Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LOOKS | Todd Snyder in mag.
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelor Disney/John Fleenor
PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelor/Gizelle Hernandez
We enjoy kicking off the week with, The Bachelor’s Joey Graziadei. This season, they always give us a bit of a teaser on something taking place and we know that Joey is addressing issues with the women.
We start off with hearing the women in the house talking about them being excited about how things are progressing. Jesse Palmer lets them know that there are 18 women in the house, 2 group dates, and a 1-on-1 date. He leaves them with a group date card where Edwina, Kelsey A, Lexi, Allison, Madina, Chrissa, Lea, Sydney, and Maria will be on a date together. This date is about Mrs. Right and he hopes to find her. He invited a group of women on the date from The Golden Bachelor. April, Susan, Kathy, and Nancy came along. This date will be a pageant and the first one that the show has had. They first sported their loungewear looks, then it was time for them to answer questions asked by The Golden Bachelor women. The third round allows them to show their talents. The winner of the Bachelor Nation Mrs. Right Pageant is Lexi.
At the after party for the group date, the women all muse over Lexi getting the rose for her non-talent being chosen.
At the after-party, Joey gets to know them better and wants to know more about them and to dig into what happened with Madina who feels that she was bullied. He addresses it with the women, but then gives the rose to Kelsey A. He tells them that they need to step up and tell him about this and then he leaves them to all talk with one another. Sydney, Maria, and Madina all talk about the interaction that took place a few nights back.
The next date card arrives with Jenn getting the 1-on-1 date leaving the remainder of the women on the 2nd group date.
Once again we see Madina and Maria talking and establishing that they’re good. But they also recognize that Sydney is stirring things up for no reason.
Jenn’s date with Joey is going surfing! They pick out boards, wetsuits, and it’s a cute and active date. They continue to dinner and she discloses her family dynamic which is a pretty rough situation with the unease between her parents and then also not having her father in her life. He gives her the rose - which is a no-brainer.
The second group date card arrives and Katelyn, Autumn, Rachel, Daisy, Evalin, Kelsey T, Starr, and Jess are on a date together. Since he is done playing tennis, it seems like this will be a tennis date.
We catch up with Joey on his turf, the tennis court which is passion as well as what he does as a career. James Blake and Pam Shriver are also on this date! The first Bachelor Open has a bit of a crowd, costumes of the athletes, and more. They play doubles with one another and ultimately team Lobster and Butter - Kelsey T and Evalin win. At the cocktail party after this group date, he gets to know more about the women through their anecdotes. Katelyn shares that her family is cursed because all the women are single in her family. He connects with each of them and then he gives the date night rose to Katelyn.
The girls debrief about the tennis date and how it went. It seems like all the women are having good vibes ahead of the cocktail party. Jesse arrives and lets them know that there will not be a cocktail party and that there will be a pool party. They end up having a KFC lunch. As people start enjoying the party and being with Joey, of course Sydney gets messy again and tells Joey that Maria is the problem and how she verbally accosted her. Joey pulls Maria aside to find out what’s going on as he is surprised to hear this, but wants to get the facts. Maria tells him that she is not a bully and that she has had that happen to her. She also tells him that there is no way that you can like both Maria and Sydney because they are two different people. Joey cuts the pool party short (has there ever been a pool party that wasn’t cut off early?).
They head straight into the rose ceremony. He thanks them for being there and acknowledges that this process i leading him to where he wanted to be. He gives roses to Lexi, Lea, Kelsey T, Rachel, Madina, Daisy, Jess, Edwina, Autumn, Allison, Maria, and Sydney.
JOEY GAVE ROSES TO | Allison, Autumn, Daisy, Edwina, Jenn, Jess, Katelyn, Kelsey A, Kelsey T, Lea, Lexi, Madina, Maria, Rachel, and Sydney
JOEY DID NOT GIVE A ROSE TO | Chrissa, Evalin, and Starr
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!
PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Richard Middlesworth
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We continue through Awards Season with the 66th GRAMMYs which took place tonight on CBS and streamed on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs).
Our predictions are in bold, the ones we correctly identified as winners are in bold italics and winners that we didn’t predict are in italics.
Award to the Artist and to the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s) and mastering engineer(s), if other than the artist.
Worship
Jon Batiste
Jon Batiste, Jon Bellion, Pete Nappi & Tenroc, producers; Serban Ghenea & Pete Nappi, engineers/mixers; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer
Not Strong Enough
boygenius
boygenius & Catherine Marks, producers; Owen Lantz, Catherine Marks, Mike Mogis, Bobby Mota, Kaushlesh "Garry" Purohit & Sarah Tudzin, engineers/mixers; Pat Sullivan, mastering engineer
Flowers
Miley Cyrus
Kid Harpoon & Tyler Johnson, producers; Michael Pollack, Brian Rajaratnam & Mark "Spike" Stent, engineers/mixers; Joe LaPorta, mastering engineer
What Was I Made For? [From The Motion Picture "Barbie"]
Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish & FINNEAS, producers; Billie Eilish, Rob Kinelski & FINNEAS, engineers/mixers; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer
On My Mama
Victoria Monét
Deputy, Dernst Emile II & Jeff Gitelman, producers; Patrizio Pigliapoco & Todd Robinson, engineers/mixers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
Vampire
Olivia Rodrigo
Dan Nigro, producer; Serban Ghenea, Michael Harris, Chris Kasych, Daniel Nigro & Dan Viafore, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
Anti-Hero
Taylor Swift
Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift, producers; Jack Antonoff, Serban Ghenea, Laura Sisk & Lorenzo Wolff, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
Kill Bill
SZA
Rob Bisel & Carter Lang, producers; Rob Bisel, engineer/mixer; Dale Becker, mastering engineer
Award to Artist(s) and to Featured Artist(s), Songwriter(s) of new material, Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s), Mixer(s) and Mastering Engineer(s) credited with 20% or more playing time of the album.
World Music Radio
Jon Batiste
Jon Batiste, Jon Bellion, Nick Cooper, Pete Nappi & Tenroc, producers; Jon Batiste, Pete Nappi, Kaleb Rollins, Laura Sisk & Marc Whitmore, engineers/mixers; Jon Batiste, Jon Bellion, Jason Cornet & Pete Nappi, songwriters; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer
the record
boygenius
boygenius & Catherine Marks, producers; Owen Lantz, Will Maclellan, Catherine Marks, Mike Mogis, Bobby Mota, Kaushlesh "Garry" Purohit & Sarah Tudzin, engineers/mixers; Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers & Lucy Dacus, songwriters; Pat Sullivan, mastering engineer
Endless Summer Vacation
Miley Cyrus
Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson & Mike Will Made-It, producers; Pièce Eatah, Craig Frank, Paul David Hager, Stacy Jones, Brian Rajaratnam & Mark "Spike" Stent, engineers/mixers; Miley Cyrus, Gregory Aldae Hein, Thomas Hull, Tyler Johnson, Michael Len Williams II & Michael Pollack, songwriters; Joe LaPorta, mastering engineer
Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
Lana Del Rey
Jack Antonoff, Zach Dawes, Lana Del Rey & Drew Erickson, producers; Jack Antonoff, Michael Harris, Dean Reid & Laura Sisk, engineers/mixers; Jack Antonoff, Lana Del Rey & Mike Hermosa, songwriters; Ruairi O'Flaherty, mastering engineer
The Age Of Pleasure
Janelle Monáe
Sensei Bueno, Nate "Rocket" Wonder & Nana Kwabena, producers; Mick Guzauski, Nate "Rocket" Wonder, Jayda Love, Janelle Monáe & Yáng Tan, engineers/mixers; Jarrett Goodly, Nathaniel Irvin III, Janelle Monáe Robinson & Nana Kwabena Tuffuor, songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer
GUTS
Olivia Rodrigo
Daniel Nigro, producer; Serban Ghenea, Sterling Laws, Mitch McCarthy, Daniel Nigro, Dave Schiffman, Mark "Spike" Stent, Sam Stewart & Dan Viafore, engineers/mixers; Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, songwriters; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
Midnights
Taylor Swift
Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift, producers; Jack Antonoff, Zem Audu, Serban Ghenea, David Hart, Mikey Freedom Hart, Sean Hutchinson, Ken Lewis, Michael Riddleberger, Laura Sisk & Evan Smith, engineers/mixers; Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift, songwriters; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
SOS
SZA
Rob Bisel, ThankGod4Cody & Carter Lang, producers; Rob Bisel, engineer/mixer; Rob Bisel, Cody Fayne, Carter Lang & Solána Rowe, songwriters; Dale Becker, mastering engineer
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.
A&W
Jack Antonoff, Lana Del Rey & Sam Dew, songwriters (Lana Del Rey)
Anti-Hero
Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
Butterfly
Jon Batiste & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Jon Batiste)
Dance The Night (From Barbie The Album)
Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
Flowers
Miley Cyrus, Gregory Aldae Hein & Michael Pollack, songwriters (Miley Cyrus)
Kill Bill
Rob Bisel, Carter Lang & Solána Rowe, songwriters (SZA)
Vampire
Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, songwriters (Olivia Rodrigo)
What Was I Made For? [From The Motion Picture "Barbie"]
Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
This category recognizes an artist whose eligibility-year release(s) achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape.
Gracie Abrams
Fred again..
Ice Spice
Jelly Roll
Coco Jones
Noah Kahan
Victoria Monét
The War And Treaty
A Producer's Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses.)
Jack Antonoff
• Being Funny In A Foreign Language (The 1975) (A)
• Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (Lana Del Rey) (A)
• Midnights (Taylor Swift) (A)
Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II
• JAGUAR II (Victoria Monét) (A)
Hit-Boy
• Bus Stop (Don Toliver Featuring Brent Faiyaz) (T)
• Just Face It (Dreamville With Blxst) (T)
• Kings Disease III (Nas) (A)
• Magic 3 (Nas) (A)
• Magic 2 (Nas) (A)
• Slipping Into Darkness (Hit-Boy & The Alchemist) (S)
• Surf Or Drown Vol. 1 (Hit-Boy) (A)
• Surf Or Drown Vol. 2 (Hit-Boy) (A)
• Victims & Villains (Musiq Soulchild & Hit-Boy) (A)
• Metro Boomin
• Am I Dreaming (Metro Boomin Featuring Roisee & A$AP Rocky) (S)
• Calling (Metro Boomin Featuring NAV, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie & Swae Lee) (S)
• Creepin' (Metro Boomin Featuring 21 Savage & The Weeknd) (S)
• More M's (Drake & 21 Savage) (S)
• Oh U Went (Young Thug Featuring Drake) (S)
• Superhero (Heroes & Villains) (Metro Boomin, Future & Chris Brown) (S)
• Til Further Notice (Travis Scott Featuring James Blake & 21 Savage) (S)
• Trance (Metro Boomin Featuring Travis Scott & Young Thug) (S)
• War Bout It (Lil Durk Featuring 21 Savage) (S)
• Daniel Nigro
• Casual (Chappell Roan) (S)
• Divide (Dermot Kennedy) (S)
• Guts (Olivia Rodrigo) (A)
• Hot To Go! (Chappell Roan) (S)
• Kaleidoscope (Chappell Roan) (S)
• Red Wine Supernova (Chappell Roan) (S)
• Welcome To My Island (Caroline Polachek) (S)
A Songwriter's Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses.)
Edgar Barrera
• Cuestion De Tiempo (Don Omar) (T)
• Falsa Alarma (En Vivo) (Grupo Firme) (T)
• Gucci Los Paños (Karol G) (T)
• La Despedida (Christian Nodal) (T)
• Mi Ex Tenía Razón (Karol G) (T)
• Que Vuelvas (Various Artists) (T)
• Un Cumbión Dolido (Christian Nodal) (T)
• un x100to (Grupo Frontera & Bad Bunny) (T)
• Yo Pr1mero (Rels B) (S)
Jessie Jo Dillon
• Buried (Brandy Clark) (T)
• Girl In The Mirror (Megan Moroney) (T)
• Halfway To Hell (Jelly Roll) (T)
• I Just Killed A Man (Catie Offerman) (S)
• Memory Lane (Old Dominion) (S)
• Neon Cowgirl (Dan + Shay) (T)
• screen (HARDY) (T)
• The Town In Your Heart (Lori McKenna) (T)
• Up Above The Clouds (Cecilia's Song) (Brandy Clark) (T)
Shane McAnally
• Come Back To Me (Brandy Clark) (S)
• Good With Me (Walker Hayes) (S)
• He's Never Gunna Change (Lauren Daigle) (S)
• I Should Have Married You (Old Dominion) (S)
• Independently Owned (Alex Newell & Original Broadway Cast of Shucked) (S)
• Never Grow Up (Niall Horan) (S)
• Start Nowhere (Sam Hunt) (S)
• Walmart (Sam Hunt) (S)
• We Don't Fight Anymore (Carly Pearce & Chris Stapleton) (S)
Theron Thomas
• All My Life (Lil Durk Featuring J. Cole) (S)
• Been Thinking (Tyla) (S)
• Cheatback (Chlöe & Future) (T)
• How We Roll (Ciara & Chris Brown) (S)
• Make Up Your Mind (Cordae) (S)
• Pretty Girls Walk (Big Boss Vette) (S)
• Seven (Jung Kook & Latto) (S)
• Told Ya (Chlöe & Missy Elliot) (T)
• You And I (Sekou) (T)
Justin Tranter
• Gemini Moon (Reneé Rapp) (T)
• Honey! (Are U Coming?) (Måneskin) (S)
• I Want More (Marisa Davila & Cast Of Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies) (S)
• Jersey (Baby Tate) (S)
• A Little Bit Happy (TALK) (S)
• Pretty Girls (Reneé Rapp) (S)
• River (Miley Cyrus) (S)
For new vocal or instrumental pop recordings. Singles or Tracks only.
Flowers
Miley Cyrus
Paint The Town Red
Doja Cat
What Was I Made For? [From The Motion Picture "Barbie"]
Billie Eilish
Vampire
Olivia Rodrigo
Anti-Hero
Taylor Swift
For new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative pop recordings. Singles or Tracks only.
Thousand Miles
Miley Cyrus Featuring Brandi Carlile
Candy Necklace
Lana Del Rey Featuring Jon Batiste
Never Felt So Alone
Labrinth Featuring Billie Eilish
Karma
Taylor Swift Featuring Ice Spice
Ghost In The Machine
SZA Featuring Phoebe Bridgers
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new pop vocal recordings.
Chemistry
Kelly Clarkson
Endless Summer Vacation
Miley Cyrus
GUTS
Olivia Rodrigo
- (Subtract)
Ed Sheeran
Midnights
Taylor Swift
For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances. Vocal or Instrumental. Singles or tracks only.
Blackbox Life Recorder 21F
Aphex Twin
Richard D James, producer; Richard D James, mixer
Loading
James Blake
James Blake & Dom Maker, producers; James Blake, mixer
Higher Than Ever Before
Disclosure
Cirkut, Guy Lawrence & Howard Lawrence, producers; Guy Lawrence, mixer
Strong
Romy & Fred again..
Fred again.., Stuart Price & Romy, producers; Fred again.. & Stuart Price, mixers
Rumble
Skrillex, Fred again.. & Flowdan
Fred again.. & Skrillex, producers; Skrillex, mixer
For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances. Vocal or Instrumental. Singles or tracks only.
Baby Don't Hurt Me
David Guetta, Anne-Marie & Coi Leray
Johnny Goldstein, Toby Green, David Guetta & Mike Hawkins, producers; Serban Ghenea, mixer
Miracle
Calvin Harris Featuring Ellie Goulding
Burns & Calvin Harris, producers; Calvin Harris, mixer
Padam Padam
Kylie Minogue
Lostboy, producer; Guy Massey, mixer
One In A Million
Bebe Rexha & David Guetta
Burns & David Guetta, producers; Serban Ghenea, mixer
Rush
Troye Sivan
Styalz Fuego, Novodor & Zhone, producers; Alex Ghenea, mixer
For vocal or instrumental albums. Albums only.
Playing Robots Into Heaven
James Blake
For That Beautiful Feeling
The Chemical Brothers
Actual Life 3 (January 1 - September 9 2022)
Fred again..
Kx5
Kx5
Quest For Fire
Skrillex
For new vocal or instrumental solo, duo/group or collaborative rock recordings.
Sculptures Of Anything Goes
Arctic Monkeys
More Than A Love Song
Black Pumas
Not Strong Enough
Boygenius
Rescued
Foo Fighters
Lux Æterna
Metallica
For new vocal or instrumental solo, duo/group or collaborative metal recordings.
Bad Man
Disturbed
Phantom Of The Opera
Ghost
72 Seasons
Metallica
Hive Mind
Slipknot
Jaded
Spiritbox
A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Rock, Hard Rock and Metal songs. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.
Angry
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards & Andrew Watt, songwriters (The Rolling Stones)
Ballad Of A Homeschooled Girl
Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, songwriters (Olivia Rodrigo)
Emotion Sickness
Dean Fertita, Joshua Homme, Michael Shuman, Jon Theodore & Troy Van Leeuwen, songwriters (Queens Of The Stone Age)
Not Strong Enough
Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers & Lucy Dacus, songwriters (boygenius)
Rescued
Dave Grohl, Rami Jaffee, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett & Pat Smear, songwriters (Foo Fighters)
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new rock, hard rock or metal recordings.
But Here We Are
Foo Fighters
Starcatcher
Greta Van Fleet
72 Seasons
Metallica
This Is Why
Paramore
In Times New Roman...
Queens Of The Stone Age
For new vocal or instrumental solo, duo/group or collaborative Alternative music recordings.
Belinda Says
Alvvays
Body Paint
Arctic Monkeys
Cool About It
boygenius
A&W
Lana Del Rey
This Is Why
Paramore
Vocal or Instrumental.
The Car
Arctic Monkeys
The Record
boygenius
Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
Lana Del Rey
Cracker Island
Gorillaz
I Inside The Old Year Dying
PJ Harvey
For new vocal or instrumental R&B recordings.
Summer Too Hot
Chris Brown
Back To Love
Robert Glasper Featuring SiR & Alex Isley
ICU
Coco Jones
How Does It Make You Feel
Victoria Monét
Kill Bill
SZA
For new vocal or instrumental traditional R&B recordings.
Simple
Babyface Featuring Coco Jones
Lucky
Kenyon Dixon
Hollywood
Victoria Monét Featuring Earth, Wind & Fire & Hazel Monét
Good Morning
PJ Morton Featuring Susan Carol
Love Language
SZA
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.
Angel
Halle Bailey, Theron Feemster & Coleridge Tillman, songwriters (Halle)
Back To Love
Darryl Andrew Farris, Robert Glasper & Alexandra Isley, songwriters (Robert Glasper Featuring SiR & Alex Isley)
ICU
Darhyl Camper Jr., Courtney Jones, Raymond Komba & Roy Keisha Rockette, songwriters (Coco Jones)
On My Mama
Dernst Emile II, Jeff Gitelman, Victoria Monét, Kyla Moscovich, Jamil Pierre & Charles Williams, songwriters (Victoria Monét)
Snooze
Kenny B. Edmonds, Blair Ferguson, Khris Riddick-Tynes, Solána Rowe & Leon Thomas, songwriters (SZA)
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of newly recorded progressive vocal tracks derivative of R&B.
Since I Have A Lover
6LACK
The Love Album: Off The Grid
Diddy
Nova
Terrace Martin And James Fauntleroy
The Age Of Pleasure
Janelle Monáe
SOS
SZA
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new R&B recordings.
Girls Night Out
Babyface
What I Didn't Tell You (Deluxe)
Coco Jones
Special Occasion
Emily King
JAGUAR II
Victoria Monét
CLEAR 2: SOFT LIFE EP
Summer Walker
For a Rap performance. Singles or Tracks only.
The Hillbillies
Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar
Love Letter
Black Thought
Rich Flex
Drake & 21 Savage
SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS
Killer Mike Featuring André 3000, Future And Eryn Allen Kane
Players
Coi Leray
For a solo or collaborative performance containing both elements of R&B melodies and Rap.
Sittin' On Top Of The World
Burna Boy Featuring 21 Savage
Attention
Doja Cat
Spin Bout U
Drake & 21 Savage
All My Life
Lil Durk Featuring J. Cole
Low
SZA
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.
Attention
Rogét Chahayed, Amala Zandile Dlamini & Ari Starace, songwriters (Doja Cat)
Barbie World [From Barbie The Album]
Isis Naija Gaston, Ephrem Louis Lopez Jr. & Onika Maraj, songwriters (Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice Featuring Aqua)
Just Wanna Rock
Mohamad Camara, Symere Woods & Javier Mercado, songwriters (Lil Uzi Vert)
Rich Flex
Brytavious Chambers, Isaac "Zac" De Boni, Aubrey Graham, J. Gwin, Anderson Hernandez, Michael "Finatik" Mule & Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, songwriters (Drake & 21 Savage)
SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS
Andre Benjamin, Paul Beauregard, James Blake, Michael Render, Tim Moore & Dion Wilson, songwriters (Killer Mike Featuring André 3000, Future And Eryn Allen Kane)
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new rap recordings.
