9LIST STORI3S | NGHTMRE

Read the August Issue of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S | NGHTMRE in mag.

WILL SERENA WILLIAMS LIFT INTO THE AIR ANOTHER GRAND SLAM TROPHY?

We certainly hope so and the fact that she’s made four finals in the last seven suggests her answer to that question is “yes.” But the goal to tie Margaret Court’s Grand Slam record of 24 wins, as of late, to be elusive for the Greatest Of All Time.

And many sports commentators and tennis pundits are beginning to express doubts she’ll break the record. In the same breath, though, they also say that whether she does or doesn’t tie Court, she is still the GOAT.

Williams and grand slam tennis have long been a strong staple for bettors. Make sure to check Bookmaker review to see if this particular sportsbook is good for you, and place some action in the next big tournament of the G.O.A.T.

Williams’ latest attempt to win No. 24 was thwarted at the U.S. Open by 19-year-old Canadian Bianca Andreescu (3-6, 5-7). Oh, Canada!

For Williams, who has been stuck on 23 Grand Slam wins since January 2017, it was her fourth loss in a row in a grand slam tournament final.

The other three were 2019 Wimbledon to Simona Halep (2-6, 2-6); 2018 U.S. Open to Naomi Osaka (2-6, 4-6); and 2018 Wimbledon to Angelique Kerber (3-6, 3-6).

Two years after the birth of her and husband Alexis Ohanian’s daughter Alexis Olympia, which was followed by multiple complications, Williams is reaching the pinnacle of grand slam tournaments – she just hasn’t been able to slam the door on the grand slam goal.

Williams hasn’t made excuses but has been honest that coming back after the C-section birth, the blood clots, a pulmonary embolism, surgery to repair her C-section incision and a hematoma, hasn’t been easy. These complications, which put her in bed for more than six weeks, could have killed her.

That’s a lot of stress on anyone, even as a pillar of power that Williams effectively shows repeatedly on the court.

When she lost to Kerber in the 2018 Wimbledon finals, 10 months after giving birth, she emotionally told the crowd: “To all the moms out there, I was playing for you today. And I tried.”

Her return to tennis has been fraught with controversy and open frustration. Among them, her compression catsuit that helped with blood clots that have since been banned at the French Open.

Add to that Williams’ vocal dispute with the ref who gave her three code violations at the 2018 U.S. Open which unfortunately overshadowed Osaka’s historic victory in the final.

With every finals’ loss, whispers have turned to open talk about the record possibly being out of reach for Williams:

●      “(This is) probably the first time I've had a question mark in my mind" about Williams getting to 24 Grand Slam wins. – David Law, co-host of The Tennis Podcast

●      “I can’t imagine her playing past next year,” seven-time grand slam winner John McEnroe said after the U.S. Open loss.

●      Bryan Armen Graham, a columnist for the Guardian wrote that “Serena is not going to break this record.”

Williams has said nothing about retirement but did discuss her frustration about her play in the U.S. Open final calling it “inexcusable.” She also praised Andreescu and said, “She deserved this championship.”

It was obvious another grand slam loss was weighing on her. "I'm not necessarily chasing a record. I'm just trying to win Grand Slams," she told reporters.

She recognized her failings and knows she still has a way to go and vows to continue the fight.

"I believe I could have played better. I believe I could have done more. I believe I could have just been more Serena today," she said. "I honestly don't think Serena showed up. I have to kind of figure out how to get her to show up in Grand Slam finals.

"All of it honestly, truly is super frustrating," she said "I'm so close, so close, so close, yet so far away.

"I don't know what to say. I guess I got to keep going if I want to be a professional tennis player. And I just got to just keep fighting through it."

SUBCONSCIOUSLY SPEAKING WITH KIMBERLY FRIEDMUTTER

At Athleisure Mag, we've always been about the integration of mind x body x soul . We headed to the Ritz Carlton here in NYC to talk with Kimberly Friedmutter about her new book Subconscious Power: Use Your Inner Mind to Create the Life You've Always Wanted as well as her work as a Celebrity Hypnotherapist, the purpose and power of the subconscious, and how we can optimize these tools through all aspects of our lives.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So those that are not familiar with hypnotism, can you tell us what it is and what it entails?

KIMBERLY FRIEDMUTTER: Hypnosis is really a state of relaxation and a deep state at times. I’ve literally had clients snoring and drooling and I have had others that have stared back at me, but they are relaxed. It’s just different levels – just to explain that. So when people say what is trance and is it putting me in positions and a place that I don’t want to do – like when people see it in terms of being used for entertainment or in the movies with a swinging watch – that’s not what it is.

It’s a natural state of being for example, when you first wake up and you have that floaty feeling, that’s trance. When you’re just getting ready to drift off to sleep and you’re not really conscious, but not really unconscious, that’s trance. It’s basically setting the conscious thought aside, so that you’re more suggestable and more open to other things. Now this is also why people abuse drugs, they like that feeling and when you can do that naturally, it’s wonderful and you don’t have to use substances to get there as it is this beautiful natural state that we possess. Think of it in terms of when you’re watching a film and you know that the actors are the actors, but you shed a tear anyway. You’re emotionally caught up in it, they have entranced you. Or it’s like when you’re at a concert and everyone is waving their hands in sync with their phones on flame and your favorite entertainer hits the high note and everyone is in this moment of a euphoric feeling. You’re so relaxed that you feel like you’re having this out of body experience.

