TIMBERLAND TAPS VIRGIL GADSON OF SYTYCD FO SPRING CAMPAIGN

This Spring, Virgil Gadson from FOX's So You Think You Can Dance will be in the footwear campaign for Timberland. Virgil is known for his hip-hop style which he performed on the show. He will be promoting Timberland's boots that are comprised of the SensorFlex™ comfort system. (three-layer outsole that delivers constant support, active cushioning and dynamic flex.) This is in the brand's Killington Chukka (men's boot worn by Virgil) as well as Kenniston 6-inch lace-up boots (for women).

The Philadelphia native appeared on the show as both a dancer and choreographer. He is also skilled in dancing ballet, jazz, modern and tap dancing. The ad campaign will debut in the March and April issues of GQ magazine. It will also be placed in the bus, subway and digital outdoor ads in key markets.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Timberland

PARIS 2017 MENS FALL COLLECTION | DIOR

Earlier today, we saw some of our favorite looks from Dior's Paris Mens Fall Collection for 2017. A number of suiting, athleisure style and great accessories hit the runway today for an easy, well traveled look. You can see all looks from today's runway show.

PHOTO CREDIT Giovanni Giannoni

DSQUARED2 X DWYANE WADE SAKS CAPSULE COLLECTION

This spring, Dwyane Wade of the Chicago Bulls adds to his talents - designer. The NBA Chicago Bulls star has long been a fan of Dsquared2 fan as he wore a custom-designed tuxedo of the brand to his wedding in Miami. Now he will lend his sense of style for a debut collaboration of Dwyane Wade X Dsquared2 collection. This capsule collection will be available with 9 looks exclusively at Saks and on Saks.com. Here is a peek at what you can expect from the line above.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | DSQUARED X Dwyane Wade Saks Capsule Collection

MILAN 2017 MENS FALL COLLECTIONS | ROSSIGNOL

During Fashion Week, we can never pass up a runway show; however, we do love a presentation. It allows you to see the line at your own pace whether it is on models or hung up exhibition style. Rossignol showcased their outerwear which is the perfect mix of form and function. These layered jackets have details from the iconic rooster to fur that ensure that whoever wears it, sticks out this upcoming FW17 see the full line here.

PHOTO CREDITS Andrea Delbo

MILAN 2017 MEN'S FALL COLLECTION | FENDI

Fendi hits the runway at Milan Fashion Week for its Men's Collection presenting fall. The iconic brand took notes from the way that we like to dress in comfort, style, and of course infused with luxury. Check out some of our favorite looks from the show and you can see the full collection here.

Photo Credits Davide Maestri

MILAN 2017 MEN'S FALL COLLECTIONS | PLEIN SPORT

When you can't find a luxury alternative to Nike, you create your own line - which Philipp Plein created with his new line, Philipp Sport. His runway show honored an array of sports including Cross Fit, boxing and more in a two floor gym entertaining presentation. You can see more pictures from the show here.

PHOTO CREDITS Giovanni Giannoni

MILAN 2017 MENS FALL COLLECTION | MONCLER GAMME BLEU

The FW17 runway for Moncler, created by Thome Brown was filled with his signature red, white, and blue as well as athleisure wear. Whether it included garments that one would wear to hit the slopes or fun blazers that could also be worn in a transitional way - the feeling of

PHOTO CREDIT Giovanni Giannoni

LIGHTS, CAMERA, SWEENEY

Alison Sweeney has literally grown up on TV from her first commercial at the age of 5 for Kodak, various shows and then in 1987, she came to the soap opera, Days of Our Lives which she spent over 2 decades as Samantha Brady. She is also known for her roles as the host of NBC's Biggest Loser, Hallmark's Murder She Baked and more. This Daytime Emmy and Soap Opera Digest Award winner and nominee continues to share her love of life in Food Network's Kid's Sweet Showdown as a host (she has hosted and co-hosted various Food Network specials).

We took a moment to sit down to talk with this Soap Opera queen to chat about her Food Network special, how she keeps a healthy mindset, what she's up to for the holidays and her personal style.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We've been fans of yours for a long time as we got our first glimpse of you as Sami! How have you crafted your career to take on so many roles and opportunities beyond those of just the Soap Opera world? 

ALISON SWEENEY: Thank you for being fans! Growing up on a soap opera, where we learned so much dialogue each day, taught me how to be in the moment and how to plan. That upbringing has helped me throughout my life as I now tackle various roles. I make a point to continually push myself, but always to keep it manageable with a schedule and to only look at what’s next on the list. By focusing on what I’m doing in the moment, I’m able to give it my undivided attention before moving onto whatever is next. Plus, as my kids are getting older, I’m able to accomplish much more during their hours at school and with after school activities.
 
AM: We're Food Network fans for sure, how did Kid’s Sweets Showdown come about and what can we expect from this show?

AS: As followers of mine on social media know, I love to cook at home and I’m a big fan of Food Network. I’ve hosted several specials for the network so when they asked me to host Kid’s Sweets Showdown for the holidays, I jumped at the opportunity. 

AM: Being healthy is a mindset, but it's also about making a time commitment, how are you able to do this during the holiday season especially with children and so many other responsibilities?

AS: My family and I are incredibly active and we view the holiday season as a time to get out and do so much more because we don’t have limitations with work, school and other responsibilities.

Whether it’s taking a hike or skiing down the mountain, it’s a great time of year for us to have fun while still being healthy

AM: Outside of the holidays how do you stay healthy from favorite meals, workouts, etc that you do?

AS: I love cooking at home and with my kids helping me. I think by making our own meals, we’re more aware of what we’re eating. Our go-to favorites are shrimp and veggie kabobs that my kids and I prep and my husband grills. For workouts, nothing beats a long run with good music and it’s a great way to explore neighborhoods or cities if I’m traveling.
 
AM: How did the partnership with Arm & Hammer Spinbrush come about and why are they a perfect stocking stuffer?

AS: I’m a big fan of Arm & Hammer products and believe in having a strong and confident smile so when Arm & Hammer approached me about working together to raise awareness of their Spinbrush and toothpaste, it was an organic fit as they’re products I already used and a daily routine my family and I are committed to. Plus, who doesn’t love a fresh toothbrush for the new year! It’s a great stocking stuffer and one that my kids look forward to each year.
 
AM: With the holidays, it's literally almost 6 weeks of so many activities - do you have any traditions and how will you be spending it?

AS: My family and I always disappear to the mountains for some time in the snow. We love being first on the chair lifts and last off the mountain before curling up by a fire. 
 
AM: What's your holiday style suggestion from what you would wear to a holiday brunch, holiday activities with your kids, Christmas and New Year’s Eve - do you have any go to staples?

AS: I love to have a sparkly top or shoes to be extra festive over the holidays. I also learned a great tip years ago which is to carry a handbag so one hand is always full, providing less opportunity to
graze the food at holiday parties.
 
