The first weekend of Coachella is already in the books. The weekend included amazing music acts, branded parties and of course, tons of style. This week, we recap some of our fave Victoria's Secret Angels (Jasmine Tookes, Alessandra Ambrosio etc), Pretty Little Liars (Shay Mitchell) cast and more that made our heads turn as we deployed for amazing tunes in Indigo, California.
Don't lie, you loved Thong Song as much as we did when it first came out and probably heard it 80 times too may - but there's still a sense of nostalgia every time we hear the first bars of the song. SisQo was asked to record the remix by Fox Sport's The Herd Colin Cowherd on why King James aka Lebron James should receive this year's MVP. Whether it happens or not, we love the tune and seeing a number of our faves get mentioned - James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Isaiah Thomas and Giannis Antetokounmpo!
Chloe Lukasiak of Lifetime's Dance Moms walks with Founder/Creative Director, and Designer of Boy Meets Girl - Stacy Igel
Brands are born for a number of reasons, but some emerge to simply mark a moment as well as an extension from a lifelong passion that needs to be shared with like-minded individuals! Stacy Igel is the powerhouse behind Boy Meets Girl® which she states is the original athleisure brand and is coveted by celebs, "IT GIRLS," and more. We talked with her about how she came to fashion, the story behind the advancement of the brand, upcoming brand achievements and of course how she stays on top of it all as a wife and mom of her young son.
ATHLEISURE MAG: We think it's pretty appropriate to have you in this issue as our Style Director has always mentioned your brand as one of the early athleisure brands. Walk us through your journey in fashion that led you to creating Boy Meets Girl®!
STACY IGEL: I knew at a very young age - I tell people in the womb, who I wanted to be – a fashion designer. It was a pretty direct path in terms of getting here, but also there are hurdles. I dressed my classmates, had my own little lookbooks in 1st or 2nd grade and would make catalogs. I would make them without Instagram or social media. I just used polaroids to create them – this was pre-photoshop or even using computers!
My mom was an entrepreneur. She created a lumbar support and she was always going to Hong Kong and Taiwan. She would bring back these trinkets from these places that were super cute. I just loved them and I started making catalogs and selling these items in there. Like I had the first charm necklaces back in the day so it was so cool. So I was this budding entrepreneur and I learned how to run a business.
Then, while my mom was building her business she went from doing it at home to expanding to factories, tradeshows, etc. So even though it wasn’t designing, a clothing collection, it was a back machine that came in one color and one price point and she was a physician’s assistant – she was still making something and it was the things that you did to start a business. Creating something, selling, producing a product and dealing with factories. So when I was young, I knew I wanted to have my own business and to design. She definitely inspired me. My father was also very encouraging in my dreams. He is a doctor. Therefore, I had no family who was in the fashion business.
I started taking classes – there were opportunities at Columbia College in Chicago as my grammar school and high school at that time didn’t have the opportunities that people do now to learn those skills. I had to take a lot of extracurricular classes to learn more about design.
I worked in retail at the Gap and in college worked in a retail store in Madison-Wisconsin where I made my first product and sold it there. I was always just on this track that I knew I would do this as well as understanding all facets of this business. My mom taught me that you can’t just do one thing you have to understand all facets from design, retail and manufacturing.
Rosario Dawson in Boy Meets Girl
When I went to school I triple majored at the University of Wisconsin in Design, Retailing and Business. I got a Certificate of Business and I was able to carve out the 360 of how to be in business, do design and more. I took internships where I was able to learn more, did fashion shows etc. During my Junior year, I was able to study in London with Zandra Rhodes who is a very famous designer. I also worked with Donna Karan and Elsa Klensch (host of CNN's Style With Elsa Klensch), I was dabbling in a lot of areas and I even interviewed in '98 Marc Jacobs at one of his first NYFW shows in SOHO and I got to see behind the scenes and what it took to be in it. Seeing all these things, my parents asked did I still want to do it? Of course I did!
When I graduated, I designed for Elie Tahari and was hired by him. I left there and went to Izod and learned high fashion as well as mass and branding. In 2001 right before Sept 11th, I left to pursue my own thing. Then the 11th happened and my first tradeshow was right around that time.