AM: Wow, sometimes we have taken a yoga/meditation class and when you are coming back from the meditation part, you sometimes do feel a little floaty and outside of yourself.

KF: Right and you are in a trance in meditation. Now the difference between meditation and hypnosis is simply that meditation is the zoning in on thought or in on non-thought. For example, “think of the breath, don’t think thoughts.” Whereas, trance is let it all come and zone out. So the zoning out is likening it to day dreaming. When you daydream, you’re not monitoring day dreams. You’re just letting it flow and that flow is trance as opposed to meditation where you’re linearly guiding something through to happen or not happen.

AM: How did you begin working in this field and how did you educate yourself on it?

KF: I would like to say that education really formed this structure where I sit. But really it’s the clients who really gave me the breadth of knowledge – getting in there and really exploring. I had a radio talk show in LA on KLSX 97.1 FM and it was the only FM talk station at the time. It was considered the Howard Stern Station at the time as that is where he was projecting from at the time. This was simply continuing education for the radio show and previous to that, I had been hypnotized for a lot of times for stage fright.

AM: Wow

KF: I know! I wanted to shrink in instead of shrink out! I didn’t want that to be an issue so I was a product of hypnosis and I thought, “wow is that all there really is too it?” In our society, we are taught “no pain, no gain”, “no guts, no glory” and it’s absolutely not the truth. So I thought, let’s see what happens and now you can’t shut me up – I’m all over the place! Clearly, I’m healed!

AM: So it had long term effects!

KF: Oh yeah, it can be the only thing you ever want to do if you want it to be. I happen to take direction well which is also why some people ask why I focus on high performing professionals and individuals that have really made a name for themselves in the world. The reason is exactly that – they will do it and they take direction well. They look for information from others and are not arguing their position or limitation which is very important.

AM: Is it hard for a Type A person to release their control to do that?

KF: No because Type A’s are Seekers, Searchers, Learners. Type A’s are out their for the game and out their to win it. They’re out there to succeed.

AM: Right a very – by any means necessary thought.

KF: Well when you say it that way, it comes off as it’s something that’s surgical and invasive and it’s not. It’s 100% organic, 100% natural and 100% sustainable. You are literally able to keep it private because it’s in your mind and you don’t have to telescope it out. The thing is we all have that search for inner peace and inner happiness and we all deeply know what that takes to get there. We have the answers – we really do. Hypnosis just gives you that little prod and permission that it’s ok to release those things and feel those things.

My husband was hypnotized for 20 minutes and he’s an architect – everything is very linear with him and it's all about facts.

Everything is very structured, planned and conscious this comes from your conscious. The subconscious is touchy feely and is all about your emotions. So he was hypnotized for 20 mins and he lost 60lbs. Now that’s that kind of character because he’s a Seeker, Searcher, Learner person that’s Type A and an architect.

My book is listed in the top 10 of what every lawyer should read. It’s the Top 25 books that America’s leading CEO’s are reading. So it does have this very interesting crossover with men in business. It’s a great gift for men and a great gift for boys coming up to learn – particularly the Get to Give chapter – I’m happy to point out. It’s not a gender specific book and there are very good principles in each chapter to read. I like to stress that because men really do get it and it does provide transformative changes in them too. Women like to corner intuition because we say, “women’s intuition” that we’re so smart and we use our gut, but the truth is that we all have that machinery and we all have that mechanism. It’s a beautiful thing and we do want to have our partner, your brother, our uncle to rise up to this. When we’re all going the same speed on the freeway, we can all do the same things and not be hampered by the one that doesn’t.

AM: So you were talking about how people can use this for weight loss –

KF: Yes and for sleep issues, anxiety and depression. Here’s the thing about hypnosis and trance is that it doesn’t have to be just for a problem. We’ve freed it and loosened it from it’s chains of being attached to a problem. It can also be out amplifying things that you do well to be better. So athletic performance for example. Performance such as something that I am doing with CNBC for entrepreneurs and CEOs which is also for performance-based things that you want to enhance or amplify.

AM: Hearing this now gives me an interesting perspective on what you do. Coming in, we were thinking of it from that 1800s parlor trick but learning that it’s a tool that can be used to optimize and oxygenate what you’re looking to enhance is really interesting.

KF: I love how you said that the 2 “O” words. This is what I say, if I brought in this fine piece of machinery and I sat it down in front of us and said here’s the plug, the machine and the manual – you’re going to take the book and to read how to use it. You have it and I’m not selling you the thing – you have it. You can’t get a surgery to get it, I can’t take it, you have what you have and you can’t get rid of it. So it’s about plugging in your mechanism and using your resources. The thing is, we’re all interested in ourselves and we all want an easy, happy life. How do we get there? So so simple. We have the mechanism and the ability to do it – it’s the use of it that we don’t know. All of our finest technology and software and beautiful things – nothing comes close to the mind. You take it with you, it’s packaged, it’s compact, it weighs 3lbs, it’s 4x4 and off you go. You don’t have to pack it – you won’t forget it. Science will say that you have it from the point on conception to the time you transition – some believe that it will just go on. That’s what I have the Soul/Spiritual section in here about Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson. You’ll see that I have terrific blurbs from Jennifer Hudson and Martha Stewart, Michael Beckwith (he actually married me to the architect because he was a pastor because I was an agape taker) – so I had a lot of Hollywood support for this. They get it and they’re so creative. They’re interesting and they have big lives and a lot of times, big problems and no different from the rest of us as we have the same issues, we’re just watching them because the focus is on the high performing individual.

