GET ORGANIZED WITH TIA MOWRY

The transition that takes place in August is always an interesting one as many are focusing on the last days of summer and getting ready for fall, some are going back to school (or are involved with little ones) and the clock begins to tick on planning for holiday. As we're all about preparation, we took some time to talk to Tia Mowry about the upcoming season as a working mom, her partnership with Office Depot and upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Back to School Season is like a moment in time where even those who may not be going to school are thinking about their home offices - how important is it to have the important tools to get your work done whether it's going back to school, setting up your home office or just doing a general refresh?

TIA MOWRY: As a working mother of two, you can imagine how chaotic life gets at times. The only way I accomplish all the tasks I need to get done during the day is by staying organized - and the best way to do that is to have fun with it. I usually have endless to-do lists laying around my house, however I just discovered my new favorite organization “tool” – Office Depot’s customizable TUL planner. It’s so cute and comes with a bunch of fun stickers and built-in accessories that make each to-do list fun to create and check off.

When Cree and I go back to school shopping, I can’t help but think about students and families who cannot afford the school supplies they need. I think that having the proper supplies helps students succeed in school and every student deserves a fair chance to succeed in the classroom. I love that Office Depot is committed to supporting education and makes it so easy to give back.

This year, Office Depot has two great ways that everyone can participate in giving back to the community. Their “Give Back to Schools” program lets you give 5% of your qualifying purchase back in credits towards supplies to a school of your choice, or the Office Depot School Supply Drive lets you purchase extra supplies at a local store that will go to a local Title 1 school at the beginning of the 2018 school year.

It’s a great feeling buying all Cree’s school supplies in one place, but it’s even more rewarding being able to give back to support local schools while shopping, and I am glad that Cree is getting that experience at such a young age.

AM: What tools should we always buy to make sure that we can replenish them without having to make another order?

TM: I’m all about pens! I think it is important to always have fresh pens on hand. Nothing is more annoying then writing a note or list or helping Cree out with a project and running out of ink. So for me, I have packs and packs of pens in every color and of course, my favorite – gel pens (especially Office Depot’s TUL retractable gel pens)! For back to school, Office Depot also has these adorable jewel top pencils and windmill pens and I am obsessed! They make writing anything much more fun.

AM: Why did you partner with Office Depot?

TM: Education and giving back to the community are two things I fully support and stand by. Office Depot has been committed to this for over 30 years, so partnering with the company was an easy decision for me.

Office Depot makes it easy for me and my family to send Cree to school with everything he needs, and I know I can rely on them to have exactly what we want –fun and stylish (what Cree wants!) and functional so I know he’ll be prepared for anything.

AM: How do you make lunches fun - do you change up the options, add special utensils?

TM: When I was in school, I used to love opening up my lunch and getting surprise notes from my mom. Every note would be different and would brighten my day. I make sure Cree has something (besides food) to look forward to at lunch, like a note or some cool stickers.

Kids get bored of things so easily, so I try my best to change up Cree’s lunches as much as possible. Whether it’s a different type of sandwich or fruit, I think it’s important to mix it up and provide a variety. It also helps to plan ahead for the week and of course I ask Cree if he has any preferences (this makes it easier on me). His favorite are these yummy turkey meatballs I make so I try to pack those often. The Bentology Bento Box Set from Office Depot makes packing lunches so easy and also fun, and since Cree is obsessed with the Slime lunch box and loves showing it off, I pack the bento box set in it and we’re both happy

AM: Tell us about Tia Mowry Quick Fix and what we can expect to find there.

TM: Tia Mowry’s Quick Fix is all about life hacks that make everyday things that we do easier! Hence the “Quick Fix”! You’ll find recipe hacks, beauty hacks, and Q&A's so my viewers can learn more about my life and family.

It’s really a community that I have created that helps people get through their day to day life easier.

AM: Tell us about projects that you are working on that we should keep an eye out for as we have been fans of your work for years?

TM: I am doing more tv/movies in the future, so keep an eye out for that! Look out for new episodes of Tia Mowry’s Quick Fix as well.

IG @TiaMowry

PHOTO COURTESY | Office Depot

Read more from the Aug Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Get Organized with Tia Mowry in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | SOURCED ADVENTURES

Founded in 2013, Sourced Adventures’ mission is to make the outdoor accessible and affordable to anyone and everyone who lives in New York City. Since then, they have expanded to more than 5 different US cities and now offer a suite of international destinations as well.

Sourced Adventures has its roots in the travel industry. The brand’s founder, Kyle Davidson was an Adventure Tour Guide in a previous life. Now, that same commitment to a great customer experience is embodied by the company’s tour guide feels as a central sentiment within the company culture. The SA Management team now consists of a diverse group of travel professionals with varied experience including the Ski industry and Outdoor Education.

We had the pleasure of attending a recent trip that left NYC and combined yoga in a vineyard, a wine tasting and some free time to enjoy the space as well as to continue drinking more wine. Day trips include your transportation, lunch on site and the opportunity to bring a group with you or to meet new people. Trips leave from two locations in the city earlier in the morning and return early evening which allows you to go home and continue your night.

Sourced Adventures has three main product offerings. The flagship products are local adventure day trips out of several US cities including NYC, DC, Boston and Chicago. The goal with these products is to make it easy for absolutely anyone to escape the city and get into the outdoors. They also have several guided and unguided international trips to destinations such as Iceland, Mexico, Scotland and more. Finally, they work with corporate and private clients to build tailor-made international itineraries or custom corporate retreats.

Feedback is an integral part when it comes to adding new adventures to the offerings at Sourced Adventures. When we attended our adventure, we noticed that a number of people had attended their Hiking and Brewing Program or had planned to do so. According to the Sourced Adventure team, this trip was included due to repeated requests from the community of travelers for a hiking trip to be offered.

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SOURCED ADVENTURES

85 Delancey

NY, NY 10002

www.sourcedadventures.com

IG @SourcedAdventures

Read more from the August Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | Sourced Adventures in mag.

NEXT STOP, TOKYO WITH DAGMARA WOZNIAK

This month's cover is a 2 X Team USA Olympian, Dagmara Wozniak who won a Bronze Medal in fencing as a member of the Women's Saber team. With the the Olympics a little less than 2 years away, Athleisure Mag is excited to turn our attention to the upcoming summer Olympic games that will take place in Tokyo 2020. Our shoot took place at the Manhattan Fencing Center where she has trained with her coach since 2005, and we talked about her goals for the upcoming season, what drew her to the sport and the importance of bringing positivity to the game.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When we met you at your shoot, you made a great analogy to what fencing is - can you share with our readers?

DAGMARA WOZNIAK: I look at fencing as a sport with three different weapons (Epee, Foil and Saber) and you specialize in one because the tactics and training is so different in an of itself. I compare Saber, the one that I do as the Sprinter of the sport. If you look at the sport like Track & Field you have sprinting, hurdles and marathon, it’s completely different. You may have some athletes that do both, but you’re working on specific techniques for the sport itself which is very similar to fencing. People think it’s one sport and that we just change weapons, but it’s like 3 mini sports within the sport. It differs by target area, differs by tactic, and differs by training, so it’s very specific and different then what most people think.

AM: What drew you to fencing initially and then the discipline of saber?

