Last night, SRT (Susan Rose Tovar) hit the runways of Vancouver Fashion Week on day 5. We love that this Australian designer is all about luxury and experimenting with texture. This line has an aesthetic that reminds us of a Bohemian vibe and everything that is natural in the world.
PHOTO COURTESY | Filippo Fior/Imaxtree.com
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PHOTO COURTESY | Mike Fox
Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that smoking, not wearing sunscreen and going to bed with your makeup on hardly produces the coveted look of Instagram’s “glass skin.” Aside from these three ‘skin sins’ there are many others that are not so obvious. We turned to Denver Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Manish Shah who is a big believer in pre-juvenation and a holistic approach to youth.
Inconsistent Dieting
“Many people think caring for your skin is skin-deep,” quips Dr. Shah. “It is not.“ Inconsistent or inadequate nutrition that has your body mass and weight moving in a yo-yo motion up and down the scale can contribute to ruined elasticity and reduced collagen in the skin. This is part of the reason why specialists will recommend a two-pound maximum weight loss goal per week because your skin needs time to adapt to the loss of mass. Dr. Shah explains that the skin needs to be nourished from the inside as well and many of the trend diets like keto and paleo focus on one group of food and though it can help keep a caloric deficit, it can also create a deficit of the necessary vitamins and minerals you need to keep your skin looking healthy.
Drinking Too Much Coffee
“Excessive amounts of caffeine can increase the levels of insulin and cortisol in the system,” explains Dr. Shah. Insulin increases inflammation and cortisol is known as the stress hormone. This combination could mix up your sleeping habits and contribute to continued stress which can lead to sleep deprivation. “Sleep deprivation prevents that regenerative rest our skin and mind need to stay healthy.”
Neglecting the Skin Around Your Eyes
"The skin around your eyes is the thinnest and has very few oil glands," says Dr. Shah. Pamper your eyes and stave off signs of aging by choosing a daily eye cream that includes peptides. Dr. Shah explains, “They work to stimulate collagen production and prevent fine lines. Be sure to check the label.” Other notable ingredients that reduce puffiness, lines, wrinkles, and under eye circles are caffeine and nicotinic acid (a form of the B vitamin niacin).
Expecting Instant Results from Beauty Treatments
Most of us are guilty of trying a face cream or anti-aging treatment once or twice and then giving up on it before it has had a chance to work. A majority of anti-aging treatments take up to a month to begin showing positive effects. Dr. Shah explains, “This is due to the cycle of your skin, which undergoes a period of cellular structure renewal over a span of 30 days. In our instant gratification mode, we often toss a product before giving it time to work.”
Taking Medications With Side-Effects on the Skin
Certain medications like corticosteroids for asthma and arthritis cause the skin to thin and weakens blood vessels. Medicine to treat seizures can cause heightened sensitivity to sun damage in the skin which is a common perpetrator in premature aging. Blood pressure medications that block calcium channels have been studied in relation to their inhibition of collagen production by obstructing the absorption of vitamin C by the cells. Vitamin C is an important part of collagen production. “If these medications are being prescribed to you by your physician then the benefits outweigh their effect on collagen production. There is no need to stress over this, as long as you take care of your skin in other ways you should be fine,” explains Dr. Shah.
Consuming Excessive Amounts of Salt
“By all measures, an excess of salt in your diet is detrimental to your kidneys, your cardiovascular health and, yes, your skin,” says Dr. Shah. Salt absorbs moisture and it can aid in making your skin look dry and less vibrant. Reducing your sodium intake and sticking to a moisturizing routine should help your skin stay healthy and smooth.
Facial Expressions
Every time you move that beautiful face, your skin wrinkles a little bit. Most of the time your face bounces back and those little wrinkles disappear once new skin cells grow.
Soap
While you may think that soap is your skin’s best friend, this is actually not the case. The reason for this is that your skin has an acid mantle which is a natural protective barrier of the skin. When you wash with soap – which is generally alkaline – it can remove this protective layer of oils and dry out the skin, eventually leading to wrinkles. Dr. Shah says that “While it is not advisable to stop washing entirely, try swapping the soap for a PH-neutral and chemical-free cleanser, and bear in mind that there is such a thing as over-cleansing your skin.”
Tugging on Your Skin While Applying or Removing Makeup
To minimize the damage to the skin around your eyes, follow these quick tips from Dr. Shah:
Use your ring finger to pat on products around your eyes, including serums, oils, moisturizers, and concealers. Your ring finger is the least likely to pull or tug at your skin.
Apply eyeliner and eyeshadow by gently closing your eyelids, rather than by pulling them taut. If you’re struggling to apply without pulling, consider investing in products that are made to apply smoothly, like cream or gel formulas.
Have patience when removing makeup from the eye area. Use cotton or another soft product, coated well with your favorite makeup removing solution. Hold the cotton over your closed eye without wiping, allowing the product to break down the makeup. After a minute or so, wipe gently to remove the makeup.
Picking Your Skin
You're not a dermatologist or licensed aesthetician. You should not be picking at your pimples, ingrown hairs, or anywhere else on your face. It's one of the biggest assaults against your skin and can have permanent effects. "The more people press and manipulate blemishes, the more inflammation they create underneath," explains Dr. Shah. "The result is scars, pockmarks, and discoloration that can become permanent.”
Licking Your Lips Constantly
There's a myth out there that claims people can get addicted to lip balm. "These people just have dry skin and miss the feeling of the balm when it's gone," says Dr. Shah. Lip licking can become a bad habit. But when you moisten your lips that way, you actually wind up making things worse. The water in your saliva evaporates, leaving lips dry and cracked. "Saliva can contain bacteria and irritants, so you can end up with a rash around the lips as well," says Dr. Shah. Try a lip balm such as Burt's Bees 100% Natural Moisturizing Lip Balm, Original Beeswax with Vitamin E & Peppermint Oil.
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Last night, Vancouver Fashion Week included an array of designers that hit the runway. Ocean Taylor showcased a line that included fun neutrals for men and women. previously known as Wet Ink was opened just over a year ago by Kelowna’s teen, Ocean Taylor.
PHOTO COURTESY | Filippo Fior/Imaxtree.com
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We had an interesting conversation with Dr. Christopher Robinson a physician and partner at Charleston Maternal Fetal Medicine and Jessica Caron about Inflammatory Bowel Disease and the IBD Parenthood Project. We talked about what you need to know, myths and the importance of having clinicians that can help those who are involved in this journey.
ATHLEISURE MAG: What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
DR. CHRISTOPHER ROBINSON: So Inflammatory Bowel Disease is a medical condition that is faced by 1.6 million people in the United States. It’s important to note that half of those people that are affected are women. So as a result, reproductive care comes into this discussion when you’re talking about Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Usually, we think of two conditions primarily – Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis as being key contributors to the diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
AM: Why is this such a concern for those that are thinking of having children?
DR. CR: We know that planning a pregnancy and getting ready for having a pregnancy – control of a medical disease is important for a healthy mother and a healthy baby. It also assists that mom in going through that pregnancy from having complications that may occur. This is the same for Inflammatory Bowel Disease where recurrences from Inflammatory Bowel Disease contributes to things like smaller babies, babies that may experience a preterm birth, and that may expose the family as well as the baby to increased risk. So one of the key features here is to really control the disease process so that the pregnancy can proceed normally. That’s why we are here and why we have developed this tool kit for providers as well as patients.
AM: So what is this tool kit and how does it prepare those that are preparing to have children?
JESSICA CARON: The tool kit available to moms online at IBDParenthoodProject.Gastro.org is a great place that captures a lot of the misconceptions that women may have about pregnancy and parenthood with some advice for them as well as information for them to share with others while they are making their decision. As well as a checklist that they can use when they are talking to their clinician to make sure that they address all the things in preconception, pregnancy, and even post-natal – breastfeeding etc.
AM: What are the common myths that people have about IBD and planning their pregnancies?
JC: Some common myths can even be – can I even get pregnant with IBD? In fact, women can and do get pregnant with IBD and can do so with healthy ways when they are in remission. Another misconception is, are my medications safe throughout pregnancy and in fact most medications are. I don’t know if you have anything else that you wanted to add to this?
DR. CR: I think it’s one of the very first things that women focus on – am I going to be able to have a healthy pregnancy and then medications that they are taking – are they compatible with a healthy pregnancy? In deed, often times they are healthy and they are actually also beneficial in achieving remission such that the pregnancy can continue normally. So one of the key features that we see in patients is that they initially questioning the safety of continuing their therapy which is keeping them in remission during pregnancy for fear that it may harm the baby.
AM: So what should these women know that do have this condition before they begin to think about becoming pregnant? Will looking at this website give them the information that they need before they begin their next steps when they are in the beginning phases of considering?
DR. CR: It absolutely will! For instance, one of the simple things is starting a pre-natal vitamin – one that has folic acid that reduces the risk of fetal abnormality with things such as spine defects, heart defects and sometimes even clefts in the face. All that can be improved through just taking a vitamin. The other things is actually just opening a dialogue. One thing is that fear can come out of a lack of knowledge. One thing that we are trying to do is to arm women and to arm their providers with reliable information that has been adjudicated and evaluated by both the American Gastroenterological Association as well as the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine. So they can rely on this information and use it together to create an optimal plan. I think that this will be very helpful in opening a dialogue for these women.
AM: What is a Maternal Fetal Medicine Subspecialist and why is it important to have one early on in the pregnancy process?
DR. CR: So a Maternal Fetal Medicine Subspecialist (MFM) is actually a person who has gone through the formal training to be an Obstetrician and Gynecologist just like an OBGYN; however, they have gone through an additional 3 years of training specifically targeting the management of complicated medical disease, surgical disease or any problems that may come up in utero and how to manage those conditions. So they are really the high risk specialists that can take care of women who have medical disease that is also present at the same time that they are planning to have a baby. So they are uniquely qualified to handle those patients and to make those decisions about medications that are safe, medications that should be avoided as well as looking at the entire picture of how to get that woman from planning a pregnancy to all the way through delivery as well as decisions about lactation. And not to be left out, this also includes decisions about contraception. What are the best ways to plan on when one should have a baby and what kinds of contraception should they be considering.
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Last night, we were introduced to Filice, designed by Toronto based designer, Nicola Filice which presented a line of women’s suits. We have always been a fan of menswear created with a feminine focus and this line didn’t disappoint as it hit the runways of Vancouver Fashion Week FW2019 for the 3rd day of shows.
PHOTO COURTESY | Filippo Fior/Imaxtree.com
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Day 2 of Vancouver Fashion Week for FW19 had a number of fashion designers that his the runway. Without a doubt, Camila & Castillo, designed by Camila Castillo was a head turner with its form fitting ensembles that really showcased the model’s bodies. An intersectionality of geometria design, metallic accessories and cut outs created visual texture of the eyes with clean silhouettes that played with a neutral palette.