AM: When the holidays are over, how will you bring some much needed zen and centering back into your life as you embark upon the new year?

AS: My family and I are creatures of habit so the first day of school is the first day we return to our normal routines and get back in the mode of school and work. The holidays always give us a great time to take a break so when the day comes, we’re ready to tackle life again in the new year and to make every day count.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Food Network

MILAN 2017 MENS FALL COLLECTION | ALBERTA FERRETTI

Remember when many of us were growing up, we used to have underwear that was for each day of the week. There was something about starting the day off in the right way! Yesterday in Milan, Alberta Ferretti included within its show, soft and cozy sweaters that let you promote your favorite day of the week. This is definitely in our sweet spot of luxe athleisure style. This capsule collection is called "Rainbow Week" which is for men and women. These cashmere-wool blend sweaters are not only the first capsule collection for the line and is available right now on the website which is a part of the growing trend of see now, buy now. You can see more the the Pre-Fall 17 collection here.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY Alberta Feretti

MILAN 2017 MEN'S FALL COLLECTION | PORTS 1961

FW17 collections have begun and will continue throughout the next few weeks. Ports 1961 presents a line that is perfect for athleisure, jetsetting and just running errands to keep it easy. You can see more from the Ports 1961 collection here.

PHOTO CREDIT Giovanni Giannoni

PROJECT RUNWAY JUNIOR X BUTTER LONDON | EPISODE 4

Earlier this week as we were attending a number of market meetings and previews, we happened to walk by Macy's in Herald Square which had Fitbit as the sponsor of a number of windows on the Broadway side of their building. In last night's episode, Fitbit was the focus of the challenge by looking at what a "Girl on the Go" needs. The challenge was to create a look that worked well from day to night. Of course, they would be accessorized with new products from the tracking accessory company.

As always the beauty sponsor for this season of Lifetime's Project Runway is Butter London. Check out what was used for this look!

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | Project Runway Junior

THE MORNING AFTER | GOLDEN GLOBES STYLE: THE MEN OF THE RED CARPET

The men of the red carpet looked dashing and fun as they made their way! We will update more information on each one's look.

Check out more celebrities, their interviews, and more!

| CHRIS PINE GIORGIO ARMANI Suit | DONALD GLOVER GUCCI Suit | MILO VENTIMIGLIA RALPH LAUREN Suit | JEREMY RENNER Suit |

| Pictures courtesy of Frazer Harrison/Getty Images | REX Shutterstock (bottom left) |

KISS ME AT MIDNIGHT

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ATHLEISURE MAG: Nice shooting here, what amenities are offered at Nine52?

NINE52: Every detail of Nine52 has been designed to accommodate the modern city dweller’s needs and to provide the comforts and services of a luxury building. The full-service building is attended by a 24-hour concierge and offers a children’s playroom, a state-of-the-art fitness center with separate yoga and spinning rooms, private storage units, an expansive interior courtyard with a tranquil fountain, a large resident lounge with a bathroom and entertainment area with a full kitchen, a wine cellar with dining area and a co-working space complete with two conference rooms and individual workstations. Atop the building sits a fully furnished and landscaped rooftop deck complete with 360-degree views. Residents may also use a complimentary bike service offered, which includes twenty single-speed Joulvert bikes. The vast amount of amenities is incomparable to other buildings.

AM: What is the concept of the layout?

NINE52: Developed by Gaia Real Estate, Nine52 offers 155 residences with architecture by SPIVAK Architects and interior design by Erik Galiana. Danny Fishman, Managing Partner of Gaia Real Estate not only wanted to target “attainable luxury” for residents, but also include as many amenities within the building as possible. Gaia has a very large rental business and did a lot of research when planning this building – they did a survey with a few thousand tenants and asked them what they wanted.  Ultimately, instead of creating something they thought people wanted, they used direct results to actually give them what they are looking for - which, one of the top things was a co-working space. In terms of style, they wanted to keep it very "New York". 

AM: What are its selling points?

NINE52: Nine52 provokes a sense of discovery. This striking building in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen – a neighborhood rich with history and intrigue – features a brick façade and winding, maze-like corridors that lead to thoroughly modern and new condominiums. Like the city itself, Nine52‘s duality of space blends old with new, masculine with feminine, metal with wood, and thoughtful design with unique details to create a harmonious whole.

Comprised of studio through three bedroom and garden duplex homes, each residence is well-appointed with rich finishes, such as stained white oak floors, oversized windows and sleek kitchens with custom lacquer cabinetry and Caesarstone countertops.  Each home is also equipped with a washer and dryer.  

There is also a large array of floorplans, which helps cater to a wide variety of buyers and is unlike anything else available in the neighborhood.

AM: What is building's occupancy?

NINE52: The building is open and is now fifty percent sold.  Residences are priced from approximately $819,000 to more than $3,000,000. Park River Properties is the exclusive sales and marketing agent for the property. 

AM: What is the neighborhood draw?

NINE52: Located between 9th and 10th Avenues, with entrances on both 51st and 52nd Street, Nine52 conveniently located just steps from Central Park, Rockefeller Center, Times Square and shopping outlets at Columbus Circle, and residents will find a magnitude of resources and sought after destinations, including renowned museums, educational institutions, and a vast assortment of fine dining and shopping.

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THE MORNING AFTER | GOLDEN GLOBES STYLE: BLACK + WHITE

Black, White and the combination of the two were worn on last night's red carpet by presenters, nominees and winners. Our favorite standouts are above! We will update more information on each one's look.

Check out more celebrities, their interviews, and more!

| HEIDI KLUM J. MENDEL Dress | JANELLE MONAE ARMANI PRIVE Dress JIMMY CHOO Shoes | JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS IN EDITION BY GEORGES CHAKRA Dress | SIENNA MILLER MICHAEL KORS Dress |

| Pictures courtesy of Frazer Harrison/Getty Images | REX Shutterstock (bottom left) |

AWARDS SEASON x RED CARPET STYLE | GOLDEN GLOBES

Gold was one of the big trends of the night that we enjoyed seeing during the Golden Globes. The shimmer, glimmer and radiance that it emits no matter the style that serves as its canvas made these presenters and nominees look fantastic. We will update more information on each one's look.