DW: I actually started off with the original weapon which is Epee when I came first. My dad just took me to a fencing class one day and it was at the Polish Cultural Foundation and I think it was more to keep me busy and to help me practice the language as my coach was Polish. It was an after school program kind of thing and I did it once or twice a week and I just started falling in love with it.

AM: What did you like about it after you started playing in the sport?

DW: I liked how different it was. People laugh, but I was definitely a tomboy, still am and beatng up kids and not getting in trouble was great. I did karate before that and I had a lot of fun with that. I had friends who were in it with me and when I had to go up to get a new belt or whatever, they would say, “don’t hit me too hard.” I was very ready to go all out. There is something on the line, “sorry we’re not friends right now.” The whole aspect of combat sport is just very appealing to me and I liked it a lot and it’s challenging. One of the things that I have grown to like about it is that there’s a lot of unpredictable factors. You might know what someone generally does and let’s say they are having a bad day or they’re fencing much better than they have ever done before, you need to be able to adjust to things like that. So the fact that you’re not sure how someone is going to necessarily compete, you can make a plan, but that’s not what’s going on and you need to adjust or you are going to lose.

So not to take away from swimming or track and field, but the ground is never going to move from you, the water is never going to dip and become a crazy wave. It’s the fact that it’s really a battle against you and yourself. And fencing and combat sports is a battle against you and yourself and you have the variable of someone else who also has a brain and can adapt to situations and make mistakes as well and capitalize on your mistakes. I like the cliché way of explaining fencing that it’s a physical chess game and it’s spot on. I love that about it.

AM: So what was the moment that you went from enjoying this personally to realizing that you could compete professionally and go to an Olympic stage?

DW: It came very late for me I guess! It was only when I qualified as an alternate for the Beijing Olympics that I even thought about it because people said that that would be my next step to go to the games and I would say, “you’re crazy.” But in the end it was like, if I wasn’t gunning for the Olympics then why the hell was I training so hard? For me it was the whole idea of wanting to be the best and doing something that I was good at and I loved it. I was nev-er upset or felt forced that I was going to practice – I was excited. The losses were so personal for me that I would cry for hours and keep telling my mom that it would never happen again, but even though it did – I was just driven to it without having a goal. I just wanted to win and that was the first goal. But then when I was graduating highschool, I had some teachers that were like, “you know what’s next – the Olympics,” and I was like, “no my God, don’t push it.” But shortly after that, my coach was like you should start thinking about it and I thought, “wow I didn’t know that this was possible for me.” Once my coach and I kind of made a plan, it was up from there.

AM: Your first trip to the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008 was as an alternate, how did that affect 2012?

DW: I qualified in 2008 as a replacement athlete and the only way that I was able to compete is if someone from my team got injured. That didn’t happen and they got the Bronze medal and because I never set foot on the actual playing field, I went home with nothing. I remember a lot of people were saying that that was as far as where I could potentially reach and what was I expecting and why I was so  upset. They kind of wrote me off from ever being an actual Olympic athlete and I told my mom, "I was there for the experience and I saw how it was and these next 4 years it will be different.” I made sure that I made a plan that was going to get me there as an actual competing athlete. So qualifying for the team for the Olympic Games in London 2012 was a highlight and so much more meaningful because of the people that said I couldn’t do it.

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“But in the end it was like, if I wasn’t gunning for the Olympics then why the hell was I training so hard? For me it was the whole idea of wanting to be the best and doing something that I was good at and I loved it.”

— Dagmara Wozniak

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AM: We know that you have a 4 year gap between each Summer Games. There are a number of championships and tournaments that you do in a given period of time to get onto the team for your sport (the process is different for each of the Olympic sports). What is that snapshot like for you in terms of qualifying when you are getting into the next Team USA as we’re looking for The Road to Tokyo 2020?

DW: Right so there are many sports that just went to one competition closer to Rio and it could be as soon as just a month out! But that’s just what they are used to and it’s a completely different stressful situation. For us, it’s a year long process so when we start the actual Olympic year, we go to about 10 International competitions where we compete and we get points based off of that. Because now, all the team events are allotted under one big medal, before in 2012, our team event was rotated out so the IOC didn’t allow all of the events to compete at the Olympics so 2 of the team events – all of the individual team events were there so that’s 6 events and then we only received 4 team events the - relay. So in 2012, Women’s Saber got rotated out and we only got to qualify individually. In 2016, we had the opportunity to qualify as a team and we did. It’s a different qualification process, but now we have team events for everyone which is amazing and everyone has the opportunity which is more chances for Team USA as we’re doing well right now and we can bring more medals home, and it’s great for fencing, the sport and the development.

The qualification process is different. We go to competitions, we get points based on how high we rank and it’s the first 4 teams that qualify automatically and then to finish the bracket it goes by zone!

AM: So your Olympic year would start summer of next year. But yet, you are still doing championships and competitions leading into that.

DW: Yes.

AM: You’re having a well deserved rest.

DW: Right. Our season typically started in Oct and then we have 1 competition every month. It was ok, but then I felt like it never gave me an opportunity to necessarily peak. Now, they're giving us quite a bit of an off season which is going to let us have more competitions condensed together, but right now there is an opportunity to kind of change the training style, to change the schedule and to be able to capitalize physically and mentally and then just to ride out how much work you have put in through the season. You won't feel the need to play catch up and your peeked and you're ready to go.

AM: What is your training like when you’re preparing for a typical tournament, an Olympic one and then just maintaining in general?

DW: I don’t necessarily treat the Olympics any different then any other competition. I just think that you can’t treat it differently because of the environment because that is when you are going to put the pressure on yourself and I know that there are differences as there are more people, there’s more press and more points – everything that’s for sure. That’s why going into the Olympics for London 2012 which was my first time competing, I told myself that I wasn’t going to do a lot of interviews because we don’t usually get a lot of that stuff usually during the competition and I know that that’s at least how I work as an athlete as I would get distracted by trying to give everyone a story and all of that. I felt that if the result was going to be there, then people would want to talk to me after.

I focus on preparing just like I would for any other competition. I know that a lot of people function better when they are exposed to something for the first time. I’m not going to say beginner’s luck as they go in with no expectation and for me, it’s the opposite I put more expectation in when I am doing something for the first time. Now if I qualify for Tokyo which I am very confident that I will and that it’s going that way.

I feel more confident the more times that I have been on the Olympic stage.  Through loss, through heartbreak, through everything all together it’s learning experiences that make me stronger.

AM: What does your workout look like?

DW: Right now, I’m not fencing so I am taking a small break from that, but I am working with my trainer on capitalizing on endurance. Fencing during competitions lasts throughout a whole day. There is a lot of stop and go! You compete and sit around for an hour and a half, then compete and sit around for another hour and a half. Not necessarily until you get into the finals you win and keep going and you have about an hour and a half and maybe even 2-3 hours before the next match. So it gets tedious in terms of keeping up the endurance, the stamina and the focus. What we have been doing right now as you can’t really simulate an actual competition, but we have been training really early in the morning, I have been doing a lot of crossfit lately and catering more to fencing specific stuff. I’m not going really crazy with the weight, but focusing on building short muscle and fast push muscle – going down and up. I am driving really fast up and again focusing specifically on what will benefit me and my sport, but at the same time, having the intensity of the class and the timer. The repetitiveness is all there and that benefits me. I like to change things up when I feel that I am pushing myself a little too hard. There was a good portion of the time that I was doing pilates with the reformer and some mat work. What’s great about fencing and in fitness in general. Your body is always changing whether you’re in your 20’s, 30’s, a women, a male, come down with a sickness etc – there are so many things that are constantly changing. I never really like to stick to something all the time and kind of plateau. Keeping the body not in a rhythm in terms of a workout which is why I like crossfit so much as there is always a way to challenge yourself. It’s not more weight in terms of taking more time if there is a 12 minute gap, so maybe you get less rounds in or you put less weight and you gauge how many rounds you get in and next time you can keep the same weight and just try to push how many things you can do to fit in the time frame.

