THE ART OF THE SNACK | MOON RABBIT

In this month's The Art of the Snack, we head down to our nation's capital in Washington, DC to Moon Rabbit which is known for their fine dining Vietnamese cuisine. We took some time to chat with Chef Kevin Tien to find out about his culinary background, the accolades that he has received as a noted chef, and what we can expect upon our next visit at this restaurant whether we're stopping in for lunch or for dinner. In addition, we wanted to know more about the ambiance of the space as well. Finally, we also look ahead as we're a the beginning of the holiday season to see how we can begin planning to close this year.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Chef Kevin Tien, can you tell us about your culinary background, where you trained, kitchens you worked in and what brought you to Moon Rabbit.

CHEF KEVIN TIEN: My culinary background started when I was a child. My mother worked in Vietnamese Cafes and would bring me to work with her as a child. I wasn't allowed in the dining room, but the chefs took a liking to me and taught me in the kitchen about food. I continued to work in restaurants in college while earning my bachelors degree and graduate degree. I eventually moved to DC to work for amazing chefs such as José Andrés and Aaron Silverman.

AM: You have received a number of accolades that have included a 4X James Beard Foundation SemiFinalist, 2024 JBF Finalist, Food & Wine BNC 2018, Esquire Best New Restaurant 2021, and 2024 New York Times 50 Best Restaurants in America. What does it mean to you to be recognized for your work and craft in this industry?

CHEF KT: As a young chef, I really began the industry as a way to make ends meet. Over time I found a love for it and dedicated all of my time and really immersed myself into food. For a long time I would always want to be like other chefs, but receiving all of these awards and recognition proved to me that there was a space for my type of cuisine that blended my Vietnamese background with Louisiana roots.

AM: What is the meaning behind the name, Moon Rabbit?

CHEF KT: Moon Rabbit refers to a Vietnamese folklore about a Rabbit who sacrificed itself to feed others earning itself a spot on the Moon with the Gods.

AM: What can you tell us about the ambiance of Moon Rabbit and what diners can expect when they come in for their next meal?

CHEF KT: Moon Rabbit offers a fun relaxing atmosphere in a bright contemporary space. You should feel like you are dining in my home and expect big, bold, and familiar flavors. But presenting in unfamiliar ways.

AM: What are the spices and flavors that are indicative of Vietnamese food?

CHEF KT: Vietnamese food has all of the flavor profiles in its dishes. It will always have a balance of sweet, salty, spicy, umami, and acid. I love the use of pepper, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon. Lots of ginger and garlic as well.

AM: Can you tell us your modern approach to making traditional Asian cuisine?

CHEF KT: I have to be careful when using a modern approach because I don't want to end up making something where it would just be considered fusion cuisine. It can happen so easily. We focus on depth of flavors a lot by fermentation, making our own misos, and various cooking techniques to add a lot of flavor into what can be a simple bite.

AM: I like the layout of your menu. For lunch, From the Earth can you tell us about 3 dishes that you suggest that we should enjoy with friends and family?

CHEF KT: Banh Beo, Cai Lan, and Banh Tam Bi Chay. They have such a different flavor profile on each dish, that you get a great taste of what we have to offer.

AM: What are 3 dishes From the Land that you suggest that we should think about?

CHEF KT: Bo La Lot, Nem Nuong, and Bo Luc Lac. These are my favorite dishes to order when dining out at a Vietnamese restaurant.

AM: From the Sea what are 3 that you suggest that we should have in mind?

CHEF KT: Goi Cuon Ca Ngu, Tom Nuong, Ca Kho. They are such great riffs on the traditional dishes.

AM: Can you tell us about the 3 dishes from The Endings for us to end our meal?

CHEF KT: Chef Susan is such a talent that we have here at Moon Rabbit. The three desserts do a great job of showcasing her techniques through my absolute favorite items to get at an Asian pastry shop. Layered soft sponge cake using pandan and tropical fruit, takes on traditional egg tarts from dim sum but with flavors of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and a fun cream puff that tastes like an Asian banana cream pie.

AM: For dinner, you have the same breakouts that exist in the lunch menu. Are there offerings that are unique to the dinner menu that you can suggest?

CHEF KT: Yes! My favorite items from each section are Goi Cuon (Summer Roll), Canh Chua (Roasted Golden Tile), Chim Cut Chien (Fried Quail and Tomato Rice).

AM: Tell us about Chef's Visit to Vietnam!

CHEF KT: The Chef’s Visit to Vietnam is the best way to enjoy Moon Rabbit. You come in, let us know if you have any dietary restrictions, and we will curate your whole dinner for you. You will get snacks that are rotated often that are off menu, and I will pick some of my favorite items that I am loving at the moment to send throughout dinner. You’ll finish with Chef Susan’s favorite desserts and some extra sweet bites at the end.

AM: What are 3 dessert items that are unique to the dinner menu that we should know about?

CHEF KT: Our Dau Hu (Tofu Cheesecake with Nardello Pepper Jam), Sau Rieng (Durian Mouse with White Chocolate), Rong Bien (Pandan Panna Cotta with Confit Seaweed).

AM: Can you tell us about your cocktails as you have a number of categories that sound like a great journey to sip through.

CHEF KT: The cocktail program is curated by our beverage director Thi Nguyen. We focus on procuring Asian Spirits to build our program, and adding a lot of savory notes throughout.

AM: For those that are interested in beer, wine, or cider, what do you suggest?

CHEF KT: Personally I really like our wine program, because of a great balance between classic and modern/natural styles of wine. I like them both equally, but find myself leaning towards the natural wines on our menu.

AM: Can you tell us about the Thanksgiving Take Home Box which was only available for the holiday?

CHEF KT: We love doing holiday boxes at the restaurant. It's what I would make at home for my family for the holidays. So essentially, you’ll eat like the chef! This Thanksgiving we did an andouille stuffed turkey breast, pho gravy, miso mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie with curried candied cashews, coconut milk creamed spinach, and lots more!

AM: Will there be other boxes for Christmas, NYE, etc?

CHEF KT: We are definitely doing a box for Christmas and are leaning towards a Sichuan Cumin Rubbed Prime Rib.

AM: Will you have a NYE event or other winter holidays that we should know about?

CHEF KT: I think NYE would be the best night for joining Moon Rabbit. We are offering a tasting menu starting at $95 with plenty of add ons for how fancy you want to get. Lots of caviar and bubbles of course.

AM: For those that are interested in private dining, what options exist for those that are looking to book for their own party/events?

CHEF KT: We love doing parties and private events! We make each event unique by doing a custom menu and experience for each guest. No 2 private events are ever the same. You can do our private dining room that seats up to 42 people, or even book the whole restaurant for up to 130 people. And for those that want a extra space, our rooftop has a great view of DC with private bar.

IG @chefkevintien

@moonrabbitdc

PHOTO CREDITS | PG 98 Rey Lopez | PG 100 - 102 + THE 9LIST 9M3NU PG 117 Rachel Paraoan | THE 9LIST 9M3NU PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY PG 117 Kevin Tien |

Read the NOV ISSUE #107 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ART OF THE SNACK | Moon Rabbit in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG ISSUE #107 | BOZOMA SAINT JOHN

In this month’s issue, our front and back cover story is with the former CMO of Netflix, Endeavor; CBO of Uber, and Marketing Exec at Apple Music, and full-time castmember of S14 BRAVO's Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Bozoma Saint John. We talked with her about her career in working with innovative brands, her launch of her haircare line Eve by Boz, and of course we talk about RHOB. In addition, we had the opportunity to have her photoshoot at 77 Greenwich St PH and have an interview that includes the building as well as the interior designer/staging firm ARTEFACTO to talk about the property as well as how they brought the aesthetic of the building together.

We caught up with Walton Goggins who we have enjoyed in a number of his roles including Justified, Vice Principals, The Hateful Eight, and more! While we wait to see him in his upcoming shows The Righteous Gemstones and White Lotus, we talked about the holiday season and his campaign that he did with Walmart as well as what it meant to him in a full circle moment.

This month, we also chatted with former WWE Superstar (wrestled under Paige) and currently AEW wrestler Saraya! We talk about growing up in a wrestling family, coming to the WWE, being at the AEW, and upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for.

This month's The Art of the Snack comes from Moon Rabbit in DC whose menu focuses on Vietnamese cuisine. We chat with Chef Kevin Tien who walks us through the menu, shares spices/ingredients of this cuisine, as well as what we can expect when we come into dine.

This month's Athleisure List comes from Casa Sol at Maxx Royal Bodrum Resort in Turkey and Hearty & Healthy in NYC's East Village.

This month we have our 9PLAYLIST from Chef Michael Voltaggio as well as Saraya who shares the songs that are on their playlist. Our 9DRIP comes from AEW's Saraya who lets us in on what she purchased for herself when she made it, her go-to style, and what she gave back to her friends, family, and mentors. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from actor Taye Diggs who shares his must-haves in grooming, fitness, and style. Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from Chef Alexandre Mazzia who shares his routines on what he does, enjoys, and has for the Morning, Afternoon, and Night. This month's THE 9LIST 9CH3FS and THE 9LIST 9B-L-D comes from Chef Kevin Tien of Moon Rabbit in DC, Chef/Owner Rich Parente of Clock Tower Grill, and Mixologist on behalf of Johnnie Walker, Ginn Choe.

Read the NOV ISSUE #107 of Athleisure Mag.

NEW YORK CITY WINE FOOD FESTIVAL 2024

We had a great time last year covering the Food Network NYC Wine Food Festival presented by Capitol One. So of course we were looking forward to attending again this year for the NYCWFF presented by Invesco QQQ which had a wide array of events taking place in Manhattan as well as Brooklyn for the first time! Over the 4 days from Oct 17th - 20th, we enjoyed a number of events along with attendees that had access to Grand Tastings, culinary demos, pier parties, dining experiences, walk-around tastings, cocktail parties, live entertainment, lunches, brunches, and master classes.

All of these festivities and good vibes supports God's Love We Deliver which cooks and home-delivers nutritious, medically tailored meals for people too sick to shop or cook for themselves. To support the health of their clients, they provide ongoing nutrition assessment, education, and counseling. They serve people in need and their children and caregivers. To date, NYCWFF has raised $14.8 million to this essential cause!

There's nothing like interacting with your favorite Food Network stars, chefs at restaurants that have been your faves or new to be faves, culinary personalities, wine and spirit brands, restaurant groups, purveyors and culinary enthusiasts! There were laughs, surprises, discoveries and so much more!

SOUTHERN GLAZER'S WINE & SPIRITS TRADE DAY Hosted by Wine Spectator at Grand Tasting - Trade Day

We started our coverage with one of our favorite events that we attended last year, Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits Trade Day Hosted by Wine Spectator at Grand Tasting - Trade Day which was held at Invesco QQQ Campus located at Brooklyn Army Terminal.

Heading into this event, we knew that we were looking forward to vendors that we had enjoyed last year including Bareburger, Johnnie Walker, and Hampton Water which is owned by Jon Bon Jovi and his son, Jesse Bongiovi to name a few!

One of our favorite bites of the day took place in the center of the action at Modelo's tent, who paired their Spiked Agua Frescas with tacos by Taqueria Ramírez who is based in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

We also enjoyed swinging by Rosa Mexicano's booth as they had a fantastic pairing of Elote as well as a savory taco. We've had the pleasure of enjoying Happy Hour, lunch and dinner at this restaurant and it was great to see them getting in on the culinary fun!

We even swung by Food Network's large booth that served up a number of cocktals which was the perfect way to enjoy our dishes from Rosa Mexicano.

Last year, we had the pleasure of interviewing Chef Philippe Chow of Philippe Chow and as he participated again this year, we wanted to see what he was up to, why he was there this year, and to hear about his upcoming restaurant openings in Nashville as well as in Miami!

ATHLEISURE MAG: It was such a pleasure to interview you last year at this show. So I'm glad to see you again. Why did you want to come back to be at this festival today?

CHEF PHILIPPE CHOW: Last year was a success and I want more people to know who we are!

AM: Oh, amazing and what are you serving this year that everyone's getting to enjoy?

CHEF PC: Chicken Satay is my favorite!

AM: That’s great, I enjoyed it last year and am so glad that it is here as well!

When you're creating the menu for your restaurant what are the processes you go through to decide what will be on the menu?

CHEF PC: Every time I work on making new dishes, if I like it, it’s going to be something that will be on the menu!

AM: We know that Chicken Satay is your favorite dish! Are there two other dishes that you love having at the restaurant as well?

CHEF PC: Oh well, Peking Duck and another one is the Wagyu Beef Dumplings. That’s a new dish and it’s really good!

AM: Well obviously, we know the two restaurants that you have here in New York and the one that's in DC, but you're opening up one in Nashville as well as Miami! Are you excited about that? Why did you want to go to those two cities?

CHEF PC: I’m so happy! Those are 2 of my favorite cities!

AM: Oh wow! Well it’s always fun to catch up with you and we can’t wait until we dine again at your restaurant in the city and we’ll have to check out your new ones as well!

CHEF PC: Of course, we’re happy to have you!

IG @philippechow

THE BETTY BOOZE HARVEST HAPPY HOUR Hosted by Blake Lively

At the Betty Booze Harvest Happy Hour by Blake Lively (Gossip Girl, The Age of Adeline, It Ends With Us) attendees made their way to The Seaport at the Lawn Club to enjoy sparkling cocktails and of course to have great bites by a curated group of chefs. One of the restaurants that participated was Restaurant Yuu which is located in Brooklyn. Chef/Owner, Yuu Shimano talked with us about being at the event and what we can expect when we head to his restaurant this Fall.

AM: Why did you want to participate in this year's Food Network NYC Wine Food Festival?

CHEF YUU SHIMANO: The New York Food and Wine Festival is an important event for our industry. I also wanted to participate because it was for a good cause - God’s Love We Deliver, which cooks and home-delivers nutritious, medically tailored meals for people too sick to shop or cook for themselves.

AM: Tell us about the event that you were part of!

CHEF YS: Blake Lively and surprise guest Michael Kors hosted the Happy Hour event. It showcased the launch of Blake Lively’s Betty Booze’s gourmet cocktails, handcrafted by Lively herself.

It took place at the Lawn Club where guests could play lawn games and socialize and try Blake’s new product.

AM: What did you serve guests?

CHEF YS: I prepared a very French dish, which was a Corn Consommé with Duck Confit.

AM: What can guests expect when they come to Restaurant Yuu?

CHEF YS: Upon arrival, Guests are seated at a beautiful L-shaped 19-seat tasting counter; a carefully curated collection of classical and jazz music plays as the curtain opens, the lights go up, and a row of chefs inside a kitchen is revealed. I personally greet each guest then with the clap of my hands, my team members scramble to their positions for the show to begin. This is our way of welcoming guests and making them feel special. It is high-level while having fun with fine dining.

AM: As we're in the fall and looking forward to the holiday season, are there any events that are going on that we should keep an eye out for?

CHEF YS: We have an exciting event coming up on November 27th. We’re thrilled to welcome renowned Japanese bartender, Shingo Gokan for a special collaboration. Guests can look forward to a unique dining experience featuring a curated menu with exquisite cocktail pairings designed by Shingo for each course.

IG @restaurant_yuunyc

MEET CUTES NYC PRESENTS TACOS & TEQUILA HOSTED BY MICHAEL VOLTAGGIO PART OF THE PERDUE EVENT SERIES

We continued from the events earlier in the day to Wall Street at night for Meet Cutes NYC presents Tacos & Tequila Hosted by Chef Michael Voltaggio part of the PERDUE Event Series at Hall des Lumières. This is one of the later events on the schedule and perfect to enjoy on a Friday night! Knowing that we would be able to enjoy some of the best tacos in Manhattan and Brooklyn as well as an array of tequila and mezcal brands as well!

Chef Michael Voltaggio was the host for the night and he also launched his brand new tequila at the event, Marcado 28. Last year we had the pleasure of having him for our JUL ISSUE #91 cover, so it was great to catch up with him to find out about his participation in this year's festival, this tequila, and upcoming projects!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We enjoyed having you as our cover last year and it's great to see you at Tacos & Tequila! Before we delve into why you're at this event, we enjoyed the latest season of Bobby's Triple Threat. What do you love about this show and do you have a favorite episode from this season?

CHEF MICHAEL VOLTAGGIO: Bobby has created something very special with triple threat. We function as a team and he’s the best coach we could ask for. My favorite thing is the individual cooking POV’s that each chef challenger brings to the competition. Win or lose, we learn from every chef that walks into the club.

AM: You're hosting Tacos and Tequila! Why do you enjoy participating at Food Network NYC Wine Food Festival?

CHEF MV: Lee Schrager has been putting on both South Beach Food and Wine and New York Food and Wine for many years. As our industry continues to evolve, so does the festival year after year. I get excited every year to see what events we get to host and or be a part of. It’s always fun to reconnect with my peers twice a year as well as have the opportunity to eat, drink and party with all the fans.

AM: You just launched and debuted Marcado 28 today at Tacos & Tequila! Why did you want to partner in this tequila and how did this come about?

CHEF MV: I look at every project as an opportunity to learn something new. My goal is always to absorb as much information as I can, and the reward is getting to share this information and these experiences with as many people as possible. With Marcado 28, I was given an opportunity to learn everything from building a unique brand, to the history and production of tequila with a family that’s been doing it for generations. This is bigger than just a new spirit, it’s the spirit behind the spirit that I’m excited about. It’s the authenticity and commitment to creating something special that attracted me to this project and every partner involved has contributed their passion and expertise to create a tequila for everyone.

AM: You also worked with 2 tattoo artists to create the art for the labels. Why is this tequila also a love letter to tattoo culture and why is someone's tattoo story so important?

CHEF MV: More about the love letter of defiance. We all have something defiant about our personal stories and this is not to be dismissive of those stories, but rather embrace and share them in a communal and positive light, while having some fun.

AM: It's always fun to see what you're up to with your restaurants Voltaggio Brothers Steakhouse and Vulcania! Is there anything that we should keep an eye out for?

CHEF MV: My brother, Bryan and I are currently working on a new project in our hometown of Frederick, MD.

IG @mvoltaggio

@marcado28tequila

After chatting with Michael, we navigated a number of the restaurants participating, we also took in the immersive space that continued to change with digital art throughout the night which made you feel like you were in an art gallery.

We took some time to talk with Tiny's Cantina with a fun conversation with Chef Cenobio Canalizo and Mathew Glazier, President of the GlazierWorks which is a restaurant group that includes this property as well as iconic eateries including Michael Jordan's The Steak House in Grand Central Terminal, Strip House, and Monkey Bar to name a few.

We talk about Chef Cenobio's culinary journey, Tiny's Cantina, the flavors of Mexico, and why they wanted to participate this year at the NYCWFF.

AM: Chef Cenobio, what was the first dish that made you fall in love with food?

CHEF CENOBIO CANALIZO: Ooo that’s a question!

MATHEW GLAZIER: I want to hear this because I'm learning about you!

CHEF CC: No, no.

MG: We've worked together for 28 years.

AM: Ok, that’s a long time!

MG: That’s a question that I don't even know the answer to!

CHEF CC: Well, the first time, which I think I did was make homemade tortillas.

AM: Ooo

CHEF CC: Yes. In Mexico when I was eight years old.

That's the first that I learned. It was making tortillas and that's when I started cooking.

AM: Wow. And what was yours?

MG: It was probably pizza! I’m from NY so it probably has to be pizza! I remember when pizza was a lot less expensive then it is now.

CHEF CC: You know what’s crazy? So my partners, we come from Mexico and they used to go like out of state selling flowers, right? So one day I stayed with all my brothers and they said that I had to make the tortillas and I was like really? So I did it.

MG: They were much more authentic.

CHEF CC: The funny part is I got some avocados and there were 3 of them and that’s not enough for my older brothers. So what I did was chop the avocados and I made some guacamole and I added some water and I made some soup avocado! It was so good and you’re dipping the tortilla it was so good!