Her Loss
Drake & 21 Savage
MICHAEL
Killer Mike
HEROES & VILLIANS
Metro Boomin
King's Disease III
Nas
UTOPIA
Travis Scott
For albums containing greater than 50% playing time of new spoken word poetry recordings.
A-You're Not Wrong B-They're Not Either: The Fukc-It Pill Revisited
Queen Sheba
For Your Consideration'24 -The Album
Prentice Powell and Shawn William
Grocery Shopping With My Mother
Kevin Powell
The Light Inside
J. Ivy
When The Poems Do What They Do
Aja Monet
For new vocal or instrumental solo, duo/group or collaborative jazz recordings.
Movement 18' (Heroes)
Jon Batiste
Basquiat
Lakecia Benjamin
Vulnerable (Live)
Adam Blackstone Featuring The Baylor Project & Russell Ferranté
But Not For Me
Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding
Tight
Samara Joy
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new vocal jazz recordings.
For Ella 2
Patti Austin Featuring Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band
Alive At The Village Vanguard
Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding
Lean In
Gretchen Parlato & Lionel Loueke
Mélusine
Cécile McLorin Salvant
How Love Begins
Nicole Zuraitis
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new instrumental jazz recordings.
The Source
Kenny Barron
Phoenix
Lakecia Benjamin
Legacy: The Instrumental Jawn
Adam Blackstone
The Winds Of Change
Billy Childs
Dream Box
Pat Metheny
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new ensemble jazz recordings.
The Chick Corea Symphony Tribute - Ritmo
ADDA Simfònica, Josep Vicent, Emilio Solla
Dynamic Maximum Tension
Darcy James Argue's Secret Society
Basie Swings The Blues
The Count Basie Orchestra Directed By Scotty Barnhart
Olympians
Vince Mendoza & Metropole Orkest
The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions
Mingus Big Band
For vocal or instrumental albums containing greater than 75% playing time of newly recorded material. The intent of this category is to recognize recordings that represent the blending of jazz with Latin, Iberian-American, Brazilian, and Argentinian tango music.
Quietude
Eliane Elias
My Heart Speaks
Ivan Lins With The Tblisi Symphony Orchestra
Vox Humana
Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band
Cometa
Luciana Souza & Trio Corrente
El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2
Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo
For vocal or instrumental albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new Alternative jazz recordings.
Love In Exile
Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily
Quality Over Opinion
Louis Cole
SuperBlue: The Iridescent Spree
Kurt Elling, Charlie Hunter, SuperBlue
Live At The Piano
Cory Henry
The Omnichord Real Book
Meshell Ndegeocello
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new traditional pop recordings.
To Steve With Love: Liz Callaway Celebrates Sondheim
Liz Callaway
Pieces Of Treasure
Rickie Lee Jones
Bewitched
Laufey
Holidays Around The World
Pentatonix
Only The Strong Survive
Bruce Springsteen
Sondheim Unplugged (The NYC Sessions), Vol. 3
(Various Artists)
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new contemporary instrumental recordings.
As We Speak
Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer, Featuring Rakesh Chaurasia
On Becoming
House Of Waters
Jazz Hands
Bob James
The Layers
Julian Lage
All One
Ben Wendel
For albums containing greater than 51% playing time of new recordings. Award to the principal vocalist(s), and the album producer(s) of 50% or more playing time of the album. The lyricist(s) and composer(s) of 50 % or more of a score of a new recording are eligible for an Award if any previous recording of said score has not been nominated in this category.
Kimberly Akimbo
John Clancy, David Stone & Jeanine Tesori, producers; Jeanine Tesori, composer; David Lindsay-Abaire, lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)
Parade
Micaela Diamond, Alex Joseph Grayson, Jake Pedersen & Ben Platt, principal vocalists; Jason Robert Brown & Jeffrey Lesser, producers; Jason Robert Brown, composer & lyricist (2023 Broadway Cast)
Shucked
Brandy Clark, Jason Howland, Shane McAnally & Billy Jay Stein, producers; Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast)
Some Like It Hot
Christian Borle, J. Harrison Ghee, Adrianna Hicks & NaTasha Yvette Williams, principal vocalists; Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Bryan Carter, Scott M. Riesett, Charlie Rosen & Marc Shaiman, producers; Scott Wittman, lyricist; Marc Shaiman, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
Annaleigh Ashford & Josh Groban, principal vocalists; Thomas Kail & Alex Lacamoire, producers (Stephen Sondheim, composer & lyricist) (2023 Broadway Cast)
For new vocal or instrumental solo country recordings.
In Your Love
Tyler Childers
Buried
Brandy Clark
Fast Car
Luke Combs
The Last Thing On My Mind
Dolly Parton
White Horse
Chris Stapleton
For new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative country recordings.
High Note
Dierks Bentley Featuring Billy Strings
Nobody's Nobody
Brothers Osborne
I Remember Everything
Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves
Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)
Vince Gill & Paul Franklin
Save Me
Jelly Roll With Lainey Wilson
We Don't Fight Anymore
Carly Pearce Featuring Chris Stapleton
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.
Buried
Brandy Clark & Jessie Jo Dillon, songwriters (Brandy Clark)
I Remember Everything
Zach Bryan & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves)
In Your Love
Tyler Childers & Geno Seale, songwriters (Tyler Childers)
Last Night
John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Jacob Kasher Hindlin & Ryan Vojtesak, songwriters (Morgan Wallen)
White Horse
Chris Stapleton & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new country recordings.
Rolling Up The Welcome Mat
Kelsea Ballerini
Brothers Osborne
Brothers Osborne
Zach Bryan
Zach Bryan
Rustin' In The Rain
Tyler Childers
Bell Bottom Country
Lainey Wilson
For new vocal or instrumental American Roots recordings. This is for performances in the style of any of the subgenres encompassed in the American Roots Music field including bluegrass, blues, folk or regional roots. Award to the artist(s).
Butterfly
Jon Batiste
Heaven Help Us All
The Blind Boys Of Alabama
Inventing The Wheel
Madison Cunningham
You Louisiana Man
Rhiannon Giddens
Eve Was Black
Allison Russell
For new vocal or instrumental Americana performance. Award to the artist(s).
Friendship
The Blind Boys Of Alabama
Help Me Make It Through The Night
Tyler Childers
Dear Insecurity
Brandy Clark Featuring Brandi Carlile
King Of Oklahoma
Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit
The Returner
Allison Russell
A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Americana, bluegrass, traditional blues, contemporary blues, folk or regional roots songs. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.
Blank Page
Michael Trotter Jr. & Tanya Trotter, songwriters (The War And Treaty)
California Sober
Aaron Allen, William Apostol & Jon Weisberger, songwriters (Billy Strings Featuring Willie Nelson)
Cast Iron Skillet
Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit)
Dear Insecurity
Brandy Clark & Michael Pollack, songwriters (Brandy Clark Featuring Brandi Carlile)
The Returner
Drew Lindsay, JT Nero & Allison Russell, songwriters (Allison Russell)
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new vocal or instrumental Americana recordings.
Brandy Clark
Brandy Clark
The Chicago Sessions
Rodney Crowell
You're The One
Rhiannon Giddens
Weathervanes
Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit
The Returner
Allison Russell
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new vocal or instrumental bluegrass recordings.
Radio John: Songs of John Hartford
Sam Bush
Lovin' Of The Game
Michael Cleveland
Mighty Poplar
Mighty Poplar
Bluegrass
Willie Nelson
Me/And/Dad
Billy Strings
City Of Gold
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new vocal or instrumental traditional blues recordings.
Ridin'
Eric Bibb
The Soul Side Of Sipp
Mr. Sipp
Life Don't Miss Nobody
Tracy Nelson
Teardrops For Magic Slim Live At Rosa's Lounge
John Primer
All My Love For You
Bobby Rush
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new vocal or instrumental contemporary blues recordings.
Death Wish Blues
Samantha Fish And Jesse Dayton
Healing Time
Ruthie Foster
Live In London
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
Blood Harmony
Larkin Poe
LaVette!
Bettye LaVette
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new vocal or instrumental folk recordings.
Traveling Wildfire
Dom Flemons
I Only See The Moon
The Milk Carton Kids
Joni Mitchell At Newport [Live]
Joni Mitchell
Celebrants
Nickel Creek
Jubilee
Old Crow Medicine Show
Seven Psalms
Paul Simon
Folkocracy
Rufus Wainwright
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new vocal or instrumental regional roots music recordings.
New Beginnings
Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. & The Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band
Live At The 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers
Live: Orpheum Theater Nola
Lost Bayou Ramblers & Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
Made In New Orleans
New Breed Brass Band
Too Much To Hold
New Orleans Nightcrawlers
Live At The Maple Leaf
The Rumble Featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr.
This award is given to the artist(s) and songwriter(s) (for new compositions) for the best traditional Christian, roots gospel or contemporary gospel single or track.
God Is Good
Stanley Brown Featuring Hezekiah Walker, Kierra Sheard & Karen Clark Sheard; Stanley Brown, Karen V Clark Sheard, Kaylah Jiavanni Harvey, Rodney Jerkins, Elyse Victoria Johnson, J Drew Sheard II, Kierra Valencia Sheard & Hezekiah Walker, songwriters
Feel Alright (Blessed)
Erica Campbell; Erica Campbell, Warryn Campbell, William Weatherspoon, Juan Winans & Marvin L. Winans, songwriters
Lord Do It For Me (Live)
Zacardi Cortez; Marcus Calyen, Zacardi Cortez & Kerry Douglas, songwriters
God Is
Melvin Crispell III
All Things
Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, songwriter
This award is given to the artist(s) and songwriter(s) (for new compositions) for the best contemporary Christian music single or track, (including pop, rap/hip-hop, Latin, or rock.)
Believe
Blessing Offor; Hank Bentley & Blessing Offor, songwriters
Firm Foundation (He Won't) [Live]
Cody Carnes
Thank God I Do
Lauren Daigle; Lauren Daigle & Jason Ingram, songwriters
Love Me Like I Am
for KING & COUNTRY Featuring Jordin Sparks
Your Power
Lecrae & Tasha Cobbs Leonard
God Problems
Maverick City Music, Chandler Moore & Naomi Raine; Daniel Bashta, Chris Davenport, Ryan Ellis & Naomi Raine, songwriters
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of newly recorded, vocal, traditional or contemporary/R&B gospel music recordings.
I Love You
Erica Campbell
Hymns (Live)
Tasha Cobbs Leonard
The Maverick Way
Maverick City Music
My Truth
Jonathan McReynolds
All Things New: Live In Orlando
Tye Tribbett
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of newly recorded, vocal, contemporary Christian music, including pop, rap/hip hop, Latin, or rock recordings.
My Tribe
Blessing Offor
Emanuel
Da' T.R.U.T.H.
Lauren Daigle
Lauren Daigle
Church Clothes 4
Lecrae
I Believe
Phil Wickham
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of newly recorded, vocal, traditional/roots gospel music, including country, Southern gospel, bluegrass, and Americana recordings.
Tribute To The King
The Blackwood Brothers Quartet
Echoes Of The South
Blind Boys Of Alabama
Songs That Pulled Me Through The Tough Times
Becky Isaacs Bowman
Meet Me At The Cross
Brian Free & Assurance
Shine: The Darker The Night The Brighter The Light
Gaither Vocal Band
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new Latin pop recordings.
La Cuarta Hoja
Pablo Alborán
Beautiful Humans, Vol. 1
AleMor
A Ciegas
Paula Arenas
La Neta
Pedro Capó
Don Juan
Maluma
X Mí (Vol. 1)
Gaby Moreno
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new Música Urbana recordings.
SATURNO
Rauw Alejandro
MAÑANA SERÁ BONITO
Karol G
DATA
Tainy
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new Latin rock or alternative recordings.
MARTÍNEZ
Cabra
Leche De Tigre
Diamante Eléctrico
Vida Cotidiana
Juanes
De Todas Las Flores
Natalia Lafourcade
EADDA9223
Fito Paez
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new regional Mexican (banda, norteño, corridos, gruperos, mariachi, ranchera and Tejano) recordings.
Bordado A Mano
Ana Bárbara
La Sánchez
Lila Downs
Motherflower
Flor De Toloache
Amor Como En Las Películas De Antes
Lupita Infante
GÉNESIS
Peso Pluma
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new tropical Latin recordings.
Siembra: 45º Aniversario (En Vivo en el Coliseo de Puerto Rico, 14 de Mayo 2022)
Rubén Blades Con Roberto Delgado & Orquesta
Voy A Ti
Luis Figueroa
Niche Sinfónico
Grupo Niche Y Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia
VIDA
Omara Portuondo
MIMY & TONY
Tony Succar, Mimy Succar
Escalona Nunca Se Había Grabado Así
Carlos Vives
For new vocal or instrumental Global music recordings.
Shadow Forces
Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer & Shahzad Ismaily
Alone
Burna Boy
FEEL
Davido
Milagro Y Disastre
Silvana Estrada
Abundance In Millets
Falu & Gaurav Shah (Featuring PM Narendra Modi)
Pashto
Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain Featuring Rakesh Chaurasia
Todo Colores
Ibrahim Maalouf Featuring Cimafunk & Tank And The Bangas
Amapiano
ASAKE & Olamide
City Boys
Burna Boy
UNAVAILABLE
Davido Featuring Musa Keys
Rush
Ayra Starr
Water
Tyla
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new vocal or instrumental Global Music recordings.
Epifanías
Susana Baca
History
Bokanté
I Told Them...
Burna Boy
Timeless
Davido
This Moment
Shakti
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new reggae recordings.
Born For Greatness
Buju Banton
Simma
Beenie Man
Cali Roots Riddim 2023
Collie Buddz
No Destroyer
Burning Spear
Colors Of Royal
Julian Marley & Antaeus
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new vocal or instrumental new age recordings.
Aquamarine
Kirsten Agresta-Copely
Moments Of Beauty
Omar Akram
Some Kind Of Peace (Piano Reworks)
Ólafur Arnalds
Ocean Dreaming Ocean
David Darling & Hans Christian
So She Howls
Carla Patullo Featuring Tonality And The Scorchio Quartet
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new musical or spoken word recordings that are created and intended specifically for children.
Ahhhhh!
Andrew & Polly
Ancestars
Pierce Freelon & Nnenna Freelon
Hip Hope For Kids!
DJ Willy Wow!
Taste The Sky
Uncle Jumbo
We Grow Together Preschool Songs
123 Andrés
For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new recordings.
I Wish You Would
Trevor Noah
I'm An Entertainer
Wanda Sykes
Selective Outrage
Chris Rock
Someone You Love
Sarah Silverman
What's In A Name?
Dave Chappelle
Big Tree
Meryl Streep
Boldly Go: Reflections On A Life Of Awe And Wonder
William Shatner
The Creative Act: A Way Of Being
Rick Rubin
It's Ok To Be Angry About Capitalism
Senator Bernie Sanders
The Light We Carry: Overcoming In Uncertain Times
Michelle Obama
Award to the principal artist(s) and/or 'in studio' producer(s) of a majority of the tracks on the album. In the absence of both, award to the one or two individuals proactively responsible for the concept and musical direction of the album and for the selection of artists, songs and producers, as applicable. Award also goes to appropriately credited music supervisor(s).
AURORA
(Daisy Jones & The Six)
Barbie The Album
(Various Artists)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Music From And Inspired By
(Various Artists)
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3: Awesome Mix, Vol. 3
(Various Artists)
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
Weird Al Yankovic
Award to Composer(s) for an original score created specifically for, or as a companion to, a current legitimate motion picture, television show or series, or other visual media.
Barbie
Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt, composers
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Ludwig Göransson, composer
The Fabelmans
John Williams, composer
Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny
John Williams, composer
Oppenheimer
Ludwig Göransson, composer
Award to Composer(s) for an original score created specifically for, or as a companion to, video games and other interactive media.
Call Of Duty®: Modern Warfare II
Sarah Schachner, composer
God Of War Ragnarök
Bear McCreary, composer
Hogwarts Legacy
Peter Murray, J Scott Rakozy & Chuck E. Myers "Sea", composers
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Stephen Barton & Gordy Haab, composers
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
Jess Serro, Tripod & Austin Wintory, composers
A Songwriter(s) award. For a song (melody & lyrics) written specifically for a motion picture, television, video games or other visual media, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)
Barbie World [From "Barbie The Album"]
Naija Gaston, Ephrem Louis Lopez Jr. & Onika Maraj, songwriters (Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice Featuring Aqua)
Dance The Night [From "Barbie The Album"]
Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
I'm Just Ken [From "Barbie The Album"]
Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Ryan Gosling)
Lift Me Up [From "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Music From And Inspired By"]
Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, Robyn Fenty & Temilade Openiyi, songwriters (Rihanna)
What Was I Made For? [From "Barbie The Album"]
Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
Award to the artist, video director, and video producer.
I'm Only Sleeping
(The Beatles)
Em Cooper, video director; Jonathan Clyde, Sophie Hilton, Sue Loughlin & Laura Thomas, video producers
In Your Love
Tyler Childers
Bryan Schlam, video director; Kacie Barton, Silas House, Nicholas Robespierre, Ian Thornton & Whitney Wolanin, video producers
What Was I Made For
Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish, video director; Michelle An, Chelsea Dodson & David Moore, video producers
Count Me Out
Kendrick Lamar
Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar, video directors; Jason Baum & Jamie Rabineau, video producers
Rush
Troye Sivan
Gordon Von Steiner, video director; Kelly McGee, video producer
For concert/performance films or music documentaries. Award to the artist, video director, and video producer.
Moonage Daydream
(David Bowie)
Brett Morgen, video director; Brett Morgen, video producer
How I'm Feeling Now
Lewis Capaldi
Joe Pearlman, video director; Sam Bridger, Isabel Davis & Alice Rhodes, video producers
Live From Paris, The Big Steppers Tour
Kendrick Lamar
Mike Carson, Dave Free & Mark Ritchie, video directors; Cornell Brown, Debra Davis, Jared Heinke & Jamie Rabineau, video producers
I Am Everything
(Little Richard)
Lisa Cortés, video director; Caryn Capotosto, Lisa Cortés, Robert Friedman & Liz Yale Marsh, video producers
Dear Mama
(Tupac Shakur)
Allen Hughes, video director; Joshua Garcia, Loren Gomez, James Jenkins & Stef Smith, video producers
The Art Of Forgetting
Caroline Rose, art director (Caroline Rose)
Cadenza 21'
Hsing-Hui Cheng, art director (Ensemble Cadenza 21')
Electrophonic Chronic
Perry Shall, art director (The Arcs)
Gravity Falls
Iam8bit, art director (Brad Breeck)
Migration
Yu Wei, art director (Leaf Yeh)
Stumpwork
Luke Brooks & James Theseus Buck, art directors (Dry Cleaning)
The Collected Works Of Neutral Milk Hotel
Jeff Mangum, Daniel Murphy & Mark Ohe, art directors (Neutral Milk Hotel)
For The Birds: The Birdsong Project
Jeri Heiden & John Heiden, art directors (Various Artists)
Gieo
Duy Dao, art director (Ngot)
Inside: Deluxe Box Set
Bo Burnham & Daniel Calderwood, art directors (Bo Burnham)
Words & Music, May 1965 - Deluxe Edition
Masaki Koike, art director (Lou Reed)
Evenings At The Village Gate: John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy (Live)
Ashley Kahn, album notes writer (John Coltrane & Eric Dolphy)
I Can Almost See Houston: The Complete Howdy Glenn
Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer (Howdy Glenn)
Mogadishu's Finest: The Al Uruba Sessions
Vik Sohonie, album notes writer (Iftin Band)
Playing For The Man At The Door: Field Recordings From The Collection Of Mack McCormick, 1958–1971
Jeff Place & John Troutman, album notes writers (Various Artists)
Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos
Robert Gordon & Deanie Parker, album notes writers (Various Artists)
Fragments – Time Out Of Mind Sessions (1996-1997): The Bootleg Series, Vol. 17
Steve Berkowitz & Jeff Rosen, compilation producers; Steve Addabbo, Greg Calbi, Steve Fallone, Chris Shaw & Mark Wilder, mastering engineers (Bob Dylan)
The Moaninest Moan Of Them All: The Jazz Saxophone of Loren McMurray, 1920-1922 Colin Hancock, Meagan Hennessey & Richard Martin, compilation producers; Richard Martin, mastering engineer; Richard Martin, restoration engineer (Various Artists)
Playing For The Man At The Door: Field Recordings From The Collection Of Mack McCormick, 1958–1971
Jeff Place & John Troutman, compilation producers; Randy LeRoy & Charlie Pilzer, mastering engineers; Mike Petillo & Charlie Pilzer, restoration engineers (Various Artists)
Words & Music, May 1965 - Deluxe Edition
Laurie Anderson, Don Fleming, Jason Stern, Matt Sulllivan & Hal Willner, compilation producers; John Baldwin, mastering engineer; John Baldwin, restoration engineer (Lou Reed)
Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos
Robert Gordon, Deanie Parker, Cheryl Pawelski, Michele Smith & Mason Williams, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer; Michael Graves, restoration engineer (Various Artists)
An Engineer's Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses.)
