Read the JAN ISSUE #85 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LST STORI3S | Chef Nyesha Arrington in mag.
PHOTO CREDITS | ZACH SHALLCROSS, SHAWNE MERRIMAN + ANTONIO GATES/ABC/Craig Sjodin | CONTESTANTS ABC/Ricky Middlesworth |
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
We’re back with Zach Shallcross for tonight’s latest episode of ABC’s The Bachelor. Jesse Palmer tells the women that there won’t be a date and that they will make their way to the Bahamas where their journeys will continue. The date card arrives and Katherine is given a 1-on-1 date.
Katherine and Zach head out for their date on a boat to get to know more about one another. They practice safe sun, awkwardly date and continue to dig deeper to know more about one another.
Back at the Baha Mar, the rest of the women are talking about where they are in relation to others and trying to see how to navigate the week as there is still another 1-on-1 as well as a group date.
The next date card arrives and Aly, Kaity, Ariel, Davia, Genevie, Anastasia, Kylee, Mercedes, Charity, Gabi, Jess and Greer will be on a date that involves heat. Brooklyn will be on the 1-on-1 date.
At Zach and Kat’s date night, she lets him know that the family dynamics that she comes from is not the same as his. She lets him know that the relationship between her and her mom wasn’t great for a period of time and she didn’t live at home. After their heart-to-heart, Zach gives her the date night rose and she accepts.
The women back at the suite see the fireworks that are set off and they know that she had a great date and will be coming back.
The group date gets underway and Zach lets them know that they will be eating and drinking and relaxing a bit. In the group settings, Zach tends to interact with each person and the women agreed that they would all give each other time. When Anastasia says that she wants to talk with Zach the women feel like she overstepped. When Kylee approached her comment of wanting to steal Zach and not wanting to “fight her over it,” is blown out of proportion as Anastasia tells all the women that Kylee wants to fight her. Most of the women understand what was said and Zach even heard Kylee say it in real time - how this will resolve itself will definitely come up at the cocktail party for the group date.
Although he spends time with each one, he finds out that Anastasia may be there for the wrong reason as she has been overheard saying that she is there to increase her Instagram followers. Zach gets the information, talks with those that heard and then brings it up to her. He lets her know that he will need to think about it and will get back to her. When she comes back to the women, Kylee says she wants to talk about the elephant in the room and she wanted to make sure she was honest that although she didn’t hear it, she was told about it. Anastasia says that those words were taken out of context (meanwhile, she has no problem taking words out of context in terms of Kylee).
He gives the group date rose to Ariel and Anastasia continues to cry and be shocked.
Brooklyn finally goes on her 1-on-1 date. We’ve grown to like Brooklyn as she always lets people know what she’s thinking and on her watch, she won’t allow someone to walk over others. Zach is excited and notes that he realizes that she still comes off as slightly anxious.
Back at the resort, we hear the women talking and of course they’re talking about the drama about IG followers and Anastasia.
Brooklyn and Zach ride ATVs as well as hang out on a secluded beach. He lets us know that he is intrigued by her, but she will need to open up and he wants to peel back more layers so that he can see if there is something that is really there. Hopefully, she does as we love what Brooklyn has brought to this season so far as she’s authentic, genuine and down to Earth.
With the disclaimer that kicks off this segment of the episode, we know that Brooklyn is going to share something traumatic. She shares her experiences with domestic violence and Zach feels upset that this happened. Brooklyn is happy that she shared this with him and says that she is ready to have love for someone that deserves it and will give it back. He gives her a rose. As they connect, they are serenaded as they dance the night away.
The rose ceremony is taking place and everyone is getting ready. There are a few women at the group date who didn’t get a chance to talk with him, so people are preparing to take that time. Zach arrives to see all of the women and to kick off the cocktail party so that last conversations can be had. He lets them know that he likes honesty and vulnerability. He shares that he is going to follow his heart in all of the things that he does. He pulls Anastasia aside so that they can talk. He asks her what she’s feeling as he knows it was a tough conversation. We don’t hear him say the words but we see as he escorts her out and we now know that she is not going forward.
Zach comes back and lets the women know what happened. Kylee cries about what happened; however, if you started a series of activities which caused someone to go home, you do need to take ownership and continue as the fact that you shared it, you know that that could be a possibility. Zach is definitely about being drama free and reducing that for the women as well. It’s obvious that he has shown this over the past few weeks.
Kylee wanted to chat with him to talk about big issues, but right when she did, Jesse let them know that it was time for the rose ceremony. Kylee says she wants to go home as she can’t stand up there and not hear her name called. Her friend tells her that you at least have to wait to hear what happens before making a decision as calling someone else out doesn’t mean that she will be punished for it and sent home.
The rose ceremony begins.
ZACH GIVES ROSES TO | Aly, Ariel, Brooklyn, Charity, Gabi, Greer, Jess, Kaity, Kat, Kylee, Mercedes
ZACH DOESN’T GIVE A ROSE TO | Anastasia, Davia, Genevie
Each night during the season, we tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
PHOTO CREDITS | ZACH SHALLCROSS, SHAWNE MERRIMAN + ANTONIO GATES/ABC/Craig Sjodin | CONTESTANTS ABC/Ricky Middlesworth |
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
We’re back with Zach Shallcross for tonight’s latest episode of ABC’s The Bachelor. Zach catches up with Sean Loew on the phone to hear about how he should continue forward with his upcoming dates. We even get a peek at Catherine and his kids as well.
Jesse Palmer walks in with the women and lets them know that there will be 3 dates - 2 1-on-1s as well as a group date. Kaity will get the date.
Kaity’s date is at night with him and they make their way to the museum where they can explore it alone while they’re glammed up for the evening. They connect with one another so that they can dig deeper and see where they align. She opens up to him and he realizes that she hasn’t been treated the way that she should be. She gets the date night rose. He asks her if she would like to spend the night with him there. They have a setup in one of the areas of the museum which has a glamping feel to it.
While they are on their date, the group date card arrives which will include: Anastasia, Ariel, Bailey, Brianna, Brooklyn, Catherine Mandrell, Charity, Davia, Gabi, Genevie, Greer, Jess, Katherine, Kylee and Mercedes. That means that Aly will have the 1-on-1 date.
Back at the house, the women realize that since the date started at night, she will be out pretty late. As the ladies get up, they walk by the suitcase and see that it is still there and it’s 7am and she is still not there.
Kaity comes back to the mansion and talks about her date and the women see her in her PJ’s with the rose. She lets them know that he asked her to stay and she didn’t get any sleep! Thankfully she kept the fact that they pushed the single beds together.
The women arrive for their group date on the football field. Zach played for 9 years and the women feel that they need to bring it as they’re all there minus those that are on the 1-on-1 date. LA Chargers Antonio Gates and Shawne Merriman are on hand as the 5th Annual Bachelor Bowl will take place. The wining team will get to go to the after party. They go through the paces and get ready for the event. Hannah Storm (we covered her previously in OCT ISSUE #22 for The Hannah Storm Foundation event which was held at the Athletic Club in - Jesse was also at this event which is when we first met him) and Jesse Palmer will be commentators for this game.
The ladies battle it out as they play the game. and the blue team won and they get the after-party. Christina continues to talk about the fact that she had the 1st 1-on-1 date. It gets to the point that no one wants to hear about it, especially after she says that your relationship is real when you have had one. That makes the women sitting with her feel a certain way when they hear it. Zach tells Charity that he feels very comfortable with her.
Back at the mansion, the women who played football chat with one another as the recoup from the game, bumps and bruises. Aly gets a gift from Zach for her date which is a wedding dress. Once again, there is a shift in the mood.
On the group date, Christina is finally called out by mentioning her 1-on-1 and the fact that she has never been on a group date. The women tell her to stop oversharing. Bailey tries to get some clarity and validation and walks away feeling more uneasy than she was before talking to him. Circling back with him and asking him point blank, he tells her that he doesn’t think that they can get to her. He sends Bailey home.
Christina was rooming with Bailey and her lackluster response to her leaving puts the women off. Zach lets the women know and says that she sought validation and wasn’t going to lead her on. He gives the group date rose to Charity and the women hype her up; however, Christina says that she is mad that she didn’t get it. She feels that she’s confused that it didn’t make sense for her to not get it. The women shut it down. Clearly, this will be an issue.
Charity arrives at her date. He’s in a suit and she is wearing a fun bridal pantsuit with a train. They skydive and although both are nervous, they do it and have a great time! They also spend some time at a winery in a hot tub to allow their bodies to feel like they have come back down to Earth! Zach can’t wait to sit with her at dinner to find out more about her. He finds out how she has her insecurities even though she comes off as put together. This connects them and she receives the rose as well as gets to dance to singer/songwriter, Griffen Palmers’ performance.
With the rose ceremony being tonight, Jesse lets them know that there won’t be a cocktail party that evening, but there will be a pool party and he is on the way. He likes that hey don’t have a stuffy party and people can just have a good time. The ladies find a way to connect with him so that they can get time with him so that they stand a better chance for the rose ceremony.
Brianna talks with Zach and lets her know that she is leaving and that it’s important for her to know that Christina is not authentic and she’s creating havoc in the house. Zach feels shocked and now wants to know as he doesn’t want the environment to be anything but a safe space.
Zach connects with the remaining women and lets them know that Brianna has decided to leave and let him know that Christina was an issue. He asks to speak with Christina. She tells him it would be a bummer to let her go and Zach has a no-drama policy that he strictly adheres to. After speaking to Christina, he talks with Brooklyn and Charity to find out what happened. Jesse swings by and lets them know that the pool party is over and that they will go to the rose ceremony as he doesn’t want to continue with this segment of the day. Christina feels that everything is a misunderstanding and that she isn’t stopping connections from happening. Catherine Mandrell doesn’t receive a rose as he said that no matter the connection, he can’t forget what happened in the house and how he made the others feel.
Next week, they’re moving onto the Bahamas and he can focus more time on the women with him. Of course, we know that there will be more drama that’s happening in the group.
ZACH GIVES ROSES TO | Aly, Anastasia, Ariel, Brooklyn, Charity, Davia, Gabi, Genevie, Greer, Jess, Kaity, Katherine, Kylee and Mercedes.
ZACH DOESN’T GIVE A ROSE TO | Bailey, Brianna, Catherine Mandrell
Each night during the season, we tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
PHOTO CREDITS | ZACH + LATTO/ABC/Craig Sjodin | CONTESTANTS ABC/Ricky Middlesworth |
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
We’re back with Zach Shallcross for tonight’s latest episode of ABC’s The Bachelor. The ladies have all moved in and Jesse Palmer is checking in with everyone to see how they feel. Since Zach didn’t get to talk with everyone, he is making sure that everyone gets a date. There will be 2 group dates and a 1-on-1 date so that everyone will get a chance to hang out with them.