Check out more celebrities, their interviews, and more!

| PRIYANKA CHOPRA RALPH LAUREN Dress | CHRISSY TEIGEN MARCHESA Dress JIMMY CHOO Shoes | SOFIA VERGARA ZUHAIR MURAD Dress | KERRY WASHINGTON DOLCE + GABBANA Dress | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY Golden Globes

| Pictures courtesy of Frazer Harrison/Getty Images | REX Shutterstock (bottom left) |

IN OUR BAG | THE CARRY ON

| THE STRAP SAVER Wardrobe Solution For Too-Long Bra & Sports Bra Straps | DRAPER JAMES Plaid Travel Set | BLISS Triple Oxygen Instant Energy Eye Mask | ERNO LASZLO Double Cleanse Collection Duo in Soothe + Calm | M-61 Moisture to Go (Hand Cream, Body Butter + Lip Balm) | DECLÉOR Strengthening Nail Serum | GOYARD Travel Duffle |

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PROJECT RUNWAY JUNIOR X BUTTER LONDON | EPISODE 3

It's another week of Project Runway Jr and in this week's challenges, contestants broke off into pairs to showcase Avant Garde looks. It's always hard when people work together (especially when you're not used to it) - but one partner that has been great in each episode is beauty sponsor, Butter London. You can see some of the products that were available for the winning look below.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Project Runway Junior

CARPETS, CARE & CHIC WITH ZURI HALL

We sat down with Emmy Winning journalist, E! News Correspondent and TV Personality, Zuri Hall. We chatted with her about family, her recent partnership to shed a light on MS, what awards season is like and her sense of style, as well as staying balanced in the industry. 

ATHLEISURE MAG: You're a busy lady! As we know you're constantly on air, we'd like to know about your connection to this survey about MS.

ZURI HALL: I was excited to partner with Genentech as my Aunt was diagnosed with MS 3 years ago and for me, it was my first personal connection to the disease. I had done a human interest story about this for a local news story – so I was getting a little familiar. But it wasn’t until it hits home that you started to say, “what does this mean, what does it do.” 

So she was diagnosed and over the last few years her symptoms have delveloped and progressed, and unfortunately, have gotten worse. When  I partnered with Genentech, we found that MS Mindset Survey – a lot of their findings reflected what I was seeing my aunt go through when it came to her symptoms. My big takeaway from the survey was the unpredictability of MS symptoms. Some of the things she is dealing with is wobbly legs. Sometimes it's cognitive issues, blurred vision, and she’s hit with fatigue. So she knows roughly what she’s dealing with, but she doesn’t know when they will pop up. So since it is so unpredictable, it’s hard to know or plan around those things whether you are directly dealing with it or are the caregiver that is involved. You can’t plan a week in advance when you have no guarantee of how you will be feeling tomorrow. 

So one of the big findings was that about 85% of those with MS have said that they have missed social engagements because their symptoms have come into play when they didn't think that they would. 87% oddly enough, a higher percentage of support partners and caregivers, have also missed out on events because their partner had a flare up or had an issue. 

For example, my aunt told me that she went to a baseball game once and it was a big venue, so while she was excited to go out with your co-workers and friends she had to commit to it. She gets to the field and then 30 minutes in she realized she had to go because she sensed that she had issues with her wobbly legs as they had been giving out over the previous days and that anxiety of not knowing if that would happen during the game was something that she was dealing with. She would rather remove herself completely from this social situation that she was looking forward to then risking something that she couldn’t predict to happen during the game and having to explain herself or to create a socially awkward situation to those that were there. There are also issues with urinary problems, like not being able to control your bladder – she’s nervous when it hits, then she has to go. For her, it’s not just about being awkward for her but she doesn’t want it to be weird for others and having to have them figure out how to talk about her disease. She is an independent, small and feisty woman and we love her. So it’s interesting to see how this disease begins to dictate the social decisions that she makes. 

Another finding that this survey focused on is the day to day activities which hits home for us. She is the person who loves to host and she has a beautiful home that she has decorated with love and she invites all these people and we are a massive group. Brothers, sisters, cousins and more – we come over, she cooks, and cleans. She is the domestic goddess as well as a corporate goddess. Nowadays, this is really hard for her. We’re going home for Thanksgiving and I don't know why she is going to do this, but she wants to do all the things that she has always wanted to do. She loves hosting our family and dinners. I love her because she refuses to let this disease get the best of her but it does steer the decisions that she has to make leading up to doing so. For me, I look inside and figure out what I can do to support her to make things easier. 

One of the findings in the survey was that more than 80% of the people that live with MS were asked how they could be helped and what service could be offered to them, the top takeaway was that they wanted someone to help them with groceries, in the kitchen, household chores, etc. I think a lot of us, me included, underestimate the impact that this can make. You sit back and say, “really you just want me to put a box of cereal away for you?” But for someone who is dealing with fatigue and is exhausted – it helps. She has told me that mixing a bowl of dressing for more than a few minutes tires her out depending on the day. Her muscles don’t do what they used to do and they don’t act the way they used to. 

There was a time when she visited me in LA this summer. She was teaching me how to make her baked bean recipe and she went to check on it in the oven and accidently flipped the pan and the beans went everywhere.  It was sad because she was frustrated in that moment and she doesn’t want to show signs to the disease and we had had amazing days together with her husband (my uncle) and everything was fine and things were great. It felt great as you know she had the disease, but you felt like not really and then it comes out and reminds you. It lets you know that it could happen at anytime and you have to deal with it.

Some of the things that I want to encourage other people to do is to be patient and understand what your loved one is going through and the symptoms. This way, when it happens you know what they are going through and you can be considerate. When the beans happened, there was a moment when I thought about the beans, but then I had to remember this is what my aunt is going through because we’re not at a point where there are daily constant reminders. I caught myself and knew it was beyond her control and so I came from a place of love and patience and I let her know that I would clean it up and we’ll buy more beans, take a seat etc – it let’s her feel more comfortable and less of an awkward situation. I don’t want her to feel that she is a burden and it helps. She says that she feels like it is her own burden to bear as she doesn’t want people to pity her. But I have found that offering my help and services in specific ways – she takes me up on those offers. 

During the holidays I will be offering to put the dishes away, to run out to Kroger or the grocery story to get something that she has forgotten. I will say, "Aunt Mel, take  a rest." I was talking with one of our nurses yesterday and she was saying that the big things to keep in mind that asking “what do you need” is not enough as it’s so open ended. For fiercely independent people they don’t want to give you a laundry list. But when they are specific asks it helps and gives them the time. Plus we take this for granted. 

The survey, after diving in, lets me see how much the findings there are mirroring my aunt’s experience as well as my own. With the holidays here, this encourages support partners and caregivers to be more proactive during this time as well as all year around. 

AM: What is your partnership like in terms of your role in this initiative?

ZH: For me the partnership is about this moment, this time and getting people to understand the results of the MS Mindset survey. Don’t just end there with the info, but this survey is telling you what people with MS need and let’s do something about it. It's about sitting down and encouraging support partners/cargivers to what they can. Many times, you forget about the other party. There is a person who is there dealing with MS and so of course you’re not thinking about the support person; however, they are there and they need to be educated. People should go to your local support groups, advocacy groups and learn more via National MS Society.

AM: Obviously, I was aware of MS, but not the depth of it until a few months ago, when I styled one of my clients who is an entertainer and although she performs, is on stage etc – behind the scenes there are a lot of struggles. It’s amazing that she is able to stay on tour, hit the road, dance etc with the unpredictable nature of this disease!