Desire, I Want To Turn Into You
Macks Faulkron, Daniel Harle, Caroline Polachek & Geoff Swan, engineers; Mike Bozzi & Chris Gehringer, mastering engineers (Caroline Polachek)
History
Nic Hard, engineer; Dave McNair, mastering engineer (Bokanté)
JAGUAR II
John Kercy, Kyle Mann, Victoria Monét, Patrizio "Teezio" Pigliapoco, Neal H Pogue & Todd Robinson, engineers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer (Victoria Monét)
Multitudes
Michael Harris, Robbie Lackritz, Joseph Lorge & Blake Mills, engineers (Feist)
The Record
Owen Lantz, Will Maclellan, Catherine Marks, Mike Mogis, Bobby Mota, Kaushlesh "Garry" Purohit & Sarah Tudzin, engineers; Pat Sullivan, mastering engineer (boygenius)
An Engineer's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.)
The Blue Hour
Patrick Dillett, Mitchell Graham, Jesse Lewis, Kyle Pyke, Andrew Scheps & John Weston, engineers; Helge Sten, mastering engineer (Shara Nova & A Far Cry)
Contemporary American Composers
David Frost & Charlie Post, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
Fandango
Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, engineers; Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, mastering engineers (Gustavo Dudamel, Anne Akiko Meyers, Gustavo Castillo & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
Sanlikol: A Gentleman Of Istanbul - Symphony For Strings, Percussion, Piano, Oud, Ney & Tenor
Christopher Moretti & John Weston, engineers; Shauna Barravecchio & Jesse Lewis, mastering engineers (Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, George Lernis & A Far Cry)
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 & Schulhoff: Five Pieces
Mark Donahue, engineer; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Manfred Honeck & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)
Field 10: Production, Engineering, Composition & Arrangement
A Producer's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.)
David Frost
The American Project (Yuja Wang, Teddy Abrams, Louisville Orchestra) (A)
Arc II - Ravel, Brahms, Shostakovich (Orion Weiss) (A)
Blanchard: Champion (Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Latonia Moore, Ryan Speedo Green, Eric Owens, Stephanie Blythe, Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orchestra) (A)
Contemporary American Composers (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra) (A)
The Guitar Player (Mattias Schulstad) (A)
Mysterium (Anne Akiko Meyers, Grant Gershon & Los Angeles Master Chorale) (A)
Verdi: Rigoletto (Daniele Rustioni, Piotr Beczala, Quinn Kelsey, Rosa Feola, Varduhi Abrahamyan, Andrea Mastroni, The Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orchestra) (A)
Morten Lindberg
An Old Hall Ladymass (Catalina Vicens & Trio Mediæval) (A)
Thoresen: Lyden Av Arktis - La Terra Meravigliosa (Christian Kluxen & Arktisk Filharmoni) (A)
The Trondheim Concertos (Sigurd Imsen & Baroque Ensemble Of The Trondheim Symphony Orchestra) (A)
Yggdrasil (Tove Ramlo-Ystad & Cantus) (A)
Dmitriy Lipay
Adès: Dante (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic) (A) Fandango (Gustavo Dudamel, Anne Akiko Meyers & Los Angeles Philharmonic) (A)
Price: Symphony No. 4; Dawson: Negro Folk Symphony (Yannick Nézet-Séguin & Philadelphia Orchestra) (A)
Rachmaninoff: The Piano Concertos & Paganini Rhapsody (Yuja Wang, Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic) (A)
Walker: Lyric For Strings; Folksongs For Orchestra; Lilacs For Voice & Orchestra; Dawson: Negro Folk Symphony (Asher Fisch & Seattle Symphony) (A)
Elaine Martone
Ascenso (Santiago Cañón-Valencia) (A)
Berg: Three Pieces From Lyric Suite; Strauss: Suite From Der Rosenkavalier (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)
Between Breaths (Third Coast Percussion) (A)
Difficult Grace (Seth Parker Woods) (A)
Man Up / Man Down (Constellation Men's Ensemble) (A)
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)
Rachmaninoff & Gershwin: Transcriptions By Earl Wild (John Wilson) (A)
Sirventés - Music From The Iranian Female Composers Association (Brian Thornton, Katherine Bormann, Alicia Koelz, Eleisha Nelson, Amahl Arulanadam & Nathan Petipas) (A)
Walker: Antifonys; Lilacs; Sinfonias Nos. 4 & 5 (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)
Brian Pidgeon
Fuchs: Orchestral Works, Vol. 1 (John Wilson & Sinfonia Of London) (A)
Music For Strings (John Wilson & Sinfonia Of London) (A)
Nielsen: Violin Concerto; Symphony No. 4 (James Ehnes, Edward Gardner & Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra) (A)
Pierre Sancan - A Musical Tribute (Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Yan Pascal Tortelier & BBC Philharmonic) (A)
Poulenc: Orchestral Works (Bramwell Tovey & BBC Concert Orchestra) (A)
Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3; Voclaise; The Isle Of The Dead (John Wilson & Sinfonia Of London) (A)
Schubert: Symphonies, Vol. 3 (Edward Gardner & City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra) (A)
Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 12 & 15 (John Storgårds & BBC Philharmonic) (A)
Tchaikovsky: Orchestral Works (Alpesh Chauhan & BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra) (A)
(A Remixer's Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses for identification.) Singles or Tracks only.)
Alien Love Call
BADBADNOTGOOD, remixers (Turnstile & BADBADNOTGOOD Featuring Blood Orange)
New Gold (Dom Dolla Remix)
Dom Dolla, remixer (Gorillaz Featuring Tame Impala & Bootie Brown)
Reviver (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Remix)
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, remixer (Lane 8)
Wagging Tongue (Wet Leg Remix)
Wet Leg, remixers (Depeche Mode)
Workin' Hard (Terry Hunter Remix)
Terry Hunter, remixer (Mariah Carey)
For vocal or instrumental albums in any genre. Must be commercially released for physical sale or on an eligible streaming or download service and must provide a new immersive mix of four or more channels. Award to the immersive mix engineer, immersive producer (if any) and immersive mastering engineer (if any).
Act 3 (Immersive Edition)
Ryan Ulyate, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Ryan Ulyate, immersive producer (Ryan Ulyate)
Blue Clear Sky
Chuck Ainlay, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Chuck Ainlay, immersive producer (George Strait)
The Diary Of Alicia Keys
George Massenburg & Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineers; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Alicia Keys & Ann Mincieli, immersive producers (Alicia Keys)
God Of War Ragnarök (Original Soundtrack)
Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Kellogg Boynton, Peter Scaturro & Herbert Waltl, immersive producers (Bear McCreary)
Silence Between Songs
Aaron Short, immersive mastering engineer (Madison Beer)
A Composer's Award for an original composition (not an adaptation) first released during the Eligibility Year. Singles or Tracks only.
Amerikkan Skin
Lakecia Benjamin, composer (Lakecia Benjamin Featuring Angela Davis)
Can You Hear The Music
Ludwig Göransson, composer (Ludwig Göransson)
Cutey And The Dragon
Gordon Goodwin & Raymond Scott, composers (Quartet San Francisco Featuring Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band)
Helena's Theme
John Williams, composer (John Williams)
Motion
Edgar Meyer, composer (Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain Featuring Rakesh Chaurasia)
An Arranger's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.
Angels We Have Heard On High
Nkosilathi Emmanuel Sibanda, arranger (Just 6)
Can You Hear The Music
Ludwig Göransson, arranger (Ludwig Göransson)
Folsom Prison Blues
John Carter Cash, Tommy Emmanuel, Markus Illko, Janet Robin & Roberto Luis Rodriguez, arrangers (The String Revolution Featuring Tommy Emmanuel)
I Remember Mingus
Hilario Duran, arranger (Hilario Duran And His Latin Jazz Big Band Featuring Paquito D'Rivera)
Paint It Black
Esin Aydingoz, Chris Bacon & Alana Da Fonseca, arrangers (Wednesday Addams)
An Arranger's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.
April In Paris
Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Patti Austin Featuring Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band)
Com Que Voz (Live)
John Beasley & Maria Mendes, arrangers (Maria Mendes Featuring John Beasley & Metropole Orkest)
Fenestra
Godwin Louis, arranger (Cécile McLorin Salvant)
In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
Erin Bentlage, Jacob Collier, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick & Amanda Taylor, arrangers (säje Featuring Jacob Collier)
Lush Life
Kendric McCallister, arranger (Samara Joy)
Award to the Conductor and to the Orchestra.
Adès: Dante
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)
Bartók: Concerto For Orchestra; Four Pieces
Karina Canellakis, conductor (Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra)
Price: Symphony No. 4; Dawson: Negro Folk Symphony
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)
Scriabin: Symphony No. 2; The Poem Of Ecstasy
JoAnn Falletta, conductor (Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra)
Stravinsky: The Rite Of Spring
Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
Award to the Conductor, Album Producer(s) and Principal Soloists, and to the Composer and Librettist (if applicable) of a world premiere Opera recording only.
Blanchard: Champion
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Ryan Speedo Green, Latonia Moore & Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
Corigliano: The Lord Of Cries
Gil Rose, conductor; Anthony Roth Costanzo, Kathryn Henry, Jarrett Ott & David Portillo; Gil Rose, producer (Boston Modern Orchestra Project & Odyssey Opera Chorus)
Little: Black Lodge
Timur; Andrew McKenna Lee & David T. Little, producers (The Dime Museum; Isaura String Quartet)
Award to the Conductor, and to the Choral Director and/or Chorus Master where applicable and to the Choral Organization/Ensemble.
Carols After A Plague
Donald Nally, conductor (The Crossing)
The House Of Belonging
Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Miró Quartet; Conspirare)
Ligeti: Lux Aeterna
Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor (San Francisco Symphony Chorus)
Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil
Steven Fox, conductor (The Clarion Choir)
Saariaho: Reconnaissance
Nils Schweckendiek, conductor (Uusinta Ensemble; Helsinki Chamber Choir)
For new recordings of works with chamber or small ensemble (twenty-four or fewer members, not including the conductor). One Award to the ensemble and one Award to the conductor, if applicable.
American Stories
Anthony McGill & Pacifica Quartet
Beethoven For Three: Symphony No. 6, 'Pastorale' And Op. 1, No. 3
Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax & Leonidas Kavakos
Between Breaths
Third Coast Percussion
Rough Magic
Roomful Of Teeth
Uncovered, Vol. 3: Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, William Grant Still & George Walker
Catalyst Quartet
Award to the Instrumental Soloist(s) and to the Conductor when applicable.
Adams, John Luther: Darkness And Scattered Light
Robert Black
Akiho: Cylinders
Andy Akiho
The American Project
Yuja Wang; Teddy Abrams, conductor (Louisville Orchestra)
Difficult Grace
Seth Parker Woods
Of Love
Curtis Stewart
Award to: Vocalist(s), Collaborative Artist(s) (Ex: pianists, conductors, chamber groups) Producer(s), Recording Engineers/Mixers with greater than 50% playing time of new material.
Because
Reginald Mobley, soloist; Baptiste Trotignon, pianist
Broken Branches
Karim Sulayman, soloist; Sean Shibe, accompanist
40@40
Laura Strickling, soloist; Daniel Schlosberg, pianist
Rising
Lawrence Brownlee, soloist; Kevin J. Miller, pianist
Walking In The Dark
Julia Bullock, soloist; Christian Reif, conductor (Philharmonia Orchestra)
Award to the Artist(s) and to the Album Producer(s) and Engineer(s) of over 50% playing time of the album, and to the Composer and Librettist (if applicable) with over 50% playing time of a world premiere recording only.
Fandango
Anne Akiko Meyers; Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Dmitriy Lipay, producer
Julius Eastman, Vol. 3: If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?
Christopher Rountree, conductor; Lewis Pesacov, producer
Mazzoli: Dark With Excessive Bright
Peter Herresthal; Tim Weiss, conductor; Hans Kipfer, producer
Passion For Bach And Coltrane
Alex Brown, Harlem Quartet, Imani Winds, Edward Perez, Neal Smith & A.B. Spellman; Silas Brown & Mark Dover, producers
Sardinia
Chick Corea; Chick Corea & Bernie Kirsh, producers
Sculptures
Andy Akiho; Andy Akiho & Sean Dixon, producers
Zodiac Suite
Aaron Diehl Trio & The Knights; Eric Jacobsen, conductor; Aaron Diehl & Eric Jacobsen, producers
A Composer's Award. (For a contemporary classical composition composed within the last 25 years, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year.) Award to the librettist, if applicable.
Adès: Dante
Thomas Adès, composer (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
Akiho: In That Space, At That Time
Andy Akiho, composer (Andy Akiho, Ankush Kumar Bahl & Omaha Symphony)
Brittelle: Psychedelics
William Brittelle, composer (Roomful Of Teeth)
Mazzoli: Dark With Excessive Bright
Missy Mazzoli, composer (Peter Herresthal, James Gaffigan & Bergen Philharmonic)
Montgomery: Rounds
Jessie Montgomery, composer (Awadagin Pratt, A Far Cry & Roomful Of Teeth)
Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see THE PICK ME UP in mag.
Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see Vitamin C Beauty in mag.
Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see #TRIBEGOALS in mag.
In this month’s issue, our front and back cover story is with actor and writer, Maria Sten! We talk about about how being a model, dancer, Miss Denmark 2008 winner and competing for her country for Miss Universe were part of her journey to writing for ABC's Big Sky, voice work in QCODE's Narcissa, and starring as Frances Neagley on Prime Video's Reacher which is streaming it's second season now on the platform and is currently in production for its 3rd season. We talk about how she maintains her creativity, what stories speak to her and more. We had a great time hanging out with Maria on set where we shot her photoshoot at il Pellicano and Bijoux Lounge. We have a great interview about both of these locations so that you can plan your next night out when you're heading to NoLita.
This month, we caught up with STARZ's Hightown which is in its final season. We talked with Creater, Executive Producer, Showrunner, and Writer Rebecca Cutter as well as castmates Dohn Norwood and Atkins Estimond. We talk about how they approached the series, what they hope fans walk away with, and upcoming projects.
We also talked with Beto Montenegro, lead singer of RAWAYANA to talk about the group, how they stay inspired, their tour, and more.
We've been in the flow of Awards Season since the beginning of the year and took some time to talk with Charles Joly, DIAGEO Reserve World Class Award Winning Mixologist who poured Johnnie Walker Blue Label as the Official Spirits Partner of the 75th Emmy Awards. He talked about how he got into the industry, how he approaches his craft, and how he prepared for this mega red carpet moment.
We also talked with Isabelle Carramaschi, SVP Kiehl's and Andrew Way Marketing VP of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort to talk about both of these brands, their heritage, why they are partnering with one another and more.
It's that time of year when you may be thinking of purchasing statement jewelry for yourself whether it's part of your everyday, a gift for yourself, or even if you're thinking about engagement rings. With that in mine, we talked with Jerry Taylor of Taylor Custom Rings to find out how he got into the jewelry industry, his passion for diamonds, learning the business, and why he focuses on lab created diamonds. If you've ever been interested in learning more about this category and what you should look for, we cover it all!
This month's The Art of the Snack comes from Chef Guo which is located here in NY at Randolph House. We find out more about this 10 tasting dinner, the menu and how Chef Guo brought his training and love for Chinese cuisine together for this epic experience. This month's Athleisure List comes from Nobu Hotel London Portman Square for an amazing experience that allows guests to enjoy the intersection of food, wellness, and fitness in a Japanese concept known as Shiawase! We also have Pasta that has a noted location in Lima Peru and an upcoming location in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood. We introduce you to the Peruvian husband and wife chef team who are passionate about Italian cuisine!
This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from No Doubt and RAWAYANA. Our 9DRIP comes from pop synth duo, Icona Pop. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from our cover star, Maria Sten. Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from our DEC ISSUE #96 cover, WWE HOF, AEW Wrestler, and star of Disney+'s Percy Jackson and The Olympians, Adam Copeland. We also have Japanese rapper, singer/songwriter, producer and entrepreneur Jesse McFaddin who shares his 9LIST STORIES as well. This month's THE 9LIST 9CH3FS and THE 9LIST 9B-L-D comes from Chef Sean Piccaretto of VENTANAS, Chef Yuu Shimano of Restaurant Yuu, and Ashley Schoenith, cookbook author of The Heirloomed Kitchen. Our NEW YEAR, N3W YOU feature has insights from Team USA Soccer Olympic Medalist, Angel City FC, USWNT athlete Christen Press; this month's cover star Maria Sten; RAWAYANA Lead Singer, Beto Montenegro; Cookbook Author, Private Chef, and Entrepreneur, Gaby Dalkin; and BEIS SVP Creative and Brand Liz Money.
Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag here.
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelor Disney/John Fleenor
PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelor/Gizelle Hernandez
In this 2nd episode of this season, The Bachelor Joey Graziadei is seen playing tennis with Jesse Palmer so we know that he is actually a pro. We also got a cold open that seems a bit intense!
They recap night one to see what everyone thought about their experience with Jesse. He lets them know that it’s all starting now.
Rachel, Taylor, Evalin, Erika, Maria, Lauren, Kelsey T., and Jess are on a group date together that involves the wedding date. They pick out their own dresses and head out to meet Joey. The wedding date is imagining that they are at their own reception and one woman will be able to have a dance with them! Lauren is having a hard time with this date as she is so sad with the passing of her father. Joey picks Rachel as the winner as she did all the activities with him. Michael Bolton sang for their first song and they had a great kiss as well! The group date continues with the after-party
The women get to know him more after their wedding date and they share their feelings so that he can get to know them more.
The ladies at the house hear about the next date which is a 1-on-1 date with Daisy.
Back at the group date, Jess gets the group date rose.
Daisy arrives at the date which includes a helicopter and then a fun music festival where they get to know one another more with food, beverages getting cute shirts. They dance on stage at the festival and Daisy realizes she needs to finally loop him in. She lets him know about her health issues at their dinner. He takes it in and feels that she is impressive with everything that she has been through and he gives her the rose as well.
The remaining women Allison, Chrissa, Edwina, Jenn, Katelyn, Kelsey A, Madina, Starr, are on the group date with him. Jubilee and Demi are The Bachelor alumni who are going to train them emotionally and physically for what’s ahead. The boot camp puts them through the paces as they break a sweat. After their warm-up, they learn that they will do paint balling. Although the blue team wins, only one person gets time with him. He selects Edwina to enjoy the evening date with him. They talk about her upbringing and what drives her and he gives her the date rose.
Maria and Medina have an odd conversation about age and it feels like it’s nonsencial. Lauren eliminated herself out of the house and said maybe she’d see him at Hometowns with her sister!
JOEY GAVE ROSES TO | Alison, Autumn, Chrissa, Daisy, Edwina, Evalin, Jenn, Katelyn, Kelsey A, Kelsey T, Leah, Lexi, Madina, Maria, Rachel, Starr, and Sydney.
JOEY DID NOT GIVE ROSES TO | Erica, Lauren, Marlena, and Taylor
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!
PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Richard Middlesworth
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
As we look to close 2023, we're excited to have actor and legendary wrestler Adam Copeland! Many know him as a WWE Hall of Famer who wrestled under the name Edge for a total of 31 championships there and he held the World Heavyweight Championship between 2002 and 2013 7 times as well as the WWE Championship 4 times and a number of accolades while there! This year, he transitioned from WWE to the AEW showing that he continues to be dedicated to his passion and crafstmanship of this sport and doing it in his own name.
His love for wrestling is also shared by acting which is another way to fuel his creativity and dedication. Fans of his have enjoyed him over a number of seasons/episodes of Syfy's Haven, History Channel's Vikings, and a number of movies! Now, you can see him in his latest series Percy Jackson and The Olympians where he portarys Ares, streaming now on Disney+. We wanted to know more about how he got into acting, some of his roles that he has been in, being in the Disney+ series, as well as his phenomenal wrestling career. We caught up with him at home to find out more and you can read his thoughts on 2023 and 2024 in our feature NEW YEAR, N3W YOU!
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you enjoyed wrestling?
ADAM COPELAND: Honestly, it was the first time that I saw it. I distinctly remember that it was Roddy Piper and this was the old black and white TV where you had to turn it with pliers, 3 channels, and one of the channels was CKVR TV from Barrie, Ontario. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was Pacific Northwest Wrestling out of Portland, Oregon. It was Roddy Piper and I still remember the trunks that he was wearing were like a creamy yellow and green tartan design and he smashed a beer bottle over his head. I just remember – my brain couldn’t process what this thing was, like this guy is a maniac, but I can’t take my eyes off of him. It just kind of blew my mind, because I was young and very impressionable, it just struck some kind of strange chord with me. I think it was because it was just this big larger than life kind of thing. I loved comic books – I voraciously read comic books. I love KISS because they were super heroes but you could go see them in concert. They played characters and so wrestling was that! I could go down to Maple Leaf Gardens and I found out where they came into the building so that I could accost them back there and bug them. So it really was from the first time that I saw it.