So the whole thing is just so simple to use. Like finding lost items around the house – who wants that – in the home or in the office. Even in an email. I was trying to find it before I was talking with you and I said to my husband that I couldn’t find it and he was asking me if it was there and I said, “I can’t find it in this state.” He’s thinking that I couldn’t find it in my phone or in my device. I knew that in the state I was in I couldn’t find it and even a device will fritz out when you’re in that state with all that frantic energy – it doesn’t jive when you’re like that. You need to adjust yourself or to stop looking. I calmed myself down and then I was able to find it. I needed to find it in the state of the love of it and not the problem of it. It’s about the find of it and not the loss of it. The truth is, it’s not lost – it’s in there.

AM: Ooo that’s interesting that you say that. Our Co-Founder, when he gets in that frazzled state, nothing will turn on in terms of electronics. So we have to either move our technology out of the room –

KF: Or him.

AM: Or him and we just say, calm down to get everything settled again. The joke is that he’s like a Marvel character or superhero. So there must be some kind of kinetic thing going on there.

KF: Oh it’s energy. So here’s what happens. Anything that works on energy, works on energy. Anything that works on energy, fries out when it’s too much. We had an interesting and scary incident where a camera would have caught this and the camera did not catch it. It’s a wireless system and the camera caught our dog groomer that was going inside and outside of the house and you could see the dog as well, but it didn’t catch the event. I didn’t bring my phone and I didn’t worry about it because I knew the camera was catching the whole thing. What did I come to find out? It didn’t. So that gives great pause to energy. It’s about keeping it cool and it shows you that life won’t work with that kind of energy.

Again, to make your life easy like finding great parking spaces, when you meet with someone getting to know if they are good for you in the short/long term that you meet them – think of the time savings alone and what you have access to. We have a far-reaching ability to ascertain this information and impressions to get access to that even a blind person can do it.

The conscious mind thinks that way you are instructing it to do; however, the subconscious is doing the imagery and the big picture portion of what is going on. When we’re children, we’re very tapped into our subconscious and we also tend to sit within our primal state as well – sometimes kids bite other kids and they haven’t learned that they can’t do that. In the book, I talk about that as we get older, we learn and educate ourselves outside of the subconscious, so when we go to work and someone annoys us, we don’t bite our colleagues in the elevator.

AM: So what made you create this book?

KF: I was approached by a woman at Harper Collins. She asked if I would do this as she had seen me online and head learned about my practice. I said absolutely and in getting the group together and figuring out the structure of the book, it took me about a year to take my practice and to see what was digestible and what could be chewed on. By the time I handed in my proposal to her, she had left Harper Collins. The agent thought that it was interesting and agreed to put it on the market to see what it could do. Simon & Schuster wanted it and Atria Books was the publishing/imprinting house that did The Secret. The beauty about The Secret was that there was a feeling that yes we could emit this desire to get whatever it is that we desire. Part in part is where my gift comes from but the real question is where is this being emitted from? It’s coming from your mind and no one debates that. It’s very well studied and science is all over that and the subconscious mind and has been forever as you had mentioned with the hypnosis.

The reality is that if you're stuck and have an addiction to food, shopping or even an addiction to someone, there is an exercise in the book called the Saver/Sever where if you have this over attachment to a person, place or thing you can literally call it before you and you can detach from that thing so that you’re no longer this prisoner of that attachment. Some people when I ask them to see that Energetic Core, some people see this beautiful wisps of energy and some people see chains or rope – true bondage to that thing. Cyber Stalking is one of those things where you just can’t not do it sometimes. Those are the perfect candidates for those exercises. Those are some of the little hacks and one of the things that I’m very proud of with the book is that you don’t need a pen and paper and I wanted to make it super easy because we don’t have a lot of time and I call them Shelf Help books. Because you feel a lot better because you bought it and you’re like, “ok healed and you put it on the shelf.” But the reality is, I want you to have that manual for your machinery – you already have it, but this is just the how to guide on how to manage it. The reality is, we want to do things with our lives that makes things easier for us. Knowing and getting those impulses – you think of a friend and they give you a call. Or you get an email from that person or you give a call to someone and they say, “oh you were on my mind this morning.” All that is energy and that is the place that we’re talking about with this. Your consciousness is your task maker and your calendar keeper for the day. The subconscious is your inner child the part that you haven’t unlearned yet. The unlearning process is what makes us cranky, crass, disappointed, depressed and anxious. There is a chapter in the book called Tonkas and Tutus and it’s about putting that Tutu back on because that’s where it belongs and I do that as a gift of action. You realize that we are meant to be these beautiful, shining and magnificent creatures of light – you realize that you have that inner self that is clawing to get out and wants that light to be turned on.

AM: Do you envision doing another book?

KF: Yes we’re already working on it now. The first book that you drop, as I’m a first-time author – is your cornerstone. It’s the base information and from there, we fly – we fly.

PHOTO COURTESY | Dreamstime/Helgardas

AM: So what are the 6 principles that ignite the conscious mind and can you walk us through that?

