Lost World
The Cure
DON'T TAP THE GLASS
Tyler, The Creator
moisturizer
Wet Leg
Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party
Hayley Williams
YUKON
Justin Bieber
It Depends
Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller
Folded
Kehlani
**MUTT (Live From NPR's Tiny Desk)**
Leon Thomas
Heart Of A Woman
Summer Walker
Here We Are
Durand Bernarr
UPTOWN
Lalah Hathaway
LOVE YOU TOO
Ledisi
Crybaby
SZA
VIBES DON'T LIE
Leon Thomas
Folded
Darius Dixson, Andre Harris, Donovan Knight, Don Mills, Kehlani Parrish, Khris Riddick-Tynes & Dawit Kamal Wilson, songwriters (Kehlani)
Heart Of A Woman
David Bishop & Summer Walker, songwriters (Summer Walker)
It Depends
Nico Baran, Chris Brown, Ant Clemons, Ephrem Lopez Jr., Ryan Press, Bryson Tiller, Elliott Trent & Dewain Whitmore Jr., songwriters (Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller)
Overqualified
James John Abrahart Jr & Durand Bernarr, songwriters (Durand Bernarr)
YES IT IS
Jariuce Banks, Lazaro Andres Camejo, Mike Hector, Peter Lee Johnson, Rodney Jones Jr., Ali Prawl & Leon Thomas, songwriters (Leon Thomas)
BLOOM
Durand Bernarr
Adjust Brightness
Bilal
LOVE ON DIGITAL
Destin Conrad
Access All Areas
FLO
Come As You Are
Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon
BELOVED
GIVĒON
**Why Not More?**
Coco Jones
The Crown
Ledisi
Escape Room
Teyana Taylor
MUTT
Leon Thomas
Outside
Cardi B
Chains & Whips
Clipse, Pusha T & Malice Featuring Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams
Anxiety
Doechii
tv off
Kendrick Lamar Featuring Lefty Gunplay
Darling, I
Tyler, The Creator Featuring Teezo Touchdown
Proud Of Me
Fridayy Featuring Meek Mill
Wholeheartedly
JID Featuring Ty Dolla $ign & 6Lack
luther
Kendrick Lamar With SZA
WeMaj
Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon Featuring Rapsody
SOMEBODY LOVES ME
PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake
Anxiety
Jaylah Hickmon, songwriter (Doechii)
The Birds Don't Sing
Gene Elliott Thornton Jr., Terrence Thornton, Pharrell Williams & Stevie Wonder, songwriters (Clipse, Pusha T & Malice Featuring John Legend & Voices Of Fire)
Sticky
Aaron Bolton, Dwayne Carter, Jr., Dudley Alexander Duverne, Tyler Okonma, Janae Wherry, Gloria Woods & Rex Zamor, songwriters (Tyler, The Creator Featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne)
TGIF
Lucas Alegria, Dillon Brophy, Yakki Davis, Jess Jackson, Ronnie Jackson, Mario Mims, Jorge M. Taveras & Gloria Woods, songwriters (GloRilla)
tv off
Jack Antonoff, Larry Jayy, Kendrick Lamar, Dijon McFarlane, Sean Momberger, Mark Anthony Spears & Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar Featuring Lefty Gunplay)
Let God Sort Em Out
Clipse, Pusha T & Malice
GLORIOUS
GloRilla
God Does Like Ugly
JID
GNX
Kendrick Lamar
CHROMAKOPIA
Tyler, The Creator
**A Hurricane in Heels: healed people don't act like that (partially recorded live @City Winery & other places)**
Queen Sheba
Black Shaman
Marc Marcel
Pages
Omari Hardwick & Anthony Hamilton
Saul Williams Meets Carlos Niño & Friends At Treepeople
Saul Williams, Carlos Niño & Friends
Words For Days Vol. 1
Mad Skillz
Noble Rise
Lakecia Benjamin Featuring Immanuel Wilkins & Mark Whitfield
Windows - Live
Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade
Peace Of Mind / Dreams Come True
Samara Joy
Four
Michael Mayo
All Stars Lead To You - Live
Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold & Rachel Eckroth
Elemental
Dee Dee Bridgewater & Bill Charlap
**We Insist 2025!**
Terri Lyne Carrington & Christie Dashiell
Portrait
Samara Joy
Fly
Michael Mayo
Live at Vic's Las Vegas
Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold & Rachel Eckroth
**Trilogy 3 (Live)**
Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade
Southern Nights
Sullivan Fortner Featuring Peter Washington & Marcus Gilmore
Belonging
Branford Marsalis Quartet
Spirit Fall
John Patitucci Featuring Chris Potter & Brian Blade
Fasten Up
Yellowjackets
Orchestrator Emulator
The 8-Bit Big Band
Without Further Ado, Vol 1
Christian McBride Big Band
Lumen
Danilo Pérez & Bohuslän Big Band
**Basie Rocks!**
Deborah Silver & The Count Basie Orchestra
Lights on a Satellite
Sun Ra Arkestra
Some Days Are Better: The Lost Scores
Kenny Wheeler Legacy Featuring The Royal Academy of Music Jazz Orchestra & Frost Jazz Orchestra
La Fleur de Cayenne
Paquito D'Rivera & Madrid-New York Connection Band
The Original Influencers: Dizzy, Chano & Chico Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Featuring Pedrito Martinez, Daymé Arocena, Jon Faddis, Donald Harrison & Melvis Santa
Mundoagua - Celebrating Carla Bley
Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
A Tribute to Benny Moré and Nat King Cole
Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Yainer Horta & Joey Calveiro
Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard
Miguel Zenón Quartet
honey from a winter stone
Ambrose Akinmusire
Keys To The City Volume One
Robert Glasper
Ride into the Sun
Brad Mehldau
LIVE-ACTION
Nate Smith
Blues Blood
Immanuel Wilkins
Wintersongs
Laila Biali
The Gift Of Love
Jennifer Hudson
**Who Believes In Angels?**
Elton John & Brandi Carlile
Harlequin
Lady Gaga
A Matter Of Time
Laufey
The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2
Barbra Streisand
Brightside
ARKAI
Ones & Twos
Gerald Clayton
BEATrio
Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, Antonio Sánchez
Just Us
Bob James & Dave Koz
Shayan
Charu Suri
Buena Vista Social Club
Marco Paguia, Dean Sharenow & David Yazbek, producers (Original Broadway Cast)
Death Becomes Her
Taurean Everett, Megan Hilty, Josh Lamon, Christopher Sieber, Jennifer Simard & Michelle Williams, principal vocalists; Noel Carey, Sean Patrick Flahaven, Julia Mattison & Scott M. Riesett, producers; Noel Carey & Julia Mattison, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast)
Gypsy
Danny Burstein, Kevin Csolak, Audra McDonald, Jordan Tyson & Joy Woods, principal vocalists; David Caddick, Andy Einhorn, David Lai & George C. Wolfe, producers (Jule Styne, composer; Stephen Sondheim, lyricist) (2024 Broadway Cast)
Just In Time
Emily Bergl, Jonathan Groff, Erika Henningsen, Gracie Lawrence & Michele Pawk, principal vocalists; Derik Lee, Andrew Resnick & Bill Sherman, producers (Bobby Darin, composer & lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)
Maybe Happy Ending
Marcus Choi, Darren Criss, Dez Duron & Helen J Shen, principal vocalists; Deborah Abramson, Will Aronson, Ian Kagey & Hue Park, producers; Hue Park, lyricist; Will Aronson, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)
Nose On The Grindstone
Tyler Childers
Good News
Shaboozey
**Bad As I Used To Be [From "F1® The Movie"]**
Chris Stapleton
I Never Lie
Zach Top
Somewhere Over Laredo
Lainey Wilson
A Song To Sing
Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton
Trailblazer
Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson
Love Me Like You Used To Do
Margo Price & Tyler Childers
Amen
Shaboozey & Jelly Roll
Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame
George Strait, Chris Stapleton
Bitin’ List
Tyler Childers, songwriter (Tyler Childers)
Good News
Michael Ross Pollack, Sam Elliot Roman & Jacob Torrey, songwriters (Shaboozey)
I Never Lie
Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols & Zach Top, songwriters (Zach Top)
Somewhere Over Laredo
Andy Albert, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson & Lainey Wilson, songwriters (Lainey Wilson)
A Song To Sing
Jenee Fleenor, Jesse Frasure, Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton)
Dollar A Day
Charley Crockett
American Romance
Lukas Nelson
Oh What A Beautiful World
Willie Nelson
Hard Headed Woman
Margo Price
Ain't In It For My Health
Zach Top
Patterns
Kelsea Ballerini
Snipe Hunter
Tyler Childers
Evangeline Vs. The Machine
Eric Church
Beautifully Broken
Jelly Roll
Postcards From Texas
Miranda Lambert
LONELY AVENUE
Jon Batiste Featuring Randy Newman
Ancient Light
I'm With Her
Crimson And Clay
Jason Isbell
Richmond On The James
Alison Krauss & Union Station
Beautiful Strangers
Mavis Staples
Boom
Sierra Hull
Poison In My Well
Maggie Rose & Grace Potter
Godspeed
Mavis Staples
That's Gonna Leave A Mark
Molly Tuttle
Horses
Jesse Welles
Ancient Light
Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O'Donovan & Sara Watkins, songwriters (I'm With Her)
BIG MONEY
Jon Batiste, Mike Elizondo & Steve McEwan, songwriters (Jon Batiste)
Foxes In The Snow
Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell)
Middle
Jesse Welles, songwriter (Jesse Welles)
Spitfire
Sierra Hull, songwriter (Sierra Hull)
BIG MONEY
Jon Batiste
Bloom
Larkin Poe
Last Leaf On The Tree
Willie Nelson
So Long Little Miss Sunshine
Molly Tuttle
Middle
Jesse Welles
Carter & Cleveland
Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter
A Tip Toe High Wire
Sierra Hull
Arcadia
Alison Krauss & Union Station
Outrun
The Steeldrivers
Highway Prayers
Billy Strings
Ain’t Done With The Blues
Buddy Guy
Room On The Porch
Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo'
One Hour Mama: The Blues Of Victoria Spivey
Maria Muldaur
Look Out Highway
Charlie Musselwhite
Young Fashioned Ways
Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Bobby Rush
Breakthrough
Joe Bonamassa
Paper Doll
Samantha Fish
A Tribute To LJK
Eric Gales
Preacher Kids
Robert Randolph
Family
Southern Avenue
What Did The Blackbird Say To The Crow
Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson
Crown Of Roses
Patty Griffin
Wild And Clear And Blue
I'm With Her
Foxes In The Snow
Jason Isbell
Under The Powerlines April 24 – September 24
Jesse Welles
Live At Vaughan’s
Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet
For Fat Man
Preservation Brass & Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Church Of New Orleans
Kyle Roussel
Second Line Sunday
Trombone Shorty And New Breed Brass Band
A Tribute To The King Of Zydeco
(Various Artists)
Do It Again
Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, songwriter
Church
Tasha Cobbs Leonard, John Legend; Anthony S. Brown, Brunes Charles, Annatoria Chitapa, Kenneth Leonard, Jr., Tasha Cobbs Leonard & Jonas Myrin, songwriters
Still Live
Jonathan McReynolds & Jamal Roberts; Britney Delagraentiss, Jonathan McReynolds, David Lamar Outing III, Orlando Joel Palmer & Terrell Demetrius Wilson, songwriters
Amen
Pastor Mike Jr.; Adia Andrews, Michael McClure Jr., David Lamar Outing II & Terrell Anthony Pettus, songwriters
Come Jesus Come
Cece Winans Featuring Shirley Caesar
I Know A Name
Elevation Worship, Chris Brown, Brandon Lake; Hank Bentley, Steven Furtick, Brandon Lake & Jacob Sooter, songwriters
YOUR WAY'S BETTER
Forrest Frank; Forrest Frank & Pera, songwriters
Hard Fought Hallelujah
Brandon Lake With Jelly Roll; Chris Brown, Jason Bradley Deford, Steven Furtick, Benjamin William Hastings & Brandon Lake, songwriters
Headphones
Lecrae, Killer Mike, T.I.; Bongo ByTheWay, Clifford Harris, William Roderick Miller, Lecrae Moore, Michael Render & Tyshane Thompson, songwriters
Amazing
Darrel Walls, PJ Morton; PJ Morton & Darrel Walls,songwriters
Sunny Days
Yolanda Adams
Tasha
Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Live Breathe Fight
Tamela Mann
Only On The Road Live
Tye Tribbett
Heart Of Mine
Darrel Walls, PJ Morton
CHILD OF GOD II
Forrest Frank
Coritos Vol. 1
Israel & New Breed
King Of Hearts
Brandon Lake
Reconstruction
Lecrae
Let The Church Sing
Tauren Wells
**I Will Not Be Moved (Live)**
The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
Then Came The Morning
Gaither Vocal Band
Praise & Worship: More Than A Hollow Hallelujah
The Isaacs
Good Answers
Karen Peck & New River
Back To My Roots
Candi Staton
Cosa Nuestra
Rauw Alejandro
BOGOTÁ DELUXE
Andrés Cepeda
Tropicoqueta
KAROL G
Cancionera
Natalia Lafourcade
**¿Y ahora qué?**
Alejandro Sanz
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
Bad Bunny
Mixteip
J Balvin
FERXXO VOL X: Sagrado
Feid
NAIKI
Nicki Nicole
EUB DELUXE
Trueno
**SINFÓNICO (En Vivo)**
Yandel
Genes Rebeldes
Aterciopelados
ASTROPICAL
Bomba Estéreo, Rawayana, ASTROPICAL
PAPOTA
CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso
ALGORHYTHM
Los Wizzards
Novela
Fito Paez
MALA MÍA
Fuerza Regida, Grupo Frontera
Y Lo Que Viene
Grupo Frontera
Sin Rodeos
Paola Jara
**Palabra De To's (Seca)**
Carín León
**Bobby Pulido & Friends Una Tuya Y Una Mía - Por La Puerta Grande (En Vivo)**
Bobby Pulido
Fotografías
Rubén Blades, Roberto Delgado & Orquesta
Raíces
Gloria Estefan
Clásicos 1.0
Grupo Niche
Bingo
Alain Pérez
Debut y Segunda Tanda, Vol. 2
Gilberto Santa Rosa
EoO
Bad Bunny
Cantando en el Camino
Ciro Hurtado
JERUSALEMA
Angélique Kidjo
**Inmigrante Y Que?**
Yeisy Rojas
**Shrini's Dream (Live)**
Shakti
Daybreak
Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar
Love
Burna Boy
With You
Davido Featuring Omah Lay
Hope & Love
Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin
Gimme Dat
Ayra Starr Featuring Wizkid
PUSH 2 START
Tyla
Sounds Of Kumbha
Siddhant Bhatia
No Sign of Weakness
Burna Boy
Eclairer le monde - Light the World
Youssou N'Dour
**Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live)**
Shakti
Chapter III: We Return To Light
Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar
Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo
Caetano Veloso And Maria Bethânia
Treasure Self Love
Lila Iké
Heart & Soul
Vybz Kartel
BLXXD & FYAH
Keznamdi
From Within
Mortimer
No Place Like Home
Jesse Royal
Kuruvinda
Kirsten Agresta-Copely
According To The Moon
Cheryl B. Engelhardt, GEM, Dallas String Quartet
Into The Forest
Jahnavi Harrison
NOMADICA
Carla Patullo Featuring The Scorchio Quartet & Tonality
The Colors In My Mind
Chris Redding
Ageless: 100 Years Young
Joanie Leeds & Joya
Buddy's Magic Tree House
Mega Ran
Harmony
FYÜTCH & Aura V
Herstory
Flor Bromley
The Music Of Tori And The Muses
Tori Amos
Drop Dead Years
Bill Burr
PostMortem
Sarah Silverman
Single Lady
Ali Wong
What Had Happened Was…
Jamie Foxx
Your Friend, Nate Bargatze
Nate Bargatze
Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story
Kathy Garver
Into The Uncut Grass
Trevor Noah
Lovely One: A Memoir
Ketanji Brown Jackson
Meditations: The Reflections Of His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
You Know It’s True: The Real Story Of Milli Vanilli
Fab Morvan
A Complete Unknown
Timothée Chalamet
F1® The Album
(Various Artists)
KPop Demon Hunters
(Various Artists)
Sinners
(Various Artists)
Wicked
(Various Artists)
How To Train Your Dragon
John Powell, composer
Severance: Season 2
Theodore Shapiro, composer
Sinners
Ludwig Göransson, composer
Wicked
John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers
The Wild Robot
Kris Bowers, composer
Helldivers 2
Wilbert Roget, II, composer
Indiana Jones And The Great Circle
Gordy Haab, composer
Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card & A Pirate's Fortune
Cody Matthew Johnson & Wilbert Roget, II, composers
Sword of the Sea
Austin Wintory, composer
**As Alive As You Need Me To Be [From "TRON: Ares"]**
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails)
**Golden [From "KPop Demon Hunters"]**
EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)
**I Lied to You [From "Sinners"]**
Ludwig Göransson & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Miles Caton)
**Never Too Late [From "Elton John: Never Too Late"]**
Brandi Carlile, Elton John, Bernie Taupin & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Elton John, Brandi Carlile)
**Pale, Pale Moon [From "Sinners"]**
Ludwig Göransson & Brittany Howard, songwriters (Jayme Lawson)
**Sinners [From "Sinners"]**
Leonard Denisenko, Rodarius Green, Travis Harrington, Tarkan Kozluklu, Kyris Mingo & Darius Povilinus, songwriters (Rod Wave)
Manchild
Sabrina Carpenter
Vania Heymann & Gal Muggia, video directors; Aiden Magarian, Nathan Scherrer & Natan Schottenfels, video producers
So Be It
Clipse
Hannan Hussain, video director; Daniel Order, video producer
Anxiety
Doechii
James Mackel, video director; Pablo Feldman, Jolene Mendes & Sophia Sabella, video producers
Love
OK Go
Aaron Duffy, Miguel Espada & Damian Kulash Jr., video directors; Petra Ahmann, video producer
Young Lion
Sade
Sophie Muller, video director; Aaron Taylor Dean & Sade, video producers
Devo
Devo
Chris Smith, video director; Danny Gabai, Anita Greenspan, Chris Holmes & Chris Smith, video producers
Live At The Royal Albert Hall
Raye
Paul Dugdale, video director; Stefan Demetriou & Amy James, video producers
Relentless
Diane Warren
Bess Kargman, video director; Peggy Drexler, Michele Farinola & Kat Nguyen, video producers
Music By John Williams
John Williams
Laurent Bouzereau, video director; Sara Bernstein, Laurent Bouzereau, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Meredith Kaulfers, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Steven Spielberg & Justin Wilkes, video producers
Piece By Piece
Pharrell Williams
Morgan Neville, video director; Morgan Neville, Caitrin Rogers, Mimi Valdes & Pharrell Williams, video producers
And The Adjacent Possible
Hà Trinh Quoc Bao, Damian Kulash, Jr., Claudio Ripol, Wombi Rose & Yuri Suzuki, art directors (OK Go)
Balloonerism
Bráulio Amado & Alim Smith, art directors (Mac Miller)
Danse Macabre: De Luxe
Rory McCartney, art director (Duran Duran)
Loud Is As
Farbod Kokabi & Emily Sneddon, art directors (Tsunami)
Sequoia
Tim Breen & Ken Shipley, art directors (Various Artists)
**The Spins (Picture Disc Vinyl)**
Miller McCormick, art director (Mac Miller)
Tracks II: The Lost Albums
Meghan Foley & Michelle Holme, art directors (Bruce Springsteen)
CHROMAKOPIA
Shaun Llewellyn & Luis “Panch” Perez, art directors (Tyler, The Creator)
The Crux
William Wesley II, art director (Djo)
Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, art director (Bad Bunny)
Glory
Cody Critcheloe & Andrew J.S., art directors (Perfume Genius)
moisturizer
Hester Chambers, Ellis Durand, Henry Holmes, Matt de Jong, Jamie-James Medina, Joshua Mobaraki & Rhian Teasdale, art directors (Wet Leg)
Adios, Farewell, Goodbye, Good Luck, So Long: On Stage 1964-1974
Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer (Buck Owens And His Buckaroos)
After The Last Sky
Adam Shatz, album notes writer (Anouar Brahem, Anja Lechner, Django Bates, Dave Holland)
Árabe
Amanda Ekery, album notes writer (Amanda Ekery)
The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
Alec Palao, album notes writer (Sly & The Family Stone)
**A Ghost Is Born (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)**
Bob Mehr, album notes writer (Wilco)
Miles '55: The Prestige Recordings
Ashley Kahn, album notes writer (Miles Davis)
**Joni Mitchell Archives - Volume 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980)**
Patrick Milligan & Joni Mitchell, compilation producers; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Joni Mitchell)
The Making Of Five Leaves Left
Cally Callomon & Johnny Chandler, compilation producers; Simon Heyworth & John Wood, mastering engineers (Nick Drake)
**Roots Rocking Zimbabwe - The Modern Sound Of Harare' Townships 1975-1980 (Analog Africa No.41)**
Samy Ben Redjeb, compilation producer; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists)