Then it was diving into it deeper and discovering Hulk Hogan and going, “woah, what is this guy doing?” His eyes and his energy! And then from there, it was the deep dives and discovering why I gravitated towards certain people’s matches. Like why did I always enjoy wrestling? Watching Bret Hart wrestle and then I guess as I got smarter, more educated to what the industry is, that’s when it dawned on me. I was like, “oh, it’s because he’s really great!” Got it!
Savage I mean, you’re looking at the Macho Man – he’s awesome, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Ted DiBiase, Bob Orton – man, the flood gates were open!
AM: I grew up in Indianapolis and went to school at Indiana University, and we’d have our friends in our dorm watching the matches before we went out or after studying and I remember when I first saw you in the ring and it was explosive!
AC: That was the guy liner phase!
AM: Obviously you’ve dominated in your career as wrestler without a doubt.
My mom was a huge Highlander fan and I am as well. Seeing you in Endgame was great to see. When did you realize that you wanted to pursue acting?
AC: It was never on my radar honestly. It really wasn’t. The Highlander thing was just that WWF at the time said, “hey, there’s a small role in the next Highlander movie. It films in Bucharest. Do you want to go?” I said, yeah sure. It sounded like fun, it seemed like an experience and I had never been to Bucharest. That’s really all that was, but my entire goal as early as I can remember wanting to have a career, I wanted my career to be wrestling.
The acting thing was always like if something popped up, sure cool. It wasn’t until I was forced to retire in 2011 and then it serendipitously landed in my lap again and it was the Executive Producers of a show called Haven saw my retirement speech and they said that they were in tears. So they said that they wanted a tie into wrestling and a tie in to SmackDown and they said, “can we get that guy, he just retired?” A week later, I was up in Halifax filming and 1 episode became 41.
And in that process I realized, ok this still taps into that creative vein. And that’s the way that I am wired. I like to create. I like to tell stories. So whether that's writing or whatever it is. So I really really enjoyed the process. I really started diving into that because wrestling was off the table. So it was like, if my first love is off the table, all of these things come off of the same tree. It’s just different branches on where you go to on this or over on this one. So once I understood that I enjoyed this process and wrapped my mind around the differences too. With wrestling, I equate it to maybe standup or a band with a setlist that they change all of the time. You play off of and read off of your audience. It’s a really, really amazing thing. What I had to get used to in terms of acting was thinking that a take I did which was really, really good – and then they may not use that one.
AM: That’s true.
AC: Then a year and a half later, you see what takes they use and you look at it and say it’s interesting. I had to wrap my mind around that.
AM: Especially since you can work with one director and they think that that was amazing, but the next director or producer wants and looks for something that’s completely different.
AC: Entirely different! I pretty quickly learned too that if a director has an idea, my job is to try and bring that vision. It’s not really my vision because I can have a certain way that I think that I am going to do things, but on the day, it can be entirely different from the set up, the angles, and all of those things. The director is going to get the shot that he or she wants so you mght as well try and dive in with them to get it!
AM: I really enjoyed Vikings! What drew you to that show?
AC: It was my favorite television show. I loved Vikings. I’d sit down, I’d watch Vikings. I was on Haven for gosh, the first 4 seasons and Vikings was in production then. So once I wrapped with Haven and the show ended, I said to my manager that we needed to keep an eye out for Vikings because if something came along there, I wanted to try to pounce on that. An audition came along for it and again, it was kind of like Haven where the character was only supposed to be in 4 episodes and then before I knew it, Michael Hirst (Elizabeth, The Tudors, Vikings: Valhalla) who is the creator and the writer who wrote all of the episodes, he said we need to write more for Kjetill and I said, I’m in.
AM: I love that show and my sister and I watched a number of episodes together.
AC: I loved it too! I can’t show the girls that one, but I really loved that show. I loved the challenge of a period piece, accents, drama, and those were all things that I hadn’t delved into before. So that was super exciting, the challenge aspect of it, because I love a challenge. I would get my scripts and phonetically write everything out. Ok, there’s a hard ‘s’ here, it’s not ‘is’ it’s ‘sss’ and then I would run my lines. So it became second nature and by the end, I didn’t even think about it and I would end up talking like that in between takes.
AM: Percy Jackson and The Olympians is streaming now on Disney+. What drew you to this 8 episode series? How did you get attached to the project?
AC: So, when the books first came out, I was on the grind. 220 shows a year which means you’re generally on the road 250 days a year. So from the years of 1999 – 2011, I didn’t catch a lot of what was happening in terms of social media and mass media. It all kind of flew by me. So I didn’t fully grasp how huge the books were and I’m kind of glad that I didn’t. Because the audition came through and I was like, “oh Percy Jackson – that could be interesting, ok.” I thought that they had made a couple of movies and that was the extent of my knowledge. So I read for the part and I sort of went, “oh, ok this guy, I think that I know this guy.” I found the comedic beats in it. So I wore one of my Edge/Adam Copeland vests and I wore my Andre the Giant T-Shirts cut off. I have never dressed up for an audition in my life, but I thought, what the heck? I shaved my own head, I had my own little mohawk and I read for it and had a lot of fun with it. It was really funny but Beth said, you had a lot of fun with that and I feel like you found that guy. I agreed, but then you have to throw it away because once an audition is done, you have to stop thinking about it. You can’t dwell. About a month and a half, maybe 2 months later, my manager said, the Executive Producers of Percy Jackson want to do a Zoom. I was like, ok and I was trying to remember when I had read for that. I forgot. Then, sure enough, they were like, “when you get out to Vancouver, -“ that’s when I realized that I had got the part! I told them that I was still wrestling for WWE and they said it didn’t matter and that they would figure it out.
AM: Wait, what?
AC: Yeah, that’s unheard of! I guess they had seen my audition and thought, "he's the Ares that I pictured when I wrote him.” That was a huge boost of confidence too.
I hadn’t read the books yet, but I had found the voice of this character in just reading the sides. That was super fun and then I read the books. I was like, “oh man, these are awesome!” Then learning that over 180 million copies worldwide were sold and it made me really glad that I didn’t fully dive into that knowledge before I read it. I mean I think it would have felt like a different kind of pressure I guess!
AM: Of course! It would be like stepping into Harry Potter without having the awareness of the weight of that franchise and then finding out after being in it.
AC: Oh yeah! Even when I got out to set and realized just the scope and the magnitude of this world, it was really really kind of jaw dropping. But it was such a blast and having seen – as I have only seen the first 2 episodes as well, but I watched them with my little girls who are 7 and 10, they have now watched it 3 times. They absolutely love it and watching it with them and seeing how they react and how much of a smile it has brought to their faces already, I am so proud to be a small cog in this giant machine to bring this thing to screen because seeing the kids reactions have been so massive and so much fun for me especially at this stage in my life, 50 years old, 2 kids and this is something that they can watch. I’m so proud to be part of it. The quality of it, it’s such a good show.
AM: How much can you say about the show as some people who are not reading this may not have seen this yet. What can you say in terms of the backstory? Also, we know who Ares is, but how are we seeing him as it is portrayed in this series?
AC: This adaptation of Percy is very true to the books. I think that that is something that movies weren’t. I don’t think that Ares was in the movie, but he is essentially the antagonist in the 1st season of this series. So there is a lot of big holes there with him being so heavily involved in this. I think that for the fanbase, they can take some comfort in the knowledge that Rick Riordan (author of the Percy Jackson series). So from a fanbase perspective, that’s huge!
If you’ve never read the books, you can watch it and get it. It explains itself really well, just like the books do. Within the first 3 or 4 pages, you get what’s going on here. It really brought the character traits together. Walker Scobell (The Adam Project, Secret Headquarters, Blood Knot) is so good as Percy. He has just the right amount of charm and sarcasm. The kid is on his way. He is just so good and at his age, he’s 14 now, but when we filmed this, he was still 12 – ridiculous for him to pull off what he was able to pull off. Just ridiculous to watch all 3 of them Leah Jeffries (Empire, Beast, Something From Tiffany’s) and Aryan Simhadri (The Main Event, Spin, Cheaper by the Dozen) and in between takes, they would go to school. Then they’d come back and they would do another take. Or they would do my coverage and then they would go do a lesson. How are they computing all of this? I don’t remember what I had for breakfast and they’re pulling all of this off. I really can’t say enough about all 3 of them and their work ethic and really just the entire crew! It was a really good place to work even in the time that I was there.
In terms of Ares, he’s – I love him, I really do! He’s just acerbic, a little caustic, he’s angry and a little over his head while being all powerful in a way too. It’s fun to play those beats. Because if he was just a god, this omnipotent thing, how much fun is that? Even when I was in Vikings, ok, this guy goes insane. But you can’t just go insane, there needs to be a reason for that. If I can bite into that, Adam Copeland can bite into that, then hopefully, I can pull out some truths for the character.
With Ares, it’s the classic, he’s the child that feels like he should have gotten more attention and now he’s acting out. He just happens to be in a 6’4” 240lb frame and he’s a god and he has a giant sword. It made for a lot of really fun scenes – and scenes that weren’t in the book and that added more depth into the character. My favorite scene that I was involved in takes place in a diner with Grover Underwood (Aryn) and it wasn’t in the books at all, but it was a really, really fun scene to play off of each other with.
AM: The cast as a whole has incredible actors that are in this alongside with you. What did you take away from this whole experience?
AC: I think that more than anything, it was just, I don’t know – to be 50 years old and go, “right, I’m still wrestling – I’m wrestling again and I’m also working for Disney.” What? When I first started this and started training for wrestling at 17 years old, if you had told me that at 50, A – I’d still be wrestling and B – I’d be working for Disney at the same time, I’d have asked you what are you smoking and can you give me some because that sounds amazing.
Sometimes I just sit back. We did the red carpet for the premier last week and I brought the girls and Beth up with me. Just to see the excitement that they had to be involved in this thing and I think that I actually became a cool dad for about a week!
AM: You know, just walking the red carpet with my dad!
AC: I’ll take it, I’ll take it!
AM: I mean I think back to a lot of the things that I did physically when I was younger and being 44 now, there’s no way that I could do the flips and turns that I could do before! The fact that you’re still doing that, I couldn’t imagine it for myself, so I tip my hat to you sir!
AC: Well, a lot less flips for me now ha!
AM: There’s that, but still! But you’re still out there doing it!
AC: I am!
AM: Are there any upcoming projects in terms of acting that we should keep our eye out for?
AC: With the strike, everything just got put on hold. Then, within that strike, I had transitioned from WWE already and went into AEW, so there has been a lot of change, but all for good! My creative spark has really – not that it wasn’t lit before, but now it’s like woah! I have a blank canvas that I can paint all kinds of different palettes and things that I can use now. There’s a whole roster that I never even touched or told stories with. So that’s very exciting for me.
With acting, I’ve pretty much said since day 1 to my managers and agents, I say no a lot! I don’t even read a lot of stuff. It really has to hit because why do it otherwise? If it’s something that’s meh ok, and maybe it isn’t right or the method that you should use, but a lot of time it’s about who is involved. I would love to work with Kelsey Grammer (Frasier, Boss, Dr. Death) – yes, my mom’s favorite actor. She passes away 6 months later I get offered to play in Money Plane with Kelsey Grammer. I didn’t even need to read the script, I was in. Really more than anything, it’s about what is going to be fun. At this stage, from the time I was 22 on, I don’t feel like I have worked. That’s a gift and I didn’t realize how rare that is, so I don’t ever look past it and that means that I also want to continue that streak. It needs to be fun, not need to feel like work, and it needs to be creative and I’m happy.
AM: We touched on this a bit earlier, but you now wrestle under AEW. What's it like wrestling under your own name?
AC: I think that more than anything, I said this for years and years that I wish that I could have just wrestled under the name Adam Copeland. I mean I don't know, what is Edge? I didn’t even know what Edge was, I just pulled it out of the air, said it, and everyone agreed and that was that! There wasn’t a whole lot of thought put into it. Even as stupid as it sounds, the cadence of chanting – Har-dy, Au-stin, Ro-cky, Ho-gan, E-d-g-e – I was just happy to be there.
So to get the opportunity, I have always used Adam Copeland throughout whether it’s the television that I have done, writing a book, whatever it is. I have always introduced myself as Adam Copeland, never introduced myself as Edge as that was a character that I played on TV. That would be like going up to someone and saying, “Hi, I’m Ares, nice to meet ya.” It doesn’t work that way right?
AM: But an easier chanting name though!
AC: Yes! It is but also Adam Copeland ha! Then also too, in terms of the acting. It’s going to be my name there as well and so if you’re looking at it from a branding perspective it makes a lot of sense in that regard.
AM: Well I think that when you recently did the match with Sting and Darby, those leather jackets! That leather work was stunning. When Beth told me that you are the fashion mastermind behind your looks, how much were you involved in creating that iconic look for the 3 of you?
AC: I came up with the whole thing! I have been drawing my wrestling outfits since I can remember – from 9 and 10 years old. A lot of them from that time saw the light of day. Even drawings from when I was 10, I’ve worn tights that I drew from when I was 10. So, when I knew that we would be teaming, I said, “how do we make this really, really special for this occasion?” Because to me, it is. You have 3 generations. You have Darby, you have me, and you have Sting. To me, you have the future, the present, and this iconic character. So I wanted to be able to have some fun with that. So I said, hey guys, I have an idea for coats are you in and they said, “yeah, sure.” So I got their measurements, I sent them off to Sylvia Jensen who is the mastermind behind Wornstar, she does all of trench coats, my demon wings that I wore at WrestleMania. She and I just sit down and think about the ideas, here’s the shirts – we need Sting’s lapels, we need Darby’s hood, and we need to add elements in. On my tights, I had a skull, but it had the Sting makeup. And then I had the other half of Darby’s skull face and Sting in the middle with his full paint which is a cool visual. So you have half, half, full in the middle.
Those were all the things that ran through my mind because as a fan, I would sit there and notice those things. That made me think, these guys care. They really put thought into what they were doing and what they were presenting. In my mind, my kid mind, it goes to, “oh, that’s an awesome action figure.”
“I think that more than anything, - to be 50 years old and go, “right, I’m still wrestling - I’m wrestling again and I’m also working for Disney.” What? When I first started this and started training for wrestling at 17 years old, if you had told me that at 50, A - I’d still be wrestling and B - I’d be working for Disney at the same time, I’d have asked you what are you smoking and can you give me some because that sounds amazing.”
AM: So to see you guys in the look from Wornstar, the visual texture, the detailing, that futuristic element, I spent quite a bit looking at them from your IG.
AC: What I really wanted to try to convey is that we’re all tipping our hats to each other. We had my coat design, but it still had Stings flavor and Darby’s flavor, but then the face paint is the tip of the hat to Darby the Sting face paint on the tights is the tip of the hat to him and were all paying homage to each other and we all came out with the bats which is Sting and I was like, if we get a single spotlight and the bats come into frame and then it flows and off we go! That’s the stuff that I just love being part of and being really hands on to the point that it becomes fairly annoying to people or that they think, oh great, you took that off my plate – you’ve got it? Cool!
AM: Well I loved it, it was well thought out, and it had quite the production effect!
What are you looking forward to in this portion of your career as it pertains to AEW?
AC: Again, the blank canvas! The massive amount of talent that I have never ever had my hands on! I look at that company and I see Swerve Strickland, I see Darby now that I have gotten to team with as well as Sting! Getting to work with Christian Cage again which we both thought was off the table as he was retired for 7 years and I was retired for 9. Both of us thought that our careers were done and now we’re getting to do this and to tell the story at AEW. There’s Moxley, there’s Bryan Danielson, Claudio, Miro, Hobbs – I’ve never wrestled any of those people and have never performed with any of them. That’s super exciting and gives me a new lease on life. Right? I have 2 years here and there’s a bunch of stories that I’m trying to go down the checklist. In the meantime, I can pass along the vast amounts of knowledge in my 32 years that I have been doing it.
AM: I’m sure you can pass around a lot of knowledge!
AC: Well I figured that that’s part of the job! If I sign anywhere now, I bring all of those years from when I wrestled in Teneessee when 5 people were sitting on barrels of hay all the way to WrestleMania to battle The Undertaker and everywhere in between. With that, if you’re paying attending, you can learn a lot.
AM: With the span of your entire career, what do you want your legacy to be known as?
AC: I have always said that I don’t believe in legacies and I feel that legacies are solidified by the people that are putting together video packages and they’re usually more political than anything else. So I have always said that my legacy is my little girls. Am I raising good human beings – that’s the legacy. I truly feel that my girls are awesome and they are great little human beings. That to me is the legacy.
Did I always work hard? Yes!
IG @ratedrcope
PHOTO CREDITS | FRONT/BACK COVER, 19 - 29 + 34 - 39 Paul Farkas | PG 16 Disney/David Bukach | PG 30 - 33 AEW |
Read the DEC ISSUE #96 of Athleisure Mag and see MAKING HIS MARK | Adam Copeland in mag.
We always like talking about culinary history as we have shared over the course of our 96 issues, and cocktail/nightlife history is also interesting as the two go hand in hand! We sat down with Lynette Marrero, a mixologist and educator who shares more about the industry with us, and sets the scene for craft cocktails and what it was like in the early 2000's when we were just getting to know some of the city's favorite bartenders and restaurants. In addition, we talk about where she worked as well as being a Partner/Chief Mixologist at Delola, Jennifer Lopez's ready to drink brand. We talk about creating it during the pandemic along with launching the brand to an array of markets as well as how we can truly enjoy it. We also talk about her background as an educator and how she is using her knowledge and passion in order to create a community of bartenders.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you wanted to be a mixologist?
LYNETTE MARRERO: Well, I mean that started, I think during that transitional period for everyone. I was very reluctant to even get into hospitality initially. Mostly, because I didn’t want to be the cliché actor/waiter, because I was pursuing Broadway and all of that and I just thought, I can’t do that. I can’t be that person. It was definitely at the beginning of the cocktail boom where this wasn’t realized as a real industry yet! People were like, “what else do you do?” That was always the question. I was very reluctant to get in. I had been working at offices, I had been temping with everyone that I had went to college with and things like that.
Then, 9/11 happened and I thought, “well, I’m never going to go into an office again.” So I realized that I should figure out what this hospitality thing is. I was actually away doing a pre-Broadway show in California, and I came back to NY and I went to this wine bar on Clinton St. I talked my way in with just some basic answers I said, “I think that I can figure this out,” fudged my resume, got my job, and luckily in that space, I met some really incredible people who now would ultimately be big hospitality folks!
Michael Chernow of Seamore’s Group, he was one of the bartenders there, my friend Noel Cruz who was part of the Maharlika and Jeepney as well as Ichicoro Ramen. These are all of the people that I met and these were just the people that were doing our thing and Wylie Dufresne was opening the first WD-50 on the block and him and his dad Dewey would come in all of the time. So I started meeting all of these incredible people who were doing interesting things.
Then I switched into doing classic cocktails. There was a cocktail bar across town that was like a cigar lounge and so still, all the drinks that we were making were like Lime Key Lime Pie Martinis and the Godiva Chocolate, Black Chocolate Martinis or the White Chocolate Martini like 50/50. So it was such a moment and a time, but again, what I loved about it was, it was a predominantly women staff and there was a lot of camaraderie with the women that I was working with. We had really great regulars. It was about building community which is what I was really attracted to. So my friend Amber who was there, who was one of the bartenders, she started teaching me every so often, because I was a cocktail server, she would say, “let’s learn some drinks.” She started teaching me all of the classic dive bar drinks. Alabama Slammer and all of those different ones and I thought, “ok I will learn all of these things.” We would close Thursday nights and we went across town and there was a new bar that opened and that was the Flatiron Lounge and I remember walking in and at that time, it was Julie Reiner, herself bartending, her wife Susan Federoff who is still her business partner, and another woman, Michelle Connolly. I was like, “who are these women that are owning this space and owning this bar?” Walking into that bar that was very much of that time, that was a very 1920’s art deco space and then getting cocktails that were really made with fresh juice. And if they were a special color, it was because it was a fresh passion fruit juice and I was really intrigued by that and it really brought me to this place where I knew that there was a quality shift in the change. So I stalked them for about a year for a job, I went off and did a show, did a couple more shows, got married, and then a year later, I came back and I finally got a job there working for Julia. I started again as a cocktail server and this was another place where I started working with people who would be the super stars of today.