KF: Sure. The first one is Coming into Accountability and that’s the first step, I think of everything that is meaningful. We need to know where we are – even on maps, it says location. So the first principle is really about your location and so I want you to be able to look at yourself holistically and for real – warts and all we say. The reality is that we can’t do the work until we know what it is. I don’t even like calling it work because it feels so effortless. The second principle is Tapping into Your Subconscious which is obvious and a lot of people don't understand how powerful it is and how much of it that you have. I'm here to tell you that you you’re right. When you think of Aunt Sue and she calls you – you have to see consciously that you are right to understand the power of your subconscious. The third principle is Do You Move Toward or Away? Now I like this one a lot because it is about orientation. You have coming into accountability, your tapping into your subconscious – where is your orientation? So going back to maps again, you would orient towards the direction that you want to go. You do not plug into maps that you want to go away from where you just were. So when it says, where are you heading to, you don’t say I’m headed away from Point A, you say, I am going to Point B so when you’re constantly l ooking at your life in retrospect, and you see that you have been flinging yourself away from circumstances, chances are you’re flinging into something of the unknown which is ok. But if you’re not happy where you are, that very well could be the reason why as opposed to focusing on where you want to go. Orientation of self is hugely important. The next one is, and this is sticky, and they throw their hands up - It’s Judge Thy Neighbor as Thyself. The point of this that we have let our judgement go by the wayside just like we don’t bite our girlfriend when she makes us mad. In this, I say that you must use ecology of judgment for yourself. Once you talk to someone who is unhappy, once you explore a bit of someone’s chronic unhappiness they will say that they used this mistake in judgement and that mistake. Look at Judge Judy. I talk a lot about her in the book. Not only is she magnificent, but the show itself garners so much attention, and why, because the show shows us did you use the best judgment for your ecology, your survival, your success, etc – that’s all she wants to show. Did you use good judgement and those judgements that she calls simply comes down to who used good judgement and who didn’t. Sometimes the thing that happened the person didn't have something unlawful, but they didn’t use good judgement and she fines them anyway. So she’s going to teach you out of your own issue. So judgement is super important and I show you how to do that and I show you how to judge energetically. When you meet someone are they good for me in the midterm, short term and long term? Also a judgement about privacy. Let’s be a bit particular about the who, what, when, where and why please. It’s helpful about that beautiful 8 year old person that’s inside of you. If you had a physical 8 year old next to you, would you look at the things that you look at, would you listen to the things that you listen to, hang out with the people that you would hang out with, go to the places that you go to – I think not. We really think that we’re big stuff, but we’re just that beautiful 8 year old creature inside and we need to use the ecology of judgement for him/her. The next one that people love is Give to Get. This is that energetic cycle, that loop. So if I hold both of your hands, you and I form a loop and energy is running through your body back to my body – if we let go and you stretch your arm out, it doesn’t have any place to go to generate or to recirculate. So if you give to me and I’m not giving back, then you’re not getting back anything and vice versa. Even the tomato plant does this. It grows, it falls off the vine and dies and it becomes fertilizer for the next new plant. Giving and getting is a universal law. Women are the worst at getting because they don’t want to say it and they just continue to give to such a point that it takes us into the next chapter which is Drought. When a women is in drought, I ask what kind of a giver/getter are you? Are you getting and giving? Sometimes the people who don’t get or the least to give – there has to be a flow of energy that flows in and flows out. I read something the other day that there was a popular phrase that said “cash is king” and now it's "cashflow is king" because anything that flows is king. Flow keeps us going. If I get, I distribute that to you, if you get then you distribute to me. It’s this movement that we’re in and once again, it’s this universal law that we’re in. I didn’t make it up, I just recognize it as a law of happiness.

When people ask, I am married to a very generous husband, an architect and what is great about that is that he understands flow. People ask, how did I get what I got and I say, I asked, I made it known. He’s not a psychic. The last principle is Play Big. You deserve to get and you deserve to give. The idea of playing big is not posturing and puffing it’s show up for me and show up for you. The reality is that we all need each other. We’re in a time of social collective consciousness which is fine, but then we must rise from it. In that it’s go for your dreams. Playing big honors that creative thing that you want to do regardless of whether you’re coming from a field like being an attorney and realizing that you want to become a writer. Just because you started out one way doesn’t mean that you have to stay that way and not become what you are meant to do. So show up for that thing that you’re meant to do and then get on with it. When you get to that chapter and that final principle – then you’re ready because the other clutter is gone.

AM: What is your day to day like?

KF: Well, I’m basically a home type body, but I travel a lot so I make it home wherever I go. The traveling is a lot of fun so I try to do zones. When I’m on the East Coast, I reach out and contact to as many people as I want to book or to group it all in. We do it in Europe as well. I like to be accessible and I don’t like to say no. I’d rather say yes and then figure out how to make it work out. The other side especially with Brad and his business is that we clump things together. So the minute that I have go time over here, then he will book his things and that's how we do it. He has offices all over the world. It makes it easy to do that. There’s a few emergencies here and there, but now with FaceTime and Google – I can literally do that all day long. When you have your clients, seeing things is great because you have all of those micromovements. I’m an expert at determining what is going on. I use the term diagnose loosely – not as a medical diagnosis. It’s easy for me to see the issues as it rises up off the page so prominently that that’s my super power – the ability to see what’s going on and to be able to get it at the cellular level. Many times, I am able to just think it to get there and I like getting the confirmation.