My collection at that time had a lot of ribbons as well as the original Boy Meets Girl collection as it was focused on the Fourth of July and I was showing it in Sep as it was showing my Spring/Summer collection for the following season. My first department store who bought the line was Bergdorf Goodman at this trade show which was my first in NYC. It was crazy to sit in this booth showing it there and my mother kept nudging me saying, “it was the best store in the world.” There were about 60 designers that were showing; however, I was a hot booth as I had something new and fresh that resonated with all the customers (not to mention I had my awesome mom working with me at that show ... those were the days). I had a purchase order that was a nice amount and I was handmaking and screen printing everything – I did it all myself and then I realized that now that this was a thing, I’d have to get a factory as it was a big company and I was in business and had to ship all these goods.
I am the direct line of having the passion, wanting to do it, being involved in every facet and a budding entrepreneur. I never stopped working – I have been working since I can remember as it’s what you do when you love it.
AM: Who is the Boy Meets girl customer?
SI: We like to say that she has a young attitude, she has a bit of an edge, she’s fun, she doesn’t take life too seriously. She really believes in being good and doing social good to help change the world. It’s not one specific thing, but she is into music and what’s happening. She loves going to concerts, traveling, etc. We like to say that it’s not only runway, it’s about being on the go and not taking things too seriously and having a good time. We’re the original athleisure brand which is why we love that this is in Athleisure Mag!
You’re on the plane, you’re on the go it fits your personality and it’s not about a specific age - just our attitude and how you feel. It’s amazing for me as the person who has built it to see what they come for, how they come to the brand, what they buy and why they buy. It makes me pinch myself sometimes.
Eva Longoria wears Boy Meets Girl
AM: How did you come up with the logo?
SI: I have a cool story on this – as it came from meeting my husband. I was going to dinner for the first time with my husband – at that time he was my boyfriend to meet his parents. On his wall, he had silhouettes of his brother and sister. When I was younger, we had something like that of me and my sister. The logo isn’t us per se but when I looked at it I was like, oh “Boy Meets Girl” – the first time you meet someone, the first concert, travel experience. It’s a moment and a story.
After that night, my husband (who was also a graphic designer) and I started playing with the silhouettes, poofing the hair up, playing with the layouts etc. We then focused on trademarking everything, did the IP, spent a lot of time to protect the name across all apparel as well as internationally. You have to learn about all the protection and we deal with IP and protection on a daily basis. I always say that the logo is us in some ways but it’s really everybody as it’s about the story. Being young and having a good time. I am also grateful my husband is a fashion/entertainment lawyer so the early days of putting this all together definitely inspired him too!
AM: What collabs have you done that you liked and of course, tell us about Care Bears.What collabs have you done that you liked and of course, tell us about Care Bears.
SI: One of my latest collabs that I partnered with was a very intimate NYFW show this past Sept where we partnered with Justine Skye and subway talent that were dancers into this space. I worked with Randy Jackson and he had an artist from Singapore named Will. What I did in this show (I’ve been known to partner with a number of artists/talent such as Wyclef Jean, Pharell, Leah Labelle, Natasha Bedingfield, and many more) was different then my other shows due to venue space. We could only invite 120 people and showcased the brand alongside new artists. A lot of artists I have worked with, we work together right before they hit. I mean when we worked with Justine she had never performed a NYFW live show before and then right after, she was opening for Beyonce which was crazy! It was really about showcasing the talent and infusing them in a great spot with great people and it’s the heart of who we are as a brand. I love this! Working with Wyclef was amazing as it was 3 months of working with him and it was a dream for sure. He is a musical genious.
I love working with artists on the rise and infusing music into our shows and keeping it fresh. We also did a Buy Now Wear Now concept in 2016 in partnership with Shopify and we did the same in 2012 with Wyclef and made a microsite which seemed crazy then compared to how you can do it now. For me, I am always doing things before its time.
Care Bears is iconic and I love being involved in bringing them back. Working with them has been great. We did a sneak peek collection back in Aug which was also at Collette (an iconic store in Paris) and it sold out. I am doing it again in a much bigger collab for 2017 as they felt our brand had a lot of synergy and it is their 35th Anniversary! They felt it would be cool as they are collaborating with a number of brands but no one has created what I have for this collab! Excited to share more. Follow @boymeetsgirlusa and @stacyigel on Instagram as we reveal more in Jan/Feb 2017!
Justine Skye stuns in Boy Meets Girl.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Stacy Igel
Read more from the Dec Issue.