Phil Ward was working behind the bar. Katie Stipe creator of The Siesta, Toby Maloney – these were the people that I was able to work with and I could see that everyone has such a beautiful pride for what they were making. I started learning the drinks because we would have a flight of the day and it would all be based on classic cocktails in a theme. So, every day, I had to learn something new. I would ask questions. I knew I wanted to sell this and I needed to know all of the answers, I wanted to know what was going on, why they're were built that way, and so after some time, Toby and Phil thought that I would be a good bartender and that they should start training me. I finally got behind the bar and I loved it. I never turned back and I really loved how I felt that it was a show behind the bar. You were able to have this wonderful moment of connecting with people and giving them something that they’re asking for, a dealer’s choice and just talking through the menu and offering them a new experience. It was so much about really foraging a path where we would say all the time that, we’d tell them that if they didn’t like it, they can have something else. That was a really wonderful way of being able to create that trust in folks.
From there, I started working in restaurant bars so I worked at Freeman’s an iconic gastropub bar. Toby was also working there and he suggested that I should come there too! It was high volume, but it was cocktails. I started working there and I loved it! For me, it was an interesting place of finding where cocktails and food meet. It was really about understanding that dynamic which was what would propel me to where most of my career would be at. After that, I did some brand ambassador jobs for 2 years, I went back to consulting, but I was doing cocktail bars, and then I really found my footing around restaurant bar scene which was really where I felt that I had the most impact because we have a lot of new people coming in that go into restaurants, for different reasons. So it was a different recruitment of folks to the craft cocktail scene. But it was also about thinking about how the food it and I learned a lot from chefs on how to develop flavors, to extract flavors, different combinations – so I think that that whole path really brought me to where I was going to be going and have this crazy career that is fun, dynamic, and interesting.
AM: I remember when Freeman’s first opened! I want to say that I was there the second or the third week. The merge of food and beverage was really the first place that I truly learned about this dance that happens between the interplay of the two! Even though in the beginning it was incredibly difficult to get in there, I was there at least once a month. Just the play on the flavors.
So in prep for this interview and hearing about your background, the brands that you have worked with, which have been amazing, as a mixologist, you have also held the role as an educator, can you tell us what this is in the world of mixology?
LM: Absolutely! I think that what’s great to your point, is that we were all kind of figuring this out together. We were finding all of the old dusty books and people like Dave Wondrich were decoding it for us and Gary "Gaz" Regan (1001 Mixed Drinks and Everything You Need to Know, The Book of Bourbon and Other Fine American Whiskeys, The Joy of Mixology) and Dale would be showing us these techniques. There was a lot of nuance that you had to think about. So not just where these cocktails started, where they began, and the interpretation with the ingredients that we have now. Like Claret wine is not something that we typically use, so if you’re going to do a NY Sour, you’re going to have to think about what that wine style is and that education started by going down to Tales of the Cocktail and doing a lot of classes that were based on technique or history of drinks. So I think it can really run the range from that. I think that that was the ground – how do we get everyone to want to adapt and care about these little ingredients, mixers, and fresh juice and why? So a lot of that education then was technique driven.
As the years have evolved, I get into specific categories of spirits and the ranges. So I spend a lot of time with Rum education and doing a lot of that and training with Lorena Vásquez from Zacapa Rum who is the Master Blender. Getting those details, asking questions, learning about the fermentation and all of that. That process is so important when you’re talking about ingredients, beverages, and knowing where they come from as well as knowing why they are the way they are.
And you know, leaning into where Speed Rack grew, it was more so about getting into conversations about really the culture of hospitality. Educating on DEI and how to make an inclusive environment and if you are someone out there who is trying to recruit more women in your space, why are they not coming to you? Here are the key markers, here’s how you support and sustain diversity, and not just tokenism. That’s where a lot of the conversations are right now, I think.
Of course, I love doing classes on pairing drinks with food as there is so much indepth conversation on that! I read books like Zero: A New Approach To Non-Alcoholic Drinks from Chef Grant Achatz and it really changes my framing and mind when I’m doing cocktails with spirit, low-proof, or no-proof, there’s just this thought process about how flavors and beverages pair. I really enjoy getting more deeply involved with that.
AM: Tell me about your brand, Drinks at 6.
LM: So Drinks at 6 is the company that I call my consulting company. I don’t know if you ever saw Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
AM: Of course!
LM: So, the card that she sends the gentleman caller says, “Drinks at 6.” So to me, it’s like that wild party in that house is like the ultimate house party. It’s wacky and crazy and everyone is having martinis. For me, it was the epitome of what having fun is. Taking the seriousness out of craft cocktails and making it more approachable and fun. Initially, I started that company to elevate things like catering at different weddings and things that now are way more common. I was really thinking about how do we change what this thing is. We don’t want it to be stodgy, it doesn’t have to be an old 1880’s replica bar, but it’s something like being able to invite your friends so that they can come over. So I think that that turned me into this person. I love entertaining. That’s why when I look at something like developing Delola, it’s another way of being able to democratize cocktails. It’s about putting it in that bottle and making it delicious and there’s a way to do that right. We don’t have to be all pretentious about it, like how dare we? But there is a way to bring people in with a beautiful package and a great thought process that I think is where we want to be and it’s about that simplicity of having that, a great party, entertainment and making it hospitable for everybody.
AM: Who have been some of the brands that you have worked with under that umbrella?
LM: I mean, I did a ton of work under Diageo for a long period of time, working with Zacapa Rum, but also brands would bring me on to develop some strategy for them. But I really took it on with my restaurant bar consulting so you know, the Mama Group I was there for about 6.5 years working with Chef Eric – it’s run the list of folks that I’ve worked with. I think that a lot of that exposure and access led to things like being recruited for MasterClass.com. Having that opportunity to again be let into people’s houses and rooms via an online medium. It's great to teach people how to break down and demystify building cocktails and building drinks and making it approachable even if you’re making them super fancy – there’s a way to talk about them.
AM: Tell me about Delola and how this came about. I had heard about it for about a year or so and I had actually seen it in person and the Food Network NYC Wine Food Festival that happened a few weeks ago here in NY.
LM: Yup!
AM: We didn’t have a chance to get over there because we were in the thick of interviews. But you are a partner of this company, you’re the Chief Mixologist along with Jennifer Lopez. Tell us more about it.
LM: Yeah I mean, it’s pretty wild and it’s so great! I was just reflecting upon this with our team and to have an opportunity to be recognized and to have someone of such a caliber who says, “you’re an expert in your field and I want to recruit you to work with me on something and to actually give you credit for it!” I think that that’s what I love about it! It’s a building up of talent and a true respect for what I do and what my job and role is.
I had been doing some work with Ken Austin and Jenna Fagnan they do Teremana and have The Rock and during the pandemic, I had been doing some work with them to basically do Zoom Happy Hours and I was all over that!
They had been talking to Jennifer for quite some time about what kind of a product that she wanted to do and she told them that she wasn’t going to make a tequila, she wasn’t going to make a rum, she’s not a high proof spirits person and it’s not the style of the way that she likes to drink. She likes for everything to be balanced, she likes colorful, delicious, and fresh drinks. It’s the kinds of things that she sees when she's in Capri during the summer. She really wanted to create something that when she tells her trainer that she had it, it wouldn’t be an issue! So, there was nothing really in the market that satisfied that right? I mean, there's things in the market like hard seltzers that don’t have a ton of calories, but then they don’t have a full flavor right? It was about accomplishing a few tasks. I want to have the diet cake, but it still needs to taste like cake.
AM: True!
LM: Yeah, so that was kind of the idea and they kind of briefed me on the project. I made up a few prototypes at first. So it was about what the style of the drink was, the flavors that she wanted, and then they were sent so this was all during the pandemic, they went to Jennifer. She was really great. So it was like, here are 5 ideas and she’d come back saying what she liked, what she didn’t resonate with – she let me know that they were all delicious, but it didn’t fit with her. So that was great, the ultimate dealer’s choice. So I’d edit it back and refine it, she let me know what she liked, that she wanted to incorporate elderflower and I thought that was great and would be perfect for the Paloma. It was that great back and forth of that perfect moment of the best dealer’s choice. She’s so good at communicating what that vision is – which is incredible. The last thing that you want is for someone to come up to your bar and to tell you that they want something like this but not too sweet – but there’s zero direction. I mean it’s like please give me a direction that you want to go into. I mean there’s a whole range! With some people you have to ask 20,000 questions.
I love that her direction is always very clear and when I would her things and she landed on what she liked, it was about going to the process of taking that and working with our team to find the right botanicals and to replicate it. It’s very hard because you’re batching a drink in a bottle. It’s something that I do all the time in bars and restaurants, but it’s a lot more complicated when you want it to be on a shelf, in a store. Because we had such strict personal goals that were set by our founder, having those organic botanicals, making sure that we can get into places where wellness is really respected like Whole Foods – we knew we were not going to use artificial coloring and all of those different things. So it makes it a lot harder to make it stabilized. That was a really wonderful process to go through and to learn so much about building a beverage like this. Then of course, seeing it born into the world.
AM: The packaging is beautiful. I love the fact that it’s a beautiful bottle and I also love the ease of opening it with a twist off cap, but that it is presented in an elegant way. There has been a lot of care that has been brought together with something that is a ready to drink product, but it’s the confluence of those nice elements that come together. Just that alone must have been something that everyone on that team went back and forth on many times.
LM: I mean, listen, you can see that Jennifer has done some really beautiful entertainment things. She has a beautiful spread, she loves spending time with family, she has these beautiful tablescapes and it was really important that that was a bottle that sits on a table that looks presentational and that you can give it as a gift to somebody. To me, that is that democratization of craft cocktails. You can bring this bottle and it still has an elevated look that you can feel. It’s not a can that you open and that you have to finish. When you screw the top back on, it will stay bubbly for a few days and you can enjoy it that way. I find that all of those details are so important and Jennifer really wanted to put so much of her personal life into it. The colors are obviously inspired by Capri, but with our designers she made an homage to The Bronx Crest which is at the top of the bottle to always remember where her roots are. A lion and a lioness on the bottle because she's a Leo and so is Ben.
She wanted to have these little things so that when she held the bottle, she knew it was her and not anyone else. I think that that’s really great about standing up and putting your stamp on something.
There’s a real and true passion for what we’re doing as well as the company with those pillars and what we’re here to do. It’s about that presentational piece and it’s why we’re in glass and not in a can. We have the 375ml and the 750ml – it would be a lot easier with a can as there would be different shelving needs. I love that she is behind the vision and she is going to make it work and we will get everyone to understand what we are doing. I think that with her integrity and the way that she pushes through, you go boldly and you do what you feel. We’re making a strong statement on what Delola is and what we want it to be. We’re not backing down from that and it’s really great to have that kind of support and mission. It makes it a lot more clear.
AM: As a fashion stylist, I’m always about the aesthetics and my big thing is accessories, so when I’m looking at this bottle. A beauty product that has vanity appeal, this product has bar cart appeal. You don’t want to have an amazing beverage, but then have to hide the bottle because you know it looks janky.
LM: Yup!
AM: This one has a nice heft to it and so hearing all of the elements from it, I can see that there was a lot of care that was brought to what we have now. Then the fact that you can just pop it over ice and be done with it, that’s nice. I do love a nice cocktail and making one, but sometimes you just want to pour and sit after a long day.
LM: Absolutely! That’s why when you go to someone’s house to get together for a party, it’s just easy to bring the easy thing. We should have other choices as opposed to reverting to a wine. We should be able to have cocktails at any time.
I also love where the proof lies with the first range that we have. I think that’s a very comfortable range for bringing a lot of people in. It’s very mindful and it’s lower than a lot of wines, full flavored, that’s nice because of the occasions that you’re having it – with a full meal, an aperitivo hour, brunch – it really fits into a lot of different lifestyle moments.
AM: I enjoyed the L’Orange the other night while having Truffle Popcorn.
LM: Oh yeah! We’ve been doing a ton of charcuterie with it too. So it’s really great when you have all of those cheeses. I love moving into Paloma when you have seafood. It’s fresh and then having guacamole which is really beautiful. We have a really great recipe that Chef Grace Ramirez made for us which she actually put in some sliced apples and pomegranate seeds – really yummy! I think that with Bella Berry, she’s sort of a surprise. She’s the little punch. It doesn’t have a proxy cocktail. It’s its own cocktail. It has hibiscus, there’s berry, but a lot of it can lean towards – if you put fruit in it, a berry punch. Add cinnamon sticks and some of those flavors pop and it leans more to a sangria style cocktail or a full flavor punch cocktail. So I love playing with each one and I love that they are all so unique. The range stands as something where people are going to have their favorites, but we are going to have something for a range of folks.
AM: It’s great that it is in that better for you category. Can we delve into that a little bit more as our readers will want to know more about that. We enjoy covering hard seltzers and it sits where it sits. We know that as great as many of them tastes, some do have significant sugars which also sits where it sits. Where does Delola sit?
LM: So we’re very low sugar. A traditional cocktail of this style can have up to 16g of sugar per pour. We are under 5g. That’s huge right? That alone, you can feel it. You take a sip of it you’re not feeling your mouth –
AM: Granulated!
LM: Exactly it’s not coated with sugar and it’s very clean and very fresh. Even the ones that are fruity like Bella Berry, you smell it and you get that really fruity scent where you expect to have this very sweet taste and it’s dry because of the hibiscus. So that was super important to us to work on that and that’s who we’re able with proof and with sugar to be able to keep those calories down too. How many cocktails have derailed and ruined all the hard work you’ve done? So it’s nice that you can say you know where you can fit this in my planning for what you’re doing. It’s great during the holidays because it’s so hard with all the parties that you’re going to here and there. You want to enjoy everything, but there are so many calories and you try not to obsess. So, it’s something that you don’t have to think about.
AM: Couldn’t agree more!
Because it is the holiday season, let’s get into some food pairings with these drinks! What would you pair with each one of them?
LM: So, I love that I’m thinking of starting with that beautiful cheese board and tablescape. Everyone loves having a beautiful cheese plate and right now, using apples instead of sliced bread. So L’Orange and Bella Berry slot right into that space. There’s so many kinds of cheeses where I think they work so if you’re going to go with Blue Cheese and something rich that usually has a fruited jam, then I would probably have Bella Berry with that one. A Gorgonzola and a Bella Berry would be a beautiful contrast between the two. L’Orange I like with things like a Monchengo, a really good cheddar too. Orange goes well with that with that rind and that juiciness. I would also go with some maybe gouda and things like that that are sharp and really clean. Brie can maybe go with a couple of them either Berry or Orange depending on which way you want to go. A baked Brie is awesome with this.
After moving from the cheese and charcuterie plate, I’d like to go into a shrimp cocktail and simple little foods that you’re going to have like stuffed mushrooms and things like that that are going to go around a party. I would have that with Orange or Paloma. It really goes into that vibrant zestiness. There’s a bunch of delicious recipes that I saw that really looks at this time of year. The pomegranate seeds show up, Brussel Sprouts and sauteed bacon – that’s awesome with Berry because that will amplify that flavor. There’s so many ways and of course Bella Berry with roasted meats. If you’re having a gorgeous steak, beautiful lamb roast, these are classic pairings. Berries and those things go together. You can have lingonberries which also goes really well.
Then at the end, I would have some delicious truffles and things like that because chocolate and orange are a natural combination. Then, if you want to go with the super dark chocolate, you can then do grapefruit and Bella Berry with that so you have a lot of different ways.
We did a great event in Nashville that was a full on pairing that had this beautiful fried chicken that came out and we had that paired with the Orange. We had the seafood tower paired with the Paloma and then we had the cheese and the charcuterie to start with the Bella Berry.
AM: Amazing!
Which one is your favorite?
LM: Ugh, always the hardest question. I love them all for different reasons right? The Orange for me is that perfect one that I love best at brunch. It’s the lightest in flavor right? My palette is still waking up so having that first is nice. I also enjoy it during the Aperitivo hour right? I’m not quite ready so I want to pique my appetite and that's a perfect time.
For me, Paloma – it has that hint of sea salt in there. On a hot day, I just want to crush a Paloma. It’s refreshing and when we were in Miami in July, that was what was saving me because it has that bright freshness.
For me, that Bella Berry is for when I’m relaxing with it and getting into more of that fruited wine moment. It allows me to sit and sip with it.
AM: As we look ahead to 2024, what are things that we can expect with the brand whether it be products being added to the assortment, sponsoring more events, where will we see you?
LM: We will definitely be working on new cocktails. That’s always the excitement when you’re working with a range like this. We’re learning a lot from year 1 where we started with the Spritz cocktails as the first launch and then we will see where else we want to innovate because that is always exciting. What do we want, where else can we solve, and what else goes with our mission here? What are more options that you can enjoy with food that are better than their traditional proxy? This year, I’m really loving this entertaining moment that we have had for this holiday. It was really exciting to see how much people resonated with that and the setups that we have had and we did a huge Parachute market in LA. Just setting it up with the little cart, people thought that it was amazing because when you don’t have time and you’re running around, they appreciate our message and how we can be in their moments. I’d love to see us get involved with Galentines Day, Women’s History Month which is big for us because we believe in shaking things up in the industry and having women’s founders is huge in this space that doesn’t normally have as many. We want to highlight and support different events and communities that are celebrating on women’s history month. Spring and Summer is going to be wild because that is the season where everyone is thinking light and fresh. It’s a more natural time where people are thinking about trimming down and getting ready for beach season. It’s nice when we have these moments to flow through that we can work with in different seasons for different reasons.
AM: I’ve been at a lot of private events and editor events so you’re constantly trying various foods and beverages and in many cases you have them quite a lot! I have to say that I was really interested in trying L’Orange as I know its proxy is the Aperol Spritz which is actually not one of my favorites – and I have had it a lot. I do like bitter beverages, but that one is one that never really speaks to me; however, I like the L’Orange and I was surprised.
LM: To your point, a lot of people are still hearing and learning about that cocktail and so they just want to try it. But there are so many elements that can go wrong. If it’s a cheap prosecco, it amplifies the bitter, if the proportions are off – then it’s not going to be good. Some people are more sensitive to bitter so we just wanted to have a balance to make sure that the bitterness was there, but not to overpower it. We wanted to pair the orange with passion fruit to bring a different tanginess to it and there’s some herbal chamomile.
AM: Which I love that.
LM: Yeah, those are the aromas that you want without being overbearing.
AM: Stepping away from Delola, in prep for this interview I was looking through your LinkedIn as your resume is impressive! So you worked with Nestle Water as a mixologist. I know that they have Perrier – which I’m a huge fan of so what was your role there as I never thought of a mixologist working with a water brand!
LM: I mean, my whole goal and strategy in working with them was – I mean it’s funny because I have been through their water training – Perrier is a moment, San Pellegrino is another moment. Why? It’s because of their different salinity. Pellegrino is actually a smaller bubble which I like and I say that Deloa is more like a San Pellegrino bubble because it's not like it has that big feeling it cleans your palette which is why it goes so well with food.
It was just really fun because I would come up with a lot of ideas for them. Some of them would be that we would take buyers to Art Basel and I would create these different infusions with Perrier and I would make my own tisanes. There’s be a glass jar and we’d pour the Perrier over it and the bubbles would extract the peat and then they’d have these things like revive and relax. We would change the different botanicals for those modes.
It was also about using water in a lot of different sparkling cocktails. Thinking about depending on the kind of water you’re using, the cocktails change right? You should think about your ingredients and if you’re thinking about everything else, why wouldn’t you think about the sparkling water that you are putting into a cocktail? They’re all so different and they all bring different things to it.
Having that education, it was pretty fun to be able to stretch your brain on such a nerdy topic!
AM: I love it! I love using Perrier Cucumber in a lot of my cocktails so I get it. But when I saw it, I knew I was going to ask you!
LM: It’s a whole different thing! I did an event for Spindrift this past fall where they set up at the corner of West Broadway and they had a full on tropical truck and I made full on cocktails. It’s a stretch. When you’re thinking outside of the box – you just have to go for it. I did one cocktail with their new Mint Tea one and I did a Matcha Cocktail with Coconut Water and they thought it was so wild, but it all worked! It’s green on green but you're stretching your brain and you just think about it and get inspired, look at cookbooks, and you get the ideas of how to flavor build - you get to try different combinations and again, that led me to putting orange, chamomile and passion fruit together. L’Orange is a different way in thinking about beverages and so anytime that I have the opportunity to learn about something else, that’s helpful when I take that knowledge with me to cocktails.
AM: You’re the Co-Founder of Speed Rack, tell me why it was created, about the event, and what does it do?
LM: Before I started Speed Rack, I kind of started another group before. It was called LUPEC Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails. I started the NY chapter after meeting the women in Boston who had a chapter. They were getting together, they had produced a little cocktail book, it was really cute and we met at Tales of the Cocktail and they were doing events with cocktails in their community to raise money for women’s based charities. So everything from women’s shelters to women’s professional development programs like Dress For Success. I thought it was a great idea! It helps you build a great community together and to your point, I knew that there were more women in the bar scene but I didn’t know where they were hiding.