AM: I know you’re based in LA and in Las Vegas. Where can we find you grabbing a meal/drink, working out and shopping?

KF: In Las Vegas, it would probably be Cipriani (Wynn) or more likely home. Because home – I’m a homebody. Any philanthropic event we’d probably be at. So when people say, do you go out on the strip – yes for charity events and probably only for that. If we’re having dinner or things like that, it’s probably at home. We eat super clean and I cook a lot. It’s super simple to cook like that and I do pride myself that I went to chef school when I was modeling in Europe – a night school for that. I did that because I wasn’t the clubby type to go out to meet people. In LA, we like the Waldorf Astoria. We’re at The Ivy on Robertson all the time – we love it there. Malibu of course is great and we love Nobu, I used to live there before I met Brad.

When it comes to shopping, I love Norma Kamali here in NY I was just there and was so excited. So Norma walked in and we had our little visit and it was so great and now she’s holding the book. She has a new skincare line that’s out, it’s cleanser, scrub, tanner and moisturizer. Can I just say that the moisturizer is made out of olive oil and lime and not the fruit – the mineral kind. Never have I felt something so emollient so I’m going to order that for sure as I was running in. The smell, fragrance and feel was extraordinary. Shopping there is my favorite thing.

I work out a few hours a day. I do True Fusion which is a pilates/yoga hybrid. The gal who teaches it and does it with me – we have a neighborhood group of ladies that do it. I also do heavy weight training which is a surprise to most. I like it because it really does keep me feeling in survival mode. It’s a gentleman that does it who is a body builder type. I like to be a strong girl a strong female. When we work out like that – it makes everything like blow drying your hair and going to the potty a challenge – where your muscles touch anything. It’s a great feeling. In the morning my husband and I we both walk around a 3 mile loop with our 20lb weights on – we walk it fast – it can be a 3 hour thing. Mind/Body is important. My husband’s trajectory of his day changes when he does it in the morning. Connecting with nature is something that your body and mind needs. We start early in the morning because if we didn’t we wouldn’t get it in.

I have a lot of weight loss clients right now and it’s not because it’s summer it’s because we’re fat to the point that we are upset with ourselves. A client will say, I’m stressed – I eat, I travel – I eat, I have a child – I eat, I have a job – I eat, I’m out of money – I eat. So every reason comes down to, I eat, I eat, I eat and it’s not that. That’s all the more reason that we have to be ready, be the warrior, having to be fit. You have to say, I’m going after this with everything that I have and that mind/body connection is that. I’m a big believer that you can’t work off an unhealthy diet. You’ll hear me say that the kitchen is the gym. You can eat to a good body or eat to a bad body.

IG @KimFriedmutter

PHOTO CREDITS | Kimberly Friedmutter

PHOTO COURTESY | Dreamstime/Jacques Kloppers

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

Read the August Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Subconsciously Speaking with Kimberly Friedmutter in mag.

GYMBAG ESSENTIALS FOR THE ATHLETIC GIRL

Whether you are a seasoned gym bunny, a novice walker or you prefer the comfort of your yoga mat in the ease of your own apartment, there are a few essentials you should have with you to make your personal workout session all the more inviting. Once you have established what is needed in your gym bag, your journey to a healthier lifestyle isn’t just better, its more exciting. This is what we recommend for both young and seasoned women to carry with them for the workout of a lifetime.

The Pre-Application

You may not realize it, but if you are a novice at the gym or a regular, keeping yourself preoccupied is essential in terms of distraction. Find something to distract you when you are on the treadmill, walking around a few blocks or cycling at home on your exercise bike. Need an example? Register and place at bet at novibet.co.uk for the perfect distraction, otherwise, try responding to all those work emails. Really anything to get your mind off of how many steps you are on.

Earphones

As mentioned above, earphones would be a handy piece of equipment. Music has the ability to amplify your workout. Endurance is stretched out and your energy levels are boosted when you are listening to feel good music, whatever that may be for you. So just before you pack your earphones in, make sure you have music compatible application to sync with your wireless earphones.  

Sweat Towel

This is an essential, an absolute MUST for at home, at the gym or when you are out and about. If you are out and about, leave a spare sweat towel in your car otherwise, leave it in your gym bag. Why? At gym, you’ll need it to wipe down equipment while when you return to your car, your workout will leave you drenched and the last thing you want is to block your pores, break out in heat pimples or wreak of sweat. Use your sweat towel to avoid all of the above.

Gym Gloves

This is something you’ll only need if you are lifting weights. Avoid blisters and even germs by investing in a pair of gloves which also aids in gripping metal bars.

Water Bottle

Need we say more? You need to ensure that you stay hydrated and avoid any health complications by remaining hydrated and keeping an extra water bottle in your gym bag. On the same topic, always carry some small cash on you should you need to purchase a water bottle and or top it up at your local gym, on a walk or pay your partner to grab you a glass of h20 at home.

The more active you become the more in tune you become with your body and the sooner you get to work on what you find lacking in your gym bag. But in our experience, if you aren’t prepared, your training episode could be unpleasant, so be sure to avoid this and make life and being healthier a whole lot easier.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

3 WAYS TO NATURALLY MANAGE YOUR HANGOVERS

With 40% of American adults regularly consuming an excessive amount of alcohol, it’s no question as to what will most likely follow - a hangover. No matter what the occasion may be, there’s nothing wrong with a drink or two now and again - though, when you get carried away, you may suffer the consequences of a hangover and it’s dreaded symptoms the next morning. With that said, you might be surprised at the options out there when it comes to managing a hangover naturally.