ZH: When I sat down with Tamia (R&B Singer) who is very public about her disease, so many people are dealing with this and we are all so close by just a few degrees to someone who is. It’s ok to know that you don’t have everything figured out as you can’t really prepare for it as things get dumped in your lap. But to know there are resources is the most important thing. There is education to be had across the board from those with MS and those who support or are the caregivers to someone who is. 

AM: What was your journey to get to E!?

ZH: Getting to E! was a long winding road. I started out winning a competition to be the face of a local TV station in Indiana. I was there for a year and MC’ing for the Pacers and then that opened the door to another job in Ohio and I was hosting another show which allowed me to anchor the evening news down in Texas and that got me to NY to host a show for Fuse (music countdown show), which led to MTV and then E! It was all over the map. The last year and 3 months at E! have been like the best. They chal-lenge me in really good ways. My skillset makes sense for what they need and what they want. Everyday is different. We just launched a new daytime show, E! News Live recently. Exciting times.

AM: How do you prepare for your celeb interviews?

ZH: It’s really about – I mean for us being that we’re E! and they’re celebs, so we want the scoop. I tend to know a lot about their personal lives and what is going on. Because I come from a creative background I actually really appreciate the art in what they are creating and what they are there to talk about. I feel that most celebs, musicians, etc appreciate and recognize those that appreciate and recognize that. So they are more likely to open up about the extra stuff if they believe that you care about the stuff that you should be caring about, and I do. So my preparation is understanding what the film is about, why they took on a certain project – have they had past ones that led them to this point and what it took for them to get into a certain character. Reading any article or interview surrounding that project before I talk to them. Because the last thing that they want to do it to regurgitate the same thing that they have said about 73 times during that junket. They want to be challenged and sparked and they get excited. They’re working but they prefer to enjoy it and it makes it fun!

AM: And for the Red Carpet?

ZH: Red Carpet is chaos and I just get stressed when I think about it. It’s one of those things that you do as much as you can and then you just throw it out the window – you go with the flow. You have so much talent – Brad Pitt for one second and then you have Angelina Joli and you have her and all these people bottle necked. As you talk to Brad, you  have George Clooney walk by and the publicist is pulling people and you only have a few questions that you can ask as you’re getting wrapped as you start. It's a high pressure situation. So it’s one of those things that it’s just like I know a little bit about a lot – so you go with the flow, you make moments as you can’t really tackle issues there. You just want people to toast champagne with you or to make a joke or slip up and say something silly. Carpets are about moments and they make great content for the internet.

AM: How do you stay balanced during this season?

ZH: For me I need to get more into the fitness side, I'll be honest – I’m lazy and I have my mom’s genes which works for me. I am getting to that point where you feel it - you walk up the stairs and realize that it takes more time than before - just a moment guys. So I go to the gym with my boyfriend every now and then as he is healthy. For me, it’s about mental health honestly and I’m really into and value mindfulness and trying to be present and balanced. I’m reading a book right now – 'Present over Perfect' because especially in my line of work I am open to public scrutiny and waiting for people to judge you, Instagram you etc. You post a photo I’m waiting for comments, likes etc. I go on E! News I’m going to get tweets from people - maybe they liked what I wore, what I said about Rhianna etc and you get caught up with not being in that moment. We do these carpets and awards shows and I have to look back and say wow you were at the Oscars – my pictures tell me what my last year has been. I have started to dedicate time for me. I will carve out 60 minutes to say I’m busy so that I can not be busy and take time for me – mindfulness above all so that I can be happy/peaceful, whether it's taking time to read or whatever it takes to get to my happy place.

AM: What is your personal style versus what you wear on the show which we love?

ZH: Thank you! I would say that personal style is casual chic - I know that that sounds generic! I'm a midwest girl through in through - I'm from Ohio and I like to be super comfortable, you will never see me wearing heels that I don't have to be wearing. Because comfort over everything is key for me. So I'm a jeans and T-shirt girl. I feel the most confident and sexy and in control when I am in a fitted pair of high wasted jeans with a loose v-neck t-shirt and bootie. If you see me in a bootie, then you know that I'm trying. If I'm not on a red carpet, I'm in sneakers at this point.

I would say overall, E! News - Urban Chic with a dash of glam. My style is very much influenced by my years in NY as I was here for about 2.5/3 years. So definitely I appreciate the leathers and dark colors. I appreciate the black on black on black. My stylist is convincing me to put color back into my wardrobe.

For the glam, I'm in LA now - come on it's E!, The Kardashians you have to have a bit of glam. I like to do the full face, the hair, I let my glam come through in this area. The clothes tend to be more timeless, chic and classic. 

For the most part, I'm pretty chill and for the most part I LITERALLY love athleisure and I'm not just saying that because you're here as I don't work out. But I just discovered gym wear and it's a whole new world! I just discovered Fabletics and I love Kate Hudson's line. I tried it for the first time when I met her and I was like, "this jumpsuit is amazing." I can move and I'm so free! So they  sent me more stuff and now I just pretty much live in athletic wear.

AM: We always say that athleisure can be broken down into core, essential and luxe. Core is that which is meant to hit the gym (sport bras, tap shorts, etc), essential items that are a hybrid that can be worn in the gym and out (the capris,  tanks, etc mixed with layers or not) and then luxe which are the jetset components that include your leggings paired with a fun cashmere and a leather jacket which allows you to hit the ground running once you touch down.

ZH: Absolutely - so many ways to style it and again it's so comfortable. At this point in my life, comfort is key girl!

AM: We love your #AlphaBabe movement. We're a huge proponent of it but can you tell our readers about this  and what made you want to do it?

ZH: For me when I first have a vision for #AlphaBabe, I wanted a place where young millennial women could go to support one another and to develop tools where they could navigate the first few years of their career. 

I got where I got to by the grace of God and stumbling into things and figuring it out as it went. Looking back, I felt like it didn't have to be that hard honestly. If there had been just one person to tell me about the right way to make a demo reel, to craft a resume, or the right way to go to my boss' office to ask for a raise - certain things would have been easier. 

For me it is a place where we can celebrate substance and style. You don't have to choose. That's what I'm trying to get across with the message. You can be Alpha and strong and unapologetic as a leader - a boss in your work environment and you can totally be a babe. There is nothing wrong in saying that. You're pretty, you can style yourself up and these two things can co-exist. That's exciting when you find that balance and it doesn't need to be one vs the other which is really hard in a culture of comparison (via social) where people tend to focus on the babe part. At the end of the day the likes, re-tweets - it doesn't really matter. This is a place where you can be both and it's great to be so!

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Zuri Hall

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XOXO, BOY MEETS GIRL

Brands are born for a number of reasons, but some emerge to simply mark a moment as well as an extension from a lifelong passion that needs to be shared with like-minded individuals! Stacy Igel is the powerhouse behind Boy Meets Girl® which she states is the original athleisure brand and is coveted by celebs, "IT GIRLS," and more. We talked with her about how she came to fashion, the story behind the advancement of the brand, upcoming brand achievements and of course how she stays on top of it all as a wife and mom of her young son.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We think it's pretty appropriate to have you in this issue as our Style Director has always mentioned your brand as one of the early athleisure brands. Walk us through your journey in fashion that led you to creating Boy Meets Girl®!