MG: He’s so creative!

AM: Tell us about your culinary background and how did you come to Tiny’s Cantina?

CHEF CC: Everybody asks me like, what school and where I came from and my answer is I learned in the kitchen. So, every restaurant I worked in, I learned from there! When I started working, I was a dishwasher in 1994.

AM: Wow!

CHEF CC: In 1995, like, I moved to the kitchen and I started learning like everything, like from scratch. Desserts, pantry, grill and all the way to chef!

MG: We actually do kind of the same thing now with the guys we have and it’s actually interesting to watch. It's not lost on him, you know his path and a lot of guys or women, you know, you start in the kitchen and you start from the beginning and, you know, it's a craft. You gotta learn like the right way. And it's very interesting for me to watch. I think if somebody, we just gave a raise to last week, he started as a porter and then he went to the line and now, he earned that position and, you know, hopefully God bless, you know, he becomes whatever he wants to be.

AM: That’s amazing!

MG: I don't think it's a unique story to us. It’s kind of still what's special about kitchens. But he kind of skipped over the fact that he had 2 Stars from the New York Times for the steakhouse.

AM: Which is amazing!

MG: We had a restaurant called Strip House and you're not old enough to remember working at a restaurant, called, Arizona 206, which was before that. I'm speaking for you so that I can give the concise version.

But then you also had, you know, Mike, who's the Head Chef of Michael Jordan Steakhouse Grand Central and then we, we actually sold a bunch of our restaurants to Tilman Fertitta CEO/Owner of Landry's.

And then we ended up doing a barbecue restaurant in Brooklyn. So that wasn't his craft, and then he turned it into his craft. He's the guy who smokes the meat. It's a labor of love because there's no shortcuts and then in 2021 right next to Morgan's there was a small restaurant which is literally why it's called Tiny’s. Some people insult me and say those are Tiny’s because I'm a big guy. No, it's Tiny's because the restaurant's small and I was speaking for him but you know we've known each other for a very long time. This is the opportunity for him to do like you make the ham tortillas and to make the things he's talking about, make his stuff that, you know, that he learned when he was younger, which is kind of kind of cool!

AM: Wow!

MG: He does the hard work. I'm the pretty face. But next year I do the hard work and he's the pretty face.

AM: Plot twist!

MG: We do odd and even years.

AM: Well, why did you guys want to be at this event? I mean, I love tacos, love tequila and mezcal. So why did you guys want to do it?

CHEF CC: I mean, I think this event is great. It's a great opportunity for the restaurant and for my company. To bring it in this event, it’s not just 100 people, it’s a lot of people! They’re going to be able to know about the restaurant a little bit more. Tiny’s Cantina, it's a small place next to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. So we want to spread the name and for people to try our food and to know more about our authentic Mexican food.

AM: Why did you want to do it?

MG: We have a Mexican restaurant and it's a Mexican restaurant event! No seriously, we've done it for years with different restaurants, you know, we have done barbecue. There are so many events that this festival has! This one's one of the fun ones! It’s late at night and it's a different type of atmosphere. I think you can take the food seriously without being too serious about it. When I look around at those who are participating, they're fabulous, and we’re people coming together and in a way providing the festival goers who are customers to let them have a good time. Let them get exposed to some restaurants! This year, they're focusing on Brooklyn, which is great.

AM: So great.

MG: So we're two Brooklyn restaurants right here and you know it's exposure. You know we've been playing in the barbecue world for a while. We have been doing these barbecue competitions for awhile and this event is special. Tonight’s event has a little bit of a party vibe and hopefully, everybody has a good time! We have a great space up here!

AM: So what are we eating tonight? What are you guys serving?

MG: I'll give the terrible English version – Birria De Res which we debated what does Birria De Res mean. If you want to hear where that came from –

AM: I would love to.

MG: So I was like, what does Birria De Res mean and he’s like beef. So I said, what the De Res part? And he was like beef. So, you gotta take it out of context. So how long do you roast the beef on the bone for?

CHEF CC: Ok so let me just explain a little about how we do it in the restaurant. So at the restaurant, basically we serve it with some consume and some marrow bones. Here, we serve it with some onions and cilantro. I braise the beef for 4-5 hours, I cover it and do not open it and you leave the whole piece of meat inside and that's the way how we cook it.

MG: I’m still trying to understand.

CHEF CC: Well basically Birria, you can do it with different meats. You can do it with lamb, or any kind. So the Res is the type of meat and that’s what we say in Spanish. So Birria is the Res and the Res is beef. That's what we're serving tonight with the 3 different sauces.

AM: Yum!

CHEF CC: We have avocado, which this one is mild. Medium is pumpkin and Chile de Arlo which is smooth and spicy!

MG: We did this event last year and throughout the whole event I was going, Pumpkin, but it's not seasonal. So we actually do it all year round.

AM: When we come to the restaurant, what are 3 dishes that we should eat and both of you need to share your picks!

MG: You give two and I'll give one.

AM: Okay!

MG: Because you're the chef and as I said, I’m the pretty face!

CHEF CC: Number one.

AM: Okay.

CHEF CC: Number one, do you want to start with an appetizers? If you want to start with an appetizer, we have a great Guacamole Tropicale. Why is it Guacamole Tropical? It’s because we we garnish with some mango, grilled pineapple, and pumpkin seeds.

For an entrée, I have a bunch of dishes but try the Birria Tacos it’s just special. It has that flavor with that Romero and the tacos that way that we do it with the tortillas, you need to try that. That's number two. My other entree try the Fajita! The Fajita has that smell and that flavor. When you bring it to the dining room with that smell and you have the aroma with the herbs.

MG: It's great. Our restaurant is so small when you sell one, people just keep purchasing it!

CHEF CC: We do shrimp, steak, and chicken.

Now the new one we have is a fajita and is a surf and turf we do it with lobster and steak for 2.

MG: My favorite is actually the least expensive Taco on the menu which is a popular thing to say. Well you know what it is?

CHEF CC: Yes, the Chicken Tinga!

MG: No!

CHEF CC: Which one?

MG: Taco al Pastor!

AM: Yes! I love Taco al Pastor!

MG: You know why? Because what he does to make these tacos, you should explain the culinary side of it.

CHEF CC: So the Tacos al Pastor, I started doing a little bit and you know, my daughter, she really knows, she's 16 years old. She really knows about these tacos because she travels to Mexico a lot and she really knows about good Taco al Pastor. Every restaurant we go to - she only smells it and says, “I don't like the stock, this is not the original,” but somehow I did it with my tacos at Tiny’s.

You know the way that we have the color, how we cook the meat! It's a killer and she loves it!

MG: It's fun. Actually you know so we've been doing this a while and, you know, this restaurant compared to most - the food's just good and there's no pomp and circumstance to it. We've all done fine dining. This is all about the food and it's, you know, like for me it's just very refreshing.

We had Strip House and I remember when I was doing side carving chickens table. Like, enough of that! This is coming into eat and to enjoy yourself. Hopefully you have 5 drinks and you're not driving and you go home. That's the nice thing about being a New Yorker and being by the Barclay Center.

Just enjoy yourself and it's not expensive. Mexican food is very competitive in New York. It just is and the market won't take very expensive. It's all very reasonably priced and it's just good food, enjoy it and get a little on your shirt and then go home. It’s very different than what we did before and I think that it’s very good to have fine dining. In that world, you care how many inches the fork or the knife is from the table. Like we're not driving ourselves crazy, right?

CHEF CC: Yeah!

MG: I really like that he puts in the work in the kitchen and I think that we have the easy job in the front of the house because we just have to serve it. It takes four minutes to serve and it takes five hours to make it.

It's fun. Actually, you know so we've been doing this a while and, you know, this restaurant compared to most - the food's just good and there's no pomp and circumstance to it. We've all done fine dining. This is all about the food and it's, you know, like for me it's just very refreshing.

We had Strip House and I remember when I was doing side carving chickens table. Like, enough of that! This is coming into eat and to enjoy yourself. Hopefully you have 5 drinks and you're not driving and you go home. That's the nice thing about being a New Yorker and being by the Barclays Center.

Just enjoy yourself and it's not expensive. Mexican food is very competitive in New York. It just is and the market won't take very expensive. It's all very reasonably priced and it's just good food, enjoy it and get a little on your shirt and then go home. It’s very different than what we did before and I think that it’s very good to have fine dining. In that world, you care how many inches the fork or the knife is from the table. Like we're not driving ourselves crazy, right?

CHEF CC: Yeah!

MG: I really like that he puts in the work in the kitchen and I think that we have the easy job in the front of the house because we just have to serve it. It takes four minutes to serve and it takes five hours to make it.

Look, t's fun. I don't think anybody really loves the way that I think of Tiny’s in my mind, but I think it's like a bar and everybody should walk and be like, oh my God, the food's good. It’s kind of under the radar. People are coming in for the games and we're packed for every event.

AM: Yeah, being by Barclays is such a great location.

MG: We only have like 10 tables.

AM: Wow.

MG: 18 bar stools and they're coming in. It just kind of blows you away. This is a very understated route, you know. It’s about the food. We're not all dressed up. We're doing what we like to do.

Being at the Barclays Center, and I’m sure a lot of places have this, but if Justin Timberlake is performing, we have that crowd, when the Liberty is playing we get that crowd and we have such a diversity of people that come to our restaurant and of course being on Flatbush Avenue is diverse by its nature!

You know, price - not everybody can afford to go out and spend on the million dollars. We've been in those restaurants where you're our average check, you know, is $125 per person. That's not everywhere and not everybody can afford to do that.

For some people and it's in New York, money is no object. That's not my customer on Flatbush Avenue. My customer may be going to the Nets. So I gotta make sure that we're providing a value, you know, you got to go in there and say that was worth it or else.

PF: How much is the surf and turf?

MG: That’s the most expensive item on the menu and it’s like $42,

CHEF CC: It’s for 2 people!

AM: Oh okay!

MG: We give you half a two pounds lobster. I know because I just bought them. A 2-lb lobster is $26 so that’s $13, a pound.

How big is the steak that is on there?

CHEF CC: 8oz. We serve it with a side of rice and tortillas.

MG: So that's probably one of our higher food cost items. So the tacos, I like the pork – the Tacos al Pastor is $13 on the menu!

IG @tinyscantina

@cenobiocanalizo

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Paul Farkas

Read the OCT ISSUE #106 of Athleisure Mag and see New York City Wine Food Festival 2024 in mag.

LO-FI VIBES EDITORIAL @ TECHNICA HOUSE

We've always been a proponent of the power of creativity. When it comes together, there's something about being able to explore ideas and being in inspirational environments that allows concepts to grow!

When we heard about TECHNICA HOUSE, this creative space piqued our interest as this vinyl listening lounge is an impressive showroom space that allows you to know more about Audio-Technica's headphones and speakers, has a space to create podcasts, is a working office, and also has innovated automation machines by AUTEC to make sushi!

After hearing about this space, we decided that it would be the perfect location for our Lo-Fi Vibes Editorial which is Fall forward with easy styles that can be worn when you're taking in your latest music find, working on your next project, collaborating with those that are like minded and being able to enjoy wherever the day takes you!

LO-FI VIBES EDITORIAL | TEAM CREDITS

PHOTOGRAPHER Paul Farkas | FASHION STYLIST + CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kimmie Smith | MUA Sang Le | MALE MODEL Ben Simic |

IG @pvfarkas

@shes.kimmie

@sang_theglaminator

@lilboochie

LO-FI VIBES EDITORIAL | STYLE CREDITS

LOOK I PG 76 - 86 | MODEL - MICHAEL KORS Ribbed Knit Cropped Tank Top + Chocolate Burnished Leather Skirt | LAGOS Pink Caviar BCRF Ceramic Beaded Bracelet 9mm + Pink Caviar Single Station Diamond Caviar Bracelet 9mm | AIR & ANCHOR Set in Stone Necklace Set 18" - Tiger Eye | BEN - COLMAR Down Jacket with Envelopping Collar | White Tank | MAVI James Skinny | LAGOS Caviar Beaded Chain Necklace 12mm + Twist Curb Chain Bracelet 12mm |

LOOK II | PG 88 - 89 | MODEL - ATHLEISUREVERSE Bomber Jacket | SPLITS59 Ashby Rib Crop + Theo Rib Short | LULU FROST Plaza Rectangle Link Necklace Base - Gold + Plaza Letter K Charm | PRINCE TENNIS Sneakers | MZ WALLACE Micro Crosby Sling | BEN - ATHLEISUREVERSE Sleeveless Hoodie | MICHAEL KORS Camouflage Denim Cargo Jeans | LAGOS Twist Curb Chain Bracelet 12mm |

LOOK III | PG 104 | MODEL - SPLITS59 Ashby Ribbed Tank | GREY BANDIT Unwritten Love Knit Pants - Green | PONO BY JOAN GOODMAN Sea Chain Necklace - Hawaii | BEN - LX3 Olive Track Jacket + Olive Track Pants | PSYCHO BUNNY Graphic Tee |

LOOK IV | PG 106 - 111 | MODEL - ATHLEISUREVERSE Varsity Jacket | MICHAEL KORS Cropped Tank + Colby Extra-Small Burnished Leather Shoulder Bag | TOMMY HILFIGER Wide Leg Jean | AIR & ANCHOR Double Standard Necklace with Cuff Keeper, Putting it in Writing - A + M | BEN - | LX3 Oversized Cream Hoodie | MAVI Jake Slim Leg | LAGOS Caviar Beaded Chain Necklace 12mm + Twist Curb Chain Bracelet 12mm | NIKE Air Jordan |

LO-FI VIBES EDITORIAL | PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS

| SONY Alpha A7R V, FE 50mm F/1.2 GM, FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II, FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II, FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS + HVL-F45RM Wireless Radio Flash |

We enjoyed shooting our Lo-Fi Vibed Editorial at TECHNICA HOUSE and we wanted to find out more about this space which recently opened, what they offer in this creative destination, and how you can get to know more about them. We took some time to chat with Takayuki Tanaka, the CEO of TECHNICA HOUSE to find out this and more.

ATHLEISURE MAG: You just launched TECHNICA HOUSE New York earlier this month. This space is above SUSHIDELIC which we covered last month in The Art of the Snack. Tell us about the Japanese technology companies AUTEC and Audio-Technica that came together for this space.

TAKAYUKI TANAKA: TECHNICA HOUSE is a unique collaboration between two iconic Japanese technology companies, AUTEC and Audio-Technica, both bring their expertise, heritage, and commitment to fostering the next generation of creators into this space.

AUTEC is known for its innovative sushi robots, designed to deliver chef-quality sushi with unmatched efficiency. By merging tradition with advanced automation, AUTEC empowers chefs to maintain the authenticity of Japanese cuisine while optimizing operations. Their focus on culinary technology has revolutionized the food service industry and created new opportunities for emerging culinary creators to innovate. 

Audio-Technica, a global leader in high-fidelity audio equipment, has a long history of supporting artistic and creative communities. Their expertise in sound technology elevates the experience at TECHNICA HOUSE, offering an immersive auditory environment. Audio-Technica's involvement speaks to its dedication to fostering creativity through sound, empowering emerging creators in music and art.

Together, TECHNICA HOUSE celebrates Japanese heritage while providing a collaborative space where food, music, fashion, and art converge. This venture is designed to nurture creativity and inspire the next generation of innovators, offering a unique platform for emerging creators to explore new possibilities and ideas.

AM: It seems that TECHNICA HOUSE - New York merges food, music, fashion, and art together. Why was it important for you to have these elements in one place?

TT: Merging food, music, fashion, and art at TECHNICA HOUSE was a natural progression at TECHNICA HOUSE was a natural progression of our vision to create a dynamic space where creativity and cultural expression thrive. Each of these elements speaks to the core of human connection and emotion. Food brings people together and is a universal language; music is the heartbeat of culture, evoking powerful emotions; fashion reflects individuality and artistic expression; and art gives form to imagination and ideas.

Combining these elements in one space fosters a platform where creators from diverse backgrounds and industries can collaborate, share ideas, and inspire each other. TECHINICA HOUSE is more than just a venue—it's a movement that encourages innovation and exploration across disciplines. We wanted to create a tradition can fuel modern creativity, and emerging creators as well as established creators as well push the boundaries of what's possible in a collaborative environment. This holistic approach creates a vibrant atmosphere that invites people to be part of something bigger, sparking new ideas and connections. 

AM: In terms of the concept of TECHNICA HOUSE, are there others in addition to the one in New York and if not, do you plan on having other locations?

TT: At present, the joint venture TECHNICA HOUSE in New York City is our sole location. While our primary focus is on establishing a thriving community here, we have aspirations to expand TECHNICA HOUSE to other cities across the United States and around the world. By doing so, we aim to celebrate and support emerging creators in various regions.

AM: Can you tell us about who designed the space and what visitors can expect to see when they are entering this space?

TT: The space was designed by Yoshiyuki Morii of Cafe Co, incorporating the aesthetics and heritage of both AUTEC and Audio-Technica. At TECHNICA HOUSE NY, visitors can immerse themselves in a state-of-the-art listening experience featuring top-tier Audio-Technica analog audio equipment to listen to the 2000 vinyl records collection. The space includes a fully equipped conference room, a dedicated podcast studio, and an AUTEC sushi counter where chefs showcase cutting-edge robotic sushi-making technology.

AM: You have over 2,000 records here. How do you go about acquiring them, are their genres that you tend to focus on?

TT: Our record collection has come from various sources, both local and international. Many were donated by Audio-Technica staff members, discovered at local thrift shops and secondhand record stores, or sought out by company leadership. Some of our favorites are the Japanese pressings of classic American albums. 

AM: What can we do in this listening lounge which also allows us to hear music on your headphones as well as your speakers?

TT: We have a variety of headphones and turntables on display, like our colorful Sound Burger and our pro-grade High-end AT-LP7. Visitors are welcome to hook up a pair of M50x headphones to any of our turntables and enjoy a listening experience. We also have a pair of our newly released AT-SP3x Bluetooth Speakers if they're listening with friends.

AM: Can you tell us about the equipment that is available there? 

TT: AUTEC’s food-focused experience at TECHNICA HOUSE highlights the latest innovations in sushi-making technology. On display are cutting-edge sushi robots, including ASM895A The Rice Sheet Maker for sushi rolls, ASM260A The Sushi Roll Cutter, ASM410A The Nigiri Sushi Rice Ball Maker, and ASM575A The Handheld Onigiri Rice Ball Maker, showcasing the precision and efficiency that define modern culinary automation. One of our goals is for chefs to visit this space to tap into their creativity and explore the potential of integrating these robots into their culinary processes.

TECHNICA HOUSE displays a wide variety of Audio-Technica products: from high-end turntables to limited edition headphones and microphones, to a collection of artistic signed A-T gear. We prominently feature the NARUKA MI Headphone Amplifier, a premium piece of audio technology built from kurogaki wood. Very few of these exist in the United States. We welcome guests to pull a record off the wall and enjoy the listening experience at our space.

AM: As Audio-Technica continues to create new products, will they find their way into TECHNICA HOUSE - New York? Will there always be someone on site that will be able to walk you through products?

TT: While TECHNICA HOUSE is currently open to the general public for select events and collaborations, we're actively working to expand our accessibility. Stay tuned for updates on future openings and opportunities for general visitors to experience our space.

AUTEC and Audio-Technica staff are regularly at TECHNICA HOUSE and are available to schedule visits for those genuinely interested in the space. While we're happy to arrange appointments, we may only sometimes be able to accommodate every request due to the nature of the space. We appreciate the understanding of those wishing to explore this creative hub.

AM: Tell us about the podcast studio and the conference room.

TT: The podcast studio is a little respite from the noise of a bustling Soho. It's an isolated studio space, acoustically treated from floor to ceiling. We are recording original podcasts and digital content in the space and are beginning to bring outside creators in to use the space for their content creation. 