No more nausea

Hangovers are well known for their unpleasant symptoms like fatigue, and while that may seem manageable with a good night's rest, other symptoms like nausea and vomiting can often be unbearable. For nausea, the best natural hangover cure may just involve ginger. Popular in Chinese medicine, the root is believed to contain chemicals that influence the digestive and nervous systems that prevent nausea. Not only that, but it’s also known for its warming properties, which are thought to help stimulate metabolism (thus, enhancing the detoxification process), and can be found in many forms - lozenges, teas, and extracts, to name a few. 

Curing dehydration with coconuts

When it comes to avoiding a hangover, one of the best tried and true methods for doing so is to keep the drinking to a minimum, or to abstain from partaking at all. However, in the event that you do drink too much, you might end up dehydrated. This is mainly due to the fact that alcohol is a diuretic - meaning, you’ll lose more fluid than you take in when drinking it. While water can easily be called the natural cure for dehydration, it’s important to keep in mind that it isn’t enough to replenish your electrolytes. For that reason, coconut water can be a great supplement. Rich in potassium, a 2010 study reveals that coconut water worked just as well as a sports drink - and better than water when it came to replacing fluids.

The perfect herbal relaxant

Chamomile tea has been well known as a hangover cure for some time now, and for good reason. Chamomile tea contains flavonoids and terpenoids, which can undoubtedly help calm an upset stomach, and is also great for relaxation due to its sedative-like effect. Drinking this hangover cure can be the perfect way to end your day and fall asleep faster. After all, if there’s anything that will guarantee a full recovery from a hangover, it’s sleep.

A hangover can be a horrible consequence after a night of celebration and overindulgence of alcohol; but, with natural remedies and smart techniques for avoidance, your hangover can easily be a thing of the past.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW | ADVANCED MELANOMA

At Athleisure Mag, we have always championed a number of reasons why Safe Sun is essential and making our readers aware of the importance of knowing about the effects of the sun and why it's important to protect your bodies. We had the chance to talk with Dr. Adil Daud, Co-Director of the Melanoma Clinical Research, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center to talk with him about a study that was released by The New England Journal of Medicine. This study focused on treatments for advanced melanoma patients that showed promise with the largest pooled analysis of patients with BRAF-mutated Metastatic Melanoma.

We sat down with Dr. Daud to get down to basics on skin cancer, melanoma, the different kinds of diseases in this area, treatment and more.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us what skin cancer is and what the different types are?

DR. ADIL DAUD: Skin cancer includes basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma and other types of cancer.

AM: How is melanoma different than other skin cancers?

DR. AD: The biggest difference is that it has a tendency to spread to the rest of your body. So, when you look at the deaths caused by skin cancer, the majority of them are caused by melanoma.

AM: What is the difference between melanoma and advanced melanoma and why is it more aggressive and deadly than other skin cancers?

DR. AD: We don’t fully understand that, but one of the reasons is that it has this tendency to spread. Advanced melanoma refers to Stage IV melanoma where it has spread to the lymph nodes and the rest of your body – the lungs, liver, brain and other organs.

AM: Can one be cured from melanoma?

DR. AD: From early-stage melanoma, it can be cured. Most people are cured from surgery alone. With advanced melanoma, you can be alive and disease-free. And that’s what the subject of this study is. You probably can’t be cured as that’s not the terms that we use for advanced cancer. The study shows that 50% of melanomas have a mutation in this gene called BRAF and in those patients, many of them are very sensitive to the combination of Tafinlar and Mekinist – those are the 2 drugs that this study is dealing with. Basically, that study showed that a third of the patients are alive and a fifth of the patients were disease free for 5 years. That’s an important landmark to show that for the first time, that those that have the BRAF mutant kind of melanoma, you can have a good outcome even after 5 years.

AM: What are the mutation types of melanoma and how does one evaluate their treatment options?

DR. AD: We know that cancer can look the same under the microscope but can have different driver mutations. For melanoma specifically, about 50% of melanoma has a BRAF mutation and about 50% have other mutations of genes like RAS. There are a bunch of melanomas where today, we don’t know exactly what drives them forward. But we know about the 50% that have the BRAF mutation and that was the focus of this study.

AM: Can you tell us about the study and the promising treatment?

DR. AD: We’ve known for many years that the BRAF mutation kind of melanoma can be sensitive to the combination of dabrafenib and trametinib. The study shows us that even up to 5 years, a lot of patients with metastatic or advanced melanoma that’s prepped throughout your body can be disease free in some cases and alive at that 5 year landmark. It’s important to remember that a lot of these drugs have real side effects like fevers, chills, skin rashes and in some cases serious side effects like lung problems, heart problems and vision problems. So you need to be supervised by a medical oncologist.

AM: How can one prevent melanoma from happening?

DR. AD: One of the most important things you can do is to apply sunscreen, a hat and some protective clothing. Especially for children, we have realized that sun burns and sun exposure in childhood may drive some of these melanomas. So for them, it’s important to supply sunscreen, put on UV clothing and maybe avoid the sun during the 10am – 2pm time period where UV radiation is the most intense.

Read the August Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know | Advanced Melanoma.