PHOTO COURTESY | Filippo Fior/Imaxtree.com
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Fashion Week takes place throughout the world, throughout the year. Designers are showcasing their creativity for the upcoming season. The lights on the runway of Vancouver Fashion Week FW19 took place and as this season’s (as well as the SS20’s season) media sponsors, we’ll be sharing our favorite looks by designers that walked the shows each day.
Last night, we truly enjoyed YONFA which was filled with minimalist lines, playing with proportion, fluid movement and a neutral palette. Our favorite look from this show, was the oversized hoodie which is perfect to pair with leggings and your favorite trainers. This collection was created by Japanese designer Kim Yonghwa who is known for using key materials that include wool and cotton that work in harmony with her need to have an easy and elegant style.
We’ll be sharing our favorite designers and 3 key looks from the show each day in what we call THE REWIND which is essentially a recap to give you the essentials on what took place.
PHOTO COURTESY | Filippo Fior/Imaxtree.com
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If you have an upcoming drug test with a week to prepare for, the first thing that you need to remember is that the technology used in testing has evolved where it can detect fake or tampered urine samples instantly. Putting rock salt or bleach in your pee sample is easily detectable. Your best option is to stop using drugs and prepare for the test. You can read more about urine tests in this link here.
If there is not enough time, there are detox drinks that can help flush the drugs out of your system. If you don’t have enough time to flush the drugs, you can try to “mask” them in a way that they won’t appear in your urine sample for about 3 – 4 hours.
The Do’s and Don’ts
Never attempt to dilute or mask your sample. The technicians will know if you altered your pee sample with salt, bleach, vinegar, and other household substances. If you dilute water in the sample, they will also know because the temperature and the color of the urine will change.
Drink lots of water before the test. This can work if you are a light user of cannabis. As of the moment, there are not enough evidences that the following substances that will cleanse your system thoroughly. These substances can include vinegar, niacin, goldenseal, and Certo.
Why These Substances Will Not Work
Goldenseal
PHOTO CREDIT | UnSplash
Goldenseal is a kind of herb that is part of the buttercup family that is commonly found in the Northeastern part of the United States. There are a lot of studies that show goldenseal doesn’t have any effect on the THC metabolites in the body. It was popularized because of a novel published in 1900 called the “Stringtown on the Pike” where someone “passed” a drug test because he had consumed goldenseal. However, this is just part of old wives tales and it’s not backed with anything concrete.
Vinegar
Vinegar won’t help you pass a drug test. The test administrators will notice that your sample will have very acidic urine. You might fail the validity check as a result and may be required to submit another sample. It can also raise some red flags as the administrators will think that you have adulterated your pee sample.
Certo
You might have heard of people who use marijuana talk about Certo Pectin or Sure Jell in order to pass their upcoming urine drug test. It gained popularity after some people claim that the Certo mixture can easily get you out of trouble especially if you have to pass a marijuana drug test in less than 24 hours.
Many use Certo for drug tests because it has a high carbohydrate and fiber content. The carbohydrates can boost the insulin inside your body and causes you to store energy calories rather than using them in your day-to-day activities. The carbohydrates can help in metabolizing fats for energy. When fat-soluble toxins such as THC metabolites are released from your cells, they will end up in your urine, bloodstream, or saliva.
What Certo does is to act as an agent which causes insulin to spike for a short period of time. This prevents the burning of fats in the body and you can come out clean for a few hours. Aside from this, it helps mix detoxifying agents such as vitamins and minerals inside your body which can help you a lot during a drug test. However, note that this method does not work. Certo can’t flush the toxins from your body in 24 hours and you might get into trouble if the administrators will find out that you are trying to take drinks that can tamper with your urine sample.
Niacin
Niacin pills or B3 is a kind of compound that can be found naturally in the human body. The primary function of niacin is to metabolize carbohydrates. The problem with niacin pills is that the effectiveness of which it clears traces of metabolites can vary from one body to another. The person with higher fat content will likely fail than a person with a lower fat content. This method will not work if you have a drug test in 24 hours. You can only give this a method a try if you have enough time to prepare for the test. Know more about niacin on this website: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/niacin.
Why Drug Tests are Necessary
Companies administer marijuana drug tests to make sure that their working environment is free from marijuana users. However, most people use marijuana as a recreational drug and it does not necessarily mean that if they use it, they are already considered as an addict.
If you are one of the people who is hoping to get a promotion or want to have a job, then the good news is that there are a lot of detoxification methods available for you online. These methods can help you pass a drug test easily if you go to the right website. However, beware of other fake methods that are circulating online. It does not mean that a method is effective because a lot of people are using it. You should also read online reviews and forums in order to know the truth.
Other Alternatives
The good news is that there are other alternative options that can help you pass your drug test. Some proven and tested detoxifying agents include Toxin Rid. This will help cleanse your body from THC even if you only have 24 hours prior to the test. This is the surest way that most people prefer. Rather than going for Certo, vinegar and other methods which are unreliable and require too much work, Toxin Rid can incorporate herbs, vitamins, and minerals inside your body to make it healthier. Do not try home remedies that can make you lose your job or can potentially send you to jail just because your test results came out positive. Contact an expert today and consult with them on what you can do to detoxify your body from THC.
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Getting the right amount of deep and restful sleep each night is more significant for muscle growth than most bodybuilders realize.
Making sure that you receive enough rest every night is going to:
● Make sure your mood, energy, motivation and concentration levels are remaining at peak condition whether you're in the gym or not.
● Optimize the production of crucial fat burning and muscle building hormones like IGF-1 and testosterone.
● Enhance your body's ability to efficiently use fat for energy rather than muscle by reducing your respiratory exchange rate (RER).
● Lower your levels of the hormone. This is good because it wastes muscles and increases fat storages.
This just covered a few of the many advantages that a good night's sleep can offer you. When you are noticing that you're having a hard time getting to sleep or you are not sleeping deeply for enough time before waking up, you could be on the path towards chronic sleep deprivation. It gives you the opposite of each of the effects listed above.
The following details a few of the best sleep tips for bodybuilders that you can try out right away to cut down on how long it takes for you to fall asleep and sleep deeper and longer than ever before.
Making sure your sleep and wake times are the same each day is going to help you control your body’s internal clock. It will put you in the habit of “expecting” to fall asleep and wake up at a specific time each day. This is going to improve the amount of time you need in order to fall asleep and it will help your quality of sleep overall.
Even though this will not be a viable option for certain people because of the way work or school times vary, try your hardest to set a schedule and follow it closely—even on weekends.
When you need to finish some work at night or some other “mentally stimulating” project, use a table, desk, couch or somewhere else other than your bed. Merging your sleeping area and working area into one and the same place is a huge mistake many bodybuilders make. You are looking to get your body to associate the act of crawling into bed with relaxation, rest and pleasure instead of pressure and problem-solving.
Using the best mattress on the market for bodybuilders is also going to help you enhance your sleeping patterns as well as the association your mind and body makes with your sleep spot. Mattresses can become quite expensive, but you can potentially find some good deals that make the purchase more manageable.
Dim the lights and power down each of your electronic devices such as your television, laptop, smartphone or tablet at least 30 minutes before you head off to sleep. Bright lights are going to suppress your body’s natural melatonin production. This hormone is primarily involved in regulating your sleep patterns. Your levels of melatonin raise as it gets darker. It tells the body that it is bedtime and lets you nod off faster to keep you asleep longer.
Rather than channel surfing, watching YouTube videos or texting before you go to sleep like the majority of people, devote that 30-60 minutes towards finishing up some reading, listening to an audiobook or meditating.
This is going to vary depending on the person, but it's typically a good rule of thumb to avoid eating too much or too little before bed. Eating a large meal before you hit the hay is usually going to make it more difficult to fall asleep. A stomach that won't stop growling is obviously not that helpful either.
Consuming a small to medium sized snack a few hours before going to sleep is going to let you sleep more peacefully and the insulin release that follows will improve melatonin levels as well.
Make sure your sleeping environment is optimized enough to give you the very best provisions for promoting deep and restful sleep:
● Ensure your room stays a nice and comfortable temperature of around 68 degrees.
● Make use of a sleeping mask or blackout curtains in order to darken your environment as much as possible.
● Eliminate any background noises that may suddenly wake you up. Sleep in a noiseless room with earplugs and/or white noise such as a humidifier, fan or something else.
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We’re excited to share that Cochon555 will be pulling into NYC on April 14th and we’re back for our 3rd year in a row as a Media Sponsor. This event takes place in a number of US cities and brings 5 Chefs X 5 Heritage Pig Farms X 5 Winemakers together. This event will take place at Weylin in Brooklyn and runs from 5pm - 7:30pm (with VIP tickets having access at 4pm)! When attending this event, guests can enjoy a culinary experience of delight and wonderment that includes feasting on responsibly raised heritage bred pigs, ethically sourced food, endless rounds of beverages and you can vote for your favorite bite of the day.
We’ll keep you in the loop on chefs that are participating in this leg of the Cochon555 tour. Currently SeungJoon Choi of Hortus NYC, Allan Wallker-Hodkin of The Grey Dog NYC and Kimberly Plafke of Grand Army Bar will be competing and we’ll share with you the remaining chefs that will be at this event.
We’re offering a way for you to get in on the fun by giving away 2 General Admission tickets! We will select 1 winner who will receive a pair of tickets to attend. We will run this giveaway now through March 22nd at 11:59pm EST. We will select a winner at 12pm EST on March 23rd.
Follow all three accounts on Instagram @AthleisureMag, @Cochon555 and @weylin1875
Tag your friend who you would like to attend (all attendees must be 21+)
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This month's cover story features Jonathan Jones, Brandon King and Obi Melifonwu of the Super Bowl LIII Winning Champions New England Patriots. The road to success is one that is truly a journey that isn't a straight line. In our interview we hear how these teammates fell in love with the game, made their way to the Patriots and how they get ready for their games every week! In addition, we also had the opportunity to talk with their Sports Agent, Sean Stellato of SES Sports, whose own life has been infused with sports as an athlete who then made the Jerry McGuire transition to being on the other side of the ball. The relationship between players and the agent is essential to their success.
Our shoot took place in Tribeca at the Serafina Tribeca, which is one of our favorite places for Italian comfort food. When it comes to hospitality and having the right vibe for a celebration, the General Manager, Christian Ferrara makes everyone feel at home while educating them on his cuisine and culture.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you wanted to play professional football and what was your journey to get to the New England Patriots?