Our debut series, AT Sometime, Somewhere, features artists and creatives from New York City telling stories of their ambitions, failures, successes, and the moments that helped them find their voices. We look forward to future series featuring an even wider variety of artists, stories, and topics. 

AT-ONE Studio is designed to make production as simple as possible. On top of that, it's built for comfort. Recording in the studio is like chatting in a high-end living room with your friends.

AT-ONE Studio is for both Audio-Technica podcast projects and outside artists and organizations who want to rent time in the space. We'll be introducing a rental fee menu soon. If you're interested in collaborating on a project with A-T or using the studio to produce a personal project, give us a ring through the TECHNICA HOUSE website.

The conference room is available for meetings of all types, and it features a large Frame-style television connected to a hi-def camera for remote meetings, plus an Audio-Technica ceiling array beamforming microphone - the ATND1061.

AM: You also have a sushi counter along with robotic sushi making technology. What kinds of sushi do these machines make?

TT: AUTEC's sushi robots are designed to assist in various aspects of sushi-making rather than creating a complete sushi dish. These machines automate essential tasks like mixing and seasoning rice, forming rice sheets for rolls, shaping rice balls for nigiri, and cutting rolls with speed and precision. By handling these repetitive tasks, our robots enable chefs to focus on their creativity and the artistry of sushi, all while ensuring consistent, high-quality production.

AM: When is this space open to the general public and how do they go about reserving a time to come in?

TT: Currently, TECHNICA HOUSE is not fully open to the general public, as our primary focus is hosting select events and collaborations. If you're interested in exploring partnerships or attending a specific event, we encourage you to reach out through the contact information provided on our website. While we may not always be able to accommodate all requests, we're happy to consider inquiries related to our mission and space. In the near future, we plan to expand access to general inquiries and reservations.

AM: What kinds of events will be offered here and do you have anything coming up for the fall and/or holiday season?

TT: We're currently crafting our event calendar, which will include a variety of engaging activities for the community to participate in at TECHNICA HOUSE. Stay tuned for exciting announcements to come.

AM: How will you reach out to creatives to come to this space?

TT: We're building a strong community at TECHNICA HOUSE by leveraging our existing network of creators and brands with whom we've built relationships. Our organic approach allows us to grow with emerging creators through word of mouth, meaningful collaborations, and increased visibility across various channels. We'll continue to foster this community through engaging activations such as open houses and events to connect with potential collaborators.

IG @technicahousenyc

Read the OCT ISSUE #106 of Athleisure Mag and see LO-FI VIBES EDITORIAL | Technica House in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG ISSUE #106 | TAI WOFFINDEN

In this month’s issue, our front and back cover story is with 5X Speedway Champion and open format DJ/Producer Tai Woffinden! We talked with him about being an athlete, looking ahead to next year's season, being a DJ and what drew him to this, his latest releases, and his upcoming schedule! 

We talked with actor Taye Diggs about what he loves about watching football and staying germ free when friends and family come over. In addition he talks about his upcoming projects in TV from a Lifetime movie as well as being a judge on a competition show.

This month, we sat down with Kamie Crawford to talk about Catfish, being a host of her podcast Relationsh*t, as well as being the host of Are You The One, the importance of self-care, and her favorite reality shows.

We talk Game Day homegating with NFL Vet and Food Network host of Outchef'd as well as Christmas Cookie Challenge, Chef Eddie Jackson. We talk about how to have the perfect homegate, wings, pairing it with wine, and who his picks are as we head into thinking about the Super Bowl. In addition he talks S8 of Christmas Cookie Challenge. 

We've been a long time fan of Zooey Deschanel and enjoyed talking with her about her partnership with Vera Bradley, the holiday season, how she goes about gifting friends and family as well as upcoming projects that she has coming out!

This month, we had the pleasure of shooting our Lo-Fi Vibes Editorial at Technica House here in NY. In addition to showcasing 4 fall looks for when you're out and about and enjoying these warm and crisp days ahead, we got to know more about this creative space that has an impressive collection of vinyl records as well as headphones, speakers and additional equipment from Audio Technica. They also have automated sushi machines and a sushi counter for an amazing vibe within this creative space. Find out more about our looks as well as Technica House.

We had such a great time covering the 2024 Food Network NYC Wine Food Festival (NYCWFF) presented by Invesco QQQ. It was a great 4 day experience eating amazing bites, having great culinary conversations, and more! You can read interviews we had with esteemed chefs as well as see their creativity that was on full display! We have interviews from Chef Michael Voltaggio, Chef Philippe Chow of Philippe Chow, Yuu Shimano of Restaurant Yuu, Chef Cenobio Canalizo of Tiny's Cantina and part of GlazierWorks, and President of GlazierWorks' Mathew Glazier.

This month we have our 9PLAYLIST MULTI from Dancing with the Stars' Derek Hough as well as Taye Diggs who shares songs, books and podcasts/TV/films that they are enjoying. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from Kamie Crawford. Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from this month's cover, Tai Woffinden as well as Sydney Leroux of LA FC as they share their routines on what they do, enjoy, and have for the Morning, Afternoon, and Night.  This month's 9CH3FS ROUTIN3S comes from Chef Eddie Jackson who shares his Game Day routines in the kitchen for the Morning, Afternoon, and Night. Chef Michael Voltaggio also shares his as well. This month's THE 9LIST 9CH3FS and THE 9LIST 9B-L-D comes from Chef Joey Roacho of Hotel Per La in DTLA, Co-Owner Christina Rasmussen of Fura, and Executive Pastry Chef Damien Herrgott of Heritage Grand Bakery, Restaurant & Pizza Bar.

We headed to NYCC to check out panels from our favorite shows from Apple TV+'s Shrinking, HBO's Dune Prophecy, and HBO's The Penguin. We share an overview from the panels to the show floor!

Earlier this year, we were able to enjoy cocktails during a competition with Holly Graham during Bar Convent Brooklyn. So to be able to connect with her again and to find out more about how she got into the industry, her bar, Tokyo Confidential, what the vibe is like, it's views of the Tokyo Tower and more - we're ready to pack our bags for our next drink!

This month's The Art of the Snack comes from HYUN in Koreatown as we had an incredible meal and immersed ourselves into all things Wagyu! We share our meal as well as what you need to know on your next visit here. For those who love having great Wagyu to gift to others or for your next meal at home, we also talk about their butcher shop, THE HYUN.

This month's Athleisure List comes from St. Regis Longboat Key Resort in Longboat, FL and Cedros in Tokyo.

This month we have our 9PLAYLIST MULTI from Dancing with the Stars' Derek Hough as well as Taye Diggs who shares songs, books and podcasts/TV/films that they are enjoying. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from Kamie Crawford. Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from this month's cover, Tai Woffinden as well as Sydney Leroux of LA FC as they share their routines on what they do, enjoy, and have for the Morning, Afternoon, and Night.  This month's 9CH3FS ROUTIN3S comes from Chef Eddie Jackso who shares his Game Day routines in the kitchen for the Morning, Afternoon, and Night. This month's THE 9LIST 9CH3FS and THE 9LIST 9B-L-D comes from Chef Joey Roacho of Hotel Per La in DTLA, Co-Owner Christina Rasmussen of Fura, and Executive Pastry Chef Damien Herrgott of Heritage Grand Bakery, Restaurant & Pizza Bar.

NYFW SS25 EDIT

As you know, NYFW happens 2 times a year as it looks ahead to the Fall/Winter collections as well as those in the Spring/Summer. It's a time for the fashion community of editors, retailers, buyers, celebs, socialites, and enthusiasts to come together as they navgate a hectic series of days that include presentations, runway shows, previews, lunches, dinners, and after parties. By attending these functions, you get a bird's eye view on what to expect in terms of trends, silhouettes, hues and more. What we see here in NY will mirror or extend into what takes place for the other fashion calendars that occur in London, Milan, and Paris (you'll also see that those shows may also add elements as well). You can see the top colors from NYFW SS25 via our friends at Pantone.

This month, we hit the shows and as we enjoy sharing with you a selection of what we saw in Mens and Womens fashion this season here in NY, we'll highlight these shows. In addition, it's always fun when we cover the Backstage of a show as it allows us to see how the look and creative direction includes other facets of the overall look.

We kicked off NYFW with New York Men's Day which allows you to see a series of designers throughout the day via presentations or hybrid presentation/runway shows that are divided by a morning as well as an afternoon session. In addition to designers that showed (A. POTTS, Clara Son, Earthling VIP, Sivan, The Salting, of—nothing, Sermon Series, STAN, Tarpley, and Terry Singh), we also enjoyed vignettes where sponsors Sperry and Victorinox were also in these studios. The designers that showed their presentations also collaborated with Victorinox on designing cases that were within the vein of their collection for the upcoming season which were on display.

THE SALTING SS25

For the presentation/hybrid runway show of The Salting, we were transported to an Italian seaside complete with a dock that the models stood on for this genderless collection. The weather worn hues of blues, charcoal, olive, neutrals, and carnelian were seen throughout the collection and models. This nautical sensability was amplified with choice accessories that included large intricately knotted brooches, hats, and other details that made this feel like a line that you could wear for a number of moments in your lifestyle. The use of floral prints and seersucker was a visual texture that we found pleasing whether we saw the collection together during the presentation or separately when they did their runway portion.

CFDA designers Michael Ward and Manel Garcia Espejo noted that they were, "celebrating the Italian seaside and Italian life - village life by the sea. We leaned into '60s and '70s Italian film and we studied mostly Luchino Visconti (Death in Venice, Ludwig, The Stranger), Federico Fellini (8 ½, La Dolce Vita, Ginger and Fred) and we pulled a lot from the film Death in Venice - the opulence of it, and we landed with this."

Without a question, this was a collection that we truly enjoyed seeing and dare we say, our favorite.

IG @newyorkmensday

@thesaltingnyc

CLARA SON SS25

This menswear presentation leaned into a dream Clara Son had on her bicycle and the elements of nature that she rode beside which is seen in the color palette of this assortment that gives a nod to the coastal area with mountains, rocks, and flowers for her Reminiscence collection.The lines was enhanced with biker hats, seats, and functional bags.

IG @clarasonstudio

EARTHLING.VIP SS25

Part of enjoying a show is how it is presented to you and as soon as we saw multiple frames in the studio space with models walking in and out of them at various points, we were really excited about seeing the menswear and womenswear that were part of this show that included embellished denim, leather jackets, graphic tees and hardware laden leather weekender bags for a rocker on holiday vibe for this LA based brand.

IG @earthling.vip

STAN SS25

Another show of note to share from NYMD comes from STAN a line that is handcrafted in LA by designer and Co-Founder, Tristan Detwiler who is a, "craftsman by trade. My medium: dirt stained remnant of tattered, worn textiles, ingrained with stries of hand woven fibers. There is history awaiting discovery, buried in the deepest corners of the world. A medium that allows me to peer into faraway culture, ritual, religion, and family heritage. I live in perpetural search for such things. Stories relayed from the past; translated through centuries. The goal of STAN is to re-contextualize long lost memories to live on." He has a passopn for sustainable and meaningful practice in fashion as we continue to navigate those that are mass produced and involved in greenwashing.

This SS25 collection is made from 100% sustainable materials that includes deadstock and recycled fabrics. In terms of his work as a whole, he enjoys upcycling vintage quilts to make a one of a kind garment and has used antique fabrucs, bed linens, and grain sacks. This allows him to search the world for rare materials that then become translated into his beachy assortment of sets, outerwear, and separates.

This season, a robe-style coat was made from Portuguese wool blankets from the early 20th century and striped suits were made from 19th century-style French ticking fabric. This material would traditionally be found in matress covers. Embellished pieces from this collection came from vintage beads and crystals that were sourced from his mother who was a jewelry designer in the '80s.

IG @stanclothing

CHUKS COLLINS SS25

Prior to attending Chuks Collins SS25 presentation that was held at Chelsea Factory, we met him at the South African Consulate General. In addition to being a designer, he is the Co-Founder of The African Fashion Council which was hosting 5 designers who had a compilation show the day after his. During the press conference/mixer, we met the 2024 Jaguar South Africa x #GiveHerACrown designers (Gugu Peteni of Gugubygugu; Tsakani Mashaba of HAMETHOP, Thando Ntuli of MUNKUS, Manthe Ribane of her namesake brand, and Keneilwe Mothoa of Neimil) and listened to an engaging Q+A that was moderated by former Essence Editor in Chief, Constance White. Being able to hear about their brand, how the created, the challenges that they face, and what is on the horizon for them was truly interesting. We also heard from members of the South African Consulate General as well as they were the hosts in partnership with Jaguar South Africa of this mixer which includes wines from the region and esteemed guests of both brands. The importance of introducing South African designers and having their work seen at NYFW was a huge part of the initiative.

Chuks Collins spoke at this event and was excited to share these artists that we would see later in the week. When we arrived at his show, we saw an array of looks that blended African and Western design as well as a mix of tradition and modernity. He noted that he was, "grateful for the opportunity to keep creating and expressing myself through my work. This collection means a lot to me, and the homecoming process has been very healing for me. The collection is deeply inspired by my African and Western roots, reflecting a blend of cultures and experiences. Having grown up in Africa and Europe, and now living in the US, I have been empowered and nurtured by many have been empowered and nurtured by many women, including my grandmother, who taught me how to sew. This cultural tapestry forms the foundation of 'Nné,' infusing each piece with rich narratives and a deep sense of heritage.”

IG @iamchukscollins

FREDERICK ANDERSON SS25

We also attended Frederick Anderson's SS25 show which was held at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music at the Baryshnikov Arts Center. This collection was inspired by his travels through Northern Africa and how he connects to his experiences there. Looks that hit the runway included lightweight garments as well as those that have stunning lace and beaded ensembles. The visual texture that was included on the runway really let you see his cohesive story.

IG @frederickanderson_designer

BACKSTAGE | BRUCEGLEN SS25

We enjoy attending shows, but it's also great to be able to head backstage to see how the look is coming together. We made our way to the Gansevoort Hotel in the Meatpacking District to see BruceGlen's line which is known for vibrant color and is designed by twin brothers! This season, with a theme of Out of the Blue, there was a bit of whimsy and childlike wonder with the looks that were part of this presentation!

We sat down with Celebrity Manicurist, Miss Pop whose work has been in countless NYFW as well as global Fashion Weeks, editorials of a number of magazines, and celebs that have included Gwen Stefani, Janelle Monae, Ariana Grande, and Beanie Feldstein. We wanted to know about how she came to being a Celebrity Nail Artist, why she wanted to be part of this show, how the nails are part of this (as well as telling us about another show that she was excited to talk about the nail direction), and she gave us tips on how we can make our nails looks amazing with tips and tools!

MISS POP: I love this on you! Oh my God, are you wearing Ophelia – is this Zoya Ophelia? That was what I was working with yesterday!

ATHLEISURE MAG: No, it’s not.

MP: It’s literally one of the colors that I was working with yesterday that we did on a man.

AM: This is Sundays Nail Studio gel so I don’t know what they call this shade.

MP: I love that place! Amy and I are friends!

AM: I met her a few years ago right when the salon launched in NoMad. She is so sweet!

MP: She is a wonderful human being, I recommend that people go there all the time. I don’t work at a salon, but I always suggest there.

AM: It’s so clean there and so zen.

MP: Well, it’s because she’s a manicurist. It makes a really big difference when you’re a licensed manicurist. You walk in and you’re like, oh all the laws are followed here. I’ve gotten to know her a little bit and I have been there a couple of times and she is lovely!

AM: I love that! Well we’re in the thick of it right now as BruceGlen’s show will be starting shortly and I always love being backstage to see the look come together. Being able to sit down with you to talk about the direction of the nails for this show will definitely be exciting for our readers to know about. Before I delve into that, when did you realize that you wanted to be a Nail Artist?

MP: Oh wow that is a question! I actually got into nails because I was sick and stuck in bed for a couple of years. I was laid flat out in bed so that really limits your options on things that you can do. You know, I had done nail art as a tween. In middle school, I was told that it was distracting to other kids and they made me stop! It was devastating, but I went to a good school and I moved on with my life and then years and years went by and then almost 15 years went by and I got sick. I was stuck in bed and I always loved having my nails, like, bright cherry, my lipstick red every week. But once I got sick, I realized that I had so much time on my hands. I literally started painting my [nails], that was one of the few things I could do. It also made me feel better because when you're recovering. I mean, you see this? I look like this every day but when you're sick, you can't do your hair right or get in my dress. I couldn't do any of the things. I could, normally done, I had meningitis.

AM: Oh my.

MP: And uh, it was just - people wanted to visit me and I was like, visit what? Yeah, what are you visiting? Like it's like I don't have anything good to talk about. I'm like a shell of myself.

AM: Wow!

MP: I can't even watch TV. I can't even tell you what I'm watching on TV because you can't tilt my head. So I was like, what am I gonna do? And then it occurred to me that I could probably paint my nails like this.

AM: Oh wow.

MP: And so, I started doing it that way and then, by the time I picked it up for four hours, I was enrolled in beauty school. It took me like a year and a half to get there but I did it okay?

AM: Absolutely!

MP: I did it because after doing my nails so much I was like, I just want to know how to do it right. So I went to beauty school for my own entertainment and I was on Tumblr when I was sick posting my nails. And I just became friends with nail artists all around the world like Illustrated Nail and there was like a crew of women online that were just like sharing tips and tricks like all of them right now are big nail artists. And we also sort of, like, became friendly and we were trading tips and it was such a beautiful space and so after I went to beauty school, I just was like, you know what, I actually think that I am done. So I went to NYU and then beauty school which is not the financially intelligent order. But uh, here I am.

AM: So what is your favorite part about creating nail art?

MP: Ok, the thing about nail art is, it's really ephemeral. Like I, I want something different every day. It’s the chance to give yourself what you want.

AM: Right.

MP: Right, literally every day, or every week. Yeah, I'm a nail polish girl and Zoya's nail polish. So I really align with the brand. I like natural nails and I wear natural nails because of when I was sick so I'm very conscious about the products I use and I'm allergic to acrylics. So, um, it's a common allergy actually. So what I like, is the opportunity to change and to give myself exactly what I want in the moment and to, like, celebrate the now and the moment! Like, this, the hair, the makeup, all of this - I do that for you. You're welcome. That's how I'd like the world to see me, but the nails I do for me. It’s what I see of myself. So, for me, it’s just an opportunity to complete what I want and to make myself happy to entertain myself.

AM: I mean, that’s amazing!

What's the inspiration behind the nails that are in the BruceGlen show?

MP: Oh my God. So the reason I really wanted to work with BruceGlen was because they're dopamine dressing.

AM: Yeah.

MP: You're so happy when you’re wearing their clothes!

AM: I came in with them on the elevator and you felt it.

MP: Yeah, you’re in their world. I felt just like the the joy coming off of it! Their clothes spark joy. So I really wanted to work with them because I just thought that that was the fashion I want to be part of. Like I think to be able to bring that out in clothes and to make yourself so happy - I mean, that's part of what I like to do with nails!

AM: Absolutely!

MP: Even when I want to wear black nails!

So today their collection is all about dreams and I took the color we're doing today for Zoya is, we're calling it Dream Blue and I keep joking because the name is Walker. That is like, Sleepwalker Blue.

AM: Oh!

MP: That's something because their show is so dreamy and it’s really something that is part of this season which is about fantasy. The idea of stepping outside of this world and going somewhere far more beautiful. I mean not that this world isn't beautiful, but we might be having a moment that isn't.

AM: Exactly!

MP: We might be going through some things.

AM: Exactly.

MP: So that's why we're doing a dreamy blue and having something that is bright and cheerful.

AM: It's beautiful.

MP: And it's like finest.

AM: That's amazing. And, you know, if we were doing - for those of us that might do our nails at home because we're in between sessions, what are three tools we should always have in our kit?

MP: I mean, I only do my nails at home and I highly encourage it.

AM: I think you are fortunate because you are coordinated and a professional! When I do mine, it's all over the place and I wouldn’t let anyone see that!