Brianna, Brooklyn, Katherine, Mercedes, Bailey, Davia, Cat, Genevie and Kylee make their way and meet Latto who lets them know that they will be focusing on giving their Bad Bitch Energy for the date. She asks them to dance. After having some fun, they learn that there will be more women arriving and it’s Victoria, Tahzjuan and Courtney - part of the Bad Bitch Alumni! They’re going to help him find his lady and to bring in the attention of the person that they want. The women come in and make their way down the catwalk with props… Then they share a bit about themselves and how they have had a Bad Bitch Moment.
At the after-party, he gets to know those on the date a bit more. Katherine is clear that she doesn’t just want to be his friend and she is there for more. Brianna gets to talk with him and expresses a concern over really being seen by Zach because she came in with a rose as opposed to being chosen by him. It seems like he assures her that he does see something that.
Back at the house, another date card arrives. Christina Mandrell is given the 1-on-1 date. While Zach is chatting with Cat, Tahzjuan pops in to chat with him, so we now know that she is really trying to get on the show! She lets him know that she likes him and would like to see if there is a possibility that she can be added into the mix. Zach lets her know that he will have to think about it. The women come over to see why Tahzjuan is there. She lets them know that she found them to be weak and not a match for him. She said if they feel a certain kind of way, that says something about them and not her.
After their conversation, he pulls her aside to talk with her. He comes back to the women and lets them know that he couldn’t say yes to her request. He appreciated her shooting her shot, but he wanted to stay with those that he is building relationships with. The date night rose goes to Katherine.
While the women have a pool party, Christina Mandrell is having her 1-on-1 date which is starting off with a luxury helicopter. They head to his childhood home where she gets to meet his family and friends at his mom’s birthday party! When she sees pictures of him as a baby, she knows that she really needs to tell him about her child. As they head to their dinner, we know that there are going to be serious conversations that will be had.
She lets him know that she has a baby and as she tells him this, we know that he is processing this information. He lets her know that he has a lot to think about, but that he will be giving her the rose and has to know more about her and what he things about it. He doesn’t want her to think that her having a child is an automatic exit with him. She lets him know that she understands and that if he didn’t have a lot of hesitancy, then that would be a lie and she liked that he would be honest with her.
The remainder of the ladies goes on a second group date. It seems like he wants to keep it very chill by getting to have time with each woman so that he can find out more about them. He gets to talk with each one, prior to giving the rose, he shouted out some people that he enjoyed talking to and he gives the date night rose to Jess.
The rose ceremony is coming up and Zach happens to mention that Christina was on a date with him to his family. The other women didn’t know this and of course it created a bit of an emotion with the women. Although Gabi spoke with Zach in the group date, she’s glad she can talk with him again. She appreciates that he talked with everyone as it shows something about how he is. Instead of giving him a gift that could be awkward, she gives him peanut butter cups and they eat it Lady and the Tramp style and she receives a kiss. He talks again with Brianna and lets her know that he doesn’t feel like they have fun when they talk with one another. He also lets her know that although she wanted to share an issue that she had, if she resolved it with the other woman, then he doesn’t need to hear about it. The rose ceremony begins and one thing we’ll say is that Zach is pretty swift when it comes to letting each of the women go home. It does feel like he really thinks about who really fits with him best or that he attempts to understand why a person could be a fit, just in case he doesn’t see it just yet.
ZACH GAVE A ROSE TO | Aly, Anastasia, Ariel, Bailey, Brianna, Brooklyn, Catherine Mandrell, Charity, Davia, Gabi, Genevie, Greer, Jess, Katherine, Kaytie, Kylee, Mercedes,
ZACH DOESN’T GIVE A ROSE TO | Cat, Kimberly and Victoria J
Each night during the season, we tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
PHOTO CREDITS | ZACH/ABC/Nino Munoz | CONTESTANTS ABC/Ricky Middlesworth |
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
It’s the big night where we get to know more about Zach Shallcross who is ABC’s The Bachelor. We’ll get to know more about the women of his season and predict who will go the distance! Of course, there are going to be some bumps along the way, but that’s part of why we watch this show! We also know that in this crop of women, we’ll also eventually see who will be the future The Bachelorette as well!
We know a bit about Zach while he dated Rachel Recchia last season during The Bachelorette. Jesse Palmer, the host of the show let us know that as much as we think that we know about him, there is much more to him like being in a band in 7th grade as well as being a DJ in college. We see him move in to his new place and Sean Lowe swings by to chat with him and to give him some advice.
Jesse reminds us that Brianna is already safe from elimination as she received America’s First Impression Rose from the After The Rose show where we were introduced to some of the people that would be on the show. It’s always nice to see the contestants in their own environment and to see who is memorable after seeing them for a few seconds. There are some that stick out such as Christina Mandrell, Charity, Brianna and Brooklyn. When they emerge from the limo there are a number of standouts and of course, Brianna walks in with her rose as well as a dress that has rose aesthetics as well!
Now that everyone has arrived, Zach has finally joined the women to thank them for coming. He takes some time to meet with a number of the women one on one and Christina Mandrell takes him on her party bus to spend some time alone. Eventually, other women jump on the bus as well. Brianna makes sure that she gets some one on one time since she came into the house already being safe. Jesse brings the First Impression Rose and the women realize it’s getting real! That urgency worked with some, but not for others. Madison came in with a plan, but between having 2 times to chat with him, navigating getting kisses and only getting a peck that even she knew didn’t land - she’s embarrased. If there was a doubt, Zach actually says that it didn’t land right. While Madison questions her choices, Zach gives the First Impression Rose to Greer. Madison goes off to cry and the women head over to the Rose Ceremony area. She says that she can’t sit through the ceremony and asks to talk with him before he makes a decision. He lets her know that he doesn’t see a future with her.
He lets the ladies know that he has let Madison go and he will continue with the ceremony.
ZACH SENT HOME | Becca, Cara, Holland, Lekha, Madison, Olivia M, Sonia, Vanessa and Viktoria.
ZACH GAVE A ROSE | Aly, Anastasia, Ariel, Bailey, Brianna, Brooklyn, Charity, Cat, Christina Mandrell, Davia, Gabi, Genevie, Greer, Jess, Kaity, Katherine, Kimberly, Kylee, Mercedes and Victoria J.
Tonight definitely let us know that this season will be interesting and it’ll be a lot of high and lows to be sure! While tweeting with those tonight, people commented on how long this first Rose Ceremony was. For those that may not have seen our fun video chat that we did with The Bachelorette’s Michelle Young during the holiday season, she talked with us about what she’s been up to, the importance of self-care and what the first night is like whether you’re a contestant or The Bachelorette!
Each night during the season, we tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
As much as we love living vicariously through a number of people's travels on IG, we also love a good event. There is something about an immersive experience where you know that the food must have been amazing, the setting is transportive and the visuals make every picture look epic! These things just don't happen on their own, it's a blend of cohesive themes that come together and in many cases, there is an event planner who makes it happen!
We have been fans of Mindy Weiss for decades as she has created events with phenomenal themes whether they are large scale or intimate in nature. Her work has been used by some of the biggest celebrities and athletes while executing their vision to perfection. Her work has been cosigned by Vogue, Brides and Harper's Bazaar! So, when we had the chance to find out more about how she got into the industry, how she stays inspired and what we need to think about our event regardless of whether she is at the helm or if we are doing it ourselves, we had to take a few moments of her time!
ATHLEISURE MAG: We have been fans of yours for a few decades now and whether it’s a wedding, launch event or whatever it is. There is something about how you create an immersive experience that also showcases the vibe of the person that is hosting the event!
MINDY WEIS: Oh thank you and thanks for noticing that!
AM: Of course! When did you realize that you wanted to be an event planner?
MW: Well, I got married the first time, very young and I was looking for a part-time job. In college, I thought that I was going to go into production and didn’t know that I would go into this direction. I got a job in a little precious stationery store. This stationary store is where they don’t do it as much, but you look through books and you order custom stationery and innovations. Oh my God, I loved it! From that point, the person who hired me who is now my best friend in the whole world, for the last 40 some odd years, we started to work out of the house. We left that store and worked out of the house and people started asking me to do their events besides just doing their invitations.
Now growing up, my mother gave the best parties. Hysterical, now as an adult and a mother, my Sweet 16 was at the Playboy Club! Back when they used to have Playboy Clubs – so embarrassed now! I mean, they weren’t naked, but they were definitely in their bunny suits and it was like, what were you thinking? But she thought that that would be clever. So it was in the blood and I did the first party and then it just stuck from that one party, I got 10 events. So that is my story!
AM: How do you get inspiration when you are tackling your next project?
MW: Well, I really try to personalize it as much as possible. So we have great conversations, I’m trying to pull things out of what they love! You know they give me Pinterest pages that literally have 20 different ideas from a traditional event, a modern event, a vintage event. I try to pull itall back to personalizing it as much as possible and that brings me here to say that right now, the biggest trend is guest experience. This is the trend obviously for every event from a wedding on. Everything is very important and is the key, but how is your event going to be different from all the events that you’re going to at the same time. Typically, if you’re getting married, you’re group of people are getting married and then you are on the wedding circuit.
Like my middle son was in 6 weddings and he is on the circuit and I keep saying to him – elope, elope! But no, his girlfriend is going to want the whole thing! So bringing it back to guest experience, I’m always trying to find what is new, what would be a cool thing that you could include people in that looks beautiful, that is something that they may have never considered before and that’s kind of why I teamed up with Seedlip for the Seedlip Soiree because it’s so up my alley.
I don’t know if you have seen these bottles.
AM: We have seen these bottles and my boyfriend has had them. I like that sometimes when you have been partying maybe too much, but you still would like to have a beverage that looks tasty and it pairs well with fruit juices – it’s a great mocktail! I’ve even made it into a cocktail as well because the ingredients are great!
Why did this collaboration come about?
MW: Well, the truth is, I don’t drink. Once in awhile in Cabo at the end of a very big event, I’ll take a shot of tequila. So what interests me in this is exactly what you just said! I want to have a beautiful drink that doesn’t necessarily have to be mixed with alcohol, but certainly can be. I can still feel like I can be social and I don’t feel the pressure, but I would like to carry a beautiful drink that feels somewhat organic and beautiful. The last event that I served it at, let’s just say one of the ingredients is the rosemary, well I took it to a new place by making sure that there was a sprig of it in the drink, I made sure that there were beautiful flowers to represent what that drink was. I think that I have a few more holiday parties, I’m on the countdown and at one party, we’re going to do a party with a bar that is in the Seedlip drink, I’m going to design where that bottle sits with what’s in it.
AM: I’m sure that that will be beautiful because you do beautiful work.
MW: It will enable people to know what exactly is in it immediately. And again, it’s a guest experience. I do get asked to represent some different companies, but I’ve kind of made a pact with myself that I can only really speak to the things that I can relate to.
AM: How important is it to have a signature cocktail(s) at an event?
MW: I actually thought that at one point is was going away.
AM: Really?
MW: Yeah, because all of the Old Fashioned drinks were coming in, but then it’s back in a really big way! A big part of my business was making bar menus so people could see the creativity and look at the names of the drinks and what is in it which is important obviously for a lot of people. It’s on every wedding list that we check off. So how is it important? It’s very important because no one is letting it go!
AM: Exactly!