I like pilates, I was spinning for awhile but it’s about more sport specific stuff. Making sure that the right muscles are firing.

AM: What are three go to foods for the gym and what are your splurges?

DW: You say splurge foods and it’s the first thing that comes to my mind! I love donuts – I have loved donuts forever and if you give me one, I can’t resist. The homemade ones are amazing. I love how pretty they are and how creative they can be. I’m not a fan of cupcakes or cake, but donuts – yes donuts are my thing. It’s first, second and third. I can’t choose ha!

My go-to in terms of what I’m eating when training. I like protein shakes. They are something that I definitely include post workout as a meal replacement. There is a company I like, Athletic Greens and they are safe for athletes to use and they have dehydrated greens that you can throw in your smoothie as well or in your shakes and it’s easy on your stomach and doesn’t have a metallic aftertaste like most of them do. I’m all about safety and a clean sport. Having a trusted product like that makes me feel great and since I started using that which has been awhile now – maybe a year. I have really decreased how much coffee I have been drinking. I love the taste of coffee but sometimes I forget when the last time was that I had it because the proteins and the greens give me so much energy. Thats what I'm about.

Clean food yes – I think I’d have to say that I am a Paleo/Ketogenic diet – obviously not Keto like what people are doing out there limiting carbs etc., as I think after what I have read a lot about as athletes, it's not the best things especially for women. But keeping high protein and high fat and carbs is something that I have found has given me the optimal training and recovery.

AM: We enjoyed shooting at the Manhattan Fencing Center. How long have you trained here and do you have responsibilities there as well?

DW: There aren’t necessarily responsibilities, but I do think of it as a helping hand in terms of talking to my coach about athletes and my opinion. I am more of a mentor. My fencing gym is my second home. I’m a big stickler for organization, cleaning up after or organizing the lost and found and even small tasks. I love to be respectful of it and take care of it. I hope that others do the same.

I’ve been with my coach since 2005!

AM: Beyond your sport, what else are you interested in doing?

DW: For me, I feel like I have definitely gotten involved in and interested in clean eating and watching documentaries about processed items that are in our foods and how we are slowly killing ourselves with the items that are in our foods. Like a bunch of fries that are really filling is $1 but healthy vegetables for a little snack pack is $6 or $7. A family that can’t really afford too much will go for McDonald’s and fast food stuff. It breaks my heart that there are all these monsters in our country that are destroying food. So healthy food has been a huge working area for me. I love learning about it and I am very intuitive with my body. The second I eat something, I can feel how upset my stomach is and I know it's not good for me. It sucks because donuts have a lot of sugar, not just in terms of weight gain, but it upsets my gut bacteria and I am in tons of pain. Just seeing that I want to spread the knowledge because even healthy peanut butters are actually not healthy. People think that they always have to work out and work out to do so 2-3 times a day to get to whatever your fitness is, but there is so much that can be achieved through diet and what you put into your body. I’m passionate about that.

In terms of athlete preparation, I would like to be a strength and conditioning coach myself and it has become dear to me. Not necessarily just for fencing. I think being able to compete at the highest level mentally and physically – I may not always do it, but being there and known what it takes, and having that knowledge because of my experience, I would like to take that step and prepare those athletes that want to take it to this level and if not higher.

AM: You travel a lot. What have been your favorite places?

DW: I get that question a lot and people are always surprised at my answer. I have fallen in love with Belgium. I’ve never said that I could retire and live in Europe but it’s the first place I went to when I was like, I could see myself living there in terms of the food, the culture, the people are so nice and the architecture is beautiful. There’s a coffee shop and then there is a castle around the corner, you don’t get that in the United States. It’s very interesting to see that kind of setup. This past summer, we had a training camp in Japan before our World Championships in China and I have to say that Japan is such a cool place. The people are so cool and it's just a different world over there! I enjoyed my time in Japan and you know, my heart is in Cuba and I love that place and it's the top three of where I would love to go to.

AM: Where can we find you eating and shopping?

DW: The things that I love about Jersey City and Hoboken is that there are a lot of boutique places in terms of clothing that you can find great stuff and I'm not into labels, but when I do shop for that, I love All Saints - they're rugged and raw with colors that aren't too bright. I love denim with raw materials in terms of dressing up. So I love jean shorts and a black tank top which is my go to. I'm about comfort while still being able to express myself.

There are a lot of cool cafés here. Recently, my boyfriend and I got interested in some refreshing drinks, cheese and meat platters which I love. There is a place called The Archer which has a great selection of this. Down by Grove there are a lot of cool restaurants. We don’t go out too much because we try to just focus on eating healthy and when we go out, I love outside dining and the gardens. There is a lot of that here and it’s fun to jump around.

AM: Do you do any philanthropy?

DW: I find myself getting involved with the athletes in my club and giving advice. I have worked one on one with girls in my club. The pressure of being a female athlete and it’s interesting as everyone always deals with their problems and I don’t necessarily showcase what is going on with me as I  have gone through some troubled times. When they talk to me and say, "how do you seem so calm and confident?" I'm like, "woo you have no idea! That's so far from the truth." I am a thankful that I come across that way and everyone is dealing with their issues and I try to impart some wisdom on the girls and the guys at the club.

I talk to my middle school in Avenel, NJ and I have done a few high school talks in terms of setting goals and how many times that people have come and said I couldn't do something. If you listen to what people say, you're just going to dig your own hole and never crawl out of there. Especially when you're doing well, people seem to have more things to say. I think I did a lot of listening to those people for a long time and at 21, I thought that I had it all figured out, by 26 I thought I knew more and now at 30 I'm like, "damn I'm so far from when I thought I did have it figured out!" Life is a constant learning experience and being able to walk away from people that aren't good for you and are negative – I just get involved with the kids at my club. I have had the harsh talks with other coaches on what I am capable of and am supposed to do but when you follow your own plan, that’s when you can really blossom!

AM: What are your goals for the Summer Games?

DW: I’ve set the goal of coming home with 2 gold medals for individual and the team. It’s that goal or no goal for me. Maybe it’s my last time competing or I go another 4 years, who knows. I’m doing everything I can now and not looking back to say shoulda, coulda, woulda and I have a new game plan now. I don’t have injuries, there are a lot of things that are different then when I was training for Rio than how it is now. I may not be the kid that went to every Olympics and medaled in every one, but I have the opportunity to go out there and do some damage with an individual gold medal and team gold medal - even if it's one time. That's very important to me and that puts the icing on my cake in terms of a career.

IG @DagmaraWozniak

Listen to our conversation with Dagmara Wozniak on an upcoming episode of The Road to Tokyo 2020 on Athleisure Studio, our multimedia podcast network.

