THE ART OF THE SNACK | HYUN

FOR THE ULTIMATE MEAL

We enjoyed a fantastic A5 Wagyu experience here in NYC at HYUN. Whether you're enjoying their fantastic meat selection, cocktails or just the overall ambiance, we suggest making your way to this culinary destination.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us about HYUN and what guests can expect when they come in to dine?

HYUN: Hyun specializes in Japanese A5 Wagyu, offering high quality ingredients such as S-grade sea urchin and seasonal truffle mushroom. Our menu is well balanced and focuses on specific pairings with the A5 Wagyu, so our guests can get the best flavors of the beef.

AM: Can you tell us the background of Chef Jae Kim?

H: The name of our chef is Jae Kim. He is from South Korea and has three businesses in Korea including K-BBQ restaurant. Chef Kim moved to New York City from Korea three years ago to finish his PhD, but when he became homesick, he decided to bring a piece of home to New Yorkers, crafting the idea for HYUN to showcase the traditional time-honored Korean flavors of his homeland.

AM: Can you tell our readers what Wagyu is, what A5 means and the kinds that you offer?

H: Wagyu is Japanese cattle. Japan has a strict rule to grade A5 Wagyu. Wagyu can be graded by A (highest) to C and 5 (highest) to 1. “A to C” is the yield grade (A is above standard, B is standard, and C is below standard). How to grade “5 to 1” depends on marbling scale, color and the brightness and texture of the meat. So A5 is the highest grade given only to the finest Japanese cattle.

AM: The tasting menu that we had was amazing and a great way to enjoy the progression of tastes, seasoning, Wagyu and vegetables – can you share with us 3 signature dishes that you would suggest that we enjoy on our next visit.

H: We have three signature dishes which are A5 Chef’s Cuts, Sot-bap and Chadol-jjim. We have whole A5 cattle shipped from Japan, butchered and trimmed in house. So, we can have these special cuts that you cannot see in the regular market and different BBQ restaurants. We pick the best part of the cattle and serve it as Chef’s Cut. For example, we can divide Ribeye cap, Ribeye roll and Ribeye side strap in Rib loin. Even though we call it ribeye, every cut has a different texture and flavor. We want our guests to experi ence another level of the BBQ experience with Chef’s Cut. Our second dish is Sot-bap, which is clay pot cooked rice with seasonal truffle mushroom and S-grade sea urchin from Japan Hokkaido. It is one of our best-selling dishes. We always use the best selection of sea urchin and truffle mushroom. Sot-bap has well-balanced flavors and great umami taste. Our third one is Chadol-jjim, which is our signature appetizer that comes with a wooden box. It is all steamed A5 beef brisket with perilla leaf and enoki mushrooms with a side of shitake mushroom and king oyster mushroom. We have three different dipping sauces (1. Yuzu ponzu: soy sauce, dashi, dried fish skin, lemon and orange. 2. Honey Soybean: honey, soybean paste. 3. Chili grape: White grape, serrano pepper, and apple vinegar.)

AM: The salts, soy, wasabi and various sauces that you offered really allowed you to taste the dishes in a different way. We’re major fans of the wine salt – what are 3 seasonings that you suggest that those dining should try?

H: We are trying to serve sauces or salts that pair best with each dish, especially the A5 wagyu. As you know, Japanese A5 wagyu is expensive. We want our guests to experience the best flavor of the A5 wagyu with our house made salts. I will suggest a sauce or salt for A5 wagyu such as wild wasabi and house made wine salt.

For lean beef, I would suggest black truffle salt. For any beefy flavor cuts, I will recommend our house made chaya sauce which has cabbage, chive, and soy sauce.

AM: The cocktail menu had a number of sweet and savory options, what are 3 beverages that you suggest that we should try.

H: We have three cocktails that are best sellers. The first one is called “From Jeju.” We use orange from Jeju island in Korea, and it has a refreshing and fruity flavor. The second is called “Mountain Water.” We use Hakkaisan ginjo sake and its flavor is citrusy and pairs well with our food. The third one is called “Cloud Remedy.” It is a smoky and earthy cocktail and has a little bit of citrus flavor. I personally think that it pairs very well with A5 wagyu beef.

AM: We were told that you have plans to include an Omakase within your offerings. When will that take place and what can we expect to see offered?

H: We are launching an A5 Wagyu Omakase soon. Like I mentioned, we get the whole A5 cattle from Japan so we can have main cuts and also secondary cuts. We are going to offer one appetizer soup, wagyu tartare, 11 different cuts of Japanese A5 wagyu, a savory accompaniment (rice bowl and soup) and a homemade dessert. We are also trying to give a new upscale Asian cultural experience to our guests with the Omakase service.

AM: With Valentine’s Day taking place next month, are there any specials you will be offering that our readers should know about?

H: We are going to have a Valentine’s Day special tasting menu with Rose pairing.

We also have a few private dining rooms, which are cozy and romantic. It should be a truly special Valentine’s Day experience at HYUN this year!

IG @_HYUNNYC

Read the Jan Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack | HYUN in mag.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW | RITUALS > RESOLUTIONS

When you're focused on working out, it's important to optimize your hard work with your method of choice, recovery and proper nutrition. Ladders is a sports nutrition brand that offers premium supplements that is co-founded by LeBron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ladder's Chief Nutrition Officer, Adam Bornstein tells us about Ladder and their new challenge Rituals>Resolutions.

ATHLEISURE MAG: LeBron James, his trainer Mike Mancias and Arnold Schwarzenegger coming together to create Ladder is a powerful combination. What led you to Ladder?

ADAM BORNSTEIN: Ladder was one of those opportunities you get where you have no idea what it will become but it's worth all of the time and effort. I was a part of Ladder long before it was ever a brand and growing business. Years ago, after LeBron's cramping game - and Mike’s quest to find better supplements - I was contacted by Arnold Schwarzenegger to help formulate the initial Ladder products that were designed for LeBron. I’d known Arnold for years, and he had seen my approach to nutrition, which is one backed by quality, safety, and results. So, when the opportunity came to formulate something for LeBron, it was one of those projects that are incredibly exciting. When someone puts faith in you to create a supplement that will be used by one of the greatest athletes ever, you not only have to rise to the occasion, but you need to go above and beyond and make what you create so much better than anyone’s expectations. That was the original mission and continues to be what drives me every day at Ladder.

AM: Tell us Ladder’s leading shakes and products? What’s the science behind it?

AB: One of the best aspects of Ladder is we only create products that we know work. So, every single ingredient and every amount needs to be backed up by numerous studies (on people, not animals), to say with confidence that it delivers results for the people that use the products. That means we don't have many products because only a few ingredients are undeniably effective. We have 2 protein powders (whey and plant), a Superfood Greens, and our Pre-workout (energy) product.

With the protein, we tried to examine what makes protein effective, which is the amino acids. In order to unlock all of the benefits of protein - everything from muscle gain and fat loss, to even qualities like better hair, skin, and nails - you need a complete protein that is high in essential amino acids and BCAAs. Many proteins might look good on a label with how much protein it has, but it's using a low-grade protein that won’t deliver all of those benefits.

For our Pre-Workout, we were very interested in a position paper by the International Olympic Committee that examined the most powerful performance supplements. Three ingredients stood out: caffeine, beta-alanine, and creatine. So, we built a product around that core and then added elements to help improve focus and ensure that the caffeine would cause a crash or jitters.

And our Superfood Greens focuses more on the essential nutrients in your body - things like magnesium or Vitamin D - that are very hard to get in your diet.

AM: The Rituals>Resolutions Campaign sounds exciting and productive! What does it emphasize and focus on?

AB: The Rituals>Resolutions campaign is designed to solve the age-old question of why it’s so hard for people to stick to their resolutions and see success. It's not that a resolution is a bad intention, but - by design - it’s set up to fail. Goals without systems can’t succeed. And the best way to build a system is to have a habit. And the best way to create habits that stick is to create a ritual that makes it easier for you to repeatedly do behaviors that will lead to desired outcomes.

Instead of having people do the same thing over and over again, we wanted to celebrate the rituals that create habits. Our goal at Ladder is to help anyone level up and better their best, and this is an important component of sharing how so many successful people are able to experience success at the highest level.

AM: Tell us about the featured Challenge led by master trainer Mike Mancias.

AB: We’re lucky at Ladder to have access to some of the best fitness pros in the world. And for the challenge, Mike Mancias worked with Alex Toussaint - a senior instructor at Peloton - to design a challenge that will improve all aspects of fitness. Together, Mike and Alex designed a workout that is a combination of strength and cardiovascular conditioning, requires minimal equipment, and is flexible so that anyone can fit the plan into their busy schedule. We know that after January, people start falling off with their goals. We wanted to make sure that we provided a challenging workout to keep people on track and offer the support of Mike and Alex to keep people motivated, working hard, and seeing results.

AM: What’s the hashtag to get involved, support and follow along?

AB: The Ladder Challenge really is for everyone. A big part of what Ladder does is it brings people together and builds a community so that people are not alone in their pursuit of living healthier and being more active. And the best part is it is driven by one of the best trainers in the world – who has worked with two of the most successful athletes in history – who are sharing insights and access to a wealth of information with anyone that wants it. Everyone can join the Ladder Challenge and engage with others taking the challenge socially using #LadderChallenge.

@LadderSport

Read the Jan Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know | Rituals > Resolutions in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #49 JAN 2020

This month’s cover and back cover is CNBC’s Global Markets Reporter, Seema Mody. Our cover shoot took place in the LES at Lamia’s Fish Market. We talked with Seema about her career, how she got into the industry and stories she has enjoyed covering. In our feature, Something You Should Know, we found out premium supplement nutrition brand, Ladder and their Results>Revolution challenge. We also share highlights from FRIENDSHIP, an EDM festival that took place earlier this year on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. In this month’s The Art of the Snack, we head to HYUN which is known for their A5 Wagyu beef and the unique ambiance that they provide for those who dine there.

As usual, we have our monthly roundups including our 9LIST (Athleisure Mag’s picks that we’re loving this month in style, beauty and fitness) featured roundups. This month’s 9LIST STORI3S (picks supplied by celebrities) gives us insight into MMA’s Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. As always, you can enjoy Athleisure List (Body Roll Studio and EVEN Hotels), The Pick Me Up, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Style Files, He Rocks This When He Is Out and About, Athleisure Beauty, How to Dress, In Our Bag, #TRIBEGOALS and CBD Beauty.

Read the Jan Issue of Athleisure Mag, Issue #49

THE WHISKEY EXPERIENCE WITH TOMMY TARDIE & DARRON FOY

As the holiday season means that we have a lot more on our plates than usual, the need to find a place to take a moment is key! We made our way to NYC's whiskey destination, The Flatiron Room which is known for its staggering amount of whiskeys that are available, cocktails, entertainment and an experience that's not to be missed. We sat down with Tommy Tardie the founder of the Goodnight Group LLC which is comprised of The Flatiron Room and Fine & Rare to talk about what led to creating these spaces, the importance of cultivating these environments as well as how he stays inspired in the hospitality industry. We also took some time to chat with his head bartender, Darron Foy who lets us know about cocktails that we should try there, his interest in working in this space as well as what we need to have on hand when we try our hand on making cocktails at home.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So before The Flatiron Room, what was your background?

TOMMY TARDIE: My real background and what I went to school for was advertising. I used to be the Creative Director in advertising before I got into hospitality and once I ventured into hospitality, I started with a small lounge, had moderate success with the first lounge. I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if I could charge even more for the same drink and that’s when I went into the nightclub scene. I opened up a couple of different nightclubs and they were very profitable. Margins in nightclubs are pretty high, but it wasn’t a lifestyle that I really enjoyed and I decided that I wanted to stay in hospitality. But if I stayed in hospitality, I wanted to stay in a place that I enjoyed going to. A place that kind of put me as the demographic and that was kind of the genesis of The Flatiron Room. I looked at it and rather than doing field research, I said that I would build a place that I would want to hang out and that I would want to take my friends to.

AM: For those that have not come here, let our readers know what they can expect.

TT: I think the key word is an experience. We want guests to have an experience when they come here. We want there to be theater in the overall experience. When I say theater, people that come here equate that to the music that we have here on stage. The theater is really the whole dynamic of the room! When you walk through the room, of course you’ll see people that are on the stage – that’s part of the theater. But the way that our servers are trained and even the way that they pour their drinks at the table, the way that they climb up and down the ladders, the way that they crush ice from a 1920’s ice crusher – that’s all part of the theater and the choreography of the room.

AM: How many whiskeys do you have here?

TT: Well, that’s a great question and I can’t give you an accurate answer, but I would say around 1,200 – 1,500 unique expressions and that was a journey in and of itself. When I first opened, I thought 250 would be a respectable number. I wanted to have that amount and thought having that would be great. At the time, I thought that I knew a lot about whiskey and over time, I realized that I knew nothing about whiskey! As I started purchasing them, I got into conversations with those that were engaged and knew about the whiskeys and that’s when I went down the route of needing to get more indepth into the knowledge of the whskeys. Prior to working in hospitality, I was a creative director and I tend to be visually oriented – very right brained. So I traveled around a lot to learn about whiskeys and I went a fair amount to Scotland and just met with the distillers and saw how it was made. It really helped with my knowledge a lot. Coming back from these trips, I would come with new whiskeys and 250, turned into 300, which turned into 400, and then 500. What I quickly realized was that once you became known for whiskey, you have a responsibility to guests to have all the new whiskey when it comes in. It wasn’t something that I had factored into my algorithm. The more people came in – I had an obligation. They would say, “oh you haven’t gotten the new release from Glenmorangie?” I’d say, “oh we have to get it.” Then we breached 1,000 and there was no turning back!