Regardless of all of the things that you have done in terms of the amazing events that you have created, if we’re not able to book you as I would obviously love to do so for a future event...
MW: Book me! Yes!
AM: Every time we see your IG, you’ve killed it again! How does someone go about creating their own events if they are doing it themselves? What should they be focusing on? What should they be organizing so that they can execute their vision?
MW: First of all, they should sign up for my Masterclass because I have a Masterclass now! It takes you through all of those categories, but it needs to represent you. So, put aside the IG for a second and the Pinterest and everything. What are your favorite drinks? What are your favorite flowers? What’s great is that when people walk into a wedding or a holiday party or a shower or whatever it is and you want people to come in and go, “oh my God, this is so them!” Of course they have that because this is what they like! If you can pull from that when you're doing your signature drinks it should represent what you drink. So you want to share that part and obviously we would do Mindy’s Mocktails which would have what I like and my husband loves Old Fashioned and we would do that – he is so old fashioned which he is! But then, that’s how you would personalize these things with music you play, the food you serve, the vows you say -everything comes from within you and trying not to be a copycat!
See, there’s nothing wrong with going to an event and seeing a beautiful bar with the drinks that they serve. You can still have a beautiful bar with drinks that you serve that represent you. Look at everything as inspiration.
AM: I love hearing that. As someone who is the Co-Founder/Creative + Style Dir of Athleisure Media who is also a fashion stylist, I like the concept of mood boarding, pulling all of these different inspirations in and making sure that when I’m dressing our celebrities, I like adding things that speak to them while adding in a layer to it so that it is a little different. But it still feels true to who they are. So I can totally get what you’re saying about that.
MW: Because in our world, the first thing that people go to unfortunately is, “I saw that already!” I’m sure in fashion, you really see that a lot because if someone already wore it, how are you going to change it up? In my world, the competition with event planners is pretty up there. I love to Instagram to do inspiration and to give inspiration, but don’t you think that I don’t get inspiration from there and then put a twist on it where I feel like, “ooo I can make it better” or “I can make it different.” That’s the same with every aspect of celebrating.
AM: You’ve been talking about guest experience. Whether someone is hiring you or creating their event themselves, what should be in your mind when it comes to those that are attending your party regardless of your theme or why they are there?
MW: If you’re having a party, it’s not just about you! You’re inviting people to your event, it’s a gift to them and it’s a gift that just keeps on giving, It cannot be all about yourself. Not when people are coming, bringing a gift, spending money to get there, buying clothes – it’s a gift for both of you. You need to remember that when you are the host or hostess that it’s not going to be all about you.
IG @mindyweiss
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 94-97 Dennis Kwan Photography
Read the DEC ISSUE #84 of Athleisure Mag and see MAKE IT A SIGNATURE | Mindy Weiss in mag.
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelor | CONTESTANTS ABC/Ricky Middlesworth |
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
As we wait for Jan 23rd when season 27 kicks off with Zach Shallcross who is ABC’s The Bachelor, we have the final reveal of the women who we’ll be seeing over the next few weeks as well as their official photos!
Each night during the season, we tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
This month's cover marks the 20th year of MIYAVI being a force in the music industry. Known as the Samurai Guitarist, he brings a message of passion and peace to those he plays for whether they're the fans that attend his shows or the refugees that he performs for as a Global Ambassador of the UNHCR where he gives his time to the camps when they are seeking relief from the crisis around him. He also talks about his 14th studio album, MIYAVIVERSE which covers anime songs. MIYAVI is also an actor who has done voiceover work in an Emmy-nominated anime show, Arcane: League of Legends as well as appearing in movies with Angelina Jolie in Maleficent 2 as well as Unbroken that she directed. We talk about his need to stay creative, collaborating with brands and continuing to challenge himself.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you wanted to be a musician?
MIYAVI: When I lost my dream to be a professional soccer player when I was 14 years old. I was on a youth team of a professional soccer team in Osaka on the west side of Japan. Every single day, I was going to the soccer field and I got injured and then I lost my dream. The thing is I really really wanted to be a professional player, but at the same time, the practicing was really competitive to be on the team. I actually got tired of it because it was tough for me being a 14 year old boy to keep going to the field which was pretty far from my hometown. It was like a 90 minute train ride and that was really tough for me every single day. I was the captain of the local team for a very long time, but when I started going to the professional team, I lost my friends as well because I was not in the group anymore. I was the only one going to the professional team as well.
To me, it was really stressful and then it was really shocking to me that tmoment that I stopped going to that professional team, I was really relieved! It was really weird because soccer was my motivation and my passion every day that I was playing. But the moment that that happened, I was relieved not to play soccer because it was so stressful for me. That was the moment that I quit soccer and again, when you lose your dream, you lose yourself as well and you lose that shine so I was hanging out with my friends and I was doing bad things and then I got the guitar and I thought, “oh this might be it!” It might take me someplace else and I wanted to get out of my hometown anyway. This thing might be the one that takes me out. Now, I’m traveling the world and talking to you!
AM: Exactly and that’s quite a story.
How do you define the MIYAVI sound?
M: People call me the Samurai Guitarist and I’m honored to be called a Samurai! Samurai is such an important word for Japanese people. It’s such a big determination and it’s a really really big deal. For me, instead of katana, the Japanese sword, I play the guitar and I make people dance. I feel good that I can spread that positive message. As an artist which I am always trying to pursue the edgy style, but at the same time, I’m also a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR which is The United Nations Refugee Agency. So it’s about positivity and the moment that you feel the future, it’s really really crucial!
So yeah, it’s kind of like a guitar rock, dance kind of music. At the same time, to me, it’s about the attitude and how you enjoy my show is really really important. After people get back home, I want them to feel energized and motivated. Of course, I want you to have fun, we’ll have fun always – but I want to create something that people can feel and that it’s the future and is productive. It’s not just about being entertaining.
AM: How do you get inspired in terms of approaching creating your music?
M: You know, I like to watch movies or sometimes be in a movie. When I play a role in a film, I learn from that character and I want to be able to absorb and take it into my body. That’s also an inspirational source, to me. Again, I can learn things from my kids as well. As a parent, it’s kind of a learning process as well. Again, at the refugee camps, to witness those cruel devastating situations and the paths that those people had to go through – this is also a huge inspiration. I can’t look away from that fact and our generation is facing this crisis. So that’s not quite an inspiration it’s –
AM: It’s more of a driving force.
M: Yes, it’s more of a driving force. It’s a reason why I keep moving forward. It’s really really responsible.
AM: You’re so talented and from the music standpoint as a songwriter, producer, you play instruments – what’s your favorite part of working on a song?
M: To be honest, the most important thing is to put the message or the lyrics as a core part. The most fun part is just playing the guitar without thinking about anything. You just go free, that’s the fun part. That’s what I can do on stage once I’m done. Giving birth is the most hardest part, the most painful experience as we all know – the ladies. They give birth and it’s painful, but it’s also worth it for the real happiness. So doing what I do, it doesn’t actually hurt like that, but at the same time, when you’re making a song, it’s a really really tough process. But then again, it’s worth it. But playing the guitar, that’s the fun part!
AM: When you’re collaborating with other artists, what are you looking for when you’re deciding that you want to partner with them?
M: Just chemistry always! I know my world and I know how to maintain and to remain in my sound. I know my style and I know that it works. When I work with somebody else, I want to see new dimensions and to also feel that chemistry and to have a new me. Something that I never experienced or that I never thought to even try. That’s kind of a benefit and that’s the same with life. You don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Sometimes it doesn’t go as well as you expected, but that’s life. That kind of encountering a new part of myself in that way is nice.
AM: Earlier this year, you partnered with K-Pop superstar Kang Daniel with Hush Hush which also became a theme song for the Korean drama show Rookie Cops on Disney+ and you also collaborated with him again. What did you love about working on these projects with him?
M: Again, K-Pop is a global and phenomenal movement. I’m half Japanese and half Korean and I do respect the effort and the creative force that is there. Kang Daniel is a rising star and as an Asian, I do respect him. Again, it’s a totally different style and it does seem like he is building his own style right now. So it’s really really interesting to be part of the creation that we make together and then we see the shift as well. His style is really different from mine and it’s not like it’s a middle ground – it’s more like a 3rd or new destination! You can only find that with your collaborator. That’s why I said, a new me or a new world or a new dimension. I love his dedication for the creation and he’s so humble. It’s great to feel that different wave in the younger generation.
AM: You’ve been in the industry for over 20 years and you’re currently in a 19 city, 20 show tour here in North America. What does it mean to you to reach this achievement and to look back on all of the work that you have done?
M: I’m never satisfied and that’s the reason why I keep on doing this. I’ve done pretty much all of these different things not only in musi,c but acting, the fashion thing, humanitarian work, so it’s such a pleasure to be able to explore the many worlds and to encounter new people and I’m learning every single time. It might have been easier if I just focused on a music career or an acting career or a fashion career, but again there is also that chemistry when I take on a challenge of doing something different every time. I feel that chemistry and then I learn from it. Then I can be a new me and I can be stronger and I do just appreciate everyone that I have worked with and also the fans that are supporting me the whole time even if I changed my music style – not just costumes, but the music itself – the groove. Then doing acting and the fashion thing so I really really appreciate their support.
AM: So what can you tell me about your 14th studio album that is coming out?
M: That’s a cover album and I am covering anime songs. It’s a really really interesting path and also a process because those tracks are made by somebody else and they’re really popular ones like the song for Evangelion or song for City Hunter, the song for Naruto. At the same time as an artist, I’m really confident to make any song into MIYAVI’s world which is why we named this album, MIYAVIVERSE. That’s my world and that’s the sound that MIYAVI and the team creates. Every song has a great melody and there is a chemistry, there is a totally different sound in production and form. We’re kind of making a new style. It’s a really exciting project.
AM: In addition to your music career and you have also said this as we’ve been talking, you’re the face of a number of brands such as Gucci and you’ve been with Dell and McLaren. What does that mean to you to be able to crossover like that?
M: You know, it’s a new discovery of myself and then it’s such a pleasure to work with those top top brands that are trendsetting and leading their industries. It’s great to see what happens when I dive into those different worlds. I’m not a car geek or a car lover, but the attitude that McLaren and MIYAVI have really resonates. I’m not just making music for a business and they’re not just making a car for a business, we’re making history and we’re making a different thing. It might be easier to make some kind of a good pop stuff and there might be an easier path to become famous, but for it’s not. It’s about being more integrated. We would not be able to be satisfied with the answer. With Dell as well. The creativity that technology brings – they are expanding that as well. The honor to be part of it and to just explore together is great.
AM: In terms of your acting, you have a number of credits that you’re getting out there. You were cast in Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken and you worked with her again in Maleficent 2. What was it like to be in those projects?
M: It’s fun. Again, the music when it comes to the process, it’s all about me. I say it sounds like this, it should be like that, I am the producer. So I am doing the producing, the acting and the playing myself. But the movie, as an actor, there is a bigger part of it especially when the role is not that big. It’s a tiny part of it. But, it’s still you’re part of it. You’re performing and whatever you do in that work, it’s going to affect the entire creation – it’s teamwork a team achievement. To be able to work with those top top people from Disney or Pixar those people are the real deal! It’s really creative and more free. They are enjoying the flow and they are making something new in the flow. It‘s really fun!