**Super Disco Pirata - De Tepito Para El Mundo 1965-1980 (Analog Africa No. 39)**
Samy Ben Redjeb, compilation producer; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists)
You Can't Hip A Square: The Doc Pomus Songwriting Demos
Will Bratton, Sharyn Felder & Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Doc Pomus)
All Things Light
Jesse Brock, Jon Castelli, Tyler Johnson, Nick Lobel, Simon Maartensson, Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell, Anders Mouridsen, Ryan Nasci, Ernesto Olivera-Lapier, Ethan Schneiderman & Owen Stoutt, engineers; Dale Becker, mastering engineer (Cam)
Arcadia
Neal Cappellino & Gary Paczosa, engineers; Brad Blackwood, mastering engineer (Alison Krauss & Union Station)
**For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)**
Joseph Lorge, Blake Mills & Sebastian Reunert, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (Japanese Breakfast)
That Wasn't A Dream
Joseph Lorge & Blake Mills, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (Pino Palladino, Blake Mills)
Cerrone: Don't Look Down
Mike Tierney, engineer; Alan Silverman, mastering engineer (Sandbox Percussion)
Eastman: Symphony No. 2; Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2
Gintas Norvila, engineer; Jennifer Nulsen, mastering engineer (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra)
Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth Of The Mtsensk District
Shawn Murphy & Nick Squire, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Andris Nelsons, Kristine Opolais, Günther Groissböck, Peter Hoare, Brenden Gunnell & Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Standard Stoppages
Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, Bill Maylone, Judith Sherman & David Skidmore, engineers; Joe Lambert, mastering engineer (Third Coast Percussion)
Yule
Morten Lindberg, engineer; Morten Lindberg, mastering engineer (Trio Mediæval)
Blanton Alspaugh
All Is Miracle - The Choral Music Of Kyle Pederson (Timothy J. Campbell & Transept) (A)
Heggie: Intelligence (Kwame Ryan, Janai Brugger, Jamie Barton, J'Nai Bridges & Houston Grand Opera) (A)
Marsalis: Blues Symphony (Jader Bignamini & Detroit Symphony Orchestra) (A)
Massenet: Werther (Robert Spano, Matthew Polenzani, sabel Leonard & Houston Grand Opera) (A)
The Mirage Calls (Charles Bruffy & Kansas City Chorale) (A)
Sheehan: Ukrainian War Requiem (Michael Zaugg, Axios Men's Ensemble & Pro Coro Canada) (A)
Sun, Moon, Stars, Rain (Christopher Gabbitas & Phoenix Chorale) (A)
Sergei Kvitko
Biedenbender: Enigma; River Of Time (Kevin L. Sedatole & Michigan State University Wind Symphony) (A)
Chiaroscuro (Vedrana Subotic) (A)
Dancing In A Still Life (Tasha Warren) (A)
Excursions (Vuorovesi Trio) (A)
Four Hands. Two Hearts. One Hope. Ukrainian And American Music For Piano Duo (Mykhailo Diordiiev & Anastasiia Larchikova) (A)
Here And Now - Trumpet Music By Virginia Composers (Jason Crafton, Richard Masters, Annie Stevens & Paul Langosch) (A)
Lansky: Touch And Go (Gwendolyn Dease) (A)
Orbiting Garden (William Hobbs) (A)
Would That Loving Were Enough (Haven Trio) (A)
Morten Lindberg
Fred Over Jorden (Peace To The World) (Elisabeth Holte, Kjetil Bjerkestrand & Uranienborg Vokalensemble) (A)
Stjernebru (Anne Karin Sundal-Ask & Det Norske Jentekor) (A)
Yule (Trio Mediæval) (A)
Dmitriy Lipay
Heggie: Before It All Goes Dark (Joseph Mechavich, Megan Marino, Ryan McKinny & Music Of Remembrance Ensemble) (A)
Odyssey (Jorge Glem, Gustavo Dudamel & Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra Of Venezuela) (A)
Ortiz: Yanga (Gustavo Dudamel, Alisa Weilerstein & Los Angeles Philharmonic) (A)
Elaine Martone
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)
Chopin & Rachmaninoff: Cello Sonatas (Brian Thornton & Spencer Myer) (A)
Dear Mrs. Kennedy (Ryan Townsend Strand) (A)
Eastman: Symphony No. 2; Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2 (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)
LeFrak: Romántico (Sharon Isbin, Lopez-Yañez & Orchestra Of St. Luke's) (A)
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 27 & Symphony No. 29 (Garrick Ohlsson, Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestrea) (A)
The Poet & The Prodigy (Debra Nagy & Mark Edwards) (A)
Shapes In Collective Space (Tallā Rouge) (A)
Songs Of Orpheus (Kelley O'Connor) (A)
All American F***boy
Andrew Law, immersive mix engineer (Duckwrth)
Immersed
Justin Gray, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Justin Gray, Drew Jurecka & Morten Lindberg, immersive producers (Justin Gray)
**An Immersive Tribute To Astor Piazzolla (Live)**
Andrés Mayo & Martín Muscatello, immersive mix engineers; Andrés Mayo & Martín Muscatello, immersive producers (Various Artists)
Tearjerkers
Hans-Martin Buff, immersive mix engineer; Hans-Martin Buff, immersive producer (Tearjerkers)
Yule
Morten Lindberg, immersive mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive mastering engineer; Arve Henriksen & Morten Lindberg, immersive producers (Trio Mediæval)
First Snow
Remy Le Boeuf, composer (Nordkraft Big Band, Remy Le Boeuf & Danielle Wertz)
Live Life This Day: Movement I
Miho Hazama, composer (Miho Hazama, Danish Radio Big Band & Danish National Symphony Orchestra)
Lord, That's A Long Way
Sierra Hull, composer (Sierra Hull)
Opening
Zain Effendi, composer (Zain Effendi)
Train To Emerald City
John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers (John Powell & Stephen Schwartz)
Why You Here / Before The Sun Went Down
Ludwig Göransson, composer (Ludwig Göransson Featuring Miles Caton)
Be Okay
Cynthia Erivo, arranger (Cynthia Erivo)
A Child Is Born
Remy Le Boeuf, arranger (Nordkraft Big Band & Remy Le Boeuf)
Fight On
Andy Clausen, Addison Maye-Saxon, Riley Mulherkar & Chloe Rowlands, arrangers (The Westerlies)
Super Mario Praise Break
Bryan Carter, Charlie Rosen & Matthew Whitaker, arrangers (The 8-Bit Big Band)
Big Fish
Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick, Nate Smith & Amanda Taylor, arrangers (Nate Smith Featuring säje)
**How Did She Look?**
Nelson Riddle, arranger (Seth MacFarlane)
Keep An Eye On Summer
Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)
**Something In The Water (Acoustic-Ish)**
Clyde Lawrence, Gracie Lawrence & Linus Lawrence, arrangers (Lawrence)
What A Wonderful World
Cody Fry, arranger (Cody Fry)
Award to the Conductor and to the Orchestra.
**Coleridge-Taylor: Toussaint L’Ouverture; Ballade Op. 4; Suites From '24 Negro Melodies'**
Michael Repper, conductor (National Philharmonic)
Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie
Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Ravel: Boléro, M. 81
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra Of Venezuela)
Still & Bonds
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)
Stravinsky: Symphony In Three Movements
Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
Heggie: Intelligence
Kwamé Ryan, conductor; Jamie Barton, J'Nai Bridges & Janai Brugger; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (Houston Grand Opera; Gene Scheer)
Huang Ruo: An American Soldier
Carolyn Kuan, conductor; Hannah Cho, Alex DeSocio, Nina Yoshida Nelsen & Brian Vu; Adam Abeshouse, Silas Brown & Doron Schachter, producers (American Composers Orchestra; David Henry Hwang)
Kouyoumdjian: Adoration
Alan Pierson, conductor; Miriam Khalil, Marc Kudisch, David Adam Moore, Omar Najmi, Naomi Louisa O’Connell & Karim Sulayman; Mary Kouyoumdjian, producer (Silvana Quartet; The Choir Of Trinity Wall Street)
O'Halloran: Trade & Mary Motorhead
Elaine Kelly, conductor; Oisín Ó Dálaigh & John Molloy; Alex Dowling & Emma O'Halloran, producers (Irish National Opera Orchestra; Mark O’Halloran)
Tesori: Grounded
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Ben Bliss, Emily D’Angelo, Greer Grimsley & Kyle Miller; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus; George Brant)
Advena - Liturgies For A Broken World
Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Simon Barrad, Emily Yocum Black & Michael Hawes; Conspirare)
Childs: In The Arms Of The Beloved
Grant Gershon, conductor (Billy Childs, Dan Chmielinski, Christian Euman, Larry Koonse, Lyris Quartet, Anne Akiko Meyers, Carol Robbins & Luciana Souza; Los Angeles Master Chorale)
Lang: Poor Hymnal
Donald Nally, conductor (Steven Bradshaw, Michael Hawes, Lauren Kelly, Rebecca Siler & Elisa Sutherland; The Crossing)
Ortiz: Yanga
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Grant Gershon, chorus master (Los Angeles Philharmonic; Los Angeles Master Chorale)
Requiem Of Light
Steven Fox, conductor; Emily Drennan & Patti Drennan, chorus masters (Brian Giebler & Sangeeta Kaur; The Clarion Choir)
Dennehy: Land Of Winter
Alan Pierson & Alarm Will Sound
La Mer - French Piano Trios
Neave Trio
Lullabies For The Brokenhearted
Lili Haydn & Paul Cantelon
Slavic Sessions
Yuja Wang; Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Standard Stoppages
Third Coast Percussion
**Coleridge-Taylor: 3 Selections From '24 Negro Melodies'**
Curtis Stewart; Michael Repper, conductor (National Philharmonic)
Hope Orchestrated
Mary Dawood Catlin; Jesús David Medina & Raniero Palm, conductors (Venezuela Strings Recording Ensemble)
Inheritances
Adam Tendler
Price: Piano Concerto In One Movement In D Minor
Han Chen; John Jeter, conductor (Malmö Opera Orchestra)
Shostakovich: The Cello Concertos
Yo-Yo Ma; Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Shostakovich: The Piano Concertos; Solo Works
Yuja Wang; Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Alike - My Mother's Dream
Allison Charney, soloist; Benjamin Loeb, conductor (National Symphonia Orchestra)
Black Pierrot
Sidney Outlaw, soloist; Warren Jones, pianist
In This Short Life
Devony Smith, soloist; Danny Zelibor, pianist; Michael Nicolas, artist
Kurtág: Kafka Fragments
Susan Narucki, soloist; Curtis Macomber, artist
Schubert Beatles
Theo Hoffman, soloist; Steven Blier, pianist (Rupert Boyd, Julia Bullock, Alex Levine, Andrew Owens, Rubén Rengel & Sam Weber)
Telemann: Ino - Opera Arias For Soprano
Amanda Forsythe, soloist; Robert Mealy, Paul O'Dette & Stephen Stubbs, conductors (Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra)
Cerrone: Don't Look Down
Sandbox Percussion; Jonathan Allen, Victor Caccese, Christopher Cerrone, Ian Rosenbaum, Terry Sweeney & Mike Tierney, producers
The Dunbar/Moore Sessions, Vol. II
Will Liverman; Jonathan Estabrooks, producer
Ortiz: Yanga
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Dmitriy Lipay, producer
Seven Seasons
Janai Brugger, Isolde Fair, MB Gordy & Starr Parodi; Nicholas Dodd, conductor; Jeff Fair, Starr Parodi & Kitt Wakeley, producers
Tombeaux
Christina Sandsengen; Shaun Drew & Christina Sandsengen, producers
Cerrone: Don't Look Down
Christopher Cerrone, composer (Conor Hanick & Sandbox Percussion)
Dennehy: Land Of Winter
Donnacha Dennehy, composer (Alan Pierson & Alarm Will Sound)
**León: Raíces (Origins)**
Tania León, composer (Edward Gardner & London Philharmonic Orchestra)
Okpebholo: Songs In Flight
Shawn E. Okpebholo, composer (Will Liverman, Paul Sánchez & Various Artists)
Ortiz: Dzonot
Gabriela Ortiz, composer (Alisa Weilerstein, Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Golden Bachelor/John Fleenor
PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Maarten de Boer
This week on The Golden Bachelor, we’ve made it to the Antigua with Cindy and Peg! Although his feelings are getting stronger, he notes that Cindy has said that she is falling in love with him and that Peg isn’t. He also lets us know he is looking forward to the Fantasy Suites as well. We see Mel and Jesse Palmer tossing a football back and forth before chatting and going for a beer.
They talk about both women, dates he went on with him, why he is being careful not to say words that are just said casually and carelessly. Jesse reminds him that these are the last days with them and he needs to let them know where he stands with them. He realizes that he knows he has feelings, but he needs to share it with them as they deserve to know that as well. We know that Cindy has thoughts about the fact that she could still feel his walls up during their Hometowns.
Peg has the first date and she lets us know that he fit in well with her family. She also notes that he needs to communicate his feelings to say what he wants and needs. She is excited to take the time with him to figure this out as it’s important for her to know. They navigate the island and she shares that she has been guarded and knows she needs to connect and be emotionally available. When she asks him about it, he deflects to talk about the dune buggy that they took which catches her off guard. As they continue onto the night portion of their date, she knows she will ask the tough questions to hear more about him prior to going to the Fantasy Suites. They decided to spend additional time with one another back at the suite. We see them the next morning and we can tell that their connection has increased.
We see Cindy waiting for their date and she knows that this is an important date for them to be on. Their date involves them laying out on a boat. He lets her know that they will be swimming with stingrays which she has done before (he thought that he was going to get her out of her comfort zone). She can tell that Mel is a little nervous for this activity, but Cindy is super excited and comfortable in this activity. Eventually Mel gets into it and plays witht he stingrays.
They continue onto dinner and Cindy wants to know how he feels. As they talk, Cindy lets him know that he never has questions for her and that he doesn’t feel free to share. She asks him what is holding him back from truly talking about them, his feelings for her, and more. He says that it is difficult for him to say things when he can’t calculate the costs. She also asked him why he waited later in life to get married.
The finale is next week!
Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week, we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see #TRIBEGOALS in the issue.
Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure Beauty in mag.
Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see HOW TO DRESS | Enjoying A Self-Care Day in mag.
Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see MAGNOLIA BEAUTY in mag.
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Golden Bachelor/John Fleenor
PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Maarten de Boer
This week on The Golden Bachelor, we’ve made it to the Women Tell All! You can tell that Jesse Palmer loves the goldens and we connect again with the women from the season (with the exception of those that are still on the journey as well as Diane who is with her family for a wedding).
We always enjoy catching up on the storylines, seeing the women react to what took place over the season and to see Mel chat with them so that there is closure. Debbie lets Nicolle know that she was not empowering other women and that she cut them down in the house. In addition to talking about some of the uncomfortable moments in the house, they also talked about lemon bars as well as being in the Mile High Club. We also got to hear from Kathy and Susan from last season which is always nice!
By the time Mel came on stage, he shared his experience as well as answered questions from the women. They also revelaed the rest of the roast that we had not seen.
Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
PHOTO CREDIT | FOX Sports
We’re in the thick of the World Series with Game 5 taking place tonight at 8pm in LA with the Toronto Blue Jays vs the LA Dodgers. Both teams are 2-2 in the series. See the highlights from Game 4!
As we settle into the Fall, we know that the weeks ahead will be productive and busy! We’re navigating a number of projects while looking ahead to 2026! This month’s cover is definitely on that same wavelength! Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins is a 4X Grammy nominated artist, New York Times Best Selling Author, Entrepreneur, and Philanthropist who is known for a number of songs that have been on rotation on our playlists and more.
We wanted to know more about how he got into the industry, his passion for music, and his creative process. We also wanted to delve into his national TM: 101 Live Orchestra Tour which has been sold out. Due to the success of this tour, he announced his residency in Las Vegas at PH Live at Planet Hollywood with The Masquerade (Oct 31st + Nov 1st) and The Nutcracker (Dec 19th + 21st). On Sept 28th, he dropped his latest album, Still Snowin’! We had to find out this and more from the man himself!
ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s a pleasure to speak with you as I have been a fan, and I have enjoyed your body of work musically, as well as being an entrepreneur, so we’re thrilled to have you as the cover of Athleisure Mag this month!
JEEZY: I love that! Thank you so much! This is amazing!
AM: So, you’ve said that for you, music was a vehicle for business. When did you fall in love with rap, and when did you realize you wanted to be an entertainer?
J: I fell in love with music at a very young age. I think my mother bought me like a Fat Boy’s tape, EPMD tape, and that’s kind of when I was just like, “okay, this is something I love, and when we moved from abroad and came back to the States right before my parents separated, we moved into this small apartment complex. The lady, her name was Dimitri. She lived next door, she was, you know about my father’s age and she played Supersonic. Like, all day, every day, I mean, like J.J. Fad, Supersonic, and it was like, I heard this song literally from when the sun went up to when the sun went down. Because she would play it, and I would just put my ear to the the wall and just listen to it. I just couldn’t believe, like what I was hearing, because I was feeling it. As I started coming of age and you know, I found the people that I liked, I ended up discovering Tupac and I just felt like he was for me. Like, I just couldn’t believe somebody else had the same views I did, and that’s why I really like fell in love with it. And I was, like, okay, you can learn from this. I can enjoy it. This is it. That was the moment.
As far as the artistry, I think I was forced more into being an artist more than I chose to be. I learned from music like music has always been my teacher. One of the real reasons why, I still, you know, listen to podcasts is that I’m learning something. I feel like I always learn from the people I listen to. But the first entrepreneurs that I ever saw were the local hustlers or when Cash Money or No Limit, when they were taking off. I was, like, okay, I could do that, but I want to be a CEO, so I basically, was grinding up money to be a CEO of a label, so I would put my money into the artists, and it didn’t work, you know. And over time, I kind of left with no money, a studio, and really a dream. And one of my guys said, “man, you might as well, just try it yourself, because, you’re the most dedicated and devoted to it, but also, it’s your life.”