AM: Just looking at this room, it’s amazing to see all of these cabinets where people can store their own whiskey – tell us about this.

TT: The idea behind this – I call it Bottle Keep. Before moving to NYC I lived in Hawaii and when I was there, I was into surfing a lot and a lot of my buddies were Japanese. We would travel to Japan quite a few times and I was younger then and we would go to this nightclub district known as Roppongi. I remember that it was such a cool concept that they had these bottles that were stored. At the time I just thought it was really cool and it must have stuck in my longterm memory. So when I opened this, I thought that having been in the nightclub business that I understood Bottle Service. Bottle Service wasn’t something that I wanted to do, but I thought if there was a way to take that concept and maturing it which made me think about my trips to Japan and I thought it would be cool. Also, bottles look cool when they’re displayed and when you hit them with the light as you’re a visual person so you uplight them and they look stunning. Also, in NYC, space is a commodity and I wanted to incorporate the bottles into the architecture. I allocated all this space for the bottles and it was a hard road initially because we had all this space. The first night we sold 3 with friends and family that purchased them. I was like, “wow we have like 800 more to go before this place looks legit.” Over the years, it grew and now, we have more demand than supply. In the manager’s office, we have an actual room where we store extra bottles.

AM: What are your favorite go to whiskeys?

TT: Oh gosh. They change, but I think that anybody that knows whiskey – I mean I could throw it back to you and you’d probably have a hard time answering because it’s very situational. Whiskey is based on the season, time of day, the mood – fortunately I have over 1,000 to choose from for my many moods. I will say that some of my hands down favorites that I tend to revert back to are: Glendronach 18 as my go-to favorite. I love a good Bowmore – if I go with peat then I like to go with something that has a nice balance of Sherry to get that smoky sweet elements and because I’m American, I have to throw in a bourbon. I tend to like bourbon’s cask strength E.H. Taylor is a full proof whiskey. Bourbon – I love Michter’s, Buffalo Trace – some of the Buffalo Trace antique collections are always good. It’s not as affordable as it used to be.

AM: What cocktail do you suggest that our readers should make sure to ask for when they come by?

TT: The one that we’re drinking now is called our Smoking Old Fashioned. We talked earlier about being theatrical and this is one of those kinds of cocktails, but it’s not all fluff. The smoke that’s put in the cocktail – the phenols that are attached to the liquor it gives a residual smoke in the flavor. I like this cocktail because being a visual person, I say that the first drink is with the eyes, the second drink is with the nose and the third drink is with the mouth. So this delivers on all three and when it comes across the room you see the smoke in it. You lift off the cap and it has that wow moment so that when people smell it they say, "wow what is that?" But it delivers on the final product because it happens to taste as good as it looks and as good as it smells.

AM: In terms of pairing whiskeys with various items offered on your menu, what do you suggest?

TT: It’s somewhat of a subjective question. I have been to a lot of tastings where they have paired items with things that people would not normally expect to pair with whiskey. For me, I like to pair cheese with whiskey. It has this creaminess and richness and it coats your mouth first. Having the alcohol interact with the viscosity in your mouth – it does something really special and brings out flavors that you normally wouldn’t expect. I will say that if I am drinking something really old and really fine, and I just want to focus on that, then I don’t want to complicate my palette at all. I don’t want to introduce other flavors in there. If it is something that is moderately priced sure I can experiment with it. But if someone is pouring me a 25-year or a 35-year whiskey – then I just want to enjoy every aspect of that from every subtle nuance. For me, a good whiskey is something that develops on your palette. A lot of people think that you have a sip of whiskey and that’s it. But if you really go in deep on the flavor of whiskey – it evolves – what initially hits your mouth when the alcohol starts to burn off and new flavors will appear, grow and resonate on your palette. I think that’s why it’s such a great sipping drink. You take a sip and sit back and let it have its way across your palette and you just enjoy it.

AM: We know that The Flatiron Room is a great place to come to and with the holiday season upon us, what events can guests come to?

TT: The 4th quarter for us – the holiday season, we have a lot of guests that come in from out of town. Unfortunately, they see that we are closed for private events – it’s the season and many times we’re closed for that. I always recommend that people call in advance to make sure that we are open. With that said, we do have some events that are open during this time where guests can come in and bring their friends and family from out of town so that they can get a taste of old New York. During Thanksgiving we had a great feast which was a prix-fixe dinner. On Christmas Day we have another event. For NYE, we’re throwing a great party and we have a tremendous band – Carte Blanche that will be performing live here. We have a number of great things taking place if you have guests that are in from out of town.

AM: Do you still do inspirational travel when you're looking for new whiskeys?

TT: Yes! It’s one of the best things about the job and getting inspired. I get to go to Scotland quite a bit when I’m over there meeting with people, the distillers, learning about new expressions when they come out. It’s funny because my knowledge base has developed so much and every year, I think that I know a decent amount about whiskey, but then the following year I look back and I think, “gosh I didn’t really know much.” Today if you asked me if I knew a bit about whiskey, I would confidently say yes. If we had the same conversation next year, I’d probably look back and say, “oh wow I knew nothing.” But it’s fun and it’s a fun journey and I love learning as well as traveling and it works out.

AM: What are 3 things that you put in your carry-on when you’re traveling to make the flight easier, or to feel that you’re at home or when you’re relaxing after having copious whiskey tastes?

TT: Great! Headphones for sure, Melatonin is my go to because if I’m traveling to Scotland it tends to be an overnight flight and that gets me there. Also a flask - they're always fun and of course when I come back, I tend to come back with one as well!

AM: You can’t have them get lonely! Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers to let them know about The Flatiron Room?

TT: If you haven’t experienced us yet, please come down and experience us! I think it’s a unique experience especially if you’re a New Yorker and people love those New York Moments. If you haven’t checked out my other property, it’s called Fine & Rare (9 East 37th St NY, NY 10016) and I recommend going there to try that out as well. It’s a similar vibe that is a little more food focused, we also have a large dynamic selection of whiskey!

IG @TheFlatironRoom

@FineAndRareNYC

@GoodNightGroup

@TommyTardie

We find out more about this incredible space from Head Bartender, Darron Foy.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you know you wanted to be a bartender?

DARRON FOY: I think it’s when I came to NY. I bartended for 8 or 9 years before that in Scotland where I’m from. It was admittingly more for financial gain as I was studying at University and I needed extra cash. I very quickly fell in love with the kind of interaction that you can have with the public. It wasn’t so much about the drinks or the crafting of the cocktails. It was actually the interaction and the evolving communication that I had with the public that grasped my love. When I moved to NY, I just noticed that the bartenders in NY – it was cool and you felt like almost important when you are working behind the bar. It was your fortress. So, I really started to delve into cocktails. As a Scotsman, we’re much more happy with a single dram, a gin and tonic or a vodka. But I started to notice very quickly with my background in music and in art that I really enjoyed crafting cocktails. So when I finally applied to come to The Flatiron Room, I had learned the NY basics of cocktails from the Manhattan, Sazeracs etc. I came here and I was immersed into the cocktails that we did at this bar. When I came to NY, I knew this was what I wanted to do to be in engaged with the public, to learn more and to educate. I wanted to perform and it’s a constant back and forth with the public.

AM: What is a shift like here?

DF: It can be anything. Tommy mentioned the word subjective in your interview a few times which I think is the perfect word to use when talking about the hospitality sector! We can have a beautifully nice relaxed night here with fantastic cocktails and great music. We can be slammed to the rafters. You can spend an entire evening not talking to your fellow bartender because you’re flying cocktails out. It’s constantly changing and by being in this – it keeps you on your toes. No day is the same; therefore, you have to be prepared for whatever comes. You may have a great customer, you may have a slightly argumentative customer. You may spend 20 minutes making a simple cocktail and they praise it to the heavens. So everyday in my opinion is a new day! I think again going back to the fact of why I like being a bartender. It’s not monotonous.

AM: What are your 3 favorite cocktails that we should have when we come to the The Flatiron Room?

DF: Normally when customers ask this, I do say whiskey as we have a fantastic collection and as a whiskey lover myself. We showcased the Smoking Old Fashioned – visually again, it’s just a fantastic cocktail. As Tommy said, you drink with your eyes and your senses and we’re trying to create a sensory enjoyment. I believe that Rye Old Fashioned with the Smoking Old Fashioned is just being elevated. Your adding the savory wood tones with the Rye Old Fashioned itself and it becomes a lot more than a simple cocktail.

One that is on the menu right now that I crafted is called the Cardamom Blossom. I’m very proud of this cocktail. It’s a link to my wife’s family and my Scottish background. It’s using cachaça, my wife’s family spent some years in Brazil and once I moved to NY we all met up finally. One of the first gifts that I got was a bottle of cachaça – I was very interested in the flavor. It has a sugar cane note and my wife’s brothers and cousins would make me Caipirinhas – a classic cocktail. I wanted to change it and I noticed that we never had a cachaça cocktail in the bar. So it's a mix of blended scotch whiskey, cachaça, and using orgeat syrup which is an almond syrup which has a nice baking taste to it. We added lemon juice, bitters, some honey and adding cardamom. It’s an egg white cocktail that I love to make – I adore egg cocktails because I like the viscosity of it and the way it looks. But it’s also very light and very plain. I’m proud of it because I think that it is a very elegant drink.

Finally, I personally feel that a very well made Manhattan is such an easy cocktail to create and very easy to muck it up. One of the things that I like to do when I go to a new bar is to order a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned because I want to see how they make it. I’ve had Old Fashioned filled with chunks of orange, cherries and I just like to go back to the classics because to me, that’s not what it is. A well made Manhattan which I think in my opinion, we do well we do well here is just an elegant and standard classic cocktail.

AM: You just shared the Cardamom Blossom that you crafted. How do you go about obtaining inspirations for creating other drinks?

DF: I think that that goes back to communication. Talking with the public, your fellow bartenders and servers. I have a music and artistic background so I feel that I have been creating from the second I could see over the stove, my mother in Scotland had me cooking. I love to cook and I love creating things. I think that I have that artistic ability where I take great pleasure in creating things. I think that people tend to be cautious when trying new things and I hope that people realize that that’s not the way to be. You have to dive into trying new things. So a lot of my experience comes from bar diving with my wife and trying new things from receiving a new whiskey at the bar and smelling it and trying new flavors and what would work with it and it’s a constantly evolving process.

Communication is great and when you talk to fellow industry professionals and why they chose certain bitters or garnishes, it helps to evolve your own personal ability. Communication is key in terms of creating new cocktails.

AM: So for the people who want to make whiskey cocktails at home, what are the things that they should have on hand as many may be a bit hesitant to do this at home?

DF: First of all having the correct tools – strainers, cocktail shakers and stirrers. Even things like good ice. You go back to the very basics when you’re crafting a cocktail. If you’re using broken up ice and it’s breaking into the cocktail, it’s diluting it too much. If you’re wanting to present it a certain way, are you using crushed ice, blazened ice, ice rocks? In terms of experimenting, you know your own palette – again maybe step away from that. If you know that you like a certain flavor and you know you can craft a good cocktail, why not remove that entirely and try something new. You might not like it, but it may open your eyes and head to more ideas and more experimentation. I think good mixers, good bitters can help the process and having a variety of good scotches, whiskeys, ryes, and bourbons etc all promote different flavors and therefore reacts with the palette differently. I love the classics such as the Angostura Bitters and the Peychaud’s Bitters. I mean, 20 years ago especially when it came to Angostura, any recipe that required a bitter would come from this brand! Nowadays, we have a fantastic array of companies, different bitters – the Fee Brothers have a fantastic range with Cherry Blossom, Aztec Chocolate, Almond Bitters and really amazing flavors. You have to experiment! You have to try these things and it’s the same as cooking. You’re not going to know unless you try. So good tills, proper ice and an open mind. You have to go in there with no prejudice and try something new. You may fail, but just pick yourself up and try it again. You can tweak it here and there and then become more confident in your ability. Once that confident grows, it’s easier for you to continue to experiment.

AM: You’re here working with so many different people that come to The Flatiron Room and being so creative. What do you do to take time for yourself when you’re not here?