Read more from the August Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Next Stop, Tokyo with Dagmara Wozniak in mag.

SUPPLEMENTS YOU SHOULD TAKE TO STAY FIT AND HEALTHY

Supplements You Should Take To Stay Fit and Healthy

Supplements and vitamins have been excluded in the discussion of quite some time in people diet. The most affected gender is the men who do not consider discussing the useful supplements and vitamins to use. The ladies have a wide variety of probiotics to choose from supporting their health concerns. There are very minimal probiotics available in the market today available for men to use.

In case you are suffering from digestive problems, or other irregularities consider using the supplements daily since they will be of great help. The shops and other online platforms can be very useful to access the supplements but choosing the supplements to help you can be very challenging.

BioSchwartz Advanced Strength Probiotics

It was formulated by doctors who wanted to build a perfect combination of strains and active cultures. It is an excellent choice in case you have all round digestive issues. The probiotic has been advanced and features innovative formulas to resists stomach acidity. No refrigeration is needed when storing the probiotic; it is straightforward to store the probiotics in a cool and dry place. There are many health benefits enjoyed including the certain potency that is set up to the expiry date, and it is more effective than other probiotics in the market.

Dr.Formulated Probiotics

The probiotics support immune and digestive system health in a significant way. Also, it is straightforward to store it since it does not require any refrigeration. The probiotics are created explicitly for men specific health and colon benefits. It is considered to shelf stable since it is packed in a pack of thirty capsules to be taken daily. Many people can use the probiotics since it is soy free, gluten free and dairy free; a vegetarian can also use the probiotic as it will have no side effects. It is straightforward to use the probiotic since you can follow the usage directions as they are written on the label.  OGLF have performed in-depth research on probiotics and used all of the supplements mentioned, to see what they recommend for men, see their editor's choice here.

Dr.Tobias Deep Immune Probiotics

It is primarily designed to boost the immune system health. It is very essential for any person who wants to know if the probiotics they are consuming is safe to use. The acting formula is very effective, and it is created with the high quality ingredients. The healthy immune system is boosted by the probiotics giving essential bacteria in the immune system. It is tested by the medical researchers globally and proven very fit for consumption. Any person can use the probiotics since they have no side effects on the user.

Garden Of Life Raw Probiotics

There are specifically made for men health benefits in both the digestive system and overall prostate. It has a very comprehensive formula of minerals, vitamins to promote the wellness of the body. It is comfortable to use to avoid the risk of having constipation. The main vitamins supply is provided by raw fruits and vegetables which are very rich in vitamin content.

NYFW SS19 | Prabal Gurung

One of our favorite shows this season from NYFW SS19 is Prabal Gurung which was a feast for the eyes and incorporated an array of athleisure looks throughout their runway show. Above, our 3 favorite looks within a show that included models: Bella Hadid (above), Winnie Harlow and Gigi Hadid.

Check out the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

NYFW SS19 | CHRISTOPHER LOWMAN

We’re always down for a little love for Olympic style and Christopher Lowman’s NYFW SS19 show showcased an array of looks within it’s theme of The Glorious Olympics which pays homage to the 80’s - complete with rolled up socks.

See the latest issue of Athleisure Mag

NYFW SS19 | NONIE

Our favorite 3 looks from the NYFW SS19 Nonie show are above and the full video is below.

Check out our latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE ART OF INTERIORS WITH NATALIE OFFICER

This month, we made our way to an immersive launch of Cafe, A Matte Collection which included a new collection of appliances and finishes that could be customized to truly make your home your own. At this event, two concepts were presented a clean white focused design which reminded us os a french provencial look and a very cool modern copper style that was oh so New York. This concept was created by the Louisville based interior designer, Natalie Officer of Natalie O. Design. We talked with her about how she transitioned from the fashion world to interior design, how she works with her clients to create their vision, her attention to detail and her favorite spots in Louisville.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell Athleisure Mag about your background and how you went from fashion to interiors?

NATALIE OFFICER: Fashion is a tremendous place to cut your teeth. It invites you fully understand textiles, the process of creating, and the actual viability and sustainability of style. Working with large national and international brands and how they dance with the wholesale and retail side of existence was tremendously insightful. In this life, if you are lucky, you eventually strive to create something of your own. Something that reminds you of what you are made of. When I left fashion, my then boyfriend and now husband and I jumped into renovating large greystone homes in Chicago; a very expensive and educational "side hustle". After completing the third large scale project, other builders were approaching me to design their developments and stage their properties. Much has been learned since then - gains, losses, and hard lessons. Coming out on the other side of nearly 15 years of study, and seeing Natalie O Design provide for my family, other creatives, and innovative people has been a dream that is finally being realized.

AM: What is your process when approaching a design process?

NO: As a student in Fashion Design, you learn first to appreciate the "hand" of fabric. Years ago, a Couture German instructor impressed upon me the importance of that tactile sense, as well as the "finish" quality of our work. So, we start with the textiles and then back into the space.

AM: How do you obtain inspiration for creating transformative spaces that speak to your client?

NO: Over time, my process has evolved. It started with images, and visual reference goals, really from the time I was a kid. I would eagerly await magazines to arrive in the mailbox. As time has passed, the use of images and over exposure of certain trends/thoughts has complicated this process and lent to industry "sameness". So, I have returned to the trusted inspiration of hand and textiles, along with a bit of an archeological dig into each clients need, life travels, and personal stories. You can find such environmental inspiration all around you. Travel, touch and a good ear are really the big winners in design.

All the qualities of a quality love story.

AM: Tell us about your firm Natalie O’Design what was the nexus to launching it and what is its design ethos?

NO: We are comprised of four people. We listen. We teach one another. Empathize in the journey, and grow. Inspiring one another and our clients all the while.

This has long been our creed:

To inspire others to be their most authentic selves, in their homes and daily walks.

AM: We were blown away by the Cafe event. We love the fact that in addition to the design showcased, the Cafe products, the personalized/customized experiences and great food, that Louisville was also showcased. How did you become a part of this event and why did you choose the design angle to creating your vision of a space that included the products and finishes of your “rooms”?

NO: 'Twas really an organic blend, and that always works the best.

Our partnership came organically from the design and development of the customizable Cafe line, developed internally by Maggie Ballinger. What we have expressed in our brand identity was desirable to the concept, and we were honored to be contacted to participate as the designers of the Matte Black Kitchen for Cafe.

The copper hardware was a driver of course, but really we simply took our vibe and parlayed it into "lifestyle" influences. The venue and map of New York City and the Bon Ton tile hand-made in Minnesota gave a wonderful splash of activity in the space. We coupled it with the use of Maharam fabrics and the mix of forged copper, linen, and hand thrown ceramics on the table.

Of course the Lucas Pete lighting made our heart skip a beat.

AM: The space you created was stunning. Can you tell us about the tiles, countertops etc that were in your space as you had so many stories that really brought this to life.

NO: It is part of our brand to utilize small brands, started concepts, and to work with people who still answer the phone. We utilized Caesarstone and the natural deep emerald Nuvalato stone as our countertop surfaces, and built in the copper Rohl sinks, pairing them with the beautiful and attainable faucets from Cincinnati's own Signature Hardware. Each piece and placement from the tile to the table scape, thought through collectively by our team. I spent almost 8 hours piecing together the mural wall, knowing each tile and tone was integral to highlighting the items.