AM: Wow!
J: I thought about it and I was like, you know what, you’re right. And I just started to, you know, get in the booth and it took me 10 years. But I stuck with it and the next thing, you know, I was dropping, Tha Streets Iz Watchin, Trap or Die, and then Thug Motivation. It’s been on ever since then.
AM: I mean, where do you get your inspiration from when it comes to creating new music and what is your creative process like?
J: Hmm, creating new music for me, so I never looked at it as music. It’s almost like a journal. You have to live to journal. Like, if you’re not living, you don’t got nothing to journal about. You’ve gotta go through some good times, some bad times, some setbacks, some adversity.
AM: Yup.
J: For me, my process is living. You know, I go out. I have all these new experiences. I learn all these new things. You know, I’ll take a couple of chances, take some risks and with that, I’m able to basically journal about what I’m going through right or what just happened. I navigate through it, and that’s how I go into albums. They’re more like journals.
It’s like, what happened? How did you deal with it? How you feel? What are you gonna do better? What are you inspired to do? What’s in line with your purpose? That’s how I write the music. Now, as far as like the temperament of it, and the sound just depends on where I’m at. If I’m in a place where I’m in a great space, like, right now and this project that I’m about to release now, the music’s going to feel that way, you know, like, Still Snowin’ it feels like I’m in a good place, but, my last project I Might Forgive ... But I Don’t Forget, I was in a bad place, so the music was darker. The sound was darker, the production was deeper. The tempo was slower. So it just depends on how you feel. So, my process is where I live. It’s about enjoying your life no matter what state you’re in and when you take a break from the world and you start to journal, let that come out in the music. The rest is pretty much art.
AM: Right?
J: It’s almost like, if you’re trying to keep up with the trends or trying to stay on the radio and stuff like that - it might be a little more tricky because you’re not yelling it from a real place.
AM: I love the idea of you saying, you’re coming from a place of when you’re living, and so it is very interesting. When you’re hearing your music, but it’s always so super authentic, which I really appreciate.
J: Mmm yeah I receive that – thank you. I think the key to this game - any game really is to stay true to yourself. Staying true to how you really feel, stay present and stay in your flow. Don’t really get caught up in the noise because as artists, you have a million people to tell you how to do it, but they have never done it. And then you have people telling you what you should do and it’s almost like a recipe you get from your grandmother. She taught you how to do it and you understand it and nobody else can come and tell you how to remix this recipe if it has been a family secret. Culture is like our family secret. Nobody can come in and tell me how to remix culture. I’ve had people try and you know, I made some unpopular decisions to stay in my flow. Of course, I went through some turmoil, but it all came back around because I stayed solid, and I kept the Integrity of who I am, what I’m doing, and what I’m saying. So, I don’t want to be the guy at the park you know, out with my daughters and somebody’s like, “oh, that’s got to make that whack something!”
AM: Right!
You’ve been in the industry for 20 years, which is not only incredible, but it’s a cultural milestone. You’ve been on this live orchestra tour focusing on your debut album and performing in like some insane venues at the Apollo Theater here in New York. How did you come together and decide that you wanted to incorporate a 26 piece orchestra and and really pushing the boundaries of what blending hip-hop and classical music is together?
J: Well, the thing is, growing up, you know, we watched all the mafia movies. So, John Gotti stuff and all that, and we just associated that with the good life, right?
AM: Yeah.
J: You get to that point in life you just us see it through a different lens because you made it to this point, which is why we were always fascinated with the narcos and all of that.
As far as our culture, we just want to get it to a place where - you know, it was once a dream, a hope, and a prayer that you made it past 21 because of the circumstances you were in. As you make it past 21, you start to think, like, “damn, what am I going to do now?” And as I have matured into this, to meet the next level is this or that, and the next level for me is 20 years later. Staying in my truth was something that I always dreamed of doing with an orchestra. I was able to do that in Atlanta at the High Museum. It was the first time at 45 years old that I had even seen an orchestra! So, you know, on top of being, nervous, because I’m like, “okay, how does this work for me?” I wondered whether people would accept it. By the third song, I was, like, “oh my God, I gotta take this around the world because this is aligned with my purpose, It’s inspiring and uplifting my culture.”
There are people that I see in this crowd that have suits on that I’ve never seen in suits, Right?
AM: Right!
J: There’s people here celebrating life and just happy to be here because they feel as good as they look – and that’s a feeling right? I said to myself, for my 20-year anniversary, I’m going to take this around the world because there’s somebody in Kansas City that’s never been to an orchestra before, there’s someone in DC that hasn’t, there’s somebody in Miami, there’s somebody in Detroit and they deserve that! The best thing I could do is bring this experience to them and present it in a way that’s cool. It was a date night to see all these married couples are out having a great time together because they grew up on the music. But now they get to celebrate together.
It’s the first of its kind and to do it as a tour and to do it independently as well!
AM: That’s quite an undertaking to do for you to personally back it yourself. The logistics that are around that, like, how has that been to put all that together?
J: I gotta say, I have an amazing team, you know? We tight, but we’re strong. Everybody believed in the vision, and we hit the ground - boots on the ground, and we hit the ground running. The experience of some of the orchestra members and their dedication. You know, the people that were breaking down the equipment, and like everybody was just in on this, like everybody gave it, they’re all it’s one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever been a part of, especially in the touring world.
I heard a lot of whispers out there, like, “Jeezy, don’t come to the West Coast.” I was, like, “no, we love the West Coast.” So, just for that, we just got a residency in Las Vegas. We’re bringing a 101 piece orchestra - first time to ever do it and we’re doing it at Planet Hollywood. We’re doing The Masquerade on October 31st, and November 1st, and then we’re coming back with The Nutcracker on December 19th and December 21st with that 101 piece orchestra members, Adam Blackstone, Derrick Hodge, DJ Drama, DJ Ace, and we bringing the whole show to the West Coast, and we want to make it a destination, so it’s more of an experience. Now, mind you, everybody else in the world is more than welcome to come. But I wanted to set up in the West Coast, just for the West Coast.
AM: It sounds amazing. We have previously interviewed Adam Blackstone a couple years ago. I find his artistry to be top notch and he is everywhere! Derrick Hodge, DJ Drama, DJ Ace - all of you coming together, creating this. How has that been?
J: It’s been amazing. I mean, I tell them all the time. Man, you know, I’m rocking with the best.
AM: Yup!
J: Adam Blackstone, brilliant. He’s brilliant, Derrick Hodge is phenomenal. Like, I’ve never seen someone that understands the way he understands how to mobilize the orchestra. Color of Noize Orchestra, has been phenomenal. Everything they’ve done doing, this tour has been nothing less than great. DJ Drama is the legend! The records that we have created and the synergy we have to see him open up the show - it’s almost like I’m getting hyped in my dressing room. Me and DJ Ace, we’ve been together almost 12 years now and we’re like Batman and Robin – you can’t have one without the other! We still give people that so you’re really getting 3 shows!
To me, it’s just like seeing everybody go down memory lane and really, just celebrating! By the way, it is not just a celebration of 20 years of Thug Motivation! 20 years ago, they were not in tuxedos listening to this music. That means you’ve done well for yourself to even be here. I’m just the guest of honor, and I’m coming to help you party! What I love is, in the beginning, a lot of people didn’t understand what an orchestra was because they hadn’t been to one before. So they were thinking more like they were going to come and my music would be playing. They didn’t think that I would be there. Once they realized that no, this is still a party, and when you get here and you stand on your feet, you never sit down - it’s been a party ever since!
AM: Wow!
What do you think your takeaway is going to be once the orchestra tour is completed, and obviously, this residency is an immersive environment. What are your takeaways going to be from doing these kinds of shows?
J: So always bet on yourself. To always stick with your vision no matter how many times people will tell you that it won’t work and what people won’t do and just hold your nose and jump in.
AM: Alright now!
J: That’s it! You have to take chances. You’ve gotta do things that are great. You gotta push the envelope and I just feel like, when you’re independent, you can do all those things. You don’t have to go back and forth with someone and try to get them to see what you see – you just take a chance. I hope and I pray that the generation behind being a generation behind them actually get a chance to see that you can evolve in this. You can give yourself permission to evolve. You don’t have to stay in this box that they put you in because that’s the way you came out in the beginning. You don’t have to stay that person you’re allowed to grow in this, you know?
We didn’t get to see Tupac get to his full potential. We didn’t see some of these greats get to their full potential. We didn’t see that from Bob Marley, you know - you get the right to grow in this. You get the right to evolve in this. Just be unapologetic of yourself and lean in and just be present meaning - I know where I’m at in my career, I know it’s been 20 years, but I feel younger than I’ve ever felt.
AM: Yeah.
J: I feel more creative than I have ever felt. I have more wisdom, more knowledge than that, I have more resources as well as relationships. And it’s just like, the thing that I don’t like when it comes to our culture and our music is that they feel like they can put a timeline on you.
AM: Facts.
J: You don’t get that with country music or rock music. Matter of fact, the older you get in rock, the greater you are. You know what I’m saying? Why can’t you be like that for us?
AM: As you know, sometimes we’re harder on ourselves?
J: Right!
AM: You’re absolutely right! I see Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Metallica, The Rolling Stones and it’s like oh my God, iconic – they’re still doing it and killing it, but we have that, too, and that should be respected within the culture.
J: And by the way, Richard Pryor when he was young he was probably cold but, Richard Pryor when he got older ha ha – he was a whole different beast, a whole different monster! He was a whole different animal!
AM: Facts!
J: That’s what I’m saying! For me, we’ve got to grow up as a culture! We have to grow up as a people. We have to grow up as men. We can’t shy away from that. I’m listening to classical music in the morning, I’m not negating that. No more Patron for me, but I’ll take some red wine! That’s my life!
AM: There you go!
J: You know what I’m saying, ain’t nothing wrong with that!
AM: As someone as busy as you are and you’re on the road touring, how do you stay in shape to optimize yourself? Here at Athleisure Mag, we’re always talking about fitness and/or wellness routines. So, what are 3 things that you do, because you’re always on the go?
J: Yeah, I mean, the good thing is, I’ve been busy pretty much 90% of my life, so I have been dialed in. I would say first, you know, you got to start off, you know, with your mental health. For me, that’s waking up meditating, praying about how grateful I am even when things aren’t going well. Taking the time to journal in the morning and step outside to get some fresh air. I’m definitely gonna go to the gym, and sometimes you know you might not have as much time as you would like, but you still got to do something.
AM: Exactly.
J: That’s my thing, just do something every day. And also, you know, of course, your vitamins, your nutrients, and stuff like that. I think eating right is a big part of that, but also like to be honest with you, the biggest thing I’ve learned through all this is like, don’t let none of this stuff stress you.
AM: That part!
J: If it’s not in your control, there’s nothing that you can do, it’s in God’s hand. He can handle everything.
AM: Exactly!
J: There is nothing for you to worry about.
AM: There’s many a time that I’m like, that’s on you, Lord – I know you got that and this.
J: Then just make decisions! Try your best to make decisions, you know, as quick as you can, so you don’t dwell on them. If you can’t make you that decision, just make sure you got some people that you trust that you can run things by just to get some insight.
I would say, you know, eating right, working out, taking care of your mind, taking care of you, and just knowing when it’s enough because you gotta have a work/life balance. I think that’s how you stay young. If you’re just working, and you’re not playing or doing things that charge you or fuel you, then you’ll be depleted.
AM: Absolutely.
J: Start with God first, then start with your mind, and then start with your physical health and just take care of yourself. Just treat yourself how you would treat your best friend!
AM: Pretty much!
You celebrated your birthday by dropping another project Still Snowin’ on your birthday, September 28th with DJ Drama. The live IG with you. hosted by DJ D-Nice was great, The office went nuts!
J: Yes!
AM: Tell me more about this, and why did you want to do this? I mean, you’re putting on a whole orchestra, and you’ve got this going on.
J: I know right? I couldn’t resist it! We were in Miami and I was getting ready for the tour, and I was just like, “you know, come out and put a studio in this bedroom!”
AM: Ha!
J: I know when it’s time. It was time for me and I felt with the orchestra and all of these things inspiring me this time, you know and getting back into my art bag as far as art collecting and stuff like that, which was one of the reasons why I tapped, Dr. Fahamu Pecou to do the cover art and actually paint the painting for the project.
For me, it’s just like, when you feel it, you gotta go. Because when you’re forcing it, it’s when you shouldn’t be doing it. If you’re doing it for money, you definitely shouldn’t be doing it. But if you’re doing it for the love of it, the passion of it, and it happens to come with some kind of monetary gain – absolutely! I’m doing this for the people that have always had love for me. I feel like they deserve it. In the words of the great Andre 3000, “if you want to hear something, make it yourself. He told me that one time, if you like something and you want to hear it, make it yourself.” That’s what I did, and this project is definitely where I’m at and I feel like, culturally, we need this, the fame needs, the people need this. It’s got to be a higher vibration. This is that. I want people to feel good, you know? I want people to feel good while they out here grinding, anybody out here, you know, solving the puzzle of life. I just wanted them to have some theme music!
AM: Well, one of the things I appreciate about you, is that you’re always involved in various projects, and I recently saw that you were in Trap City. What did you enjoy about being in this film and can we expect to see you more in TV /film as an actor?
J: This film to me was really cool because I had a lot of creative control. I was able to play a preacher that has street ties. I had to preach a sermon, so imagine that!
AM: Right!
J: It was actually fun, though it was one of those things where there was some down time. I was like, let’s try this again. Being in front of a camera, shooting music videos and doing this for most of your career, you just get really comfortable in front of the camera. It’s always those things you do when you have time, and you want to push yourself.
To me, it’s like, that’s another challenge - remembering lines, and showing up on time. Capturing those emotions because they told me that I had to cry and I said, I don’t know about that, but we’ll figure it out.
AM: As someone who is an entrepreneur with an ever growing portfolio, you most recently collaborated with Eastside Golf for their limited edition collab this past August. What was that process like, and what do you think the synergy is between hip-hop and golf?
J: I think it’s the synergy between men and golf and Black men in golf? I think that we looked at the sport as if we had no say in it. Shout out to Olajuwon Ajanaku who just went pro and he is the CEO over there at Eastside Golf. He’s one of the best players that I’ve ever seen, but we joke all the time about making golf cool. Golf is a part of my mental health if I’m honest. When you’re out there on that course and you’re able to have that fellowship, deal with people and be out there in that fresh air and listening to great music - it’s really how these meaningful conversations take place that helps your mental health. It brings up a level of peace you wouldn’t believe, and I think that’s what it is, I think us as Black men - we’re in a place right now, where we love peace, and this adds on to it. So I think that’s what people are actually doing, and the love! Golf is like like, you can never beat the course – you just play it. Sometimes you play good and sometimes you play bad. You’re not going to beat the course. You’re not going to go out there and get a hole in one every time you play the ball. The lesson is, every shot sets you up for the next shot. That’s how you have to live life. Every thing sets you up for the next thing.
AM: You also launched EDGE Energy Drink. Love the packaging. Love the can. Why did you want to add this to your diverse portfolio, and what can you tell me about the assortment of beverages?
J: Well, I’ve never been an energy drink guy. But the first time I had a taste of this, I was, like, oh my God, this is amazing. No aftertaste, it’s fresh. I had them bring down the sugar content in it.
AM: Nice.
J: I love the packaging. I love what it stood for, and I’ve had energy drinks and some of them could be really harsh. Some of them could make you really jittery. This was nothing of the sort. What I really love about EDGE is the opportunity to promote it and market it as a mixer as well.
You know, these signature drinks you like these signature cocktails. Instead of putting all this stuff in it with all this sugar and all this caffeine, you can go with something like EDGE and enjoy the taste and still get the energy you want. I like to do things that align with my purpose and my lifestyle.
You know, I might have 1 a day, 2 a day. I want to run it around so that it gives me the energy to get my work done. If I do, you know, ever, ever have a cocktail or something, I’ll just throw some EDGE in there instead of putting all this other stuff in there. It’s an amazing product. I’m actually excited about it. We’re gonna have a great year next year with Edge, for sure!
AM: When you’re not on the road or working on projects, how do you take time for yourself?
J: I really like to take a lot of time to work on myself spiritually, mentally, healthwise and to say grounded. So a lot of my free time, I’m really looking to be the best version of myself and really making sure that I am balancing my life. I know that balance is a word that doesn’t really exist, but you know, at the same time, I think that it is important to make sure that you are pouring into yourself and that you continue to grow so that when it is time for you to share back into the world, you’re more prepared.
AM: Are there any upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for?
J: I mean, as far as right now, my philanthropy is the next thing on my table. My annual Snowball will be on Oct 9th in Atlanta, GA. It’s the gala for my non-profit foundation, Street Dreamz Foundation. This foundation is for at risk inner city youths. It’s a big, big, big, big deal this year. This year, the theme is Forever I Love Atlanta. Ludacris Bridges will be hosting. So it’s going to be amazing! I have some special surprises for all of my Atlanta folks. We’re going to raise a lot of money for a great cause and for some great kids.
AM: What do you want your legacy to be known as? You are a 4X Grammy Nominee, you have sold over 10 million albums worldwide, you’re a profound storyteller, NYT Best Selling Author, you have an impressive portfolio entrepreneurially - what do you want people to feel or say about you when they think about you and your body of work?
J: You know, I want to be a great father and to continue to be a great brother. As far as my legacy, I want to be known as somebody who took all of the risks that he had to take to pour back into his community, to pour back into his culture, to pour back into his people, and also the younger generation that it’s 1,000% ok to evolve. It’s 1,000% ok to be in your truth. It’s 1,000% ok to who you are.
AM: It was so great to sit down and talk with you as I know you have a busy few weeks ahead! As a fan of your music, I’ve enjoyed hearing about your vision, purpose, your com mitment, and your focus on community. I think that’s super important and that you’re a reflection of what people should look for when it comes to someone who is resilient and just doing it.
J: I appreciate that and receive it!
IG @jeezy
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT/BACK COVER Matt Swinsky | PG 16 - 33 + PG 36 -39 JWJ Enterprises | PG 34 Erika Goldring |
Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see STILL SNOWIN’ | Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins in mag.
We caught Women’s Soccer Club Gotham FC X Washington Spirit at Sports Illustrated Stadium, NJ, to watch pre-game warm-ups and take in the game in the TYLENOL VIP Suite. It was a fun match to see, ending in a tie-score after some good scoring attempts and excellent defensive efforts.
We asked Jen Gow, US Head of Pain at Kenvue, and Dr. Chang, NWSL Chief Medical Officer, about TYLENOL’s multi-year collaboration with Gotham FC; supporting the team’s health, aid recovery and helping keep elite athletes at the top of their games.
We spoke about TYLENOL’s “Relief Zone,” where NWSL fans can receive branded
recovery kit giveaways, misting fans, and cool towels through the season. Also we explored activations they will have to support athletic trainers, celebrate recovery, and spotlight resilience of NWSL players and women’s sports.
ATHLEISURE MAG: TYLENOL has announced a multi-year collaboration with Women’s Soccer Club Gotham FC, how will it support the team’s elite athlete’s health, aid recovery and help keep them at the top of their game?
JEN GOW: As the Official Pain Reliever of the NWSL, TYLENOL® is so excited to support players throughout the season by equipping league trainers with the tools they need to aid recovery and help keep athletes in the game. We are stocking each trainer’s bag with TYLENOL® products for use with athletes on and off the field, pending their pain relief needs.
AM: Tell us more about the slogan “#TylenolPartner I can love the game without the pain,” and how it promotes pain relief goals for athletes and fans.