JONATHAN JONES: I grew up loving watching the games as young as when I was 3 or 4 years old. I played high school football in Georgia and high school football in Georgia is just big! I went to Auburn, we won a National Championship. Leaving Auburn, I was a free agent and I chose to come to New England and it was probably the best decision of my life honestly as I have had the chance to go to 3 straight Super Bowls. It’s been a great journey as far as the NFL goes! But for my entire journey to come from where I come from to make it to the Patriots, it’s been a blessing!
AM: Tell us about the position you play and who do you work with closely on that portion of the team?
JJ: I play defensive back cornerback and mostly we work with the safeties and sometimes the linebackers.
AM: During the season what is your week like in terms of practicing to get to Sunday’s game?
JJ: After a game on Sunday, you come in on Monday and first thing you want to handle and collect everything from the previous game. You then want to start working on your body. Tuesday is a day of recovery for your body getting a massage, getting treatments for pains that took place from the last game. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday is all about training and practice. Saturday, it just depends on whether it is a home or an away game. But, it’s a full week and Tuesday isn’t like a day off, but more like a day to get ready.
AM: What are 3 songs that are on your playlist that get you ready for whatever game you’re playing?
JJ: It’s always a classic with me with Young Jeezy – it doesn’t even matter what song it is! Right now I have Little Baby on my playlist and I’m from Georgia so any of the Georgian rappers that are out right now – they’re there too!
AM: What does it feel like to be a 2 X Super Bowl Winning Champ?
JJ: It feels great to win Super Bowl LI and LIII. To get there every time is always the goal. I’ve been there 3 years in a row and to win 2 of them is amazing. A lot of people never even get there so for me to be there 3 times and to have won 2 is great! Every year you get there, you have to refocus and remember what you did last time to get there and how great you were at that time to win.
AM: What is it like in the off season as you prepare for the regular season?
JJ: The first thing is to get your mind and body right. You have to take the time during the off season. You want to make sure that you spend time for yourself, with your friends and family. But then it’s like you’re right back to when it’s time to go back and you also want to make sure that you stay in shape as well. It’s a quick turnaround and you have to be ready.
AM: What are your goals for the upcoming season?
JJ: My goal is to develop my game and become more of a leader within the team and to definitely work on my game with me being a young player. I want to continue to improve.
AM: How do you define your personal style? What do you wear when you’re going out for fun or when it’s a special night out.
JJ: My personal style is always about being casual with nice jewelry. I’m a laid back person. When it’s about going out, you can never go wrong with a nice shirt and jeans with nice shoes. It’s always an easy fix.
AM: Now that you’re able to relax what are 3 shows that you’ll binge on Netflix?
JJ: Oooo 3 Daredevil, The Punisher and Iron Fist.
ATHLEISURE MAG: What was your journey to get to the New England Patriots?
BRANDON KING: I went to Thompson High School in Alabama that was home for me. It was a pretty small town and in my senior year there, we got a movie theater and a Walmart which was pretty big for our town. Now, my high school is the biggest high school in the state which just goes to show how much it has grown! When I was there it was much smaller. During my junior year, coaches started coming in and recruiting and I talked to a lot of teams, but ended up falling short in my senior year by .03 to meet NCAA requirements.
A lot of people in my family were so happy that they thought I would be going to a Division I school on scholarship. So when I didn’t, a lot of people just put me on the back burner and a lot of people stopped talking to me because they felt that I was just going to be back at the house. But I knew what I wanted to do and I played for 2 years at Highland Community College in Kansas. At the time, I thought that I would be there for a year and then transfer to a Division I school, but that’s not how it turned out. I kept my head down to do what I needed to do so that I could continue to play football. I did well there and I got a lot of awards which I’m not big on as I believe the past is the past. You need to continue to work to do the things you need to do to be where you are. By staying there and doing the work, I got a scholarship to go to Auburn and transferred there. I played safety there and shortly after getting there, there was an injury to Justin Garrett the star linebacker which was a hybrid position between linebacker and safety so I changed to that position and I played that for most of my Junior year and then moved to linebacker. My senior year, I ended up breaking my thumb a week or two right before my first game of that year. I did everything that I could do to just stay at full speed. I treated everything with full respect, all of my teachers and anybody that could or would help me. I always had a smile on my face when I walked around as just having the opportunity to be there at Auburn was everything. Even in the worse times, you still have to smile. While at Auburn, I played linebacker, defensive end and safety. I was always ready for any opportunity and for people to see that I could do those positions being 225-226lbs was important and showed that I am versatile.
My senior year at Auburn, I was trying to do an internship while I was a full time student and trying to train for the NFL. I didn’t have an agent or anything like that because I didn’t have any money for that. When I was at Auburn, I played multiple positions, I was still under the radar for the most part. When I first got to Auburn, I just worked out with the strength coaches and I really appreciate them, because they prepared us very well in developing the athletes overall. I ended up just being there and working everyday and working in the schedule to actually be able to workout and I had to be productive and just go about a different way. I just came to work everyday and I don’t think it really matters, I have been in the league for 4 years and I still haven’t gone to a facility or trained with a specific individual. Being at Auburn and being with those coaches, they laid out what you had to and it wasn’t a big deal for me to get it done that way. After Pro Day came, I think I did pretty well and I walked up to the Canadian coaches and whoever was there and I wanted to shake everyone’s hands and to tell them thank you for coming by. We had all 32 NFL coaches there for our Pro Day I believe, to check out the talent. I tried to take the initiative to shake everyone’s hands that I could to show my appreciation. I did the same thing my last day at Auburn. Whether you were a positive influence or a negative influence, that’s what makes a person a person. Sometimes, people don’t realize that there is beauty in the pain and wherever you are in life, you can smile and do what you have got to do in life.
After that, I went back to work and I didn’t get any calls and then I got a call from one team with a contract. I just wanted to put my best foot forward and did everything I could do to play professionally – I didn’t want any regrets. That team called me and woke me up out of my sleep and I knew the dream was still alive and then a few days later, I got another call from another team and then I got a workout schedule from the Patriots and I never visited the Patriots or anything like that. I never went to check out the facility. I just had a workout set up at Samford University in Birmingham, AL and had an individual workout with him and it was the only thing I did. I got an opportunity to go out to other teams for my time to shine as a free agent. I wasn’t worried about the money it was finding the right opportunity – I chose the Patriots and I have been there ever since.
AM: Tell us about the position that you play and what portion of the team you work with closely?
BK: Right now I play linebacker. For the last 4 years, I have been a core special teams player. My position coach is Joe Judge – the special team’s coach. I work closely with Matt Slater, Nate Ebner – I work closely with those guys and just try to get all the ins and outs from those guys the best that I can. Those guys have been a part of a lot of Championship football. They have a lot that I feel that I can learn from. Maybe one day the goals that they have learned, I can reach back and help someone else too. They are great guys to be around, they put their pride to the side and put the team first. They don’t complain and they get it done. I have a lot of respect for them.
AM: During the regular season, what is your week like in terms of practicing and preparing for those Sunday games?
BK: I wake up at about 5:00/5:30/5:45am depending on whether I have an injury to tend to or not and it’s best to get working on that first thing in the morning. During the season I work, 12-13 hour days.
AM: What has playing in the Super Bowl been like for you?
BK: It’s been amazing. My first Super Bowl (LI), my head was kind of spinning with everything going on – I was going at like 100 miles a minute. This one, it was my 3rd one that I was a part of, and everything was a great experience, but I just wanted to get to the game. I knew how it felt to win a Super Bowl game and what it felt like to lose one. I knew what we came there for and it was nice to see my family and everything, as I don’t get to see my family a lot as they still work and I don’t get to see them that much. It was great to catch up with them, but at the end of the day, it’s a very long season and trying as you’re playing 34 games a year, as you have the preseason also and to play at that level. I wanted to do what we came there for and to put those distractions aside. You know what it’s like to watch the game when you’re younger and for me, it feels like the game gets too big and we all have different ways to approach it. Winning felt like weight coming off your shoulders. There are people that you bonded with in the beginning during training camp that don’t make it or you play with them half the season and something happens to them and they may not be on the team anymore. The new guys have to come in and fill in the voids fast, because no one is going to feel sorry for someone that doesn’t know what to do or not knowing the system. Everything counts and everyone needs to be on the same page to be successful. Playing with your team for awhile creates a sense of comfort. Winning and going through all that adversity is a lot – this season wasn’t perfect by any means! We knew that no one was going to be able to fix it but us. Our job is to get it done. It felt good to get it done and to be at 3 Superbowls in a row and to know what it is like to win and lose one and then to look at these guys I play with. I mean I have only been in the league for 4 years and I know my body doesn’t always feel too hot and to play with guys that have played 8/9/10/11/12 years, I have a lot of respect for them. It’s like ok, then let’s go! It’s a respect thing and everyone in that building comes to work every day and it’s hard for you to not do the same thing.
AM: So what do you do during the off season to prepare yourself for the next upcoming season?
BK: I take a week or 2 off as I feel that that is well deserved. The off season is really short. I feel like it’s only a month and a half off. By the time I get home it will be around Feb 28th and we have to report in April. I bought a home in Tennessee last year and I’m trying to get everything there and get the family settled in and then I have to see the family in Alabama.
AM: What are the goals for the next season?
BK: I’m not really big on setting goals because disappointment is one thing and I feel that you can get really deterred if you do set the goal. I take one day at a time. People will say that they want to do this or do that and then people will look at you and say, “hey you said you were going to do this and now look at you.” I’m the kind of person, that I just let things ride and happen the way that they happen. I will figure out the pieces of the puzzle to get to where I want, but hopefully, I will be able to put it together in the right way for the way that I want. I just want to be productive, dependable and that I am doing things in the right way.
AM: Since you are on the road so much, what are 3 items that you like to have with you that make you happy or comfortable?
BK: I try to keep a pair of headphones with me. Sometimes I use them, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I listen to music in the locker room, sometimes I don’t. When I travel, I like to have headphones because you can block things out. This year I have been bringing my tablet with me more because I can watch my movies on Netflix and take my mind off of things. You’ve been putting in the work during the week to know who you are going against so I want to relax when I travel to the game. When I get to the hotel, then I like to be able to pick that back up again to think about the game.
ATHLEISURE MAG: So when did you realize that you wanted to play football professionally and tell us your journey on how you came to the New England Patriots.
OBI MELIFONWU: At the age of 9. Well it’s a funny story. I came to Massachusetts as the age of 3 and when I was about, I want to say between the age of 6/7, I watched the Patriots win Super Bowl XXXVI. I realized then that I really loved football and then at the age of 8, I brought a Pop Warner sign up sheet to my mom and she ended up throwing it out and saying it was too dangerous. I was crushed that year and I methodically thought about how I could get her to sign the sheet. So the next year, the same thing happened, I brought the sheet and she didn’t sign it and then I brought another sheet for her to sign and she ended up realizing that I was serious about it and she signed it. I’ve been playing football ever since!