STACY IGEL: I knew at a very young age - I tell people in the womb, who I wanted to be – a fashion designer. It was a pretty direct path in terms of getting here, but also there are hurdles. I dressed my classmates, had my own little lookbooks in 1st or 2nd grade and would make catalogs. I would make them without Instagram or social media. I just used polaroids to create them – this was pre-photoshop or even using computers! 

My mom was an entrepreneur. She created a lumbar support and she was always going to Hong Kong and Taiwan. She would bring back these trinkets from these places that were super cute. I just loved them and I started making catalogs and selling these items in there. Like I had the first charm necklaces back in the day so it was so cool. So I was this budding entrepreneur and I learned how to run a business. 

Then, while my mom was building her business she went from doing it at home to expanding to factories, tradeshows, etc. So even though it wasn’t designing, a clothing collection, it was a back machine that came in one color and one price point and she was a physician’s assistant – she was still making something and it was the things that you did to start a business. Creating something, selling, producing a product and dealing with factories. So when I was young, I knew I wanted to have my own business and to design. She definitely inspired me. My father was also very encouraging in my dreams. He is a doctor. Therefore, I had no family who was in the fashion business.

I started taking classes – there were opportunities at Columbia College in Chicago as my grammar school and high school at that time didn’t have the opportunities that people do now to learn those skills. I had to take a lot of extracurricular classes to learn more about design.  

I worked in retail at the Gap and in college worked in a retail store in Madison-Wisconsin where I made my first product and sold it there. I was always just on this track that I knew I would do this as well as understanding all facets of this business. My mom taught me that you can’t just do one thing you have to understand all facets from design, retail and manufacturing.                                                                                                                                                                     

Rosario Dawson in Boy Meets Girl

When I went to school I triple majored at the University of Wisconsin in Design, Retailing and Business. I got a Certificate of Business and I was able to carve out the 360 of how to be in business, do design and more. I took internships where I was able to learn more, did fashion shows etc. During my Junior year, I was able to study in London with Zandra Rhodes who is a very famous designer. I also worked with Donna Karan and Elsa Klensch (host of CNN's Style With Elsa Klensch), I was dabbling in a lot of areas and I even interviewed in '98 Marc Jacobs at one of his first NYFW shows in SOHO and I got to see behind the scenes and what it took to be in it. Seeing all these things, my parents asked did I still want to do it?  Of course I did!

When I graduated, I designed for Elie Tahari and was hired by him. I left there and went to Izod and learned high fashion as well as mass and branding. In 2001 right before Sept 11th, I left to pursue my own thing. Then the 11th happened and my first tradeshow was right around that time. 

My collection at that time had a lot of ribbons as well as the original Boy Meets Girl collection as it was focused on the Fourth of July and I was showing it in Sep as it was showing my Spring/Summer collection for the following season. My first department store who bought the line was Bergdorf Goodman at this trade show which was my first in NYC. It was crazy to sit in this booth showing it there and my mother kept nudging me saying, “it was the best store in the world.” There were about 60 designers that were showing; however, I was a hot booth as I had something new and fresh that resonated with all the customers (not to mention I had my awesome mom working with me at that show ... those were the days). I had a purchase order that was a nice amount and I was handmaking and screen printing everything – I did it all myself and then I realized that now that this was a thing, I’d have to get a factory as it was a big company and I was in business and had to ship all these goods. 

I am the direct line of having the passion, wanting to do it, being involved in every facet and a budding entrepreneur. I never stopped working – I have been working since I can remember as it’s what you do when you love it.

AM: Who is the Boy Meets girl customer?

SI: We like to say that she has a young attitude, she has a bit of an edge, she’s fun, she doesn’t take life too seriously. She really believes in being good and doing social good to help change the world. It’s not one specific thing, but she is into music and what’s happening. She loves going to concerts, traveling, etc. We like to say that it’s not only runway, it’s about being on the go and not taking things too seriously and having a good time. We’re the original athleisure brand which is why we love that this is in Athleisure Mag!

You’re on the plane, you’re on the go it fits your personality and it’s not about a specific age - just our attitude and how you feel. It’s amazing for me as the person who has built it to see what they come for, how they come to the brand, what they buy and why they buy. It makes me pinch myself sometimes.

Eva Longoria wears Boy Meets Girl

AM: How did you come up with the logo?

SI: I have a cool story on this – as it came from meeting my husband. I was going to dinner for the first time with my husband – at that time he was my boyfriend to meet his parents. On his wall, he had silhouettes of his brother and sister. When I was younger, we had something like that of me and my sister. The logo isn’t us per se but when I looked at it I was like, oh “Boy Meets Girl” – the first time you meet someone, the first concert, travel experience. It’s a moment and a story. 

After that night, my husband (who was also a graphic designer) and I started playing with the silhouettes, poofing the hair up, playing with the layouts etc. We then focused on trademarking everything, did the IP, spent a lot of time to protect the name across all apparel as well as internationally. You have to learn about all the protection and we deal with IP and protection on a daily basis. I always say that the logo is us in some ways but it’s really everybody as it’s about the story. Being young and having a good time.  I am also grateful my husband is a fashion/entertainment lawyer so the early days of putting this all together definitely inspired him too!

AM: What collabs have you done that you liked and of course, tell us about Care Bears.What collabs have you done that you liked and of course, tell us about Care Bears.

SI: One of my latest collabs that I partnered with was a very intimate NYFW show this past Sept where we partnered with Justine Skye and subway talent that were dancers into this space. I worked with Randy Jackson and he had an artist from Singapore named Will. What I did in this show (I’ve been known to partner with a number of artists/talent such as Wyclef Jean, Pharell, Leah Labelle, Natasha Bedingfield, and many more) was different then my other shows due to venue space. We could only invite 120 people and showcased the brand alongside new artists. A lot of artists I have worked with, we work together right before they hit. I mean when we worked with Justine she had never performed a NYFW live show before and then right after, she was opening for Beyonce which was crazy! It was really about showcasing the talent and infusing them in a great spot with great people and it’s the heart of who we are as a brand. I love this! Working with Wyclef was amazing as it was 3 months of working with him and it was a dream for sure. He is a musical genious.

I love working with artists on the rise and infusing music into our shows and keeping it fresh. We also did a Buy Now Wear Now concept in 2016 in partnership with Shopify and we did the same in 2012 with Wyclef and made a microsite which seemed crazy then compared to how you can do it now. For me, I am always doing things before its time.

Care Bears is iconic and I love being involved in bringing them back. Working with them has been great. We did a sneak peek collection back in Aug which was also at Collette (an iconic store in Paris) and it sold out. I am doing it again in a much bigger collab for 2017 as they felt our brand had a lot of synergy and it is their 35th Anniversary! They felt it would be cool as they are collaborating with a number of brands but no one has created what I have for this collab! Excited to share more. Follow @boymeetsgirlusa and @stacyigel on Instagram as we reveal more in Jan/Feb 2017!