AM: You’ve done voice overs for Arcane: League of Legends which won an Emmy recently for Outstanding Animated Series. Why did you want to be part of this show?
M: Why not?
AM: Love that!
M: Yeah! Why not? When I got the offer, I heard that Sting was on board, Imagine Dragons was on board. You know, those top artists were there and then the creation itself was really really great – a high level and a big passion. I was working with Christian Linke the Executive Producer. He’s like Steve Jobs like – he has the characters, the world, passion and even the music as well. It was simply a pleasure and honor to be part of it and then the music and also doing the voice acting for a little bit for a little role. That was such a surprise and that kind of flexibility and spontaneous kind of decision is the fun part of creation you know. You can change your creation drastically in the last minute. That’s all on you so it’s all about the passion and the clear vision. He had a clear vision and I was so happy to be part of it.
AM: Throughout this interview, you have been talking about your humanitarian work and working with the United Nations. Can you tell us more about what you are doing?
M: So my humanitarian work as an ambassador for UNHCR, is life work and it’s really volunteering. It’s not something that I get paid to do. Every single time I go to the refugee camps, I feel purified well as it is a special process to me. Anything that you can do for the future, global warming, animals, human rights – anything. But for me, I met Angelina Jolie – Angie, she’s the one that inspired me and opened the door and who met me. I was really surprised and amazed at how much she dedicates for this crisis and as an artist, I wanted to be able to do something if I could. I went to the refugee camp in Lebanon for the first time right after the Syria crisis exploded. It started around 2011ish but around 2014/2015, the refugees increased rapidly and I was really scared. I didn’t know what to do as an artist and still, I can’t play the guitar to people that just escaped from their countries because imagine the situation of it being do or die, you can’t enjoy the music at that moment. But still, after that first emergency phase, we call that Developmental or Sustainable Phase – people need to feel that dignity of a human being. We are not just living here a human being. We are not just living here, we are living here and standing on our own feet. That’s what everyone needs to feel and especially at the refugee camps, that set of circumstances is really hard to feel that way. Then art and culture like music and sports, can do many things to connect people and to make them feel alive. That’s my role as an ambassador. The thing about refugees is that you feel like a dark, serious burden – it's a serious issue. But at the same time, those people are like us! They used to be a professional musician, they used to be a writer, they used to be a politician. So my mission as an ambassador is to bring those kinds of bright sides of people and positivity. So we feel that we are the same and it could happen to us. When you think about a crisis that could happen like another war – I don’t even want to say, but you have that conflict that happens and it could happen to us if the place you are living in is so no longer safe. It’s really really important to me to keep doing this so that I can realize that I can redefine my mission of the reason why I keep moving forward. I keep creating and this is really really important now.
AM: Honestly, the way that you explained that this person who is a refugee had a life where they were a doctor or the fact that they had a life that they were part of. I think that that really puts a different type of life on it as opposed to saying this group of people had this devastating series of circumstances. It does give back the humanity and compassion to see it in that light.
M: Some of them used to be a doctor. Some of them used to be a professor.
AM: What do you want your legacy to be as an artist, as an actor, a humanitarian and as a father?
M: That’s a big question – the ultimate question. It’s interesting. It makes me rethink about the shift in me as an artist. I wanted to play the guitar when I was younger, but I'm not playing the guitar because I want to play the guitar now, I’m playing because I want to play music. That’s why I’m playing the guitar – I want to spread my message. It’s why I make music and then I play the guitar. I need to spread the message to help make this world better somehow. I want to dedicate myself somehow and that’s why I play music. That’s why I play the guitar. It used to be like – I want to be a legend playing the guitar. I do play it and it’s my thing and I will never quit playing the guitar. I’m not going to become obsessed by being a guitarist. It’s a tool to deliver my message to the audience. So, I don’t know about the answer to your question because for me, anything is fine. That’s why I am an actor and modeling as well because as long as you can just spread the message and the idea of peace, I think that that’s it!
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 16 - 27 + 32 Courtesy MIYAVI | PG 28 Mairo Cinquetti/Pacific -Press/Alamy | PG 30 UPI/Alamy |
Read the OCT ISSUE #82 of Athleisure Mag and see HUMANITY DEFINES HIS MUSIC | MIYAVI in mag.
We enjoy seeing Kristen Kish hosting, judging a number of culinary shows and taking us through her recent trip to Seoul. We took some time to catch up with her since talking earlier this year ahead of TRU TV's Fast Foodies 2nd season.
We talk about her co-hosting Netflix's Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend, her new show on National Geographic - Restaurants at the End of the World and being on Selena + Chef on HBO Max.
We also talk about her latest partnership with Jongga Kimchi, a worldwide number one Korean brand. She also talked about their Generation Preservation campaign to preserve plant-forward foods, health and wellness through fermentation and environment to minimize food waste.
ATHLEISURE MAG: We enjoyed talking to you earlier this year prior to the 2nd season of Fast Foodies with you and you’re co-hosts Chef Justin Sutherland and Chef Jeremy Ford! It’s great to catch up as you’re always doing great things. We enjoyed seeing you over the summer on Netflix’s Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend! It was great to see the dynamic between you Alton Brown. We love the food fact that we learned about Korean Fried Chicken and how it came to be! Why did you want to be part of this show?
CHEF KRISTEN KISH: I mean, first and foremost, when they say that Iron Chef is coming back and that Iron Chef is coming back on Netflix – it means a lot of different things. Obviously, it’s so iconic in the Japanese form and then to see it evolve over time to hit the Food Network and then for me, Netflix, it just completely diversifies in a lot of different ways. You can hit so many different audiences, you can pull from different chefs and there is just so much more storytelling that can be had.
So I think for me, obviously Iron Chef – yes! Then Iron Chef Netflix and then there’s Alton Brown coming back! So already for me, I was feeling relatively insecure going into that job – it would scare anybody I think to go onto that job and to feel like that I can hold my own and to have enough to say with those things being worth hearing and to being able to do that with the comfort of Alton being next to me. I think that that was a nice dynamic coming together. I mean, all of it scared me shitless, but honestly, how do you not say yes to that?
AM: You looked amazing and you were a perfect fit for it and it was so good to watch. We hope that there will be more episodes of it for future seasons.
CHEF KK: Well thank you, thank you!
AM: You’re also on the latest season of Selena + Chef which is out now on HBO Max. The format of the show is great. How was it for you to do it virtually, to tell someone how to to cook something and what drew you in to want to be part of it?
CHEF KK: Ohh I remember it! So, I requested to my manager that I wanted to go on Selena + Chef! It looked like a lot of fun and I thought, why wouldn’t I want to cook with Selena Gomez? She was like ok and so she does what she does and she was like, great they want you on the next season and I’m like, “perfect!”
Honestly, it was so much more than what I expected in various ways. So I was expecting that I was going to teach Selena how to cook a few things and that we were going to call it a day. But I remember all of the prep-production calls and they were like, “we want to do start to finish. Like we want to have her work, do it – there’s no fluff around it, there’s no swap outs on and off camera.” Everything that she’s doing, we filmed for over a good 6 hours getting this stuff done. Selena went for it! She just did it all! I think that that is just the most interesting thing and it is hard to teach over Zoom because you are missing a human connection in a lot of ways. But for what it was and what was being asked of her to be quite frank, the whole thing was just a really really phenomenal experience.
AM: OMG! You always have so much going on! You’re also hosting Restaurants at the End of the World on National Geographic tell me about this! You’re a traveling girl!
CHEF KK: Oh my goodness! It is! For a girl that didn’t think that she would travel in her life because I thought that I was just going to be working in kitchens and I just wouldn’t make a ton of money – I would just live my life and that was just going to be how it was – to say that I can travel for my job and not only for my job, but in pockets of the world where it’s very foreign to me and meeting chefs that have this resilience in how they run a restaurant and that can be several different definitions. How they can run their restaurants with limited resources and access to the luxuries that we have with our restaurants here especially in the States.
The whole project is really phenomenal. I think that the biggest thing is yes, food is always going to be the through line, but it’s about who these people are and how and why they do this. Like, it’s just mind-blowing to me and I’ve learned a tremendous amount about how to just relinquish control as this is the theme for those people. What will be, will be – and that’s it! Argh that’s such a hard concept because in my form of restaurants, anything that I can control, I’m going to! If I can control the outcome, you better believe that I am going to control the outcome because there are so many unknowns. But all of these people have been really phenomenal.
AM: Can’t wait to check that out as it sounds really exciting.
I love Kimchi, it’s one of my favorite things to eat. You’ve partnered with Jongga Kimchi. Why was this such a fit for you that you wanted to be part of it?
CHEF KK: You know, Korean culture for me, I’ve had a complicated relationship with being an adoptee. I think that a lot of adoptees can relate wherever you are adopted from. Having a connection to your culture when you are brought up in that kind of household or where you are brought up in an environment where people look like you. I think that for me, I always shied away from a lot of it because I thought, I’m not Korean enough. So, who am I to own Korean culture because it’s not mine. But it is mine and I’m allowed to redefine what it is and what it means to me.
So I recently took my first trip to Korea, I ate so much food – traditional and otherwise! For me, I think that it opened up my eyes to say that there’s not just one way to do this. I think that giving myself the permission to lean into partnering with Jongga Kimchi which it originated in Korea, it’s the number 1 world wide brand in Korea! So to say, hold on, they want me for a reason. That reason is because of my story and my interpretation of what being Korean means to me. So I think that just them giving me the permission and them giving me the permission for me to be able to create recipes that aren’t traditionally Korean and I think that that was like this whole moment like, “ahh ok, here we are. Now I understand what this means.” It’s been a really dream partnership for me personally and professionally.
AM: I remember watching your IG when you were going to Korea and it was so cool to see how you were connecting. I think that there is a sense of connection that everyone has even if you grew up in American and you grew up with a family that looks like you and as an African American you’re saying I see this, but where are the roots and what does that mean? I think being able to watch you on your journey and for you to share that with everyone was so impactful and beautiful.
CHEF KK: Thank you!
AM: I enjoy eating kimchi on its own or on a salad. But what recipes in terms of integrating it in a different way? I love this dish so much, what else should we be doing with it?
CHEF KK: Honestly, any place that you can impart acid, I say add kimchi and swap it out! Whether that be a burger or you chop it up and thread it through a beautiful carbonara – think about the little bits of acid and heat through something so rich. I created 2 recipes specifically with Jongga Kimchi.
One is a play off of my Midwestern love for potatoes -
AM: Yes! I live in NY but I’m from Indiana originally!
CHEF KK: Yeah! Ok, then you’re going to be right here with me! I love a tater tot!
AM: Oh yes!