My journey to the Patriots was one that I least expected. I went to high school and I got one offer from UCONN. It’s the only offer I got and I went there and had a pretty good year. Then I got drafted by the Raiders in the second round. Then after I got drafted I felt like that I was finally here and I could prove myself and play football. Unfortunately, I had injuries that happened to me that slowed things down. That last year, I ended up getting injured in August and I got cut. I was devastated. But I understood that everything happened for a reason. Nothing good good comes without perseverance and I really believe that God gives the strongest battles to the strongest war riors. I took that perspective and I just worked and got as healthy as I could and I got picked up by the Patriots. It was ironic as that was the team that I grew up watching playing. It was the team that I wanted to be on since I was little.
AM: Tell us about the position that you play and who do you work closely with in that portion of the team.
OM: The position I play is safety and that position is on defense. It is basically the last line of defense – you stop Receivers, running backs, any skilled position from scoring as that last line of defense. If stuff breaks through the line of the linebackers, even sometimes the cornerbacks. The Safety is the one that kind of has to save the day. Getting to the NFL and getting to the Patriots, I started to work really closely with the defensivebacks on the Patriots like Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, Duron Harmon and Coach Belichik. They really helped me to improve as a player.
AM: During the regular season. What is your week like in terms of practice, working out, watching the game tape – what are the typical things that you tend to do as you prep for that gameday?
OM: A typical week is like a lot of studying and a lot of watching the games on your own. Everyone has their own routine and things that they like to do to help them get ready for the game. I just like to go into work and try to really take notes, implement the gameplan for that practice and do that everyday. As the gameday gets closer, just kind of take a step back from the physical part just really try to focus on what I need to do for that day. I’m visualizing different things like certain calls for certain formations and certain situations. Just mentally preparing to be ready for that game and I feel like that’s a good mindset to have. There are 53 people on a team, but only 47 people get dressed. Some weeks you might be up and some weeks you might not be. Some times you may be activated and other times you may not be activated. It’s almost like you have to take that approach every week because you don’t know when you’re number is going to be called. If you’re not ready for your number to be called, then you’re going to miss out on that opportunity at that time.
AM: You’re in amazing shape – how long are you in the gym and what are some of the key workouts that you do? Do you have 3 that are your go to in particular no matter what?
OM: Yeah, it’s funny that you say that because in college, I really just ate anything I wanted. In terms of healthy, I mean I just did everything and ate anything. But when I got further along in my career, I started really trying to watch what I ate. Even until now, I still do my best to stay healthy because I understand it will help me in the long run with my longevity.
In terms of gym workouts, I do the typical three which I feel is the bread and butter of bench, squats and power cleans. Then there are other things like core and I’m always trying to work on a lot of stability stuff to help maintain the strength of my arms. I’m really trying to get into yoga. I’ve tried it a couple of times and we just don’t have the best relationship right now haha. It’s something that I am going to try to continue to do.
AM: You’ll probably like Hot Yoga or a Cardio based one, it may make you feel more aligned to it more.
OM: Yeah.
AM: So what are your go-to foods in terms of what you do to maintain your body and then what splurge food do you enjoy eating?
OM: My go-to vegetable is broccoli. I love it grilled, cooked, sautéed, whatever! My go-to meal for fuel is pasta and meat sauce. I’m the type of person that when I am performing or doing any type of physical activity, I have to eat before. I feel like that I can feel my body using that to fuel me throughout whatever workout or activity that I’m doing. So that’s my go-to meal.
Splurge I mean – everything under the sun that’s sweet! I try to cut down on dairy – icecream not too much but chocolate, cake, cookies – whatever sweet that you can think of I will most likely eat. That’s really my splurge or any fast food.
AM: On game day, how do you prepare – do you have a routine that you go through or is it more of a mindset?
OM: It depends on how I am feeling for that game. I feel that how I prep is the same, but on that day of the game, some days I will listen to Future or Meek Mill to get hype. Then other times I will listen to Jhene Aiko’s, ‘The Calm Before the Storm’ to get ready. For game day the night before, I try to do a lot of visualization for the game. I try to put myself in the position of the game so if it should happen that way, it’s not the first time that that happened. I try to keep a level head and not think too above or below the game. I try to understand mentally that things will happen throughout the game and that I shouldn’t get too overworked about it especially as a DB because the position I play and that CornerBacks and Safety’s play you might get beat on the play or give up a touch down or you might give up a big chunk and in the position that we play – we have to have short memories. We can’t let that one play affect the rest of the game. So those are just things that I do before and during the game.
AM: What was Super Bowl Sunday like for you and what has it been like since the game? Obviously, we shot your cover days after the big win and we’ve been watching your Instagram.
OM: The experience has been really great. Like being able to be in a Super Bowl and just being able to soak it in – it’s a blessing because so many people go through a whole season, 10 seasons, 16 seasons all the way to get to here and they don’t win a Super Bowl. As a player, you play the Super Bowl for many reasons. I feel like you play to make it to the Super Bowl, win the Super Bowl and then become a Hall of Famer. The fact that I got to experience that in my second year is something that I will not take for granted.
AM: You have great style – how would you define it? What do you wear when you’re just hanging out with friends or for a night out.
OM: With my friends, I just like to be comfortable. I wear a lot of joggers, a lot of sweats, nice comfy sandals, sweatshirts – I love sweatshirts like the one that I wore in the shoot, that’s the kind of things that I’m talking about.
When I go out, I’m a simple person. Obviously I like my figure and I like to take care of my body. I want to wear things that show that off whether I’m wearing slim fit shirts as well as slim fit and tapered jeans to show off my legs. Just something nice on my feet, whether they’re Yeezy’s, Timberland’s – any sneaker that looks neat and fit. My style is simple. I wear a lot of solid classic neutrals with a simple fit – nothing too extravagant.
AM: Now that you’re in the off season what are you thinking about and what goals are you setting to prepare for next year?
OM: My goals in terms of next season is that first, I have to get away from football. You work and you train for 8 months and then you have to go and take time to get away. I have really learned that in my time in the NFL. You have broken your body down to play and now you just need time to step back so that you can ease into it. I want to get my body right so that I can come correct in April. I can compete and everything I need to do but this year I am very focused on my body and mind being right emotionally and spiritually. This way I can perform at the level that I know I can and that I can show everybody else especially the Patriots organization that they didn’t make a mistake in picking me up and in giving me that chance.
AM: You’re based in Foxboro, where can we find you grabbing a meal, working out and shopping?
OM: Working out – I haven’t figured it out. I have a couple of places that I might try as I just got here. You can find me at the Patriots Place at Showcase Cinemas – I love the movies! I watch too many movies or playing video games or find me at the mall. Not even shopping, just walking around seeing things. I’m really observant and I like to see things.
I also wanted to say thank you for the interview and having us. I just want to thank everyone that helped me to get to this point and I don’t want to leave anybody out. To all the friends, coaches, everyone on this journey that has helped me out and you guys putting me in this magazine. I just want to say thank you!
ATHLEISURE MAG: We enjoyed having you a part of our cover shoot and we know that prior to being a sports agent, you also had a career professionally in football. Can you tell us about your athletic career and then what took place that led you to becoming an agent and then eventually launching your firm?
SEAN STELLATO: What a great question. Well I was born and bred in Salem, Massachusetts. I played highschool football there and had a very successful career there. Actually, the spinoff from my book, No Backing Down, came from my Junior football season which had a very diverse underdog team, a legendary coach that I always call a first generation Bill Belichick. As the team was projected to not win a game they found themselves undefeated playing another undefeated team. A major teacher strike shut down the school system – we ended up playing in front of 12,000 people and I had my career game on National Television and that was kind of my coming out party. After graduating Salem, I had the opportunity to go to a Boarding School for a year called the Gunnery Prep School.
I’m fully indebted to them because they taught me the value of education. They gave me the opportunity as it was such a political spinoff with the team after the Junior year, because of the coach being fired, that all of the kids who were going to be seniors were pretty much in harms way. The new person that they hired didn’t care. People were looking out for themselves and not for the kids. So a lot of the minority kids who had single parents, didn’t have a father figure to look out for them and it ultimately killed their careers. I was fortunate and was the Lone Ranger that was able to fly from the nest and get an opportunity – a true blessing was Gunnery Prep School – they gave me a full scholarship which was $33,000 to go there! I mean there were 8 of us together in a 3-bedroom house where I grew up in Witch Craft Heights in Salem. My mom was a stay at home mom and my parents didn’t have a college degree. They gave me that blessing and opportunity and I was on the basketball and football team there. I went onto Marist College – my mother doesn’t fly so I gave the Heisman to them. I did receive denial letters from a couple of schools and I still do read them a couple of times a year because if I let rejection define me, I wouldn’t have been doing what I am doing.
I played Division I basketball and football there which, is 45 mins north of the city on the Hudson. It was a beautiful campus and had a successful career there. My junior and senior years there I was the leading wide receiver for the 2000-2001 season. I finished there 9 straight semesters on the Dean’s List. The beauty of an education and just remembering the first time that I had been on an airplane to play basketball at Pepperdine – an amazing journey through college. But we played down in Florida after 9/11 about 10 days after that and I got scouted by an Arena Football coach and he ended up following up with me after the season and I had the opportunity to play 2 years professionally for the Arena Football League for 2002 and 2003. One of my head coaches for one of my teams is now the head coach at Purdue and he beat Ohio State this year.
You know, I saw the movie Jerry McGuire back in 1996 in high school and I fell in love with the movie. I thought about how cool it would be. I mean, as a football player, you think that you’re immortal and that you can play forever and I had to face that reality. I could have played in 2004 and I said, “I’m going to go hard on this sports agent thing.” I had 2 agents that I had hired and then I fired. I felt that there was this gap between how I wanted to represent players and the lack of transparency that I was fed when I played. I felt that I wanted to reshuffle this industry and threw my hat in the ring and got licensed late 2005. I didn’t know what I was doing and I spent a few years banging around on my own for a few years and then I partnered up with a firm and then I got exploited and in 2013, I was with the firm for a few years. We joined with a client each and then it grew into 10. I was flying our New Year’s Eve, Christmas Day signing guys getting exploited making pennies on the dollar. The night I got inducted into my high school Hall of Fame, I told my wife, “I’m not happy where I am in my career.” I told her that I wanted to have my own firm and she said, ”let’s draft the termination letter today.”
I walked away and I had signed a Non Compete so I had to walk away from all of those guys. I had one loyal client that said, “I signed with you, you’re my guy.” He never played a down in the NFL after that point and he said, “I’m leaving and coming with you.” Like Jerry McGuire walking out with Ron Tisdale, a receiver and goldfish – I walked out with an unproven long snapper and a pet boxer dog named Sly. I remember when I left that firm, they said that I would never make it in the industry. But my whole life people said that I was too small to play football, that I wouldn’t play Division I or play pro. I feed off of and that’s all I needed to hear and my wife was my witness and I put my head down and went to work.