When I started working for Zacapa, you get your brand list of places to go and it pushed me out of my comfort zone. Normally, I would go to where all of my friends were. Most of those were male bartenders. So it brought me to other spaces and I started meeting these incredible bartenders. One of them was Eryn Reece who was our 2nd year Speed Rack winner and has been our coach for the last few years. Her competitors have won twice in the last few years and I realized that there were all of these women, but I didn’t know them and that was a shame. So if we all get together and work together, we’ll amplify. We’d make Death & Co give us their bar, we’d take it over from 5-7 for a charity event. The guys at Tao would give us their basement and we’d do a whole event and that's how it started. I met my partner in Speed Rack one night working when Phil Ward asked me to fill in one night. I agreed that I would put the cocktail tray back in my hand for 1 night to help him out. He had triplets working for him that were his servers and one of them was getting married so that’s 3 of your staff that has to be some place! I was the only sever available and I didn’t know her. She told me that she was trying to get into bartending and I told her about the group and that she could do some of the events with us. That’s when she said it was a really interesting idea and that maybe we could do something else like a kind of competition. It’s a way that people could do it together and I love food and TV – so let’s do Chopped meets a beverage competition. So we do classic cocktails and you really just show what they would be doing on a Fri/Sat night. Half of them were working in the server bars cranking out rounds of drinks and no one saw them. So they were hidden, but in doing these events, they were being brought to the forefront. We literally created a pedestal where they could stand there and show everyone how incredibly talented they are.
That’s how Speed Rack started – here we are 12 years later we have a cocktail book coming out April 30th – it’s 80 wom en all over the world who have competed in Speed Rack and we raise money for Breast Cancer Research and Education. We’ve really worked with some incredible partners, the Pink Agenda is one of our biggest partners. This year was amazing to have Delola sponsor our cocktail bar with the pink Paloma and it was really great and it’s a great organization that tackles breast cancer from a lot of different angles. It’s about research, women supporting women and granting a wish to Giuliana Rancic’s charity so if someone is going through Breast Cancer treatment, they get some sort of wish granted and it’s just a really beautiful moment. The folks in the room are really committed to eradicating this disease and it’s really great to be able to see that and what we can do for our community.
AM: Absolutely!
Are there events coming up for next year that we can know about?
LM: Yes, we’ll be putting out a schedule for 2024 around the book so we have NY, Chicago and we culminate at Tales of the Cocktail with the National Finals. One thing that took place during the pandemic is that we realized that we could reach more bartenders so we actually have a very big portion of our finalists that come – we pick them through online applications and we film their videos and we have our coaches who do this mentorship of bringing back past winners. They help make a team and then that team trains together for the National Finals. They come in with 6 friends and they all train as a group and it’s really great to see how they all help each other and that’s the beauty of it and what we talk about in general on how we all work together in this industry. We have to lift each other up and to stick together. It’s not a competition, I’m in competition with myself not with you!
AM: Well when it comes back through to NY, we have to check it out!
I’m a huge fan of Bar Convent Brooklyn and have been to it a few times. You’re the Head of Education for this tell me for this tell me about your role here and for those who don’t know about this event, can you tell us about it although we have covered it in years past in our issues.
LM: I’m the Head of Education for Bar Convent Brooklyn. The first Bar Convent I went to was many years ago in Berlin. It’s a conference and the difference between Bar Convent Berlin and Bar Convent Brooklyn is that in Brooklyn, it’s more of an elevated tradeshow so what’s great about it is that for 2 days, you have everyone bringing everything in from countries of spirits together to being able to taste Italy and all of the Amaro spirits together.
You can also try emerging types of spirit brands together. There’s breaking boundaries in new spirits, new agave, and things like that. Then you can see really great activations from brands that are bringing you into their world. There’s always great things happening with the Shochu and the Japanese area which is so fun because there is always something new. Then team Peru which I have helped run their booth for the last couple of years, they always have a big llama but they are showing you the beauty of Pisco and the range like 20 folks – 20 suppliers and you’re tasting it. So that’s really great to enjoy those nuances. Then there are educational stages that are led by brands which they may bring in an expert like Don Lee and they have a whole seminar of the types and then there’s Park Street which are seminars that are focused on business. It’s a track focusing on new brands learning about distribution. Then there’s the Main Stage which I’m the Head of Education on – I have a wonderful team of experts that are all over the country and they weigh in on the 8 or 10 picks that are 5 per day for the sessions that are a range of topics. We feel as a group that these are the emerging and trending conversations that you want to have. In the past, we have had the reinvention of the no and low conversation, a full on alternative agave conversation – not just tequila, last year we had discussions on hospitality with Ryan Chetiyawardana aka Mr Lyan where he talked about some of his failures and how they led to success. It led to this conversation of what does hospitality mean. It’s a really great process because we all get to sit together, rate the topics and ideas, and sometimes we match make too. So the team weighs in with me to see what I like and then I get to task to communicate directly with the people that submitted and see how we can restructure their discussions or pair them up if 2 people have the same idea. Maybe by doing it together they can share their differing perspectives. It’s really great to have that viewpoint for education.
I spent a few years on the Tales of the Cocktail education. I did 3 years there so I was very specifically at that time on the business track so I worked with them on that and now I work on culture, business, and other topics!
AM: That’s amazing!
What do you have coming out next year that we should keep an eye out for?
LM: I don’t know yet what the year is going to bring! I know for sure that year 2 of Delola, it will be our first full year because we launched in April of last year. So I’m really excited to see what a Jan – Dec year looks like. It’s kind of nice to see and to go back in markets where people will have already tried us and it will be a part two! It will be fun to see where that relationship will grow and develop.
The book is coming out and as I said, I’m really excited for the book tour! Being able to collaborate in the markets with the contributors will be amazing. We’re going to finalize where our tour will be and just getting out there and being there! The book is unapologetically pink! This is just the sample!
AM: Oh I love the metallic pink!
LM: We’re bold! If you’re intimidated by how pink this book is, then you’re not our audience!
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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Delola
Read the DEC ISSUE #96 of Athleisure Mag and see POWER OF THE SIP | Lynnette Marrero in mag.
We enjoy including a number of brands within our issues whether it's our roundups or editorials that we style. So when we have the chance to share more behind these brands it's a great way for you to know more about how they were created, their vision, and more about their assortment. We have been a fan of BÉIS since it launched in 2018. With a focus on travel as well as being on the go, we have enjoyed seeing how Shay Mitchell has infused her love for travel, quality, design and more into this brand!
We hosted Athleisure Mag Summit® where we sat down with Liz Money, SVP, Brand & Creative, BÉIS. We talked about her background in the fashion industry, how she came to the brand, digging into the assortment and projects that they have coming up that you'll want to keep on your radar.
ATHLEISURE MAG: I’ve been looking forward to chatting with you about the brand and in prep for this interview, I found out that we both graduated from Indiana University so it’s always exciting to talk to another person from there!
LIZ MONEY: You know that not only am I graduate from there, but our president, Adeela Hussain Johnson, is also a graduate from IU!
AM: I didn’t know that!
LM: Yeah, she actually graduated in the same year.
AM: I graduated in 2002 and it’s always fun to connect with those that went there.
LM: I graduated in 2004!
AM: Nice!
It was great to be connected earlier this year through the Accessories Council when we included pieces from the brand in our JUN ISSUE #90 photoshoot that we did at Kimpton Eventi Hotel. We’ve been a fan of the brand since it launched! So we love that since this is part of our Athleisure Mag Summit® virtual event, we can talk to brands and people that are involved in with the brand in order to get to know more about them, to include them in our YouTube Channel and in our issue of course! We’re so excited to have you.
LM: We’re excited to be part of it honestly.
AM: So, before we dig into all thing BÉIS, I wanted to find out more about your background! Can you walk us though previous brands and/or positions that you did prior to coming to this brand?
LM: Sure! You went to IU, you lived in Indiana, you know about the brand Vera Bradley, It’s a very popular, Midwest, Southern, East Coast brand. I spent 12 years there – pretty much right out of college working for them. I started on their cutting room floor because I was just out of college and they didn’t have very many positions open and I knew that if I was going to stay in Indiana, it would be one of the few opportunities that I would have to design and do creative. It was sort of an opportunity to get my foot in the door. I ended up working on the cutting room floor and sewing placemats for my 1st 8 months there during second shift from sometime to midnight – I can’t remember!
I used every opportunity I could to get in front of the people that I needed to by going to company events and chatting with those people. Pretty much, I was very persistent. I applied for every internal job that I felt that I could potentially do that my degree supported. I was a fine arts major and studied a lot of sculpture, but primarily, I studied textile design as it pertained to art. So, I did that and ended up becoming an assistant in the product development department and I just took on more and more tasks as they saw fit. I was under essentially, the VP of PD, the VP of Design and the Cofounder of the brand – Barbara Bradley Baekgaard. I was working with them every single day. I showed them what I could do, above and beyond, then I worked my way up at Vera Bradley. I spent the bulk of my time there as a Trend and Creative Director. I really worked over the development and design and working hand in hand with marketing, merchandising, and all of those departments from a product perspective, but also from a creative and trend perspective. Then Beach House Group which is a co-founder of BÉIS, reached out to me and I started working here!
AM: I love that and can I just say, growing up in Indiana, I remember my early days in terms of knowing the brand as the classic Bible book covers and the obviously, once I started styling, I couldn’t believe how the product assortment, colorways, etc grew and they had some fun pieces like the duffle that converts to a hanging bag which I used with shoots and styling my clients for the Grammys. The fact that they went from the patterns and hues to what I knew them as a kid to where they are now is really cool for the heritage of that brand.
LM: I mean honestly, the position that I had with them was just incredibly rewarding and taught me so much that I was able to reciprocate into my knowledge here for BÉIS.
AM: I love that and tell me what you do at BÉIS.
LM: Of course, we are a travel brand and are more so an on the go brand. We are at the pivotal white space of a brand that is giving you this affordable highly functional product that also looks really good and then with our own personal creative spin on it which is essentially putting a little humor to it. We have a lot of lifestyle and are incorporating high fashion as well. I am the SVP of Brand, Creative and essentially I am over our product and design team, our creative team, and our marketing team.
AM: That’s a big umbrella.
LM: It’s a very big umbrella. I try to think of ways that give me a bit of a smaller umbrella so we’re going to be hiring a VP of Marketing so that’s great!
AM: Well that’s amazing!
I remember when the brand started in 2018, I don’t remember what the first product was, but I feel pretty early on, The Weekender was there as a fashion stylist and accessory expert so when I travel that’s great, but I do need bags that I can lug my items to photoshoots, work with my celeb clients – so to see that you guys have created such an assortment and that you have items that can work in an array of situations, it’s truly a brand that is on the go!
What is the ethos of the brand and why did Shay Mitchell want to create it?
LM: So honestly, the ethos of the brand is to be in that white space of creating an on the go brand and it was very intentional that we launched the brand with bags and not with rolling bags and that came later in 2019 as you know. This ethos of creating an on the go lifestyle brand really helped us through the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 when travel felt that it was really at a halt. I felt that we could easily pivot to bags that we could use on a daily basis for a walk, etc.
So really the ethos of the brand is creating this fun lifestyle brand that is relatable, affordable, and accessible to people. It’s on the go right? You’re always on the go! You’re going to the gym, the grocery store, you’re going for a walk, whatever it is that you are moving to. Shay is an incredible partner in this brand. She’s involved in the day-to-day quite honestly in the creative, product, and the positioning and the reason why she wanted to develop this brand is because she is centered into this ethos. She travels a lot, she has her YouTube Shaycation and she was traveling a lot for her job, she’s traveled since she was 15 years old when she start ed getting into the industry she was in Thailand or Bangkok for awhile. Travel is in her blood. She knows it and she understands it. What she noticed was this gap in the industry of really expensive bags that were great looking, but they had no functionality, really cheap bags had some function, but they looked really cheap. So she was like, where is the perfect bag that is in the middle of that. The Weekender is actually one that she carried and that she loved. It’s a beige bag and she wanted to design off of that bag that she had and loved for so long and sort of got scuff marks, was dirty and had been with her all over. I have no idea of what that bag was as I have never seen it. But we just based off of her sketches and drawing and hearing about her background of using it the love that she had for it and all the places that she took it to, it’s basically how that on the go lifestyle brand was created.
AM: I love that! As someone who has designed collections I’m always interested in other’s approach to their assortment. What do you look for when it comes to adding new designs or even new colorways? You guys are doing really amazing at that as well.
LM: I mean, it’s not that much of challenge. As you know from a design perspective and for an assortment, you’re essentially trying to look into a crystal ball to figure out what people want. A lot of it is trend driven and design driven and we use programs. We shop the industry and look at what we are attracted to and what Shay is attracted to as well. We have an insane and amazing community of the brand so we’re able to tap into them to see what they want. If we hear them shouting loudly about something that they specifically want then we try to bring it in. A Rolling Weekender is something that we have been trying to work on for awhile because primarily, it’s the size of a Carry-On. So we get a lot of complaints that it’s super heavy. It’s a Carry-On that essentially you carry and whatever you put in there, it's going to be heavy. So, making a potential solution of being able to roll on it is something we want to bring out in the future and we are currently working on that right now.
And then it’s really about leaning into the data and looking at the boring stuff and seeing what people are searching for. A lot of our color expansion has come primarily because either we have done a small drop of something and we see that we have an insane amount of people signing up for it and eventually, we want to be able to answer to these people! They have signed up for Maple and there are 40,000 people that like it, then we are going to bring Maple into the core line.
AM: I love Maple!
LM: That’s how some of it happens!
Maple is one of our top colors right now. How we decide what colors, we are a brand that started with beige and black in our first couple of years. We didn’t really launch any colors in those first 2 or years and then the consumer started wanting color again and I think that’s a nuance we’re seeing across a number of industries right now. Interiors right now, beige and this gray were in and now people are reinvigorating color into their spaces! So I think that we are seeing that trend across the board, but we want it to remain to look good all together so that if you do have a collection that is a mélange of colors that are offered in our product category that look good and match back to each other. Although we prefer monochromatic ha!
AM: Same!
What do you feel are the core pieces of the brand?
LM: The core pieces of the brand are The Weekender, Rolling Luggage is hands down – that’s what the consumer says it is. There is one new item that is really ticking up – our Sports Sling! We literally can’t keep it in stock and I think it’s because when we started designing this, I wish I could go through the iterations of it. It was this thing that could be a long sleeve, it could be a bag, and then it would zip together. When we saw it zipped we loved how compact it was and then we added this sneaky water bottle pocket – it’s the perfect travel companion and the perfect everyday bag and now we’re going to be adding it into multiple different colors. I do think that our sport category is slightly underrated, but the materials of this category are amazing.
But if you are looking through the consumer lens of where is she putting her dollars, it’s our luggage and our Weekender. For me, our luggage, and not to put the word value on it, but it’s a value item. It’s has more function than on any piece of luggage on the market, in this category, at the level of durability that we offer and at that price point. It’s great luggage! I converted my husband to this luggage, Rimowa people who are stans! Once you start using this luggage, people get it!
AM: I love that sling back, it’s one of the ones we shot for our issue. Like you said, I love that water bottle in it. Plus it lays so nice for those who want to wear it towards the front whether you have ample bosom or not!
LM: We take that into account in our testing! We have all sizes and shapes on our team. We try them on, everybody!
AM: I love that as a brand the focus on intention and design and having all of these areas where you’re optimizing its use! How do you decide about that functionality and to make sure that those elements are there?
LM: Yeah, So we honestly have our staple function pieces and there are no compromises to them. They will always be in that bag if it makes sense for the bag. We learned that by trial and error. If we came out with a line and it didn’t have the Trolley Sleeve just because it was a bag that didn’t have it as it wasn’t going to be a travel bag, it would be more of a bag that didn’t have it as it wasn’t going to be a travel bag, it would be more of a daily tote. But then customers would let us know that they would have bought it but they wanted that sleeve. So it was the trial and error of learning what are those core function pieces that we have to have in all of our products. So those are the things – the Trolley Sleeve, Padded Laptop Sleeve – ways to use it everyday and ways to use it for travel. We know that the consumer is not always buying 2 bags – some do, I buy a bag for everything. But some want to use the same tote bag for work, for travel, for sport/gym, whatever – they want it all. So giving the all, but also being mindful that if it is intended to be a sport bag, let’s throw in the sport function – a pass through for your yoga mat or your tennis racket. If it is travel specific, it has to have a padded laptop sleeve, it has to have ease of accessibility so that you can go through TSA. Honestly, finding things to add on like that sneaky water bottle pocket, hidden pockets that are great for easy accessibility of your phone, but it’s not on the exterior so that someone can grab it. Our key leash is a stable, but functionality is a consumer driven thing, but it’s also us using the bag and seeing that this bag can use something like this to level it up times 10!
AM: If someone is brand new to the brand, what are 3 pieces that you suggest that they should have?
LM: Ok, I am going to tell you that this is the worst thing for me to say – I am not personally a weekender girl!
AM: What?
LM: I don’t know why. I don’t travel like that. My number 1 is you have to get the Carry-On – you absolutely have to. If you don’t spend the money in any other way, the Rolling Carry-On is a must. Next to me, you have to have a bag that goes on top of it. So if you’re a Weekender Girl, then the Mini Weekender is a must. I love all of our East to West Totes which are in our Recycled Collection. The Premium Duffle and the Premium Weekender just came out. I will carry this over the holidays for the first time. I love that it is a duffle, but it also snaps. So it can be more of a tote which I am more of a Tote Girl. You can’t go wrong with our Work Tote because it is super buttoned up. It’s very structured and super roomy and expansive. The third piece is like a sling. Honestly, that is my perfect travel uniform but also the sling and the tote or if you’re a backpacker or weekender – once you get there, you have your Carry-On in your room and then you have these other pieces to take you throughout the rest of your journey.
AM: When I’m styling on set, I use the Sport Pack for accessories that I am bringing on/off the talent or event some of my tools so that my kit which has everything can just stay In one place. I definitely have enjoyed bringing that piece recently into my styling tools for sure.
I also love the engagement that is around this brand! You have some people who are just down for the brand and you have done amazing partnerships with your hotel concept that you did in Dallas and in LA! Can you talk more about this and whether you plan on rolling more out and will you be coming to NY?
LM: So you just missed us in NY when we did a quick week long pop-up!
AM: I know! So bummed as by the time I realized it it was already wrapping and we were on set – but it looked great!
LM: Yes our community is so engaged – sometimes scaringly, but we love it! People either love you or hate you – but we have a lot of love and we’re super fortunate that we are able to engage with our community and one of those ways is through the experiential through our pop-ups. The one in NY again, was such a short stint. The BÉIS Hotel Pop Up was our very first pop up with the BÉIS Motel and it was in the Glass Box in LA at The Grove. We wanted the next iteration to be more experiential and we definitely will continue to create experiential touchpoints in real life with our consumer. Next year, our first one will be loyalty based or service-based pop up. One of the things that we hear from our customers is that our product is maybe harder to clean or how to keep the product in a way that it can last longer. We’re going to be popping up with the BÉIS Wash and we have partnered with cleaning brands and they have helped us create some formulations that get certain stains like wine, mascara, Sharpie, and scuff marks off of bags. We’re going to do another short pop up over a weekend. We’re using this opportunity to have people bring their bags in and we will clean them up for you and we’ll potentially do some livestreaming and show people how to clean their bags themselves at home and we will potentially make this kit for sale for purchase and use it to keep their bags looking good!
AM: I love the campaigns and the images/videos you do. What’s your timeline and the planning involved when you’re looking to do them?
LM: So, our creative process honestly starts 18 months out when we’re designing the collections. We’re a very drop based brand for the last 5 years. We will start moving away from that and start driving into our core of the brand – our luggage, our weekenders and that’s essentially when the creative process begins. Not only does the design and the product speak to how we end up doing the creative. I think I sent you some photos of the Slate Collection. The Slate Collection launched last year in January with our Sport Collection. Essentially, a color that our consumer really loved and we brought it back. We actually brought it back in a small way with Nordstrom for their Anniversary Collection in July and re alized that there was even more love for it! The whole campaign was about being a clean slate so there was this whole car wash scenario! Honestly, it’s about having fun! When we’re going through this creative process, it’s about having fun! It’s great that we love it, but that our consumer will also think that it’s a great idea and that it makes sense with the brand in some way or the other and that it’s a little bit fashiony! It’s about being interesting and not just showing bags in hotels and rooms – which we do and they perform amazing, but sometimes it’s about having a little bit of fun too!
AM: What have been some of the projects that you have been part of that you were really excited to have your fingerprint in there?
LM: Our pop ups for sure! I think that some people witnessed that our first pop up that we had in The Grove, when we opened up, I literally cried – I don’t know if it was a pain cry or a joy cry?
AM: Maybe relief haha!