CHEF KK: Give me a tater tot in any form! So now we can jazz it up and we can call it a croquette and now we’re in a little fancier background. Then, the love of Korean BBQ and the cheese corn that you get and then mix it up and putting it all together with this smoked mozzarella bechamel that I make and then thread it with corn, potatoes – thread it, fry it – it’s crunchy, cheesy and delicious.
Then the other one is my ode to little hot dogs wrapped in baked croissant dough! We can’t really call that by it’s brand name because it’s not a croissant, but it’s in dough. The love of pigs in a blanket and it’s just so yummy! And I make a kimchi honey mustard using the kimchi brine because we chop up the kimchi to put it inside of the roll and then we use the brine to make the honey mustard and it’s just so good!
AM: The last time that I talked to you, you turned me onto Kewpie which I loved that! Now you’ve turned me onto the fact that I need my tater tots with kimchi on it – check!
How is kimchi made and why is it so important to preserve plant biodiversity?
CHEF KK: I mean, food waste in general, a lot of times in restaurants, we’re always thinking about how we can preserve and how to make things last. How to use the undesirable pieces of different vegetables and meats. It’s something that I have always been very passionate about ever since I have been in the culinary industry and also learning about how to do it. Because a lot of times, you go to culinary school, but they don’t always teach you how to use the end cuts and how to use the things that are less desirable. So it’s important. I think kimchi is important to preserve the history and the culture of kimchi making! I’ve gone on a deep dive on YouTube watching sweet Korean ladies making kimchi and obviously it stems from a place of need and that’s why we do a lot of things and where it stems from when we do the things that we do. It’s out of necessity. Here’s a fact, there is a very high percentage of cabbage that is at risk or has gone extinct in terms of different varietals that are no longer in use or in production or being grown. So the Generation Preservation campaign that Jongga is doing is really focusing on the preserving of the history of the preservation and why we do the things that we do in order to keep sustaining the vegetables and to kind of keep moving things forward.
So, being able to use products like that is really important and of course how you make kimchi! Now there are various versions. There’s cabbage kimchi, there’s other kimchi’s there’s all this food and food has evolved and carries different stories from all of these different kinds of people. But traditional cabbage kimchi is this rice paste flour, Korean chili flakes, lots of aromatics – ginger, garlic all blended into a paste and then you layer it onto these leaves and I think that a lot of the rich tradition is in the process right? Watching how meticulous it is in order to make it and so I think that anyone at home can make kimchi, do I think that there are far better kimchi’s especially those that I can personally make – absolutely! So sometimes, it’s just best to buy it!
AM: My sister just came back from Seoul and I was watching all of her pictures and I was like, I want to eat it from there!
CHEF KK: I mean, I’ve eaten at a lot of Korean restaurants in LA and in NY and those Koreatowns of those specific cities and you know that you can find some really good stuff. But there is something to be said when you sit in a Korean restaurant with a bunch of Korean people and you don’t understand everything – there’s just something that brings it to a whole other level! I have to tell you that things taste different over there in a really beautiful way!
I will say that when you go, you should try and I don’t know if your sister has gone there – Temple Cuisine. I had a temple lunch in the middle of Seoul and it was just tucked away and the atmosphere was amazing. The food was just transformative in the fact that it is uncomplicated and you just know that it is coming from a place – I don’t even have words to describe it because it’s just a feeling and I highly recommend you hitting that up!
AM: Well, if you say it, that’s all I need to hear!
CHEF KK: It’s really really good!
AM: You’re always on the go and you have so many things going on and I have never been to your restaurant in Austin, Arlo Grey but we have plans to be there next Spring so that we can check it out for ourselves. Are there projects that you’re working on that you’re able to share that we can keep an eye out for?
CHEF KK: Yes! Obviously, we have Restaurants at the End of the World which is coming out and is huge and amazing. And the restaurant – please, please come visit! Parallel to kimchi I have a line of Soju coming out, which is Korean alcohol. I love your reaction, that's a great reaction! A lot of Soju is like ahahah harsh so I’m doing a line of 4 aperitifs with lots of great storytelling and a lot of good stuff and good flavor in it. Keep an eye out for that so grab some Jongga Kimchi and get my new Soju and have a grand old time!
AM: We enjoyed talking with Chef Kristen Kish about her recipes and as we enjoy a great tater tot or croquette, here is how you can make your own with Jongga Kimchi!
JONGGA KIMCHI CREAMED CORN CROQUETTE
PRODUCT | Jongga Napa Cabbage Kimchi
SERVES | 30 - 40 2oz croquettes
PREP TIME | 60 minutes
TOTAL TIME | 1 hour, 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CROQUETTE
• 2 pounds russet potatoes
• 3 cups of fresh corn kernels (approx. 3 small ears)
• Smoked mozzarella Mornay (see recipe below)
• 2 cups Jongga Kimchi – squeezed dry and finely chopped, reserve 3 tablespoons of Jongga Kimchi juice
• Salt to taste
• Vegetable oil or frying oil as needed
• 1 large Black Truffle as desired/needed
• Celery leaves, lemon, Maldon Salt and chives to garnish
FOR THE SMOKED MOZZARELLA MORNAY
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 2 large cloves garlic – peeled and gently smashed
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 small shallot – peeled and small diced
• 1¼ cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 ounces smoked mozzarella – cut into small cubes/pieces small cubes/pieces
BREADING STATION
• 2 - 4 cups panko – crushed with your hands and mixed with ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 eggs – beaten and mixed with ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, mixed with 1 teaspoon gochutgaru, ½ teaspoon dried thyme and ½ teaspoon kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
FOR THE SMOKED MOZZARELLA MORNAY
1. In a medium saucepan add the butter, flour, thyme, garlic, peppercorns, and shallot.
2. Turn on heat to medium and allow the butter and flour to come together, forming a blond roux.
3. Slowly whisk in the whole milk and allow mixture to come to a simmer, scraping down the sides and stirring frequently. Mixture will thicken.
4. Add in the cheese 1/3 at a time, stirring to incorporate.
5. Once cheese is fully melted, turn off heat and transfer into a wide shallow container, placing plastic wrap directly over the sauce.
6. Refrigerate until the sauce is room temp or chilled to the touch.
FOR THE CROQUETTE
1. Bake potatoes at 400°F for about an hour or until tender.
2. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle.
3. Remove the skin and gently fork mash the potatoes while still hot, set aside to cool.
4. Mix together the room temperature or cooled cheese sauce with the corn kernels.
5. Add the kimchi, potatoes, and kimchi juice.
6. Mix until incorporated and season with salt to taste.
7. Form into 2 oz discs, larger or smaller depending on preference.
8. Freeze until firm (optional but makes it easier)
9. Working in batches, dredge each croquette in the flour mixture (be sure to tap off excess before moving on) then in the egg mixture, then in the panko mixture.
10. Deep fry in 350 – 370°F vegetable oil.
11. Garnish with celery leaves tossed in lemon juice, chives, Maldon Salt and lots of shaved black truffles.
12. Serve immediately.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Kristen Kish
Read the OCT ISSUE #83 of Athleisure Mag and see EXPLORATION THROUGH FOOD | Kristen Kish in mag.
This month, we caught up with Brian Baumgartner who The Office fans know played Kevin Malone. We talk about this iconic show that brought us into a branch of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton PA. Viewers enjoyed seeing all the dynamics that are involved with co-workers, engaging in office politics, breaking the 4th wall copiously in a mockumentary style and of course the iconic moment when his character introduced us to his chili! We wanted to know more about how that came together and what led this New York Times Best-Selling Author Brian Baumgartner to drop his own cookbook, Seriously Good Chili Cookbook 177 of the Best Recipes in the World which is available now! We talk about his approach to creating the cookbook, gathering fans of the show as well as chefs who have won awards for their creations and how he really examines the world of chili from including his own recipe, chili con carne, chili verde, white chicken chili, texas chili, other categories and of course Kevin's Famous Chili! We're pleased to share that you'll find our recipe for Mezcal Jalapeño and Tortilla Strips Chili Verde along with my recipe for Mexican Lime Crema in this book with a little story of why this is one of our favorite chilis to make as a connoisseur of the category!
We talk about the impact of The Office, how his enjoyment of the original British series led by Ricky Gervais made him want to be part of the US one, his podcast that peeled the many layer of the onion on how this show came together in The Office Deep Dive Podcast and his other podcast, Off the Beat which digs into some of your other favorite shows and sharing the actors thoughts on it as well as jobs that they had, stories that you may not have heard and moving on from their iconic roles!
ATHLEISURE MAG: We are fans of The Office and we love that you played Kevin Malone. What drew you to the show and the role and what did you enjoy about playing Kevin?
BRIAN BAUMGARTNER: Well look, I was a big fan of the British version of the show and I had recently moved to LA and I knew that they were looking for people that weren’t known. At that point, that was definitely me, I was doing theater at the time, mostly traveling around the country and I knew that they were looking for people. I thought that the British version was genius and nobody at the time knew it, but I knew that that was the part that should be mine and that I should play! I auditioned shortly after I moved to LA and met Greg Daniels (The Office, Parks and Recreation, Hello Ladies) and Ben Silverman (The Office, The Biggest Loser, Running Wild with Bear Grylls) and the rest of the gang there and 10 years later, this is where we’re going!
AM: During the pandemic, I actually enjoyed listening to The Office Deep Dive podcast. What made you want to do that Project? It was great to hear you go behind the scenes.
BB: You know, truly it may be the first show in TV history that got bigger once we were done filming. I mean the explosion of the show over the last 3, 4, 5 years is insane. For me, it truly started with a question which was – why, how did this happen and why are younger people watching the show? This was not a show that we were making for young people and I’ll be totally honest about that! It’s not that they were excluded, but we thought it was for people that could relate to people who were in offices – meaning people who worked in offices. For me, getting the gang back together again and trying to figure out what happened and if we could find some clues in terms of how the show was set up, written and acted and the style and all of that on why people were so drawn to it. So that was the reason for getting everybody back together.
AM: Love that and honestly, it’s great with the format as there’s something about constantly breaking the 4th wall! Seeing other people who since that show aired have been successful with that like Abbott Elementary that does this as well. I think that rawness, working in an office and what that means – it definitely grabbed people!
BB: Nice, thank you!
AM: Where did Kevin’s love of chili come from? Did you create that or did it come from the writer’s room? How did that happen?
BB: No, that was the writers. I think that the show and why a lot of people still respond to the show is that it is a celebration of ordinary people. So I think that the writers were constantly looking for character traits that allowed these characters to thrive in certain settings. So that was totally them and they had the idea that this was the thing that Kevin does the best! I never imagined that we would still be talking about it all these years later! It was just a scene that I thought that was funny and well done and it required a lot of hours of rehearsal and preparation because of you know the mess that we all knew it was going to be. But, yeah I never imagined that we would still be talking about it or that I would have a chili cookbook!
AM: Where does your love of chili come from?