MP: A lot of people say that but, it took me six months and if you do your nails every week for six months, you'll figure it out. It's all muscle memory. You have 2 hands with the same things on both sides.

AM: Well, both hands are still different.

MP: Yes, you have a dominant hand and that will be your easier hand and I'd be lying. If you look at my Instagram, I'm always taking photos of my left hand, so I would be lying if I told you that my right hand is equal, but I can get it done. Um and I also think you have to be like patient with yourself. Like it's gonna be hard at first, but anything worth learning or doing - you never do it right the first time! This is also paint. It's not - you're not painting yourself with like a tattoo!

AM: Ok, I hear that.

MP: So this is my number one. This was worth the price of admission to be in beauty school. This is this is you need this. So, what I love about this is that it's a paintbrush. This is a Simply Simmons #4, filbert head, short handle.

AM: Oh wow.

MP: Available at Dick Blick, the art supply store, and even Michael's and all of them. And so what I learned at Beauty School, is you dip that in remover - acetone-based remover, non-acetone base remover, really doesn't matter. And that will get in between and clean it off the skin.

AM: Oh, right!

MP: I've been a professional manicurist now since 2012 and I still get polish on everyone's skin that I do. This is what I use.

AM: Okay.

MP: It's also great for like, you know, when you lay a line down and you're like, oh, that wasn't smooth.

AM: Yeah.

MP: Like it's like a jaggedy little you can see where the brush touched, you just go swoop and now you have like a properly even one.

AM: That’s a great tool!

MP: So okay, I just saved you $2,500 going to beauty school, you're welcome.

The other thing I love is Base Coat. I'm using Zoya Anchor Base Coat. I also love, that Zoya has the Naked Manicure Base Coat and their Naked Manicure Perfectors. I like that you can do pink, you can do buff, you can do nudes. It doesn't matter. But they're enriching for your nails. So it's like using a strengthener but it's also like a little bit of a sheer tint.

AM: Yeah.

MP: So I love that and then I apply the color over it. I either wear it bare like that or I color over it.

So the first thing you want to do when you want to give yourself a manicure, is to cleanse your nail bed.

AM: Yup!

MP: I don't go so far as to use alcohol. Some people do or they, buff their nails. But you don’t have to buff your nails. If you just slightly dehydrate the nail bed, you're gonna basically get the same effect without disrupting that. The top layer of your nail is the most keratin rich to me. You don't want to disrupt that unless it's flaking, or peeling.

AM: Right.

MP: So I love Base Coat. So I cleanse my nail bed with a little remover. We're using this Zoya Remove Plus, which is like the greatest. So when you apply using Remove Plus, to first, dehydrate the nail bed. So that when your application goes on, you're starting from a surface that lacks oil, that last debris, it’s a cleansed nailbed. But you know what I also love?

AM: Yeah?

MP: Ok so my other 2 tips I’m going to hit you with. So Cuticle Oil, I know that people are going to think, what does that have to do with my long lasting manicure?

AM: Yup.

MP: It's because it’s not only great for your skin and your hands look good, but your nails getting everything, it needs to stay strong and resilient. And it will make your manicure last a couple extra days if you apply Cuticle Nail Oil every night. The other thing you learn at Beauty School is to seal the free edge. Like every stroke you do, make sure you do it to the rim of your nails and that's a little bit harder, if your nails are below the fingertip. It's still possible and you can always go in with your cleanup brush and get the skin. That’s called Capping the Free Edge.

AM: I love when my manicurist does that!

MP: I like doing it first, not last.

AM: Really, I feel when I have it, it's last.

MP: Because I feel like when you do it last, it gives a little.

AM: Like an edge or a bit of a lift as sometimes I’ve had it where you feel that ridge.

MP: I feel like when you do it at the end it can lay not as smoothly as I want it to.

AM: Yeah, I have had that happen a few times and I find since I wear gels usually, so for 2 weeks it becomes a tactile point that I am constantly touching as it stands out from my nail not visually, but when I am running my finger over it. But I get why you do it in the stage that you do.

MP: Yeah, that’s just me and it’s a personal thing. There are other manicurists that do it the other way. For me, it's just my order of operations, it’s not the standard.

AM: What are the hues for Fall that we should be looking into. For me, regardless of the time of year, I tend to lean towards colors that look like they are black but they are another color. For me Ophelia or the brand I am wearing that look similar to it, although it’s not in that “shade that looks like it could be black”, it’s such a great foggy tone that I love the Brown/Mauvaise of it all. I’m starting to want to play with those deep chocolates as a bit of a switch up.

MP: It’s crazy, because when I saw you, I thought you were wearing Ophelia, which is, what we did yesterday at the THEOPHILIO show yesterday.

AM: I’m so bummed that I missed the backstage and that show, but this season has been hectic and the timing didn’t work. But in looking at the images of the show and the nails, I really loved it!

MP: Do you want me to tell you about those looks because they were so fun!

AM: Yes please!

MP: Ok so first let me talk about the colors of Fall. This is so fun. So for fall right now, we're looking at, I keep calling them, Reality Bites Reds. It's like yeah like what Janeane Garofalo and what Winona Ryder would have worn then circa 1994.

AM: Yup!

MP: It’s all about those Reds and those are gonna change for Spring. We're gonna go right back to Cherry.

AM: Oh yeah.

MP: So get it out in Fall. I also really love, like a chocolate brown, like I've always been a chocolate brown, girl, the nail polish that made me, the shade that changed my life. was Chanel's Vamp.

AM: Same girl, same!

MP: My mom bought it for herself and I took it from her with the matching lipstick and that was it. I was done! My life was made! I was way too young to be wearing lipstick and it didn't matter. I like, okay still to this day, that is the shade.

Now one thing I love about Ophelia this like dark brown is that, people always wonder when they're doing nudes, what nude will match my skin tone, right? That can be a really tricky question to answer. One way to answer that question is to say, well, what color is my hair?

AM: Okay.

MP: You think of your skin as being your neutral, but your hair is a color that's existing in your beauty look. And when you paint your nails, it draws the eye up to your face.

AM: That's true.

MP: Aka, the money maker.

AM: Okay, I’m with you!

MP: So, I love doing nails that are nude or neutral that match my hair color, so I love chocolate brown. And I think that, you know, like if you have jet black hair or jet black nails, it’s a nude neutral that you don’t think of. And it’s a lot easier to match than your skin tone, I think.

AM: That’s really smart and I don’t think that I have heard anyone say that before!

MP: Oh yeah, I was inspired. I put it on Beanie Feldstein (Lady Bird, American Crime Story: Monica Lewinsky, The Humans) that way. Especially when Fall rolls around, it's just the perfect time to get into those chestnut browns, dark chocolate browns, in your case, some deep blue – which is gorgeous!

AM: I love deep blue!

MP: Yeah. You know! It's so fun and the other way I like to eliminate the challenge of how to find the perfect nude for you, because I really do think that that’s hard!

AM: 100%

MP: I never wear a nude because, yeah, I'm just not natural. That's not who I am - natural. That’s s not for me supernatural, now, we're talking. So speaking of supernatural - so yesterday for the show for THEOPHILIO SS25. So we did skin tone, we did Nyssa which is like uh like a caramel and Ophelia which is like a dark chocolate brown. Yeah, honestly I thought you were wearing it. And then over it, we put my favorite Zoya shade Leia which is this sparkly opalescent sheer that turns every shade into opal gorgeous magic! Even if the skin tone and the color you chose isn't perfect, when you add a layer of rainbow over it, you’re catching that opalescence, and it tones it to your skin. Wow. So it's a good cheat and it's also a good trend. Like right now, definitely for Spring you're going to be seeing like even nudes aren't flat.

AM: Right.

MP: We're making them sparkle magic. Like, we're chroming them.

AM: Much like your phone case - love!

MP: Oh, thanks Amazon. Full stop. [Miss Pop is showing behind the scenes images from the show to showcase the nails looks that took place here and here] So here are some shots from yesterday

AM: Yes! That's the color because I said what color is that. It definitely felt like a whimsical edge and it looked beautiful on all of the models!

MP: I know right? So this is what we put, black, um, Willa which is our black. Then over it, we put Apple, which is like a green glitter. This is Carrie, which is a yellow gold, and then this deep purple, which you obviously would love. Um, this is Mimi, and we just use the bottle brush and brush it over the black. So it gave it this like Glam Dimension and then it looked very much like chrome. So like you don't have to go to the salon and get gel, you can with your natural nails, at home, just paint on Zoya in the bottle.

AM: Wow

MP: Look at that. I recommend putting black down first because I think it makes it chromier. It gives you more of that effect. It gives it a dimension. It gives it depth. Like anytime you want to get your glitter dimension like put black down first or dark. It's like it's like the way high contrast works with black and white. Yeah, you're doing that with the glitter.

AM: Wow.

MP: Light and Dark. Black is the absence of light. White is all the colors swirling together and glitter is light catching. So, it's like kind of the same theory.

Now this Is the caramel color I was telling you about and it's an opalescent glitter over it and when you put it on a hand, oh my God. I can't even tell!

AM: I was looking at the pictures and I was stunned!

MP: I’m trying to find you a picture of a woman who had it on her. No, I only had the oh no, it's right here. Like look at that nude. Like that's it. And It is. It's a nude, but it has that Chrome finish. It's like your sunglasses.

AM: I love the effect of these Carrera’s they’re my favorites to wear.

MP: Like I had a minute. So the stylist for that show is Christine Nicholson. And she is brilliant and she's a nail queen like, oh, okay, I've done her nails. Like I've known her for years. I did her nails years ago. She has great nail taste, and she knew exactly what she wanted.

AM: Boom.

MP: So this is the gold glitter and then we actually put it on the men too.

AM: Because I saw that and I said, oh my God, this is amazing. And I'm like, oh!

MP: As you can see, this is Ophelia do you see it and now you know I’m not full of ish? See this color on this guy Thursday. He was delightful. I love his name also.

AM: Her mani looks great.

MP: And the men were so excited to get their nails done. So, I did him and Noah, oh, Moe, I'm sorry. This is Moe. Moe made my Fashion Week.

AM: But even with the leopard print, it looks so good with that.

MP: I was like, is that going to be too much? And then I told myself, no that thought is too much! Do what you want!

AM: It really came together beautifully.

MP: This is Nema and he had the deep purple glitter so it’s subtle. It only catches the light, to me this was more of like a cat eye than a chrome. They were so excited to get their nails done and they were so kind about it. So I told him, you're making my Fashion Week because he was so happy. He was like, “I never get nails.” This is so fun. I love it. Like, look at his hair.

AM: He looks happy.

MP: And then you see the nail. The black is laid down first and then the green is right out of the bottle. This color is called Apple.

Oh that Jawaraw.

AM: I saw him last year at Prabal Gurung’s show.

MP: Yes, the last time we had worked together was actually 2020 February in Milan.

AM: Oh wow.

MP: We did Pucci together. The town shut down and so we were joking about that backstage. I was like, man, glad everyone made it out of Milan.

So doing the men was super fun that I mean that's certainly you know a personality statement for men now too. What else can I tell you with the chrome? I mean I think everything's just going super iridescent rainbow glitter magic, that's what I like to call it, but some people also call it Chrome.

AM: I like glitter magic better.

MP: Unicorns, sprinkles, prancing, rainbows across your nails. That's how I would sell it, but other people just call it chrome and save themselves some words!

IG @bruceglen

@misspopnails

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 121 - 133 Paul Farkas | PG 144 - 139 Lam Lai |

Read the SEP ISSUE #105 of Athleisure Mag and see NYFW SS25 EDIT in mag.

NYCWFF 2024

We're looking forward to one of our favorite times of the year in terms of the culinary calendar - the 2024 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival (NYCWFF) presented by Invesco QQQ! Much like Chef Aarti Sequeira mentioned in her cover interview, there is something about gathering and community! Being at these events allow you to see a number of Food Network stars, celebrity chefs, food personalities, mixologists, culinary creators and more! You will be able to enjoy master classes, panels, wine tastings, your favorite restaurants through tastings and intimate dinners, as well as to try new ones to get an idea of their menu. We enjoyed attending last year's event which you can check out what we did here from our OCT ISSUE #94.

This year, we're excited as NYC's ultimate wine and food festival takes place Oct 17-20th and will include over 80 events over 4 days that will be in NYC and in Brooklyn that allows you to join them in their mantra of EAT. DRINK. FEED NYC! This includes 500 restaurants, bars, and 200 sponsors. On average, approximately 48,000 fans a year attend this event along with 3,000 volunteers that are involved to support this event.

As we're days away from kicking off the 17th annual event, a number of these events will take place at the Invesco QQQ Campus at Brooklyn Army Terminal. By including the borough of Brooklyn into the festivities, it centralizes the signature events, Pier Parties, and the Grand Tasting (which is one of our events that we will attend on the Trade Day) into one expansive 450,000 square foot campus. Regardless of whether it's raining or not, this will be a tented experience at this location so that you know the good vibes, bites, and sips will happen uninterrupted! It also highlights the diversity of culinary tapestry that also exists here and it's exciting that they are making their debut at the NYCWFF.

While we celebrate food and what it means when we're together, 100% of net proceeds from NYCWFF will support God's Love We Deliver which is NYC's only provider of medically tailored meals and nutrition counseling for individuals who are living with severe illness. To date, NYCWFF has raised more than $14.8 million for its charitable partners to make a significant impact in the city. In 2023, God's Love We Deliver delivered 4 million meals to nearly 15,000 individuals.

Make sure to read our OCT ISSUE #105 which drops on Oct 30th where we will have a recap on events we attended during NYCWFF which includes: Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Trade Day hosted by Wine Spectator at Grand Tasting, Meet Cutes NYC presents Tacos & Tequila, and JJ Johnson’s The Cookout: A Hip Hop Celebration hosted by Rev Run and Angela Yee.

IG @nycwff

@godslovenyc

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Paul Farkas

Read the SEP ISSUE #105 of Athleisure Mag and see NYCWFF 2024 in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG ISSUE #105 | CHEF AARTI SEQUEIRA

In this month’s issue, our front and back cover story is with the Chef Aarti Sequeira who we have enjoyed seeing on Food Network whether it's on her show, Halloween Wars or when she appears on Guys Grocery Games and a host of shows on the network! We talk about her passion for food, the importance of faith, her devotional cookbook UNWIND, the latest season of Halloween Wars, Food Festivals, and upcoming projects. 

In advance of covering the 2024 Food Network NYC Wine Food Festival (NYCWFF) presented by Invesco QQQ, we give an overview of what you can expect from this festival as tickets are still available from this event taking place Oct 17 - 20th, the inclusion of Brooklyn joining the events in addition to those in NYC, link back to our coverage from last year, and more. Make sure to read next month's OCT ISSUE #106 as we recap the events we went to during this festival and follow us on @athleisuremag for posts we share during the 4 days.

We also sat down with NY Mets' DH J.D. Martinez who talks about his love of the game, being on this iconic MLB team, the hit song OMG, and his partnership with Pfizer and how he manages his asthma.

We know that we have a number of fans who enjoys watching Dancing with the Stars! So we were excited to sit down and talk with Derek Hough who recently kicked off the latest season of DWTS as a judge. We talked about his love of dance, his creative process, projects he's been part of, this season of the show, and his partnership with Pepcid that allows him to enjoy the foods he loves.

We always love when we get the chance to sit down with those that we have covered previously as well were former covers. 2017 US Open Champion Sloane Stephens launched her wellness/beauty brand Doc & Glo during the Grand Slam in NYC. We talked about what she has been up to, how launching this brand has been, what we can expect from it, and more.

NYFW SS25 was an amazing experience and we have a recap of this past season, trends, and a fun interview with celebrity manicurist, Miss Pop who we met backstage at BruceGlen to talk about a number of looks that she did for this show as well as others, tools we should have on hand when we do our nails at home, tricks to get a perfect mani, and her passion for her art.

This month's The Art of the Snack comes from SUSHIDELIC which takes Kawaii to the next level with a culinary experience of an elevated conveyor sushi belt experience.

This month's Athleisure List comes from Harbor Burger Shack in Kittery, Maine and L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele.

This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from super model Chanel Iman and EDM DJ/Producer Calvin Harris. This month we have our 9PLAYLIST MULTI from Netflix's DIPLOMAT, Alysia Reiner who shares her songs, books and podcasts/TV/films that they are enjoying. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from 5X Team USA Olympic Gymnast Nastia Liukin (1G, 3S, 1B). Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from 2X Team USA Olympic Track & Field Grant Hollway (1G, 1S) as well as FOX's 9-1-1: Lonestar's Julian Works who shares their routines that they do, enjoy, and have Morning, Afternoon, and Night. We kick off our 9CH3FS ROUTIN3S with AUG ISSUE #104 cover Chef Fariyal Abdullahi who shares her routines in the kitchen for the Morning, Afternoon, and Night. This month's THE 9LIST 9CH3FS and THE 9LIST 9B-L-D comes from Chef Eli Buli of Mesiba in NYC, Chef Hector Laguna of Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver, Canada, and Chef Anthony Ricco of Leuca at the The William Vale Hotel in Brooklyn. This month's 9DRIP comes from NY Mets' DH J.D. Martinez.

Read the SEP ISSUE #105 of Athleisure Mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | JÔNT + ÔMO BY JÔNT

This month, The Art of the Snack takes us to 2 MICHELIN-starred Jônt (DC) and Ômo by Jônt (Winter Park, FL) for decadent meals that we can't wait to enjoy when visiting either of these cities. We sat down with Chef Ryan Ratino who is the founder of Hive Hospitality and is the recipient of Michelin Guide's 2023 Young Chef Award.

We wanted to know more about his culinary background, the thought behind both of these restaurants, and what we can expect when we come in to enjoy these luxury dining experiences!

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the first dish that made you realize you love food?

CHEF RYAN RATINO: I think as a kid eating pierogies or stuffed cabbage is one of my favorite memories and led me to my passion for eating and food!

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be a chef?

CHEF RR: I actually never thought that you could be a chef growing up where I did. My mother was the one to push me as a teenager when she noticed my passion for cooking.

AM: Can you tell us about where you trained and kitchens that you trained in?

CHEF RR: I’ve worked in various kitchens including places like Caviar Russe, WD 50, Todd English's Bluezoo, Ripple (DC) - and I staged in my younger years during my career at places like minibar, Dovetail and various other MICHELIN-starred restaurants that are recognized nationally.

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to open your own restaurants?

CHEF RR: When the last place I worked at as the Executive Chef decided to close, I realized that I had the chance to do something on my own and create a place (or places) that are a culmination of the restaurant experiences that I have had the opportunity to partake in.

AM: Tell me about Hive Hospitality.

CHEF RR: Hive Hospitality is a brand that focuses on service at its finest level; creating memorable dining through generosity. Our team personalizes each diner's experience - we want to be a leader in contemporary experiential hospitality that promotes fun and resonance - without losing refinement.

AM: Starting with Jônt, tell me about the ambiance of this restaurant and why you wanted to open this in DC?

CHEF RR: DC is my home base; and where we were able to plant our roots. It was natural with the support that Bresca had received to want to build Jônt in the same city.

Jônt is a multi-room dining experience where we focus on Japanese seafood with techniques founded in the french kitchen and open fire cooking. The room is relaxed and plays vibrant music while guests are about twelve feet from the pass, where dishes are plated, at all times.

The opportunity offers each guest a front seat to watch our team prepare a meal for 2 hours, before moving into the pastry parlor and parting in a similar but even more relaxed environment.

AM: We love a tasting menu. Why did you decide that Jônt would have a tasting menu and how many courses does it include?

CHEF RR: With Bresca being down stairs and a la carte we wanted to create a restaurant that gave us the opportunity to really "geek out "on food and create a long menu of creative bites. The current offering is about 27 preparations from the kitchen this includes snacks, all the way to mignardises!

AM: What is the cuisine that is available at Jônt?