THE JEWEL OF THE COURT WITH DANIELLE COLLINS

This month, our eyes turn to the US Open which takes place here in NYC. A number of tennis greats will battle with the best in their sport to walk away victorious. In addition, there are a number of fun activities around this time of year to hang out with your favorite player, to take in the game and more. Right before the Taste of Tennis, a culinary event that celebrates the US Open along with a number of athletes within the game and outside of it, we had the chance to chat with Danielle Collins who is known for her phenomenal playing as well as making jewelry for the court. We talk with her about the game, her passion for it and being a jewelry designer.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about what made you fall in love with tennis and drew you to the sport?

DANIELLE COLLINS: My draw to the sport goes back to my grade school days. Back then, every Monday to kick off the week we had Show and Tell. There was a boy at school who would bring in these shiny trophies he'd won over the weekends to show our class. I remember seeing the trophies and asking my Dad how I could win trophies like that, and he told me if I worked really hard I could win some trophies, too. I guess you can say that I've always had the competitive spirit from an early age, and loved the way tennis makes you problem solve on your own.

AM: What was the moment when you realized that you wanted to go pro?

DC: I knew I wanted to go pro when I was seven years old watching the Grand Slams on television with my parents. I didn't really know how to put my game all together as a junior, and didn't have the opportunity to turn pro right out of finishing high school. College helped me grow so much personally and as an athlete. Winning two national championships at UVA gave me confidence to know I could also have success at the professional level.

AM: How was playing in the quarterfinals in doubles at Wimbeldon?

DC: I absolutely loved competing with Bethanie. She was so much fun to share the court with and her energy is contagious! Getting to the quarterfinals was really huge for me personally, as I had never made quarterfinals in a Doubles Slam before.

AM: How has the current season been since the US Open is around the corner?

DC: The current season has been great. I am continuing to make progress within my game, and gaining the experiencing I need. Sometimes I don't get the results I want, but right now I am more focused on trying to continue to develop my game, and on the daily process to get myself to the next level.

AM: What is an average day like when you are in training for your next match?

DC: Training days are always different unless we are in pre-season. When I'm on the road, there are many variables during tournaments. We make time for strength and conditioning workouts everyday, put the hours in on court, and work with my sports psychologist/ performance coach. We also spend a lot of time focusing on recovery and making sure my body is getting what it needs to relax.

AM: What is the tennis season like?

DC: The tennis season is very long, but perfect for me since I love competition and traveling.

AM: We love accessories, what drew you to jewelry and how did this interest become another passion?

DC: What I love most about jewelry is the story each piece can share, and how sentimental jewelry is for people. For me, every piece of jewelry I own has some type of unique story behind why I designed it or what drew me into buying it. Designing jewelry allows me to use my creativity and imagination, in a way that is much different from tennis. I've always been passionate about fashion and art, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to partner with Ritani to showcase my other passion in life.

AM: We know you have partnerships/sponsorships with New Balance and Head Racquets. When did you start working with them and what do you do with each of these relationships?

DC: Head and New Balance have been incredible for me and my career. I have been working with Head for about two years now and New Balance for a little over a year. There is no better feeling when you have two highly respected companies like these two, giving so much care and support to my career. The teams that New Balance and Head, work so diligently behind the scenes to make sure that we have the best equipment. Head has been so great in helping me accommodate to any specific needs that I have had with making sure my racquet is just the way I want and need it to feel. What both of them do is really special, and I am so grateful to have them a part of my career. They mean the world to me!

AM: Tell us about the Danielle Collins Jewelry line and of course about your diamond tennis bracelets?

DC: Launching at Wimbledon was so incredibly special to me. Wimbledon is the holy grail of our sport, and the rich tennis tradition is something that cannot be compared anywhere else in the world. When we launched, I was happy to carry on the tradition of elegance that the tennis bracelet represents. So many of the fans and jewelry lovers remember back in the 70s when Chris Evert was sporting her diamond tennis bracelet on court. I loved bringing back that vintage aesthetic, and was proud of the exquisiteness that Ritani engrained into each of the small details and sparkly diamonds.

AM: What is the full offering of pieces available at Danielle Collins Jewelry line?

DC: The full offering available is Necklaces, Bracelets, and Earrings. We offer some finer pieces and some more fun whimsical ones as well.

AM: What pieces from yourdo you wear during your matches?

DC: The jewelry that I wear during my match are a diamond tennis bracelet and double pendant diamond necklace.

AM: When creating your line, what inspires your pieces from legendary tennis players to various aesthetics?

DC: When designing, I enjoy creating a variety of different pieces. All of my pieces have one thing in common -- they are timeless, and will not go out of style. While some pieces are more whimsical and playful, and others follow a more classic design, at the core, it’s about the meaning behind them.

AM: When you are creating your pieces as you intend to have them worn during playing, what are you looking to include and to avoid?

DC: When I am creating my pieces and intend to have them worn I like wearing pieces that are edgy and sophisticated. I try to make sure each piece is lightweight enough to wear so that I am 100% comfortable moving around on court. The material that I like to include the most is diamonds. They are one of the world’s toughest materials, and at the same time, they shine and are sophisticated. I try to be one of the toughest players on tour, and at the same time I try to be fashionable! The art of jewelry and wearing these pieces allows me to showcase my creative sense of style, and reminds me to be tough on court.