BB: It really was that. I am a cook. I probably 5 times a week I’m at the grill usually doing something or some other sort of thing. It was a little bit of time after that scene had happened and I had the idea. It was a fall day and I’m sure that there was football coming on and I thought that I would make some chili. I found a recipe, made it and I’m sure I took a picture. Because pic or it didn’t happen. I took a picture of it and posted it online and people went bananas. They just thought that it was the funniest thing. So, it didn’t occur to me at that point that people would respond that way. So I kept making it and I think that I did a pretty good job and now I have my own recipe and I continue to change, develop and experiment with and I was invited to The World Championship Chili Cook Off. There are hundreds of people there and there are all kinds of chili and everyone who is there is already a champion and they have won their state, region, district or whatever!
So, these are all people who know what they are doing and there is something about the culture of it that I just love! It’s people that are celebrating each other, getting tips and I think that I consider chili to be communal – you don’t make a pot of chili for yourself. It’s not something that you do. It’s all about sharing it with friends or family or around some event. So I like that aspect of it as you’re usually not doing it by yourself. It’s usually about community I think. I say it not to be cheesy at all – that’s what it is. So for me, it’s particularly fun. So I had the idea to assemble the best recipes around that I could find. We have so many of the World Champion recipes the International Chili Society – we got access to put a bunch of those recipes in the book, we have chefs, celebrity chefs, fans of the show who we also got submissions from, publications and other cooking organizations and sites. We tried our best to taste them all and to vet them! The truth is in the number, we were looking to try and get 100 – there are 177 of them! I mean they just coming in and they were so good, so interesting and so different, we wanted to have something for everyone! So there ended up being 177 of them and I am proud of all of them that are in this book!
AM: That’s amazing! I’m from Indiana originally, I live in NY and I love chili. Indiana chili is a big thing. What I do love about it is that you have all of these varieties. I grew up on Skyline Chili.
BB: Sure!
AM: But because of Athleisure Mag and everything else like that, I had started making for years a green type of chili instead of using a red based one. So the recipe we submitted was the Mezcal Jalapeño Tortilla Strip Chili Verde recipe!
BB: Nice!
AM: Yes, because I love Mezcal so that was a thing and when we were making it, I had never added Mezcal before, but it was so good and so tasty! So what were your 3 favorite ones that are in this cookbook?
BB: Well I mean I guess I have to start with mine!
AM: Right!
BB: So there’s that. I just made a couple of weeks ago finally, a chili that I had just loved and that I had tasted last year at the championships which was a finalist which was a Chicken White Bean Chili that starts with grilling chicken, chopping chicken – I had never done anything like it before. I had never made anything like it before and it was delicious! So good, I made it and can't wait to make it again because it was so good. And then the one that actually won last year and I had passed 3 chilis to the final, one which won as well – which was much more traditional in the homestyle category. Which basically means, chili with beans, but more traditional that won that was really delicious.
Yeah, personally, I have not made all 177! I have tasted a lot, but I am going to work my way through it. I just made a note for the Mezcal – I’m going for it!
AM: Oh yeah, it has 3 different meats in it – love it! It was great as it was on brand for Athleisure Mag, but it is Mezcal and that room smokes when you add it!
BB: Nice!
AM: So your book had been in preorder the last few months and it drops on Sep 13th.
BB: That’s right!
AM: What are the things that you’re going to do to promote it? Are you going to be on Good Morning America doing chili demos?
BB: I think that the Today Show – I will be in NY running around going to Barnes & Noble there, The Strand will have signed copies of the book. So yeah, you’ll see me around making chili for sure on various programs.
AM: Outside of your cookbook, you have a podcast called Off the Beat can you tell me about this?
BB: Yeah, in fact, I was a couple of minutes late talking to you because I was talking with Kevin Pollack (Billions, American Crime Story, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Busy Philipps (Dawson’s Creek, Vice Principals, Girls5eva) who are going to be upcoming guests. Yeah, it was born out of The Office Deep Dive and the conversations that I had with my old co-workers there and I just loved diving deep into the story. That was much more about The Office and the show. But for this, my idea was to talk to people about the unexpected moments that shaped them and their careers. Like what brought them on and led them to their specific journeys that they’re on. So I have just loved doing it. I have been able to talk in a different way with so many old friends that I never knew their story and then new friends as well! So, I’m having so much fun doing that and I encourage everybody to listen!
AM: Are there other projects that you have going on that we should keep an eye out for?
BB: You know, right now, we’re selling books!
AM: Oh yeah, you’re the book man!
BB: Right now I am the book man! I’m going to be going on a tour to some colleges and elsewhere coming up soon so look for dates on that!
PHOTO COURTESY | Brian Baumgartner
Read the SEP ISSUE #81 of Athleisure Mag and see CHILI IS COMMUNITY | Brian Baumgartner in mag.
For the past few months, we have been excited for STARZ's The Serpent Queen as it tells us the story of Catherine De Medici. We caught up with Samantha Morton who plays Catherine as she fills us in how she approached it and why this show spoke to her.
ATHLEISURE MAG: What drew you to want to be in the Serpent Queen and obviously, being Catherine Medici?
SAMANTHA MORTON: I think that firstly, it’s an incredible role to play as an actress and to be given the opportunity to play her. To play somebody that goes from being an orphan, the daughter of a shopkeeper and to be put in a convent to then marrying a prince, be sent off to a different country – child trafficking basically. Them having to be an adult, a child in an adult’s world. To then becoming Queen of France to then becoming Regent is incredible. And so, that is what drew me to the role and I had been playing another fantastic role for a very long time which is Alpha in The Walking Dead and now the spin-off that we have, Tales of the Walking Dead. That again is another incredible character to play. She’s very complex and it’s a juicy role and I wanted to do something that was going to challenge me as much as Alpha had. You know, when you’ve played that role, the next thing you want to do is something different, but equally as exciting.
AM: Very true and I love that the format of this show between breaking the wall and this modernized version and being able to see Catherine as an adult and also as a child, how did you prepare to play this character?
SM: Firstly, Justin Haythe (The Clearing, Revolutionary Road, Bohemian Rhapsody) who is the showrunner, the writer and the director – I was speaking to him and he sent me the scripts and the synopsis and just getting to grips with what this show was going to be. Then I listened to the audio book about her because it is based on the audio book. That was just fascinating and really really interesting. Then, I tried to find portraits of her – photographs because I wasn’t able to travel everywhere. I was in NY so whatever I could find online and also trying to understand the time that she lived in. How things were different then and what her world was like, but ultimately, I had to go back and to rely on the scripts because that’s my launch pad – that’s my Bible if you like. That was my everything. And also spending a huge amount of time, thank you very much Justin! I asked a lot of questions and making sure that I understood the dialogue. Looking at who’s who and because I don’t play the younger Catherine, I had to make sure that I was really aware of what Liv Hill (Three Girls, The Great, Serpent Queen) was going through so when I inhabited the older Catherine, that I carried that history.
AM: I like that because seeing you and Liv go back and forth, how much did the two of you work together? We see bones of how she will be when she is older and then we see certain uncertainties in the beginning – how much work was that between the two of you?
SM: We had quite a few conversations where we talked about our interpretations with the character, falling in love because of her relationship with Henry and my relationship with Henry. And then we were trying to talk about – a little bit about ourselves personally. This way, I don’t know so that we had a connection which we did and we’re both from a very similar part of the world and so we had a similar approach to acting. We have a down to Earth way of acting and about inhabiting the character from the heart – the inside out – rather than the outside in. So that was really nice and we had a voice coach Nia who I had worked with before who then came on board to help Liv understand some of the way that I spoke and things like that. That way, we could have a bit of continuity and likewise, me with her. I had done a lot of period things before so I was used to wearing the corsets - you breathe differently, you walk differently and so just having those conversations!
After talking with Samantha, we took some time to chat with Liv Hill. She plays the younger Catherine and we wanted to know how she approached this role and how she sees this royal.
ATHLEISURE MAG: What drew you to wanting to play in Serpent Queen and playing Catherine Medici?
LIV HILL: I remember reading the script and having a visceral reaction to it and I just felt that I must play this character. It’s a gift for any actress. She’s so multi-layered, she’s vulnerable and also emotionally available and at times she isn’t. She’s weak, she’s strong – all these things and very compassionate, but stoic when needs be. The idea to play her and then to be able to be surrounded by these really talented people as well in every department. I would be so stupid if I didn’t take the opportunity to play her.
AM: I love the subject matter and I remember reading about her in school, but the format of the show is next level and your facial expressions when you’re breaking the 4th wall is so good!
LH: Oh thank you!
AM: It’s so modern. How did you prepare to play this character?
LH: Well I started reading the book Catherine De Medici: Renaissance Queen of France by Leonie Frieda which was really dense with information, but I didn’t finish reading it before we started shooting because it was really thick! But it was very very good! After that, I went to the director, the writer, the producers and a bit with Samantha (Minority Report, The Walking Dead, Tales of the Walking Dead) as well! Just to discuss motivations, intentions – I think that the main thing that I remember is that in playing her with the intentions to survive. I just kind of – literally that’s it! So I dialed that up and down depending on what the scene required, but that was always a state of being.
AM: What’s that like because we’re constantly flashing back and forth between the younger and older self of her. How much work did you do with Samantha when you’re looking at where you need to go or the nexus of where this was going to start?
LH: I mean, we didn’t talk as much as I thought that we were going to which wasn’t a bad thing either. We talked a little bit about Catherine and our interpretation. The main thing I remember her saying was that I needed to trust myself and that she was very happy that I was playing the young Catherine and that felt like a really generous and kind thing for her to say to a young actress. I think that she knew that I felt a little bit overwhelmed to fill her shoes. So, that gave me that relief and it made me do my own thing and I didn’t feel too overwhelmed and imitating Samantha. I just focused on who I thought that Catherine was.
AM: What do you want everyone to take away from in watching this. It’s beautifully done, I love how modern it is, the style of the music! People may not know the story, but what is it that you want audiences to feel in coming to the premier of this?
LH: Well the Serpent Queen has that connotation of being evil and manipulative and two-faced and all that stuff. Even if you don’t know Catherine beforehand and she is known notoriously in history as being this “evil” Queen, you would kind of already have this idea going in – this is what she was. But I hope that audiences take away is that this show debunks that. It shows her in all her glory and in all of her weaknesses as well.
I think that the fact that she remains so resilient and has this unwavering self-belief in herself despite this emotional and physical abuse that she receives throughout her life is very inspiring and I think I think that’s what I hope that most people will take away. Just that inspiration to be resilient in their own lives.
AM: In playing her, how was it to wear the corsets and learn how to do the things that you would normally do in such a constrictive garment?
LH: Yes, I mean that’s exactly it – it was restrictive. That corset was made to keep women restricted in that aspect! Those costumes were some of the most amazing garments that I have ever worn and what it did do for me is that it gave me a different posture. It made me feel more powerful and strong. I gained a confidence that Catherine desperately needed because she was somewhere that she didn’t belong. She needed to keep her strength and it really helped in playing that.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | STARZ/The Serpent Queen
Read the SEP ISSUE #81 of Athleisure Mag and see THE QUEEN’S STATE OF MIND | Serpent Queen in mag.
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelor
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
We’re already counting the days to Jan 23rd when season 27 kicks off with Zach Shallcross who will kick off the new season of ABC’s The Bachelor. As always, we like seeing who will be competing over the next few weeks.