CHEF RR: Jônt offers a cuisine inspired by the seafood of japan and our foundational techniques of french cooking & wood fire. We offer a lot of seafood and 1-2 meat courses depending on the menu.

AM: Can you tell us about what kinds of things that are part of the tasting menu during the Summer?

CHEF RR: Stuffed Quail with Apricot and Rice, Crudo of Onagadai with fermented rice and cucumber, Ebodai and caviar tart, Tomato with shiro dashi and yuba, Japanese Matsutake in venison brodo (this just started, Beltfish in a whey emulsion with koji onions and caviar, White Peach with Wakamomo and Thai basil).

AM: Can you also pair alcohol with your meal that correlates to the dishes that are being served?

CHEF RR: Jont offers 3 beverage pairings. 2 of which are wine and one is non-alcoholic.

AM: What can guests look forward to in terms of the fall?

CHEF RR: As the fall starts to come into season we will continue on the path of Matsutake mushrooms, chestnuts, and some game meats will join the menu as well as fattier ocean creatures like Buri, Tuna, Shellfish.

AM: Jônt has 2 MICHELIN-stars - what does that mean to you?

CHEF RR: To me, it means we still have a ways to go in order to stand next to the best at the 3 star level. I cherish the 2 stars, but am motivated by them as well in order to make sure we know we can keep improving daily, as we still have not achieved the pinnacle of fine dining.

AM: What led you to want to open Ômo by Jônt and to have it in Winter Park in Orlando?

This concept is also a tasting menu but seems to have an interesting flow, and seems to have an interesting flow, and allows guests to move through 3 unique dining experiences - the Living Room, the Savory Counter, and Pastry Parlor - can you tell me more about these experiences and the kinds of dishes that are associated with it?

CHEF RR: Ômo has a similar ethos to Jônt. The space is created to take you through an experience where you start with snacks and champagne in the living room, move onto savory plated courses in the main counter, then finish with desserts in the pastry parlor - while listening to great music and engaging with the team throughout!

Dishes on the current menu…..

• Soba and roasted tomato with prawn

• Sweet corn chawanmushi with Hokkaido sea urchin

• Hokkaido Scallop with Artichoke Dashi & Tempura squash blossom stuffed with scallop mousse

• Dungeness Crab Rice cooked En Donabe

• Yellow Peach and Almond Tart with Peach “bomb” & Cookie

• Hazelnut and Kinako Kakigori

AM: You also received the Michelin Guide's 2024 Young Chef Award, what did that mean to you?

Are there any upcoming events that either Jônt or Ômo by Jônt will be involved in that we should keep an eye out for?

CHEF RR: There are so many events- and we are excited to work with some of our exclusive partners! Ômo By Jônt will host several dinners- one with IWA Sake on September 15th with Richard Geoffroy (formerly of Dom Perignon), and an October 10th event with the prestigious Hundred Acre Wine Vineyard.

At Jônt, since we are a Krug Ambassade - we are hosting The Maison on November 11th, which is an annual celebration; as well as a couple of chef collaboration events (check out our website and Instagram to see more)

The Young Chef award, for me, was a testament to each team - and the professional people that we have surrounded ourselves with - both teams at Ômo by Jônt and Jônt are world class, and deserve all the recognition that can be shined on them. Dedication and hard work is something in today's world that can be continued to thrive off of.

IG @r_ratino

@jont_dc

@omobyjont

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | Jônt and Ômo by Jônt

Read the AUG ISSUE #104 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ART OF THE SNACK | Jônt and Ômo by Jônt.

TEAM USA | GRANT HOLLOWAY

Over the past few weeks, we have enjoyed watching the Summer Games. We had the pleasure of sitting down the day after with Grant Holloway 2X Team USA Track & Field Olympian (G1, S1) who runs the 100M Hurdles after his Gold Medal winning race! We wanted to know more about what he loves about this particular sport, how he trains, what it meant to be on Team USA and to compete at Paris 2024, partnering with P&G during the games and his collaboration with David Perry Jewelry.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you loved Track & Field?

GRANT HOLLOWAY: I realized that I loved Track & Field probably around my Sophomore year in college around 2018. I really started developing a love/hate relationship with the sport. I could go out to practice and I could actually see what I was doing and how that was transferring onto track. I think it was 2018 when I started realizing that I was loving the sport.

AM: Everyone has their specialty and yours is the 110m Hurdles, what is that you love about doing this?

GH: The 100M Hurdles is a sexy event, you know? You have to be as fast as the fastest man in the world, but you also have to be as athletic as a Long Jumper and I think that when you add those 2 things together, that’s what makes a Hurdler so special. I’ve really enjoyed doing the hurdles obviously and everybody says that I am a Sprinter that Hurdles so I like to take that as a compliment because I could Sprint, but I choose the Hurdles.

AM: What’s an average week like training for this and what are 3 workouts that we should think about including into all of our routines?

GH: Throughout the week, it kind of depends on the phase! Obviously, we’re at the Olympic Games so it was a lot of resting and recovery throughout the week.

3 workouts that I did while I was here was something called Jog & Stride. You’re literally on a track, it’s 400m. You have 2 turns and 2 straights. So I would jog the turns and walk the straights for about a mile which is 4 laps.

Another workout I did was over 7 hurdles and just kind of getting into that race model. I don’t advise anybody to do that unless you’re an actual professional Hurdler. But that is another one that I did!

Then I also did something called a Rest Day. It’s where you step away from Track & Field and you turn the switch off. It allows you to actually get away from it. I think that when we’re always on go for Hurdling and not even just on Hurdling, but for anything in general – you don’t really get the full benefit. So when you are able to step away and to recharge, and to come back to it, I think that you have better results.

AM: I love watching races that include Hurdles and we have memories of gym class where we had such anxiety when it came to having to do them in our sessions. What are 3 tips that you have in maintaining your speed while jumping hurdles?

GH: Maintaining speed is definitely the key component when it comes to hurdling so that is something that I still struggle with to this day. If you just kind of do Rhythm Runs – you start at the 100m and you run all the way down to the finish line, you want to be able to keep the same rhythm from when you started the race to the end of the race. So I think that that is something that you can do as a Hurdler. You have to have some kind of rhythm so once you do that a couple of times, add the hurdles in and just put them on the regular marks and then honestly, just do dry runs on the event. Not going too fast and yet not going too slow at the same time. It’s about doing it so that you feel the rhythm of the race and you know what it feels like. Obviously, towards the end, you want to be able to finish. Anything that comes to endurance – if you have to run a mile or do anything to get it under your belt, you have to do it so that you have that endurance to be able to sprint 110M!

AM: What did it mean to you to be on Team USA for the Paris 2024 Summer Games?

GH: It meant the world to me to be on Team USA. It’s the hardest team to make out of all of the teams and all of the countries here. Team USA is definitely the hardest one. So, I just wanted to really take pride as the #1 Hurdler not only in the US, but in the world. I just wanted to show everybody how hard it is and it’s not every day that you can have a Hurdler come out to be a US Champ as well as you know, an Olympic Champ! So for me, I think that that is the true meaning of being a Champion. I’m looking forward to just be able to continue to do that.

AM: What’s it like being in the Olympic Village?

GH: Being in the Olympic Village, it’s nice! Obviously, there are so many amenities that you can use! P&G has a Salon where everybody can go in and look their best for Game Day. I think that that is always a huge tip to somebody’s success. They always say that when you look good, you feel good and when you feel good, you run good! And when you run good, they pay good as Deion Sanders says! I just think that It’s always cool and that’s the best thing about The Village, that you can go somewhere, and you can be able to look your best before a run and the biggest moment in your life!

AM: You received the Silver medal in the Summer Games at Tokyo 2020 and we had the pleasure to see you at the Summer Games of Paris 2024. What does it mean to you to be a 2X Olympian and to win Gold?

GH: Yeah, to be a 2X Olympian and to win Gold this time, means the world to me! 3 years ago, I was a little bit immature and inexperienced in the event and I didn’t exactly understand what the event took to be a true Champion. I have done it once, but I didn’t do it multiple times. To be an Olympic Champion now and to run a sub 13 performance and to tie one of my mentors and greats, Allen Johnson (G1) in this event, I think that it is always a true humbling feeling.

AM: Do you have any routines that you do ahead of your event to get energized?

GH: Before the meets, it’s just a lot of preparation. It’s just like before you make dinner, you have to prepare the food regardless of whether you’re making tacos or spaghetti. You have to be able to prep the food, so that’s the same thing that I do as a Hurdler. I always try to prep my body, give it the good treatment, get a good night’s rest, and then do everything that I need to do in order to succeed the next day.

AM: Besides winning Gold, what did you love about being at these games?

GH: Being at these Games, it was great! To be in the Olympic Village, I think that it’s really cool to see other athletes from other countries and different backgrounds. Not just Team USA being in one corner, but you see Great Britain, you see Nigeria, you see Botswana – you see all of the different cultures mingling together. I think that that is always a really cool experience. Especially when you get to trade pins. To be able to trade USA pins and to get something in return, you’re able to show your family that you have this pin from this country and you never know who you may run into – a friend, relative and you can give them that pin and say that you were thinking about them in this moment.

AM: Will you be at Closing Ceremonies?

GH: Closing Ceremonies is definitely on the ballot just to say that I did it. I did the Opening Ceremonies and it was long, but one thing about me is that I want to be able to say that I did exactly what I wanted to do and even if I don’t do it in LA 2028 or ever again, I can tell my friends and family that I was able to do it an Opening and Closing Ceremony at least once!

AM: Do you have anything coming up that you would like to share with us that we can keep an eye out for?

GH: What’s next for me is that right now I am prepping for a charity match. I’m getting ready to raise as much money as I can for my charity, the Grant Holloway Foundation to feed less fortunate families in need during the holiday season. That’s Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year’s as well as sending some back-to-school supplies. I really take huge pride in my charity and how we are able to do it. Last year we were able to raise $32,000 in the first year from Aug. to Oct. So that was about 2.5 months give or take so now we’re full blown! We have done pre-sales and we were already sold out some and now we’re tagging on a poker tournament the day before and on top of that we have some big donors this year that makes me so so excited. So I’m just looking forward to raising some money for some families and hopefully soon we will be able to have a scholarship every year.

AM: You partnered with P&G for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024. Why did you want to partner with them and why is it important to have grooming products that can give you confidence and make you feel great?

GH: Yeah, I partnered with P&G this year for all of those reasons. P&G has the love and the drive that is the same as an Olympic athlete. So why not partner with somebody that has likeminded ideas as you do? P&G knows that on Game Day that you want to look your best. Using Gillette Labs is important as well as the Old Spice products that they supply. You know, when we got into The Village, we were blessed with at least Team USA was, with P&G bags that just had goodies in it -from air fresheners to toiletry items. All in all, P&G does a great job of just really preparing us for Game Day. They know that it takes a lot off the track essentially to get ready.

AM: You’re know as an athlete that rocks his drip with some phenomenal pieces with David Perry Jewelry and you have your Grant Holloway Collection with this brand which has been doing so well! What do you love about wearing these statement pieces?

GH: David Perry and I work hand in hand together! To have his pieces come together and to really show my storyline with the origin of how David Perry and I met, it was spur of the moment. Both of us were talking and I did a photoshoot and one of his friends was like this is a jewelry company and you should wear one of the pieces. I reached out to him and thanked him for letting me wear one of his pieces and then we created a line that was just for this Olympic experience! We took some time before the Opening Ceremony before everything got going and we actually launched it here in Paris. It’s becoming worldwide now and we as a team, we definitely enjoyed to do and it is just the beginning and I can’t wait to do a couple of more lines with him.

IG @flaamingoo_

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 66 NBC News | PG 68 P&G | PG 71 Grant Holloway | PG 71 Illgander |

Read the AUG ISSUE #105 of Athleisure Mag and see TEAM USA | Grant Holloway in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG ISSUE #104 | EXECUTIVE CHEF FARIYAL ABDULLAHI

In this month’s issue, our front and back cover story is with the Executive Chef of Hav & Mar, a Marcus Samuelsson Group restaurant, James Beard Finalist, and Food Network Judge/TV Personality - Chef Fariyal Abullahi! We talked with her about how she came to the industry, her love for cooking, her culinary background, the importance of integrity, sustainability, and changing the restaurant industry culture! In addition, this cover editorial took place in her restaurant.

We also sat down with Team USA Track & Field Olympic Gold Medalist, Grant Holloway. We chatted with him the day after he won Gold in the 100M Hurdles. We talked about how this 2X Olympian came to the sport, his training process, winning the Gold, what he enjoyed about his Olympic experience, and more.

We also sat down with Team USA Climbing Olympian, Natalia Grossman. We talked about the sport, how she trains, where she enjoys climbing, being in The Olympic Village and more.

We caught up with Chef Andrew Wong about his Michelin-starred restaurant A. Wong in London. He talked about his passion for food, opening his restaurant, what we can expect when we dine there, and food anthropology.

We always enjoy chatting with Alysia Reiner as she was a former cover and we find that she is always involved in a new project or show that we are already fans of! She shares with us her fitness routines, TV shows and films she's part of and more.

We also have an interview with Le Jardinier's Chef Andrew Ayala as we wanted to know more about his Michelin restaurant, how he came to this hospitality group, and his participation in Outstanding in the Field which took place in Governors Island and was hosted by Billion Oyster Project.

We're always looking for our next streamed show and Apple TV+'s Bad Monkey is on our list. We had the pleasure of interviewing Natalie Martinez to talk about storytelling, why she wanted to be on this show, and more.

Keegan Michael Key sat down with us to talk about his partnership with Lysol, the importance of teaching, being on ABC's Abbott Elementaryand upcoming projects.

We enjoy attending Citi Taste of Tennis which allows tennis stars and hospitality to come together. We love eating a number of the bites from restaurants, seeing culinary competitions that involve creating dishes, and toasting the US Open! We also interviewed Andre Agassi, Ayan Broomfield and Prakash Amritraj who you can hear his commentary during the matches on Tennis Channel for Tennis Channel Live.

We also talked with Chef Ryan Ratino of Jônt and Ômo by Jônt for this month's The Art of the Snack. We talk about his culinary background, how he came to launching both of these restaurants, and what we can expect when we come in to dine.

This month's Athleisure List comes from wellness studio The Dominick Hotel in SoHo and Abaco Inn in the Bahamas. 

This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from Team USA Olympic Beach Volleyball players Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng. This month we have our 9PLAYLIST MULTI from Chef Fariyal Abdullahi and Chef Robert Irvine who share their songs, books and podcasts/TV/films that they are enjoying. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from Team USA Olympic Track & Field Grant Holloway and Team USA Olympic Gymnastics Jordan Chiles. Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from Brooke Burke as well as last month's cover and WSL #2 ranked surfer who competed on Team USA Surfing Gina Colapinto who shares their routines that they do, enjoy, and have Morning, Afternoon, and Night. This month's THE 9LIST 9CH3FS and THE 9LIST 9B-L-D comes from Chef Reina Tang of SushiDelic in NYC, Executive Chef Tolu "Eros" Erogbogbo of Ile in LA, and Laurie McDuffie. 

Read the AUG ISSUE #104.

CHARTING HER COURSE | SYDNEY LEROUX

We love this time of year when we have all of our favorite sports happening during this time of year. We turn our attention to soccer and Angel City FC. We took some time to sit down with one of their star athletes, Sydney Leroux, Team USA Soccer Gold Medalist for London 2012 as well as being a World Cup Winner for USWNT at the 2015 FIFA World Cup.

We wanted to catch up with her to find out how she got into the sport, playing for Angel City FC, her partnership with TYLENOL as well as how it assisted her through recovering from her injuries so that she could get back to the game and team that she loves!

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with soccer and realize you want to play professionally?

SYNDEY LEROUX: I fell in love with soccer probably when I was around four or five. My mom put me in every sport possible because I was crazy and she wanted me to burn off some energy. I just loved scoring goals and so I continued to play. I also played baseball, but I played with boys. And so my mom was like, “Okay, you need to make a decision”, and I decided to stick with soccer.

AM: Was there anything behind that decision to pick soccer for baseball?

SL: Well, the boys started getting huge and I stayed the same size. And I just felt like I gravitated towards soccer.

AM: We know the season has started for Angel City FC, but what are you most looking forward to this season? What have you enjoyed so far?

SL: I'm looking forward to just continuing to push, we're midway through the season now and I think we've seen really good things. I think just like working off of that and trying to be a good teammate and do as much as I possibly can.

AM: What does it mean to play the sport you love and represent your passion? Whether it's on the global stage or whether it's just playing in LA? What does that mean to you to get to represent?

SL: It means so much. I think that I've been able to see the growth of women's soccer and women's sports, like being in it and being involved. The NWSL started like 13 years ago, and I was there for that. There was this fear about like, are we going to continue or is it going to fold like all of the other women's leagues before the NWSL. I was playing in Boston at a little high school field with a couple hundred fans. Someone had a little camera and it went on YouTube, and now I play in front of a sold out stadium with 22,000 people in Los Angeles. I don't think anyone could have ever thought that, but I think we pushed for that and this is what we want. So yeah, I'm just so happy to be a part of it and know that the future can even be better.

AM: Why have you partnered with TYLENOL and what is the Care Commitment?

SL: I partnered with TYLENOL because I realized that it's everywhere in my life- from my muscle aches and pains to the kids having a fever. I just realized it's everywhere, so it made sense. Coming back from my injury, I knew how hard that was. I'm really excited to announce the TYLENOL Care Commitment, which is a recovery fund to help injured athletes get back into the game. TYLENOL is committing funding to help injured athletes recover and compete once again, starting this year with a sponsorship to the Women’s Sports Foundation.

AM: How do you manage training during the in-season and how does that compare to when you're in the off-season?

SL: Training in season is tough. But I would also say that training in the off-season and getting ready for a grueling season, we play like 10 months a year, so the offseason is very short. I just try to stay healthy, that's my number one right now, and it's been going good so far.

AM: As a mom, how do you balance that training and playing soccer in the games with the activities with your kids and being their role model?

SL: I think that there's no perfect balance, you just have to do as best as you can. For me to be a role model to my children and to other moms, too, has been amazing. I also think just being able to play with them and do what I do and bring them along with me, I think that that's been really helpful. But it's just about sometimes getting outside and playing.

AM: Do you have any advice for moms balancing that busy career with raising a family?

SL: I think don't be so hard on yourself, give yourself grace. Your kids just love you and as long as you're present there when you can be, I think that's all that matters.

AM: Any other upcoming projects we should keep an eye out for? What's the next thing for Sydney?

SL: Yeah, I actually play in my 150th game coming up against Orlando, so I'm looking forward to that.

IG @sydneyleroux

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 135 Sydney Leroux| PG 136 George Orozco | 9PLAYLIST MULTI PG 138 - 141 |

Read the JUL ISSUE #103 of Athleisure Mag and see CHARTING HER COURSE | Sydney Leroux in mag.

CITI TASTE OF TENNIS

As we navigate the summer, there are a number of events that are always on our mind! With the US Open around the corner, Citi Taste of Tennis kicks off a series of events as well as the Grand Slam that gets everyone excited! At Citi Taste of Tennis, you're able to enjoy some of the best chefs and restaurants as well as seeing your favorite tennis players who will be playing at the US Open as well as veterans together! We've enjoyed attending over the years and look forward to attending on Aug 22nd at Gotham Hall with this year's host, Prakash Amritraj. We wanted to know more about this event as well as others that are part of Taste of Tennis. We sat down with AYS Sports Marketing CEO, Penney Lerner to get all the details.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into this year's Citi Taste of Tennis, I wanted to know more about AYS Sports Marketing and who this producer is?

PENNY LERNER: Citi Taste of Tennis was created by AYS Sports Marketing, a woman-owned experiential marketing agency started in 1996 by mother and daughter duo, Judi and Penny Lerner.

AM: When did Taste of Tennis launch and why was this created?