I signed my first player, Bryan Braman, who won the Super Bowl last year, he kept me in business and I made a pact when I got into the business and I said I would never go to the SuperBowl unless I had a client in the Super Bowl, and the last 5 years I have had my guys every single year play in the Super Bowl. My drive to be an agent is to be the best and football lifted my soul when I would step onto the field. It brought me so much structure and joy to my family’s life and my life as well as the ability to have an education and to network with the ability to meet people and to interact. It's a special place in my heart. I have been inducted into 3 Hall of Fames which I am so proud of that as I was statistically not supposed to be here in terms of how I was raised, my size. I never let my greatest asset – my work ethic, down. That is what I stayed true to!
AM: What is your day like during the season vs off-season? For those players that you rep, how much contact to you have with the team and the league?
SS: My day to day – my mornings start off very early. I can only workout very early because my phone is always blowing up with 100s of calls and 100s of emails a day. That’s a big part of my lifestyle that I approach every day as I lift and I run. I get my mind right and I try to read a book every 2-3 weeks. I'm finishing my second book and it all comes down to time of year right? So obviously, if you have clients who won the Super Bowl, you just go balls to the walls to try to monetize and to expose them and align brands with them that are in line with their missions. In terms of post SuperBowl, when you win, you’re talking about shifting gears. So let me rewind.
In the fall, you’re talking about recruiting kids for the 2019 the following draft. You’re going to college games and evaluating films. At the same token, you’re servicing your guys with their needs and what they want. Then you have the guys that are on the street. You have to designate x amount of hours to make sure that they are employed. For the guys that are playing during the season, you have to make sure that you get them appearances for their marketing. Right when the season is over, you go into guys who are unrestricted free agents that are able to test the open market - so gauging what their value is and seeing which teams best suit their needs.
You’re constantly trying to work on your relationships with teams as that’s key. In terms of having that relationship and letting them know you have great guys and you’re not just throwing people at coaches. It’s 24/7 – 365. I don’t really call anytime that I travel a vacation because I am constantly fielding guys and am a hands on kind of guy. It’s how I believe I should run this.
AM: Is it hard for you to represent clients that are on different teams?
SS: I’ve got guys in a lot of different markets. It’s great to be able to interact with so many teams as no one usually stays with the same team – maybe Brady and a handful of others. Shuffling around is just human nature in the NFL especially with salary caps. With free agency, it’s a different landscape than what it was 20 years ago. That being said, it’s important that if you have guys on other teams where if – for contract extensions or just to broker deals – it’s new markets that are important because every market is different. My conversation with the Dallas Cowboys is different than the New England Patriots. Everyone has different core values and beliefs – obviously everyone wants to win in this league and to monetize opportunities as the league has crossed over to $15B in revenue. It’s a fine tuned machine.
AM: I’m sure you have a number of people who request to be represented by you. What process do you have in deciding whether someone will join your roster?
SS: I tell everyone that there is 1,440 minutes in a day and I have two lives, one as a sports agent with SES Sports as my infrastructure and I also have my family which is my wife and 4 kids. I try to keep that balance and sometimes I leave my self a little thin and I try to be better at that.
In terms of managing expectation. My phone is constantly ringing, when I first started I was the one seeking out guys and now I can cherry pick guys that I want to have. Obviously if you get a 1st or 2nd rounder, you don’t want to miss that opportunity. I think managing expectations, having that connection with a player who has the core values and beliefs that alignment is important. Some guys put a higher value on their skill set and it’s like having a house that you try to sell in the open market where you think it’s $2M and everyone else thinks it’s $1M – it’s going to be tougher to sell. You have to compromise, and you can’t sugarcoat it with your clients, you have to keep it real and be transparent with them and do what is in their best interest.
AM: What is a typical Sunday like for you during the season?
SS: A typical Sunday is impossible for me to be in every market. I have yet to be in every market on the same day. Last year in the Superbowl having 8 guys in the game – 5 in the Patriots and 3 on the Eagles – I mastered it that day! In terms of a typical Sunday, I try to at least see every player each year. If not I have the NFL package and thank God for cell phones! My Director of Football operations is phenomenal and he doesn’t take his eye off the ball. He’s always keeping me in the loop on things, from Social Media, research, staying current on guys and watching everybody. I take watching these guys very seriously. When I go to the Superbowl and people go as fans, it’s different, I go in as a business. I don’t change my preparation in terms of game rituals. I stick with them as a player as I do as an agent.
AM: What are those rituals?
SS: I make sure that I have the same things for breakfast every Sunday. I always say a prayer before kickoff. I kiss my crucifix. When I go to church that morning, I pray for each player individually. Sometimes I wear the same socks is he plays from one week to the next. I always have the same snack before kickoff or during the game. During the Super Bowl, I will put my phone in the cup holder and not touch anything until something happens. During the AFC championship, I was very unprepared weather wise, but when I am suited up, I always put my baseball hat on and turn it backwards and pretended I was playing Little League Baseball with a rally cap on. I didn’t move it until they won it in overtime. My wife thinks I’m crazy with my superstitions, but I don’t know. I get superstitious on certain things and whatever works – works for you right?
AM: With this last Super Bowl win, what was that like for you and what is it like that you’re a part of these guys careers?
SS: Just surreal and gratifying. I tell everybody that when you have that baby and hold it in your hands, it’s a life changing moment. When you have these players and you have such a passion for football like I do, I took them as far as I could take them and see them taking it further it just touches my heart like no other. This one was the most special win, because clients like Jonathan Jones – he led the defense in tackles, he had a sack and contributed so much to that win. Ryan Allen could have been the MVP of the game. Brandon King, he’s just an absolute beast and Obi with his story of how he ended up here.
AM: His story is incredible.
SS: With Obi, we had 4 teams to pick through and I don’t ever like to take credit, but I really pushed and stressed the fact that he needed to be a Patriot and not a Saint or a Chief. We picked the winning lottery ticket there.
This one in particular meant more because I felt like my guys contributed more to that particular win. I had bigger roles and obviously in my mind, it has increased more in the last few months. I mean last year, it was special because of Bryan – he pretty much kept me in business and kept the lights on in 2014 when I was a year into it. It’s been remarkable. You want to see all of your clients win a ring. Obi got his this year, Bryan got his last year, Trey Sullivan got one last year. This year I didn’t have any players on the opposing team. Last year I felt bad for my Patriots clients that lost, but on the same token, I felt good for Bryan. For the Falcons/Patriots Super Bowl, I had 1 client on the Falcons whose family was completely devastated and my Patriot clients pulled off the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. It’s been a blessing to be affiliated with history. The Patriots, whether you love them or hate them, are remarkable in what they do and they have done what no other franchise has been able to do in these times. You can talk about the Cowboys, Steelers and Green Bay Packers, they did not do it in a time period like this. There was no free agency, there was no salary cap. It’s a completely different animal today. What Belichik and Brady are doing – it’s remarkable. I’ve been able to grow up in this area and be able to model and build a sports agency around and learning from them – how they negotiate, how they do things at the organization to how I manage the kids’ careers.
AM: With the draft coming up, what is your role for that and what do you do?
SS: It’s to be a confidant to the players that I represent and to know that they are not going to be a guinea pig. To know that they are with someone who is not going to reinvent the wheel. Being with someone who has the relationships in the league who is going to sell them and brand them organically to make them successful in the NFL. It's a very trying long time, but at the same token it’s a lot of time and emails – the combine is a tremendous amount of leg time getting in front of people. It’s constantly selling, planning, promoting, These calls build for the combine for their pro day so they can be successful and play in this league. It’s a process that I take very seriously – you want to have all the guys that you represent drafted, but at the end of the day – you manage their expectations and you hold their hand and say, “hey, if you’re undrafted. That’s ok. Some of the greatest players that ever played this game went undrafted.” That’s sometimes your destiny and your fate.
AM: When we were on set for the photoshoot, we enjoyed hearing about a number of projects that you are working on outside of your life as a sports agent. Can you share them with our readers here at Athleisure Mag?
SS: My first book, No Backing Down, which is a human triumph story on 3 levels – my personal story, legendary coach and our team, has a forward written by Doug Flutie and it was endorsed by Bill Belichik, Evander Holyfied, Mike Ditka, Washington Post, NY Daily News and it goes on. It’s an incredible book and it’s now in it’s second edition. The screenwriter/producer of Hoosiers and Rudy will finish the script for the movie shortly as we’re in the very early stages of that, but I like my chances with such an established and well known screenwriter. If you go to SeanStellato.com you can order the book and obviously you can get it on Kindle via Amazon. I’m going to have a Draft party on April 25th that is going to be a great night if you’re in the Boston area as it will be at the Ferncroft Country Club as it will be a chance to meet with some of the Super Bowl Champions – Jonathan, Obi, Brandon and some of the college kids. It also includes a Celebrity Golf tournament that will raise money for the Junior Golf Fund. We’ll have one of th e top Sushi Chefs in the world appearing and providing phenomenal sushi and we’ll have good Italian wines. The Draft party will also reveal the title of the children’s book. I love to read and as a kid, I read a lot of books that I couldn’t relate to.
July 19th, will be the release of my children’s book which will also be a magical day! It will be held at the historical Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, MA which opened in 1925. This book is a Friday Night Lights meets Harry Potter and it is a magical football story that is mostly fiction, but there is a non-fiction component to it. It takes place in my home city which I am excited about. One of the main characters is my daughter who is suffering from psoriatic arthritis and I am looking to bring awareness to this condition. It will be an evening with some of my clients and we will celebrate a post Super Bowl party as well as to unveil the book which is going to be a magical night for everyone.
Our football camp takes place July 21st and it’s our 12th year doing this. I try to make it Disney World for a day for a young girl or boy where they can attend this non-contact camp. The day is hosted by my clients and myself and they have an amazing day with goodie bags, they get autographs and they get their jerseys signed. They compete and the winners get awarded cool swag. They leave feeling so inspired and uplifted and that they can do anything and that is the message that we try to convey. No Backing Down isn’t just a book title, it’s our motto. It’s for every man, woman and child regardless of your gender. It’s for someone with a vision, someone that maybe they have been denied and told that they can’t do that they can be relentless in the pursuit of following their dreams. That is what we convey to everyone that comes through these doors. It’s my baby and it’s one day a year which takes 6 months of preparation that we try to go all out for the kids.
AM: How many kids would you say are at this camp?
SS: We get anywhere from 100-200.