DF: My wife and I are big foodies. We’re here in NY, we live in Brooklyn and where I live, we have German Beer and where I live, we have German Beer Halls, Japanese joints, I have everything there. We tend to try to find new places for food. I experiment quite a lot on my wife, she’s my biggest critic. I ask her about the cocktails if they are too strong or too sweet. When it comes to down time, it’s probably walking my dog. He’s a little pain, but I do love the little guy. Generally, just relaxing because you’re in a high strung environment. So you need to take time to recharge and I laugh at this, but as bartenders, our time off tends to be in bars because that is where we are comfortable. Even in the house, my wife laughs because she says that I’m stir crazy if I’m sitting down for more than 20 minutes not doing something and I will head to the bar. Maybe it’s the Scottish in me that is more comfortable sitting in a place with alcohol around me, but I feel that bartenders are hermits, we like what we like. We try new things but we gravitate back to the bars that we like. I mean I do go to the gym from time to time but – good food, good drink and just generally recharging your batteries so that you can come back and do your job which is important!

IG @TheLiquidArtist

Hear The Flatiron Room's Owner/ Restaurateur Tommy Tardie and Head Bartender, Darron Foy on our show, Athleisure Kitchen which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.

Read the Dec Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Whiskey Experience with Tommy Tardie & Darron Foy in mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | TSISMIS NYC

FOR THE FLAVOR SEEKER

We swung by TSISMIS NYC for dinner and enjoyed a number of savory dishes, cocktails and chill vibes only. Executive Chef Jappy Afzelius, took time to fine out more about this eclectic restaurant.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about your culinary background, where you trained and restaurants you worked in and a bit about TSISMIS NYC!

CHEF JAPPY AFZELIUS: I'm Filipino born and I learned the fundamentals of French cooking under Alain Ducasse at Chez Allard Bistro in Paris and Benoit Bistro in New York. From there I worked at David Burke Fabrick and the Michelin Bib Gourmand Manila Social Club. Then, I went to Italy, studying the "Slow Food Movement", a grassroots organization devoted to preventing the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions, and in 2018 received my Master's in Food Culture and Communications from the University of Gastronomic Science in Piedmont, Italy. I traveled extensively throughout Europe as well as Japan to further discover global cuisines. At TSISMIS NYC, I deliver a unique menu developed in collaboration with the restaurant's owners and the culinary team, from home-grown recipes with influences from Spanish, Mediterranean and other Asian cuisines.

AM: How do you define the style of cooking that can be enjoyed here?

CHEF JA: Our style of cooking at TSISMIS NYC is eclectic. We use a lot of different techniques that I’ve learned throughout the years and also apply basic science like fermentation and pickling as well. We blend and balance a lot of different flavors together.

AM: What are 3 signature dishes that you suggest?

CHEF JA: The 3 signature dishes from TSISMIS NYC that your readers should know about our Kale Laing, Tinapa Croquetas and Aligue Pasta. I feel that these 3 dishes are what represent TSISMIS NYC as a restaurant and they are crowd favorites as well.

AM: What are 3 signature cocktails that you suggest our readers should enjoy?

CHEF JA: Our cocktails are definitely a must try and the Pickle Pepper Punch, A la Bira and Tsismosa are our signature cocktails that guests love to pair with our food most often.

AM: With the holiday season in full swing, are there any special events or meals that we should keep on our radar?

CHEF JA: We just launched our Boodle Yan special, which I believe you'll enjoy:

Boodle-Yan is a unique dining experience that showcases the rich culinary culture of the Philippines, combining a boodle fight’s military camp style of eating on long tables with the kamayan practice of eating with your hands. The traditional meal celebrates camaraderie and inspires festivity.

This Filipino feast will include a plethora of traditional items with creative touches including chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, fish, fresh vegetables, seasonal fruits and rice, artfully arranged across a bed of banana leaves. All items can be adjusted upon request to fit dietary restrictions and allergies.

To fully submerge in the cultural adventure, guests will dine without any utensils, using only their hands to eat the feast before them.

Boodle-Yan is available only on Sundays from 11am to 8pm through reservation only. There is a six person minimum to reserve. The experience is priced at $45 per person and includes a complimentary glass of sangria.

IG @TSISMISNYC

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack | TSISMIS NYC in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #48 DEC 2019

This month’s cover and back cover is the first female Iron Chef, Restaurateur and TV Personality Chef Cat Cora. Our shoot (as well as the interview which you can hear right now on Athleisure Kitchen) was photographed and recorded at 498 West End Ave #12A, a Louise Phillips Forbes Team property. We talked with Chef Cat Core about her phenomenal career, Cat Cora Inc, her caviar partnership and the phenomenal mentors that she has met along the way. In our feature, Something You Should Know, we sit down with Vello Virkhaus of Xite Labs to talk about his work as a visual designer for amazing EDM, pop artists and more at some of your favorite festivals. We talk about his upcoming project with Bad Bunny for his Puerto Rico concert as well as a number of iconic concerts he created visuals from. Another feature which can also be heard right now on Athleisure Kitchen is the owner of The Flatiron Room and Fine & Rare, Tommy Tardie who talks about his love of whiskey, creating an experience when coming to his venues as well as how he goes about selecting the whiskeys that are offered at his destinations. The Flatiron Room’s head bartender, Darron Foy also talks about cocktails that we should enjoy as well as what we need to know when we are making them at home.

In this month’s The Art of the Snack, we head to TSISMIS NYC to enjoy a twist to Filipino dishes as well as crafted cocktails. We also have our 2nd Holiday Gift Guide for this year for those that are still doing gift exchanges into the new year. 

As usual, we have our monthly roundups including our 9LIST (Athleisure Mag’s picks that we’re loving this month in style, beauty and fitness) featured roundups. This month’s 9LIST STORI3S (picks supplied by celebrities) gives us insight into the People’s Court Judge Marilyn Milian. This month’s 9PLAYLIST (9 songs that our celebs are loving this month) comes from, Actress (Pretty Little Liars, YOU, Dollface) YouTube and Founder of BEIS – Shay Mitchell. As always, you can enjoy Athleisure List ([solidcore] and Caffe Napoli and Napoli Pastry Co.), The Pick Me Up, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Style Files, Rock This When the Ball Drops at Midnight on NYE, Athleisure Beauty, How to Dress, In Our Bag, #TRIBEGOALS and Cacoa Beauty. We have a new pull out feature that we just launched in Athleisure Mag known as Bleisure Mag. Each month, you will see a hotel, restaurant, enjoying an array of experiences in that city and an airport lounge that’s worth checking out for your next flight.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag here.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW WITH NO KID HUNGRY'S JENNY DIRKSEN AND CHEF ELIZABETH FALKNER

Over the past few years, we have enjoyed sharing initiatives that No Kid Hungry creates in order to ensure that childhood hunger is not an issue that has to be a concern in this country. We caught up with No Kid Hungry's Jenny Dirksen who is the National Director of Champion Engagement and Chef Elizabeth Falkner and talked about No Kid Hungry, their initiatives throughout the year and with Thanksgiving and Holiday festivities underway, what we can find on their dinner tables this year! We held this in-depth conversation at The Flatiron Room in NYC.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We’re so excited to have both of you here as we have worked with No Kid Hungry for a number of years and sharing your chef’s stories as well as your initiatives with our readers. We’ve also been fans of your storytelling through food as well Chef Falkner so having both of you here during the holiday season is a treat!

Chef, we’ve seen you on a number of TV shows whether you’re competing, judging, or culinary events such as StarChefs which we just saw you at a few weekends ago in Brooklyn, can you tell us the moment that you realized that you wanted to cook?

CHEF ELIZABETH FALKNER: I never thought about cooking as a culinary profession until I was out living in San Francisco going to art school and working at Williams-Sonoma part-time. Really because what we now call the California Food Revolution was happening all around me. So it felt like an art and political and everything kind of movement. A handful of mostly female chefs were getting all of the agriculture sort of more exciting and most interesting product with more farm to table kind of stuff almost 30 years ago. So it kind of swooped me up. AM: What was the moment for you when you realized you wanted to work within the culinary industry. You have an amazing background as a chef and then being in a managerial role.

PHOTO CREDIT | Paul Farkas (L: Chef ELizabeth Falkner; R: No Kid Hungry’s Jenny Dirksen)

PHOTO CREDIT | Paul Farkas

PHOTO CREDIT | Paul Farkas (L: Athleisure Mag Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director and Co-Exec Producer and Host of Athleisure Kitchen podcast, Kimmie Smith)

JENNY DIRKSEN: I grew up loving food and loving mostly to eat! I took on self-imposed vegetarianism and really educated myself on nutrition and making my own meals. I don’t think that I understood until college that that could make a profession out of that. I was working as a barista at Heyday which is no more, but is like a Dean and Deluca which is also no more and I watched the folks working which were all dudes in the prepared foods part and I thought, “how do you get to do that?” That was the beginning for me and I did get to cook for a few years and I chickened out and went to the office side of the world.

CHEF EF: I wouldn’t call it chickening out, you probably said, “that’s not for me – I want to do something else.”

JD: I think that I had actually injured my back and I said, “I’m not capable of standing up at my station right now chef.” And I had the opportunity to work in the office of the restaurant and not realizing how much fun that would be in supporting everyone that was delighting the guests all day long. Through that, I had the opportunity to move into the executive office where I spent a good chunk of my time and learned that restaurants and chefs can create social change and that was the coolest to me.

AM: How do you define your style of cooking as I know you do sweet and savory and you’re so versatile.

CHEF EF: Well first of all, I don’t like to be stereotyped at all which is just a part of who I am. I love exploring everything through the medium of food. To me, food is a lot like learning languages and I am just really interested in storytelling as food evolves into different places at different times. I think of my style as much more explorative as opposed to a specific genre or ethnicity. I really like exploring everything and the more things that I don’t know, I like to know more about them.

AM: As the National Director of Champion Engagement at No Kid Hungry, tell us about the role you have in this position?

JD: I’m really fortunate as I work alongside our entire team that engages with chefs. So all of the ways that chefs help us to fundraise for the work itself - Taste of the Nation a broad scale tasting event, No Kid Hungry dinners – sometimes they’re intimate sometimes they’re galas, Chefs Cycle and we’re able to take all of these culinary professionals that have worked with us to help us fundraise and we say, “hey do you want to come to Capitol Hill and actually meet with your legislatures and talk to them about what you are fundraising for and ask them for legislative change or appropriations to support legislation that we’re really enthusiastic about? Would you like to lend your voice to media and tell others what we’re doing. Come see the work up close and bring them into schools to see how what we do works up close. I also am in regular touch with some of our most engaged culinary professionals to let them know what we are up to. There is so much nitty gritty in the work and those that say that they really want to know what we are up to, we get that message out to them. What we really want to do is to create a community of caring individuals who are passionate about ending childhood hunger and through doing that, they allow us to grow new fundraising platforms and also new ways of getting the actual work done.

PHOTO COURTESY | The Flatiron Room

AM: How did you decide that you wanted to be a part of this?

CHEF EF: Well a couple of things. First, I’ve been cooking for a long time and I have done events with No Kid Hungry and Share Our Strength many years ago when it first started on the cooking side of things. I do a lot of charity events still even though I don’t work in kitchens full time and that’s just because chefs have this power to influence and to just cook and raise dollars as well as awareness for a lot of things such as No Kid Hungry.

Chefs Cycle has been something that I have been wanting to do. I was running half marathons and the NY Marathon in 2016 and I was like, “how am I going to do both?” I was raising money for Team for Kids because I like for kids to exercise too! Then after last year when I was running 3 marathons, my doctor said, “I don’t think that you should run as much.” I was like, “Great! I’ll sign up for Chefs Cycle.” So I started to do cycling and that’s how it started! Because of that, that it’s not this simple thing to train for. Riding for 300 miles is no joke and training for that is no joke. So I just like the idea that I still like to cook for these kinds of events, but to also be able to do something athletic that’s way out of my comfort zone is also such a good message to show how important it is, but also a great message for chefs to do something like that.

I’m kind of one of those people that are always telling other cooks and people in general that being aware of what you’re eating and ultimately what you’re physically doing is going to help you in the longevity of your career.

AM: How do you train for that? I mean, it’s 300 miles!

CHEF EF: I mean what’s really cool about it is that this year, when we do the ride in Bend, Oregon next June – we’ve formed a team. Adele Nelson, Director, Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry, connected me with Jess Cerra a professional cyclist who just retired. So we just decided to form a team, Team Themyscira because that is where Wonder Woman is from. It’s not exclusively a team for women, but the focus is to get more women riding. Stephanie Izard (first female chef to win BRAVO’s Top Chef Season 4, Chef/Co-Owner of Girl and the Goat, Little Goat and Duck, Duck Goat in Chicago (and James Beard Foundation Award Winner) is also riding and actually just texted me last night asking if men could participate in this. Obviously, we’re not sexist, but it’s a team of really great women. Some have done this race before and Hillary Sterling (Executive Chef at Vic’s in NYC) said, “Hey I am going to be riding” and I told her she had to join my team! Duskie Estes (Food Network food personality as a contestant and judge as well as Chef/Co-Owner of The Black Piglet and Black Pig Meat Co) are also going to ride as well. It’s a bunch of really cool people.

What’s cool is we have a couple of professional cyclists on our team.

JD: Oh yeah, across the board! The cyclists are like, “Cool, we get to hang out with these chefs!”

CHEF EF: They’re already giving us tips and training if we want it. Like, I didn’t know that you’re not supposed to wear underwear underneath your shorts.

AM: Yup, you learn that real quick!