Justine Skye stuns in Boy Meets Girl.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Stacy Igel

Read more from the Dec Issue.

WELLNESS MIND BODY SOUL TRENDS 2017

The Wellness space continues to change with innovations, its players, and new findings. With so many offerings out there, you want to enjoy what you've been using and doing but it's also nice to check out what is the upcoming trend. We took some time to talk with mindbodygreen's Founder and CEO Jason Wachob about how he came into the space, his company and their Annual Wellness Trend Report 2017 (as seen recently on Dr. Oz). Following this interview, we talked with some of the people and brands that he highlighted to share with you as we head into 2017 with this new knowledge.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us about your background and what led you to creating MindBodyGreen?

JASON WACHOB: I am 42, I played basketball at Columbia a long time ago and became an equities trader. This was the 90’s, there were no startups. I always joke that people did one of these three things when you graduated, if you had really good grades and wanted to help people, you became a doctor or you went to law school and if you were looking to increase your wealth, you went to Wall Street – which is what I did. I quickly found that money did not buy happiness as 9/11 happened – I was a block away when it happened. I left and became an entrepreneur. I worked at a few startups that didn’t work and I found myself flying 150K miles domestically in one year. 

An old basketball injury compounded with stress (I’m 6’7” in a coach seat)  - I had 2 discs pressing on my sciatic nerve – my right leg was like a lightening rod with excruciating pain. I went to the doctor and he said that I needed back surgery and I got a second opinion and he said the same thing. Then as an afterthought he said, “maybe yoga could help.” I started doing yoga and saw things differently by changing my sleep, environment, and nutrition. It was a big part of it and I was completely healed and never had to do surgery. I was like “holy cow” there are so many people that have things wrong  and are looking to heal, lose weight, and change. There are so many ways to do this from spiritual, nutritionally, and physically – it’s all connected. So I decided to launch the site, MindBodyGreen – one word in ’09.

AM: What can readers who are first time visitors expect to get when they come to your site?

JW: I think that they will find something good for them wherever they are at in their life. I talk about those pillars: mental, physical, spiritual, emotional and environmental. Wherever you are, no matter your age, fit, whatever is going on – you will find something that resonates and inspires you to live your best life and to provide you with the content and inspiration to do so.

AM: What led you to creating the Wellness Trend Report? How many years has this been out, how do you go about finding the data and ultimately choosing what is on this list?

JW: I think we have been doing it for 5 or 6 years! It just started to become apparent that we would see things before they happened and it is a blend of art and science – looking at the data of what is trending and what people are reading combined with all the entrepreneurs that come through our office. We sometimes get the first look 6 months to a year before they come out and we have 10M readers and 5K contributors that are tapped into what is going on. This tells us what’s going to happen before it happens. 

AM: Of the items that you were able to uncover, what are some of the standout trends for 2017 that stuck out to you? 

JW: I think on one hand, it’s sort of interesting that sobriety is a trend and that the other one is alcohol is as well.

AM: We were struck by that too!

JW: It’s super interesting, on one hand people are not drinking and on the other hand there is this liquor which a lot of people in terms of health benefits think it’s bad. But this plant based liquor which is gluten free and has a spiritual element to it – which allows it to trend the other way. To me, it’s very interesting

AM: I liked in reading your report, that you included Daybreaker, which I have attended a few this year as I am also the Fashion Editor of DJ Mag. The first time that I went, I didn’t know what it was and couldn’t believe that attendees get up to attend a 7am party which includes dancing, yoga, etc and there is no alcohol there – it’s a wellness party – this is definitely in the trend for sobriety.

JW: Yup! It speaks to this idea that there isn’t a one size fits all for people. For some people sobriety works and for others it doesn’t.

AM: Do you feel that these trends are more apt to be seen in cities like here in NYC, LA, and Miami or that they do roll out to other cities that aren’t on the coasts?

JW: I think it tends to start on the coast, but what I have seen lately is that things are picking up in the middle of the country pretty fast. Like Atlanta is one of our fastest growing cities in terms of our audience. So I think that things start here but because wellness is seeping into the mainstream in a really big way – we talk about this in trend 11, you have some pretty big brands like Target, IHG (hotel group), and Whole Foods. The fact that you have some pretty big brands making this accessible in terms of price point, they are changing the landscape where 15 years ago this would have been exclusive to LA, San Francisco, Boulder, NYC. Things that start here but they spread pretty fast.

AM: What are the trends that you felt would be on this list but didn’t make it or do you feel that everything did make it?

JW: I think that everything we thought would be on here did make it on here. We look at a lot of stuff and we felt really good about everything that was on here.

AM: Who are some of your favorite contributors on your site in general and how do you go about selecting them?

JW: You know, I think it’s like picking your favorite child, we have so many – we have feature contributors. Anyone can be a contributor. If you’re a celebrity, a doctor or a wellness enthusiast – it’s very much so a democracy. It comes down to whether you’re sharing something that’s quality content. We don’t publish everything that we receive and we turn down way more then what we publish. To me, I don’t necessarily have any favorites as I love a number of our celebrities, doctors and enthusiasts. We love all of them but they all have unique perspectives which are equally important.

AM: What trends that are on the list are you looking to adopt into your routine now?

JW: Good question! Well, the women only spaces would not be for me as they wouldn’t allow me in. The personalized nutrition one is something that I want to try out for sure. That is interesting to me and purports my belief that there is no one size fits all aspect to wellness or to life in general. To have this amazing new science to validate that is something that I am going to test this year. Nutrition is very exciting and it really shows the future of this movement that merges east and west as there is real science saying this is why you need to eat Brussel Sprouts or on the flipside that it could be terrible for you.

AM: This is also true. In the last year alone, we have learned that there are a number of workouts, and foods that you thought were good for you and you find out that they’re not. There are so many interesting trends that are highlighted for 2017 that MBG has pointed out which you can see in the full Annual Wellness Trends Report. 

We went through the Annual Wellness Trend Report and reached out to a few movers in these categories to find out more about what they are doing and why we should be aware of it. 

MINDBODYGREEN ANNUAL WELLNESS TREND REPORT 2017

1. Personalized Nutrition
2. The Age of Fashion Minimalism
3. The Sobriety Movement
4. Wellness Is More Than Yoga & Meditation: It's A Sensory Experience
5. Ugly Greens Take The Spotlight As Restaurateurs & Brands Take Steps To Fight Food Waste
6. Mezcal Moves To The Top Of The Cocktail Menu
7. Communal Gathering And Women-Only Social Spaces Are The New Wave In Wellness
8. See Ya, Acai: Medicinal Mushrooms Are The New Superfood Staple
9. Infrared Saunas Are The Trendy New Spa Treatment
10. Affordable, Accessible Wellness Is Starting To Go Mainstream
11. The Ketogenic Diet Becomes The Diet Everyone's Talking About

AM: mbg listed Mezcal in its Annual Wellness Trend Report as a cocktail that is moving to the top of the cocktail menu. Tell us how you decided to embark on this particular business and what is your background in this space which ultimately created GEM&BOLT?