The thing about this camp is, we may not have the household marquis huge names coming. But I have blue collar guys that can relate to these kids because there aren’t a lot of kids on the planet that are going to be 6’5” and 275lbs like Gronk. Someone like Jonathan Jones who is 5’9” and 180lbs and flies like the wind or like myself, I was an underdog, but if I can do it – anyone can do it. Sometimes you just need that person to just push you along to give them that advice. They can be advised and pushed in the right direction. That’s a great day obviously!
AM: How do you take time for yourself so you have what you need to fuel others?
SS: It’s a good point. I’m a stickler on my diet and on my preparation. It’s all about those endorphins, whether I’m jogging or in a swimming pool. I get a high when I get to spend time with my kids, see my daughter to play basketball, ballet or gymnastics. Occasionally, in the summer I do try to get some downtime and I love the beach and the ocean to get a little Vitamin D. Every year I spend time to take my family down to Disney World, which is a bit more exhausting than a true vacation ha! A true joy and high for me is giving back and touching lives like going to an orphanage or a Children’s Hospital. When I was trying to make it as an agent when I was nearly out of the business, I used to pray that if I was allowed to do what I do then I would make sure to give Him the glory and honor Him every day and would help kids. I stayed true to that promise when He blessed me and anointed me with this skill set to make a difference in this industry. I go to the chiropractor 2 times a week, Dr Garrity in Naherty, MA is phenomenal and he keeps me so right. My wife is an amazing cook. I'm fortunate when I’m not on the road so much, that I get those homemade meals! I’m young enough – I want to leave a mark on the life and blessings that I have got! I’m so passionate about what I am doing. I know that I always think about my ancestors who came over from a boat from Calabria, Italy with only a couple of meals and a suitcase to come and take that and run with it. I want to preserve their legacy and that is the true joy. I’m passionate about my Italian heritage and what my family went through so that I can do what I do now.
AM: Since you travel so much, what are 3 items that you always have on you/you’re carry on that you have when you’re on the road?
SS: Great point! I have to have Jesus Calling my little meditation and prayer book that has scriptures for every day that my Mother in Law gave me. It really starts my day off right. I carry a journal with me wherever I go. My wife laughs at me, but I don’t consider myself a writer, although I have written 2 books – I never know when that next thought of book might come into my mind. I just shut down and take an hour or two to write. I’d hate to forget something that – I mean Walter Payton who I loved, used to have old school pictures of his family. So I have 16 pictures in an album in my portfolio – my wife, my kids, my dog, my parents – at the end of the day, I reflect on that when I need it. This journey isn’t all vertical and I have people that care about me, love me and support me – it’s not just for the man in the mirror. Those are the 3 and I feel like I missed something but I know it’s only three and I hope that they are ok ha!
AM: It’s what you do and it’s more than ok!
FASHION CREDITS
OBI MELIFONWU PG 16, 32, 36 | NATALIE FEDNER David Bowie Tank | G STAR Denim | FERRAGAMO Belt | YEEZY ADIDAS Sneakers | PG 18 - 23, 29, 30 +_ BACK COVER | CLAUDE RUSSELL NYC Zipped Mesh Jacket | G STAR Denim | ETHIKA Underwear | FERRAGAMO Belt | PG 38 | TED BAKER Sweatshirt | G STAR Denim | YEEZY ADIDAS Sneakers | NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS Super Bowl Champions Player's Sweatshirt |
JONATHAN JONES COVER, PG 40 - 47 | NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS SUPER BOWL Game Day Player's Jersey | PG 16, 18, 26 - 37 | TED BAKER Blazer | HANRO Tee | ALL SAINTS Jeans | OFF-WHITE Sneakers |
BRANDON KING COVER, PG 40 - 48 | NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS SUPER BOWL GAME DAY Player's Jersey | Adidas | PG 16 -33, 37 | TED BAKER Short Sleeve Woven | KINROSS Cashmere Blazer | EMBELLISHMENT Jeans | PG 34 | KINROSS Cashmere Ombre Sweater |
SERAFINA TRIBECA FOOD CREDITS
Throughout the cover shoot, we shot within Serafina Tribeca's restaurant and in addition to the New England Patriots' Super Bowl Champions and their sports agent, Sean Stellato - we also had Christian Ferrara, the General Manager of the eatery included in our shoot who also shared a few dishes that appeared in the shoot as well as suggestions on what you should try when stopping in for a bite, wine or a few cocktails:
. 18oz Ribeye
Grass fed Ribeye simply marinated in extra virgin olive oil, pepper, touch of garlic and rosemary for three days. After that, naturally grilled without adding any butter.
It comes with crispy and flavorful roasted potatoes and string beans.
. Rigatoni Bolognese
Rigatoni al dente with the finest homemade 100% beef sauce.
. Spaghetti Carbonara
As our tradition says, we only use crispy pancetta, Parmigiano Reggiano 24 months aged and Pecorino, eggs and crushed black pepper.
. Pizza al Tartufo Nero
Our secret recipe made from a bouquet of Italian cheeses, black truffle carpaccio and white truffle oil.
. Short Ribs
Slow cooked (4.5 hours) short ribs in our Chianti Riserva red wine, mixed vegetables and homemade gravy sauce Served with saffron risotto and Tuscan mushroom porcini crostini.
IG Stay in the loop with what the New England Patriots Super Bowl LIII Champions are up to: Jonathan Jones @GetItOnJones31, Brandon King @_King205, Obi Melifonwu @Obi_1nOnly, their sports agent Sean Stellato @SeanStellato and one of our favorite places to dine @SerafinaTribeca.
Read more from the Feb Issue of Athleisure Mag and see All in Together Now in mag.
PHOTO COURTESY | The RETREAT by Funkshion
Our friends over at FUNKSHION headed to Austin, TX during SXSW with their Health and Wellness Platform, The RETREAT by FUNKSHION on March 10th at the South Congress Hotel. This event included prominent fitness experts, wellness leaders, and industry shifters that hosted classes and were on panels as well as leading studio classes. This event was focused to create awareness about relevant topics related to the world of wellness.
With a day filled with an array of sessions, guests also had access to a mini-pop up shop with Essie Nail Station, Hair Braid Bar and they were able to shop Blank Label, Milk + Honey and Surterra Wellness.
“We wanted to create an inspiring and interactive event that will cover every angle of this widely-grown lifestyle, and connect the industry on both a national and regional level,” commented FUNKSHION’s Creative Director, Natalija Dedic Stojanovic. “It was a logical move to take The RETREAT to SXSW in our third year of the event. Austin’s market truly celebrates the health and wellness lifestyle like a religion. We match-made Austin founded companies like Outdoor Voices, Milk + Honey and C4 with industry tastemakers like Ron Boss, Bethany C. Meyers and Lo Bosworth (founder of Love Wellness). The result was an extraordinary success. All the panel discussions offered riveting commentary and advice on battling everything from common stigmas to eating disorders; and discovering ways to stay fit and mindful in the most difficult moments” mentioned Stojanovic.
The Retreat will continue to host its annual May event in the Miami Design District and is planning to host its first ever New York edition in mid-September.
PHOTO COURTESY | The RETREAT by Funkshion
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
This month's issue focuses on love in many forms. When we talked with music producer, rapper, composer, philanthropist and businessman Drumma Boy, it was clear that he has a love for music, fashion and the ability to bring people together. We chatted with him about how his life started infusing with diversity in music, the important role that producers play in Artist Development, his upcoming projects with Too $hort, Musiq Soulchild, his musical work with the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies, his business in Atlanta and his must hav3s that you will find in his studio if you're ever working with him.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Clearly music heritage runs in your family. What was it like to be infused with such insights and talents growing up?
DRUMMA BOY: Coming from my mom, she used to always tell me stories about plugging the record album into the speaker and playing Isaac Hayes and all of that. I was young, but from her doing that, I would have these dreams of hearing music and when you would put your hands over your ears it sounds like this beautiful sound. Like you know it’s coming from somewhere, but you don’t know where! So in real life, even right now – there is a beat swimming in my ears. There is music in my ear and I have to transfer that to actuality which is what the recording process, beat making and all of that is. And to me, that’s the writing of music.
That’s the best way that I can understand Beethoven. By losing your hearing, you can still hear. Your brain can hear. Even if I muted my ears or covered them where I couldn’t hear anything – I could still hear the music. That process transfers into writing music.
AM: What was the moment that you realized that producing was going to be the way that you worked musically?
DB: That inspiration came from my brother, Ensayne Wayne who was older than me and was recently shot and killed on Feb 10, 2018. I remember being 12 or 14 and he took me into the studio with him and he was working with Three 6 Mafia and all of these different artists through Memphis. Just going through all of these different studios was amazing. I remember that the first studio I went into, it was like I was in a spaceship. I was like, “man all of these lights!” I knew that if I could transfer the orchestral knowledge and the ability to write, compose and to arrange and to put that with this Hip Hop – I could have my own sound! That’s how I came into the game making beats.
I was motivated by Ensayne Wayne, Jazze Pha, and a lot of the legendary cats that were doing it at that time.
AM: How would you define your style?
DB: I call it a pot of gumbo, there are so many different styles of the music in it. Mama would make the best from the scraps. She had some leftover chicken, black eyed peas and whatever and cooked it down in one pot and stretched the food out. Like gumbo, my style is a little bit of blues, a little bit of country, a little splash of rhythm and blues, and you have a bit of hip hop and a pinch of orchestra. Just all of these genres of music like jazz, bluegrass, funk, oldies but goodies. I loved Isaac Hayes, operas and orchestras as well as plays and then I could run out into the street and hear Three 6 Mafia. Then I could go downtown to hear the blues like BB King. There was so much history musically that it was just destined.
AM: What artists and groups have inspired you beyond a lot of those that you have mentioned? Do you get inspiration from EDM artists?
DB: Yeah I mean, I always respected the DJ. I DJ’d parties when I was coming up and I would do things here and there. As a DJ, it’s about spreading good energy because people just want to have a good time, dance and have fun. As a DJ, when you have that repertoire and that ear for what people really want to hear you can infuse that energy. So for me David Guetta, Tiesto, Flosstradamus.
When I met Flosstradamus in Atlanta, they told me that I needed to get in on EDM and doing my first song Hulk Smash Remix which hit a million streams on Spotify – it’s a blessing to get that genuine love with independents and pushing heavy on that party side. When I first released Hulk Smash Remix, Dan Bilzerian picked up the record and put it behind one of his videos and I was like, “damn this is my first time even playing around with EDM!” It was just mad love!
AM: What’s involved in producing? How do you work with your artists to your vision and the artists’ vision come together in a true collaboration?