CHEF EF: I was like thanks, I needed to know that this year!

PHOTO COURTESY | The Flatiron Room

AM: When you have completed this race, what do you do after that? Does your body just feel incapacitated for like 2 days?

CHEF EF: By the time you have trained for it, you’re so amped for it. This year in Santa Rosa it was nice the first day and then it rained the last two days. I had never ridden in the rain before so I was a little scared about that as it was something that I hadn’t really done. I was like, I will try it, but if it feels scary, then I will stop. We ended up riding the whole day except for when I met this women from Canada who had a flat about half way in the day which is fine and we came back which I was fine with because it was freezing. Then we got rain gear and on the 3rd day, we were maniacs and we just didn’t really care and we were riding around in the pouring rain. But the camaraderie was just so much fun and everyone was so supportive and it’s a really great event and it raises a lot of money too!

AM: We were just going to ask how much did you raise?

JD: I don’t know the year by year count, but since we have started, we have raised $2.5 million just in the rides and we have about 4 or 5 under our belt.

CHEF EF: Like I raised, $8,500 last year and I’m shooting for at least that this year.

AM: How do you decide on your end what chef goes into what program and what is that process like?

JD: Again, I’m fortunate to have started at this organization which was 20 years in. There were a wealth of chefs that were already taking part. My old boss, Danny Meyer (Founder and CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group) had been on their board for years and years. Knowing people through No Kid Hungry had already been a connection point for me professionally. We’re very lucky that people come to us and that a number of people come through other chefs like when Elizabeth will say, “I did this crazy ride and you have to come do it too.” Sometimes we’re branching into a market that we haven’t been in before and I’ll ask the chefs who we work with who they know. We’ll do some reading. We’re thrilled to have chefs who have been reviewed and have received rewards, but that is not the starting line. I want people who are passionate about food and feeding others and wanting to make a difference. Those are our people.

AM: So non-chefs can also participate?

JD: Everyone has a role in ending childhood hunger! For my specific work, we talk about engaging culinary professionals because there is front of house, beverage folks, office types and those that are involved in making restaurants exciting places for eating and a lot of fun. We want all of those people working with us!

AM: With Thanksgiving, knowing that you guys do things year around, what are initiatives that are taking place during this season that we should know about?

JD: The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is known as Giving Tuesday and it’s a very big day for charitable giving whether doing it in person or online. That’s Dec 3rd this year. You can go to NoKidHungry.org to see everything that we are doing or following us online @NoKidHungry. I think that 2 things that are especially interesting are the generous community at Food52 is benefitting us in our work through their Food52 Holiday Swap which has gone on for years. You bake something and send to someone else and they kind of match make between the bakers and everyone makes a contribution to be involved. That is happening at Food52.com.

This year, we’re benefitting from a fun holiday auction that Bon Appétit is doing they issue a bunch of different covers to go with the Nov issue and you can collect them all. To do that, you can go to Ebay for Charity for No Kid Hungry on that page.

AM: As we head into the Christmas season, are there specific ones for that as well?

JD: I think that end of year giving is the big push at that point. Throughout the year we have these incredible culinary events that we have mentioned: Taste of the Nation, our No Kid Hungry dinners and you can find out more about this through our events page on NoKidHungry.org. Of course there is also Chefs Cycle and we look for folks to make a contribution and to support their favorite chefs at ChefsCycle.org.

CHEF EF: Yeah, you can just support a rider on the website or a team – like Team Themyscira.

AM: Just in case you wanted to know about one team in particular ha!

As someone who is out there whether you’re cooking to raise funds, being at events, charitable functions being on social media etc – how important is it for chefs to do this kind of visibility and activity in terms of their culinary careers?

CHEF EF: I don’t think that a chef has to do things like that. Some people may think that you have to in order to be more successful. I think it depends on where you are. I know a lot of chefs who work in their kitchens and they don’t have time to do stuff like that and I don’t think it’s a negative and you can probably see it in their food. You put that much more work into your food, it’s going to show! I think it’s great when people are showing stuff and the power of social media where people are able to show their food and what they are doing – I think that that is amazing and how that can go around the world.

AM: Will there be another restaurant?

CHEF EF: It’s not my goal to open another restaurant. I have already done that for a good chunk of my life. It’s not that it’s too hard work for me. It’s just that I’m so involved in food policy, food waste and I talk a lot about helping kids, teaching kids and speaking a lot more on all of these different issues. I’m constantly doing recipe development. I don’t even know how I would have another restaurant at this point in my life because I’m so busy!

JD: Well that’s a nice thing!

CHEF EF: Well there’s a lot to do!

AM: We enjoy seeing your social and seeing you do all of the things that you have mentioned and really just getting in there and doing the work.

CHEF EF: I learned a lot from the food business too and if you can do that in what I like to call a theater – the restaurant, but you can also take it on the road these days. I ended up cooking in China this year and I ended up cooking in so many places this year at all of these different places and I actually like cooking with ingredients from different parts of the world too because it helps me change it up.

AM: What are your 3 favorite ingredients to have on hand?

CHEF EF: Oh my goodness. I have to have Olive Oil, that’s a critical one. It changes, but I’m in love with some of the things that I experienced in Asia. I came back loving this fermented Broad Bean Paste which is slightly like fermented Chinese Black Beans which is more like a Fava Bean. It’s a fermented spicy Chinese Sichuan specialty that’s in Mapo Doufu for example. I have this obsession with Chinese food that makes me hungry just thinking about it!

Then I think having Meyer Lemons is kind of one of my favorite ingredients. I’m from California and I need that zest and I love citrus. I still try to sprinkle into my food whenever I can.

AM: What are your 3 favorite ingredients to have on hand?

JD: I’m a big stock person. My slow cooker is always going with chicken stock – I feel that it boosts us. Ginger so good – it’s great for external and internal. Cardamom is another one. It's so holiday to me.

AM: What’s for Thanksgiving this year?

CHEF EF: It’s so funny. I’m making breakfast for my brother and girlfriend for this Thanksgiving. Then they’re going to go to her parents house which I love going to. Her mom is Korean American and I enjoyed going there as she is a really good cook. It’s a cross between classic Thanksgiving dishes and a number of Korean ones and I think that I like all of the Korean ones better! So then I am working on a project right now so I don’t have time to really spend around Thanksgiving so much – so I think that I will just spend time making more Chinese food!

JD: I’m actually getting together with my neighbor and we’re going to brainstorm our menu as we are cooking together. Lots of things happening at the Green Market right now. I have one of those mega Brussel Sprout branches right now. The top sprouts are so huge it looks like Choi and the farmer told me that he actually had people taking it and slow roasting it whole with the stalk in the oven – I’m very curious and may have to go there. Lots of squash – love a red curry squash. There will still be turkey, there will still be pie.

CHEF EF: I feel like, unfortunately, that it’s put all on one day which is not how I really think about this time of year. I think Thanksgiving lasts from Oct – Dec because it’s all about this harvest.

AM: Is there anything else that you want to share with us?

JD: I want everyone to know that everyone has a Strength to Share in the fight against hunger. There are so many ways to get involved and make a difference. You can certainly donate online, host a bake sale, a personal bake sale that you do on your own, attend our events and find an opportunity to speak up on behalf of kids to your elected officials. Once again, all of that can be found on No Kid Hungry.org.

CHEF EF: I just want to say that every dollar helps and I don’t think that any kid should be hungry when they’re going to school or summer programs. How are you going to be able to think or do all the things you need to be a kid at school if you’re hungry?

JD: Elizabeth is right. Every dollar that No Kid Hungry receives, we can connect a kid with up to 10 meals so it’s really impactful!

IG: @NoKidHungry

@ChefFalkner

Hear No Kid Hungry's Jennifer Dirken and Chef Elizabeth Falkner this month on our show, Athleisure Kitchen which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.

Read the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know with No Kid Hungry’s Jenny Dirksen and Chef Elizabeth Falkner in mag.

9LIST STORI3S | HARLEY PASTERNAK

Read the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S with Harley Pasternak in Mag. If you’ve missed previous 9LIST STORI3S or other 9PLAYLIST - see them here.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #47 NOV 2019

This month’s cover and back cover is EDM DJ/Producer and Entrepreneuer Marshmello. We headed out to Bethlehem, PA to the ribbon cutting of Stuffed Puffs plant where he and his manager are equity partners in this sweet treat! We catch up with him on his successes, music and more. In our feature, Something You Should Know, we sit down with Chef Elizabeth Falkner and No Kid Hungry’s Jenny Dirksen to talk about initiatives of this program, holiday meals and more. You can also hear this interview later this month on our podcast show, Athleisure Kitchen which is available on Spotify, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcast and wherever you enjoy listening. We also spent time at the 14th Annual StarChefs International Congress which was a weekend filled with food demonstrations, panels and more for the culinary community. We have a number of interviews in this piece from Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli (of Don Angie), Emily Hyland, Ben Turley and Brent Young of The Meat Hook and you can also listen to the Managing Editor of StarChefs, Will Blunt later on this month on Athleisure Kitchen. We sat down with one of our faves from The Hills and The Hills: New Beginnings’ Whitney Port to find out why she decided to come back to the reality show in it’s reboot as well as what she’s up to, how she takes time for herself and more. In this month’s The Art of the Snack, we head to Midtown East’s Chola which is known for it’s savory Indian cuisine. We also have our Holiday Gift Guide (there is an additional one that will be in the Dec issue out later this month).

As usual, we have our monthly roundups including our 9LIST (Athleisure Mag’s picks that we’re loving this month in style, beauty and fitness) featured roundups. This month’s 9LIST STORI3S (picks supplied by celebrities) gives us insight into Celebrity Trainer, Nutrition Expert, Best Selling Author, TV Personality and Gym Designer – Harley Pasternak. This month’s 9PLAYLIST (9 songs that our celebs are loving this month) comes from, LaLa Anthony of STARZ’s Power. As always, you can enjoy Athleisure List (Crown Plaza HY36 and Murray’s Cheese Mac Bar), The Pick Me Up, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Style Files, Rock This Sleep Style Overnight to Breakfast, Athleisure Beauty, How to Dress, In Our Bag, #TRIBEGOALS and Bergamot Beauty. 

Read the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag, Issue 47.

AUTISM SPEAKS CHEFS GALA 2019

This month, we headed to Cipriani Wall Street to the 13th Annual Autism Speaks Celebrity Chef Gala which is a phenomenal event that has a number of top acclaimed chefs and culinary institutions serving its 400 guests 4 courses of curated meals tableside. In addition to watching these meals that differed by table, attendees heard about a number of the successes that this organization provides for those who are on the spectrum and their family and friends who support them. Since 2007, the Chef Gala has raised more than $13 million in support of the autism community to raise money for research, advocacy, programs and services that support people with autism and their families. This year's event was hosted by Chef Andrew Zimmern along with Co-Chairs, Christina Tosi (Restaurateur and Founding Chef of Milk Bar) and Matt Higgins the Co-Founder/CEO of RSE Ventures, Vice Chairman of Miami Dolphins and Guest Shark on ABC's Shark Tank. It honored Tim Jones, CEO of Publicis Media Americas.

We wanted our readers to know more about autism, what Autism Speaks as an organization provides and to find out more on some of the acclaimed chefs that participated in this event!

ATHLEISURE MAG: What is autism and what does it means to be on the spectrum?

AUTISM SPEAKS: Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 59 children in the United States today.

We know that there is not one autism but many subtypes, most influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Because autism is a spectrum disorder, each person with autism has a distinct set of strengths and challenges. The ways in which people with autism learn, think and problem-solve can range from highly skilled to severely challenged.

Some people with ASD may require significant support in their daily lives, while others may need less support and, in some cases, live entirely independently.

AM: What signs should parents be aware of that indicate that their child could have autism?

AS: Indicators of autism usually appear by age 2 or 3. Some associated development delays can appear even earlier, and often, it can be diagnosed as early as 18 months. Research shows that early intervention leads to positive outcomes later in life for people with autism.

Many children with autism do not show signs, and some who do not have autism show some. That’s why professional evaluation is critical in diagnosing autism. The signs of autism depend on the age of a child and can vary widely – from avoidance of eye contact to lack of babbling or speech to repetitive behaviors.

The M-CHAT (Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers™) can help you determine if a professional should evaluate your child. This simple online autism risk screening questionnaire, available on our website, takes only a few minutes. If you have any concerns about your child's development, don't wait. Speak to your doctor about screening.

AM: How is Autism Speaks a resource to those that are affected by autism whether they have it themselves or are connected to someone that is?

AS: Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. We do this through advocacy and support; increasing understanding and acceptance of people with autism spectrum disorder; and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions.

AM: We enjoyed attending the gala at Cipriani and it was amazing to see that the auction raised over $100K. Are there other events that Autism Speaks has for the remainder of the year that we should keep an eye out for?

AS: This year, thanks to the generosity of both the wonderful chefs and all who attended, Autism Speaks raised $1.3M from the Celebrity Chef Gala. There are many other ways to support Autism Speaks’ mission year-round; you can find more at AutismSpeaks.org/GetInvolved. There are also hundreds of autism-friendly events listed on AutismSpeaks.org.