Each night during this season, we tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
This month our cover story is from World Cup Champion French footballer, Paul Pogba who plays for the Serie A club Juventus and the France National Team. Pogba has had a phenomenal career that has included consecutve Serie A titles, 2 Coppa Italia and 2 Supercoppa Italiana titles, a Golden Boy Award in 2013, he starred and was named player of the tournament for France U20 World Cup triumph over Uruguay, UEFA Europa League and was named into the PFA Team of the Year. As a member of the French team, he won the 2018 FIFA World Cup scoring in the final, where they currently hold the title.
With his dynamic presence, we wanted to find out more about his passion for the sport, his position as a midfielder, being back with Juventus and more!
ATHLEISURE MAG: When was the moment that you realized you fell in love with football and wanted to do this as a career?
PAUL POGBA: My love for football started from a very young age in Roissy en Brie, I was fortunate to quickly realize that football was my passion and that I wanted to pursue this as a career. I always had the ball at my feet whether that was in the park or at school from the time the sun rises till dawn, I had to be yelled at by my mum to go home. Although it wasn’t an easy path, but I always believed with hard work and determination I will be able to fulfill my dream.
AM: Tell us about playing as a midfielder.
PP: Throughout my career I have always played as a midfielder, I really like this position. I think the midfield is the heart of a team, the engine from where most actions start. Although midfielders may have different roles, but my position allows me to get creative and be in control. I do believe it’s the right position for me because I have a visionary mindset.
AM: We enjoyed The Pogmentary which gave us a lot of insight into your passion for the sport and how you approach it. What are 3 workout routines that we can for arms, legs and abs?
What are 3 workout routines that we can do for arms, legs and abs?
PP: I could easily suggest some workout routines and how to exercise them, however this might not work for everybody. My advice is to try different workout routines according to your level of physical preparation and learn what works best for you. Sport in general is good for both our mental and physical health, therefore I encourage everyone to get involved. Even for us who play professional sports we follow certain routines that are not necessarily good for others, this is the reason some of us professionals have personalized physical activities which works best for us.
AM: Do you have any game day routines?
PP: Of course, as you may know I am a religious person, so I make sure I do my prayers, but the rest I’m keeping it a secret.
AM: What does it mean to come back to Juventus and what are you looking forward to?
PP: My return to Juventus was a choice of heart, but also a coincidence of goals that Juve and I have. I do believe I fit in well in the team and also outside the field. I have fond memories from the time I lived in Turin, not to mention the extraordinary fans who give me joy with their unconditional support, this definitely keeps me going.
The coincidence of objectives is very clearly both that Juve and I both want to go back to winning trophies like the Scudetto, Champions League etc. We are very motivated and determined to achieve our common goal which is to win.
AM: Throughout your career, you have played for the national team for France which currently holds the World Cup title. What’s it like for you to play for 2 teams and is your approach the same?
PP: Football is a beautiful sport and as I mentioned before I’m very passionate about it. Normally the feelings between playing for the national team or in a club are in some ways the same. Clearly when you play for the national team you know that you represent your country, but also when you play for the club you represent its colors, its tradition, its fans. Both are important.
AM: You have won a number of trophies along with being a World Cup Champion and other accolades, what are 3 of your favorite moments in your career at this point?
PP: The best moments of my career to date are linked to both the national team and the clubs where I played. With the national team, first the Under 20 World Cup victory in 2013 and then the World Cup victory with l’Equipe de France in 2018. Important and unforgettable experiences that have marked my football career. As for the clubs, certainly the debut with United and the first championship won with Juventus are two moments that I will never forget.
AM: When you’re not on the field, how do you take time for yourself when you need to recharge your batteries?
PP: When I am not busy with football, the thing I love most is spending time with my family, my wife and my children. Take them to school, to the park, let them play, in short, lead a life as a father of a family.
IG @paulpogba
PHOTOGRAPHY | FRONT/BACK COVER
Daniele Badolato/Juventus FC Via Getty Images | PG 16 - 21 + 24 - 25 Adidas | PG 22 - 23 Prime Video/Pogmentary |
Read the AUG ISSUE #80 of Athleisure Mag and see AND IT’S JUST THE BEGINNING | Paul Pogba in mag.
We always like chatting with those who are in the POWER universe. STARZ's POW- ER BOOK III Raising Kanan is back for Season 2 on Aug 14th. We caught up with its creator, executive producer and writer, Sascha Penn (POWER, Survivor's Remorse, CREED II) and two of the stars from the show Hailey Kilgore (Respect, Ain't Misbe- havin', Into the Woods) who plays Jukebox and Omar Dorsey (Genius: Aretha, Queen Sugar, Halloween Kills) who plays Cartier.
We caught up with them to talk about how they prepare for being in this series from channeling the era of the 90's as an actor as well as to get the feel of the show through music and clothing. We talk about where we left these characters last season and where we find them now. More importantly, we look at how this show, as a prequel, has a set destination while having the challenge to create the origin story that we have the ability to see the connective tissue of those involved!
ATHLEISURE MAG: You were a producer and writer for the flagship POWER - how did that transition feel when you became the creator for POWER BOOK III: Raising Kanan for the roles of showrunner, executive producer and writer?
SASCHA PENN: I will tell you that Courtney Kemp who is obviously the creator of POWER, she warned me! She said, “I don’t know if you want this job!” She was right ha ha!
It’s a lot more work, it’s a lot more responsibility. Obviously, I had to create a world that didn’t exist whereas the other POWER BOOK’s do have the luxury of characters that are already in the original POWER. So in the case of this particular series, there’s a lot of invention that had to happen and that was a real challenge and still staying true to the original series, that’s always important!
AM: Absolutely!
SP: To have it feel part of that and at the same time, distinct from it, that’s part of the challenge. As well as the fact that you know how the story is going to end with Kanan (Mekai Curtis) if you watch the original POWER. So how do you make that interesting? How do you make that compelling? I mean, it’s a very very different job, and Courtney, I appreciate her warning me because she was right, but it’s a great job too and I can’t complain.
AM: What’s your creative process like? Like you said, you're establishing a be- ginning of the universe and yet you know where it’s ultimately going to go.
SP: Yeah, first off, I’m very fortunate that I have a room full of writers to help me figure out these stories and to deconstruct these characters and then build them back up. You know, the process is that really in TV, you start from the characters. That’s the starting point for everything in TV. We had Kanan and then it was the question of again, to your point – we know how the story ends, where do we start? It’s not that interesting to tell the story of a sociopath if that’s how he starts! We really landed and I hope that it works that this is a family drama. It’s the story of this family – Kanan’s family and understanding how he became who he became. If you’ve watched it, you know that he has started out from a different spot then where he ended.
AM: What are you excited about in terms of Season 2 with the storylines and dif- ferent things that you can share with us?
SP: I think what’s exciting is first off, there’s this business of how Season 1 ended that we have to clean up right? That’s a real challenge because it ended in such a dramatic fashion and so you know that obviously that had an impact on Raq (Patina Miller) and Kanan’s relationship and the family in general. At the same time, she’s balancing these very personal issues with her expanding business. That is in some respect the balance that we all have to sort of address which is work and life and how do we do it? In her case, the stakes are significantly higher. But you know what's great in Season 2 and really any series that gets another season or multiple seasons, you get the opportunity to go deeper, go into different places and really get the opportunity to explore these different characters in a way that you haven’t before. In this series, we’re fortunate that we have incredible actors who are doing it. That’s the other thing. In Season 1, you don’t to- tally know what you’re going to get and in the case of Raising Kanan we have been so fortunate that the actors have been so incredible and it really allows it to be able to write bigger storylines and dramatic moments because these actors can kind of do anything!
AM: It feels like that in addition to the great characters and the storyline, having it set in the 90’s, you have the music and just the clothing that’s also another character. It’s just as big and brings that ambiance factor. How was it to navigate that? Getting clothes and sneakers that are distinct to the era?
SP: It’s a huge challenge and that’s a great question because it’s a huge, huge challenge! It’s probably one of our great- est challenges because of course, all the great sneaker releases when they release the Jordans, like the Jordans 5, they look slightly different from the ones of that era. So we have to be really careful because you know, the viewers they know better than we do and they will call us out! Twitter is undefeated! So it really is a big job and we are very fortunate, we have a Costume Designer Tsigie White who spends months and months and months going through people’s warehouses and closets trying to find the original deadstock stuff that we use. We’ve also been fortunate that we’ve worked with designers of that era like Dapper Dan who have built stuff for us like Unique’s (Joey Bada$$) outfits, those are original Dapper Dan – such as that jacket. The goods news is what’s old is new again and all this 90s stuff like Sergio Tacchini is back!
Looking at the show, we got to see the complexity of having the character's ends set in stone while also being able to really dig into who they were before who they came to be in POWER and even as they continue in the other portions of the POWER universe!
We wanted to talk with Hailey who is one of the actors who plays a character that we saw in POWER, Jukebox. We wanted to know how she came to the show, connected to her character and how she found her way to catch the 90's vibe of that time and in NYC in order to bring her to light. We also wanted to find out about Omar and his character Cartier.
ATHLEISURE MAG: You play Jukebox and Cartier, what attracted you to want to be this character as well as to be part of this show?
HAILEY KILGORE: I was so into being a princess when I was younger. I wanted to play princesses and I wanted to be a damsel in distress and that’s exactly what I got to do when I was on Broadway and I did my first couple of roles. I remember calling my team at one point and saying, “I want to do something gritty, do something different. I want to get down in the mud and really go there with a character!” So Jukebox came into my inbox and I was just immediately so pulled to this character and her story and who she is at her core. So yeah, I was like, I’m absolutely going to do this, I’m a huge Anika Noni Rose (The Princess and the Frog, THEM, POWER) fan. She was the original Jukebox on POWER as an adult.
AM: It was like perfect kismet! What about you Omar?
OMAR DORSEY: Honestly, I was into the Raising Kanan from the first episode because of Patina Miller (Madam Secretary, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 + 2, The Many Saints of Newark). I think she is one of our most gifted artists. I did a stage reading for a Broadway show with her a few years ago and was impressed with her. So, when I got the call about the show, Patina was the first thing I thought about.
AM: What’s it like for you preparing since this takes place in the 90’s as you’re playing the character and taking on this iconic era.
HK: Yeah, that was a very very different time and especially in NYC in the 90’s. Oooo it was such a different time and women really had to survive on a day-to-day basis. I really just went to the root. I watched a lot of documentaries. I listened to a lot of rappers that came up in NY. If you just listen and pay attention, you hear the struggle and the pain. It’s so interesting because to them, it was an everyday scenario. So, I just really like to ground my performance in the realism of survival. Jukebox really wears that mask. You see with her family that she’s silly and wants to laugh and she can cry and confide in them. But then, when she’s out in public, she’s stoned face and I have fun with that.
OD: With Raising Kanan taking place in the 90’s, the preparation was easy for me. The 90’s were quite a time for me. I was in high school and listening to all the music, wearing all the clothes that we did in the show. I felt like I was pretty much taken into a time machine.