DB: Well when I say produce music, I mean it starts with the vibe, the music and the energy of the room. Sometimes the artist may be pacing back and forth even when the music starts playing. Then we might come and bring in more energy like singing a vibe or coming up with concepts with adding in words here or there. Throw a bar or two in there. I mean producing – I look at it like I’m in therapy. The artist may not be in the mood to do the job in a certain way. I’m telling them that we need to go about it in this way or that because that is what the record label is saying. I’m telling them that they need to do something uptempo, but they may have come out of the hood and they’re about Trap. T hey may have negativity going on in their lives, they’re frowning, frustrated, they’re on the phone arguing and I’m like, “hey put the phone down – let’s get some drinks, we might have to go to the strip club, or whatever to get your mind off of that so that we can take the good energy and go back to the studio.
So now it’s been 7 hours, but it comes down to that one moment that you can capture. As a producer, we capture moments and when that artists gets into that rhythm – we capture that. That will be the best presentation that will be the best presentation that you record and then you will study that to see that it’s a hit or a smash and as you perform, it’s a completely different ballgame when game when you do that. As a producer, we’re really about artist development, enhancement, choreography, concept, theme, messages, stories etc and really giving that dedication to a successful artist.
AM: What artists are you working with that are coming out this year that you’re really excited to work with?
DB: Right now, we’re heavily working with my label Drum Squad Records. We just signed an artist Kdogg, 17 out of Memphis. He just comes from the mud, that bottom and you can just hear his struggle in his music. We released his single on Apple Music that you can download now called No Turning Back. We’re also working with Scott King a very cool artist out of Atlanta whose voice is his message. Also go get The Pimp a Too $hort Album that I just did 2 tracks on: Ain’t My Girlfriend and Tables. There are so many different artists it’s hard to say. I just went in with Kevin Gates. We’re working on DJ Drama’s new album – there’s no telling who he will drop on a track. He might pull an artist from Toronto, another from NY and an artist from the West Coast. I just got off the phone with Jeezy, he’s working on some exclusive things so I’m definitely excited about that as well. I’m all over the place!
There are so many great songs I’m working on with songwriters, I’m working on 2-3 albums and I’m about to drop my album, My Brother’s Keeper – another rap project that gives more details into my family and how we plan to continue the legacy of my brother. It will drop on 2-23 which is Insane Wayne Day in the city of Memphis. I’m also executive producing Musiq Soulchild. When I say that it has been some of the most amazing music I have made in my life! I’m very excited about that as well!
AM: Who have you yet to work with that you would like to work with?
DB: I’d say John Legend. I’ve always wanted to work with him and I’m a real jazz and R&B hip cat. I haven’t had the opportunity to really showcase my expertise in that world. Beyonce would be another one as well. Rhianna is also in there too!
AM: We know that you work with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. How did this come about and how do you approach the projects that you create with them season to season?
DB: Man with the Memphis Grizzlies they just wanted energy and me and DJ Paul did a rap project collaboration back and forth called Clash of the Titans and we did a song called We Don’t Bluff, which is the message behind Memphis. We don’t take no shit and it was just an amazing run for the city and the people don’t understand how big the Grizzlies are for our youth in our community because there aren’t too many things to do. They took Liberty Land which is an amusement park, we don’t have any water parks, not too many community centers or things of that nature. So there’s not a lot of things to do for the youth and one of those things is to go to a Memphis Grizzlies game. So to be able to create a record like We Don’t Bluff, to sit floorside with them and it’s been a 3-4 year process – it’s been a blessing. To be able to support them and to just believe and to share that message that someone can get it done is great.
AM: We also know that you have worked with Grey Goose – how did that come about?
DB: We have a lot of chemistry and a lot of love. They reached out and wanted to show some love so although it’s not an official deal, they respect what I do and appreciate it. It’s been a relationship that continues to expand and I am open to future opportunities with them as well? It’s a great non exclusive relationship.
AM: What is the House of Fresh, what do you carry there and how did it come about?
DB: The House of Fresh – well one of my first jobs when I was 14/15 was selling shoes and they put me in the Com bat Zone which was where the cheap and ugly shoes were. Nobody wanted to buy those $9.99 shoes and the retailer put you there first because they felt if you could do well there, then you could make it to the Shoe Pit. Everybody wants to buy the Jordans and other hot shoes that are in that area.
In a week, I probably sold the most $9.99 shoes because I was good at selling in the Combat Zone. So they saw that and let me go to the Shoe Pit. Within a month, I was the number 1 sales person. You got a $500 bonus every time you came in as the #1 sales person. That incentive made me push for it. I did it by selling accessories with them. You came in for shoes, but I said let’s dress that up and I let them know about sneaker cleaners, hats, etc. When you come into the store expecting to spend $200, you leave spending $500 or $700.
That energy, I liked it and I liked making people happy. Touching people through music has always been my things, but fashion is also the other. I started selling my own clothes because people wanted what I was wearing. When you look at my pictures on Google, you’ll see me in Drumma Squad gear. My own custom, extra large waist and oversized clothes. We would have it all over and people would buy it. I used to sell it out of my trunk and one day I thought what could I do with the relationships that I had with these clothing labels? So many of the lines would send me free packages. I knew I was bigger than a sales rack and a walking billboard. I looked at how I could expand the relationship and I saw a location and said if I can get it, then that's it. House of Fresh is an actual house that is on a busy street in the middle of Midtown Atlanta with a lot of walking traffic. I called Reebok, this one and that one and they said that they would send their shoe reps in. My music relationships with Ludacris, 2 Chainz played well for love and support as well.
I’m also excited that we’re opening Pre-Game, a Bar, Grill and Lounge. It’s on 899 Martin Luther King Jr Dr SW in Atlanta. It’s right down the street from the Mercedes Benz and we plan on being open right before the Super Bowl.
AM: What are three key things that you truly believe in in terms of the success of your career?
DB: I believe in the importance of watering relationships. You get so many contacts, but it’s important to circle back from time to time to ask them how they are doing. I love to share the message of loving practice. Loving to get up every day and to practice - whatever it is that you want to do and enjoy that process. It’s the ultimate confidence builder. I also believe in having multiple revenue streams of income. I feel that these things have been instrumental in my success.
AM: Your hands are in so many pots, how do you take time for yourself?
DB: Well it’s weird. The music saves me. I’m up every morning 8/8:30am and I start out with breakfast and getting the proper nutrients, fruits and of that nature and I just think/brainstorm on what I want to accomplish for the day. I start getting phone calls and I attack the priorities. I zoom in on the top things that I have to do and I have that schedule. Usually House of Fresh, Pre-Game Lounge and everything that I have to do business wise is orchestrated between 9am - 2:30pm. By 2:30/3pm I’m all studio. I’m not so much on the phone so people can just leave a message and I’m there until 2:30/3am. I come home, I get about 3-4 hours of sleep and then repeat. It’s a dedicated process, but I find it very effective.
AM: What are must hav3s that you always have in the studio when you’re working?
DB: I would say company is one thing
that you have to confirm – ladies in particular – to know when you have a hit. It’s when they move or not period point blank. If someone says, “ooo I like this.” You know we have a hit. When you get a lot of chatter and no one is paying attention, then that just confirms that I need to go to the next beat. Another thing is candles. We’ve been supporting a brand, 1122 Candles for the simple fact that they’re natural and soy – there are no chemicals when they burn. They also have a great scent! My third thing is the fun – I have to have fun. That’s one thing I do. I’ll do something silly or just try something out for no reason and that turns out into something incredible.
AM: In Atlanta, where can we find you grabbing a cocktail/meal, working out and shopping?
DB: I work out at Heat Gym. I work out with my trainer shout out to Mr Shut Up and Train on Instagram. As far as grabbing a meal you may catch me at the STK or at Paschal’s. It’s a really well known Southern wine and dine spot. For shopping, you will find me at Phipps Plaza as I love that it’s exclusive and you can get right to the point and get out without being stopped by too many people. Every now and then I might run into Lenox Square to stop by Zara and see what they’ve got.
PHOTOS COURTESY | Drumma Boy
Read more from the Feb Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Maestro with Drumma Boy in mag.
Over at Athleisure Studio, #TRIBEGOALS dropped their latest episode! When you think of Adam Carolla, Loveline comes to mind immediately. He co-hosted this relationship focused call in show with Dr Drew Pinsky on MTV and you learned a lot of information while having levity throughout the show. He is also known for The Man Show, being a host of a number of TV and radio shows including, The Adam Carolla Project which focused on home improvement on TLC. In addition to appearing on Dancing with the Stars, The Celebrity Apprentice, his voiceover work, his own sangria line known as Mangria writing a number of books and more – his passion for cars is undeniable! Last month, we interviewed Adam at The Chicago Auto Show where he shared where his passion for cars emerged, Paul Newman, working on cars, Exotic EVs and of course his bromance with Jimmy Kimmel.
Before the holiday season, we attended an intimate dinner to toast Christopher Raeburn Global Creative Director of Timberland. We have been a fan of this designer since her collaborated with Victorinox years ago and he is constantly working with brands as well as his namesake with the vision of producing pieces that are sustainable and also speak back to its origins. We took some time to chat with him about his passion for design, the importance of sustainable fashion and more.
ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment that you knew that you wanted to be a designer?
CHRISTOPHER RAEBURN: Design has been part of my life from a very young age -- I’d say 5 or 6. My dad was very technically-minded, and he constantly challenged me and my two big brothers to think creatively. In fact, if we drew something, he would build it – anything from a treehouse to a robot. As you can imagine, it became somewhat of a competition among the brothers, but it got us all in the mindset of how things start as an idea and ultimately get made.
AM: Can you tell us about your fashion journey from where you went to school as well as other brands that you have collaborated with as we became obsessed with your designs when you collaborated with Victorinox?
CR: My journey began at Middlesex University in North London, where I earned a degree in fashion design. From there, I went on to the Royal College of Art in London, where I focused my craft on womenswear. And this really marked the the embryonic beginnings of the notion of Remade. Three years later, I showed eight pieces at London Fashion Week – all made from a single military parachute. This was before social media had really caught hold, and I decided to do something a little different by photographing pieces against lightboxes. This made a really strong visual impact, and drew quite a bit of attention in the fashion world. It ultimately earned me a British Fashion Award and GQ Man of the Year – for which I remain incredibly grateful and honored. And then, we were off to the races.
In terms of collaborations, Victorinox was one of my first and remains close to my heart. Others have included Moncler, Palladium, Umbro, Raffa, Eastpak and of course, Timberland!
AM: Tell us about your namesake collection Christopher Raeburn?
CR: The Christopher RÆBURN brand was born from a desire to create truly responsible and intelligent fashion design for a global audience. At the center is a design ethos of REMADE -- where we seek to find and repurpose surplus fabrics and garments to create distinctive and functional pieces. Alongside our REMADE pieces is a slightly broader – though still quite curated – assortment of items that reflect the two other tenets of the RÆBURN brand – REDUCED and RECYCLED.
In terms of product, our collections span menswear, womenswear, luggage and accessories.