We had the chance to talk with Autism Speak's President, Angela Geiger at this event to find out about the initiatives that they are focused on as well as why this event in particular is one that is so important to them in terms of their partnership with those in the culinary community. We also interviewed some of our favorite chefs who are at some of the top restaurants in the world.

ANGELA GEIGER | President of Autism Speaks

ATHLEISURE MAG: Why is Autism Speaks so important and what are those initiatives that you are trying to get out about that?

ANGELA GEIGER: We’re celebrating our 15th anniversary of Autism Speaks next year. In the world of health disorders, it’s a short time. The amount of progress that has been made because of the legacy organizations and Autism Speaks being a big tent and really welcoming everyone no matter where you are on the spectrum, and now not just for kids but as adults who have autism who needs support too.

AM: How important is this event in terms of working with the culinary community and having this kind of partnership?

AG: I think one of the really fun things about tonight, is that it allows us to celebrate big victories like things that Autism Speaks has done to help tons of people and it also shines a light on small victories like one of the things that we are going to talk about tonight is and Instagram post that was shared recently where someone tried toast for the first time and it was a really big thing for their family. So it’s important for us to really remember that all of this matters.

AM: How do you feel about your role in this organization and what are the challenges that you’re looking at and excited to take on as we close this year out and go into the next one?

AG: I think that one of the biggest challenges is that autism is a spectrum and there are people with very different challenges and very different opportunities. Making sure that we’re welcoming for everybody is one of the most important things that we can do!

IG @AutismSpeaks

CHEF MARIA LOI Owner & Chef of Loi Estiatorio,

NY, NY

ATHLEISURE MAG: What are your 3 favorite dishes at your restaurant?

CHEF MARIA LOI: Branzino that’s for sure. The Bean Soup – I love it and eat it everyday! And of course, my yogurt!

AM: What are 3 ingredients that you like to always have on hand that is used in a number of the dishes that you like to create?

CHEF ML: Yes of course, it’s easy for me. I always like to have beans, olive oil and honey!

IG @ChefMar

@LoiEstiatorio

CHEF GABRIEL KREUTHER Owner and Michelin Two Star Chef of Gabriel Kreuther, NY, NY

ATHLEISURE MAG: We had the pleasure of enjoying a meal at Eataly via their Chefs Collaborations with your Chef Adam Hill last fall around this time which was phenomenal! Can you share with us the 3 signature dishes that we should be eating at Gabriel Kreuther.

CHEF GABRIEL KREUTHER: I think one of them is the Sturgeon and Sauerkraut Tart, I’m known for the Foie Gras so the Foie Gras Terrine and Pistachio Praline and the Tarte Flambee it’s something that I grew up with that I I love as it’s a simple thing flatbread with cheese and some bacon. But then there is also the Squab and Foie Gras Crostini – it keeps changing with the seasons!

AM: What are your 3 favorite ingredients that you like to cook with?

CHEF GK: Well strangely enough, it keeps moving too – seasonality and too much of the same thing, it’s kind of like you don't want it anymore. I love simple things and also things that are more luxurious. I love caviar in general, I love foie gras in general, but I also love simple things like sauerkraut. So, I like to combine very very simple things with very luxurious things! Right now, I am looking to use the white truffle as the season has just started. Chestnuts are beautiful right now and it just depends and comes down to the mood that you’re in and what you’re looking for and some day you want something more fancy and other days you want something more homey. It all depends – it’s like do you want to drink a good beer or a nice wine? What’s your mood?

AM: We couldn’t agree more and why was it important for you to be participating within this event?

CHEF GK: Well, first of all, it’s very rare to see so many chefs together. It shows also that when an industry wants to come together to do something, and to help science out – we can actually do nice things! I’m always keen to try to help out to raise money in hopes of making a difference somewhere. It’s shown that everything that has been done over the years has made a difference and I think there is hope when people come together to make that difference. Hopefully, making peoples lives come together and to continue that hope is what it’s about!

IG @GabrielKreuther

CHEF RALPH SCAMARDELLA Chef and Partner of Tao Group

ATHLEISURE MAG: We are huge fans of the Tao Group as there are a number of restaurants and moods that you present there. What are 3 signature dishes that we should be trying whether it’s one of your favorite restaurants or various ones throughout your portfolio?

RALPH SCAMARDELLA: Thank you so much! Well at Tao – each Tao is divided up a little bit differently, so they’re unique. The original one (Tao Uptown) has the Satay Bass which is the most iconic dish and downtown (Tao Downtown) we did it a little more of a Chinese style we did some dishes from China like a whole fish – Snapper that’s deep fried and served with garlic and roasted onions. Of course at Lavo, we have our 1lb meatball which we’re world famous for!

AM: And what about the cocktails? What are 3 that we should have in mind on our next visit?

RS: Oh yeah, the Pama Sutra which is Milagro Silver Tequila mixed with Pomegranate Liqueur and Fresh Lime. The TAO-tini is another great one with Belvedere Mango Passion Vodka, Malibu Rum, Cranberry and Fresh Lime. I like a good Manhattan too! I’m more of a beer and wine guy myself!

AM: When you’re not working, what are 3 things that you like to do?

RS: Sleeping, hanging out with the kids and trying to do as many activities as I can and doing yard work and stuff like that. I like gardening, trees and plants – getting into it.

IG @TaoGroup

CHEF MATT HOYLE Chef of Nobu 57

ATHLEISURE MAG: We are huge fans of Nobu what are 3 signature dishes that our readers should enjoy on their next visit?

MATT HOYLE: Nobu Signature dishes – definitely the Black Cod, also the Yellowtail Jalapeño and maybe one of the Tempura dishes like the King Crab or the Sea Urchin.

AM: That definitely sounds good. What are 3 ingredients that you like to use when you’re making your dishes?

MH: So Wagyu Beef in Japan. You don’t need huge amounts of it, but a few bites of it is so nice. I also love some Uni and Sea Urchin from Japan and some from Santa Barbara, California tonight which will have a slightly different taste

AM: Where do you get your inspiration from when you’re creating these dishes?

MH: From the ingredients and then you have all of the things out there. You put them out for customers and you do it a few times and the response is, “yeah it’s great.” You think about that and when you’re making something else, you think back to those dishes to bring them back in a new way! It’s a process and it’s great!

IG @NobuRestaurants.us

CHEF TONY NGUYEN Executive Chef of Crustacean Beverly Hills and Da Lat Rose, Beverly Hills, CA

ATHLEISURE MAG: What are your go to foods?

CHEF TONY NGUYEN: I’m a midwestern boy from St Louis, Missouri – so we know good food, we know comfort food! My go to is fried foods! I love fried chicken, my fiancé makes the best creole food – Jambalaya, Gumbo, smothered chicken and even biscuits and gravy! These are great and when we came here to NY, of course we had to try the pizza, the bagels and more!

AM: Before we talk about your new restaurant that you’re opening, can you tell us about Crustacean Beverly Hills and 3 signature dishes that we should try?

CHEF TN: OK now, the top 3 signature dishes at Crustacean Beverly Hills, The Garlic Noodles, The Roasted Garlic Crab OVER the Garlic Noodles and then something that we brought here tonight is the Tuna Cigars. We made a fake cigar out of an eggroll wrapper if you will, stuffed it with tuna poke and avocado and putting it in a cigar box. If you open it, there might be some smoke that comes out! It’s a nice little starter!

The new restaurant is call Da Lat Rose. Da Lat is a little town in Vietnam that is very similar to San Francisco. Da Lat means the “City of Eternal Spring” and there are a lot of vegetables year around. We’re not talking about peas only being good in March, they’re good the whole year! Just like California, the avocados are good all year. Even here, let’s be real. You can get a decent tomato year around even though they are the best in the summer time. In February, I think that we can both find a good one!

AM: What are your 3 favorite ingredients to cook with?

CHEF TN: Three favorite ingredients – I love garlic, I love shallots ok! My last favorite ingredient is eggs because you can make so many things out of them!

IG @ChefTonyNguyen

@CrustaceanBH

@DaLatRoseBH

PHOTO CREDITS | Getty Images

Read the Oct Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Autism Speaks Chefs Gala 2019 in mag.

9PLAYLIST | RAY DONOVAN'S POOCH HALL

Read the Oct Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Ray Donoavan’s Pooch Hall share his 9PLAYLIST in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #46 OCT 2019

This month’s cover and back cover is 5 X NBA All Star Philadelphia 76ers - Al Horford. We share a profile on him about his career, what led him to sign with the 76ers over the summer and the season date where is team is currently 4-0.. In our feature, Something You Should Know, we interview Dr. Elizabeth Seng and STARZ Power’s LaLa Anthony about migraine conditions – identifying them, why they’re an issue and how one can alleviate their strain. We sit down with Lara Merriken, founder of LARABAR to talk about the creation of the brand, what’s newly added to the line and more. You can read the interview in this month’s issue as well as listen to it on our podcast show, Athleisure Kitchen on iHeart Radio, Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Himalaya, Stitcher and wherever you enjoy listening. In Oct, we attended Autism Speaks Chefs Gala and talked with an array of culinary luminaries (Chef Maria Loi of Loi Estiatorio, Chef Gabriel Kreuther of Michelin Two Starred Gabriel Kreuther, Chef Matt Hoyle of Nobu 57, Chef Tony Nguyen of Crustacean Beverly Hills and Da Lat Rose, Chef Ralph Scamardella of Tao Group) as well as Angela Geiger, President of Autism Speaks. With Awards Season around the corner and the holidays – we’re talking glowing skin with Toska Husted whose clients include Jennifer Aniston and Ashley Busch. This month, we chatted with Chef Jared Sippel of Trattoria Italienne in NYC for The Art of the Snack.

As usual, we have our monthly roundups including our 9LIST (Athleisure Mag’s picks that we’re loving this month in style, beauty and fitness) featured roundups. This month’s 9LIST STORI3S (picks supplied by celebrities) gives us insight into EDM’s DJ and Producer Destructo. Our newest roundup within the 9LIST ecosystem - 9PLAYLIST (9 songs that our celebs are loving this month) is from our 2018 June cover, Pooch Hall of Showtime’s Ray Donovan. As always, you can enjoy Athleisure List (Hotel Athenee and Precision Run), The Pick Me Up, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Style Files, Rock This Look During Sweater Weather, Athleisure Beauty, How to Dress, In Our Bag, #TRIBEGOALS and Lime Beauty. 

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

HIGHER ART & GOOD EATS WITH RON SILVER

We head to the studio office of Ron SIlver's restaurant, Bubby's in the Meat Packing District. Bubby's also located in Tribeca as well as 6 outposts in Japan and is known for its comfort foods. We found out about how he created one of the quintessential destinations for brunch with his passion for great food and keeping it simple. We also talked about how his interests and passions in CBD and THC that led him to create Azuca which compliments food as well as the love for creating art which you can see in his restaurants as well as his show in Mexico City.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So what was the moment that you realized that you wanted to be a chef?

RON SILVER: I would say that there were multiple moments where I realized that I wanted to be a chef. One of the things is that when I was a little kid, I realized that I loved to cook and part of that was because it was mischief – it was fire and knives. So, I take to mischief very well and then I would say another small thing was that my mother took my $5/a week allowance from me and I went to get a job washing dishes. That was $80/a week so that was another realization that was my spot. I washed dishes for a long time.

AM: So when did you wash dishes?

RS: When I was 13.

AM: Ok!

RS: And I washed dishes until I was 21 in and out.

AM: That was a long time to wash dishes.

RS: I liked washing dishes – I did other things in between. I was washing dishes in Alta Ski Resort and I wiped out and broke my rib, I was out for 6 weeks. So I decided during that time that I would be a chef. So I think that was when I really decided to go for it when I was 21.

AM: So what were all the places that you went to in terms of culinary school or restaurants that you worked for prior to coming up with Bubby’s?

RS: I worked for some hotels for awhile and then I moved to Atlanta because I lived in Salt Lake and there wasn’t any real good dining there. I moved to Atlanta and worked for some of the best restaurants in Atlanta and I was offered a scholarship to the Culinary Institute but I did a quick cocktail mathematics and realized that I couldn’t afford that scholarship and didn’t go to school. I moved to NY when I was 24/25 and just worked my way up and I opened Bubby’s when I was 28.

AM: What made you realize that you wanted to open this up and to create this kind of cuisine here?

RS: Well the style of cuisine in the 80s was really weird, nouvelle cuisine with small plates and small portions and I wanted a place that really had good home cooking and large portions on small plates. I really just wanted to cook the food that I wanted to eat.

AM: What’s the average day like for you, being at Bubby’s?

RS: I’ve been running Bubby’s for a long time, 28 years - so my average day at Bubby’s, I am sort of regimented about how I do what I do. I go to Tribeca and have a coffee and go around and talk to everybody. I go around and kind of see if things are looking good and then I come up to Highline and I do the same thing and then I come up here to my office and I’m a painter. So that’s what I want to do when I come up here, is paint. Once I know that everything is kind of locked down, I can paint. I am also in the cannabis business.

AM: We’re going to get that too as well. So you have the 2 restaurants here and the ones in Japan as well.