JG: We know a tackle can hurt, but also know those stadium seats can cause many aches. As a brand, we’re here for all types of minor aches and pains so that everyone can focus on cheering, supporting and playing the game.
Athletes are constantly undergoing stress on their body during training and performance, often resulting in minor aches and pains. TYLENOL® offers a portfolio of products that can meet each athletes’ individual pain needs, so the result is a personalized recovery routine to help them feel their best on and off the field.
AM: From the TYLENOL PRECISE™ Pain Relieving Patches and Nighttime Cream, to TYLENOL 8HR Muscle Aches and Pain Caplets, Extra Strength TYLENOL Rapid Release Gels, and more, how does TYLENOL provide fast, effective pain relief to athletes to ensure they can stay active and competitive?
JG: The brand is continuously innovating to meet consumer needs when it comes to pain relief. Most recently, we launched TYLENOL® PRECISE™ Pain Relieving Patches. This innovation has 12-hour flexible adhesion technology to stick with you—and they are transparent so you can place them wherever pain hits!
AM: What is TYLENOL Proactive Support for Muscles and Joints and how does it help overall health and well-being? How does this move into reactive and proactive supplements help athletes, fans and consumers with health and pain management support?
JG: Proactive Support from the Makers of TYLENOL® is a new drug-free supplement powered by a blend of turmeric and tamarind to deliver improvement in joint flexibility and comfort. We made this step into the supplement space in partnership with medical professionals to offer an effective supplement for consumers to take a proactive approach in improving their joint comfort.
AM: The TYLENOL® FAN PAIN POINTS Survey with Wakefield Research indicated some very interesting results, including the majority of sports fans (52%) believe they are more active when attending a live sporting event than on a typical day; 43% of fans regularly pack an OTC pain reliever when attending live sporting events; and 70% say going to live sporting events is physically taxing, with nearly 7 in 10 (69%) stating they would go to more games if the experience were less demanding. What are some products, tools and tips to help reduce painful activities for fans attending and cheering on teams in live events?
JG: It’s always a good idea to come prepared to a game – who knows how many stairs you may need to climb to get to your seat or if you’ll be standing longer during overtime cheering on your team. Keep TYLENOL® PRECISE™ in your car for post-game muscle aches or add a travel-sized pack of TYLENOL® Extra Strength to your gameday bag, so you can be prepared should a minor ache or pain occur.
AM: What activations will TYLENOL have at Sports Illustrated Stadium to support athletic trainers, celebrate recovery, and spotlight resilience of NWSL players? What is TYLENOL’s “Relief Zone,” and how have NWSL fans reacted to branded recovery kit giveaways, misting fans, cool towels through the season?
JG: Our multi-faceted collaboration with Gotham FC features comprehensive on-site activations, including equipping the trainers with products they need to aid player recovery and season-long representation at Gotham FC’s pregame Fan Fest. Our branded giveaways have been a huge hit with fans, and the continued growth of the NWSL alongside the amazing fandom at Sports Illustrated Stadium is incredible to see! I took my kiddos a few weeks ago...my 5 year old loved the ball pit and my 3 year old held the “Tylenol #1 Doc Recommended” foam finger the entire game!
AM: Beginning in 2026, what will Gotham FC match theme nights and community programs presented by TYLENOL entail?
JG: We’re actively collaborating with the Gotham FC team to determine how we can continue to meaningfully engage with the fans and support the team in even more ways next season!
AM: How does TYLENOL elevate opportunities in women’s sports and go beyond the medicine cabinet?
JG: Through our sponsorships with the NWSL and Gotham FC, alongside our commitment to the Women’s Sports Foundation with our Athlete Recovery and Care Commitment Grant, TYLENOL® is going beyond our product to meet women athletes with direct support and critical funding so they can continue the game they love.
AM: What are some products and tips for executives and business travelers to stay productive and at the top of their work on long days, commutes and big travel itineraries?
JG: It’s incredibly important to me to get outside and be active after work. I have recently embraced the Pickleball trend and wow, it can cause some pain! My wife and I both take a Proactive Support from the Makers of TYLENOL® supplement every day and it truly has helped our joint comfort after exercise.
AM: TYLENOL recognizes that pursuing greatness hurts. What is The Care Commitment by TYLENOL? How does this fund and $1M pledge with the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) help injured athletes and their painful physical and financial setbacks on the road to recovery?
JG: This grant was established by TYLENOL® in partnership with the Women’s Sports Foundation® (WSF®) to provide a much-needed recovery fund for injured women athletes who are on their road to recovery post-injury. To date, we’ve awarded grants to 20 deserving athletes, providing financial support as they rehab to get back into the game and continue their pursuit of greatness.
ATHLEISURE MAG: What does it mean for TYLENOL to have a strategic collaboration with Gotham FC, after being named Official Pain Relief multi-year sponsor of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) earlier this year?
DR. CHANG: After being named the Official Pain Reliver of the National Women’s Soccer League this year, TYLENOL® wanted to expand their support of the league and engage more directly with a local team and its fan base. This collaboration also includes on-site activations at Gotham FC’s pregame Fan Fest, where the brand will provide TYLENOL® product giveaways, merchandise and more to prepare fans as they head into the game. The fans have loved it!
AM: How is this collaboration meaningful for supporting player health and women’s sports?
DR. C: As a League, our top priority is protecting the health and well-being of our athletes. The growth of women’s professional soccer has brought greater demands on our Players’ bodies, making recovery resources and medical support more important than ever. Collaborations like this one with Tylenol provide additional support for our medical teams and athletes, and we value partners who share our commitment to Player care.
AM: How can equipping league trainers with TYLENOL products and tools help aid performance, recovery and keep athletes in the game?
DR. C: Athletic trainers are on the front lines of Player health, and having access to reliable tools that support their recovery including safe pain management helps them do their jobs more effectively. While no one product can replace the core fundamentals of injury prevention, training, and rehabilitation, we appreciate having a resource like Tylenol available as part of a broader toolkit for Player care.
AM: How does the partnership with TYLENOL help women athletes and fans embrace the love of the game?
DR. C: Our fan base is the heart of our league, and TYLENOL® recognizes that they deserve care just as much as the players do. By hosting product giveaways for fans during pre-game events and offering product discounts, TYLENOL® is helping ensure that our tremendous fans can be on the sidelines to cheer on the team, without any minor aches and pains slowing them down.
AM: What are the types and how often are there injuries in women’s soccer matches? Are there specific injuries that occur more frequently for female soccer players?
DR. C: In women’s professional soccer, we most often see lower extremity injuries such as ankle sprains, muscle strains, and knee joint injuries. Female soccer players, in particular, face a higher risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears compared with their male counterparts, and that remains an important area of ongoing research and prevention eborts. We also recognize that overuse injuries such as stress fractures, tendinopathies, and muscle strains can occur during our season especially with the competitive balance across our League. Our focus is always on prevention, early recognition and optimal management, and safe return to play.
AM: What are some tips for soccer players and fans for injury prevention in training and playing soccer; promoting resilience; and optimizing recovery?
DR. C: For elite soccer players, injury prevention starts with evidence-based programs that emphasize neuromuscular control and strength training, especially of the core/hips and lower extremities. Monitoring training loads can also help to prevent overuse injuries. Good sleep, adequate hydration, and proper nutrition are essential cornerstones to promote resilience and optimize recovery. Resilience also involves building strong support networks, such as a positive team environment and dedicated medical teams. Recovery also means listening to your body and recognizing early warning signs in order to seek timely professional medical care.
For recreational players or even fans inspired to learn how to play soccer (it’s never too late!), many of the same principles apply: warm up before activity, gradually progress the duration and intensity of play at the beginning of the season, and maintain a fitness routine during the week (especially if you only play one game a week). Injury prevention and recovery strategies are not limited to professional athletes—they can help anyone stay active and enjoy the game for years to come.
AM: We’ve now learned fans can exert themselves too by walking, sitting and intensely cheering on their favorite team and players at the game! Go Gotham FC! How can fans aim to reduce pain themselves before, during and after the big game?
DR. C: Attending an NWSL soccer match can be demanding—standing in lines, climbing stairs, and sitting and standing for long periods cheering. Fans can reduce discomfort by starting adequate hydration and food intake 24 hours before the game and getting a good night’s rest, and then staying hydrated and well fed, and wearing supportive footwear and appropriate clothing and headwear for the weather conditions. Even standing up and stretching and taking breaks to walk around the stadium is beneficial. If minor aches or soreness do occur, over-the-counter pain relievers such as Tylenol’s topical relief or its traditional oral options can also help.
IG @tylenol
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 42 - 45, 49, 51 Gotham FC/Megan Santaniello | PG 46 Getty Images/Tylenol |
Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see PAIN RECOVERY FOR ATHLETES & FANS in mag.
Dagne Dover launched in 2013 and is a brand that form, function, and innovation come together so that you can enjoy rocking a nice bag that allows you to stay organized. Jessy Dover is 1 of the 3 Co-Founders of this brand and we took a moment to talk about how she got into the industry, her design/creative approach, and what is coming up with the brand.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you wanted to be a designer in the handbag category?
JESSY DOVER: I always knew I wanted to be a designer because it’s where I light up the most. I love making things and in particular, I love making wearables. I didn’t know that I wanted to be a handbag designer though until I started seeing my successes there. I don’t know who made up this term, but it’s all about greenlights and I kind of live by that term! So when I start getting greenlights, I try and follow that. So the first kick off of that was in my Senior year of Parsons, I was like, I need a job. I’m going to apply for every award, every internship, that I could and I ended up winning the Coach Design Competition and that was the first time that I realized I had fun with that project and I got to really understand how to create a bag. For me, as someone who has more of an athletic body type, I never fit into the fashion body type world, and when I was at school there, I felt out of place. I just fell in love with bags because you didn’t have to consider the body all that much. It is just a tool that you can use every day to make your life work. I was stoked on that!
It kind of led me down this path of eventually meeting my co-founders and creating my first few bags. After we started selling, I would say that after I sold my first 100 bags, I would say “oh, ok other people want really great bags that have pockets and actually support them through their day,” which led me to where I am today, which is deep in bag world and I love it! It definitely wasn’t something growing up where I thought that I would be a bag designer.
AM: I have to say that when I first started working in the fashion industry, I started as a model, then went into design, visual merchandising, wholesale, and then styling before I entered publishing – I would always tell people that I am an Accessory Expert and they would ask why I liked it so much. I would tell them whether you’re bloated or not, the bag is going to fit – the shoe is reasonably going to fit for the most part and the jewelry is generally never going to disappoint you no matter what is going on with your body. When you can do that and enjoy those items, it’s a different level of confidence you can have when you’re wearing them.
JD: Totally!
AM: So I love being accessory first!
JD: Yes! Ok, me too! It also just tops everything off. You can put on your clothes, but when you put on those shoes and that bag, it brings everything together!
AM: What was the first bag ever that you designed?
JD: I really have to think about this one! I would say that the first bag that I ever designed that became an actual bag that someone would want to wear, was the design that I did for the Coach Award. As you can imagine, it takes a lifetime to be a good craftsman and to make a luxury bag.
AM: For sure!
JD: Whenever we go to Asia and we’re with the sample makers, I’m just bowing down because it’s all them. We design, but they create it. But I made this bag with the Coach sample maker and it was my first leather bag, it was a work bag, fairly simple, a camel color, with buckles on the front, computer sleeve, and I looked at it when it was finished and that is when it clicked for me. You need to have a team of people to create something incredible and you can’t be the expert at every single thing. That’s when I realized that I am a designer and I am not a maker.
Then I would say that the first bag that I actually sold that was a success was our Legend – we still sell it and it is still on the site. There was another bag, but we don’t sell it anymore as it has been discontinued, called the Clutch Wallet. But the Legend was our very first work tote and it was made out of coated canvas and it was a solve to the problem that we had originally pinpointed. The problem was that there wasn’t a work bag that was also cute that is a good price point for a working woman that can keep your things safe - that has a computer sleeve, has a key leash, has a spot for your phone and you know all of that good stuff. So that was a big moment for me. I think that the confidence that gave me was that it wasn’t even me, it was like, people want what I want and it gave me that push to keep going. The next bag that I look at as my biggest most favorite success was the Dakota Backpack – that or the Landon, I came out with it at the same time. That was when things started lighting up for the brand and that was a whole other different success than the Legend. Because, all of a sudden we were talking to a whole community that were not just those that were working corporate jobs. They were living!
AM: That’s right!
JD: That was the time that I was really coming into my own as a designer and a person who really prioritizes health and wellness and bringing my self to the world, and I feel that that was the moment for me as a really young designer.
AM: I love when you were talking about the whole designer and the community of makers that support it. My mom was a couture designer for a number of years so I watched her make gowns, suiting, etc.
JD: Goosebumps!
AM: I loved it and she had another person who worked with her. But it wasn’t until I did a collab line with Sebago for a few seasons where I would sell it on HSN and we designed it in the Dominican Republic at the factories there; when I was there you would have generations of people that by hand were sewing and putting the different leathers on the machines. I knew what I knew in terms of leathers, cool colors, and how that should come together, but then I would talk with the teams that would talk about the placements to take my vision to how it could actually come forward, and there was so much knowledge there that I really respected. So when I would go on air to talk about the shoes I was always happy to say that I designed them, but I would always reference the makers and their knowledge over so many years that brought those shoes to life! They would tell me that they had been doing shoes since they were 16 and some of them were in their 80’s.
JD: They knew what they were doing!
AM: They totally did. It’s about the community and taking that feedback and knowledge and making people aware how your favorite items come to be! I think it’s such a great point that you highlighted.
JD: For sure. It’s cool that you got to watch your mom doing that. I didn’t have that level of transparency into fashion and garment making and bag making – but once I did, that’s what hooked me and I knew that that was so cool.
AM: You talked a little bit about how your co-founders came together. What are each of your roles and what does Dagne Dover mean?
JD: Great question! I’m the Chief Creative Officer, I handle all things creative and design. I spend a third of my time designing product, a third of it doing creative marketing, and then a third of my time doing founder stuff.
AM: There’s always founder stuff.
JD: There’s ALWAYS founder stuff! If I let it, it could take 100% of the time.
AM: FACTS!
JD: Oh yeah, I’m always stopping and saying – that can wait until tomorrow.
My Co-Founders, God bless their hearts, because this company could not run without them, they are sort of the business genius behind everything. They do all of the fundraising, they do a lot of the strategic planning for our drops and our buys and our distribution strategy – all of the stuff that goes into running a business. So my partner Melissa Shin Mash, she’s our CEO and my other partner, Deepa Gandhi are COO/CFO –
AM: When you’re Co-Founder you’re always wearing multiple hats!
JD: Oh, we’re all wearing multiple hats! The day that I can just run 1 department is the day that I just die of happiness!
AM: Oh I hear you!
So the name means …
JD: Oh yeah, so Dagne means new dawn. So in Nordic indigenous language it means new dawn and we just love the name Dagne. I’m so obsessed with Scandinavian design because I think that the simplicity, the purposefulness, and the natural elements – it’s the perfect balance from my perspective. So we chose that as our first name, and then Dover is my last name and we just felt that it was a true collaboration. I did not want my name on it to be totally honest. They were like you should have your name on it because you are the creative behind it. So we kind of created this character out of Dagne Dover and we like to look at it as a new dawn for handbags and really in everything that we do, we support the concept that you should expect more from your bag and you should – we’re here to give that to you.
AM: I will say, that I love that your ears are always to the ground, you’re watching and somewhere along the line an innovation is birthed and will fall into a future season. Not everyone does that.
JD: I really appreciate that and I really have that to owe to my partners because I have the space to do it. I’m still very busy, but because of my team and my partners, I’m really fortunate. I have other friends that are designers and I know that you know this, they’re running their business and they are also designing. That is so much! I am super grateful for that and our community is super outspoken! Our community is power women and they’re so great because they will tell you what they want, what they don’t like and they are super honest and I appreciate that!
AM: They truly care and a number of us saw the initial assortment and have had the joy of being along for the ride of the expanded styles, colorways, and innovations! For me, I find that the purpose and intention is there. Whether I may use a specific style or not, I can understand why it is there and who it is servicing.
Many years ago, when I worked in the wholesale division at Lacoste, there would be a large number of SKUs for that particular season and I always thought about how much that could be edited. You could look through and in terms of buyers you knew where a lot of those items would gravitate towards.
JD: I think that that is the difference too between running a product led brand and a brand brand. We’ve all come from the world of brand led brands where you just need stuff to sell. We’re really selling a brand, but we wanted to create something that is product first. We love the brand, the brand has value, but it’s really about the product, because otherwise you’re selling and idea that people are buying into, but I really love product.
AM: What’s an average week like for you? I ask that knowing that there are no average weeks!
JD: I know! I think it’s so funny that you asked this because I really want to nail this down! You’re right! I set a schedule and then it just gets wiped out every week. I do try to stay true to my 1/3 design, 1/3 digital marketing – with all of my emails and photoshoots, and 1/3 founder stuff! I would say that most of my stuff I try to split it between the day, but as a leader of this initiative and how we can be available and make our schedules work, so that we can make it happen and push it forward – what keeps me focused and on point is that at the beginning of the week I write down my top 5 things that must must happen and even if those meetings don’t happen we use Slack, text, and voice notes and all of the other modes of communication to make sure that the ball keeps rolling. It’s about finishing and completing those initiatives. I know that you also know this, but we don’t really have a big team. I don’t even know what size brand to call us! We have a small team, we drive a lot of business, but it is still a hustle every day! It’s a lot of meticulous planning ahead of time. I have all of my workouts slotted in because if I don’t they just won’t happen.
AM: This Summer was a great one for Athleisure Media. We traveled, attended a number of functions, connected with people and have great projects coming up. The IG looks great, but behind the scenes while all that is going on is a lot of controlled chaos.
JD: For sure! I say that all the time my IG looks pretty because it shows my slow paced life, but really it’s not at all because there are a lot of things going on.
AM: Impossible. Just looking at your drops of new products, you do a number of events outside of NYC and dealing with communities in other cities, the planning that goes behind introducing colorways and new styles – there is constant movement going on there and a lot of planning.
I know especially with my wholesale background that yes your brand is small, but the amount of output, the footprint etc – there is a lot of working going on perpetually.
So how do you get inspired and where do you go for your inspiration for the collections and the colorways?
JD: I love this question! I have a lot of different places where I get inspired and mainly it comes from my every day life! For product, I look at what I am struggling with and where is there white space? An example of that is not being able to find my keys for 10mins in my bag at my front door – I don’t have 10 extra minutes, that’s my break time in between meetings!
AM: So true!
JD: Then I designed the key leash and we put it in every single bag! So now it is super quick to find them. So things like that – but then also for seasonal drops that are a lot more conceptual, I learned to design with a method that is very traditional due to going to Parsons with an inspiration and everything fitting within that so that you have the guardrails. For me those inspirations come from travel. Our SS drop this year was called Lakehouse and we had come up with this whole dream world of a lakehouse and we pulled colors, textures, color names, from that theme and so that happens a lot. I will go on trips and be like, “guys let’s just dive into this world.” A lot of times, it becomes place.
AM: Always a good place to start.
JD: Yeah, it’s inspiring. It’s fun and gives me energy. I love a natural landscape. I wanted to go to the Scottish Highlands this Summer, but I didn’t have time. There was no way that that was going to happen so I went to Chat GPT an asked if there was anywhere in the US that was like the Scottish Highlands. It spit out that in Virginia, there are areas that look like that in the Appalachian trail. It’s a small portion of it, but I flew down and there were cows and ponies and it was so crazy. I didn’t know it existed so close to us, but things like that get me really excited.