PL: The principals at AYS worked with various tennis tournaments for many years and, in doing so, developed close relationships with tennis players, agents, and other industry insiders. With their fingers on pulse on the state of professional tennis, they identified an exciting and untapped opportunity. While tennis featured top-notch tournaments and A-list players, there were no high profile “off the court” events that were prominent in so many other sports. To fill this void, AYS created the Taste of Tennis in 1999.

In 2000, AYS hosted the first Taste of Tennis event in NYC headlined by Andre Agassi and celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse. The event combined food prepared by top chefs, celebrity appearances, entertainment and an Oscar's style red carpet. The event was instantly a hit among players, fans, sponsors and the media. Since then, the Taste has become a who’s who of tennis stars, culinary personalities and celebrities. Past attendees include Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Rafael Nadal, Coco Gauff, Mike Tyson, Eva Longoria, Marcus Samuelsson, Lana Del Rey, Naomi Osaka, Andy Roddick, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Olivia Culpo, Maria Sharapova, John McEnroe, Nick Kyrgios, Al Roker, Tamron Hall, Billie Jean King, Morimoto, Monica Seles, and many others

AM: We have attended Citi Taste of Tennis for a few years and have enjoyed them each time. In addition to NY, you have a Taste of Tennis London, Indian Wells, Washington D.C., and Miami. What do you look for when it comes to deciding on bringing a Taste of Tennis to a city as we assume that it involves doing it in tandem with a tennis match?

PL: Citi Taste of Tennis has occurred in many different cities over the past 10 years, from Melbourne to London to New York City to Toronto. We are always evaluating cities that have unique culinary offerings, have the potential for new digital content and most importantly, have tennis happening nearby!

AM: In terms of the upcoming Citi Taste of Tennis what does the calendar look like in terms of planning? Can you tell us what you are focused on when you're a year out, 6 months, 3 months, and a month away?

PL: Citi Taste of Tennis is a brand. We focus on it for 12 months of the year and are constantly evaluating new markets, rising chefs and culinary trends, up and coming tennis players, unique venues, inspiring digital content, social media, sponsorships and more. It’s a big undertaking, and we have a great team and after 24 years, hundreds of hours of digital content and 75+ events, we have a solid understanding of what the brand requires.

AM: This year, you are returning to Gotham Hall. Each year, these events blend players, fans, and cuisine. Can you tell us what we should expect this year?

PL: Guests will enjoy cuisine prepared by 20 leading chefs including Mischa Tsumura (No. 5 Best Restaurant in the World – Maido) and Antonio Bachour (World’s Best Pastry chef 2018, 2022). They will also be treated to special appearances by a number of top tennis stars including 8-Time Grand Slam Champion Andre Agassi, Qinwen Zheng (World #7) and Alexander Zverev (World #4). There will also be great food and fun promotions provided by our sponsors including Segafredo Zanetti Coffee, Scenic Cruises, Boar’s Head, Barbados Tourism Board, Liquid Death and Savas Health.

AM: Is there anything new being added to this year's event?

PL: We are producing a live cooking competition between Chef Mischa and Chef Antonio with WTA player Qinwen Zheng and ATP player Zhizhen Zhang which Andre Agassi will judge!

AM: Outside of the events associated with tennis tournaments, what does Taste of Tennis do throughout the year?

PL: Taste of Tennis started out as a 3-hour culinary event and has evolved into one of the most popular brands in pro tennis. In addition to the 3 North American events, we currently produce, Taste of Tennis is also an Official Sponsor of the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic at Hurlingham (UK). This year, we will also have a Taste of Tennis experience at the National Bank Open (Toronto). We have a full-time staff dedicated to managing all elements of the brand including sales, culinary, digital content, production, and public relations. Suffice to say it's a year-round program.

IG @tasteoftennis

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Taste of Tennis

Read the JUL ISSUE #103 of Athleisure Mag and see CITI TASTE OF TENNIS in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG ISSUE #103 | GRIFFIN COLAPINTO

In this month’s issue, our front and back cover story is World Surf League's #2 pro surfer Griffin Colapinto. He is also competing in his first Olympics for Team USA Surfing at Paris 2024! We talked with him about how he got into surfing, his passion for it, how he balances between between an athlete and taking the proper self-care he needs, and more. We also talk with him about Athletes for Good which established grants for athletes to give to their charity of choice.

Of course we have been glued to our screens watching our favorite athletes, sports, and countries during the Olympics! In this month's issue, we have interviews with 2X Team USA Gymnastic Olympic Medalist Jordan Chiles (G1, S1) who has already won Gold with her team! We talk about how she got into the sport, her passion for it, competing at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024!

We also sat down with Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng who are a fantastic duo for Team USA Olympic Beach Volleyball. We talk about their road to these Summer Games, how they stay in shape and trained for it, and what they are looking forward to. 

We love how the Olympics bring people together whether it's the sport, the ceremonies, celebs, and even veterans. We sat down with Nastia Liukin (G1, S3, B1) 5X Team USA Gymnastics Olympic Medalist as we talk about her Olympic journey, advice to this years team who call themselves, The Golden Girls, and her love for pickleball. We talk about her collaboration with Recess Pickleball.

We also wanted to talked with Sydney Leroux who plays soccer for Angel City FC and is also a Team USA Soccer Olympic Gold Medalist from the London 2012 and 2015 FIFA World Cup winner. She talks about how she fell in love with soccer, why she enjoys playing it, the importance of proper recovery through injury, and more.  

We have always enjoyed Citi's Taste of Tennis which takes place here in NY right before the US Open! This event allows food, tennis stars, celebs, tennis enthusiasts, and more to come together to toast great chefs and restaurants, the hospitality industry, and some great competition at Arthur Ashe Stadium! With the event taking place in August, we sat down with Penny Lerner of AYS Sports Marketing to find out more about the event, why it was started, and what we can expect from this year's event. Make sure to read our AUG ISSUE #104 as we will talk about the event and what we experienced when we were there.

Earlier this year, Bob Marley's biopic, One Love came out in theaters and ahead of that release, Bob Marley and The Wailers: The Ultimate Illustrated History by Richie Unterberger came out. We wanted to talk with the author about the book, his music, life, legacy, and impact.

We all have shows we enjoy and when there is an opportunity to have a companion shows where there are elements of the show we love as well as providing context for the show and the real people that live those lives, it's a great merge of the two. We have been fans of and have interviewed various cast members of STARZ P-Valley. While we wait for the next season, you can enjoy their series Down in the Valley which is Executive Produced and hosted by Nicco Annan who plays Uncle Clifford in the TV series and within this companion series he takes us into the Delta to tell the stories of those that live there and drawing parallels between the scripted show and the reality of those who live it every day. We talk with him as well as Shoshana Guy who is also an Executive Producer. They talk about identifying the storytelling they brought forward, some of their favorite moments, and why this was something that they wanted to do.

We also talked with Lara Wolf who stars in Peacock's Those About to Die. We talked about her career, how she approaches her characters, why she was drawn to this Peacock Original, and upcoming projects.

We always enjoy when we can talk with designers and those in the fashion industry. In this month's issue we talked with Irene Chen, industry veteran and Co-Founder of luxury handbag brand of Parker Thatch. We wanted to know more about the line, the thought that goes into the handbags and jewelry that are created, what we can expect for fall/holiday and more!

This month's The Art of the Snack comes from Kintsugi Omakase in SoHo short for an amazing series of tasting menus that are next level.

We had the pleasure of attending the EU Gem Ham Prosciutto di Carpegna PDO event at Manhatta last month. We take you behind the scenes of this dinner. 

This month's Athleisure List comes from wellness studio Othership in Flatiron here in NY and Hiraya a restaurant and cafe concept in DC. 

This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from 2X Team USA Olympic Gymnastics Medalist Jordan Chiles and 3 Michelin-Starred Chef Alexander Mazzia who is currently one of 3 chefs at the Olympic Villages. This month we have our 9PLAYLIST MULTI from LA Angel FC's Sydney Leroux who shares songs, books and podcasts/TV/films that she is enjoying. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from Team USA Beach Volleyball Olympians Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng who share their must-haves in beauty, style, and fitness. Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from Jordan Chiles who shares her routines that she does, enjoys, and has Morning, Afternoon, and Night. This month's THE 9LIST 9CH3FS and THE 9LIST 9B-L-D comes from Restaurateur/Chef James Wozniuk of Makan in D.C. Executive Chef Whitney Amero Caceres of Primrose in D.C., and Food Network's Sunny Anderson. 

Read the JUL ISSUE #103 of Athleisure Mag.

BACK TO CHICAGO | THE BEAR

On June 26th 9pm ET, S3 of FX's The Bear released all episodes from this season which is available exclusively on Hulu in the U.S. and on Disney+ in all other territories! We had the pleasure of hearing from portions of the cast about this show that has truly been a phenomenon for those in the culinary industry, enthusiasts and more as we head back to Chicago it deals with the highs and lows of running a restaurant, navigating the industry as well as the complexities that take place FOH, BOH as well as outside of the four walls that they operate in!

The press conference included Executive Producer and Restaurateur Chef Matty Matheson (Craig of the Creek, It's Suppertime!, Workin' Moms), who also plays Neil Fak, Jeremy Alllen White (Shameless, Homecoming, The Iron Claw) who plays Carmy, Ayo Edebiri (Black Mirror, Abbott Elementary, Bottoms) who plays Sydney as well as who directed Episode 6 "Napkins" of this season, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Girls, The Dropout, Andor) who plays Richie, Abby Elliott (Saturday Night Life, Odd Mom Out, Cheaper By The Dozen) who plays Natalie, Liza Colón-Zayas (In Treatment, Law & Order, Titans) who plays Tina, Lionel Boyce (Loiter Squad, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Jellies) who plays Marcus, and Ricky Staffieri (Chicago P.D., Better Call Saul, This is Us) who plays Ted Fak.

If you have watched or caught up on the previous seasons of The Bear, we suggest that you watch as there will be light spoilers. In terms of S3 the conversation focuses on the trailer and how it ties into the previous seasons.

PRESS POOL: Matty, in addition to your playing Neil, you are an executive producer and from a menu creation perspective, what are the decisions that are involved in creating those dishes?

CHEF MATTY MATHESON: Yeah, like, Courtney Storer is also a producer, and she handles a lot of the menu development. I work with her and her team and ideation stuff of what Carmy and Syd would be thinking about and how to execute those types of dishes; and create; those types of menus; and who they are and how they would present themselves through a culinary lens. But yeah, a lot of the dishes—you know, we had some really good chefs, and Courtney is amazing at executing and creating that food and bringing that to life. And there were some dishes that were more difficult than others. A lot of the desserts that Lionel and Marcus were creating and storytelling were difficult. Pastry is very - you know, it's a lot of science, a lot of stuff going into that. But overall, I think just trying to make beautiful food and thoughtful food and pushing the envelope.

PP: What was it like cowriting the first episode, what that experience was like, what you brought to the table and also, what it did for you.

CHEF MM: I think a lot of people that have had amazing careers, like Carmy had or chefs in general, have worked under a lot of chefs. And there's little pieces that you grab onto throughout your life, and that's how and what makes you who you are, the good and the bad. And in culinary school, I had this chef that told us this story about how 30 chefs made who he was and told me this story about working under all of these chefs all over Europe and working with chefs and cooks and just learning all of these different trades. And you know, it is a trade. And so, I think picking up these little skills along the way - and you never stop learning - is who you are made of, you know? The people around you. And we kind of wanted to tell a story of what and how Carmy was kind of built in that way.

PP: It seems like Neil's role is increasing with every season and we're seeing more of him. Was this planned from the beginning or did it grow organically out of the way the character interacted with the other characters?

CHEF MM: I’m not too sure. I think they saw that I could remember a couple more lines. And then, I think Chris Storer (Ramy, On The Count of Three, Dickinson) kind of chucked me a couple lines, and then I think we'll keep it moving. But yeah, I don't know. I really don't know. I think happy to be here and then, you know—

JEREMY ALLEN WHITE: I think, yeah, I mean, I think Chris was responding to Matty's work on the show. Matty had never acted before the show, and it turns out he can do it so beautifully and he can be so funny and lovable. And so, I think Chris wanted to work with him more and more. And it's also like I've never seen Chris be more joyful...

EBON MOSS-BACHRACH: Yeah.

AYO EDEBIRI: It's true.

EMB: Yeah.

JAW: ...than when he's directing a scene with Matty and like throwing lines at him. It really is the most excited that I see Chris is working with Matty.

CHEF MM: What Jeremy Allen White said.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Jeremy, we got a taste of Carmy's mentality following the finale and how the walk-in incident impacted him in the trailer. But going into Season 3, how will that experience impact him and his employees at The Bear?

JAW: Yeah, I mean, you know, what happens, I do get out of the walk-in refrigerator and that's good. And then yeah, you know, I think Carmy does what he does, which is he sort of buries himself back into his work and really tries to challenge himself and in doing so, really challenges everybody around him and I think becomes quite challenging to be around, as well. A lot of challenges.

PP: Things were not in a great place between Richie and Carmy when we last saw them. How will their relationship move forward as the season progresses and can they overcome the differences that they have?

EMB: They're great now. They're great. They...

(Laughter.)

AE: Play pickleball on Wednesdays.

EMB: They wake up every morning, go for a jog. You know, a little coffee klatch. No, I mean, you've got to watch, I think, right?

JAW: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, yes, Carmy is like continuing to do what he does best, I think, which is like be incredibly avoidant of all the issues that he has going on.

AE: No. What?

JAW: And that's what you'll see, yeah.

AM: Last season Richie got to work at another restaurant which really softened him and informed him a lot. How did that inform you moving forward with the character and into Season 3?

EMB: Season 3 picks up I think not long after Season 2 ends. And I don't know, I think Richie is in a place where he's sort of seen...he's been exposed to maybe a more evolved way of being, and I think he kind of sees a path to head towards. But it's one thing to see the path and it's another thing to walk it. So, I think, like any kind of personal growth, it's forward and back and there's not a kind of clear and one-direction path.

PP: In the Season 3 trailer, Carmy presents Sydney with a partnership agreement. What does this promotion mean for your character and how does Sydney and Carmy's relationship evolve in Season 3?

AE: Well, I think that that's one of the things in the season that we sort of deal with is what it means to Sydney and what that next step would mean for her relationship with Carmy, who's somebody that I think she really has looked up to but now is sort of in the thick of doing business with. And it's I think a lot more chaotic than she might have idealized before they really started working together. So yeah, I think that's sort of something that you'll see.

JAW: Yeah. Yeah, I think for Carmen, he's not the best communicator, but he will often kind of make a sort of grand gesture like that to try and communicate to Syd or the kitchen or whomever. And I think that's his way of kind of reaching out. But oftentimes, I feel like people aren't prepared to sort of receive like - I think he's got a lot going on in his mind all the time, and people aren't always aware of exactly what's going on. And so, yeah, I guess...again, yeah, you'll see obviously how that affects Carmen and Syd's relationship. But I think Carmen's trying to welcome her in a little bit was the point of the partnership agreement, yeah.

PP: What is going on with Tina this season. And then Ayo, would love to hear what it was like directing an episode.

LIZA COLÓN-ZAYAS: What's up with Tina is she is struggling to, you know, be her best and the challenges and wrestling with the demons of her past and you know, white-knuckling.

AE: Yeah, directing was a blast. I really loved it. It's like a dream to get to work with our crew as an actor. And so then, I guess by extension of directing that feeling was only amplified. I was just so impressed and so moved every day. And then, I got to direct some of my favorite actors in the world, and it just felt like a bit of a master class, but also a gift. Like, I was just in the best circumstances of truly just masters of their craft beside me, and I just felt so lucky. I was kind of like this is maybe the best job in the world? Or tied for first place, at least, with the one of acting. Yeah, so it was really wonderful.

AM: Did you choose the script that you were going to direct or is it just a decision you made with Chris Storer?

AE: I mean, a little bit of both, I guess? Like, he had one in mind. We're lucky enough to read all the episodes as actors beforehand, and we'd been talking about it for a while. And I know that he had one in mind, and I think he and the other producers, like Joanna Calo (The Baby-Sitters Club, Hack, Beef), had talked about it a bit, about how the episodes would be distributed. Because I wasn't the only guest director this season. Our AD, Duccio Fabbri (She Said, The Whale, Native Son), also directed an episode. And so, I think they had in their minds who would go where a little bit. But then we had a conversation, and he was like, "Which scripts are you responding to?" And I was like, "I would literally give you my firstborn child, who does not exist yet, if I could do the Liza episode, because I would love to work with Liza in that way." And then, he was like, "Well, we have nice little parallel thinking." So, yeah.

PP: Grief seems to be kind of a river that runs through the entire connective tissue of the show. And no one has seemed to really deal with their grief related to Mikey's (Jon Bernthal) passing and also, it seems like there might be some grief for Marcus, as well, coming up. Will there be any reckonings with unprocessed grief throughout this season, and what does that mean for the restaurant as a whole?

ABBY ELLIOT: Yeah, I think with Natalie, she's processing her grief and she's about to become a mother. She's pregnant and so, she's grappling with the fact that her brother had this horrible demise and her relationship with her mom and her brother is not in a good place. So, I feel like, yeah, she's dealing with the grief in that way.

AE: Yeah, I feel like a lot of different characters have grief that touched them in different ways in how they're dealing with it. I mean, I think you said it very aptly. That's one of the connecting threads of the show, so I think it's in the process of being dealt with by different characters in different ways in this season.

EMB: I would say that it's even one of the strengths of the show and I think one of the reasons that it's connected with so many people is I think grief is the river that runs through all of us. And it's the one sort of - maybe one of the only common things that we all share in the human experience. And so, yeah, that continues, and everyone deals with it in their own way. Or not, you know.

IG @thebearfx

@mattymatheson

@jeremyallenwhitefinally

@ebonmossbacharach

@ayoedebiri

@lizacolonzayas_lcz

@lilcutieforever

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | FX's The Bear

Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see BACK TO CHICAGO | The Bear in mag.

CLEARLY AHEAD | DIANA TAURASI

We can’t wait for Paris 2024 and to see many of our faves showing their talent on the world stage! We also love finding new faves and rooting them on! Many athletes have the pleasure of being able to show this talent every season in their sport and we’re honored to be able to talk to 5X Team USA Olympic Gold Medalist and 3X WNBA Champion, Diana Taurasi! Although we’re a little over a month away, we all know that she is the first basketball player (whether male or female) in history to reach 6 Olympic Games as she is on Team USA heading to this year’s Summer Games! We’re so pumped to see her compete and with the WNBA in full swing, you can see her and her fellow teammates on the Phoenix Mercury as they navigate their season!

We took some time to catch up with Diana to find out about how she came to basketball; her passion for the sport; how she trains during an Olympic year that takes place during her season in the WNBA, and the importance of sharing her eczema journey!

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with Basketball and realize that you wanted to do this as a career?

DIANA TAURASI: Well you know, it’s something that I always wanted to do and I stumbled upon basketball one summer when my mom said that she needed to get me and my sister out of the house! So we were at the local city rec league and that’s really where the love of the game started for me you know! It was a great time to play basketball, I mean 90’s NBA was so popular with MJ, the Bulls, being a Lakers fan and then in 96/97 the WNBA started! So, it was just all of this momentum when it came to basketball. That’s when for me that I knew that I was going to be able to do it for a long time!

AM: That’s great and growing up we know what it was like during that era!

You’re a 3X WNBA Champion and a 5X Olympic Gold Medalist, what does it mean to you about the impact that you have and continue to bring to the sport?

DT: Oh yeah, I mean, women’s basketball is in such an amazing place right now! We’re in such a great cross section between talent and social media! The eyes and the attention that it’s getting right now – it’s just really an amazing time to play basketball. At the same time, it’s also a great time to shed a light on a lot of the people that came before that did it without the notoriety and without the fame. It’s always nice to know what the past is so that we can go into the future in the right way.

AM: As you know, we’re a little over a month away from the Olympic Games in talking with each other today. What’s it like to prepare for the Summer Games as we’re so excited that you will be returning for a 6th time! How do you prepare for Paris 2024 and Summer Games in the past when you’re also currently in your season with the Phoenix Mercury?