RS: Yes, 6!

AM: How do you decide where the next place will be for your restaurant and the community that it serves?

RS: Well I suppose that the world decides for me. I’m not a business person really. So the Japanese people called me 10 years ago and I was like, “there’s no way that I’m doing that” and then we were having lunch the next day and I was walking around the space about a week later. I don’t really make a plan.

AM: Do you think that you would create another concept that is outside of Bubby’s that’s something different?

RS: It’s a good question. I don’t have a lot of reason to do that, but at the same time, I do come up with a lot of ideas that are interesting sometimes so I think that the jury is still out on that.

AM: We were at the Specialty Food Show here in NYC and we saw Azuca. We know that you launched it last year. Can you tell us more about why you are in this space and what made you want to create this?

RS: I’ve been in cannabis space since I have been washing dishes really. So, I’ve smoked weed since I was a kid - like everyone in the kitchen does. I think what really inspired me to get into this business was that I felt that I really had something to offer it. Maybe 6 years ago, I discovered that there was a very large problem which is how cannabis edibles deliver. So I really set up to solve that problem in that regard. I was able to make really good progress with that. In a way, it sort of fell in my lap, but I did a ton of research.

AM: What did you initially launch and are there more launches for this year?

RS: So what we have is a technology really. Azuca is a cannabinoid edibles technology and what that means is that it allows edibles to be consumed in an understandable way which is helpful for people who want to take cannabis or CBD or also for people who want to make edibles. We’re very much in the business of helping people understand cannabis edibles.

AM: What are your plans for that looking at the rest of this year and going into next year?

RS: Well, we’re working with some of the biggest cannabis companies in the country and we’re just getting started with those guys. We are selling CBD, edibles – like our sugar Azuca packs which will be available online and in stores soon. We have THC edibles in Massachusetts with a partner up there and we are also talking to people and other countries about CBD stuff.

AM: You’re also a painter. How long have you been painting and what is it about that that draws you to that form of creativity?

RS: I’ve always been an artist and I started Bubby’s so that I could make art. I can’t really answer what draws me to it. I know that if I don’t do it, I get very crappy.

AM: How many paintings do you create a day?

RS: It depends. I am always working on something. At the moment, I’m doing it on paper which is a little quicker than oil paint. So then all these paper things will be mounted on fabric so that is going to be a big job. I can paint a bunch of things it’s just going to take forever to get them mounted.

AM: Will you ever or have you ever been in a gallery?

RS: I had a show in Mexico City in August.

AM: Wow how exciting! How many pieces were in that show and were you nervous?

RS: 40 pieces and yes it was my first show!

AM: Congratulations! What are 3 signature dishes that we should eat when we come to Bubby’s?

RS: Well the Fried Chicken and pancakes, that’s a thing to eat, we have really good Watermelon Lemonade – that’s a thing to drink and the biscuits! Well the burgers are great too!

AM: When you’re not painting and you’re not focused on Azuca and Bubby’s – what are 3 things that we could find you doing in terms of relaxing and getting your athleisure on?

RS: Smoking bong hits, reading and I have 4 kids.

AM: Do you have any philanthropic efforts that you are a part of that you would like to share?

RS: Bubby’s does a lot of philanthropy. We give stuff to people all the time and support a number of things like New York City's oldest men’s shelter - New York City Rescue Mission. Azuca will have a huge amount of social stuff to do because the cannabis business is very ripe for a lot of different opportunities for a lot of different people who deserve them and don’t have them. So we’re very focused on how we are going to sort of set our company up so that it is incorporating the social aspects of things that we need. Especially the War on Drugs that has been particularly hard on brown people and we’re very much focused on making sure that we’re staying aware of creating opportunities almost in an artificial way. We’re getting a lot of help thinking about that and it’s the biggest deal. In setting up our company it’s run by women and my CEO as well as everyone in the company really has a deep moral compass. I think the jury is out on how we are going to be helpful. Not just philanthropically but also responsible and opportunity creating way. Philanthropy is great, but I think it’s a lot of challenge to create actual opportunity and we’re very much so focused on that.

AM: What legacy do you look to leave behind with all of the fingerprints that you have put down on all these areas?

RS: That is a tough question. I hope that I leave something behind that my kids are part of and something that continues to do good work after I’m gone and maybe I hope to leave behind a bunch of beautiful stuff.

IG @Bubbys

You can hear Ron Silver right now on our show, Athleisure Kitchen which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.

Read the September Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Higher Art & Good Eats with Ron Silver in mag.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW WITH TRACY WOLFSON

When you're enjoying your favorite sport, more than likely, it's more than just watching the game, it's about the mechanics, knowing about the team, specific players, coaching staff, its history, how you feel about it in terms of memories growing up and more. It's about the storylines and how sports is immersed in our day to day lives from the community, pop culture, social good and entertainment. We had the chance right before the start of the 100th season of the NFL, to talk with Tracy Wolfson 4 X Emmy Nominated Lead Reporter, NFL ON CBS, NCAA Basketball and Studio Host for the network. We talked about when she fell in love with sports, her journey in sports broadcasting that brought her to CBS, the importance of preparation in her field and storylines that are exciting to keep an eye out for.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment when you realized that you wanted to work in sports?

TRACY WOLFSON: I was about 7 or 8 years old. I was sitting in my room, I was a little tomboy and all I really wanted to do was watch sports. My parents had no idea how I came to wanting to do that. I had no brothers, my father wasn’t really into sports, but I became obsessed with it and I became so intrigued with every sport out there. So, that’s when I decided that I would do everything that I possibly could to be a reporter and to talk about sports for the rest of my life. I watched the NBA Inside Stuff which I’m dating myself, but back then, it was Ahmad Rashad and Willow Bay. I said, “you know what? If Willow Bay can do it, then I can do it.” That’s when I decided to do it.

AM: Wow, well we have had the opportunities to interview a number of broadcasters especially those in sports. What was your journey to get to CBS – how did that happen?

TW: Well it was a really long journey because back then, there wasn’t really a It was a long journey. Back then, there wasn't a blueprint for it and there weren’t a lot of people that you could reach out to and talk to or for anyone to give you advice. I knew I wanted be in sports so I went to the University of Michigan for the academics but also because they were surrounded by sports, so I figured that at least I would be around it. I could meet people and find a way to get into this business that way. I took some communications classes and I did a few internships and met a few people from CBS around that time. They said, “ok when you go back to school, why don’t you help us out when we come to do games? You could be a runner and get water and coffee.” And that’s what I did. I did a bunch of football games and some basketball games. I did some ice skating shows with them and I kind of got my foot in the door, but I wanted to be on camera and I didn’t have any experience and there were no classes I could take at Michigan at the time that I started out as a researcher at the time at CBS. They hired me and it was my first job out of college. I would basically get research for all the other reporters and announcers out there and I put portfolios together. I was there for about a year and I got the offer to move up to the next level as an Assistant Producer type thing. I said that I would go for it, even though I knew that I wanted to be in front of the camera, but I didn’t have a tape. So I got the interview and the guy said, “I know you love sports and you know sports, but not like the guys do.” I was like – huh? That was my first experience of being a woman in this business so, I said, “really?” It was like the best kick in the pants that I could have gotten – I was like, “I’m out of here.” He’s no longer with CBS by the way. I found a job as an agent representing broadcasters and seeing a completely different side of the business: how to put together a tape, how to sound, how your voice should sound, what you should be wearing and what news directors you are looking for. I sent a bunch of tapes around for other people. I got one girl by the name of Jenna Wolfe who is now out in this business. I got her a job from Upstate New York to Philadelphia. She was my age and she was already in the number 1 market and I said, “oh my gosh, she’s already in the number 1 market and I haven’t even gotten on the market yet – come on! What are we waiting for here?”

So I left and I still had to get in front of the camera. I got a job as a producer on News 12 Long Island producing sports. Every time a reporter went out and did his reports, he’d let me do my reports. I made a fake tape and sent it out all across the country and I got one job in Trenton, NJ. I was never live there and was there for a year and a half. They didn’t have any live sports, so I just did 5 minutes of sportscasts a day – highschool, minor league stuff and college sports. I put together a tape and sent it to some agents and different people and I got a job at MSG Network. I got a job doing Oxygen Sports at the time. I was with ESPN for a year doing college football. It was my first time being live for ESPN College Football ever doing a live game. It was pretty incredible, I didn’t know what I was doing. I was yelling into the microphone. They were like, “you don’t have to yell, that’s why you have a microphone!” So I did whatever I could. I was there for one season and then CBS had an opening for a number 2 reporter and because I had been there, I think they kind of remembered me and I had a lot of friends. It was between a few of us, but then I got the job and now I have been with CBS for 17 years.

AM: You do so much on CBS, as we enjoy seeing you report on the NFL and obviously during the Final Four – what are the different roles that you have there?

TW: I do a lot of different things and it has grown over time. I started at CBS and I covered rodeo, covered auto racing, track and field, tennis, gymnastics – you name it. Anything CBS would have, they would ask me to cover. Now, I specialize a little bit more on just the NFL. I did college football for 10 years covering the SEC. So now it’s just NFL, college basketball and the NCAA Final Four March Madness and I have a show with the most incredibly talented women on CBS Sports Network called We Need to Talk where it’s former athletes whether it’s Summer Sanders (Team USA Swimming 4 X Olympic Medalist, sports commentator, reporter), Dara Torres (Team USA Swimming 12 X Olympic Medalist), Swin Cash (retired WNBA athlete and VP of Basketball Operations and Team Development for the New Orleans Pelicans), Lisa Leslie (retired WNBA athlete, studio analyst for the Orlando Magic broadcasts on Fox Sports Florida and Head Coach for Triplets in the BIG3), Laila Ali (retired undefeated professional boxer and TV host), Amy Trask (former CEO of the Oakland Raiders) and so many other women with different perspectives on sports. We just don’t talk about women’s sports. More often than not, we’re talking about the NFL, but it’s a really good show and it’s something different then my normal reporting. There’s a lot of hosting involved and also just a talk show giving our opinions and our viewpoints. A lot of times our view is different than a man’s.

AM: What we love so much about how you approach it is the fact that you have a storytelling aspect and just getting everyone into it. How do you prepare for your NFL coverage and how does that work with you?

TW: It really stems from my research background. I love it and that’s what you need to do to find the stories. It’s kind of like Groundhog’s Day. You come home on Sunday or Monday, you unpack that wheelie bag, you repack that wheelie bag, and then you get focused on the game at hand. A lot of time, I start back to my previous game. So I know that I have my 2 games and I start studying to find something that's different. I start reading all the beat reporters because they’re there 24 hours a day with those teams. I switch teams every week. So I really read everything that I can find whether it’s on the Internet or what they send us from the teams. I make calls and dig deeper and we’ll have meetings with each of the teams and their star players – the quarterbacks, coordinators, coaches, defensive players and really find out more information. You know the X’s and O’s – you have to know that because your questions are going to come from that and your story lines are going to come from that. But you can also weave in different stories at the same time and I think that that is really the balance between being a good reporter and having the best broadcast – how do you weave those stories in and then what can you find from the field? A lot of the stuff, you can’t prepare for. You’re the eyes and the ears on the field. You’re getting things that the men and the women in the booth can’t get. So, I just run the field over and over again looking, searching and listening whether it’s an injury or something that the offensive line coach may say or maybe it’s the way that a quarterback reacts after throwing an interception. You try and bring that to light and bring it to the broadcast and make the viewer at home feel like they are right in the game.

AM: How do you take time for yourself as you’re all over the place with your travels. How do you manage it all by having a family as well as your schedule?

TW: The juggling is really difficult and I tell anyone that wants to get into this business and have their family as well as working on sports and being on the road or anyone that is doing a business and juggling their families, you really do come last. You really have to do that as for me, my number 1 job is actually being a mother. I always say that and I will continue to do this until it doesn’t work for them. If it doesn’t work for them, then I am out! It does work for them because I am able to juggle and I have the experience and I have figured out what’s worked. I know what’s right and how to balance that time.

I make sure that I set my routines for my kids. I get them to bed on time, they get a good night’s sleep and they can get up in the morning feeling refreshed. It makes my job much easier and then they go off to school and that’s when I focus on my work. And then when they come back home, we get back into that routine and once I get their bedtime routine going and getting them into bed, I know that they’re getting their rest and I can focus on myself again and do more work. Then I get myself into a really good routine and I think that that’s the way of really finding time for yourself. If you feel good, if you’re refreshed, if you’re energized, you know that you’re in a good spot and place, then that’s ok. That’s where I really need to be because you’re being spread so thin everyday of our lives.

AM: How essential is it for people to have great sleep and what should we do around that so that we can get it?

TW: I see it from the top watching athletes. They need to get good sleep, they talk about it all the time in order to have peak performance levels out on the field or on the court. Then it starts with me, I need to be at my top game every single day and every time I’m out there. Not only working as a sideline reporter, but waking up early and being on the field for 7-8 hours. But also as a mother being on my peak. I need to be at the top of my game and being refreshed and ready for them. So I try to pass on those routines to them and I truly believe that sleep, especially going into the school year, is so important to set those routines. Being a partner with Sleep Number, I’ve learned and always have been a huge proponent of this by setting up a routine early, getting that consistent schedule down, limiting the light, taking away those phones, Playstations, devices so that they have the time to relax. Understanding that sleep is coming and being consistent with that. An hour before bedtime, I have an 8 year old, a 10 year old and a 13 year old – so all my kids are boys and they’re all hyper with a lot of energy and it’s important to have them wind down.