Then being outdoors – I love being outdoors whether it’s hiking, backpacking, snowboarding. I grew up in Colorado so being in NY, I don’t really get access to that so every chance I get, I go. Often times, I’m inspired by technical gear that I’m getting or buying because those are super high functioning and they are not used in traditional fashion a lot. They are great and they look professional if they are done with the right silhouette.
AM: In those early days, I have been a Dark Moss girl from the start. For me, I feel that it is one of those new neutrals. I don’t want to just have black but somehow, that Dark Moss it just hits different.
How did you guys identify that these were going to be core colors, what would oscillate in terms of colorways throughout seasons, and those that are limited editions? Even now you have those core colors that still find their way there.
JD: I kind of shot myself in the foot with that one if I’m honest. Those colors sell and I’m like, “please, let’s get new ones.” But people love them! They have become iconic to the brand in a way. If I’m totally honest, I made colors that I totally wanted to wear.
AM: Which is fair.
JD: I was working a lot, I wanted to make sure that whatever core colors we dropped, it would go with my friends and families existing wardrobe. They were picked to be complimentary, but exactly what you said, I didn’t want them to be plain and dull and boring and in the exact same colors that everybody else drops. There are limitless colors so can we pick a brownish/purple that other people don’t do? Really when we look at it, we want it to feel good – color is such a powerful tool with the psychology behind it. This has always been interesting to me. There are people who love purple, they only wear purple, and when I do a purple – I know who will buy it and it will sell through really fast, but I can’t make it a core color because it won’t continuously sell. Digging into these people’s minds, there are similarities of how they think because they will choose purple. Green, the Dark Moss green is exactly what you said. They don’t want to wear black every day. They have their own flair and they still need to fit into some kind of societal structure where maybe they are going to the office or they don’t want to be super flashy, but they want to be cool and fun – a little bit interesting. Then there is the navy people. So I just tried to hit on the buckets of those things and to give the best version of those things.
AM: Wow!
When I first started getting pieces from you guys. I came to love the leather collections and it was the oxblood. From the tote bags to this beautiful large clutch/cosmetic base that I use to hold items I use for wine when I am traveling ha! That part of the collection reminded me of 1970’s Etienne Aigner – that was my jam!
JD: Yes! It was! Fun fact, I worked on that brand for awhile!
AM: I am not surprised! My parents in the 70s had matching Etienne Aigner oxblood leather jackets and then my mom gave me hers and I used to wear it all the time and I had the bag to match!
Then neoprene came and I was like, this is not even a fabrication that I would ever think that I would want for my bags, but I got the versatility of it immediately. I love how it is squishy.
JD: Squishy!
AM: Super expandable, and I was there for it. So how did neoprene make its way in there? I knew from the first one that every part of my bag needed this fabrication.
JD: I’m so glad you like it! I love it too! My life changed. I went from a corporate design job to being a founder. I’m running around the city – I’m not seeing people except for my factory and my teammates. We were working in basically a closet and I was in gym clothes every day. I wanted something that felt like me – sporty, needs to move with me throughout the day, but still where I look put together to be neat and presentable. I was in Vietnam working to set up another factory and I was swimming and I had this neoprene bathing suit. I was like, this is rad! So I said to Deepa, do you think that we could make bags out of this? She’s like, “dude, I don’t know but why don’t you try?” She’s always like try it and we’ll see what happens. We did it and it turned out really cool. Before we dropped it, I didn’t know if people would like it.
To me, I felt that it might be a world where people didn’t understand it. In Colorado, I knew people where I’m from would understand the fabrication, but they don’t really need a bag that is tailored as much as those are. They are wearing Patagonia and gear – it’s not like they are wearing something that needs to go into the boardroom also. So I thought, they will get it, but they may not buy it.
My people in NY, they might get the silhouette but this may be too sporty for them!
It was a passion and a random idea that we thought could be really cool and it turned out really great.
AM: The other side of that is the bags that were made completely out of mesh! Again, I was like ok now we’re taking something that is usually inside of the bag as a pocket or a pouch and we’re taking that to the next level!
JD: I know! That was said by people too and they loved it and the fact that it was so lightweight! We ended up dropping the Air Mesh. Ultimately, that one did great, but it was a fun learning experience because it was so sporty, people felt that they couldn’t wear it to the office.
AM: Sustainability has always been something key and core to the brand. I love that now the neoprene bags are made out of x amount of bottles. You also have other environmental innovations as well. Why is that so important to you and being transparent about it because a lot of times you don’t know when someone is saying that something is that – to what end?
JD: Right – what? It could mean anything. I try to stay away from the word sustainable because I am afraid that it doesn’t mean anything anymore. What I try to do is to infuse as many conscious materials that I can find that is trackable. Part of being in a new wave of something is figuring out what is legit and what it’s not. The systems aren’t there, the regulation isn’t there yet and quite frankly, the US doesn’t have a lot of rules around that in the same way that Europe and other places do. It was a process of finding out which manufacturers were making eco-friendly materials.
What do they have that we can already utilize for the products that we have created and what do they have that we can use in the future to make even more sustainably minded products. It’s important to me because I love bags, I love making things and if you saw my apartment – there is stuff everywhere. I understand that when you make things, there is a lot of waste. There is a lot of testing and you’re making a physical thing so as much as you can be conscious about wastage and where it is coming from and where it is going to after, I think is fantastic and hopefully my wish and hope is that we live in a world where there are companies that are offering sustainable materials that we can use that are also durable. I think one of the biggest challenges for us is finding durable sustainable materials that can also be produced in a way that is timely and consistent – a lot of it is experimental!
What people don’t talk in terms of sustainability is affordability and that is a big one.
AM: It’s a huge barrier.
In terms of the travel collection. How long did it take to create that? You know I love it, for years I had asked members of your team why you were not adding it to your assortment and once it came out, I switched over my travel as well as my styling kit – including the carry-ons, duffles, garment bags, cubes to these products and love how they play well with the other Dark Moss pieces that I do have from the eyeglass case, toiletry bags as well.
I will also say the wheels on those bags work so well. Here in NYC, you know we have like 80 types of streets/concrete.
JD: Ha! Thank you for noticing. We put a ton of time into those wheels. I told them that we were not dropping until we had nice wheels because that is the key to the whole thing. I guess it took 3 years, but I was thinking about it a long time prior to that. It was a meticulous process. Luggage is not forgiving! There are a lot of regulations from any number of airlines from around the world that you have to hit so you are boxed into these being the sizes that you have to do or else people will not be able to carry them on the flight – so there’s that. It has to be incredibly durable because of course, we don’t know what they do behind those curtains, but every time that a bag comes out – you’re like what happened here? It has to be durable, dense material – I was really on my sustainability quick when we were designing this. They are 100% recycled and I was not willing to make any compromises on that. We were developing into this custom material and then I really wanted the interior organizational system to match what they were expecting from us. So we designed a ton of pieces, we tested them for a really long time, ultimately narrowed it down and the process took a long time. So we manufacture in Asia so we get the best products and it takes time for them to make every single sample set and we could be waiting 1 month or 2 between sample sets while we’re waiting for the next one to make changes and to evolve them. So it took about 3 years and to be totally honest, I was learning on the fly. Luggage is a whole other category.
AM: It is a whole other beast!
JD: That was very fun, but I am super happy with where they landed and I’m so glad you love your Dark Moss! I need a picture of your set.
AM: I’m constantly taking pictures of it in every photoshoot when I’m on set. I mean yes they are great travel bags but when I am bringing them to set or we’re sketching out what is coming as each shoot is a snowflake with different needs there may be a series of luggage and related accessories to support the needs and I’m always happy how smooth it is or how the compartments work or how I use it for a set versus going on a vacation.
I will also say that the long garment bag which I know is really great for weddings. It’s awesome for pulls because I can fit quite quite a few things in there and it’s still streamlined. When we shot our cover with Bozoma Saint John back in the Fall last year, I literally walked into 2 different bridal showrooms as they had evening wear and I must have fit 8-10 pieces in there easily.
JD: So glad you love it because we made that bag for gowns. My partner Deepa is Indian and we need an extra extra long bag for her gowns and people started loving it for all sorts of things. We have a bunch of designers that are using it for Fashion Week. Garment bags are great, but again, there are not a lot of cute options that are also lightweight and all the things that we as people in the industry need. I am so glad that you love The Capri.
AM: Oh yeah, I use the Carpi bag. I think that day I had that as well as the Air Mesh XL tote in Dark Moss that way folded could go there and everything else was in the other because I was hopping in and out of the subway that day for that cover shoot and I wanted to keep it light and agile haha!
Each showroom was talking about how co-ordinated it was and it didn’t matter if you were in a luxe space or something more functional the bags never looked out of place.
JD: I love hearing that and am glad you’re working those bags!
AM: Without question!
How many drops a year would you say that you guys have?
JD: It depends. I don’t have a specific numbers that I have to or feel that I need to hit. We always have a SS and a FW drop. Depending on what strategically we are trying to achieve, I will drop a product based collection or sometimes just new products if I feel they are needed and I’m working on it.
For example, last year in 2024, we had 4 drops. For 2026, I’ll have 7+ drops planned. So it really depends. I would say that I like to try and stay on a schedule. Things are ready when they are ready. For me, it’s about doing it and the dropping it the right way. That’s why some years we’re making it rain and then in other years it feels like we’re pulling it back a little.
Sometimes I just want to move on and create something new so you have to replace something. Something better is coming and I want to get ahead of it. Sometimes it’s also that something is too expensive to create for what we can sell it for. Being transparent is important about that. People will ask if we can make something and we can, I want to, but it will not be affordable!
AM: If someone is new to the brand, what would be 3 items that they should have to start their collections?
JD: Love this question! I would say that they must have the 23.5 Carry On Luggage that is the larger sized because there are 2. The Landon in the Medium Size. I love it because it goes from duffle to tote and it’s just the most versatile bag ever. I would say the Bennie Sling that we just dropped this past Spring and it’s like our old Morris Sling, but on steroids. We know that our slings are awesome, how can we make it even better and to address every pain point that people have? Everyone needs one. So that is my third pick! Those three you can rule the world!
AM: You guys always do fun events. My favorite event you guys threw was a few years ago and it was a twist on a Field Day/Olympics day.
JD: Oh yeah!
AM: It was like you literally felt you were living with the bags and it was fun. It’s also fun when you have done things with Sloane Stephens and she did a fun collab with you guys for Doc + Glo. We’ve had her as a previous cover, have interviewed her a few times, and I had lunch with her earlier this Spring. She’s just a good human.
JD: She really is! I feel like I’m best friends with her, but I don’t know her like that that well.
AM: You can sit with her and you just feel like you’ve known her for awhile.
Are there any partnerships or event collaborations that you can share?
JD: We have our FW assortment that is dropping in Oct this year. We’re really excited and we have some awesome prints and new colors.
I would say stay tuned for 2026 because we have a big year planned out! I’m very excited about it.
I mean, Sloane, we just love her. She is part of the team at this point so it comes from things like that – synergistic connections that we can create something really cool together.
AM: When you’re not doing all of the things that you do as a co-founder, how do you take time for yourself? This work is consuming and you do love it, but you do have to take at least half a second.
JD: For me it is very physical. My nervous system will crash and I always feel it coming. I will call my mom and I tell her I can feel it coming. When I get to that and some people call it burnout mode, I will take a little trip whether it is 1 night or 5 nights. I was actually able to take a trip for the month of August to Steamboat which is where I’m from and I worked from there for a month. When I tell you that it changed everything for me, I can’t suggest enough about taking a beat and it can be as simple as skipping the commute. Just that, working from home for a week can do that. For me, it’s about working out. I have to get that in and really think about the fact that we have a body too! We’re always up here in our mind and stuff, but when my body is in motion, it’s when I feel the best – hiking and biking – that’s when the ideas come to me. I have 2 dogs and honestly getting the dogs was the best because it forces me to go out and walk them.
AM: They have to do their business!
JD: They have to do their business and they are not going to wait!
IG @dagnedover
PHOTOS COURTESY | Dagne Dover
Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see NEW DAWN FOR BAGS | Jessy Dover - Dagne Dover in mag.
We caught up with The Daily Pour (formerly Bottle Raiders) Founder/Publisher, Dan Abrams, and VP Marketing, Amanda Paul-Garnier, to chat about the exciting Drinks With Benefits, the first Zero Proof Festival, coming to New York (Altman Building, September 27, 2025).
At Drinks With Benefits Festival guests discovered 50+ Non-Alc brands to sip and savor. They tasted innovative and sophisticated non-alcoholic beverages, botanical spirits and functional elixirs in the Tasting Gallery, and met and connected with industry innovators. Attendees strolled through the Non-Alcoholic Beer Garden and Hemp Beverages with music. They experimented in the interactive Mixology Lab, with non-alcoholic cocktail mixing demos. Guests took in the immersive experience in the Drink Rhythms Lounge DJ Sets, Podcasting Lounge, and mindful experiences in the Meditation Tent. They paired their drinking journey with 3 Omakase-style courses by top chefs for VIP Ticket-holders. In the Cipriani Cafe, their Chef will serve up complimentary pasta tastings. Reknowned for pioneering the Bellini, Cipriani paired these dishes with their Bellini Zero Cipriani! The Drinks With Benefits Festival also featured the Zero Proof Choice Awards, crowning the best winners in Non-Alc and Functional beverages. Prior to the event, we sat down with them to talk about this inaugural event.
ATHLEISURE MAG: So what led you to start the first Zero Proof Festival in NYC?
DAN ABRAMS: We had started a spirits media company that was initially focused on whiskey. And we were planning on expanding, and we did, to gin and rum and tequila. And as we were building out the business, we realized that functional beverages are becoming just an enormous part of spirits. And we can't really create a forward-thinking spirits business without making functional beverages a serious part of what we're doing.
And so as we came to that realization, we started talking about and thinking about events, in addition to doing content. Because we had acquired a company that was doing at the time 12 events around the country for whiskey and tequila. We've now expanded that to 15, so events were in the DNA of the business.
But now we were thinking, let's go big! We were stunned considering how significant a business non-alcohol and functional beverages have become, that there hasn't been a major awards in New York. There hasn't been a major event in conjunction with wellness in New York, almost anywhere. And so we thought, what a great opportunity to be on the forefront of this. And those were the seeds behind Drinks With Benefits.
AM: So what types of non-alcoholic or functional beverages would be showcased at this specific event?
AMANDA PAUL-GARNIER: So we have over 60 brands covering non-alcoholic wines, non-alcoholic beers, functional hemp and functional non-hemp products. Brands, probably, you know, like Ghia, Kin Euphorics, Athletic Brewing Company, Bero, But also brands you probably don't know that are very high quality, like Opius Elixirs, which is probably one of the best brands out there.
AM: Yeah, I would say on a personal note, I was diagnosed with gout in the middle of college. Beer is my kryptonite. So I've had to drink clear alcohol spirits or non-alcoholic beverages personally. So when I tried Ghia, for example, I couldn't believe the complexities that they put into a beverage like that.
So the space is growing. But in addition to growing, the formulations are getting better and better. Isn't that true?
APG: Yeah, I would definitely agree with that. We actually just talked with Melanie Masarin, from Ghia. And she was talking about her inspiration for starting the product. But just her integrity in terms of the quality of the ingredients she uses, she's very inspired from the Mediterranean, but she's also French and Italian. So nothing in Ghia is fake or superficial. But she also teases the whole concept that, you know, of like fake ingredients or say, people concerned about the sugar content with non-alcoholic beverages. But she was like, there's a difference between synthetic sugar and actual real sugar. And, you know, what she's trying to create and she believes the next forefront of the frontier for non-alcoholic beverage will be with people seeing those quality ingredients, real ingredients over anything processed. And I think that's one of the driving forces behind this, is that we're seeing in the non-alcoholic spirits industry that people are clamoring for an evaluation of quality. And they're basically the industry folks are saying we care about quality.
DA: This isn't just non-alcoholic wine. We want people to be thinking about what are our ingredients? How are we doing this? How are we distilling this? The same way people do with spirits. And I think that's why both our awards and Drinks With Benefits are really resonating.
AM: And, you know, in preparing for discussing the event, so I came up with the notion of things need to be tasty, but also things need to be useful or new and exciting also. So what kind of categories or different types of vendors or drinks are there available at this Drinks With Benefits Festival as this is new to a lot of communities.
APG: The festival is tiered as far as different categories with the space laid out exactly to respond to that, as for a lot of consumers, this is new and we wanted to kind of guide them through the experience.
So upon arrival, they'll get a consumer discovery map where all the non-alcoholic wines are in one area, all the non-alcoholic spirits and bitters are in one area. And then as you go downstairs, you will find the alcohol-free beer garden and then the hemp and functional space. So we've set this up so that they can discover it by category.
AM: That's great. And then there's also immersive wellness experiences as well, right?
APG: Yes. So we partnered with Sage and Sound, whose Upper East Side wellness studio has a meditation experience. And that will be led by Dara Hart, who's a Reiki master and spiritual guide. So we wanted to have, you know, something wellness adjacent within the experience to really bring to life that, you know, drinking less but better is about overall wellness. It's not just about drinks, even though they're a huge part. It's an overarching thing.
And additionally, we will have live podcasting with Samantha Feher from the podcast Caps Lock, who will be covering different topics on wellness; helping educate the consumer on different aspects of wellness; and transparency and ingredients.
AM: And what types of attendees do you foresee coming?
DA: You know, we see it being a mix. This is not an industry event, but we certainly expect some industry folks will be there. But this is primarily a consumer event. We're targeting a bit of a younger demographic. I mean, that's part of it. We just did a big redesign for our website and our app, now called The Daily Pour. And part of the reason for that is our doubling down in the Non-Alc space, but also the fact that we really are trying to target the 25 to 40 year old demo of people, who have expendable income but who care about health and wellness.
And by the way, it doesn't mean that they don't drink alcohol. Right. It just means that for a lot of them, they do drink alcohol. They just are trying to drink less.
AM: That actually leads me into my next question about Gen Z and millennials in particular and whether they're seeing this as a specific intentional choice versus a substitute. So as people are looking to what to imbibe or include in their lifestyle routines, how do you see the difference if there are between different types of consumers that some are just looking for this and others maybe are moderating alcohol consumption?
DA: So we think the targeting is the same. Which is, it's about quality beverages. Whether you are trying to drink less; whether you don't drink at all; whether you are moving from alcohol to hemp; whatever the case may be - we think that the piece that's been missing is focusing on the quality. And that's how we started this business.
We started this as a consumer facing business to say to people, we're going to help you drink whiskey and tequila and rum smarter and better. All we're doing is applying that same philosophy to non-alcohol and functional beverages. So it applies to all of them with regard to and again, that's why I think it's so important that I keep emphasizing that we're doing these awards in conjunction with the event. Because it's the same focus, which is quality. What is the quality? What are the ingredients? Because that's what drinking fine spirits is all about.
AM: And you guys are having a Omakase Food Hall at the event, which I think would get us to go to most events. What's involved with that?
APG: So we wanted to recreate experiences for consumers where they would normally have alcohol, but really show them they could have fun with non-alcoholic and alternative beverages. So we created a pairing experience with well-known restaurants in New York, including the Butcher's Daughter, Ado Lei, and Seatopia. Basically with that VIP ticket, consumers will get to go to two different counters and have a pairing experience where they have a light bite paired with an alternative beverage.
AM: There's also a mixology area for the Drinks With Benefit Festival. What kinds of things would guests be able to mix?