The UK 23-year old hybrid DJ, Harrison, is truly a man who can do it all as he can play a DJ set, produce the tracks, write his own songs and perform them all during his live sets! His energy is boundless, which is felt within his shows (and we felt it when we interviewed him at his studio via Skype). Harrison has collaborated with a who's who of an array of DJs which has included David Guetta (and his breakthrough track, 'Ain't A Party' in 2013), Steve Aoki, Dannic, Vinai, Laidback Luke, and Hardwell (which he notes is one of his favorite people to work with). As someone who has exploded into the EDM and progressive house charts, he has performed alongside these greats at a dizzying pace, produced tracks and is now focused on doing his solo projects to further his musical fingerprint. By working with so many notables, he was able to garner visibility to wide fan base that allowed him to excel quickly in notability.
Without a doubt, it is his uniqueness that skyrocketed his success and keeps him as a coveted DJ. This past summer has been a whirlwind of activities that included video releases (such as 'LA Girls') and playing a number of stages in Europe and Asia. With all of his collaborations and travels, he honors the process of being able to step back to ensure that his work receives the time needed to continue to engage his fans. His mastery of various genres of music keeps them guessing on what to expect next while also enjoying what is becoming the Harrison sound. When chatting with him about his influences he had an array of artists that included Sting, Phil Collins, Eminem and more. In addition, when we noted that our Style Director had worked with Nile Rodgers, his face lit up in appreciation of the iconic music producer and guitarist. His respect for the industry and its musical nuances is clear when speaking with him.
You get the sense that what you see is what you get when you're talking with Harrison. When asked about his personal style via his DJ style, he noted that, "at the end of the day, I like to wear dope shit and it's the same whether I'm on stage or just hanging out." He was so excited that he had to share a recent jacket that he purchased which included zipper detailing and straps. We wanted to know if he had a workout routine that we may need to know about and he laughed as his attention to his brand and craft is so attuned that when he's not on stage, he's in the studio and it's essential that he gives of himself in this way to produce the best music possible.
With the end of the year quickly approaching, we can't wait to see additional music that he is working on between collabs as well as his own and we'll keep an eye out for where we can see him next. We'll keep our fingers crossed that one of those tour dates will find its way to the states and right here in NYC of course!
Pictures courtesy of Harrison
See more from the Sept Issue.
SHOT AT Modern Arts Loft | PHOTOGRAPHY Carlos David | STYLIST Kimmie Smith | MUAH Kat Osorio | CELEBRITY TRAINER Craig Smith | MODEL Nat de Genova/EMG | MODEL Oheni Morris/TRUE MODEL MANAGEMENT |
Athleisure Mag was excited to sit down with Craig Smith during his busy schedule. We created a fashion x dance photoshoot with celebrity personal trainer, Craig Smith. We talked with him about his passions; being Madonna's personal trainer; Creative Director, and Head Master Trainer for Hard Candy Fitness – her international gyms; who he is influenced by; and how he keeps everything balanced.
ATHLEISURE MAG: What goes into becoming a top choreographer?
CRAIG SMITH: Talent, creativity, artistry, vision, discipline, fortitude, and hard work.
AM: Do you have any fun stories to share from iconic music videos or tours you were part of through the years?
CS: When I danced for Rihanna on a short Japan spot date tour for Nike, the audience was silent every number of our performance until the very end of each song. It was funny to me at the time because I had never experienced that before.
AM: Tell us about Hard Candy Fitness.
CS: Hard Candy Fitness is an international luxury gym brand inspired by Madonna - the artist, athlete, and icon. Our signature and exclusive premiere programs are created and inspired by daily workouts I create and do with Madonna, her worldwide tours, music videos, music, and fitness philosophies. We’ve had great success with the brand since 2010 with club locations in amazing places like: Italy, Chile, Russia, Germany, Mexico, and more. I have the awesome roles of Creative Director, and head master trainer of the Hard Candy Fitness Sweat Crew (a team of professional dancers & fitness coaches).
AM: As Creative Director and a Master Trainer at HCF, give us the scoop on where things are headed.
CS: We are launching a variety of incredible new programs to add to our current premiere programming roster and are opening locations in more amazing regions around the globe!
AM: How did you come to work with Madonna and what's it like to train/work with her on tour and personally?