But the schedules are all different. The 8 year old needs something different than the 13 year old. The schedules stay the same in terms of having them calm down, taking away devices an hour prior to bedtime, they get their reading done in bed and I come in with them and sit down to go over some things with them. Maybe I read with them, they love that and look forward to that and then I turn the light off and I move onto the next kid with my 10 year old who enjoys the same routine. Then the 13 year old, well teens are difficult, they have a lot of stuff. They have sports, a lot of school work, their after school activities and they have their friends and they want to be social. I have to be able to balance that out with him as well and set a good schedule with him. I have to remind him that sleep is crucial in terms of lowering that stress level, making him have that best performance that he can in the classroom and on the field. I talk to him over and over about it and then I show him that I do it and that it’s time for my bed too. I need a schedule also and hopefully I set a good example also for them.

AM: As someone who does travel so much, what are 3 things that are must have in your carryon?

TW: Ok well, I definitely bring sneakers with me. I don’t wear sneakers on the field because I’m only 5’2” and everyone that I interview is a lot taller than me. I actually need the height, but I bring the sneakers with me because I feel that exercise is so important and it gives me a chance to just calm down and to relieve all the stress that’s around me. It allows me to have some alone time which is really important. I definitely bring a little tinted moisturizer that will maybe cover up a little of the bags under my eyes or the imperfections that we all have because that HD screen shows everything! Then, I bring a really good book because a book is really important to set that sleep routine up for me. I want to turn my TV off, I want to limit that light, I want to have that same schedule that I have at home, on the road. That way, I can be ready for that game in the morning. I bring a book, it may not be a lot and I may not have time to read a lot, but I want to be able to put my work away and just focus on relaxing, spending that last hour to chill out and to just have that me time and knowing that I will be refreshed and ready for the morning.

AM: What are you excited for this season?

TW: I’m really excited. We have tremendous match ups and so many exciting things going on at the NFL right now! I’ve been talking about the Cleveland Browns which really excite me with all of their personalities, faces, and the excitement in Cleveland to potentially have a winning team! All the noise – can they handle the pressure, as we kick off the season with that game against the Tennessee Titans. They have questions of their own like who’s going to start as quarterback it’s Marcus Mariota’s team but Ryan Tannehill right in the back? Then you have the Oakland Raiders and Antonio Brown with helmet gate. You also have Jon Gruden and can they get back to their winning ways? Then there’s Le’Veon Bell switching teams and how are the New York Jets going to do? Can they take over and make that next step? Are the New England Patriots going to be back on top again? How is Tom Brady going to perform now at age 42? It’s incredible!

Then you have the Chicago Bears, a team that really made a run at the end of the year. Can Mitchell Trubisky take that next step? I think that their defense is going to be very strong and can they take that North? We can go down that line, but that’s what’s exciting about this season as there are so many storylines and hey, we just found out about the Indianapolis Colts’ Andrew Luck.

AM: YES! We couldn’t believe he retired!

TW: I can’t tell you. I was sitting at home with my kids. We were watching a college football game and when I found the news, my heart kind of sunk. It was so upsetting.

AM: We were preparing questions for this interview and when we heard, we literally went to Twitter on your feed.

TW: I didn’t even know how to react. I got up the next morning and I was still really upset. I have had a lot of time to be around him and he’s such a good person, so smart, he knows the game, comes from a great family, I know his father well and to see the toll that it took to get to this point. You feel for him because of what he’s been going through, you can just imagine over the last few years and it’s so sad that it had to come to that. He’ll be fine and he’s in a good spot because he is so smart and he will have a lot of good opportunities ahead of him.

AM: It definitely tugged at our heart. But it’s a reminder that selfcare is so important and you really have to take care of yourself.

TW: I think that the game is trying to get better too and trying to prevent a lot of those hits and the physical side to it. They’re changing these rules in trying to do that so that players don’t have to go through that as much. It wasn’t necessarily hits to the head, but your body just breaks down after awhile. It was really devastating and that’s yet another storyline with Indianapolis and I know you will be following that!

IG @TracyWolfson

You can hear Tracy Wolfson next month on our show, BUNGALOW SK which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.

Read the Sept Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know with Tracy Wolfson in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #45 SEP 2019

This month’s cover and back cover is WWE Superstar and E! Total Divas (9th season drops Oct 2nd) – Leah Van Dale who wrestles under the name, Carmella. We talk with her about the upcoming season, her journey to the WWE with her background in fitness, cheerleading and dancing and her new wine label. In our feature, Something You Should Know, we interviewed Tracy Wolfson, sports broadcaster for CBS Sports. She talks about women in sports, how she got to where she is, and what she’s excited about for this season in terms of the storylines that are taking place in the NFL which is celebrating its 100th season. We also sat down with Ron Silver of Bubby’s an iconic restaurant known for its comfort food in Tribeca, The Highline and with 6 outposts in Japan.We talked about how he got into the restaurant business, the cannabis industry and his art. You can also hear his interview on our podcast network, Athleisure Studio within our show Athleisure Kitchen (available at iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcast, Himalaya, Stitcher and wherever you enjoy hearing your favorite shows). This month, we chatted with Chef Alvin of The Usual in NYC for The Art of the Snack.

As usual, we have our monthly roundups including our 9LIST (Athleisure Mag’s picks that we’re loving this month in style, beauty and fitness) featured roundups. This month’s 9LIST STORI3S (picks supplied by celebrities) gives us insight into Celebrity Fitness Trainer and Director of Strength and Endurance Training for the LA Lakers. We are also debuting the newest roundup within the 9LIST ecosystem with 9PLAYLIST (9 songs that we’re loving this month – of course, we’d love to hear from your talent who would like to share their playlists as well). As always, you can enjoy Athleisure List (Le Tea and City Wine Tours), The Pick Me Up, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Style Files, Rock This Look During Sweater Weather, Athleisure Beauty, How to Dress, In Our Bag, #TRIBEGOALS and Pomelo Beauty. 

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag here.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | HANOI SOUP SHOP

We're always looking for great spots that are infused with culture, comfort food and always feeling like a sense of home when dining. We popped by Hanoi Soup Shop's East Village location to talk with one of the restaurateurs of this Vietnamese eatery, Sara Leveen. We find out more about this location, how it differs from Hanoi House and what signature dishes we should be enjoying when there.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about your background and how you came to open Hanoi House and Hanoi Soup Shop.

SARA LEVEEN: Ben Lowell & I have worked in restaurants our whole lives; prior to starting our own company we both worked for Stephen Starr. The dream of opening our own place really came alive when we traveled Southeast Asia together. There is an endless amount of inspiration from the streets of energetic cities like Hanoi and Bangkok and also chill & charming cities like Luang Prabang and Chiang Mai. Capturing what we loved and translating it to an NYC restaurant became our goal.

AM: Tell us about the backgrounds of the chefs, Daniel Le and Albert Nguyen in terms of where they have previously worked within kitchens and their journey to Hanoi Soup Shop.

SL: Daniel has roots in both Southern California and Houston; he grew up among other Vietnamese family members and friends. He learned kitchen organization & management in big companies like Ritz Carlton and Roy’s and came to us relatively new to NYC looking to apply what he’d learned to a Vietnamese restaurant. His palate is bold but traditional…his many culinary strengths include his ability to create deep, flavorful broths and braise various cuts of meat to achieve intense levels of umami. This is on display at Hanoi Soup Shop with our daily specials which rotate every few days.

Albert was born & raised in Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn. He is a New Yorker through and through, having gained his experience at Ma Peche, Del Posto and Flora Bar. As the Executive Chef at Hanoi House, Albert taps into his parents’ way of cooking and seasoning (both from Northern Vietnam) with simple, rustic food accented by fermented seafood sauces and by pickling and curing ingredients in house. His contributions to the menu are focused on vegetable side dishes and seasonal salads that highlight individual ingredients and help create a family style feast great for sharing.

AM: When did Hanoi Soup Shop open and how does it differ from Hanoi House?

SL: Hanoi Soup Shop opened at the end of April this year and is meant to provide a quicker, more casual and slightly less expensive menu with all the same quality, flavors and ingredients as Hanoi House. Its main focus is soups, and its main purpose is takeout & delivery however we have 10 dining seats and a fun little lunch crowd. Eventually, we will offer dinner service for those diners looking for a quick bite of a summer roll and pho for instance. Hanoi Soup Shop is about finding ways to cook something for 12 hours but serve it in 5 minutes.

AM: Does the menu change based on seasonal offerings?

SL: Yes! Hanoi House’s menu is more ingredient and seasonally focused…Hanoi Soup Shop looks to traditional recipes like Bun Rieu and Bun Bo Hue…letting the weather and chef’s cravings dictate which

direction we go on a given day.

AM: What are staples that regardless of the day will always be available at Hanoi Soup Shop?

SL: We will always have Beef and Chicken Pho, Summer Rolls, Classic Banh Mi & Papaya Salads. The proteins in the Summer Rolls and Papaya Salad may change over time but not in the near future.

AM: What are 3 signature dishes that should be enjoyed at Hanoi Soup Shop?

SL: Beef Pho with Brisket & Oxtail.

Classic Banh Mi: Housemade pork terrine, Vietnamese ham, pork crumbles, chicken liver pate, pickled vegetables, cilantro & jalapeno on a baguette.

Papaya Salad with Beef Jerky.

AM: What are 3 beverages that you suggest that should also be enjoyed?

SL: Iced Vietnamese Coffee

Hot Egg Coffee

Avocado Shake

PHOTOS COURTESY | HANOI SOUP SHOP

IG @HanoiSoup

Read the August Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack | Hanoi Soup Shop in mag.

LAUNCHING A NATION WITH PAIGE MYCOSKIE

As we transition from the Summer to thinking about the Fall, we love when there's apparel in our closets that's truly seasonless and easy to move around, travel and do an array of activities in. At Athleisure Mag, we became major fans of Aviator Nation and started incorporating it into our celeb shoots last fall. In addition, our team has defintiely rocked these pieces when we've been on set, hitting a day of activities and more.

We took some time to sit down with Page Mycoskie, the brand's founder and designer who launched the brand back in 2006 with a focus on that retro vintage vibe and super soft fabrication. We remember her and her brother Blake Mycoskie (founder of TOMS Shoes) when they competed together on CBS' The Amazing Race season 2.

We wanted to find out how this brand was created, how being an athlete has tied into the ethos of the brand, how she approaches bringing on new designs and styles into the line as well as how she approaches finding and opening her stores at various locations. Along the way, we learned how integral music and specifically music festivals, as well as aviators, play into the brand and how manifesting her passions and interests continue to fuel the direction of this lifestyle brand.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us about your background as you’re an artist, an entrepreneur, an athlete – how did this all come together in terms of your background and bringing you to the creation of Aviator Nation?

PAIGE MYCOSKIE: It’s kind of funny because ever since I was a young girl, I really had this mentality that I could do anything that I wanted to do. I really think that that came from hanging with my grandmother a lot. When I was little, I used to spend time with her during the day and she was super creative and super artistic. She would be like, “hey what do you want to learn today?” She was all about teaching me new things and I wanted to do creative things. It’s kind of interesting and I’d be like, I’d like to know about pottery and we’d spend the day learning how to do pottery and a lot of times, it was creative stuff. She was super artistic and she made her own clothes. So hanging out with her, I became very hands on and it’s super interesting now because a lot of what I do is very hands on. I think that that’s something that makes me very different from other people who start companies. I like to be super involved in all of the details at Aviator Nation.

It’s also funny to look back at the entrepreneurial thing. When I was little, I was constantly trying to sell things. Being an entrepreneur extends from that and I love being able to create things from scratch. I just loved the whole interaction of making something, selling something, earning money and then going to shop. Then being an athlete, that was an important part of this too. Now, I’m in a super competitive industry, the fashion world and being an athlete – ever since I was a young girl, I love doing sports.

Team sports was an important thing for me because the team I am building and the culture with the company is directly from when I was a child and on team sports with other people a lot. I think that being super competitive has always been inside of me and l like to compete because I like to win. Being an athlete and learning – the more you practice the better you will be and when you continue with that, you’ll be the best. I’m all about constantly making the best product and every time we do a production run, I’m all about testing the fabrics and new methods. It’s not just about putting out clothes every few months like new designs. It’s about continuing to make the product better. I think it helps that I wear the products because it’s all I wear. I’ll be like, “this is actually a little bit tighter than what I want it to be." Or I'd like to make this fabric a little lighter weight during this time of the year. Being an athlete, learning that the more you practice and the more you work with your team, the better that that team can be.

AM: What was that moment when you realized that you wanted to create this brand and what was the thought process behind the name, Aviator Nation? Your brand is really unique from your 5 stripes, to other designs, its gender fluidity and we love that you can literally look at your Instagram and see you truly building your company and the brand heritage that you present as well as continuity.