GEM&BOLT: We (Elliott and Adrina, co-founders) are both artists that grew up together in a bohemian outpost in the mountains of Virginia. For many years, we collaborated together as artists which eventually took form as a speakeasy in the Bay Area, which we called GEM&BOLT. We served mezcal infused with various superherbs which people loved! When we started serving mezcal with Damiana, we were amazed by the dynamic of the two together. It had perfect synergy. Our growing interest in Mezcal led us to Oaxaca to explore the origin of Mezcal and it's surrounding culture. Everything about Oaxaca stole our hearts immediately. Within two months, we closed down our California project and re-located the GEM&BOLT speakeasy to Oaxaca where we began hosting similar music and arts events. Little by little, we immersed ourselves in the world of mezcal. One day we chanced upon the origin myth of mezcal, which speaks of a lightning bolt striking the heart (gem) of the agave, roasting & fermenting it's sugars into what became known as mezcal. The serendipity prompted us to embark on a brand of our own. The whole process and growth has been very organic.

AM: How is Gem & Bolt differentiated from other alcohol offerings in the beverage space? 

GB: GEM&BOLT mezcal is distilled with Damiana, a lovely herb that brings a subtle botanical element to the mezcal. Damiana is mythically believed to elevate and enhance... People call it a heart-opener. 

AM: What are the benefits of Mezcal and why did you focus on this as opposed to tequila? 

GB: There was never a question in my mind between mezcal and tequila as we walked down this path. Mezcal called us for it's spiritedness, it's honesty as a product. It's hand-made, with patience, integrity and intention. From the first sip to waking up the next day, you feel the cleanness of mezcal in every respect.

AM: Why is Mezcal slated to trend for 2017 in the area of wellness? 

GB: By nature, as an artesanal product, mezcal is very clean and free of additives. In the same way people seek clean, high-quality food, there's a growing interest in high-quality small-batch craft spirits. For me, it goes hand-in-hand with the slow-food, farm-to-table movement. People want to know where their products come from and the story behind them.

AM: Womens-only spaces are a trend highlighted in the Annual Wellness Report. Can you tell us about your backgrounds and what led you to entering this space?

MELISSA WONG: When Sandra and I met, we were introduced because we both had our own organizations for women. She ran GIRL PARTY events, focusing on a range of topics like body + sex positivity, entrepreneurship, skill building workshops and I ran Up Speak, a peer mentorship groups for women. We met at the beginning of this year and after learning that we both believed in the power of in person gatherings, we decided to embark on a one month pop up. Eventually that month snowballed into a year-long lease after a space presented itself and we realized we wanted to grow a community beyond a months time. We each have a background in hospitality and events and had similar office based experience in tech and advertising, so we were easily able to speak the same language and get on the same page for this project. 

AM: What is New Women Space?

MW: New Women Space is a project cultivation and community event space, placing the ambitions of women of all experiences at its center. We believe that through conscious event design and warm hospitality that we can help create a supportive space for women to connect with each other and grow their projects. We operate from the standpoint that women have not had equal access to resources like space, mentorship, and encouragement. We aim to help create a positive environment for women to realize all they are capable of.

AM: What are the benefits of being a member of NWS and why would one be in this space as opposed to other options of this nature? 

MW: We don't currently offer membership at New Women Space. We wanted our programming to be accessible and inviting and didn't want to create any sort of in-group feeling at the space. We hope that women would be attracted to New Women Space based on our diverse programming, our approachability, attention to intersectionality, and opportunities to interact with other women in an intimate setting that feels more like a home away from home where you can instantly get comfortable and feel at ease. 

AM: What community and interests does NWS serve and will you expand?

MW: We serve women who wish to learn and connect with other women, who believe that through collective conversation and action that we can create a more welcoming and empowering reality. We offer programming that will nourish your head, heart and spirit - from professional development to wellness classes, accountability programs that help women make progress in their work to carefree nights like our all women's comedy night. 

We don't have any plans for expanding to an additional space just yet. We want to ensure that we grow with intention and thought and tend to the space and community we are seeing evolve everyday.

AM: What requirements are involved to be a member at NWS and what amenities and services do you provide?

MW: We don't have any requirements to host an event at New Women Space. We entertain all kinds of ideas and ensure that each woman who submits an idea for a workshop or event receives support and attention to see how best we can accommodate them in the space. 

Our ground floor is bright and open and steadily growing a plant collection. Our basement floor is cozy and intimate, ideal for hosting wellness classes or performance based events. We have seen time and time again how the energy and ideas of the women that come through our doors fill up the space and make it come alive without the need for any fancy amenities.  

AM: Why is this a community slated to trend for 2017? 

MW: We didn't open New Women Space because we foresaw a trend or wanted to jump on any bandwagon. Yet, since we opened a few months ago we've already been included in several articles that address a growing number of spaces dedicated to women. It is clear that there are other women in the NYC area and across the country who have made supporting women their mission. 

We heard from many women after the election results that they were so grateful that we existed. I think it's an important time for women to feel that someone is looking out for them, carving out safe space for them, and trying to create opportunities for them. We're honored to be a part of any movement that aims to do just that.

AM: We're always looking to up our game when it comes to our beauty treatments and are intrigued about your backgrounds and how you came to embark on this particular spa treatment which is in this year's Annual Wellness Trend Report in MBG?

HIGHERDOSE: Lauren and Katie met almost two years ago through a mutual friend.  Lauren had just left a startup called Aloha and was inspired to bring infrared to health/fitness based on what she learned from doctors/health experts while working there. Part of her job was to seek out health trends, but no product on the market made her feel the way the infrared sauna did. Once she researched the benefits of infrared for an article she was writing. She knew it was going to be the next big thing in the space.

Katie had recently left an executive role at Tough Mudder and was consulting for a detox center.  Lauren told Katie her idea, so Katie tried the infrared sauna, and was immediately "hooked" and gung-ho to launch the company with Lauren. Their backgrounds are very complimentary (Lauren as a nutritionist/health coach; Katie as a financier/entrepreneur), so they make a great team.  

The girls started off by installing infrared heating systems in yoga studios (which was Lauren's original vision).  Along the way, they were convinced New York needed a spa dedicated to infrared saunas since 1) they're in love with the product, 2) New Yorkers are so stressed and need to chill, and 3) because these types of places are doing well on the West Coast.  

AM: What is and the purpose behind HigherDOSE?