LM: Yes relief! It was like, wow we’re finally done! That one was super exciting for me. It was the first time that I had done something like that and that I felt that I had owned the process. I also think that the creative and the look of it was just so cool and people’s reaction at The Grove – there are pop ups there every single month. So for people to walk by and say, “wow, it’s the best one that I have ever seen. For you to have so many things in a 20’ sqft x 20’ sqft space.” That was truly a testament to how we as a brand look at everything. When we do something, we’re going to go as in as we can. That means we’re going to look at it from all angles, how we are putting it on social, how does it look on the website, how do we entertain and invigorate our customer at every touch point no matter where they are or what they are doing. So the pop ups have been amazing!
I would say that in general, just the growth of this brand! I have been here for 5 years since we have launched the brand. There are 2 people that have been here longer in this brand and that’s Shay and Adeela, who is also the other IU girl!
AM: Oh nice!
LM: Just seeing the growth of the brand and when you go from a team of 4 or 5 to a team of almost 40, it’s so incredibly rewarding. I have gone from a position where you are the person who is doing most everything because there are only 4 people and you have to split up and do a bit of everything for the business. That was only for a very short amount of time and we grew to 7 and then to 12. Now we’re at almost 40! To see the growth of the brand, how my position has changed from a doer to a cultivator of all of these people and now we’re teaching them and helping us grow this brand beyond our wildest dreams, I think that is probably one of the most regarding and awesome things.
AM: That’s definitely cool to see and you have first hand knowledge in seeing that growth and where you are with the support of 40 people. I remember many years ago when I worked at Lacoste HQ in their Wholesale division – the whole US part of the company was only 60 people and you were doing a lot of support beyond your direct role and it’s interesting to think about how much you do just to get that brand to where you’re positioning it and to meet the needs of partners, customers, etc.
The same can be said here at Athleisure Media and sometimes people have a concept that there are all of these people doing these things and in many cases, that is not what is happening!
LM: Nope! You raise that curtain and it’s like hello!
AM: Exactly, it’s a shock if you ever get to see behind the curtain haha!
You can watch our virtual event on our YouTube channel and we currently have our giveaway that kicked off on Dec 21st and runs through Jan 3rd. For more details on our Athleisure Mag Summit® Series X BÉIS Giveaway, you can find out by visiting our Instagram post so that you can enter!
IG @beis
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | BÉIS
Read the DEC ISSUE #96 of Athleisure Mag and see ON THE GO WITH BÉIS | Liz Money in mag.
Style is a very personal thing as it reflects how you feel and how the world sees you. These styles set the scene which in many ways we showcase in our photoshoots! SETA is a line that balances edgy cool that can work whether you're looking to have a dramatic or an ethereal look. It can be dressed up or down. This month. we hosted our THE 9LIST® Holiday Event where we sat down with Andrea Salazar, Creative Dir of SETA and finalist in Prime Video's Making the Cut S2. We talked about her passion for design, her creative process, being on the show, the brand's vision, and her suggestions for NYE depending on where you'll be watching the ball drop!
ATHLEISURE MAG: We are so excited to be able to talk with you as I have been a fan for the past few years and I know our readers will love hearing more about you, competing on Making the Cut, and of course NYE finds that we can take into ending the year and kicking off to the next! For those that are joining us, Andrea Salazar is the Creative Director of SETA and she competed and was a finalist in Season 2 of Making the Cut which you can stream now if you haven’t done so!
ANDREA SALAZAR: Thank you so much for having me! Where is your magazine based?
AM: We are based in NY. Athleisure Media is our baby and we have Athleisure Mag which is released monthly and you will be in our 96th issue and we have one of our heritage features that we really love which is THE 9LIST. It’s really about those must haves of shop, discover, and experiencing. So when I thought about a brand in thinking about my hat as a Co-Founder/Creative Director as well as being a fashion stylist and an Accessory Expert, your brand is amazing as its great materials, is embellished, has an edgy style to it, and it had accessories too. So having you in THE 9LIST Holiday Event made perfect sense so that we can get to know more about you and our readers are able to understand the brand and of course, show the looks, that they can shop their favorite finds as well! This is amazing and I enjoyed your time on Making the Cut as well!
When did you realize that you wanted to be a designer?
AS: I discovered my passion for design when I was young. I came from a family of fashion lovers! My mother is a fashion designer, my grandmother was a fashionista in her decade! So fashion has been in our blood.
When I was a teenager, I had the opportunity to live in London and I fell in love with the street style as well as European fashion. So since then, I knew that I wanted to be in the fashion industry absolutely!
AM: How did you hone your skills from where you trained or apprenticed?
AS: I have an International Business Administration degree because I always knew that I wanted to do that and to open a business. I knew that I needed to know how to manage it. Then I did Fashion Design in Marangoni in Miami. They opened their doors 4 years ago and I was one of the first students there. Then I also did Visual Merchandising and fashion courses in Milan, Italy. I also did styling courses with stylists in Miami. I did pattern making with a university in Columbia that had those courses online and so I have done different aspects of fashion as it’s what I love!
AM: I love that you love the business and you know it from the design, but also the structure of it and how to plan it.
AS: I think that it’s very important to know about the business first and then to specialize in the fashion part as well. It’s another thing about the business that is important.
AM: How do you approach designing upcoming seasons?
AS: So, I have inspiration from different sources. I love to travel and it’s one of the ways that I get a bit of therapy. When I travel, I am inspired in this way the most. So, I love to go to museums to get in touch with art, culture, and history. I also have personal experiences, friends who love the brand, so I love to be at the stores so I can be in touch with the customer. Their opinion is important for the feedback to see which pattern is working and which isn’t, the fabric, and fit! We always try to do cohesive collections, timeless pieces so you can shop in different seasons. But at the end of the day, they are timeless pieces that you can use all year long.
AM: That’s something that I have loved over the last decade or so that brands are focusing on a timeless collection that can truly be worn year around! You were talking about how you get inspired which is amazing. How would you describe your design aesthetic which I am so obsessed with!
AS: Oh thank you!
As I said, inspiration can come from different sources. My design aesthetic, I’d say that it is an element of sophistication and also a little bit edgy as well. It’s timeless and I try to be classic too! It’s a very eclectic brand where you can find romantic style, classic, rocker, boho – it’s a mix of things like a clash. So when we are with our customers, we try to tell them to take that risk, wear that jacket, be the center of attention as this will make you feel beautiful. We love to celebrate every woman and it’s about them enjoying their self expression too! We want them to express themselves with the pieces.
AM: Tell me about how the brand came about and what is the meaning behind SETA?
AS: The meaning behind the name SETA is S from Salazar because that is my last name. Also my second last name is Zapata so we wanted to get together the S and the Z. When I do my initials, I always do the ASZ and so I have S and Z always in my last name. It’s also an acronym, S – Sophistication, E – Edgy, T – Timeless and A – Attire.
AM: Oh, I love that!
AS: Yes, that is the acronym.
AM: What would you say is the ethos of the brand?
AS: Are ethos for this brand is that we strive to empower individual women to express their uniqueness through fashion. We offer pieces that not only standout, but embody quality and craftsmanship. I’m super focused on craftsmanship, items that are handmade, very unique pieces – we say that they are treasures from the closet.
AM: Love it.
I first became aware of you and your brand from your season on Making the Cut. Why did you want to be on the show and what was it like navigating those competitions?
AS: So, Making the Cut, was a very big decision on my career. It was an opportunity to be on a global stage and at the end of the day, if I didn’t do it, I would never know what would happen! I’m a woman that loves to take risk. I loved the first season, the judges, the way that they produced the show, and it was done very well in a high-end way. So, I think it was a very good platform to be on and it was a great way to learn professionally as well as personally. It was actually a great resource.
AM: Being able to get insights from Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn which we have interviewed previously, that must have been such an amazing resource. What did you learn from doing the show in working alongside them as well as the other designers?
AS: Working with industry icons like Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn was invaluable! It was a big opportunity – the feedback, the mentorship, these things were very important in staying true to my vision – that is what a real designer is. Also, Jeremy Scott says that the life of a designer is tough and you always have to be creating. You launch a collection, you’re already thinking of the next one. It is a non-stop industry that is also very competitive. It was also great to be next to big designers too that had a vision. We were all super different, no one was similar. So it was super interesting to have this cast and I really enjoyed it.
AM: It was so cool to watch you throughout the season as well as the other designers. Since the show, how has your brand grown?
AS: It has really grown! The presence has increased, we have a new clientele, the exposure opened our doors to have our own online channel, we also have Amazon Fashion as a customer. It was great growth and it has been a great year for us. Not only in exposure and publicity, but also for sales. Even after COVID and various things, we have really had a very good result! Being on Amazon has been a vision beyond borders. It’s just been a great opportunity.
AM: I really love that your brand, it has high visual texture, amazing embellishment that takes place and you really lean into that! Then there are the accessories which really rounds it out. Where does your love in those 3 areas come from?
AS: We love elevated looks! I don’t know, you can be a classic woman, but if you put on a belt, you’re already elevating that look.
AM: Yup!
AS: Accessories are the seal of the look. We really love that. That's something that we import because they are statement pieces and the belts are made super well and are handmade leather. We are very focused on that. We love the boots and the shoes and it’s a great way to diversify the business beyond just the clothing.
We’re also exploring the beauty industry – we have our fragrance. We want to do more research on this as we’re already a brand. We want to have candles and other kinds of products as well. So this will be something that is coming in future seasons as well.
AM: Tell me about your boutiques as I know you have a few – walk us though them.
AS: Our boutiques are carefully curated so it has the essence of the brand. From the moment you enter, you are immersed into the world of SETA. You’re surrounded by crafted garments and accessories. You can find our physical stores in Miami, Medellin, and Bogota. Those are our 3 stores. We have projects to open more and to franchise coming soon. But for now, we’re super good with these and of course, we’re available online too!
AM: That’s amazing and I hope you one in NY as that is where we’re based!
AS: We actually did a pop up last year there during NYFW!
AM: What’s your travel schedule like as I’m sure you personally maintain a presence in all 3 stores frequently?
AS: Oh yes. I think that that the pop ups are a very good resource to try different markets and we’re always looking at where the next place will be to open. But NY, that is our next target.
AM: That aesthetic for many of us in NY is just perfect!
AS: We feel the same way!
AM: Tell me about the SETA Gallery at the Sagamore Hotel in South Beach. It’s been fun to see the images on your IG.
AS: We really had this opportunity to have the space in this hotel. It’s a very traditional hotel in Miami Beach. It’s full of tourists and is in the touristy area of Miami Beach and we wanted to make it different. They wanted to expose art - different art pieces and to have it as a fashion exhibition. We are celebrating 10 years in the industry as a brand so that celebration allows us to showcase our most iconic pieces from the beginning! You can find our first pieces of the brand, it tells our story, and you can scan the QRCode and see the story of the piece and they are unique one of a kind pieces. It’s like an exclusive escape where they can see our pieces from our trajectory.
AM: What would you say are 3 core pieces from the brand that are essentials for people to have in their closets?
AS: So 3 essential pieces from SETA is definitely our classic Legend Military Jacket. That jacket has been a classic from the beginning and it’s a must. It’s very well fitted, it’s a statement. It’s good for the winter and the fall. It’s for that girl who loves to travel, so it’s a must. In our suit pants, we have our Baggy Suit Pants which are super super studded and they’re amazing too. They are showstoppers. A belt in general is a must. As I have said, a very classy woman wears classic pieces or basics, a belt adds that extra.
AM: You have a collab that you’re involved in. Can you tell me more about this and how it came together?
AS: Right now, we’re pitching some different shoe and accessory brands. I think that it’s very good to have a marriage and different strategies. But we have also had them in the past, we worked with a Spanish boot brand and we did a runway show in NY in 2022. We were sold out on all of the boots. People loved them and we had collabs with influencers in Columbia and from Latin American. It was amaz ing because they had their own influence and their own clientele. So we also sold super fast with those as well! We can tell that collabs work very well.
AM: In looking at your line, I love the color palette. Do you ever envision other colorways coming into the brand?
AS: Yeah, actually we do try to be more flexible with the colors. But to be honest with you, we only do that with little capsules. It can be a bit of a shocking position when we have colors in the brand and it’s a challenge because it targets a different kind of clientele. But why not?
This year for the holidays we did a bit of a lilac for the embellishment. People love it!
AM: It was pretty cool.
AS: A bit of a hint of color can make a difference.
AM: I can’t believe that we’re talking a few days out from the beginning of the year and when this is in our issues, it will be 2 days before New Year’s Eve!
AS: It’s unbelievable!
AM: For those that may still be planning what their NYE looks will be, I love that for this night, we all do different things.
AS: Yeah, I know it’s fun!
AM: So we reached out to you to give 3 NYE events and to present 3 looks that could be worn with accessories from SETA! So we’ll walk through each of the shown looks and get your thoughts on them (See the event stream here)!
The first one, we thought was amazing for a NYE Loft Party if you’re here in NYC or a roof top if you’re celebrating in warmer climates like Miami! I love that this look is really easy – tell us more about it.
AS: I really love this one because it is perfect for the winter. It’s a Mesh Turtleneck and pants and I love to put this bralette on top so that you can have that shimmery addition to your outfit. The mesh turtleneck, I’m wearing that right now.
AM: Loving the mesh!
AS: It’s like a layer and the Lumino Bralet – love it. The Luminous Collection is for Fall/Winter and is perfect for NYE. The cut, color, this one has the little lilac sequins that I talked to you about earlier. It’s a new color and the Lumino Pant is super comfortable and has a baggy style. It can be comfortable, yet beautiful for a rooftop or a dinner! It’s a very balanced look for the New Year.
AM: We also have a 2nd look that would be great if you’re doing New Years at home!
AS: Oh yeah, amazing!
AM: Not to say that you can’t dress whichever way you choose when celebrating at home, but I love the idea of still putting a great look together whether you’re enjoying it with friends or your significant other. It’s really fun with how relaxed it is – walk us through this one!
AS: It’s flawless. This is our Oversized Shirt in black, we also have it in white. I know a lot of people love to wear white for NYE. But we picked this one. This Alquimia Short is super baggy and is a bit of a Bermuda Short style. It’s embellished and it also has that lilac sequin that we’ve been talking about. It’s very special and these boots – you can wear hosiery or pantyhose with it if you’re looking for more coverage. But it’s the perfect outfit to be at home.
AM: I love this Rocker Boot! Does it slouch or fold over fully if you want to?
AS: Yes you can slouch them!
AM: It’s a sick boot!
AS: Yeah when you slouch them it has a great look!
AM: It looks like you’d have the perfect scrunch with them.
When we’re talking about the classic NYE bring it down with that epic night out, tell me about this!
AS: This is my favorite!
That Luminous Faux Coat! It’s perfect!
AM: Right?
AS: For NY it’s perfect and that catsuit, it’s my favorite of the season because I just posted a video using it and I was in NY because I went to Heidi Klum’s Halloween party and it was chilly. I wore it and I love it! I talked to the people and they loved it and it’s time that we shine in our own skin! People are loving this catsuit, it’s amazing because it’s all crystal and it’s super trendy right now.
I mean Kim Kardashian’s collaboration between SKIMS and Swarovski, I was happy to see that because I knew I was ahead with mine!
AM: When I saw the pieces from their drop, I instantly thought of your catsuit which you’ve already had! You’re so right that this is trending.
I must tell you that I really love your campaign shoots and videos as it lets me step into your world truly! Right now if you look at your IG table we see the pieces juxtaposed to glam elements of a tablescape with dinner plates and candelabras which is stunning. It ties back into the brand and is amazing!
AS: Thank you so much! You’re so sweet and thank you so much for all of this love! I think that when we do the things that we love, everything flows so we are really passionate and SETA is like our baby and it’s like our little daughter that never grows! We take care of her all the time and it’s our life project! It’s like a baby because we have been seeing all of the growth and we still have a lot to do.
It’s a lot of learning, it’s a lot of sacrifice, it’s a lot of bumps in the road but I love it – the success and the failure. It’s up and down, but it’s like life, but we love it as it’s the passion and it’s amazing to do what we love!
IG @seta_apparel
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | SETA
Read the DEC ISSUE #96 of Athleisure Mag and see THE STATEMENT | Andrea Salazar in mag.
As we reflect on 2023 and look ahead to 2024, it's always good to get other's takes on what went on in their lives as well! We caught up with National Women's Soccer League and US Women's National Team's, Christen Press.
As an athlete, she has competed at the top level with personal and team accolades that include being an all time leading goal scorer with 71 goals at Stanford, 2010 Hermann Trophy winner during her collegiate career. She has played for a number of clubs throughout the world with the latest being Angel City FC. In Rio 2016 Team USA Women's Soccer took the Bronze Medal and on the USWNT, she has had 155 appearances and 64 goals with 43 assists and won 2 World Cups.
We wanted to know more about her passion for the sport, her stellar career, the importance of advocacy and founding RE—INC along with fellow founders, Megan Rapinoe, Tobin Heath, and Meghan Klingenberg. She shares what she is looking forward to and she has thoughts on her 2023 and 2024 that you can read in next month's, NEW YEAR, N3W YOU.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fall in love with soccer?
CHRISTEN PRESS: Well, I have been playing soccer since I was 3 and I wouldn’t say that I had fallen in love with it when I was young, as I had a period of time when I was younger, that I didn’t like it. And my dad encouraged me to keep trying. But at some point when I was young, I can say that I fell in love with something about the game.
AM: What do you love about the sport?
CP: Well now at 34, as I reflect on all that soccer has given me and done, the list of what I love about it is quite vast. From learning to cooperate, to work on teams, leadership, the life skills that soccer has given me, I’m tremendously grateful for that. The opportunity to see the world, to be able to travel, and to experience different cultures. I’ve lived and played in Sweden, in England and have just been around the world with the USWNT. I think that the fact that it is impossible to perfect, it kind of leads you on a never ending ascension because you’re constantly striving and I can look at my game and see my strengths and that no matter how good I get at them, there’s always room for improvement which is what I love about it.
AM: When did you realize that you wanted to play professionally?
CP: When I was younger, I was always very present and I wanted to win the games that I was playing in and to win the trophy that my team was playing for and then I didn’t really look that far ahead. I think that a lot of that was because, growing up there wasn’t a professional league. So I didn’t even think of that as the ceiling. So it was great to know that I was really good and that was great in that moment. I went to the World Cup 1999 FInal and I have a photo. It’s of me and my teammates at that game and I can see in my eyes that I have a dream to be on the Women’s US National Team and honestly the first time that I was called in to go to camp, I couldn’t even believe that I was picked. I felt that it was such an honor to represent your country and I didn’t even understand how professional sports worked especially at that time. So, I think that it was an evolving dream and obviously, we have lived through a generation of soccer that has completely changed the way that young people view their futures and strive for their goals. Now, there is so much more visibility to see women playing in a lot of local and domestic leagues in this country as well as globally as well.
AM: I totally agree, I was born in ’79 and I grew up in the Midwest. I didn’t really think about soccer until high school as North Central had a great men’s and women’s soccer team. I know that my Alma Mata, Indiana University had a great women's soccer program as well. I never thought about women playing it professionally and frankly, I never thought about Black women playing as well. So to see you and other Black women playing this sport and reflecting this representation, it’s amazing! Looking at my niece who is 5, she’s living in a world, where she can see the sport as well as know that it can be played on the pro level. I didn’t have that growing up.
CP: That is actually so great! When I’m playing in my local market LA Angel City FC, I look up often into the stands and I see those kids that are 5 and 6 years old and they’ll never know – they’ll never know that this wasn’t here before. This is normal to them, to watch women play in 20/30,000 seat stadiums that are sold out which is incredible!
AM: That’s insane. You play for Angel City FC, what’s it like to play for this team?
CP: In a lot of ways, it’s a dream come true because of what the club represents and stands for! It’s women ownership super progressive agendas of how we can reimagine the business of women’s sports. Also, it’s my hometown! I never imagined that I would be able to play at home because the view of women’s soccer that I had a decade ago was that you’re not going to be able to have what you want. You don’t get to choose where to play, there’s not a lot of teams, and as the NWSL continues to expand and grow, so many people’s dreams are going to be able to come true.
AM: I love hearing that!
You’re also on the USWNT which has been a pleasure to watch that and you have obtained a number of accolades there as well. What does it mean to you to be on this team as well?
CP: The USWNT is just the thing that every single girl who wants to play soccer does right? It’s the singular dream! It’s the dream that existed before there even was a league! Still, to this day, what we are able to achieve as a National team is far greater in terms of who we reach, how we’re paid, how we’re treated – all of the things – it’s still kind of the gold standard. I think that I spent the first 25 years of my life dreaming of playing for the USWNT! I’m talking, up every night dreaming about it, trying to figure out how to get there, and I spent the last decade plus experiencing it and it’s been the greatest honor of my life. It’s afforded me so many great opportunities. It’s been such a joy to be able to represent my country, to put on that shirt, to score goals, to celebrate with the fans and my teammates, and to go through the hardest parts of my life fighting for 20 spots on the roster where there are 100s of thousands of people who are playing soccer. So, it is an incredible experience and it’s also a very challenging environment to be in, but I love it!