PM: It all kind of started with a personal obsession with clothes that are super comfortable and had this colorful look to them. I was living in California at the time and I had a job in a surf shop and I was doing photography. I didn’t go to school for fashion or for business. I went to school for journalism because I always liked to write and to tell stories. When I moved to California, I was interning with Shape Magazine for a little while and I realized that I loved the culture and the stories, but I couldn’t see myself working in an office.

So I got a job at a surf shop and I started to get into the retail world through that. I learned how fun it could be to work at a mom and pop shop and that was the beginning of my experience working in that world. What happened was, I personally had these ideas for clothes that I wanted to find and couldn’t. I would go shopping and the clothes were never soft enough for me. I have always been obsessed with my dads old t-shirts because they are so much softer then anything that was out there. Then I learned, that you could get them at thrift stores and I started shopping there and would look for old t-shirts. I just liked how those broken in garments felt. Then it was of course, not the right fit. So I found myself chopping off the bottom and cutting off the sleeves. I was manipulating these garments that I found at these thrift stores, Then it dawned on me when I found this one shirt – I loved how it fit and I wanted all my shirts to feel like that. I took the t-shirt a part and I laid out paper and made a pattern and bought a sewing machine and I taught myself how to sew. So I literally started doing it for myself because I couldn't find garments that felt the way that I wanted them to feel. Then, when I realized that I could make other garments that fit the way the t-shirt did with patterns and being able to sew, I could do the same thing with the designs that I wanted. So if I wanted sunsets or stripes, it was pretty simple because my skillset was there. I didn’t have experience. So I cut out stripes and put them on this garment and it was looking super cool and it was simple. So the reason why we do this applique technique now (which is essentially sewing fabric ontop of another fabric) was because that’s how we started in terms of creating a design to put on the garments.

Once I started to do that, I was wearing the clothes around town in Venice and wearing it to the surf shop that I worked at and everyone around me was asking about it, the brand that I was wearing and I told them that I made it myself. Not only did it feel good but the clothes felt good because I made them with this comfortable material from soft old t-shirts and the colors were attracting people.

AM: So where did the name come from?

PM: So growing up, my favorite movie was Top Gun and I had the movie poster on my wall, I still have it in my office. I just love that movie and I love the style of Tom Cruise and Kelly McGinnis and the aviator sunglasses were just such a key part of that style and that look. When I was little, I always had aviator sunglasses and all through high school and college – aviator sunglasses were always my go to. So I had this vintage collection of aviator sunglasses on my desk when I was thinking about the name for the company and I looked at them and thought, “I really love aviator sunglasses and I really love that word aviator and I feel that this brand is going to bring people together.” I always thought that aviator shades did that. I could have had a long night in college and then put on those shades and then I would look great. The aviator sunglasses were just the go to and I wanted the clothes to be the go to as well.

AM: Completely agree with everything that you’ve said as we’ve styled it in our shoots and have had great feedback and when we wear it around the city, the feedback is always so much fun. Especially when rocking the velvet ones which have such a retro vibe to them. How do you get your inspiration when you are creating the line?

PM: A lot of times, I will randomly think of something that I want to put into clothes. Sometimes things just pop in my head and I just want to see what that color combo would look like. Color is just a part of my brain. I’m always wanting to put colors together. I have Pantone books everywhere and I am always looking at putting them together. I walk around with a Ziploc bag of fabric in all different colors everywhere I go. I’ll be at the beach and I’ll say, I want to see this color with this color – so it just comes to me and I’m surrounded by old things all the time. I go to flea markets all the time because I love finding vintage stuff. I have hundreds of vintage skate boards and surf boards. I’ve always been really into retro stuff from the 70s and I have a ton of vinyl – album covers are a part of my inspiration because I’m playing vinyl all the time. I think that the old stuff that’s around me plays into it as well as it’s always around me. The color thing is just something inside of me – it’s weird.

Sometimes I’ll go to rock shows and different concerts. It’s what I do for entertainment. I don’t go to bars a lot, I’m not extremely social but I do love concerts and festivals and things like that. I remember when I thought about the velvet for example. I was backstage at a rock show and I was inspired by velvet curtains and things like that. It definitely came from Rock & Roll and there’s a lot of velvet in that world. I think sometimes my lifestyle whether it’s being at Venice Beach or at a rock show plays a little bit into my inspiration.

AM: In terms of product assortment, you have apparel, accessories and surfboards. Do you see other things that could grow into Aviator Nation as it really is a lifestyle brand.

PM: Yeah totally, I love creating new things whether it’s clothing, stores or whatever. I love building things from scratch. I see myself creating new products. It’s funny because I want to do everything, but I force myself to not do that because it could be taken the wrong way. I don't want to be that brand that tries to do everything. I really do try to draw it back and look at what I am really passionate about right now and focus on that. We just came out with outerwear this last year and that was something that I was super passionate about, but that we weren’t doing. I love snowboarding and I love the mountains and I'm always throwing on a jacket. I feel that the right jacket is a game changer and a jacket that you can travel with, stands up to the elements, it’s not too hot or too cold. I found this insulation that was kind of beyond what is being used right now – even with high end performance jackets. I want the best quality because it’s for me too and I like pushing the envelope on quality. Anyone who has my jackets understands. It's a super lightweight jacket that’s extremely warm and it packs down into your backpack. I’m also passionate about high top tennis shoes so right now I have a big collection myself and I’m always thinking that it would be cool to make shoes and doing a collection of high tops. Stuff that makes sense for me personally that I’m passionate about because it is authentic. For people that are fans of the brand, they’re all about authentic. I think everyone is becoming that way and it works well for business. This brand has been this way from day one as I started it making it for myself. If the quality is not good enough for me, then I am not going to put it on the shelf. I’m extremely picky.

AM: We appreciate the pickiness of it. You can literally travel in it without a problem, it photographs well, it‘s great and so soft.

PM: It’s crazy comfortable. I’m turning down washes all the time. I’m like that’s not good enough, it’s not soft enough. The people that work in my production at times they’re like, this is crazy this is soft and I’m like, “not soft enough.” I feel that the best feeling is like you don’t have clothes on at all. So if we’re going to make clothes, we should make them feel like you’re not. That’s what I like to think that the sweats feel like – it’s just an extension of your body.

AM: It seems like you partner with a lot of events including Austin City Limits Music Festival and Global Citizen. How important is it for you to grow your brand and to be aligned in that way?

PM: Yeah, it’s super important. It really happened organically. When I opened my first store on Abbott Kenney and built that stage on the patio, that was kind of the beginning of getting involved in the music world. I always say, “if you build it, they will come” very field of dreams. That’s what I did. I built this stage and I had all kinds of artists wanting to play on our little patio in Venice. Doing that was such a cool experience. Getting to know the artist and creating a place where bands get to play – Foster the People rolled in there one day and played on the stage and it was a couple of years before they got cool. That was happening all the time and now I have other stores with stages as a lot of my stores have these stages and I’m always saying yes to artists that want to play. It’s so fun and one day someone from Austin City Limits came into the store in Venice and they loved what I was doing. I really personally love Austin City Limits Music Festival and so when I met that person it was such a unique moment. When I did that festival, it was funny because I go to music festivals a lot – it’s part of my life and I’m always kind of feeling like I don’t want music festivals to be super commercialized and I felt like that old school vibe. I like to imagine what Woodstock would have been. I love when festivals aren’t super commercialized and built up and the one Austin really is a lot less commercialized than others. The thing is, it’s surrounded by trees and grass. Another big thing is that I felt like the artists as I’m friends with a number of artists now and was back then too – they were 3 years into having stages and a lot of the artists were burnt out I noticed – especially on the festivals. It was something that was fun but exhausting. They’d show up, they’d play their show and get back on the road. I have a lot of friends in the music industry and know how it is when they’re going on tour as I’ve actually joined friends on tour too. It’s grueling. So when the people at Austin City Limits came to my store and asked for me to get involved into what they were doing, they wanted to know that if I could do anything, what would I do?

It was an interesting moment and I said I wanted to do something for the artist. They just have these basic trailers backstage and they have their beer or water. They play their show and then they leave. Back in the day, the artist used to sit around and play music together and sit around and get to know one another. I know that because of my friends in the industry and their parents are people like Grand Nash. People who were in that world, I read a lot of books, seen a lot of documentaries and I know about how it was back in the day. I’m always about restoring the past. I told them, “what if I built a teepee that was backstage” and they could hang out there and it was just a place for the artist to chill in between their sets. They loved it and thought it was amazing. They let me build a teepee backstage where only the artists and friends and family of the artists could be and I designed it, drew it and had these Native American guys make it out of fabric and hand painted it. It has this cool rainbow look to it and we set it up backstage at ACL and it was the most incredible thing that I ever witnessed. Basically, I set it up and then bought some old vintage guitars and instruments and had it in there, candles, a couch and blankets. It was super chill and not commercial at all. They asked if I wanted signage and I said no, I just wanted a teepee. I made t-shirts that I was going to give to the artists as a gift and I make clothes and I wanted to make cool ones. The artists come to concerts but they don’t really get gear. So I wanted to make a shirt that I felt that they would wear and not the typical concert shirt. So I designed this shirt that was a vintage cool looking shirt that said Austin City Limits on it, but it was a cool one that didn’t look like the typical concert shirt. On the back of it, it actually said, “It’s All About the Music.” I felt that it was all about the artists and a festival is better if the artists is super stoked. Literally all day for the full weekend, artists would come into the teepee and they would sit down, pick up a guitar and jam out. We had The Alabama Shakes and Phoenix jamming out together.

We had Leon Bridges come in and sit down and start playing a song. He said he had just made up the song by being inspired in the teepee to make this song. It’s exactly what I wanted to happen and all the artists really started to love the teepee. It was a dream come true to come up with this environment. I think it made their experience at Austin City Limits so much better because it was so much more grounding for them, they made friends and they had the t-shirt.

Everyone wanted the t-shirt because they knew it wasn’t available but they wanted to know where they could get it. It was authentic to the artist because they had met us and hung out with us, the shirts were super soft and they probably had a bag filled with dirty clothes. Now we have done it with ACL since 2012, I’ve done a lot more festival shirts for others as well. We do the same thing where we take the teepee and it allows us to get to know the artists backstage and we make sure to make pieces where it doesn’t feel like the typical concert tee.

My thing is, I want to make gear that people will want to continue on wearing. As the customer myself, I will buy a shirt at a festival and not wear it. What you want to do is to wear a shirt that is super soft from the start and that you will want to wear. I make festival gear that is more fashionable and that people will want to continue wearing.

AM: Do you see the brand being at NYFW or at Miami Fashion Week?

PM: I think that with the swim collection, Miami Fashion Week is a great way to showcase that and I really love Miami. We did a small fashion show at the Soho House Miami when I first released our swim collection with the new velvet collection. I got invited to be a part of an event right at the time that it was coming out and it made sense. It was fun, a small show and I think doing fashion shows is really cool. I love putting the brand in front of a lot of people that love fashion. I think that sweats and swimwear really is fashionable. I don’t say no when I think that something comes about that makes sense doing. I think NYFW and Miami Fashion Week is great for us.

AM: Do you sponsor or have any athlete ambassadors?

PM: We have several athletes that shop with us that come in and a lot of times, managers reach out to us and ask if you want to sponsor. We’ll send them things and it’s about people that specifically and personally like the brand. We don’t have any specific sponsorships but we have a lot of athletes that shop in the store.

AM: As someone who is active and an athlete, what are 3 things that are always in your bag when you’re heading to the beach to relax or to surf?

PM: When I go to the beach to surf, I always have to have my speaker – a portable one that I love and I take everywhere I go. I always have a good book – I love to read and I’m into business books. It’s interesting to read on philosophies that entrepreneurs have taken. Maybe my ukele – I grew up learning whatever instruments I could get my hands on and I have always liked this instrument because it’s small and easy to carry around.

IG @PaigeMycoskie

You can hear Paige Mycoskie on our show, BUNGALOW SK which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #44 AUG 2019

The latest issue of Athleisure Mag dropped as we headed to Randall’s Island for Electric Zoo Evolved which had a number of acclaimed EDM DJ/producers that performed throughout Labor Day Weekend. This month’s cover is the Godfather of Hard Trap, SayMyName. In addition, we have an interview with Danielle Collins, professional tennis player and jewelry designer who shared what her season has been like, the US Open and her jewelry line. We sat down with Celebrity Hypnotherapist, Kimberly Friedman who talks about the power and the importance of the subconscious. We also talked with beauty trailblazer, Bobbi Brown from being a makeup artist to celebrity makeup artist, beauty entrepreneur and currently being a hotelier for The George in Montclair, New Jersey.

Read the Aug Issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE 9 LIST

Read the July Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The 9 List in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #43 JUL 2019

We’re excited to drop our latest issue of Athleisure Mag which is covered by ESPN’s Broadcaster/Journalist and author, Marty Smith. You’ve seen him on SportsCenter, College GameDay, SEC Nation and more. Check out his cover shoot which took place in Ocean City, NJ.

Read the July Issue here.