AM: Where do we leave Jukebox in Season 1 and where do we pick up with her again heading into Season 2?
HK: Season 1 leaves Juke really heartbroken and so when we come back, we see her as quite a shell of herself. We see how she starts picking up the pieces and put- ting them back together in her own way.
AM: Tell us about Cartier “Duns” Fareed and what can we expect from his as we watch him this season?
OD: Cartier is an international man of mystery. What does he do to make all the money that he has? He's a Shakespeare spewing, art collecting gent ... with a serious secret. Let’s just say he introduces people to each other.
AM: Hailey, you are involved in so many things and the fact that you are part of the world of Broadway and TV as well, what are some upcoming projects that you have going on that we should keep an eye out for?
HK: I have a couple of projects coming out! I finally, have really invested my time into music so I will be dropping an EP very very soon. My first single off that EP, Worth It, drops on Aug 12th which I’m so excited about! This will be my first time leading a movie, it’s called Cinnamon and that will be coming out very very soon.
AM: Omar, we have enjoyed seeing you in a number of projects from Ray Donovan, Genius, Queen Sugar and even being Pastor Green in The Lower Bottoms podcast! What are some other projects coming up that we should keep an eye out for?
OD: Queen Sugar’s final season airs Sep- tember 6th. I’m so very excited for the world to see the culmination of the entire Bordelon clan. Hollywood and Vi (Tiffany Lifford) in particular. Their love has been an inspiration to see on TV weekly for almost a decade. I’m also returning to the Halloween franchise as Sheriff Barker for the finale of the Blumhouse produced trilogy, “Halloween Ends.” I think old Mike Meyers will finally meet his match!
IG @pennsascha
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | STARZ/POWER BOOK III: Raising Kanan
Read the AUG ISSUE #80 of Athleisure Mag and see IT’S ALL ABOUT FAMILY | POWER BOOK III: RAISING KANAN Season 2.
Hip hop has a number of sub genres that we can enjoy when we're at our favorite club, dance festival, studio class or just hanging out at home. We've been long time fans of Bounce, a New Orleans sound that make it impossible to not dance to. A number of people are associated with this sound as well as popularizing it!
In this month's issue we catch up with Big Freedia, the Queen Diva who is known for Bounce music. Whether it's watching her successful show Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce which gave access to her life on tour as well as just navigating the industry, watching performances or even seeing her in shows as HBO's Treme, guest judging on Rupaul's Drag Race All Stars or this season's P-Valley on STARZ - the focus to push New Orleans as well as this genre is always at the forefront of her efforts. Without a doubt, she is known for her Big Diva Energy whether she's in the studio or outside of it. We wanted to take some time to find out about what The Queen of Bounce is working on, collaborating with Beyoncé and partnering up with No Kid Hungry to combat food insecurity among children!
ATHLEISURE MAG: You’re known for popularizing the hip hop genre, bounce music. Can you tell us more about what this is and its link to New Orleans?
BIG FREEDIA: Bounce music is a fast-paced call and response style of hip hop that was born in New Orleans in the late 80s and popularized globally in the mid-late 90s with Cash Money Millionaires (Juvenile, Mannie Fresh, Lil Wayne).
AM: You were sampled on Beyoncé’s Formation, but what was it like to collaborate with her on Break My Soul and the video?
BF: Working in any capacity with Beyoncé is incredible. I am always – and still have to pinch myself to see if this is really happening!
AM: New Orleans means a lot to you and you recently partnered with No Kid Hungry X Williams-Sonoma in creating a spatula where proceeds will go to providing funds for children to reduce food insecurity.
Why did you want to participate this year and why was it important for you to be involved?
BF: I feel very strongly about helping the kids of New Orleans. When you don't have enough food, you can’t focus on school or develop properly. So, to me, this is a way to get them the food they need–and help them early.
AM: When you’re not working how do you take time for yourself to recharge your batteries?
BF: To recharge, I have to have nothing on my calendar! I love to cook, hang out with my friends and family.
IG @bigfreedia
PHOTOGRAPHY | PG 136 - 137 Nelson Cosey | 9DRIP PG 60 - 61 Brad Hebert, PG 61 + 63 Nelson Cosey |
Read the AUG ISSUE #80 of Athleisure Mag and see BIG DIVA ENERGY | Big Freedia in mag.
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Craig Sjodin
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
A number of our questions will be answered tonight as we watch everything that went down on ABC’s The Bachelorette. The show kicks off with Jesse Palmer sharing the realities of the season and how both Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey have navigated the past few weeks.
We kick off the episode with Gabby and Erich (which we left them at the end of the last issue) where he reiterated his love with her and that he wants to continue to date her. We know that she wants to leave this experience engaged so it’ll be interesting to see how it goes with them.
We join both of the women where they catch each other up on how their days/dates have been. Rachel lets Gabby know that she only has Tino there and that he is the one for her without a question. She feels that she can’t wait to talk with him to let him know what he means to her. Gabby agrees that he is the perfect match.
The idea that Rachel gave him her first rose and he is getting the last one potentially is so exciting to her. She’s a little nervous, but feels very positive about this. She meets up with Tino and lets him know in a heart to heart that they are a perfect match and that she is so excited to tell him so that he can be comfortable heading into the final rose ceremony. She fills him in and Tino says that he knows that Rachel has dealt with love being given and taken away - he wants her to know that his feelings for her will not be going away.
This is definitely such a moment to see between them, but the picture in picture of Rachel’s face watching back what happened lets us know that all may not be well. As we watch the moment, we see that Tino does ask Rachel to marry him and she agrees. She also gives him her last rose. They leave Mexico on a horse.
Jesse says what we’ve all been thinking - that things must not be right. Rachel says that they are no longer together as in the weeks coming off of the show, he kept alluding to previous relationships which she said didn’t have anything to do with them. After him talking so much, she begins to pull strings and finds out that he had been cheating on her! As they talked it out, he seemed to only be concerned about his image and how he would be perceived on the after show!
Rachel gets advice from Gabby who says that he shouldn’t be concerned about his image and she needs to tell him what she’s thinking. Tino comes over with his notebook “journal” to talk about what happened. It defintiely seems like they both acknowledged that they were having hard times, but she questions how his actions would make sense as they never broke up or were on a break of any kind. As Tino feels that their talking is “circling the drain” he steps out for some fresh air and finds a producer to complain about how he is being treated. He cries and says how he is being maligned and just wants to be broken up with and let out of there! We were never team Tino - but this is so unfortunate that their relationship has devolved to such a point where Tino can’t provide clear answers (without referencing his journal) and sticking it out while he gets the grilling that is deserved when someone feels that you’ve been shady!
As we approach the second hour, Tino comes back to continue talking with her and telling her that he likes that she went to therapy and that kissing the other woman was “tiny” and that he didn’t want to pile up. Tino also claims he’s confused about whether they were still together or not when he kissed someone else and then he steps out again! Rachel comes out to talk with him and he’s on the phone with someone else - she feels disrespected that she can’t get the answers that she deserves. Watching her face as this plays back is so tough as we’ve all been in that moment when we simply want to know the timeline, how everything came together, etc.
Ultimately, Rachel gives back the ring and says that she can’t do this. Tino claimed he wanted to make it work (but earlier he said that he just wanted her to dump him and let him go) - we can appreciate that she chose herself and made sure that she did what was right for her! Even Jesse is shocked about how their relationship took such a surprising turn!
Watching Rachel’s family react to what happened - especially Big Tony is so tough. Katlyn Bristowe who is also in the audience let her know that Tino showed 8 sides of himself and at least she knows that that is not who she would want to be with. Rachel shares that Tino sent her a letter claiming responsibility and saying he was sorry for what happened. He’s actually there to talk with her in person! He does provide a lame series of apologies and he claims he was trying to provide context for what he did (wasn’t she asking him to put things in context while they talked)? Hearing him talk about loving being engaged to her and then transitioning into the first few weeks of episodes when he feels that things got tough for them. He continues to share comments without context of things that happened between the two of them. The lies continue to come out of his mouth and Big Tony is not looking too pleased. The audience is also giving him the silent treatment to him and you can hear audible surprise from all of them (even laughter). The circular conversation between them is on another level.
OK Aven, he comes in from the wings to see Rachel! He asks if she would like to leave there and to catch up! Maybe there is something there between the two!
We’re back with Gabby who’s sitting on the couch alone! We’re definitely hoping for a happy conclusion for her and Erich. We know that Erich likes her and is in love with her, but he did say that he wanted to date her and to not be engaged immediately. He’s saying so many nice things to Gabby and you can see that she’s taking it all in from being called a soulmate to feeling like the only person in the world, loving her - but will he get down on a knee? He does ask her to marry him! She also gives him her final rose. They ride off on a motorcycle together. But before we go to commercial, we hear that Erich and Gabby have had some issues?
Erich comes on stage to join them and it’s the first time that they have been together in public like this. Erich says that it was a tough process to go through but they worked hard to get to that moment. Gabby admits that she was surprised that he actually did propose and she wanted it so badly. Grandpa John was on one of Erich and Gabby’s date at the bowling alley. They both acknowledge that being in the bubble, the relationship is one way and then outside of it, navigating those challenges can be very difficult. Jesse says that social media found that he had dated someone prior to the show and she claims that he broke up with her right before he came on the show. He acknowledges that this happened and Jesse shares the text messages. Erich says that he used the show as an excuse to break up with her and knows that he was wrong for doing it. Gabby adds that he had shared the knowledge of these text messages prior to them being leaked. Gabby doesn’t make an excuse for him and says he was an asshole for doing that. Gabby shares that she’s excited that they can now start living their lives together now that they are public. They can now have shared experiences together. She’s currently on Dancing with the Stars as well.
We’re introduced to the next Bachelor who will be Zach - we’re not surprised. He says that he’s ready to find his person and his best friend. Sean Lowe makes an appearance with his wife, Catherine and they encourage him to enjoy the process. They both provide tips on what he can do to optimize this portion of his journey. It seems like we may see Sean in his season as well. Jesse will also be there.
Of course, no surprise, the journey starts now as he gets to meet some of the initial women who will be on his season. Brooklyn from Texas comes out first, Brianna from Jersey City is the next one to come out, Bailey from Nashville is next, Cat from New York is next and Christina from Nashville, Although we have seen them start the process early, this is the first time that people will be able to vote for who gets America’s First Impression Rose. Zach gives the rose to Brianna and of course we will see all of them at the mansion, but she will be safe the first night as she will go into the house with a rose! Interestingly enough, the new season will start on Jan 23rd.
Each night during this season, we tweeted about The Bachelorette and you chatted along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what are thoughts were! We can’t wait until next season to connect with you guys again on one of our favorite reality shows!
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!
![ERICH [Gabby]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1657589521787-HE4QWFJRS909FS7317ZQ/ERICH_29_Bedminster+NJ.jpg)
![TINO [Rachel]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1657588780832-OYABQ16HOWK8MYX9VA0N/TINO_27_Playa+Del+Rey+CA.jpg)
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