AM: You also have an Olympic medal with Team USA when you guys competed at Tokyo 2020, are you thinking ahead to Paris 2024, and you must be excited that the Summer Games are coming to LA in 2028!
CP: Part of me is like, I wish I was 15 years younger because the Olympics are coming to LA and it is also rumored that the World Cup is coming to the US for the women and the men. I mean, man if I was 20 years old right now, these would be my prime years! It will be very challenging as I’m 34 to be able to do all of tournaments, but I will absolutely be there as a fan. I tore my ACL and I am on my road to recovery through injuries so I always think that National and the International schedule is a guiding light and it’s something that you always try to make you fight for your roster spot and it also pushes me in my recovery to make sure that I am making progress and have my goals. So I’m thinking about that for next summer’s Olympics and our National Team is getting a new coach and there are a lot of dynamics that are changing and I'm really excited to see what my body wants for me.
Right now, it’s guiding me on the journey and I just follow. I’m really excited for the team to come off the World Cup which was not successful to be able to fight for a gold medal.
AM: You’re entire career has just been so amazing. You’ve done so many things and so many accolades, what do you think they have been as a player?
CP: I think that I reflect on some of the hardest times – coming out of the hardest times. There are things that I am most proud of like the 2016 Olympics in Rio, it was an extremely hard time as an individual player and as a team. I remember that metaphor, getting off the floor and saying, “can I survive these types of lows?” I think that I’m really proud of that. I’m really proud of taking a mental health break after the 2020 Olympics that happened in 2021. I actually asked the National Team for a few months off as I had been playing consistently with that team for 10 years and I lost my mom in that period and I never had time to grieve. I am proud that I made the hard decision to leave that environment because it was extremely difficult to get back in. I think that the other thing that I would point to as a highlight is being around a group of strong empowering women that is normal to me. My expectation is almost beyond gender norms and stereotypes because so much of my life is on a field or in a hotel room and being around these women who are breaking down barriers! So now that I am an entrepreneur as well and I run my business as a Co-CEO, I am really doing whatever I can to create that environment for more people and more women so that you know, some of the imposter syndrome, sort of the placating of the male ego that happens outside of a sports environment is diminished and so women, minorities, and people of color are able to thrive and live at their best. I feel that I learned a lot about how to create that kind of ecosystem in sports.
AM: That is amazing to hear and you’re such a multifaceted person as an athlete, sports journalist, and now taking on this entrepreneurial role with your platform in this way, why did you want to launch RE—INC? What was that moment when you said that you wanted to do this and focus on your advocacy and to embrace the fact that other people can enjoy what you did by doing this?
CP: I think it’s 2 fold. The first thing that led me to this path was the fight for equal pay and really just to understand the financial realities of being a women’s professional soccer player. Knowing that building a business and building a company, I had the opportunity to fight for my values without the restrictions of what US Soccer thought our worth was versus the men. I think there was a dream for my teammates to build something for our own financial liberation and then be able to spread that. I think that that was part of what RE—INC vision that we wanted to bring into the value of women’s sports and women’s soccer ecosystem so that more players can get compensated in more fair ways and to have that rising tide to lift everybody up.
I think that the second part of that was just understanding how amazing our community that we have built, our fan bases, and to make sure that people don’t feel othered. The way that sports is in this country, it’s built for and by men. So the people that love the USWNT, and love Angel City, and love women’s professional soccer, it’s a very unique group of people that need to be served. When we built RE—INC, it was about content, community, and commerce for this group of people. It felt like in a lot of ways that this was the first time that there was something like this that was designed for me. Now through RE—MEDIA, we have a large mission to reimagine the way that women are experiencing sports by recreating the kind of content that reflects how women’s sports is.
I always say that you know what bro culture and what locker room culture is for men. You can see it and you can smell it. You might not love it, but you know what it is. We don’t have that defined in women’s sports. So we’re bringing with the community that we have built, with the content that we have planned to roll out over the next 3 years, we want to set the culture for what women’s sports is and how it can be talked about in an incredibly empowering and exciting way.
AM: You launched Reimaginers United. What can we expect from that?
CP: It’s really dear to my heart. I’m wearing the whole kit right now. It’s a special collection because it kind of takes the concept that I was talking about before with such a group of strong willed human beings and saying, how can we create that team feeling for everybody? So, with Reimaginers United, it’s a team where everybody wins. This is a club for all. As women, we don’t have to build something in opposition to what was built. The current sports house was built for men, but we don’t have to build a sports house for women. Our sports house is for everyone and it will be a co-creation with our community so that it reflects our shared values – it reflects diversity, it reflects equity, inclusion, progress, and art and all of the things that we care about. So I really see this collection, our uniforms for Re-Imaginers, people who want to build a better world, come join our club. We have a membership and our membership is for people who want to be themselves and better themselves. They’re sports fans and change makers because that is such a strong intersection in the women’s sports world. Women’s sports aren’t just about sports, because we have inherently had to fight for equity every step of the way and now it is embedded in our culture. So that’s what Reimaginers United is all about and honestly, it’s what our entire business is all about.
AM: Umbro partnered with you to make the initial kit. What does it mean to have this iconic soccer brand involved?
CP: It was an amazing partnership because I think it’s such a classic heritage football brand! It felt like absolutely the right choice because we’re kind of serving this fluid, modern, progressive, brand and we’re marrying the beauty and history of the sport and the beautiful game that all we love. It’s a kit to wear for people that are out playing soccer, adult league, to wear in the stands, to wear in the streets, and it’s to signal what your values are and who you are. To put it on and to feel the strength to reimagine which is what we always say. We hope that our logo gives people the sense to say, that, “I know my identity, I claim my identity, I love who I am, and I’m strong enough to make a change today.”
AM: That’s amazing.
I love that this brand has so many things going on. You have the RE—CAP show, the podcast that you host with Tobin Heath – why did you want to add this component to it?
CP: It was a huge strategic decision for us. Because we were watching the World Cup and it was the first time that we were on the sidelines and not in the game for over a decade. In the buildup, we were hearing the way that people were talking about it and it just felt that it wasn’t like us. Not like the players and athletes that were actually participating. We felt that we would be able to talk about it in a better way. Our content was sitting at the intersection of sports, progress, and equity. We talked about the games and tactics, we broke everything down – honestly Tobin did that and then we married that with impact. We’ve had a ton of abuse in our league from coaches and owners. We had deep conversations about that. We talked about abuse that players at the tournament were facing like cyber bullying and hate speech which we have seen come out this week with incredibly skewed and bias towards the USWNT and a couple of players on our team. We had real conversations about the issues that mattered to us in our community and we married that with the breakdown of the games and the celebration of all of the stars.
AM: Where do you see women’s sports in general in the next 10-15 years? Obviously, people are looking at soccer more and volleyball is also taking great prime time spots on ESPN, and of course women’s basketball as well. Also where do you see it specifically for soccer?
CP: On a rocket ship, taking off! I mean over the last 2 years, we’ve said record breaking viewership, record breaking ticket sales, record breaking attendance – everything! The ceiling is absolutely blowing off and I feel really proud to be part of that at Angel City and with RE—INC to continue breaking that ceiling! I want to continue to show the value that is already there and to maximize and optimize this sport. I see a future of RE—INC where we could own a team one day and to instill the culture in that way. I think that the opportunity in women’s sports is limitless and I don’t think that what men’s sports is doing is the ceiling at all. I think that we can make women’s sports even bigger or even an imagine a world where they are not compared. We can just focus on our strengths and what’s special to us and I think that that’s exactly what we’re going to see over the next 10 years with people working hard behind the scenes at it.
AM: What do you want your legacy to be known as?
CP: I think it would be 3 things. First and foremost as a little girl, I wanted to be known as a great goal scorer. I think that it’s a very narrow singular focus and I do believe that I have become a great goal scorer and I’m very proud of that. I would say that our fight for equal pay is one of the things that I am most proud of and all of the ripple effects that that will have to set precedent across the industries. I think that most importantly to me and my family was just the idea of representation. When I went to the National team, the entire team was white. Just being part of a generation where the National Team is much more diverse – we had our first 2 ever World Cup players that were Hispanic American this summer, I think right now in the current camp the entire front line minus 1 player, is Black! I think that that is really really cool and it’s something that doesn’t get as much attention as equal pay for women that took place for the WNT as that is such an easy thing for people to connect to and understand. But I think that over the time that I have played soccer, we have really created a revolution by diversifying our sport and I’m really proud of that!
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 56 - 60 Angella Chloe | PG 63-65 Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire
Read the DEC ISSUE #96 of Athleisure Mag and see SETTING THE STANDARD | Christen Press in mag.
Earlier today, The Academy Awards announced the nominees for the 96th Oscars which ends the road to Awards Season on Sunday, March 10th! WIth a number of our favorite movies getting recognition, we can’t wait to see what’s in store for us when it airs on ABC. Our predictions are in bold, the ones we correctly identified as winners are in bold italics and winners that we didn’t predict are in italics.
American Fiction (Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson and Jermaine Johnson, Producers)
Anatomy of a Fall (Marie-Ange Luciani and David Thion, Producers)
Barbie (David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Robbie Brenner, Producers)
The Holdovers (Mark Johnson, Producer)
Killers of the Flower Moon (Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Martin Scorsese and Daniel Lupi, Producers)
Maestro (Bradley Cooper, Steven Spielberg, Fred Berner, Amy Durning and Kristie Macosko Krieger, Producers)
Oppenheimer (Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan, Producers)
Past Lives (David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler, Producers)
Poor Things (Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone, Producers)
The Zone of Interest (James Wilson, Producer)
Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall)
Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)
Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things)
Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest)
Bradley Cooper (Maestro)
Colman Domingo (Rustin)
Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers)
Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer)
Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction)
Annette Bening (Nyad)
Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall)
Carey Mulligan (Maestro)
Emma Stone (Poor Things)
Sterling K. Brown (American Fiction)
Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)
Ryan Gosling (Barbie)
Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things)
Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer)
Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple)
America Ferrera (Barbie)
Jodie Foster (Nyad)
Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)
American Fiction (Written for the screen by Cord Jefferson)
Barbie (Written by Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach)
Oppenheimer (Written for the screen by Christopher Nolan)
Poor Things (Screenplay by Tony McNamara)
The Zone of Interest (Written by Jonathan Glazer)
Anatomy of a Fall (Screenplay by Justine Triet and Arthur Harari)
The Holdovers (Written by David Hemingson)
Maestro (Written by Bradley Cooper & Josh Singer)
May December (Screenplay by Samy Burch; Story by Samy Burch & Alex Mechanik)
Past Lives (Written by Celine Song)
The Boy and the Heron (Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki)
Elemental (Peter Sohn and Denise Ream)
Nimona (Nick Bruno, Troy Quane, Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary)
Robot Dreams (Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé and Sandra Tapia Díaz)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Amy Pascal)
Bobi Wine: The People’s President (Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp and John Battsek)
The Eternal Memory (Nominees to be determined)
Four Daughters (Kaouther Ben Hania and Nadim Cheikhrouha)
To Kill a Tiger (Nisha Pahuja, Cornelia Principe and David Oppenheim)
20 Days in Mariupol (Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner and Raney Aronson-Rath)
Io Capitano (Italy)
Perfect Days (Japan)
Society of the Snow (Spain)
The Teacher’s Lounge (Germany)
The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom)
Letter to a Pig (Tal Kantor and Amit R. Gicelter)
Ninety-Five Senses (Jerusha Hess and Jared Hess)
Our Uniform (Yegane Moghaddam)
Pachyderme (Stéphanie Clément and Marc Rius)
War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko (Dave Mullins and Brad Booker)
The After (Misan Harriman and Nicky Bentham)
Invincible (Vincent René-Lortie and Samuel Caron)
Knight of Fortune (Lasse Lyskjaer Noer and Christian Norlyk)
Red, White and Blue (Nazrin Choudhury and Sara McFarlane)
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Wes Anderson and Steven Rales)
The ABCs of Book Banning (Sheila Nevins and Trish Adlesic)
The Barber of Little Rock (John Hoffman and Christine Turner)
Island in Between (S. Leo Chiang and Jean Tsien)
The Last Repair Shop (Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers)
Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó (Sean Wang and Sam Davis)
El Conde (Edward Lachman)
Killers of the Flower Moon (Rodrigo Prieto)
Maestro (Matthew Libatique)
Oppenheimer (Hoyte van Hoytema)
Poor Things (Robbie Ryan)
Barbie (Jacqueline Durran)
Killers of the Flower Moon (Jacqueline West)
Napoleon (Janty Yates and Dave Crossman)
Oppenheimer (Ellen Mirojnick)
Poor Things (Holly Waddington)
Golda (Karen Hartley Thomas, Suzi Battersby and Ashra Kelly-Blue)
Maestro (Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou and Lori McCoy-Bell)
Oppenheimer (Luisa Abel)
Poor Things (Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston)
Society of the Snow (Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí and Montse Ribé)
“The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot (Music and Lyric by Diane Warren)
“I’m Just Ken” from Barbie (Music and Lyric by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt)
“It Never Went Away” from American Symphony (Music and Lyric by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson)
“Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon (Music and Lyric by Scott George)
“What Was I Made For?” from Barbie (Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell)
American Fiction (Laura Karpman)
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (John Williams)
Killers of the Flower Moon (Robbie Robertson)
Oppenheimer (Ludwig Göransson)
Poor Things (Jerskin Fendrix)
Barbie (Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer)
Killers of the Flower Moon (Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Adam Willis)
Napoleon (Production Design: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Elli Griff)
Oppenheimer (Production Design: Ruth De Jong; Set Decoration: Claire Kaufman)
Poor Things (Production Design: James Price and Shona Heath; Set Decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek)
Anatomy of a Fall (Laurent Sénéchal)
The Holdovers (Kevin Tent)
Killers of the Flower Moon (Thelma Schoonmaker)
Oppenheimer (Jennifer Lame)
Poor Things (Yorgos Mavropsaridis)
The Creator (Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic)
Maestro (Steven A. Morrow, Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic)
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One (Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor)
Oppenheimer (Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo and Kevin O’Connell)
The Zone of Interest (Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn)
The Creator (Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts and Neil Corbould)
Godzilla: Minus One (Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams and Theo Bialek)
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning, Part One (Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland and Neil Corbould)
Napoleon (Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simone Coco and Neil Corbould)
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelor
PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelor/Gizelle Hernandez
Were back for another season of The Bachelor where Joey Graziadei who was the runner up in S20 of The Bachelorette with Charity Lawson, is staring his jewelry. We get to see that he moved back to Philly to be near his family and to get his life back on track.
Jesse Palmer greets Joey and lets him know that he’s making history by having the most women in his season who he’ll get to know.
There are a number of great girls that we’re interested in and we can’t see how having 2 sisters in the mix could go wrong!
Jesse reminds us that during the After the Rose Ceremony, one of the women who appeared received a card and she is not able to open it until she gets into the house. He says that this will change the game - so we’ll have to wait and see.
All the women have arrived and we’re officially ready for it all to begin. Joey takes time with a number of the women getting to hear more about them, giving the first kiss (which Jess then tells everyone she received - not a great move), and they all wonder what is in Lea’s envelope.
Jesse arrives with the First Impression Rose. it always changes up the energy with the women. There are so many dramatic moments with the women, the 2 sisters letting everyone know that they are siblings, Jess being a villain, Jess and Taylor having their words with one another. We find out that Lea’s card says that she is able to steal someone’s 1-on-1 date anytime prior to Hometowns! That’s a game changer and a power move. In addition to telling Joey, she tells the women in the house - yet another mood shift and she burns it. It was a nice moment to see her show that level of transparency with the women in the house. Of course, Jess chimes in that she would have kept it - no one asked her what she would do. We also see Maria kiss him when she said that she wouldn’t on the first day. Lea gets the First Impression Rose and of course that creates a lot of emotion around the house. He loves her character and is excited to go on the journey with her. Jesse lets them know that the cocktail party has come to an end and those who didn’t get a chance to talk with him have a lot of feelings to sort out.
With the rose ceremony, there are 32 women who will get to see where they are on this part of the journey! It’s a long night, but those who are super emotional the first night, how will they be able to make it as they continue throughout this season with all of the highs and lows?
JOEY GAVE ROSES TO | Alison, Autumn, Catelyn, Chrissa, Daisy, Edwina, Erica, Evalin, Jenn, Jess, Kelsey A, Kelsey T, Lauren, Leah (First Impression Rose), Lexi, Madina, Maria, Rachel, Starr, and Taylor.
JOEY DID NOT GIVE ROSES TO | Chandler, Kayla, Kyra, Lanie, Nat, Sam H., Samantha, Sandra, Talyah, and Zoe.
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!
PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Richard Middlesworth
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
The holiday season means that we're doing a lot more than we usually do. In the midst of those activities is hanging out with friends, family, and colleagues whether we're hosting them in our homes, going out for dinner, or enjoying copious parties! We caught up with Netflix Sweet Magnolia's Joanna Garcia Swisher to find out how she makes sure that she's not only being healthy, but keeping others safe while being out and about. She also lets us in on when we can expect to see her on our screens again!
ATHLEISURE MAG: The holiday season is upon us which means we're juggling a really full schedule! What are you doing this holiday season with you and your family?
JOANNA GARCIA SWISHER: Well, we’re trying to enjoy it as much as possible. The holiday season feels like it’s already here, it’s breezing by and it’s been a wild couple of weeks but we’re really excited to spend time with family. My brother in-law and sister in-law have a new baby and they’re bringing her to Florida for her first Christmas here. So, we have bouncers and baby toys all over the place and it’s really bringing me back. My husband is a little nervous, he’s like “What does this mean for us?" But yeah, after the holiday we’re going to head to the lake and get a little cozy winter feel in Georgia and have lots of wood burning fires and all of that.
AM: What traditions do you enjoy during this season?
JGS: We do Christmas Eve really big in our house, we have a house full of kids and people and we do a huge Minute to Win It game with 10-15 events and it gets the whole family involved, from parents to grandparents to the youngest members of our family. We have all of our Cuban traditions with pork and all of the things that we’ve eaten growing up and it's a really nostalgic time for our family. Traditions are huge for me so it’s something I really look forward to.
AM: When people in your family are feeling sick, what do you do?
JGS: Well, aside from panicking, I have all the essential elements so whenever me, my husband or kids - I was actually sick a few weeks ago - show any symptoms, I have a checklist. It usually starts with trying to figure out what it is so I always have my Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Self Tests and they are the first thing we do because as a Mom, you want to know what you’re working with and how best to approach what we’re about to be getting into. So really it’s about being prepared and having the essentials on hand, and the BinaxNOW COVID tests are our first plan of attack.
AM: How do you take time for yourself as a busy mom just so that you get the self-care that you need?
JGS: You know I always say, it doesn’t have to be an hour. Gosh, if we had an hour to ourselves everyday that would be so nice. But even just sneaking in 15 minutes of something you enjoy - a podcast and I love to read. Taking the time to really decompress because the running checklist in our heads as mothers is always on and going, this time of year especially. I was just talking to one of my girl friends about it and she was like, “I’ve just got the teacher’s gifts done, and this and that,” it adds to the list. So I think just really taking time even if it's just a 15 minute breather or lunch with a girl friend. Something to just - take a break - and it’s ok, if you have time for a nap, take a nap!
AM: You're someone who enjoys traveling, what are some of the things that you do to make the experience smooth and effortless?
JGS: I am married to a man that really likes a plan, he is not a free spirit in any way, he is like “I need to know what we are doing.” So what I’ve learned after 13 years of marriage is that having an itinerary really helps him, while I'm the one who wants to explore and see where the day takes us. But I also got a little feedback when we went to London this summer, my family had a little bit of an intervention with me and basically said that I over-scheduled us. So, now we plan one big adventure a day and my husband knows what we’re doing and then carving out time to relax. They’re more of a beach vacation family, and I like to sight see, so we have to kind of figure that out but it’s a work in progress and a good plan for our family.
AM: We've been fans of your work since Are Your Afraid of the Dark, Astronaut Wives Club, Sweet Magnolia, and The Ultimatum: Queer Love! Do you have any upcoming projects that you would like to share with us that we should keep an eye out for?
JGS: Well yea, we’re starting the new year off with a bang, we’re starting to film Season 4 of Sweet Magnolias which I’m so excited about. We’re also doing a second season of Ultimatum Queer Love. I don’t know if I can reveal where we’re shooting it but where we are shooting it is a city that I love so I’m super excited about that. So the new year’s gonna start off pretty busy but with two shows that I’m so excited for and proud of.
PHOTO CREDITS | PG 70 Abbott | PG 72 Netflix/Sweet Magnolia
Read the DEC ISSUE #96 of Athleisure Mag and see THIS HOLIDAY SEASON | JoAnna Garcia Swisher in mag.