APG: So yes, we have the mixology lab. And we really wanted to bring to life, have a space within the event that made education fun. So The Pathfinder, For Bitter For Worse, FLUÈRE, those are some of the brands that have taken over the space. And they'll be doing education, cocktail making sessions, guided tastings.
The Alchemist Kitchen, which is in Soho, they will do a lot of elixirs, and a guided education with how to make cocktails with different plants and herbs and things like that. It'll be a really fun space for consumers to have a hands-on education or edutainment experience.
AM: For non-alcoholic consumers, are they generally narrow-minded towards the areas they're focused on? Or are they very open-minded, where they would like to try the different categories from beer, to a CBD, to maybe a sparkling spritz or something?
DA: So look, yeah, obviously, it completely depends on the person. There are some people who simply don't want anything that is in any way mind-altering, right? So they don't want functional alternatives. They don't want alcohol. That's one. And that's probably a much smaller base of consumers. There's still people we're appealing to, but they are a much smaller group. The much larger group are the people who drink a little.
They also try functional beverages. They try non-alcohol. They're interested in different areas. There are some folks who only want functional beverages and not alcohol. So it really depends. But what we're finding, based on the studies, is that most of the people who drink these non-alcohol and functional beverages also drink alcohol.
AM: That's super interesting. The space is definitely booming as consumers are finding multiple winners, in multiple categories, as open-minded in trying new things. And there might even be new categories that come out in the future. What are some untapped areas you could see now? Or do you think pretty much we're hitting where we would be for several years to come?
DA: I'd say the untapped is really the increase in the quality and the focus on ingredients. In a way that’s 10 years, 15 years ago, it was, ‘oh it's just a non-alcoholic wine.’ Or hey, I mean, ‘you probably know this from it as a non-alcoholic beer or whatever it is.’ And it's like, ‘OK, is it good? What is it made from?’ So that's the difference.
And I think that's the future in terms of where people are going, which is why we're trying to ride that wave of particularly younger people who have been brought up, focused on quality in a world where the evaluation of quality hasn't been so focused on non-alcoholic spirits.
AM: Sure. And do you see that a lot of these consumers are somewhat sophisticated where the benefits will be worth the price points?
DA: They're becoming more sophisticated. And I think that is the whole philosophy behind what we're doing, is that we're trying to help them become more sophisticated. We're the place that can say to them, we know you want to be more sophisticated. Now let us help you get there in a really accessible way.
AM: Yeah. Master edutainer, Dan. I see that totally. I learn stuff from all your other groundbreaking shows, I just know a couple of things what to do, not to do now because of you.
DA: My strengths are condensing complicated information into a pretty simple and accessible way to say it. We're kind of doing the same thing here with drinks. We are taking a confusing world of drinks and trying to make it a lot more understandable and to help them make choices.
And that's not completely dissimilar from what I do in my TV world. Sure. And then also some humor here and there.
AM: Totally. So and then after New York, are there other cities you're looking to take this festival to?
DA: Yeah, we haven't figured it out. I mean, we definitely are thinking about doing more. We want to first get this one under our belts before we start actively planning the next one. We want to see what went right, what went wrong, where could we improve? And that will help us determine, should we do another one in New York? Should we think about one in a different city? Our whiskey and tequila events, we're seeing great success recently in launches in some smaller cities like Scottsdale, Arizona or Austin, Texas and places like that. And so would that be our next? I don't know yet.
New York is a big swing. You know, and honestly, if we weren't kind of first to market on this, we probably wouldn't have started in New York. But I think that's why we felt comfortable starting in New York, because we were stunned that this hasn't existed yet.
AM: Tell us more about The Daily Pour, the organizers of the Drinks With Benefits Festival.
DA: Yeah, it's a consumer guide to drinking better. And so it has what we do - we have an app that aggregates reviews and ratings, some of which we do, some of which is from other places. But it allows it to be a kind of one stop shop to tell you, is this any good? I mean, I use it all the time when I'm thinking about buying a whiskey or something, because it allows me to see numerous aggregated reviews. And a lot of these are enthusiasts who've done reviews who might not have put a number on it. And we translate it into a number.
So the app is very useful. The website covers different issues in the spirits industry. We've recently been focusing on one particular beverage in a particular week or a particular month, which is another new thing we've done.
But, you know, the Daily Pour literally went live two days ago (formerly Bottle Raiders). And it's just a fundamentally different vibe. Bottle Raiders was initially designed based on a whiskey drinker.. And now you're in a much brighter, more vibrant place because we want it to be more inclusive of the non-alcoholic and wellness community as well.
APG: I think The Daily Pour is meeting the consumer where they are today, covering cross categories. So it's covering ‘I do still want to drink, but I want to drink better.’ So it's covering spirits. Also, it’s ‘I want to have that great margarita, but I don't want to have that during the week.’ Additionally it’s covering functional beverages, ‘and I want to learn about Non-Alc.” So I think that a lot of the other websites treat Non-Alc and alternative beverages like a footnote. Like it's really hard to find them. If you go to certain websites, they have it hidden under culture. I'm like, I don't know how anyone would find that. So we don't want to treat it like that.
I think about the scoring. I think that's extremely helpful to have this kind of meta score, our signature rating system that aggregates everyone's point of view and just gives space that is sometimes hard to understand.
AM: And the app is free. Are there premium plans to it or features?
APG: Yes, and then if you get the premium subscription, that's like $5 a month. And what are the benefits of that, so it saves your taste list. You get access to certain events and kind of discounts on certain things that we offer, exclusive content, things like that.
AM: That's terrific. And I also wanted to ask about Ev & Em Vineyards, Dan.
DA: So Ev & Em is a winery that I acquired in early 2021. It was right in the heart of COVID and the winery owners had kind of given up in COVID. And I had a friend who is one of the pioneers of the North Fork wine scene who called me and said, hey, you mentioned that you were interested in buying a winery. Were you serious? And I said, yeah, I was serious. Because I told you if I ever saw something really interesting that I would let you know.
And this is really interesting. It has one of the oldest planted vineyards on the North Fork. It has a beautiful location. It just needs some love. It needs some new thoughts about how to do the winemaking. And you could have an A-list vineyard.
And he was right. Even by the ‘22 Vintage, which was released in some of it in ‘23, some of it only now for the Reds, we're creating luxury wines in Long Island. So these are wines that we think can compete with California, Oregon, Washington, et cetera, in really all varietals. And so that's been super exciting!
AM: And there are multiple offerings. There's a Reserve, correct?
DA: There is. Yeah, we're making everything from Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris. I mean, we've got a whole range of offerings.
And in some of those, we have a Reserve. So depending on the year, for example in ‘22, we had a number of Reserve wines on the Reds, some of which actually haven't even been released yet. But our Reserve Red ‘22, super proud of that.
‘23 was a tougher year for us, but ‘24 was amazing. So we're very confident about that ‘24 Vintage that's coming out. And ‘25 looks great as well.
Stay tuned for an upcoming THE 9LIST of some of our (new) faves. We especially enjoyed Non-Alc Mixed Mocktails from The Pathfinder, Mad Flora, Junglee; Non-Alc Sparkling Wines from Society De La Rassi and Wölffer Estate; THC/CBD Gummies and Drinks from Studio TBD, Ayrloom, and Wynk; and Alice Functional Mushrooms Functional Mushroom Chocolates.
Please use responsibly. Follow the age, laws, and other restrictions in your state. Do not drink and drive while empaired.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Paul Farkas
We connected with Tyson Apostol, winner of Survivor Blood vs. Water; 4X Survivor competitor. He related to us that a main reason for winning was maintaining strength and endurance in life skills and needs. From endurance swimming in college, then professionally cycling, and later finding love in Pickleball, Tyson likes unbounded sports and activities.
For some sleep and ache and pain issues, he discovered cannabis gummies, and partnered with Trulieve as an ambassador. We ask him about when and how he integrates gummies into his routines; if he uses cannabis with training or playing Pickleballl; touring the Trulieve grow rooms and facility, and also ask about what he’s looking forward to seeing, with the upcoming season of Survivor 49.
ATHLEISURE MAG: So, so what led you to go to become a pro cyclist?
TYSON APOSTOL: Honestly, you know, I just was having a conversation recently about this, because everybody’s like oh that was your passion - I was like, no, it wasn’t, my passion was avoiding a cubicle. After college, I was good at cycling and enjoyed it but I don’t think it was a love of my life, but I found a way to avoid [the office]. I just was never like a work guy, just the feel and I know that people are going to read this and be lik, oh he’s so spoiled. No, I found a way to avoid that thing I didn’t like, which was going to college, getting a career afterwards. And so cycling for me was a way to continue playing, maybe longer than other adults were able to.
AM: Sure, but then with all the weather and the endurance I mean it sounds like it was brutal each leg of the race is tough right?
TA: Yeah, and it was brutal because I’m sitting out there pedaling in the rain convincing myself that the motivation for continuing to train in the rain and the snow and the sleet, the hail, whatever it is. It’s better than being in a cubicle, but now that I’m 46 I’m looking back, I’m like those guys in the cubicle we’re looking out the window at me riding my bike in the rain thinking I’m an idiot. So, we probably all found our thing.
AM: Yeah it’s a mixed bag now the cubicle people are riding too!
TA: That’s right even writing in the office these days right they are writing in the office with their pedal desk.
AM: And you swam in college?
TA: I swam in college. I swam through high school into college. And as soon as I decided that, I didn’t want to be there. I spent one year at college, so distance freestyle endurance was my thing, like that was the thing I was good at, so that didn’t really matter the sport as much as endurance, like I can run forever, I could ride forever, I could swim forever, you give me something long slog, and I’ll be able to do that.
AM: And then at some point you found and fell in love with pickleball?
TA: Yes, I’m the same way I saw it. And then when I went there and got to enjoy and experience it with just taking it all in, I was just like, this is, this is magic. This is a magical combination of excitement, skill and intensity.
AM: So how was your story with how you found it?
TA: I moved to Arizona to get away from the snow from Utah. And I was just like I’ve been grinding my whole life for physical activity, like riding a bike for hours on end, jogging for a few hours, going and swimming laps - like all of those are grinds, none of those are really that exciting.
And I just was like, I only want to do exercise now that I enjoy, because I’ve done so much unenjoyable exercise to me. And when I moved to Arizona in 2017, the neighborhood I moved into had some pickleball courts, and I was like I don’t know what those are, we googled it and did a little research. I took my 70 year-old neighbor who wasn’t working, and we would go over and figure out the game just by googling the rules in the middle of the day so we figured out how to play pickleball. And we both were immediately hooked.
So, we started, we joined the little neighborhood meetup on the mornings, and just kind of went from there. And, and then when COVID happened, I had to kind of readjust my business format of what I’d been doing, because I wasn’t able to go out and make appearances and this and that, and I was like I love pickleball. And now we’re kind of like in this little slow moment of time, let’s see if we can parlay my love for pickleball into being present in the community and in the sport and just the right timing, like it took off. Like if I could have had this timing with Bitcoin, I’d be like a trillionaire right now, maybe, maybe..
AM: Yeah, maybe.. because people go up, but they never say what they’d cash out, or that they lost their USB or keys, maybe that they sold at a low because they were desperate or whatever.. there’s lots of examples. People don’t factor if they’d sell on the upswings and cashed some out.
How is it working with the Pickleball leagues?
TA: I like it. The Carvana PPA Tour has had me do some interviews to get to know their players as people. Like that’s kind of been a little bit of a disconnect for them is getting the fan base to really know the players, rather than just see people playing pickleball on screen. So I’ve been fortunate to run some interviews with some of their players delving deeper into what makes them tick, who they are as people, and where they came from before pickleball. And so yeah, that has been fun and interesting.
AM: That’s super important. And so there’s so many stars and rising stars in the leagues. You know, what teams are you looking for? Who are some of your favorite players?
TA: I mean, I like the fiery ones. I don’t know if they’re my favorite people, but I like to watch them on the court the most because they get people amped and going and create a little controversy and stuff. But other than that, you know, I love, honestly, I’ve been working with Franklin pickleball now for six months, and they have a couple of my favorite players. Paris Todd. She’s comes from a tennis background. And and then Hayden Patrick Quinn, who’s like, yeah, he’s this young fire kid who’s like kind of getting under the skin of some of the older guys, which I love.
AM: Yeah, we just had a recent cover interview with Tyson McGuffin, who’s great on and off the court.
TA: Oh, yeah. Yeah, fiery.
AM: Right. But you have to you have to bring the receipts, at least -
TA: That’s right. You know, I mean, you don’t have to bring the receipts, but people respect you more if you do. Well, I mean, why I say that is like, if you stay fiery, I mean, you have to earn being fiery. Yes, I would hope. I think so. Unless it’s like, all right, we’ll leave it there. Yeah, no, I like Tyson, too. I told my daughters I was named after him, even though I’m probably 15 years older than. That’s good.
AM: Did they believe you?
TA: Just for half a second. Yeah, they were like, what? No.
AM: How many kids do you have?
TA: Two daughters. Ten and seven.
AM: So when did you first start using cannabis? Was it was it recreationally, medicinal, some combination or other?
TA: It was medicinal. I was having a lot of back pain. This is maybe 2000. Yeah, then in 2017/2018, kind of when I started playing pickleball. But it was mostly from picking up my kids so much, lifting them out of the crib. Like cribs are designed for you too, like, to hurt your back. It’s not like you can bend your legs and lift a kid out of a crib. You have to, like, hunch over the bar and then lift up. And so for some reason, I had this debilitating back pain, like bedridden. There were days I couldn’t walk. And I had, you know, taken handfuls of aspirin or whatever. And also I found some expired opioids from when my wife was pregnant going through her stuff after pregnancy, and tried those and was like, there’s a better way. I’ve only heard so many negatives about these medicines as bad for your liver bad and stomach lining, all of that stuff. And opioids are super addictive and terrible for you as well. And I said, I grew up raised Mormon.
And so it was like, you don’t do anything that is questionable in any capacity. But at 36/37, I was like, I have to try something better than what is available to me. And that’s the first time that I have tried cannabis. And it, for me, it worked so much better. It helped me sleep better, which is like the number one thing I needed was to be able to sleep well enough to recover and to heal. And so, yeah, big believer from there. It worked for me perfectly. And that’s what I mostly use it for still is sleep and recovery.
AM: And you’re working with Trulieve now as an ambassador?
TA: Yes, as an ambassador. They’re in the Pickleball game too. You know, I actually, Ethan Zahn, I don’t know if you know who he is. He won Survivor Africa, and he used cannabis products for during his fights with cancer. And so I knew that he had been working with Trulieve. So I heard of the name a lot, and they got into the Pickleball space, and reached out to me and were like, hey, we’d love to have you as a VIP, our guest at one of the Pickleball events. And I was like, oh, I already am in the pickleball space, but I would love to get to know you better because I already use your products to help me stay on top of my game in my life. That’s always the best scenario. Perfect. It was so cool.
AM: So what products were you using?
TA: I use their Sweet Talk gummies, and I’m mostly an edibles guy. And so I use those mostly for sleep. But once in a while, if I get invited to a real early game of Pickleball, a lot of these guys in Arizona, these old guys, they like to play like five in the morning before the heat kicks in.
And then I use some of their other stuff.
AM: So now for sleep, how long do you allow for when you take it before your target time to go to bed or do you look at it that way?
TA: Yeah, I do. I usually do half an hour to an hour, is when I like to be in bed after I take it and I’ll usually get home from Pickleball. I don’t take it every day. I don’t need it every day. But when I do, it’s definitely a much better option for me than anything else. And so when I do take it, it’s usually from late Pickleball and I’m too amped to fall asleep. So I take it as soon as I walk in the door, I take it, then I get my hydration, take a shower, go lay down and have a good night’s rest. When you take it, do you take it with the little fatty foods or substance or do you take it just by itself? I just take it plain by itself.
A lot of their products already have the CBD in it and stuff. So that’s terrific. Yeah. The CBD and seems to be a really nice effect with some products I’ve had.
AM: Yeah, I use cannabis actually in work and play and medicinal. So as a Celebrity Photographer, before every shoot, I smoke a little, get loose and to be creative. Yeah. I also have Gout and RA. So I use the products as I have some pain and imflamation and have to be very quick, flexible and steady.
What would you recommend for people who might not be so open minded towards cannabis use to think about? Are there some benefits or ways to think about it that might make some people reconsider it?
TA: I think you look at the side effects and the possible side effects of taking something else. That’s how I came to terms with it was when look[ing] at aspirin, all these over-the-counter medicines taken every day or multiple times a week, that’s going to take its toll on me, as well as opioids, which we know are highly addictive and very, very dangerous. And so for me, I was like, I don’t want to even have to deal with this, whether it’s months down the road, years down the road. All of that stuff adds up. And for me, I was like, a cannabis product that’s all natural for me is a much better solution.
And I went in and was like, if this works, this is what my path will be, because I already know that for me, this is better for my body.
AM: That’s terrific. And it seems like at least with edibles or gummies, there’s a way to take baby steps to see if you might like it comfortably at home. You could gradually increase your dose or the different things you use to maybe decide it without being overbearing, right?
TA: Yeah, exactly. And it tastes like candy. So it’s essentially, you know, you get like a little sweet treat, sweet top gummies, you get a little bit right before bed. It’s kind of a nice little taste and flavor. And yeah, like you said, like my wife uses them when she needs to fall asleep. She cuts them in half or in quarters. I take a whole 10mg gummy. And then if I go out early to play Pickleball, like I said, like in the mornings, my hamstrings or lower back will be really tight sometimes. And I take the Chilax. They’re only one milligram of THC and 20mg of CBD.
AM: Yeah, that’s a low dose. Yeah.
TA: So I’ll take two of those before I go play pickleball in the morning. And that kind of helps me loosen up so that I feel like I can move around normally.
AM: See, that’s great. Because we talked with some athletes that do incorporate cannabis use in their training, while they’re playing or competing, and then in their recovery. So it’s interesting to see the different persona types. You know, I think there’s some athletes that would not think to do that and have it just for recovery. And then other athletes would train with it and maybe participate with it. So have you found the game super enjoyable to or the competition a little more exciting? Or it’s just it’s such a low dose. It’s more just for aches and pains?
TA: It’s a low dose. It’s for aches and pains. I do notice that I play better Pickleball when I’m focused on playing Pickleball. And so I know when I take some cannabis, I kind of focus more on what I’m doing rather than let my mind wander off into like, did I get these bills paid? Do I have this meeting coming? And so I do naturally probably play a little bit better when I have done that, especially in the morning, for sure in the morning. Because I would be too tight and tired to get going at five or six in the morning when all these old guys like to play.
AM: Do you have any favorite strains, do you lean Indica or Sativa?
TA: I mean indica for sure if I’m sleeping or need to chill at night, and sativa in the day and just in low doses. So to sleep, I take 10mg of Indica and I use mostly I use this slumber. Okay. You can see that. And then the Chillax one, which is Sativa, but it’s only, you know, 1mg. So, and I have others. They have a whole line of them, you know, Hybrids, everything else. I’m not a sensitive person though, like it doesn’t matter what it is. You give me racing bikes as a pro cyclist, people be like, oh, this frame is so stiff. I can’t hardly. And I was like, I can’t tell the difference. So if there’s big differences, I can tell. But if there’s smaller differences..
AM: I’m a super Indica guy. OK, even when I’m using it when out and socializing, or being creative and productive, I still would be Indica. And in the last couple of years, I’m experimenting with Sativa and kind of pushing myself, because I feel a little hazy tension cerebrally at first with Sativa, but then I get through it and I really like the energy and the bright buzz aspect of some strains and Hybrids.
TA: And I was invited and went to their grow operation here in Phoenix. And they had you see all of the rooms with all the different strains lined up.