A list of vendors used in the space:

Maharam Fabric
Helen Levi Ceramics
Crate & Barrel
Bon Ton Designs Tile
Signature Hardware
Rohl Home
Haute Living
Lukas Peet Lighting
Williams-Sonoma
Food52
The Shelter Collection
Industry West
Yield Design
Sertodo Copper

AM: Are there any celeb projects or large products that are public that you’d be able to share that you have worked on?

NO: In true creative fashion, we trip over the word celebrity. As we treat each of our clients with very high regard, and are ambitious about making them feel like a true celeb. Recognizable names? Perhaps not. But, our local coffee go to, Please and Thank You, has honored us with design partnerships on two shops. Certainly eye candy for the masses to view. Julie Metzinger, a dream client, is probably our favorite celebrity home featured to date. Our visions resonated so much she ended up joining our team. We are breaking the mold here in Kentucky and humbled by the work coming to us from across the country.

AM: In Louisville, where would we find you grabbing a bite/cocktails, working out and shopping?

NO: The bright and clever cafe Naive, conversing with artists and makers at our Hope Mills studio space, getting pizza at MozzaPi, spinning records and grabbing cookies at Please & Thank You, local vibes at Bean coffee shop, looking through thrifts and antiques at Mellwood (when we’re not driving outside of town to secret locations), celebration dinner and drink at Butchertown Grocery and Lola, Circe + SWAG for gifts for ourselves and others, EP Tom Sawyer State Park for running on local limestone.

AM: As a wife, working mom and a business owner, how do you take time for yourself?

NO: My studio time is my "me time". Loving my work is really something therapeutic to me. Otherwise... sleep.

AM: How do you give of your time from a philanthropic standpoint?

NO: Relationship and community are built through service, and being on the receiving end of kindness and others generosity in our own lives, humbles you to the importance. It is important to our team to work with nonprofits and philanthropic forces. We are excited to be partnering with the local Fund for the Arts for their spring fund raiser, through our design work. Our long time relationship with friend and founder of Hope Scarves, Lara MacGregor, has helped to yield personal growth as well as mission growth in the organization. They are now a major contributor to Metastatic Breast Cancer Research in our local area, and nationally. What is good for the soul is good for others.

 IG @NatalieODesign

Read more from the August Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Interiors with Natalie Officer in mag.

NYFW SS19 | ICY PRESENTS: SUPERNOVA

Our favorite 2 looks from the ICY Presents: Supernova NYFW SS19 show is above and the full show is below.

Check out our latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

NYFW SS19 | GLOBAL COLLECTIVE II: CARLTON JONES

During NYFW SS19's show, Carlton Jones line hit the runways during the Global Collective II which showcased a neutral palette perfect for a luxury vacation or just heading to brunch in a fabulous way. We couldn't just choose 3 looks, so above, we have a number of our favorites.

Read more from the latest issue of Athleisure Mag

HOW TO DRESS | FOR LABOR DAY WEEKEND

Read more from Athleisure Mag's Aug. Issue and see How to Dress | For Labor Day Weekend.

NYFW SS19 | AFFAIR

Day 2 continues at NYFW with a number of stunning evening gowns from AFFAIR with their collection of the Power of Fire. Above, are our 3 favorite looks from this stunning show and the full video is below.

See the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

NYFW SS19 | Fashion Palette

The second day of NYFW continued with one of our favorite shows that showcases a number of Australian designers known as Fashion Palette. A few seasons ago, our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director had the pleasure of styling their show. This season, we truly got an athleisure experience across the brands from looks to wear to the gym and studio, date night, running errands, lounge and evening wear. Above we have 3 of our favorite images and below, the entire video of all the designers that participated! The eleven designers that participated in this show include: Bronx & Banco, Elliatt, Saski Collection, Elle Zeitoune, Santina-Nicole, Harvey the Label, NNCY, DA by Daniel, Jagger & Stone, Avery Verse and The Blonde Republic.

Above are 3 of our favorite looks across the show courtesy of Fashion Palette and below is the full video.

Check out our latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

NYFW SS19 | INDONESIAN DIVERSITY

It's the second day of NYFW and we're already hitting shows that actually showcase a number of designers within each one. This afternoon, we enjoyed a show entitled, Indonesian Diversity (in cooperation with Indonesia Fashion Gallery) whose three designers included one that was traditional, modern and also looking to future. From headwear, handbags, ornate jackets and phenomenal fabrications, we're excited to share these three designers who took our breath away. Each line showcases Batik. The 3 designers are Vivi Zubedi, Kimberly Tandra and Coreta

Above, our favorite image from each of the designers and below, the full video.

Read more from the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

IN OUR BAG | SUMMER'S LAST HURRAH

Read more from the Aug Issue of Athleisure Mag and see In Our Bag | Summer's Last Hurrah in mag.

NYFW SS19 | NANA JUDY

On the first day of NYFW, our second show brought us the Australian brand, nANA jUDY (photos courtesy of nANA jUDY) which brought athleisure looks for men and women to the next level! Each look rocked a number of athleisure oriented looks that were perfect for prior to the studio, at the studio and of course outside as well. We even loved the Dalmation tie in to the show. Models such as Winnie Harlow looked phenomenal throughout the show.

We will also include an update to this post with our backstage conversation with IGK who was the hair sponsor of this show. Their Co-Founder Aaron talked about creating this look and gives us a how to. This update will be here AND In a future episode of our podcast network Athleisure Studio under #TribeGoals as we all know the cult status of this brand.

Above are our 3 favorite looks of the show courtesy of E!

Check out our latest issue of Athleisure Mag here.

NYFW SS19 | HARDWARE LDN

Each season, we always enjoy heading to a number of Fashion Shows that take place during NYFW. This year, we had a number of shows on our list that are core to Athleisure in the style that we shoot a number of our pieces with our celebrities and models. We were pumped to attend Hardware LDN (photos courtesy of Hardware LDN), a UK based brand which kicked off our first show on the first day of NYFW for the SS19 season. We loved the edge style of sport bras, see through lined biker shorts, cropped tops and more!

Above are our 3 favorite shows and below the show in full! Keep checking back for the shows we're watching each day from now through Sept 14th.

Check out out latest issue on Athleisure Mag.

THE EIGHT BEST

Read more from the Aug Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Eight Best in mag.

NYFW SS19 | A_I_R_ ATELIER

The day before NYFW, we kicked off the SS19 season with an outdoor fashion presentation at Seventh House Showroom. Some of our favorite looks from the show are above.

AND SCENE WITH ELLEN ADAIR

There are shows that give us the chills because it draws you in, you're trying to figure out how it all comes together and when they're limited edition series, you hope it comes back again. That's  how we feel about USA Network's The Sinner which is back for its second season to show us a crime that you couldn't believe that took place and then retraces its steps to tell you why it went down and how people and experiences are a lot more connected than you can imagine.

The cult following of the show comes through based on actors who play characters that don't have clear lines on being either good or bad. Ellen Adair who you have seen on HBO's Veep, NBC's The Slap, Showtime's Homeland and Billions, and currently plays Bess McTeer in The Sinner. She sat down with us to talk about her process as an actor, the scene that had everyone shocked within the first 10 minutes of the first episode (the second scene if you haven't seen it spoilers - you've been warned), character island and the Phillies!