Equally as important as the product itself is our collaborative approach to design, which comes to life in our REMADE studio in East London. We regularly invite the community into our space to truly engage them in the world of responsible design. Having this direct connection with the local community is a big part of what energizes me to keep innovating.
AM: What is your fashion aesthetic and what inspires you when you design?
CR: Functionality, authenticity, longevity are all words that jump to mind. It’s an archeology of sorts, but through a modern lens. I have a real passion for the past… for how things began, but also how they’ve evolved. And my designs reflect that… they’re original yet contemporary at the same time.
AM: We love your position on sustainability and reusing materials. Has this always been a cornerstone of your brand and why is this so important to you?
CR: Yes, responsible design has been part of my ethos since my earliest days at the Royal College of Art and my first shows at London Fashion Week. In some ways it was a happy accident – for those earliest looks, I simply fell in love with the surplus military materials. I bought yards and yards of fabric and got to work. The rest is history.
In terms of why it’s important to me now, you only need to read the news to know that we need to be more thoughtful -- as a global community – about what we’re making and what we’re consuming. We only have so many resources on this planet, and if can be part of the solution by putting responsible design at the center of my brand, then I’m proud to do just that.
AM: As the first Global Creative Director of Timberland, how did this come about and what is it about the brand that made you want to work with them?
CR: Our partnership has, in a way, been a long time in the making. Back when I was at the Royal College of Art, Timberland introduced its now famous Earthkeepers boot. It immediately caught my attention as something fresh and new and responsible, and I’ve had my eye on them ever since. More recently, I was doing some work with Timberland’s sister brand Eastpak, and we decided to take a meeting. And so our story began. We introduced our first collaboration capsule in Fall 2018, and shortly thereafter I took on the role of global creative director for the Timberland brand.
My design philosophy revolves around responsible design, which is right in line with Timberland’s commitment to make products responsibly and steadily increase its use of recycled, organic and renewable materials over time. Timberland also has a long heritage of about craftsmanship and utility – again, a good match for my own design sensibility.
As Timberland looks to the future, they intend to build the brand through the lens of elevated design, and a Creative Vision that harnesses the power of nature and the energy of fashion. Together, I think we can really push the boundaries of where Timberland can go as a brand. I’m incredibly excited to be part of bringing this vision to life.
AM: We know that there are portions of the collection out that you designed for the brand, but what is the timeline in terms of menswear and womenswear that we will see your mark on the brand?
CR: In FW 2018, we introduced our first Timberland x Christopher RÆBURNcapsule collection of apparel. For FW 2019, we will expand our collaboration to include footwear and bags, in addition to apparel.
In terms of the core Timberland brand, the first full collection designed under my leadership will be FW 2020. The process is well underway and we’re all incredibly excited about the direction thus far!
AM: At the dinner, we were able to see a number of stuffed animals from the large squirrel that greeted us, the mid-sized stuffed animals and even the leather little animals - can you tell us more about how these accessories became a part of your brand?
CR: I think it’s important to be a little playful sometimes, and not take ourselves too seriously. And that’s exactly what these animals stand for. But they’re also practical, and right in line with our commitment to reduce waste, as they’re all made from surplus materials.
These mascots have really grown to be part of our DNA, and something I’ve personally come to love. We give them to our partner stores as a thank you; we gift them to community members who participate in our workshops (and donate all workshop proceeds to the Worldwide Fund for Nature); and we place the inflatables in shop windows as a whimsical, yet meaningful attraction -- even the giant inflatables are made of surplus material.
It’s a funny coincidence that Timberland had already been doing the little leather animals on their own for years, using scrap leather from boots. So we’re again aligned on the notion of re-purposing materials, but this time in a fun and engaging way.
AM: How do you make time for yourself in the midst of all of the projects that you are a part?
CR: Haha who says I do?! In all seriousness, as I get older, I’m getting more disciplined and better about setting parameters. It also helps that I now have my brother Graeme on board, and a strong team surrounding us to free up some of my head space.
What’s also interesting is that I’m finding I’m in this unique and wonderful position where my personal passions and my work life are in balance. They don’t conflict but instead fuel and feed off each other. I’m definitely finding this in my work with Timberland. I’ll be totally energized working on a Timberland project for a few days; then I bring that energy back with me to the RÆBURN studio. And vice versa. And at every turn I am learning something new, which for me is a huge inspiration and motivator. So right now, there’s so much going on, but it’s an amazing experience.
AM: Tell us where you are based and where we can find you grabbing a drink/meal, working out and shopping?
CR: Our REMADE Lab is in the heart of East London, but I live in South London, in East Dulwich. I love the energy of East London, but I equally cherish my quieter time in Dulwich, where you’ll find some of the oldest woodlands, parks, and footpaths in the city. I grew up in the country, so this is where I feel most at home, and truly find my inspiration for the great outdoors – naturally, I prefer running outdoors whenever I can. South London is also home to my favorite museum, the Horniman Museum which is packed full of curiosities and well worth a visit.
In terms of shopping, I’m quite excited about the new retail venture, the Coal Drops Yard, which opened in late 2018. It’s an amazing development based in an area with real history, where trains used to bring coal from around the country to Kings Cross, North London, before the coal was dropped into canal boats to be transported to feed the cities’ industry. The whole area has been sympathetically restored and hosts some incredible independent stores.
AM: Who are 3 people that have been sources of inspiration for you in monumental areas of your life?
CR: Well, I've already credited my father but I’ve also been fortunate to have two older brothers who have been amazing pathfinders through life. Graeme, my (middle) older brother also went to the Royal College of Art and recently left Rapha (where he was lead designer) and now we’re working together at RÆBURN.
For other inspirations I look a little further afield and have always been inspired by the natural historian David Attenborough, who has done such an incredible job of highlighting the plight of nature to a global audience.
Finally, (and this is cheating a little), I’d recommend the BBC show “Desert Island Disks” as inspiration – different guests are interviewed each week and they select their favourite music, whilst essentially talking through their life learnings, and I always glean some great insights!
AM: With the end of the year behind us, what have been the good things have happened that you're really excited about, what are things that you thought that would take place in 2018 that you are moving into 2019 to accomplish, and what are things that are coming out in 2019 that you can share with us that we should keep an eye out for?
CR: Wow, that’s a good question – the truth is that there’s so much upcoming for both Timberland and RÆBURN it would be tricky to write everything down; what I can guarantee is we’ll be acting with real purpose, making great, meaningful products and really working to push ourselves and the industry to make things better…
PHOTOS COURTESY | Christopher Raeburn, left Christopher is standing next to Timberland's Global Brand President, Jim Pisani.
Read more from the Feb Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Sustainable by Design with Christopher Raeburn in mag.
If you're out in Venice, California we highly suggest checking out Karen Lord Pilates Movement. Its founder, Karen Lord comes from a fashion and art background and created this studio and method to connect the endless benefits of classical Pilates while delivering it in a contemporary and mindful package that offers a true connection to each person that walks through the door.
After her successes in New York, Karen wanted to expand to Los Angeles. This version of her studio started as a pop-up this past July, and they quickly saw a nice client base expanding quickly. Between people from New York who were excited to come in, or people who heard about Karen and her online videos, it started growing quickly.
When working out at their Abbot Kinney location, you will find a contemporary studio rooted in classical Pilates. In the studio, guests can enjoy 10 reformers in the space. Each trainer has their own style and many of the classes are designed to highlight that trainer's special approach to Pilates, but with the commonality that they are all guided by the unique approach of Karen Lord Pilates Movement. You'll experience the individualized attention from highly knowledgeable and truly loving trainers, but will be kept safe and guided throughout the entire experience. This studio is known for their individualized attention and focus in a well designed, clean and fashionable studio. In addition, this studio trains to the client's body and not the other way around.
In addition to group classes, private ones are also available each day. Clients can be matched with their ideal trainer depending upon their desires and needs.
Guests can enjoy changing rooms and bathrooms; however, showers are not available. Merchandise and apparel are for sale in the Love Shop- a well-curated collection of KLPM's favorite products and accessories.
In addition to this studio, Karen will be the headline Pilates instructor for Wanderlust this year in Squaw Valley as well as Seattle. There are a number of collaborations with local and national brands that will be coming up. Whether you can attend the studio or not, Karen Lord Pilates Movement will be releasing videos online in the next month so anyone worldwide can train with Karen.
KAREN LORD PILATES MOVEMENT
1729 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
Read more from the Feb Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | Karen Lord Pilates Movement in mag.
THE DROP OUT
ABC Radio
Spotify
When Elizabeth Holmes was charged by the SEC for defrauding investors, blood testing startup, Theranos shut down. These actions took place due to Wall Street Journal's John Carreyrou who began peeling back a number of questions people had about this company. Many questioned how Theranos went about its business, how it marketed itself especially with a method of obtaining blood, that technically would be a game-changer never actually worked or was used by them!
Over the next few weeks and months, you will see various media outlets telling this story, but ABC Radio's podcast which is hosted by chief business, economics and technology correspondent Rebecca Jarvis walks us through a number of people who worked with Elizabeth in this six-part series that took three years of invesigation! You'll hear various depositions that were obtained by the network, interviews from her family and more.
Throughout the podcast, you hear about how she created the company, how she crafted her message, how she was able to raise staggering amounts of money to fund her company from major investors as well as how she garnered accounts for her blood testing machines into Walgreens and ultimately, how everything started to crumble due to a fractured culture and secrecy that plagued the company.
CONVERSATIONS WITH A KILLER: TED BUNDY TAPES
Netflix
In the True Crime world, many are going back to some of the biggest cases to find out more information on those who created horrific crimes. Currently on Netflix, they are focused on Ted Bundy, who sexually assaulted and murdered at least 39 women in multiple states in the 1970's. It wasn't until days before his execution in 1989 that he actually confessed in detail to his crimes.
In this documentary, never before heard interviews are released as well as archive footage within this four part series.
ATHLEISURE KITCHEN
Athleisure Studio
Apple Podcast
From the creators of Athleisure Mag, we're pleased to share another show from Athleisure Studio.
We all have our favorite dishes and places to eat. Many of us enjoy cooking and are consistently evolving by learning from cookbooks and our favorite culinary shows. In Athleisure Kitchen, we delve into cooking with your favorite chefs, restaurateurs, General Managers, food personalities, brands, and more to find out their journey to food, their unique approach to creating their culinary world and how they have extended it and themselves as cherished by the world.
You can listen to the launch of our first episode with Season 14 winner of BRAVO's Top Chef, Chef Brooke Williamson who is the owner of Playa Provisions, The Tripel, Triplikit, Small Batch Icr Cream, Hudson House, Da KikoKiko is influenced by her love of seasonality and locality.
Read more from the Feb Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Streaming in mag.