AM: Yeah, it’s a science. Yeah. Yeah.
TA: It’s always fun to be in those big rooms.
AM: It’s just ridiculous. And, you know, it just feels like a Mecca. Right.
So every time everyone talks to you, I guess Survivor always comes up. So, you know, our community definitely knows you from there. And we’d love to hear any key takeaways you have, or thoughts you had on the different seasons, or what your biggest takeaway was overall.
TA: My biggest takeaway overall from Survivor? I mean, honestly, I think the thing that is I hear a lot from people, from fans is, oh, I could never do that. You know, people are like, oh, I love Survivor. I love seeing you on there. I love the show, but I could never do that. And that’s not true. Anybody, almost anybody could do it.
Like you get out there, you rely on a group, you’re put in this stressful situation that you have to figure out, you’ll figure it out. And it’s like I didn’t do any special training to be out there. A lot of these people didn’t. You see a lot of people that are kind of incompetent out there. Like if you truly want to be on Survivor and are thinking you can’t do it because it’s too difficult, that’s absolutely not true. You can get out there and do it. But is there something, training or skills you could build up before getting on there? Yeah, there is. I mean, the part that’s hardest to train for is the lack of sleep, the lack of food, the discomfort. Like you can’t train for that.
Otherwise, the game is primarily a social game. And if you can operate civilly while under the stresses of no sleep, no food, no cleanliness, extreme conditions, then you’ve got it. That’s the name of the game is keeping your wits when you have nothing else around you. But it’s also why the show’s been on so long because so many people can’t do that.
Like you get out there, you rely on a group, you’re put in this stressful situation that you have to figure out, you’ll figure it out. And it’s like, I didn’t do any special training to be out there. A lot of these people didn’t. You see a lot of people that are kind of incompetent out there. Like if you truly want to be on Survivor and are thinking you can’t do it because it’s too difficult, that’s absolutely not true. You can get out there and do it. But is there something, training or skills you could build up before getting on there? Yeah, there is. I mean, the part that’s hardest to train for is the lack of sleep, the lack of food, the discomfort. Like you can’t train for that.
Otherwise, the game is primarily a social game. And if you can operate civilly, while under the stresses of no sleep, no food, no cleanliness, extreme conditions, then you’ve got it. That’s the name of the game - keeping your wits when you have nothing else around you. But it’s also why the
show’s been on so long because so many people can’t do that. So they lose their minds. Like you watch the show and you’re like, that wasn’t very smart gameplay. And you’re like, yeah, that person’s not thinking clearly. They haven’t eaten in two weeks. So, yeah, preparation-wise, I think the best thing you can do is steer away from anything like real people, and quitting coffee because it’s like they want their coffee every single morning. You don’t get coffee every morning on Survivor. So something like that. And then building up your endurance and grip strength, work on puzzles, that type of thing. But in the end, it’s social and political. So whatever you can do to get in the right headspace to be chill, even when everything around you is maybe not, that’s where you got to be.
AM: What should we look for in the upcoming season? Are there things you’re looking out for?
TA: The things I’m looking out for most are there’s two players on season 49 that will be on season 50, the major all-star season after 2020. And so I’m watching those two players. Why did they get selected for 50? Why are they playing two times in a row? What did they do on season 49 that’s so impressive that they’re back again for another season without any of the fans’ reaction to them? The production just figured that those two would be good enough to come back for another season.
AM: So this time we’ll both be watching and maybe having a gummy and enjoying how it unfolds, huh?
TA: That’s right. I love it. Every season, it’s always different. That’s the beauty of it. I like to watch it for the strategy. Everyone has their own thing. My kids like to watch the challenges. They love the little games and stuff like that. I like how the strategy unfolds, thinking what I would do in that situation. If there’s something out of the box you could do that might be even stronger, that type of thing.
PHOTOGRAHY COURTESY | Tyson Apostol
Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see GUMMIES & ZZZ | Tyson Apostol in mag.
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Golden Bachelor/John Fleenor
PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Maarten de Boer
This week on The Golden Bachelor, Hometowns takes us to Las Vegas and Peg to her firehouse! She lets him know that she has not brought anyone to her work. He even meets her colleagues and gets to see a bit of what she does so that he can get an idea of what her life is like. Peg said she is not looking for the fireworks, she is looking for the fireplace - it’s a nice image to let us know how she sees her life.
They make their way to Peg’s home to meet her family. We find out that Peg’s mom has been part of Bachelor Nation for over 20 years! Her family gets down to business by asking him questions to get to know him and to see how he feels about her mom. Her brother sits down to talk with Mel. Peg chats with her mom and you can tell that she also likes Mel and part of us thinks that she loves the fact that a show she has enjoyed is now happening in front of her. Mel and Peg’s daughter have their conversation and she’s not giving him any wiggle room to fall into vague answers. She wants to know his intentions and to see where his head is at. She even tells him that she is very protective of her mother.
Next up is Debbie in Denver! They’re going to walk around her hometown and she looks like the ultimate Athleisure girly as they walk around Red Rock. As they sit down taking in the sights, she tells him about leaving her boyfriend over a decade ago and then finding out that 2 weeks after they broke up, he took his own life. It’s a very heavy story, but now we know why she has been single for so long as that experience would have to be something that truly changes you as a person. It’s such a story that really makes you pull for her and makes you hope that if he does decide to not continue with her that he lets her down gently.
Debbie also takes him to her family where they have a barbecue going. We see some of Mel’s moves as he tosses the football around with the men in her life while finding out more about her. Debbie sits with her sisters and they let her know that she needs to find her person as she is so deserving.
He continues onto Austin to meet with Cindy. Their first stop is to have lunch with her 3 daughters, her SIL and her soon to be SIL. They talk about how it has been to be on the journey and she shares that one of her dates had Paula Abdul there which her kids loved hearing as she was formerly a dancer. Although she loves her life in Austin, she lets her kids know that her love and life with Mel may mean that she is going to live in California and she is there for it. Mel chats with her SIL’s and you can see the good vibes between them. After a successful meeting with her kids, she takes him to her condo for a cocktail. She lets him know that although she knows her kids liked him, she shared her concern that they felt that he may not like her as much as she does. She lets him know that she is falling for him and she wants to have a gut check with him. She is very self aware that he has 2 other dates going on, but in the end, the assurances that she was looking for were not given - so she is left in a bit of a void as she didn’t want to continue pushing on the subject. We hear him say in his confessional that as much as he enjoyed his date with her, he isn’t where she is and that his decision is going to be a tough one.
It’s the night of the last rose ceremony and next week is the Women’s Tell All! That means the week after, we get to see what he decided to do. Jesse Palmer is there to meet each of the women as he asks them about their Hometowns experience. None of the women know what happened in one another’s dates.
Cindy and Peg are both given roses and Debbie does not have one. All 3 of these women have been people that we have enjoyed. Somehow in watching Debbie’s Hometown we knew that Mel would not choose her.
THEY RECEIVED ROSES | Cindy, and Peg
THEY DIDN’T GET A ROSE | Debbie
Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Last year, we got hooked to a twisty romantic thriller The Couple Next Door on STARZ. Each week, we were hooked on couples who lived in a cul-de-sac who had so much going on in and between their homes. As we don’t want to share any spoliers, if you have yet to check this out, you need to. With S2 of this show currently airing their latest season, you hear more about what took place in S1 as well as getting connected with new characters that will leave us open mouthed on what takes place!
We sat down with Sam Palladio (Nashville, The Princess Switch franchise, Catherine the Great) as well as his co-star, Sendhill Ramamurthy (Never Have I Ever, Heroes, New Amsterdam). We wanted to know how they came to this franchise, approached playing their characters, as well as preparing to bring them to life, and more!
ATHLEISURE MAG: Well we have been fans of both of your work, so it’s good that you guys are here! What drew you to The Couple Next Door?
SENDHILL RAMAMURTHY: It was just very different! I was doing a show for Netflix that was a real kind of fantasy show where there were a lot of special effects, and it’s very kind of heightened where people have powers and all of that. This was just more of a grounded scenario and it really appealed to me, because I’ve been talking to a tennis ball stuck on a stick for weeks and weeks! So to be able to actually speak to Sam and to Bel was really nice to speak to human beings! That was the draw for me!
SAM PALLADIO: Yeah, for me. I think you know I grew up in the UK. I’ve been in Nashville and in the states for over a decade, but I really felt a draw to go back and do some, um, great, you know, British television, even though we shot it in Belgium!
Finding a role that was something different. This is my first time sort of playing that character that’s not just the sort of charming singer/songwriter, you know? Jacob obviously, given a huge arc to the show and becomes our villain, you know, and that was really exciting for me to lean into that as a sort of? As I sort of age into my late 30s and finding a bit more gravitas and having lived a lot more life, it was a really exciting challenge to a bit like Sendhill says. Play something real and grounded, but a character that that does some dark things you know and explore that world with a British production behind it.
AM: Wow!
What is that creative process like when you’re bringing these kinds of characters to life? Are there certain things that you do and how do you connect with each of the people you play with?
SR: We were really lucky in that we actually got to sit down for a few days, just kind of like the 4 of us around the table with our director, Dries Vos and just read through the scripts. I mean, it wasn’t quite a rehearsal –
AM: Right.
SR: Bit, it was as close as you get on television to a rehearsal. I don’t know about you Sam, but for me, that that’s never really happened. We’ve never had the opportunity to kind of like, sit there, and you know, you get the table. You get a table read every once in a while, but we, you know, you never get to sit around for hours, talking about scenes, and like, “hey, I’m not sure this works or I don’t understand this –“
SP: Yeah!
SR: This was all before we guys came on set, that was like it was a huge blessing really. I’m grateful that they made sure that we were able to have that because I think that it was hugely helpful for all of us!
SP: I think that’s it. The production team were really collaborative, and I haven’t been part of a show where I felt like we were all equal, you know, and had a say and and they really valued our opinions. You know, there’s a lot of jobs you do where you’re a number on a call sheet, and you turn up on the day, you learn the lines, you’re in and out, and nice to meet you guys bye! This felt from the ground up, like a like a big collaboration. For me, sort of preparing, well, one thing we got to do, which was amazing, was, you know, I? I play an anesthetist and Bel is my wife and an incredible heart surgeon. Ahead of filming, we got to go and observe, a real open heart surgery.
AM: Oh, wow!
SP: We were able to be in the room and be a fly on the wall. Well, kind of more than a fly on the wall, actually, because the surgeons were really excited to meet us, even though they were in the middle of the bowel replacement! We were really chatty, and myself and Aggy (Oh Ramona, Eden Lodge, The Perfect Escape) went along that that morning and was just trying to like, be quiet, and they were just asking questions and they were really excited. But for me to observe the anesthetist and his world, it was just invaluable, you know? Because a lot of that hospital drama and the medical drama, you know, we didn’t want to just be actors.
AM: Right.
SP: You know? So that was a really great grounding for all that medical side of the show. And then, for, you know, the sort of emotional side, I just had lots of threesomes!
AM: As you do, apparently!
SP: Haha no – no!
AM: Right, exactly?
Well, we were huge fans of S1. This show is all about the intricacies and dynamics that take place over the season, and if S1 was any indication, it will be exciting to see how it plays out here as well!
What can you tell us about Jacob and Leo that we should be prepared to know in watching S2?
SP: What you need to be prepared to know is that, I think what was so great about series 1, and that we’ve sort of expanded on in series 2, is this relationship drama. This sort of, you know – coming from episode 1, there’s this kind of tension, and this this thriller aspect to it, which I think is really watchable and really enjoyable for a viewer. It’s nicely paced. It doesn’t sort of jump straight in and throw these characters into crazy situations. It’s like a slow burn, which I really like, because that allows you to sort of get to know the characters.
You know, Jacob, is this sort of high flyer? Got it, got it. All you know, seemingly has a great relationship, but they are also at a stage in their life where they don’t have kids, they’re sort of like they’ve reached the kind of peak of, like, we’re great at what we do. We’ve got the house we’ve got all you know, what’s missed in and there is something missing from their relationship, and it turns out that Mia is quite a catalyst for bringing out this darker side and these darker fantasies, and I think it’s just interesting watching a couple explore that. Obviously, Jacob’s jealousy, professional jealousy, and personal jealousy really starts to amp up and progresses as things start to unravel. So for me, it’s a really great opportunity and challenge to show some of those darker colors, and you know, and not giving too much away - it’s quite a journey.
AM: It’s exciting!
SR: From Leo, the thing that I guess the audience should know about and the thing, though I really enjoyed about him, was also very hard to kind of, you know, to convey. He was an insider in this group, but he was a very different person. He wasn’t a fully formed human being. He came from an extremely wealthy family. He was very spoiled, very self-involved, and he has his heart broken, you know, by Bel’s character, Charlotte and he leaves. This is him coming back as a much more involved person and somebody who’s learned from life. He’s kind of like an observer a lot of the time, you know?
He’s able to see Charlotte, for who she was and who she is now, and what may be lacking and saying to Jacob, like they’ve never had a great relationship. They’ve always kind of been like in opposition to each other, and those were, you know, some of my favorite things to play actually were with Sam when we got to, you know, kind of, because we get along really well off camera.
AM: Right!
SR: We’re living above each other in the same facility, and we were hanging out all the time, but we got to have this very different relationship on camera. That was something that was a lot of fun to play, but I think it’ll be fun for the audience also to just kind of watch. Like, it’s always fun watching, like two kind of alphas going for the same girl.
AM: Love it.
SR: Yeah, it’s fun. I think that people can expect a thrilling kind of ride, and it goes in places that I never thought it was gonna go! As I was reading it, I was like, “we’re gonna do that?”
Okay! I think there’s a little something in there for everyone.
IG @sampalladio
After chatting with both of the male leads in this series, we took a few moments to chat with another co-star, Annabel Scholey (Apollo Has Fallen, The Split, Dead and Burried) who plays Charlotte, a surgeon that is married to Jacob. We wanted to find out more about how she came to this series and what we should expect when we’re about to watch this thriller.
ATHLEISURE MAG: What drew you to want to be part of The Couple Next Door?
ANNABEL SCHOLEY: Well, I saw series 1 actually and really loved it, and I’m from that part of England. I’m from Yorkshire.
So that was a big draw because I haven’t - I don’t always get to play that region!
AM: Right.
AS: Because I went to drama school, and I have a pretty RP accent (Editor’s Note: An RP accent or Received Pronunciation, is a non-regional, educated accent of English associated with the upper classes and public schools of southern England, rather than a specific geographic region.) So, it was really nice to go back to my route, and I’ve always wanted to play a surgeon because I’m a big Grey’s Anatomy fan –
AM: Same.
AS: Oh yeah! Christina Yang (Sandra Oh) has always been my favorite, so I was, like, oh my God, this is amazing! I get to be Christina Yang! It’s kind of the initial attraction and it is just a really brilliant part - very complicated and quite challenging, physically as well. I like a good challenge normally.
AM: And what was that creative process like, for you and being able to bring Charlotte to life?
AS: I had to work pretty hard on particularly the medical stuff, because obviously you can’t really - you have to fake it so well, right? It just looks, shit, basically if you don’t do it right.
We did do a lot of research. We went into an open heart surgery.
AM: That’s what Sam was seeing this morning!
AS: Yeah, it was incredible. It really was it. I thought I might faint because I can be a bit fainty, but I just thought it was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen and really empowering. And I just thought, thank God, there are humans who can do this!
AM: Exactly.
AS: Sam and I had quite physical things to do together with the big scene towards the end. It’s very physical, very difficult. Obviously, the sex element of it was quite a big challenge as well. Sam and I got on so well, right from the start from our chemistry test so we’d be comfortable with each other, which really helped obviously.
AM: Well, what can you tell us about Charlotte? Like you, we love S1, so it will be exciting to see what the dynamics will be for these characters.
AS: Yes, I think, because she’s 40 and so am I, that is an interesting point in a woman’s life, I think, you know? Charlotte hasn’t got any children, I do, but she’s at the top of her game. She’s worked really hard on her career. But she doesn’t know what’s next.
I think it’s an interesting moment turning 40. It doesn’t mean what it used to mean like, that’s it, you’re done. And it certainly doesn’t mean that anymore. It’s more like a rebirth, and I think that that’s what she goes through during this. She has a rebirth and that was really attractive to me to explore.
AM: So, what do you want fans to walk away from as we watch S2 and seeing this cast of characters together?
AS: I really hope the fans, I mean I know the fans are HUGE fans of Sam Heughan (Outlander, The Couple Next Door, Love Again), so I, I hope they come back!
AM: Right!
AS: We have the wonderful Sam! I feel like, because it was loved and the momentum of the show, it is shocking. It has a lot of twists and turns. It’s gripping. I’ve been told by everyone over here who watched it that they couldn’t stop. They binged it. I really want people, though, to, to get the sense that, you know, it’s okay to keep exploring yourself sexually. When you’re married, don’t just settle out of a habit, you know? I do think it explores those themes and that has happened in the UK. I think the audience did. That was the topic, the conversation. Like, I think that’s great. What it is to be a woman and to feel sexy also professional, and not necessarily a mother. And so, yeah, I really hope the audience obviously, enjoy watching, the sexy and the thriller side of it this time; more so than in series 1 I think. But yeah, I think that that’s what I wanted to take.
IG @bel_scholey
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | STARZ/The Couple Next Door
Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see BACK TO THE CUL-DE-SAC in mag.
As we look to other cities around the globe that will continue to showcase SS26 fashion in menswear and womenswear, this month, we’re sharing a recap of some of the shows that we attended and what stood out during this season’s NYFW.
JANET MANDELL NYFW SS26
We kicked off our first day of NYFW at the Janet Mandell show which took place in the LES at The DL. Her show was A Tribute to Vintage: Janet Mandell’s Archival Runway. Earlier this year, we had the pleasure of attending her showroom here in NY (she also has them in Chicago and Los Angeles) which is home to rare vintage who has dresses the Kardashians, Rachel Zoe, Mindy Kaling, and more.
To see these pieces on the runway with a candlelit backdrop on a rooftop, we loved seeing some of the most coveted looks in luxury rental fashion! This show showcased rare looks from the 90s and early 2000s with designs by Roberto Cavalli, Christian Dior by John Galliano, Gucci by Tom Ford and Gianni Versace.
At the conclusion of this show, which left a number of the guests in a dream to see these pieces all in one place, we enjoyed champagne after the event as a means to get ready for a busy season ahead!
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 122 - 123 Janet Mandell |
MORPHEW FLAGSHIP LAUNCH
Interestingly enough, upon leaving The DL, we made our way around the block to Morphew who had a lovely get together to launch their new location of their vintage luxury fashion and art. Their collection includes ready-to-wear, rare luxury vintage, and atelier pieces.
NEW YORK MEN’S DAY MORNING SESSION NYFW SS26
Although we had attended functions the night before, NYMD took place on the first official day of NYFW. This event is one that we enjoy due to the fact that over the course of the morning and the afternoon, you see a curated group of designers.
Both sessions took place at the Mercedes-Benz of Manhattan, which is a large showroom. This season’s presenting sponsors were PROJECT (represents what’s new, now, and next in men’s contemporary apparel, footwearm and accessories) and COTERIE (is the premier women’s contemporary to advanced apparel, footwear, and accessories platform).
The venue host was at the Mercedes-Benz of Manhattan showroom, which allowed attendees to see all the shows, while also being immersed in a luxury space showcasing this brand and partnerships.
In this first group of shows, 4 brands presented their collection to attendees. archie was part of NYMD for the first time. They shared their line with their models rotating on a playground spinner with neutral tones. It was a great way to see the movement of the collection as well as to see everything together.