ATHLEISURE MAG: So excited to talk to you. I was obsessed with The Slap. When that came out -

ELLEN ADAIR: Oh wow! You’re the only person in America!

AM: Truly loved it. That show was just riveting and then, I’m just going to say it, the scene from The Sinner, was beyond!

EA: Oh thanks!

AM: Everyone who has watched that has been left with – what? So we’ll delve into that. There are scenes that are in cinema and TV and you think of the horse’s head in The Godfather, but you’re 10 minute situation was like that kind of scene in my opinion.

EA: Oh my goodness, thanks – I mean like, move over dead horse's head.

AM: I mean, you were still going.

EA: What a great compliment – thanks!

AM: Can you tell us about your background and how you got into acting. You’ve been in a lot of things, like Homeland.

EA: So I wanted to be an actress since I was like a tiny child which belies some type of personal development I guess. But it was just like children’s theater that I did. I wasn’t a professional child actor and I think that really my love was the theater and I think that that was partly because both of my parents were college professors and are staunchly (less so now, particularly my mom) anti-TV. So I didn’t have a TV growing up. So we would go out to see movies, but I think that my parents had this real thought about it being in the house as a source of a constant distraction. I read a lot and we went to theater and I saw TV at friends’ houses. When I was 10 years old, I said I wanted to be a stage actor and it wasn’t until I got into the professional world that I started working on camera a little bit and I was like, “oh I love this, I love this SO much.”

For me, I actually did Shakespeare at an early age. I did my first Shakespeare at the age of 12. My first professional/semi-professional thing when I was 15. That was also Shakespeare. What I love so much about Shakespeare is that there is so much that is technical about it that it allows my artist brain to just free up because there is this great sense of being like on a train, I don’t have to get on a boat, I just get on the train and take it to the end of the play. I just kind of say, ooo what I ride!

I feel kind of similarly about on camera stuff. In that there is so much stuff that is technical about it that part of my brain is able to be free and spontaneous about it. That way, I can be completely real about it.

AM: What is your process when you are looking at a character that you want to play? Once again, I loved you in Billions (Showtime) – especially when these characters are so different. You have played a number of characters across shows and although I know it’s you – you bring such a different approach to each one. Some people when they portray roles, still bring a lot of themselves into each one – do you get what we’re trying to say?

EA: Yes I do know what you are trying to say and I’m really touched that you say that because I think that is – it’s not a part of my mindful process so much as I guess, I don’t know coming from my sort of life reading a lot, and I was an English and Theater major in college and so I really love text. I love textual analysis so for me I guess, it all just comes from me really looking at the script and looking at what the writer is doing and then just imagining if I was that person in that place. So I don’t think about, “oh this is – I don’t judge my character in any sort of way" and I really feel that I am just playing myself, but if it were me and my entire life was different and my development was different and I did this thing and these were the words that I say or at least that is 100% of my process for on camera stuff.

For theater, it’s a little different. Sometimes I will mostly think about how would this character sort of hold themselves physically different or how their voice would be physically different then mine. So it’s also sort of like, technical things that show up. But, then there’s – I don’t know – why I do the thing as there is some kind of magical thing that happens and if I just put myself in the situation then I am just suddenly this totally different person. So on my – I remember on The Slap, one of the producers, because it was like the first big thing that I did for TV. I had done a couple of small reoccurring things before. But a producer came up
to me and we were in the middle of filming and really quickly he said, “I love your performance on this” and I thought, “I have a performance?” I mean I was just so focused on the thought of, what if I was a lawyer, a D.A. and got some wonderful thoughts from Ken Olin (Dir/Exec Producer - This is Us) – one of my favorite directors that I have ever worked with – I adore him. I incorporated those into thinking about what would be my life goals and what I would want to be. But I didn’t think of it as a performance and similarly, when I came in on my first day, I thought that I was just going to say the words and everybody was like, “oh I really love what you’re doing,” and I thought, “I’m doing something? Great, I’ll keep doing it.”

Working on The Sinner was just incredible – it was one of the greatest blessings on my life so far and part of what was so much fun about that was just that – the circumstance that Bess is in – it’s so extreme and different than the circumstance of other people that I have played. It was just that a whole new person just came out.

AM: Tell us about the process of getting on the show, what it was like working with Bill Pullman and the idea that The Sinner tells you what happens, but why did it happen and what are the circumstances around it that made it happen. Which reminds me of elements of The Slap.

EA: There’s so many wonderful things to unpack in what you just said! For me, a real comparison between the works The Sinner and The Slap is that we’re always talking in both cases, that there are sets of characters that have some sense of redeeming qualities and some less attractive qualities to put it politically. That’s my favorite kind of story, favorite kind of TV, favorite kind of movie, book whatever. I think that some people, it’s not their favorite.

They want it to be where this is the good guy and this is the bad guy. But I really enjoy digging into that kind of stuff. In terms of my experience with The Sinner, I had watched it because actually, a lot of the crew is the same from Billions – the genius Director of Photography Radium Cheung – some of the A.D.s that I knew from Billions said they were working on this and I watched it. But then I rewatched it when I was going in to audition for it, and having just done Homeland for 5 months, what I was struck with so much was how much everyone and all the characters take their time. How much space for human life is allowed versus the kind of person that I normally play that is very talky, journalists, lawyers, political animals – just be kind to Janet because she is so wonderful.

That was a conversation that I had with Bill at the very first Table Read. When I just sort of fangirled him and talked to him about how amazing his performance was in the first season.

What I loved about the show was that it is really populated with humans that are always saying something but not speaking. There is so much clearer speech that is not articulated in this show and it’s something a little more like indie film and Antonio Campos (Director + Executive Producer) one of the really big geniuses behind the first and second season has a background in indie film and he just brought that sensibility to the show. I found that also working on it that I am so hard wired to just pick up the pace and even though I knew that from watching the show not to do it - but ke kept reminding me that, no no - you can take it as long as it wants to take - if you want to say something else, just throw it in” and I thought, “oh this is a new fun thing to work on.”

AM: How long did you film this and are there any snippets that you may be able
to share with us for our readers at Athleisure Mag.

EA: We started filming in May.

AM: WOW!

EA: Yeah and we wrapped … my last day on set was a week before production wrapped. So the first 2 episodes were filmed in tandem which is the right phrase. Which sometimes there were tandem crews, 2 things filming at the same time, because the aesthetic of the show is to film a certain amount of coverage, but they also had to do it within a TV schedule. It was cross-boarded which is the phrase I was looking for because there were so many locations that were the same. That motel room was built on the stage so all of those shots were not on location, there were just a few things that we shot as the motel which includes the scene with the motel manager and things like that. So what can I tell you – I mean I can say I guess, that you will see more of Bess and that what’s really fun is that the flashbacks go back pretty far back. That was certainly fun to remember what human being I was in 2004 and what that meant. The mystery is really the whole thing so I can’t really …

AM: I know but we had to try! So the whole death scene with Bess – how many takes did it take. How much of it came from what the script stated and what part was what you added into it. It just seemed so raw and so much – but so good.

EA: There were many takes and we worked on that scene for a whole filming day.