DT: Yeah, it’s always an interesting summer when it’s the Olympics. We take a hiatus or a break for a month for the Olympics. So right now, you’re just so entrenched in your team and the WNBA to make sure that your team is in a good place and that you’re physically in a good place individually. Once that break happens, all of that goes away and all you’re worried about is bringing home Gold!

When you talk about USA Basketball, we take that load with a lot of respect and we know how challenging the Olympics are as well as how good these other countries are. So, it’s always the most ultimate respect to the whole world.

AM: Over the past few years, various athletes and celebs have shared their eczema journeys. Why have you opened up about yours and why have you partnered with Sanofi and Regeneron?

DT: Partnering with Sanofi and Regeneron, obviously moderate-to-severe eczema is something that I have had to deal with for many years. I have tried everything. I’ve tried the lotions, the topical creams, the steroids, and nothing really gave me what I needed. When I was with my dermatologist, Dupixent was brought up and I had never heard of it. I learned a lot about it and if you go to ShowUpAd.com, you can read so many stories and there is so much information about it. It’s something that just works for me! There’s nothing better than being able to go on the court with clearer skin! Playing basketball, you’re always in a jersey and it’s that one thing that if anything you want clearer skin! It’s given me that relief and it has made me so much more comfortable!

We enjoyed hearing Diana talk about her love of the game, how important it is to celebrate those who have contributed to the WNBA from its start, and Paris 2024! We also appreciate her sharing her eczema story with us and how she feels relief in knowing that she can play more comfortably with her eczema under control! We wanted to know a bit more about eczema and took a moment with Dr. Annabelle Garcia as it is estimated that 2.7 million people in the US age 6+ have uncontrolled moderate-to-severe eczema. Like Diana, many who suffer with this may have tried a number of solutions. The best place to start is recognizing the signs of eczema so you can see a dermatologist who can assist you in your best solution.

For those that may not be familiar with eczema, can you tell us what it is and what are the signs? How can you tell if something that may look like just a skin irritation is actually eczema?

DR. ANNABELLE GARCIA: Yes of course! So moderate-to-severe eczema is characterized by these intense itchy dry patches on the skin. They can crack or be painful. Sometimes they can cover small parts of the body and sometimes these patches can cover large or sensitive areas. Really, it’s the itching that is the hallmark of the disease. It’s one of the things that can be the most disturbing to patients. Sometimes eczema can present in a very typical fashion in a child for example in the Antecubital Fossa which is in the elbow area, behind the knees, cheeks – but sometimes it does present in a classic way. It can present differently based on patients with different skin types. In lighter patients, the plaques tends to be a bit more pink and red where in darker skin tones, they can appear darker, hyperpigmented, or ashy grey color. So sometimes it is hard to tell whether something is eczema or not so it’s important to seek medical care and see a dermatologist for that expert opinion.

IG @dianataurasi

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Sanofi + Regenerson

Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see CLEARLY AHEAD | Diana Taurasi in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG ISSUE #102 | WALTER MENDEZ

In this month’s issue, our front and back cover story is with couture designer, Walter Mendez of Walter Mendez Atelier. He is known for his stunning creations that spans RTW, bespoke, and bridal collections that have been worn by Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, socialites, and more! We talked about how he got into the industry, his passion for his creations, his recent exhibit in Beverly Hills.  

We caught up with Supermodel Chanel Iman who attended Miami Swim Week to hear why she likes this season of shows, her favorite shows that she has attended recently, and where she's traveling to this summer.

We caught up with 3X WNBA Champion and 5X Team USA Women's Basketball Gold Medalist Diana Taurasi as we talked about how she fell in love with the sport, what it's like to prepare for her 6th Olympic appearance when she is currently in season with the Phoenix Mercury, and more.

We enjoyed seeing Reza Diako in The Diplomat and Tehran. We wanted to talk about playing Apostle Philip in S4 of The Chosen as well as upcoming projects. We also wanted to know how he came to acting, his approach to playing his characters, and upcoming projects.

We know that the Summer Games is only a few weeks away and as the athletes prepare, we caught up with 3 MICHELIN Star Chef Alexandre Mazzia who will be be at Paris 2024 bringing his culinary talents to the Olympic Village for the athletes. We talked about his background, how he defines his cuisine, being an Olympic Torch bearer and more.

Like many of you, we're so excited for S3 of FX's The Bear! We talked with castmembers from the show to talk about what we can expect as all episodes are streaming now!

If you have yet to watch MGM+'s Hotel Cocaine which takes viewers back to the late 70s/early 80s to The Mutiny Hotel which was considered the Studio 54 of Miami. We had the pleasure of talking with the Creator Chris Brancato and Director Guillermo Navarro as well as 2 of the leads from this show, Yul Vazquez and Danny Pino that focuses on the sex, drugs, disco, and drama of the era!

Fans of 9-1-1: Lone Star will enjoy our conversations with Julian Works who is also starring in the film, The Long Game. We got to hear this movie buffs favorite films, his approach to playing his characters, and more.

We always enjoy talking with our favorite actors and hearing about projects that they're working on. In addition to Maria Camila Giraldo's appearance in Netflix's Griselda and other upcoming movies including one with Al Pacino, we also wanted to know more about her nutritional brand, Fungiments which she created out of a personal need for her health.

This month was a busy month and in addition to other things on our schedule, we have recaps from NYC Pride which we are proud to be media sponsors for our 8th year, we also attended Governors Ball to enjoy 3 days of music, food, and good vibes, as well as Bar Convent Brooklyn where we connected with our friends in the spirit and hospitality industry at this tradeshow as well as epic after parties.

This month's The Art of the Snack comes from Blu on the Hudson a short ferry ride from NYC with epic views of the city and phenomenal seafood that we can't wait to enjoy!

This month's Athleisure List comes from JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa and Juice Generation which just launched their Juiced Gelato that we are fans of. 

This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from EDM DJ/Producer, Kygo. This month we have our 9PLAYLIST MULTI from Reza Diako who shares songs, books and podcasts/TV/films that he is enjoying. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from our cover star, Walter Mendez as well as Supermodel, Chanel Iman for their must-haves in beauty, style, and fitness. Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from WNBA's Diana Taurasi and Costume Designer Allyson Fanger who shares their routines that they do, enjoy, and have Morning, Afternoon, and Night. This month's THE 9LIST 9CH3FS and THE 9LIST 9B-L-D comes from Chef Timothy Silva of Pineapple Club, Chef Victor Chen of Kintsugi, and Pioneering Woman's Ree Drummond. 

Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag.

IT STARTS WITH THE CHARACTER | ALLYSON FANGER

When you're watching a series or a film, there are a number of elements that draw you in and provide additional context beyond the dialogue that is being spoken on the screen. Costume design is one that we're always watching as it adds that element of visual texture.

We sat down with Costume Designer Allyson Fanger who has brought her creative approach to a number of series and films including Wild Things, 10 Things I Hate About You, 80 For Brady, Grace & Frankie, Shrinking, Apples Never Fall, and Mack & Rita to name a few. We wanted to know more about how she chose this field, how she got into the industry, iconic looks that really delve into and drive the story forward, and how she approaches these projects.

ATHLEISURE MAG: I have been such a fan of your work and it’s such an honor to be able to talk with you!

ALLYSON FANGER: Oh, thank you so much!

AM: I have been a fan of your work since Wild Things and 10 Things That I Hate About You! I remember being in college and watching 10 Things That I Hate About You and just watching the images and how the characters were dressed and it really stuck with me! It was seared into my mind so personally, I have been a fan for awhile.

AF: I love it! It’s having a moment!

AM: Right?

AF: It’s so great!

AM: It’s really a testament to your approach to your work. As you’ve said, it’s still super relevant!

I’m a fellow Midwesterner myself and I live in NY now. I’m always intrigued by how those of us who come from that area of the country and then we end up leaving to go to the East or the West Coast. I find it interesting. How did you get your start in this industry?

AF: Well, I mean, that’s a big question. I got a degree in Anthropology actually and I started getting into photography and visual media towards the end of college. I have always been a very live in the moment type of person in general. In school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do and didn’t know that this was a career path that was possible to me. As you know, I lived and grew up in Minneapolis and went to college, then I came back after college, and I traveled a ton! I went to South East Asia, I went to India, Singapore, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia – you know I, did that whole South East Asia thing. That really was very formative I think in my interest in culture and society and people! The difference in people in different areas and cultures, socioeconomically, geographically, how they grew up in a certain area and how things defined them from a costume perspective – from a look perspective, I was really attuned to the different colors, especially in India! Like the beautiful pigmented colors that have to do with not only skin tone of the people in the area, but also the light. The way the light hits and what looks well and the way that they use pigmented dyes and plants to make their colors.

All of those things were not lost on me and it was hugely formative to me on all of my work today. That is why I am able to find the various details and nuances in character and all of the elements that feed in to making a person, an individual full and defined and different and unique in their own way. Every single person is.

When I was doing Anthropology and Social Anthropology, the study of people – so that kind of tied into that and I came back to Minneapolis, and I wondered what I was going to do. I started hanging out with a lot of artists in Minneapolis just because those were my people. I had this very good friend at the time whose name was Gus. He was a big commercial photographer in Minneapolis. I was talking with him and I was starting to have a crisis on what I was going to do with my life. I went to live in London for a year and then I came back and I asked him what would I do with my life as I was 26 and he said, “honey, you should be a stylist.” He said it right away and I asked him what it was as I didn’t know anything about it. He told me to come work with him as he was a big commercial photographer and that I should work with his stylist Molly. I worked with her for 1 day and I got it. I knew that that was what I should be doing. So I started working on commercials in Minneapolis and I was making good money doing that, but then I got much more interested in doing character. I was like, commercials are fun, but at that time, especially with where commercials were – they wanted their people in Gap khakis and that was the mode of that very average look. It was like a great place to be in to learn the nuts and bolts, but I was really interested in character and at the time, I was very fortunate to also see that there were a lot of films that were coming to Minneapolis so I just hustled and got myself hired as a PA on a couple of features there and then I met Sharen Davis (Westworld, The Help, Fences) who is a Costume Designer and she is like my mentor. I don’t know if you know her.

AM: Oh yes!

AF: She did Dreamgirls and Watchman series, she is one of my dearest, dearest friends and I love her so much! She was like, “oh, you have to move to LA,” and she hired me on projects and she got me in the union and she kind of put me on my way and so here I am!

AM: That’s amazing!

AF: I mean, I did take 7 years off because I did have 3 children.

AM: Your body of work is amazing! Before we start delving into that. I want our readers to understand the difference between a Costume Designer and a Stylist?

AF: Oh that’s such an interesting question because there really is quite a difference! I mean, a Costume Designer and it’s funny because it comes up all the time, because my actors will always ask if I will style them for an event. I’m always like, “I definitely could,” but costume design is really about character development and informing character through look choices right and storytelling and that is what I love about it so much. It’s about intention, propelling the story forward, giving the viewers a kind of intimate relationship visually with characters and helping them to relate to the people that are on screen and that is what I love so much about what I do. It’s about finding pieces and I always try to have very personal pieces on people that hopefully get recognized by viewers. When I am doing a TV series especially, you watch these characters evolve and that’s part of it too. You put in elements of character evolution and how they journey through the story and as it changes. Sometimes, you don’t even know how it is changing. Then it’s changing and then we adjust and that’s how you make your choices in the morning. I like to say that people say to me, “I know who that character was before they even opened their mouth.” When they say that, I know that I am doing my job well. I think that that is true of all people. You get a lot of information just by what they are wearing and it’s one of those things that people don’t register consciously until it’s not there - you know what I mean? It’s interesting. You know when people have pictures coming up on their phones?

AM: Yes.

AF: One of our producers, he changed his picture and put up one where he was dressed up from an event for an Awards show. I was like, “oh Mike, I love that you changed your photo!” He was like, “yeah, you know what? Someone else had their photo and it presented so nice and I feel that I should have one too.” I said, “See how important it is in what you wear and you wear and how much the impact is when someone that you don’t even know?” It’s so huge! I mean, the people who even work in the business don’t recognize that that is happening.

Styling is about more of the look and stylists developing relationships with PR companies more and working with showrooms and there are loans. So that is why when I say to my actors that although it’s flattering and I would love to do everything, I say, "you know, working with someone where that is their world – it’s a different world.” And I do do it sometimes, but it’s it’s own niche world and it’s about look, fashion, impact, red carpet moment you know and it’s a whole other arena. Do you know what I mean?

AM: I am a stylist and I agree that Costume Design and Styling although there are similarities that do occupy very distinctive space. You could do both but they have very different elements to them. I may be thinking of a set that I am styling or a project and putting a story behind it but they are still very specific moments in time as opposed to having an arc that is not only spanning various episodes and seasons, but also integrating with a cast of characters that speaks back to one another.

When I watched Apples Never Fall, within the first few minutes of the show I knew that it was you who did the costume design. There are tones and elements of your work especially when I look at each character and how they are set against others in the cast that I can see it’s an Allyson Fanger fingerprint. Like you said, before the character opens their mouth, I have a great sense of who they are, who they’re aligned with, and in many cases how they are different from those that they are meant to be in the same group with.

AF: Thank you so much!

AM: All of those nuances that are taking place for a series or a movie Is not all the levers that I am navigating when I am doing a shoot of x amount of looks that may span 14 shots. There might be elements of it but not anywhere along the same scale and it’s still within the parameters of 1-3 people and just for that shoot.

AF: It’s different and it is its own art. Stylists who do it well, they blow me away. They know how to get those cameras snapping.

AM: Where do you start once you get attached to a project? For me, I’m looking at dealing directly with the brand, PR, showrooms, etc. I have a moodboard or project board where I’m thinking of the tone of the shoot how it ties into my celeb, the set, and vibe.

For you, what is your treasure trove of things that you are pulling from when you’re going on to a project.

AF: It always starts with the script and the words. It’s a well drawn character in the script. When I read a script in a project, I know that I get so excited when I know that the characters are so well developed and sometimes some of them are not and the writers know! I have put together boards for a meeting and I’ll let them know that I am not completely sure of this person and they’ll say, “yeah, I know. We didn’t give you any information.”

So the information is in if they have flushed out a character, if they know who that person is, then they are able to translate it into their words and into the story. That then gives me the information that I need. I look at geography which is huge to me. Where is this person from, where did they grow up vs where do they live now? What do they carry with them from that time from their formative years? We then know what their socioeconomic status is and I always work with the production set as I want to know what their house looks like, their car – all of those things are what I go off of. Then it’s what are they doing in the story and what’s their job or not? All of that goes in and then I have meetings and a lot of times as costume designers, they throw you a script and tell you that you’re going to have a meeting with boards which includes everyone – producers, directors and you sort of have to take your best shot at filling in the lines and see. But the thing is, as I have done at this point in my career, it’s either a match or it’s not. As you see it, and again, I am getting such good scripts now, that I feel like I am always able to sort of hone in on what it is an things that they haven’t thought about a lot of times too. They get excited and will say, “oh my God yes!”

Like in Apples Never Fall, one of the things that I did was – the relationship between Stan Delaney (Sam Neill) and Brooke Delaney (Essie Randles) was the strongest relationship in the script and she was the most of his ally. So, I helped to tell that story with help from clothing by her. Like his oxford shirt, she would wear the shirt sometimes over more tank top and athletic pant vibes. In my head, those were taken straight out of Stan’s closet. I love telling stories with families so much because I love family dynamics. I love finding the thread in the family, the thread was already there in Apples Never Fall and the thread was already tennis, but you know just relating the characters through and finding the differences and well defining them and then finding the sameness.

I love doing mother/daughter. In Grace & Frankie, I always imagined that Mallory (Brooklyn Decker) and Brianna (June Diane Raphael), although they were so different in how they presented, both could have pulled from Grace’s (Jane Fonda) closet for different things.

AM: My mind was blown the very first episode of Grace & Frankie. I mean it was a confluence of beauty from the writing, the cast, how the characters were dressed, the set, etc. What made you want to be part of this project? This series ran for 7 seasons unlike Apples Never Fall which was a limited series, so how do you create this world and balance between growth of the characters as well as continuity. It must be incredibly difficult.

AF: That was something that we talked about from the very beginning of Grace & Frankie – it was about their journey and how to make sure to tell that through costumes. One of the big ones for that was Grace, because Grace comes in at the beginning and she was so closed off emotionally, damaged, hurt, and protecting herself. Also, just her aesthetic in general was stoney and we used ceramic colors. So I said that we should have her colors be those of ceramics and pottery – grey, taupe, camel – it was about using those cold colors.

AM: There was a sterility about it although the pieces were beautiful. So you had these sterile moments with a bit of a prickly edge that would come out every now and then!

AF: Yes! The collars and she’s just very controlled as a person emotionally! Then you have Frankie (Lily Tomlin) which is such a fun person. What a blessing that show was for me. Frankie was this artist soul and I had her color as a Santa Fe sunset. She’s got her red, yellow, orange, green, color pattern, texture – all of her kooky moments. I didn’t want her to feel like – and we talked about this a lot – it wasn’t about having her as a caricature of a hippie lady or a Bohemian lady. She had to have a lot of depth and she’s an artist. So I really looked at the artists ladies in Norway and Sweden and it was about having the long layers, architectural and jewelry and I used crystals because obviously she was spiritual so I used those large crystals on her and if you noticed some of the necklaces were made out of rubber. So she wore a lot of those vibes also. She had a number of European brands that she wore so that is something that I did with her.

The things about their journey together is that we had Grace bring color into her life and that happened around the end of Season 1 and then we kind of kept it going and we never really changed her completely as a person, but we would bring more Frankie into her life as she embraced life more right? She experienced life more through Frankie. We had all of Grace’s shirts made. The first shirts, the color shirts - the first print that Grace had ever worn were these shirts that I got that were made from Carolina Herrera and we loved that shirt! It’s such a great shape and a classic look.

AM: Really loved that shirt!

AF: It was perfect for Grace and I was like, “they don’t really make print or color.” I reached out to them and I said, “do you have any print or color?” They said that they actually had some archival fabrics that they made the first 4 shirts for us for that show. Then that was it, there were 4. So I started sourcing fabric and making all of those shirts. So all of the shirts that Grace wore, they were custom and we made all of them as they kind of didn’t exist at the time! A lot of people are making them now though. So that’s the story of them!

AM: I love hearing about those shirts as I loved them! Is it different for you if you’re dong a series versus a film?

AF: Yeah, but well, not necessarily with character development, it depends on the arc, it depends on the story. Films are easier.

AM: Yeah it’s an endpoint!

AF: Yeah, you have 1 script! And you have it ahead of time. I’m an adrenaline girl and I love a challenge. I thrive well in chaos in this world. I don’t get rattled, I kind of get very last minute in TV because they are always writing those scripts! Right now I’m on Shrinking -

AM: Another great display of characters as I love the palettes.

AF: Thank you, we’re on Episode 10 and I don’t have the script for 11 and 12 yet and we start shooting that in probably about a week! So, it has it’s own challenges! Whereas a film has its own arc where it’s wild and busy and you have all of these things going on and then it’s done and it’s over. I do love doing film and I want to do more film going forward in my career and I am manifesting that for sure.

AM: What are 3 of your favorite looks that you have created whether it’s for a series or a film or 3 characters that you really loved working with?

AF: Ugh, I love them all! When I get this question, I mean they’re all my children so that is such a tough question for me. I really feel attached and love all of my characters so much! I mean, Frankie is probably the most near and dear to my heart. The character Frankie, I mean first, Lily Tomlin (9 to 5, The West Wing, 80 for Brady) one of the most amazing women and such an incredible person and so is Jane (Monster-in-Law, The Butler, The Newsroom)! I mean, the two of them probably – I have to say that it was the most seminal for me and really transformed me as an artist in this world and I got to spend 7 years with them and I got to really get to know them as members of my own family and they kind of were. I think that the thing with Grace & Frankie is that they resonated so strongly with people because they resonated with some part of everyone’s family or someone who they knew and loved! Everybody saw someone that they knew or loved within one of these women or both! I always say too that Grace & Frankie, they are characters, but we are all a little Grace and all a little Frankie. We have pieces of both of these women in us and our mothers and our sisters and our aunts right? So, I think that that’s why they were resonating so strongly with so many people.