CS: Madonna extended a personal invitation for me to work with her personally 2 1⁄2 years ago after having already worked with Hard Candy Fitness as both a Master Trainer and consultant for 1 year prior. Working with Madonna both personally and on tour is demanding, fun, chill, educational, and more all at the same time.
AM: What's it like to balance being a multi-faceted creative and coaching others at the highest level?
CS: I've always been a person of variety and multi-faceted. To maintain balance, I do my best not to overwhelm myself by taking on too much of a workload nowadays. I’m not afraid to say ‘no’ to things, or say ‘yes’ to things that inspire me.
AM: You have a wicked sense of style, first off what makes a good cap?
CS: Style, fit, versatility, comfort, construction, and functionality are things that make an excellent hat to me.
AM: How would you define your style?
CS: Urban, high fashion, classic, modern, edgy, conservative, funky, and everything else in-between.
AM: We know you love kicks too, what details do you like on them?
CS: Color, high top, edgy, and fashionable are all details that describe most of the kicks I own.
AM: You have a pretty busy schedule, what are your top 3 places to eat in NY and some of your favorite international destinations that we should add to our list?
CS: My top 3 places to eat in NYC: Peacefood Café, Candle 79 and/or Café, & Hangawi Restaurant. One of my favorite international spots I love is Mae’s Deli in London.
AM: How has vegan life helped shaped you?
CS: Vegan life has literally helped save and change my entire life for the better.
AM: We know you’re super reflective, how often do you jot thoughts and ideas down? What's being in the zone for you?
CS: I jot down thoughts and ideas every single day. Being in the zone is usually when I’m listening to instrumental jazz music; which helps me maintain incredible focus and concentration while I download all concepts/ideas.
AM: How big is organization in your day? Walk us through some typical routines.
CS: I’m a Capricorn; which means organization is everything! Typical daily routines range from prayer/meditation, emails, conference calls, reading, quality time with family & friends, personal workouts, planning workouts for clients, creating some form of art, and more.
AM: What’s next for Craig Smith after moving forward with HCF?
CS: Jumping back into music, dance, fitness, and some new & exciting entrepreneurial endeavors!
AM: What kinds of things do you like to do to have fun?
CS: I love watching documentaries, supporting live creative arts performances & shows, dining out, traveling, reading, writing, museums, sports, and much more.
AM: What are your must-haves for a dance, workout and chill playlist?
CS: My must-haves: comfortable stylish gear & footwear, awesome workout spaces, and my personal music playlists I create for my workouts and/or classes.
Photoshoot taken at Modern Arts Loft - NY, NY
See more from the July Issue
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | Carlos David
And we're live! The June issue is ready and we're so excited to unveil that we have Vicky Jeudy from Orange is the New Black on the cover! She plays Janae Watson in this Netflix show which goes live on June 17th and we enjoyed shooting with her. This issue also has a number of celebrity fitness trainers including Ky Evans and Tony Horton. We also have an indepth interview with Kevin Kerslake Director/Executive Producer of AS I AM: The Life and Time$ of DJ AM. Make sure to flip through the digital issue now!
Read more from the Jun Issue
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | DJ Xenia Ghali
Xenia Ghali is a Greek DJ, producer, songwriter, and classically trained musician. She continues to shake up the dance music scene with her debut single ‘Broken’ featuring Katt Rockell (released on Pitbull’s Mr. 305 Records), and her follow up ‘Get Dirty,’ a collaboration with Grammy winning rapper Wyclef Jean. With performances in the US and in Europe, she's always on the go! We caught up with her between sets to share a playlist for our Summer rotation (including 'Under These Lights').
ATHLEISURE MAG: We all have our go to workouts, what sets are in your routine?
XENIA GHALI: I’ll start with 20 minutes of cardio, specifically I love the elliptical machine. Then I do a full-body circuit routine consisting of squats, lunges, crunches and arm exercises using light weights and many reps.
AM: How do you maintain balance with such a busy schedule?
XG: I work both in the US and in Europe so I travel a lot. Being on the road regularly means that it can be very challenging to maintain a balanced lifestyle. I do my best to see my family and friends any chance I get. When I am physically unable to spend time with them, I always make sure to keep in communication with them. In addition to this, exercising really helps me with being physically and mentally balanced.
AM: When you're not DJing a set, what's your personal style?