AM: Woah

EA: Yes just the death scene. Not really much in terms of dialogue. Now that includes the stuff that Adam who plays Adam had to do, which includes the stunt stuff that he did which has the incredible shot of him falling out of the shower. That element will add more, but getting the shots from all the different angles and the special effects things – that still to me seemed fairly early in the process was indicative to me of the level of artistry in the production. So normally, an average filming day and you probably know this is 6-8 pages. So as a script page, the death scene is maybe a page or ¾ of a page but we spent a whole day working on it and we also actually had a day of rehearsal before we had even started filming so we could figure out basically what it was going to be and I talked with Antonio and I said, "you know, I have been watching everything that I can find of videos of film scenes where people are poisoned. Is there anything you can think of where this seems more of the thing and not this." I watched some ridiculous thing where a woman was throwing herself around to every piece of furniture in the room and I thought, “that doesn’t seem like something I should do.” He was like, “no, nothing really comes to mind,” but he said, “you might want to look at videos of people having seizures,” and I’m always dutiful about my homework and I went home and looked at a lot of people on YouTube who were having seizures at home – not film of this. It exists and it’s strange what people will put up on YouTube. In my life an as actor, my YouTube searches are so weird that whatever the computer thinks about me … “I don’t know what they should market to her” – I see a lot of weird ads.

I watched a lot of videos and I was interested in what people’s hands did and that violent convulsion thing is where we ultimately decided to take it. Then the rest of it, we sort of in rehearsal just old school rehearsed it to see what if I would fall to the bed and then the door of the bathroom and then try to save Adam – so it was basically being specific to what was happening in my body every single moment. Now I’m trying to save Adam and now I’m going to vomit and turn away and here’s the moment where I realize that Julian must have had something to do with this. It was a tough day of filming because 3 days before, for the first time in my life, I had developed Vertigo. So actually, it’s just Benign Positional Vertigo – it’s still with me when I lay down to go to sleep. Whenever I would change positions or elevations, I’d get really dizzy. So I thought on that day, I was lucky that it wasn’t a fight scene where I have to do this and look like I'm in control - I feel awful and I am dying so I guess I'll #useit which is what we said all day. And even by the end I would just lie down on the floor really quickly and then I would stand up to feel really awful.

AM: That is dedication!

EA: Well you know it’s just like, this is not a great situation and I wish I had felt well so that I could be in control of my body. As long as it was happening, I may as well take the roses along with the thorns or make lemons out of lemonade – whatever cliché term you’d like to use. It was a trying day, but at the end of the day I felt like I had died and come back to life.

AM: Is it easy for you when you’re done filming to come back to you the person? Some people are so into their characters that it takes them 2-3 months to leave that character. How is that for you and how do you keep that separation?

EA: Hmm it’s a really great question. I think it’s been more challenging for me in my life with theater where you're working on something every single day that’s probably also more of a challenge for people who are doing say a film that they are doing every single day. Whereas, I think that the most days in a week that I worked on the show was like 3 days in a week. So it wasn't every single day and then I wouldn't be working at all the following week. That said, I feel like I always miss my characters when they are not around anymore. Like a Quixotic small victimless tragedy for me as there is nothing that I can hug, there is no person that I can embrace. I really feel like there is this other person that I am in communication with when I am acting and it shows up for me the most very organically and this happened – where my characters have different gestures and little things that they do that that is a residue that will stick around. I’ll do that thing that that character did and I’m like, “oh” it feels like finding a loved one who has passed and seeing their shirt. It’s not that sad as I don’t want to compare it like that –

AM: Totally understand, as a fashion stylist, when I am working on clients or moodboards that it’s in your head so much much that when it’s done, I’ll see something and then have to remind myself that I don’t need it because it’s done and the project is done.

EA: I feel that as soon as I get a character, it’s the little piece of sand in like the oyster of my heart that I am always adding layers to that pearl that everything I see in the world is part of that person. When I don’t need it anymore, I still kind of keep adding to that pearl.
To a certain extent, one way in which characters will revisit is I will play a new one and I sort of feel – and this is a metaphor – that the angelic spirit of the other character will say, “let me lend you these things that were helpful for me” so that I can use them again. I am such a nerd. I have a book of poetry which will be published this fall and most of the poems I wrote are from awhile ago, but they’re about being an actor and a life in the theater and it is mostly about characters. Very much so about this thing that we’re talking about. The relationship between the actor and the character that are like this friend and what I have really come to love and have a relationship with them although we are sort of the same. And in one of them, I sort of create this metaphor where I am an island where all of my past characters live and that when a new character comes and sort of materializes, on the island and asks what this place is – all the other characters are like, “here you can use this” and that’s a poetic metaphor, but in a sense that’s all the people still living on that island.

AM: When is this book coming out and what is the name of it?

EA: The name of the book is Curtain Speech. I was trying to come up with a name that is actually sort of private – being backstage and that is where the conversation between the character and the actor takes place. Or it’s in your trailer or the moments before the take. When you step on stage or when filming starts, you’re one person and you can’t have that conversation again. Curtain Speech is actually the thing that someone will come out and say, “please turn off your cellphones, here are the exits and thank you for coming.” It’s the title I came up with and I don’t have an exact date when it will be coming out, but it might be available for pre-order on Amazon now – I can check with my publisher.

AM: What other projects do you have coming out that you can tell us about?

EA: Well, I will be in Season 7 of Chicago Fire! Other than that, I am working on writing a series like many an actor is. In terms of the little people of sand, it’s always around that series and that character and I developed the idea with a friend of mine, Chris Carfizzi from Billions who plays Rudy and so we wanted to work on something together. But he has a small baby and I sort of took the lead on writing it. We also want to – when our lives are sane enough – probably think about filming a scene so we can shop it around.

AM: So you’re based in NY, where do you love to eat, shop here, workout etc?

EA: So I love Vietnamese food and I can eat it everyday! Probably one of my favorite restaurants is probably OBAO in Hell’s Kitchen. Whenever anyone wants to get lunch, I’m like, “Oh do you like Vietnamese food?” I also really Asian food in general – I’m a big lover of sushi and a friend of mine have had a date for 3 months that we have kept moving to go to Nakazawa, but you have to make a reservation way in advance. Everytime we have made one, I always end up working on a show. I mean in this week, this is the one day that I am filming so that hasn't happened yet. I really love Koreatown because it's right in the middle of the city so it’s not like you have to go all the way down to Chinatown. I also live in Queens and I live in Jackson Heights and I love the Indian food there and Tibetan food, so good! There’s this place Faul. It’s impossible to find as there is no storefront and you go up a random staircase, but it is very close to the Jackson Heights stop. Lassa Fast Food is behind a cellphone store - if you didn't know it was there, you’d never see it. I love living so close to Flushing because my husband and I will just hop on a train and feel like we’re going to another country and that’s really how Flushing feels.

I tend to workout at my local gym and I can’t run outside anymore. I can run on a treadmill and that’s about it.

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“... my characters have different gestures and little things that they do that is a residue that will stick around. I’ll do that thing that that character did...”

— Ellen Adair

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AM: We know that you’re a huge Phillies fan as we have seen your Instagram - so are you from Philadelphia originally?

EA: Yes nobody chooses the Phillies. But I’m from there originally and neither of my parents are from Philadelphia actually, my mom’s from Virginia and my dad’s from Oregon – they were like, we’ll adopt the Phillies. I went to games in utero and then as a babe in arms. Someone asked me if I remembered my first baseball game and I was like, “no, I’ve been going for as long as I can remember.” They’re my life partner as I like to say.