AM: Even the other characters in the show, I have a friend group or family member that reminded me of them. Like many, I was sad when it was over. It got me a bit teary eyed. I know that things can’t go on for forever and sometimes when a show stays on too long, the thing that you loved about it stops taking place because maybe there isn’t enough story and then that isn’t great either. But it was such a comfort with the visuals, the cast, the writing, and it would be hard for even another show to replicate and achieve that tone and playful push pull hat took place throughout the series in the way that it did. It’s rare to have that type of an ensemble cast, with the breadth and depth of topics covered, and all the other elements.

AF: Well that’s Marta Kauffman (Dream On, Friends, Leave the World Behind) she’s amazing and I am very grateful!

AM: Do you have any upcoming projects that are coming up that you are able to share that we can keep an eye out for?

AF: Yeah! I’m doing Shrinking Season 2 right now. I’m thinking, did I do anything between Apples and Shrinking? No – we’ve had some strikes here in our industry.

AM: Of course.

AF: So there has been some stalls. I’m doing a pilot with Marta Kauffman of Grace & Frankie. We’re going to be starting that soon also. Right now, those are my babies and they’re keeping me quite busy!

IG @allysonfanger

We could have spoken with Allyson Fanger even more about how she delves into her character and like that her approach pulls in a number of factors so that the characters are easily positioned in our mind! For those who have yet to see Grace & Frankie, you can stream all episodes right now on Netflix.

Apples Never Fall can be streamed now in its entirety for this limited series on Peacock. As a bit of bonus information, Allyson sent us some notes on how she approached creating the costume direction for this show which focuses on a tennis family!

We enjoyed hearing how she looked at the relationship between Stan and Brooke to inform how would they look and to show their connection with one another. She sent us some other notes which focuses on the relationship between Stan and his son Troy (Jake Lacy), as his father always called him out for being flashy, but he wore a number of big brands too!

She shared that Troy is flashy, but in a way that reads more of a wealthy understated nature. This is more of an anti flashy aesthetic where the clothes are expensive, but there are no logos or there may be subtle ones. It's all about a IYKYK vibe. His clothes are meticulously fitted as well as being tailored.

In terms of his father Stan, he's not focused on whether a brand is expensive, but it's about brand names that are athletic. Tennis is not just what he excelled in or involves training others, it is who he is and is very much part of his identity. So it's natural that he is in an athletic aesthetic like tracksuits and branded pieces. Interestingly, in those moments that he is not dressing like this, he seems like he is out of place.

Interestingly enough, both of them have large personalities and egos and how they present and dress is important to them and as much as they butt heads throughout the series with one another, it's really because they are similar in their personalities.

When you're watching the series, brands such as Tory Burch, The Upside, Lucky in Love, Sporty & Rich, Ciao Lucia, Venroy, Ralph Lauren Polo, Alo, Lululemon, FILA, NIKE, Reebok, Helly Hansen, and Golden Age of Tennis were included.

While we watched this series, we were reminded of an array of tennis stars. Interestingly enough, we were not that far off as each character had an inspirational star!

Stan Delaney's costume direction was inspired by Jimmy Connors, Joy Delaney spired by Jimmy Connors, Joy Delaney (Annette Bening) was inspired by Martina Navratilova, Troy Delaney's costume direction came from Roger Federer, Amy Delaney's (Alison Brie) look was inspired by Maria Sharapova, Logan Delaney (Conor Merrigan Turner) is a mixture of Bjorn Borg/Andre Agassi, Brooke Delaney which we spoke on earlier in this article is inspired by Anna Kournikova, and Harry Haddad's (Giles Matthey) costume direction comes from Rafael Nadal.

PHOTOS COURTESY | Allyson Fanger

Read the MAY ISSUE #101 of Athleisure Mag and see IT STARTS WITH THE CHARACTER | Allyson Fanger in mag.

THE TOLL OF SECRETS | OUTER RANGE

The neo-Western series Outer Range debuted in 2022 on Prime Video starring Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men, Avengers franchise, Dune franchise), Imogen Poots (Roadies, Jimi: All Is By My Side, I Know This Much is True), Tom Pelphrey (Ozark, Love & Death, A Man In Full), and Lili Taylor (Six Feet Under, Manhunt, Perry Mason). In the 1st season we're in the present day and we watch as the Abbott family navigates the changing times of a farm and life that is always within moments of being pulled away from the family. In addition to these concerns, we realize that Royal Abbott (Josh Brolin) has found a portal that takes you through time, and we know that he has first hand experience with it. Throughout the first season, we learn more about this portal, what it does to the town, and how it brings additional people together and apart.

In the 2nd Season, the portal and its powers are even more evident and we see others who have become exposed to it and what it does to their lives. We also see how the Abbott's as a family come to terms with it as well! The importance of time, secrets, life and death converge in this epic story.

We sat down with the Showrunner and Executive Producer of Outer Range, Charles Murray (Sons of Anarchy, Luke Cage, The Devil You Know) to talk about the kinds of stroytelling he enjoys; how he came into the Season 2 of this show; his thoughts on this season; and what he hopes viewers takeaway from it.

If you have yet to watch Season 1 you can stream it now as well as the current season.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We have been a fan of your work since Sons of Anarchy, Luke Cage, The Devil You Know! What draws you to storytelling as a writer, producer, and showrunner?

CHARLES MURRAY: You know, oh thank you – I love this question!

AM: We know!

CM: I like stories that live in the crevice of society. What I mean by that is – one of my favorite movies is 12 Angry Men!

AM: Yes!

CM: That’s written by Reginald Rose (Crime in the Streets, Man in the West, Somebody Killed Her Husband) and directed by Sidney Lumet (Serpico, Network, Murder on the Orient Express). It’s about 12 guys sitting in a room trying to decide through their prejudices and biases and disbelief if a Puerto Rican kid killed his father. While that’s going on, right now, there is some case being decided right when you and I are having this conversation. They’re talking about things that are going to be seen worldwide. There’s a little spot where things like the stories that I’m drawn to exist at the same time. It’s that kind of stuff that draws me to storytelling.

AM: What drew you to this neo-western series Outer Range? What are the challenges that you navigated as you became the Executive Producer and Showrunner in Season 2? Were there things that you were mindful of since Season 1 already took place and you were coming into this one?

CM: You know, you’re mindful of being respectful of the audience that got you into Season 2 and you’re mindful of the larger narrative of whether you should follow it, shake it off, or try to do a combo of the two. Thankfully, we didn’t have to shake off anything because Season 1 set such good groundwork, it was just my job and the writer’s job to expand on what was already there. Because the narrative was left so open at the end of Season 1, I feel like we had a great shot, at expanding the show and still staying true to the larger story point was which was – here’s a guy that knows about this hole, not only knows about it, but came through it and he’s kept it a secret, but he can’t keep it a secret any longer! That to me, is good conflict.

AM: It was amazing. When we saw the first season when it debuted, it was gripping and compelling. We enjoyed watching all of the screeners ahead of chatting with you and it certainly didn’t disappoint!

While watching it, there were so many themes that kept coming up about the concept of time, the extent of freewill, and the weight of responsibility of those who come before you and after. What do you want viewers to be able to walk away with once they have finished Season 2?

CM: You know, this is going to sound strange. I think that a lot of the show on a metaphysical plane is how people deal with their own timeline. How you can get trapped by your timeline, how it can propel you, and how other people can live in the same space that you’re living in and see things completely differently. I think that the bigger question kind of spins off of Season 1 which is, what happens when you can’t keep secrets anymore? Secrets get a lot of people in trouble.

AM: Oh yes they do!

CM: So then it’s, how do you deal with it when you have to expose those secrets! That’s what Season 2 is about! Season 2 is about telling the truth and then burying the weight of telling the truth. It’s looking at what that could mean and at times, should you? Right?

AM: 100%.

CM: On a metaphysical plane and again on a spiritual plane, we all have to deal with that. What do therapists say? There’s a hole in each of us. Some of us have to fill it up and some people have to examine it. So, if you bring all of this stuff to light and you’re watching this show, I would say that by the time that you get to the last episode, you should be rooting for the main people, but you should also be saying, well – should he have told the truth or not?

AM: It was amazing. When we saw the first season when it debuted, it was gripping and compelling. We enjoyed watching all of the screeners ahead of chatting with you and it certainly didn’t disappoint!

While watching it, there were so many themes that kept coming up about the concept of time, the extent of freewill, and the weight of responsibility of those who come before you and after. What do you want viewers to be able to walk away with once they have finished Season 2?

CM: You know, this is going to sound strange. I think that a lot of the show on a metaphysical plane is how people deal with their own timeline. How you can get trapped by your timeline, how it can propel you, and how other people can live in the same space that you’re living in and see things completely differently. I think that the bigger question kind of spins off of Season 1 which is, what happens when you can’t keep secrets anymore? Secrets get a lot of people in trouble.

AM: Oh yes they do!

CM: So then it’s, how do you deal with it when you have to expose those secrets! That’s what Season 2 is about! Season 2 is about telling the truth and then burying the weight of telling the truth. It’s looking at what that could mean and at times, should you? Right?

AM: 100%.

CM: On a metaphysical plane and again on a spiritual plane, we all have to deal with that. What do therapists say? There’s a hole in each of us. Some of us have to fill it up and some people have to examine it. So, if you bring all of this stuff to light and you’re watching this show, I would say that by the time that you get to the last episode, you should be rooting for the main people, but you should also be saying, well – should he have told the truth or not?

After talking with Charles, we wanted to talk with Tamara Podemski (Reservation Dogs, Murdoch Mysteries, Monster High) who has been in both seasons of Outer Range. We have watched her character navigate town politics, her ambitions, and her personal life. We wanted to know what drew her to playing Sheriff Joy Hawk, where we catch up with her this season, and more.

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s such a pleasure to connect with you! What drew you to Outer Range?

TAMARA PODEMSKI: It’s a crazy world that was so far away from my own world and so far away from anything that I had ever done. I felt my character to be quite challenging! Every time that you’re given on paper, someone who doesn’t really exist in real life, when you take an Indigenous queer woman that is a sheriff and put them in a small white town that is in mountain country – it’s just that she doesn’t exist. I looked around and I did the research, there is no one like her! So that’s always a really fun challenge as an actor to figure out how someone like that, ends up there.

AM: I have to say that your character is one of our favorites from the series. Everything about her just really draws you in and watching how she’s exploring what’s going on. What did you draw from to approach playing her?

TP: Well I had 2 very important of a few people that I turned to that were deeply connected to the world of what I would say Indigenous/Political circuit who were running for a position in government as well as someone that was deeply embedded in American Indian Police Academy who has launched and had so many different recruits that have gone through the program. This allows them to find their place in a sheriff office or in a local police department.

So I needed to base it in truth, I needed to base it in real people that have chosen this journey which is a very difficult road. That’s how I kind of pieced her together.

AM: That’s really great to hear!

Where did we leave Sheriff Deputy Joy Hawk last season and where do we pick her back up again this season?

TP: We leave Joy – I love her so I don’t ever want to say mean things about her, but I think that she has made some poor decisions in Season 1 for the sake of running for sheriff as well as to solve a murder investigation. These things, it cost her! To see her in Season 2 and taken out of that world and to be put into a new environment and to be given an opportunity to reconcile her actions and to be given an opportunity to grow and to surpass the person she was, the person that she thought that she could be, I think of it as Joy’s coming of age story. She gets to be the hero that she was always meant to be.

AM: Last season was so good and we had the pleasure of watching all of the screeners in prep for this interview, what do you want viewers to take away after watching Season 2?

TP: I hope audiences still believe in complex storytelling. I think particularly in a time where we are consuming so much content and some of it is in all degrees of digestibility, I would really ask for our audiences to work and put in the effort to provide their undivided attention. I hope that our viewers are reminded of that longer arc of storytelling and investing their time! I promise that we will take them on a ride and I hope that they fall in love again with the landscape, the genre – I think that we deliver a lot of real rich vibrant genres whether it’s the supernatural, the metaphysical, the western, the drama – I think that we really deliver a lot there. I think that everyone should be very satiated!

IG @thetamarapodemski

After speaking with Tamara about her character and how she has evolved over Season 2, we wanted to know about another character who has also went through various changes.

Isabel Arraiza (Pearson, The Oath, The Little Things) plays Maria Olivares and we wanted to know how she came to the roll, her character's love story and what she wants viewers to take away with them at the completion of the Season 2.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We enjoyed watching how your character has evolved throughout both seasons of the show! What drew you to Outer Range?

ISABEL ARRAIZA: I went to school with Brian Watkins so I know the creator from back in acting school. I had always been a fan of his writing. He is an amazing playwright. So when I found out that he was involved in the creation of this show and the story, I was immediately drawn in. So I went in for this audition and I kept getting call backs and tested. The more that I read about it and just knowing who was involved in the project, I was like “oh My God, please God, just give me this opportunity!" I would say that that was what drew me in initially and of course, the story was so compelling that I just wanted to be able to keep doing it.

AM: Absolutely and what do you love about playing Maria Olivares and what was your approach to delving in to this character as it has been interesting to watch how she unfolds episode to episode?

IA: Initially what drew me was her simplicity of her storyline. But it doesn’t mean that it is less complicated. I mean, Lewis Pullman (Lessons in Chemistry, Top Gun: Maverick, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial; who plays Rhett Abbott) and I are in charge of telling this romantic love story and sort of this love in its simplest and purest way. I just felt fortunate to have this character that felt so grounded and in a storyline that was so riveting and complicated at times. Such straight forward relationships was just so refreshing for me.

In terms of how I approached playing her, the story seemed so straight forward, but what I was trying to connect with her. It felt so removed, it’s a woman in the west and then I thought, she’s not. You remember what it was to be a young woman in a small town in Puerto Rico having bigger than life dreams! Then I realized that I understood this completely and then I was able to navigate the challenges that that brings when you really want something to work out. Especially when that involves a relationship or those things that I can personally relate to and I know a lot of other people can. So finding the similarities between me and her and being able to make that present was what got me there.

AM: Where did we leave Maria in Season 1 and where do we pick up with her again in Season 2. After seeing all of the screeners I know viewers will be excited to see this and may need a bit of a refresher.

IA: We pick up Season 2 where we left off with the last episode of Season 1. You know, they’re trying to escape town, they’re trampled by a herd of bison, and we begin the season in the same place! They can’t really leave right now so they decide to go back and we sort of see her becoming an anchor for Rhett. She’s also navigating her own decisions you know? Will love conquer all or is it not going to go Maria’s way? We start seeing that transition slowly, but subtly happening in her.

AM: What do you want the viewers takeaway to be as fans of the show coming back from Season 1 and once they complete Season 2 to be?

IA: I want them to leave satisfied and that some of the questions from Season 1 were answered and sort of solved, but then, I want them to get excited because there are some wrinkles that have now been thrown into Season 2 which I hope will make them leave wanting more! I think that that that’s what they would want to take away! Also, because it just clicked for me when I was talking with you – the theme of love and fear is present in this show, but at it’s heart, I think that this show is about love.

IG @isa.arraiza

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Prime Video/Outer Range

Read the MAY ISSUE #101 of Athleisure Mag and see THE TOLL OF SECRETS | Outer Range in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG ISSUE #101 | CURTISS COOK

In this month’s issue, our front and back cover story is with Showtime star of The Chi, Curtiss Cook. We sat down with him to talk about his approach to acting and how he connects to his characters, the success of The Chi, the importance of mental health and why it is important to him, as well as upcoming projects. We also enjoyed spending time with him in Chelsea at Selina Chelsea Hotel as we shot his cover at Creatures at Selina Rooftop and Music For A While listening lounge with key menswear looks for your next outing.

Earlier this month, we headed to Lifetime Fitness for the unveiling of their 7 Pickleball courts as well as to see legendary 8X Grand Slam Winner and 60 ATP Tour wins, Andre Agassi. We enjoyed a fireside chat with him as well as the founder of Lifetime Fitness, Bahram Akradi. We enjoyed hearing him talk about playing as a tennis star and how he has transitioned to enjoying pickleball. In addition, we were able to watch him as well as fellow pickleball stars Anna Bright, Tyson McGuffin, Collin Johns, and Ben Johns play in a series of exhibition games.

This month, we also caught up with 2x Team USA Swimming Medalist Lydia Jacoby ahead of the Summer Games in Paris to talk about her sport, swimming for the University of Texas at Austin, what her average week of training is like, and what the weeks ahead look like as Paris 2024 approaches. .

We enjoyed Season 1 of Outer Range and with Season 2 available on Prime Video, we enjoyed talking with Showrunner and Executive Producer Charles Murray to talk about how he was drawn to storytelling and why he enjoys doing it. We also talk about how he came to this neo-western and the power of secrets. We also connected with actors Tamara Podemski and Isabel Arraiza in this series to find out about their characters from Season 1 and what we can expect from Season 2.

Part of a story and its characters coming together takes place in its costume direction as it says a number of elements that are not necessarily in the script, but round out the picture! Costume Designer Allyson Fanger has been storytelling through costumes in films and television from Wild Things, 10 Things I Hate About You to Grace & Frankie, Shrinking, Apples Never Fall, etc. We caught up with her to find out how she got into the industry, her journey, how she approaches her craft, the difference between styling and costume design, and upcoming projects. 

We're back for our 7th year as Media Sponsors for PRIDE NYC which takes place throughout the month of June here in NYC. In advance of this, we wanted to share what you can look forward to this year in our pre-coverage and next month we will have more details on events that we attended.

Bar Convent Brooklyn takes place next month Jun 11- 12 as it's a time for those in the bar/beverage, and hospitality industry to come together to meet new spirit brands and sample launches as well. Ahead of us attending the trade show as well as related events, we wanted to connected with the Event Vice President, Jackie Williams to find out how this event came to be, an overview of its 6 years, and what we can expect this year for attendees and exhibitors in Industry City, Brooklyn. Next month, we'll share our thoughts on what we saw and enjoyed so that you can keep an eye out for new brands and launches.

In an already busy June ahead, Governors Ball will return to Flushing Meadows on Jun 7 - 9! We give an overview on what you can expect and what we look forward to as this music festival kicks off the summer season. Next month, we'll share what we saw and who we interviewed in our JUN ISSUE #102.

This month's The Art of the Snack comes from Heritage Grand Bakery, Heritage Grand and Restaurant and Pizza Bar in Bryant Park. We wanted to know more about this eatery that allows you to have a number of options to go if you're ordering from the bakery for breakfast and lunch and bites in between. We also liked knowing more about the restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and is a great happy hour spot.

This month's Athleisure List comes from The Thinking Traveller, luxury rentals villas in Italy and Greece that are perfect for you to truly enjoy your family with the ability to include premium add-ons to personalize your stay. We also have Hot Bones a Detroit wellness studio that has hot yoga as well as pilates! They are also known for their bone broth that guests can enjoy as well for a full holistic approach. 

This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from EDM group Swedish House Mafia and VASSY. This month we have our 9PLAYLIST MULTI from our cover star, Curtiss Cook who shares songs, books and podcasts/TV/films that he is enjoying. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from Costume Designer Allyson Fanger who shares her must-haves in beauty, style, and fitness. Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from 2X Team USA Swimming Olympian Lydia Jacoby and actor, Joey Lawrence. This month's THE 9LIST 9CH3FS and THE 9LIST 9B-L-D comes from Chef David Seigal of The Lobster Place, Chef Seadon Shouse of Halifax W Hoboken, and Chef David Rose.

Read the MAY ISSUE #101 of Athleisure Mag.