XG: My personal style is what I call ‘chill but edgy.’ I love fashion so I incorporate it even when I am casual. I love jeans (specifically G-Star), drop-crotch pants, oversized t-shirts, and of course accessories such as hats!
Read more from the May Issue
Charles Esten (Deacon Claybourne) in ABC's, Nashville.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | ABC/Nashville
We kicked off our month at Madison Square Garden Theater to see the NYC leg of Nashville in Concert, which includes musical performances from the stars of ABC's Nashville from the season.
Pictures courtesy of Paul Farkas
Avery Barkley (Jonathan Jackson)
Gunnar Scott (Sam Palladio)
Read more from the May Issue
This month, we have a mix for you to enjoy whether you're off to work, rocking it at the gym or wherever your tunes take you. Check out our latest mix on Soundcloud, The Game is Mine Mix.
Read more from the April Issue
Kelsea Ballerini performs with Nick Jonas at the American Country Music Awards in 2016 where she also won her first award.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Kelsea Ballerini
If you're not familiar with Kelsea Ballerini, then now is a good time to check out this country-pop singer who performed and recently won her first ACM Award a few weeks ago (as well as performed with Nick Jonas) no stranger to the spotlight, she performed with Taylor Swift, appeared on Good Morning America and has appeared on this season's Nashville on ABC. Taking a breather with the release of her new video, Peter Pan, preparing to join Rascal Flatts on their upcoming tour this summer as well as performing during this year's CMA Fest, we took a moment to chat with Kelsea who is clearly a girl on the move!
ATHLEISURE MAG: Congratulations on winning your first ACM for New Female Vocalist, what went through your mind when you found out?
KELSEA BALLERINI: That I sat in the section behind the artists section last year and this year I won my first award, it's crazy how how much has happened in a year!
AM: We're excited to see you at CMA Fest this year - how do you prepare for this performance and how exciting is it for you to hit the stage in Nashville this summer?
KB: I've sat in that stadium and watched all of my favorite artists play that show for years now. I don't think I'll even know what to expect, but I'll probably walk off stage and cry.
AM: You're touring with Rascal Flatts this summer, what are must have items that you'll take with you when you're on the road that make you feel like you're "at home?"
KB: My dog, Candle (because I share a bus with 9 boys) and my best friend.
AM: You're a busy girl as your schedule has you running across the country, how do you take a moment for yourself?
KB: I'll go get a mani or a pedi or I'll go scope out the local coffee shops or some nights I just go to bed early and snuggle my dog.
AM: How do you stay in shape - do you have a favorite workout routine or bring your equipment with you?
KB: I try to eat pretty healthy on the road. I'm in so many amazing cities that I like to get out and walk my dog as much as possible, so both of us can get out and get moving.
AM: What's in your summer wardrobe that you can't wait to wear within your rotation?
KB: Fun hats, bright sunnies and floral rompers.
AM: What are your must haves when it comes to your skincare/beauty routine?
KB: Clarisonic, every night. Aragon oil when my skin is feeling dry.
AM: Speaking of beauty, we noticed that you partnered with Mary Kay for their "Don't Look Away" Campaign, how important is your involvement in
this and how did this partnership come about?
KB: I'm a big supporter of women empowering women so I was excited to be a voice for this event.
AM: Tell us about Peter Pan, your 3rd single - it has had such a great buzz to it and you recently released the video as well?
KB: It's my favorite song on my record. I feel like I get to show a different, more mature, side of my songwriting.
AM: What else do you want to share with Athleisure Mag in terms of upcoming projects?
KB: I'm really excited to hit the road with one of my favorite acts, Rascal Flatts, this summer. They are so good live and I can't wait to be a apart of it every night.
Check out more from our April Issue here or check out previous issues here!
PHOTOGRAPHY | PAUL FARKAS
Festival season continues with a new city being added to the list. FOLD Festival kicked off Aug 4th for its two day event of musicians across genres coming together to perform at Martha Clara Vineyards in Riverhead, NY. Athleisure Mag attended this inaugural festival which focuses on Grammy winning producer and musician Nile Rodgers' love for Freak Out Let's Dance. Check out exclusive behind the scenes as well as performances that took place on both days.
The festival included performances from an array of musicians including Pharrell Williams, Keith Urban, Chaka Khan, Duran Duran and Janelle Monae.