AM: Do you have season tickets or do you go when they’re always here?

EA: I make sure I see them pretty much when I am here. Season tickets are not super practical living in NY, but I do try to see a couple of games in Philly every season. Last season I didn’t because I was doing an Off Broadway show that was basically all of baseball season and that was tough for me emotionally. There are a few Mon games I went to. So in 2016, I saw 16 games and so I knew that that would be my goal. And what I like about this is that I can move the goal post in a good way every year. This year, I have already seen 18 games and there is still a bit of the baseball season left and I am going to a Phillies game next week.

AM: Are you an Eagles fan too?

EA: Um, sure, is the most accurate answer and I was not raised on the religion of football at all. So definitely supported the Eagles this season and not in any sort of a bandwagon way. Did I want them to defeat the Patriots as they are the Yankees of football, absolutely I do. Actually, I watched the Super Bowl with Dylan Baker in Virginia as we were there shooting Homeland and he’s a big football fan. I know the marquee names of football – I definitely enjoy watching it with friends, it’s not something that I would sit down myself and do. I will sit down and watch baseball because it’s unhealthy but I really loved sitting down and watching it with Dylan. Everybody except for one table in this hotel bar was clearly rooting for the Eagles and that made it more delightful. I was wearing an Aaron Nola shirt because I was like, this is how I know how to support – just wear a Phillies shirt.

AM: So how do you give back in a philanthropic/charitable way?

EA: It’s more monetary than it is time. I would love to figure out how my time would be valuable to a particular organization but there are a lot of charities that I care about. One that I have supported for years is City Harvest – I’d like to give my time to them as well. But in the world that we’re living in right now, it feels like there are so many things to keep tabs on there is more then the hours in the day! But, I feel like if I am a monthly contributor to a cause it helps. I care a lot about the environment so I support the Natural Resources Defense Council. I traveled a lot as a child so I think I have a real appreciation for other countries and other cultures. If I had to say the most right now in terms of America, one thing that sticks out there, it’s protecting immigrants and Muslims. I spent a lot of time in Turkey and so like I grew up being like, these are some of the nicest people in the world – I support the Council For American Islamic Relations and National Immigration Forum and United We Dream – I got connected to them because they send text messages where if someone in your area is going to get deported, you can come and help. It’s a service that I guess I signed up for and I was like, I like what they do. The Center for Popular Democracy is also important to me. It’s 10 – 12 that I am monthly donors to and obviously the big ones, ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, NAACP – I’m forgetting somebody I’m sure.

Journalism is important. I have a subscription to the NY Times, Washington Post and I support NPR. Also that’s a service and for a little while, there was a grassroots organization of women that I was working for a friend who had founded it and she was trying to get it to expand across the country and she decided to start something different called Candidates and Coffee. So she interviews people for local elections because the information isn’t always there as it’s not in the national stream. You’re not going to see people in your local elections talking on CNN about stuff. There should be a way that millennials can connect so I was just meeting with her last night and I might end up and hope to help her work on that a little bit as well. Voting is super important! The 2016 election certainly taught us that.

I have been thinking about and I haven’t done this before – kind of getting on a bus from NY to PA a swing state close to the election to get out the vote. It’s close and I was registered to vote in PA for a long time.

AM: Is there a director or a role that you’d like to work with or be with?

EA: Such a great question wow. It’s easier for theater because the roles exist already. That's the great thing about TV/film - you don’t know who that person will be until you go off and really create what that is definitively. So, that’s hard to say on camera. I’ve done in theater, a lot of period stuff like old time timey people. It would be really fun to be able to get to do that on camera. I played Marie Antoinette in a play about Marie Antoinette and that was really fun to get to play a historical figure like that. In terms of a play that I read and really fell in love with and knew that that was what I wanted to do, there is this play called the Curious Case of the Watson Intelligence, by Madeleine George. It’s great. A dream role is the one that I am writing for myself.

AM: That’s what I was thinking!

EA: I know I’m sorry Erin for forgetting about you for a second! In terms of a director, I don’t think I have an answer because there are so many that I really admire their work. Sometimes your favorite ones are the ones that were unexpected, because it’s the chemistry between the two of you as people is really great. That’s hard to know, but I’d love to discover that. Note that if Paul Thomas Anderson wants me to – I mean we’d have great chemistry that would be awesome. Also, Antonio was one of my favorite directors to work with and part of the reason for that is that I felt like his eye is so meticulous that when he sees something he is willing to comm unicate that to the actor. So, I felt that absolutely my performance was 100 times better because I was working with him and it’s always going to be better when you work with the director then just doing it in a vac um. He so often had a thought for me like – this time try this or this is so small but I remember it so clearly that in the first episode there is a shot where I get up from the bed and I realize that Julian is missing and he’s at the breakfast bar and I go to the window. That was of course in the studio and when I was looking out the window, I wasn't looking at anything, it was just black. The first few times that we did the take, I said to myself, imagine what you’re seeing as we had not shot in the motel yet so I didn’t know what I was looking at. I had to just make it up and imagine I was seeing cars, whether I was seeing the kid – but I wasn’t, but then we did it so many times that I was doing the movement without doing anything. A couple of times after doing it, Antonio said, “oh it doesn’t look like you’re seeing anything.” I was like thank you because most directors would not give you a note that was that detailed and it has to do with your own internal process. I have a hard time remembering exactly what he said to me that day when we were filming the death scene, because I was going through it physically but I know that he was coaching me and saying we need a little of this and that or that I had this ball in the air, but I was also dealing with this. But he’s the greatest!

AM: I think what makes that scene so impactful is like in sex scenes you know that there are various movements that they do to create the illusion of the act which can come off as very technical looking. The arm is here and then there, 1-2-3. But when watching your scene it doesn’t look like Twister and technical, it falls seamlessly and makes you think it happened in one take when it in fact wasn't. It doesn't look like you're thinking, it's just a flawless flow. Which is why it has really stunned everyone.

EA: What you’re talking about is the whole deal. That the difference is just inhabiting it than just doing the things. I think that there were physical marks I had to hit but the freedom within the technicality I could experience “oh my gosh I’m losing control – I can’t talk, I’m feeling nauseated, where does that live in my body?" I feel it is very similar when you have dialogue and in my transition of doing more on camera stuff and not just theater, is that I learn text in a completely different way. In theater, I know that this is the text and then I have a rehearsal process and I want to spare myself the personalization so I can discover it in a room with other people so that it’s not totally stale when I get to performance. But the way I memorize things for on camera is I do the thought verse and then the words. If you look at someone and it looks like they are saying words not about anticipating – but if they are thinking words and not thoughts, you can see it. You can have very good competent acting where it’s obvious that the person is thinking of words and not a person’s thoughts but my goal is to just be thinking of the person’s thoughts rather than the technical thing whether that be my hand goes here, I stumble over here or I have this political or legal gobbly gook. I’m always like, what’s the thought behind this? That’s what makes it fun.

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PHOTO COURTESY | PG 86 + 90 Peter Kramer/USA Network | PG 82, 85, 88, 93, 94 Ambi Williams |

Listen to our conversation with The Sinners, Ellen Adair on an upcoming episode of #TribeGoals on Athleisure Studio, our multimedia podcast network.

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