Peak Lapel was back for another season and had a number of tipped blazers in primary colors with a nod to preppy style. As opposed to being in motion, this presentation of this collection allowed attendees to see them playing chess and had a feeling of sitting in the park as opposed to being in a luxury showroom with G Wagons nearby.
Clara Son is a menswear brand that was back for another season. This collection had a playful take on menswear while incorporating suiting and great separates. There were pops of colors as well as neutrals. It’s always a line that has a distinct point of view.
The last designer to be part of NYMD for the morning session was Oxblood Zebra that returned for another season. This collection has signature pieces that reminded us of items that your favorite artist or athlete would wear.
PHOTO CREDITS | PG 124 Oxblood Zebra/Angel Flores | PG 125 Max Esmail |
RYNSHU NYFW SS26
Rynshu’s box style show allowed every attendee to see the looks that hit the runway at all angles. Although this brand was new to us, we loved the flowing silhouettes, sequins, and a clean palette.
IG @rynshu
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 127 Rynshu |
NEW YORK MEN’S DAY AFTERNOON SESSION NYFW SS26
We made our way back to the Mercedes-Benz of Manhattan showroom to see the afternoon shows, which included 4 additional designers.
For the first time, FIT MW25 Collective shared a curated group of designs! It’s always nice to see what the next generation of creatives and designers are looking to do to put their fingerprint on this industry!
Bryan Jimenez introduced their menswear collection for the first time at NYMD this season! We found that this collection has great core essentials that could be worn dressed up or even casually. It also had such an easy sensibility that we can’t wait to continue to see more from this designer and how it will evolve from season to season.
The first time that we had seen Joseph McRae, it was at another season of NYMD. If you have been watching the current season of Freeform’s Project Runway, you know that he was a contestant and he brought the drama in a number of the challenges. We’re not doing a spoiler alert in case you have yet to see it. As usual, he likes to play with proportion, he’s phenomenal when it comes to dramatic pieces that make a statement.
Max Esmail returned with suiting and outerwear in menswear. The fact that we were at the Mercedes-Benz showroom, it was a great backdrop for this Miami Vice gotham style look.
IG @fitnyc
PHOTO CREDITS | PG 125 Max Esmail |
CHRISTIAN SIRIANO, MACY’S I.N.C X CHRISTIAN SIRIANO + RECEPTION NYFW SS26
A Christian Siriano is an event not to be missed, from star studded attendees, to fashion that is always next level, we were excited to see his NYFW SS26 runway show that took place at Macy’s. Transformed into a golden draped space his muse, Coco Rocha opened and closed this phenomenal show which was filled with dramatic pieces.
Once this show completed, we made our way to the executive floor of this iconic heritage department store, where they had a gallery of curated looks by the designer who also serves as Creative Director of Macy’s I.N.C.
The selection of blazers that were embellished with details was nice to see as we made our way to the roofdeck to enjoy a cocktail reception. In addition to Christian coming to celebrate the 40th year of Macy’s I.N.C. he mingled with guests along with Coco Rocha herself.
IG @csiriano
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 128 - 132 Christian Siriano |
NATALIA FEDNER NYFW SS26
We have been fans of Natalia Fedner ever since we saw her S1 on Project Runway. She is known for creating Stretch Metal which has been created for dresses, tops, skirts, and swimwear. A number of celebs from Lenny Kravitz, Beyonce, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, and more have worn her pieces. In addition, we have even styled her pieces in our cover photoshoot of an NFL Super Bowl Champion winner as well.
We enjoyed seeing her show on Sun night during NYFW for her SS26 collection which had a number of fun pieces in Metal Couture from solids to prints in her iconic 6-way Stretch Metal style.
PHOTO CREDITS | PG 134 + 135 Natalia Fedner |
FREDERICK ANDERSON NYFW SS26
For the past few seasons, we have enjoyed attending Frederick Anderson’s NYFW shows, and for his SS26 season, he focused on the concept of joy. There were definite beach vibes in his collection that made you think of booking a trip to Bali, Sao Paulo, and Miami. Of course they are perfect for warm nights right here in NYC!
IG @frederickanderson_designer
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 136 + 137 Frederick Anderson |
MOTT50 EDITION + COOLIBAR NYFW SS26
We ended our NYFW shows at 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar where Coolibar, a suncare brand for apparel showcased elements of their collection as a standing presentation, a runway show for Coolibar, and another runway show for their luxury portion of the line known as Mott50. Before and after the show, we enjoyed a sunny warm summer night in the golden hour which was paired with cocktails and light bites.
Protecting our skin and wearing products that have UPF 50+ built in is a great way to make sure that you are taking care of yourself. We had the pleasure of interviewing Supermodel and 90s icon, Niki Taylor moments before she made her return to the runway in this show as she opened and closed it!
ATHLEISURE MAG: It is so great to sit with you before you hit the runway! I remember when your first cover for Seventeen Magazine came out and it’s great to see how you have navigated your career. It’s so great to meet you.
When did you realize that you wanted to be a model?
NIKI TAYLOR: Oh my gosh! My mom was a model, she had done a couple magazine covers for Gold Coast back in the early 70s, and then she became a photographer. I think just growing up, I was always taller than everybody else. I think that’s when people were like, “oh, she should get into modeling.”
AM: Exactly!
NT: There were some teen things going on in South Florida, so we looked up modeling agencies in Fort Lauderdale and Irene Marie and Michele Pommier came up and I went to both of them. So my mom and I, we made a little black and white comp card and went to a photographer that took black and white photos. I just remember, that I had the hat and the bob and a couple at my mom’s photos we put on this comp card and we sent it into Irene Marie and they said no. They’re like, “nope, she needs braces - come back when her braces are off.” At that time, I was getting ready to get them. I did. I came back and there was a guy named JJ Cortez at Irene Marie. He was a modeling scout, and he said, “hey, we’re gonna sign you,” and the rest is history!
AM: You’ve had a phenomenal career from covers, hosting, and just so many different things. What do you love about what it is that you do, and did you envision that it would be all of this?
NT: I was a fan first. I would spend my allowance. I would ride my bike to the drugstore, buy a Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, and then put Christy, Naomi, and Linda on my wall!
AM: Exactly.
NT: I would look at that and say, I’m going to do that! I think that the drugstore had Italian Vogue one time – I don’t know how it got there!
AM: But it was like destiny!
NT: It was. It was all of the girls doing fashion shows. I remember I was, like, oh my, gosh, there’s Helena Christensen. There is Christy Turlington, she’s my favorite. Anything that I could find with Steven Meisel that he shot was on my wall.
Irene Marie brought me to New York. I did a modeling competition for Spectrum, and I won that. And then, from there, I signed with them and then I went to, um, my first show which was Thierry Mugler when when I was 14. I just remember being the first model there. So I got to watch them all come in, and all the personalities that arrived! My dad had one of those little throwaway cameras. I remember my dad coming with me.
I sat down and Danilo was doing my hair, and I could see Helena Christensen behind me and smiling at each other. I just feel like I was more a fan and the fact that I am still doing this and I get to do this, I’m very lucky.
AM: Well, we love hearing about people’s fitness routines. So, what are 3 that you do that we should consider incorporate into ours?
NT: Well, this is my husband, Burney.
AM: Hello!
NT: We weight train and see a trainer twice a week. We do a lot of walking. We love riding bikes. Anywhere we go on vacation or from work, we try to find somewhere that has bikes.
AM: That’s so cute!
BURNEY LAMAR: Have you done the Citi Bikes?
AM: No, I have not done the Citi Bikes.
NT: Oh my gosh, you have to!
BL: They’re amazing.
AM: I don’t know, you have the crazy drivers and then you have you on the Citi Bike. Yeah, I don’t know about that.
BL: They have a dedicated lane for them!
NT: Oh yeah they have they green lane.
AM: Oh yes – as long as they adhere to that!!
NT: They definitely look out for that bike lane! Talk about getting around fast!
AM: That part is true!
NT: Especially if you are late for something. It does help having somebody with you.
BL: We were ripping around last night.
NT: We did! We went downtown to the Oculus on our Citibikes. Then he said, “alright, let’s take the train,” so we’ll took it back uptown. Then we took another bike so we’re always moving.
We also do a lot of cardio as well, in addition to trying to lift heavyweight 2X a week. It’s because of him that I do that, because if it’s just me, then I’m going to just want to stretch.
AM: Right, I thought that you were going to say pilates, but you have such a great mix.
NT: I just turned 50 and I’m a grandma, so I have a 9 month old grandbaby. His name is Nico. So, we just have to keep moving and that’s our workout routine pretty much!
AM: Are there things that you do when you’re about to do a photoshoot, campaign, walk the runway etc to get into that mindset?
NT: I just feel like we do something every day. I love food. I’m a good eater and I always have been. You can ask my husband, I go up and I go down. I can tell when things are getting a little tight, right?
AM: Yup!
NT: It’s just portion control and a little bit more cardio! I’ve always been like that, and I have a sweet tooth. I can probably put down dessert more than anybody here. I love my sugar. So I have to workout. To get ready for this, I just try to do something every day, and I’m just trying to bring up my heart rate and sweat a little bit.
AM: How did you get connected to this brand? And you know, how excited are you going to be to be able to be a part of the show today?
NT: I’m not sure you’ve met Luis.
AM: Not yet.
NT: Not yet, okay so he will be speaking a little bit tonight. Him and I, we worked together in Miami, before this company for another clothing company. I just grew up in South Florida. I’ve always been in the sun. I know the importance of protecting your skin, and I just wish I had this clothing back then. We love being outside. I could have used their sun sleeves. They have an amazing bandana. I love their sun hats, too. My daughter, Ciel and I, we got to do this shoot together, which was fun. And she’s very good about protecting her skin. She doesn’t go in the sun at all.
My dad struggled a little bit towards the end of his life and had squamous (Editor’s Note: A common type of skin cancer that develops in the flat, thin cells – squamous cells – of the skin’s outer layer). So they were cutting off little pieces of his shoulders – he would mow the lawn without his shirt on. He would run and he had no sunscreen and back then, we didn’t wear sunscreen!
AM: Back then it wasn’t something that we think about as much as we do not. And sunscreen is for everyone across skin tones, hues, shades and whether the sun is out or not – regardless of the time of year!
NT: Yes!
AM: If you are breathing, you need to wear and use it!
NT: Oh yeah and think about the areas you don’t think about like your ears and there are so many areas that just get avoided.
AM: Especially your neck when you’re hair is pulled up and you’re not thinking about it.
NT: I wish this clothing brand was out there back in the 90s, it would have been nice. But this brand is UPF 50+ protection from UVA, UVB, and It’s 98 protection. It was founded in 2001 it’s the first brand that earned the Skin Cancer Foundation recommendation.
AM: That’s huge.
NT: I just love that you’re protected and it does not wash out. It’s in the clothing.
AM: The lookbook was amazing and it will be nice to see the collection when it hits the runway! The pieces are just so modern, very stylish and flowy, and I just appreciate you taking the time.
IG @nikilovesu
PHOTO CREDITS | PG 138 - 143 Coolibar |
Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see NYFW SS26 EDIT in mag.
We’ve covered a number of top surfers as well as competitions. In this month’s issue, we wanted to find out more about A Great Day in the Stoke which focuses on championing Black surfers to ensure that they are recognized at an elite level. For the last 5 years this competition has done exactly that with partnerships by Lexus and Complex. Because of this event and those partnerships, it assisted Julian Williams the wild card at US Open of Surfing!
We wanted to take some time ahead of this year’s event to talk with AGDITS founder, Nate Fluellen who is also a surfer and traveler. We wanted to know more about his passion for surfing, why he loves it, and creating this event!
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with Surfing?
NATE FLUELLEN: While I was preparing for my award-winning adventure travel TV show, World Wide Nate: African Adventures, is when I fell in love with surfing. That show was all about demystifying travel to Africa to the average American millennial. I started taking lessons at Venice Beach Pier on a wave storm and loved being in the water, finally learning how to surf. I always wanted to learn since I was a pre-teen.
But the moment I truly fell in love with surfing happened in Durban, South Africa, when I surfed with the Zulu boys & girls from the youth organization called Surfers Not Street Children while filming my TV show. That experience added so much depth because the joy those kids had was contagious; it was euphoric, like I was in utopia. I marveled at their surf vibes mixed with African culture, and hearing them speak Zulu or Xhosa while being free of any worry in the world is the spirit I live to be in daily.
AM: What is it that you love about this sport?
NF: When I’m in the ocean, I feel I’m closest to God. It is my saltwater therapy, and the days I see a pod of dolphins, which is often, the day is always magical. I love how each wave is different, and in a split second, you have to make a decision on how to catch the wave, put yourself in position, battle the next surfer for position, and pop up. It keeps the mind sharp and the body active.
AM: Why did you want to launch AGDITS and why is it held in Surf City USA?
NF: During the pandemic, the surf community came together in solidarity in response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Tayler, and Ahmaud Aubrey. After the 3rd paddle out, I was exhausted from reacting to a tragedy and believed it shouldn’t be the continuous reason we come together. I’m an HBCU graduate of Tennessee State University, and we come together during homecoming to celebrate our love for higher education and each other. I wanted to take inspiration from that joy and just celebrate our lives, love for the ocean, and surfing. And to meet each other, we discovered each other through social media, but didn’t have the chance to connect in real life.
AM: Now that you are in the 4th year of this event, what can we keep our eyes out for?
NF: During the 4th year, you can keep your eyes out for great competitors with Julian Williams defending his title, Cherif Fall and Brandon Benjamin are back, and a lot of new talented faces. The ladies are showing up strong! We have Monik Santos back to defend her title from Brazil, and ladies from Senegal.
AM: Tell us about the kinds of events that will take place during AGDITS?
NF: We’re excited and proud to have Lexus as our presenting sponsor, and they will have their Surf LX on display. Lululemon is powering a 5k fun run/walk, which starts at their store at Pacific City Mall to the beach. They’re also hosting our beach yoga sessions and wellness zone. The Nickelodeon Kids Zone will be packed with kid activities, and Bones Loves Milk will have an arts & craft surfboard station. Yeti will have water stations to keep everyone hydrated, and Red Bull will keep everyone’s energy high. Melanated Jump Squad will lead our Double-Dutch competition, Organic Gorilla will showcase their products, Eco by Ry will glass two surfboards and donate them to our drawing and Black Surfers Association, founded by Tony Corely, will celebrate their 50th anniversary.
AM: You have great partners involved in this year’s event from Lexus to Lululemon - what does that mean to you to have them involved?
NF: Having them on board makes me proud of the event that has been built and honored how they’re showing up to support diversity in the line-up. We say it takes a village to raise a child, and we are a human community, and when we focus on a common goal, nothing is impossible. I’m thankful for all the partners involved.
AM: Will you have AGDITS in other cities?
NF: Of course, the Chocolate Tide is Rising around the world, and pretty soon I will make an announcement, but for now I will keep that information classified.
AM: Are there any other events that we can keep our eye out for?
NF: You can keep a lookout for the 5th annual AGDITS. However, if some announcements pop up before next September you will be the first to know!
In addition, we connected with another surfer who not only participates in AGDITS, but also runs events for this organization here in NYC! Farmy Dia enjoys surfing in Far Rockaway and getting her perspective on this event and why she loves this sport allows us to see it from the competing athletes perspective as well.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with surfing?
FARMY DIA: I first fell in love with surfing from the moment that I tried it. But, I really started to fall in love with it when I was able to share that passion and love for the water with the community around me. And for me, surfing expanded my life in so many ways that I could never imagine. I continued to grow as a person and my capacity to love also grew.
AM: What made you realize that you wanted this sport into your life and what do you love about it?
FD: Honestly, I knew that I wanted to keep surfing that very first summer. Just because it was so much fun. I was a junior in high school and it’s the first thing that really excited me and was so different from what I’m used to. So I knew I wanted to keep doing it. Then I think when I realized I could actually make a career out of this and build off of this and do more than just enjoy surfing, it was kind of a wrap from there.
AM: You were born and raised in Rockaway NY which is a surf town! What do you love about being able to surf in this community?
FD: My surf community in Rockaway is in my opinion one of the most special in the world. It is super diverse, it’s a reflection of what the city is. But in the water, you get to meet people from all different walks of life, you get to learn so many different personal stories and it’s cool because you also get so many opportunities from it. In New York, they always say “this is where you come to chase your dreams” and the last thing you expect us to do is surfing also, but it just makes anything possible really. The world is your oyster when you’re out here. I’ve met so many Black people in the water, people that are from different parts of Asia, people that you just wouldn’t expect or even think about meeting in the water. So that for me is the coolest part of this community.
AM: Why are you excited to be participating in AGDITS?
FD: I love AGDITS. I think that what Nate is doing with this is so amazing and honestly really inspiring for me personally. He’s created a space for us in the surfing world that is just that next step. We have Black surfers on tour, but we didn’t have our own competition, our own platform and that’s what Nate created for us. It’s so exciting to meet different surfers and Black surfers from all over the world, hear their stories, see how they surf, because all the styles are different depending on where you come from also depending on the waves you ride and so, yeah I’m just really excited to be a part of this. Even if I win or I don’t win, it’s always just like a blessing to take part in AGDITS.
AM: You were the Champion and runner up in the last 2 years of AGDITS, what does that mean to you?
FD: The year that I won the competition was insane for me. I couldn’t believe it and then, it was kind of a happy and a sad thing. It made me really happy because I couldn’t believe I won, but it made me a little sad because I had so little like --- I just didn’t believe in myself to even imagine myself winning. The fact that I was able to do it anyways even though I didn’t think I could was awesome, but it was like a wakeup call for me. And so it is just is really empowering. I come to our office and I’ll look at the trophy and I’m reminded of what I was able to do and how I was able to achieve something even though I didn’t think I could. And, for me, I’m just a stepping stone in the journey of Black surfing and so if this is one stone that I can step on, this means there will be so many more steps for future generations and future surfers to climb.
AM: Do you run events from this event here in NY and if so, tell us about them!
FD: I do run some events out here in New York. I do Salty Sisters with my best friend Autumn and I also am an organizer at Laru Beya Collective. Salty Sisters is pretty much our monthly surf and wellness meetups that we open to POC women all over the state. We actually have people coming from Connecticut and people coming from Jersey and so, it’s been really cool to just be able to build this community. The collective is based on our friendship and our sisterhood that we developed over the last few years, and seeing it happen in real time for other people is a dream come true. And then we have Laru Beya Collective which is a 501 (c)(3) non profit and our mission is to empower the youth of New York through surfing. So, I always like to say sometimes I’m just a result of what’s important to me, and I’m seeing more and more results as we continue to take in more and more generations of kids.
AM: When you’re not surfing, what can we fInd you doing?
FD: When I’m not surfing, I’m usually working, spending time with friends, going on an adventure. Recently I really got into dancing a lot more, and so that’s been really fun. Also, a lot of community organizing and partnerships. I’m all about bonding with other people even if I’m not in the water.
AM: Are there any upcoming projects that we can keep our eye out for?
FD: I do have a few fun projects coming up actually. We did our Africa project where we sent a container with two barrels and 20 surfboards and so our recap will be coming out soon - keep an eye out for that. And then, I’ll be heading to Portugal a few days after AGDITS to take part in the Gliding Barnacles, which is a surf festival taking place out there. I’m really excited. It’s surfing, art, photography and shaping. It kind of again redefines what surfing is, because it’s not a competition, it’s a place for many professionals to gather.
IG @farmydia_
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | A Good Day in the Stoke
Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see HITTING THE WAVES | Nate Fluellen in mag.