HD: HigherDOSE is a lifestyle brand that aims to change the way people think about health & wellness. Instead of focusing on achieving a certain or mile time, we focus on ways to get high naturally (especially through infrared and other next level therapies).  In fact, DOSE stands for Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins, which are your four main happy chemicals.  We promote a lifestyle centered around healthy ways to up your DOSE.  We believe this captures the zeitgeist of our generation, as millennials are investing more in their own personal happiness vs. short lived highs of the past....

AM: What are the benefits of this treatment as opposed to a traditional sauna?

HD: Infrared heat is very gentle. The experience is similar to lying in the sun on a warm day and feeling the heat radiate to the core of your body. Unlike traditional (hot rock or steam) saunas--which operate at well in excess of 200°F--infrared heat has the benefit of being effective at a more comfortable operating temperature of 100°-150°F.

Traditional saunas heat the air vs. the body directly which can make the experience unbearably hot and difficult to breathe. Because infrared heat penetrates human tissue vs. simply heating the surface of the skin, infrared saunas are seven times more effective than traditional saunas at detoxifying the body. By raising the body's core temperature, infrared saunas can produce a sweat composed of 20% toxins vs. only 3% toxins with a traditional sauna.

AM: Do the four colors of lights provide specific benefits to those who use this service?

HD: There are actually many colours in our chromotherapy and each colour works on mood, chakara's and different alignments within the body. LED light's are super powerful and are used to grow healthy cells in plants and does the same for humans.

In a nutshell - Red is energizing, Blue is calming, Yellow is awakening, Orange is galvanizing, Green is healing and promotes creativity and Violet promotes spirituality. 

AM: What role does music play in this treatment?

HD: We love music!  Who doesn't really?  The reason is listening to music, and even the anticipation of listening to music, releases dopamine in your brain (the pleasure/reward happy chemical which is also released through food and sex).  Our saunas are equipped with soundsystems so clients can play their favorite music and get the dopamine flowing (which is what our brand is all about).  We also make sure to play cool, vibe-y, burning man style DJ sets in our lounge to get you feeling good before and after the treatment.  

AM: Why is this considered a natural high?

HD: Because it's designed to up your DOSE!  You release DOSE in every session, for example - Music and knowing you're doing something good for yourself releases Dopamine, enjoying the sauna with a friend, lover, or colleague releases Oxytocin.... even if you go alone and take the time to appreciate your body (or even admire your sauna selfies), this also releases Oxytocin. Infrared itself releases Serotonin and downs cortisol, because infrared also increases your heart rate to the space of a light jog, Endorphins are released.

So it's pretty much the perfect natural high, which explains why the hashtag #addictedtoDOSE is so popular with our clients. 

AM: Why is this a service that is slated to trend for 2017? 

HD: We feel our offering spans many major trends, ncluding: reinventing the sauna/spa experience; rise of meditation and focus on mental health; athletes focus on recovery; Millennial's are looking for experience instead of product; and people want to feel good which equals looking good!

AM: What is your background and how did this lead you to creating DayTwo?

LIHI SEGAL: I have an extensive background in business positions at various start up companies. Over the years, I’ve been the CFO and COO of companies specializing in communications, semiconductors, and healthcare.

After I first became involved in healthcare (at a company called dbMotion, which specialized in information exchange and analytics, and was later sold to Allscripts), I knew there was no going back and it became difficult to consider taking a position in a company that isn’t involved in this area. Working in healthcare ignited a feeling of purpose in me that I haven’t felt in previous positions - we were touching people’s health, helping prevent disease, and improving their lives.

I later joined up with Yuval Ofek (former CEO of dbMotion) and Marius Nacht (founder of cybersecurity firm Checkpoint, among many other ventures) to found DayTwo. This came about after we were all fascinated by new gut microbiome research conducted at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science and its potential to improve people’s health and prevent disease. With our background in various tech companies, we hold a strong belief that using big data is the new way of developing effective healthcare solutions, and this ties in nicely with the Weizmann Institute research.

AM: What is DayTwo?

LS: DayTwo is the world's first provider of health improvement and disease prevention solutions based on Gut Microbiome research. Its first product, based on groundbreaking research led by Prof. Eran Segal and Dr. Eran Elinav from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, and exclusively licensed to DayTwo, is a personalized nutrition platform. It aims to normalize blood sugar levels and reduce risk for metabolic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, leveraging the world's largest and most detailed microbiome database. DayTwo's product pipeline includes additional microbiome-based diagnostic and therapeutic solutions.

AM: What is the gut microbiome?

LS: The gut microbiome is the collection of all microbes that exist in each person’s digestive tract and help us digest food. In our gut alone we have around 100 trillion microbes, similar to the number of cells that we have in our entire body! Each person’s microbiome is unique to, and influences the way, our body reacts to different foods. Unlike human genetics, we can change and manipulate our microbiome over time.

Microbiome research revealed that gut microbiome also affects our energy levels and our immune system. Recent research even showed that dieting may affect the microbiome in such a way that might lead to rapid weight gain once normal eating habits resume.

Since our gut microbiome is tied to so many different aspects of our health and well-being, it is extremely important to base our nutrition on our own unique microbiome composition.

AM: What are the benefits of using this and how does it enhance your lifestyle?

LS: People have been struggling to come up with a definitive answer to the question “what is the best diet for humans?” For many years, dietary trends have come and gone, and still, there is no clear answer.

The groundbreaking scientific research at the core of DayTwo’s personalized nutrition algorithm shows that we have been asking the wrong question. The right question is “what is the best diet for ME?”.

By basing our personalized nutrition recommendations on individual gut microbiome, as well as an extensive review of each customer's lifestyle and health, we are able to provide a plan that aims to normalize blood sugar levels.

DayTwo is not a diet, but a lifestyle and

wellness product. Maintaining healthy and normalized blood sugar levels can lead to better weight management, higher and more consistent energy levels, and, most importantly, can help reduce the risk of symptoms and diseases related to high blood sugar, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and more.

We encourage keeping a healthy and active lifestyle to go along with clean and balanced eating, based on our personalized nutrition recommendations.

AM: Why is this a service that is slated to trend for 2017 as you were included in this year's Wellness Trend Report? 

LS: With genome-based personalized medicine being a hot topic of conversation, and new revelations on how our microbiome affects multiple aspects of our well-being published often, our product is at the forefront of these health trends.

Personalized nutrition that is specifically tailored to individual gut microbiome and meant to help balance blood sugar levels also addresses some of the most worrying health concerns of the past few decades, namely the rise of obesity to epidemic levels, and the growing number of individuals classified as either diabetic or prediabetic.

It is our strong belief that the path to a better, healthier life starts with better nutrition, and we are certain that in 2017 and beyond, more and more people will look to a tailored solution to improve their overall wellness.

 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | IMG 1 UnSplash | IMG 2 MindBodyGreen | IMG 3 Dr. Oz | IMG 4 Gem & Bolt Mezcal | IMG 5 New Women Space | IMG 6 + 7 HigherDose | IMG 8 Day 2 |

Read more from the Dec Issue.