AM: As a professional player and entrepreneur, what lessons did you learn that inform how you go about your endeavours?

DC: Being both a professional tennis player and entrepreneur has taught me a lot of lessons along the way. Both have taught me how to network, organize, and manage my career and jewelry line. But the most important thing both have taught me is knowing how to take appropriate risks.

AM: In St. Pete, Florida, where can we find you grabbing a meal/cocktail, working out and going shopping?

DC: On the weekends, you can find me at Bern's Steakhouse in Tampa, grabbing my favorite meal. I enjoy going to hot yoga on the weekends, and shopping at Restoration Hardware to draw inspiration for my home.

AM: What are 3 items that you tend to carry in your carry on when you’re traveling?

DC: Three items I carry in my bag when traveling: sunscreen, hair brush, and mascara.

IG @DanimalCollins

Read the Aug Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Jewel of the Court with Danielle Collins in mag.

LEAVING HER MARK WITH BOBBI BROWN

In the beauty industry, Bobbi Brown reigns as a woman that took her passion as a makeup artist to building a celebrity brand of cosmetics that would eventually be acquired by Estée Lauder. At the time, her appearances on TV shows illustrating her work as well as being a fixture in the backstages of NYFW paved the way for Celebrity Makeup Artists and other talents in the beauty industry. We took a moment with Bobbi to talk about her career, the moves she made in the industry and how she continues to be a trailblazer.

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

BOBBI BROWN: I had just left my second college, and was feeling very confused because I didn’t really like school and I wasn’t happy where I had been. I was speaking with my mother and she said to me, “If it was your birthday and you could do anything in the world, what would you do?” and I told her “I’d go to Marshall Field’s and I’d play with makeup.” So my mom said to me “Then go to school to be a makeup artist.” I found Emerson College and they allowed me to create my own major, which was theatrical makeup, and I fell in love.

AM: You started as a makeup artist, what projects did you work on during that time prior to creating Bobbi Brown Cosmetics?

BB: After graduating college, I moved to NYC and went through the yellow pages calling every photographer, makeup artist, and hair stylist I could find, offering my assistance for free. I would travel wherever I was needed offering my services and learning as much as I could. Some of my favorite projects that I did during that time were my first Vogue cover shoot with Naomi Campbell (it was Naomi’s first Vogue cover as well,) working with designers like Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, and Tommy Hilfiger, and doing makeup for Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones.

AM: What inspired you to create Bobbi Brown Cosmetics?

BB: After being on all of these sets, I found I could not do the makeup that was in style correctly. I didn’t want to cover and hide women’s features and there was no skin tone correct makeup available at the time. I would mix together what colors I could to try to create a formula that accentuated rather than disguised how the women looked. It was at that time that I met a chemist in an elevator and was telling her what I wanted to do, and she said, “I’ll make the colors for you.” That relationship started the creation of my original 10 lipstick shades.

AM: You were known for a natural aesthetic with an array of amazing pink shades of lipsticks, why was that look important to you and the brand?

BB: They weren’t pink shades as much as they were pink, brown, orange, red – those colors that naturally exist within a woman’s lip. All of them natural looking because I believe that makeup should make a woman look and feel her best. That was my intention when I created Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and still is today.

AM: How did you incorporate being a Beauty Expert on the Today Show as another portion of your brand as a MUA and a founder of a cosmetic line?

BB: At a public appearance I was at, I took a question from a woman in the audience. She later told me that she was the grandmother of Jeff Zucker, the Executive Producer of The Today Show at the time. It had been my dream to be on The Today Show, and when she introduced me to Jeff, he and I created monthly segments that allowed me to teach women the correct products to use and the right way to apply them, allowing each woman to essentially become her own makeup artist. It was an amazing time in my life and I truly believe it catapulted the business of the brand to where it is now.

AM: Estée Lauder acquired Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and you stayed on with the brand, what was the transition like for you and as many of our readers own their own brands, can you share the process you went through in terms of coming to the decision that this was right for your brand and yourself?

BB: In 1995, I met with Leonard Lauder and he quickly became one of the greatest mentors in my life. He promised me that the integrity of the brand and its purpose would never be lost with me at the helm. I remained in complete creative control, while being lucky enough to benefit from the resources that the Estée Lauder companies provided. I stayed on as Chief Creative Officer until 2016, where I made the tough decision to leave the company to start another.

AM: Being a multifaceted person, we have enjoyed seeing you wear a number of hats such as being the Editor in Chief of Yahoo Beauty from 2014-2016, how have you been able to maintain your hat in various spaces while continuing to expand your platform in the beauty industry?

BB: I have an insatiable curiosity and love to learn and discover new things. Ultimately, I am a creative at heart and love to develop content across a multitude of platforms in order to share what I know. I make it a priority to hire really great people who can help me translate my vision across these platforms to the best of my ability.

AM: We loved when you partnered with Safilo to release a line of eyewear, what initiated this venture and do you foresee doing something like this again?

BB: I am a glasses person. I wear prescription glasses and sunglasses on a daily basis. I find that eyewear is an extension of makeup to a degree, in that the style and color you choose says a lot about yourself and what look you are trying to convey. It was a natural fit for me. I’d love to explore doing this again in the future.

AM: You have written 9 books on makeup and beauty, what was it like writing your first book and what is the process like in general from concept to release?

BB: My first book was very cathartic for me. It was taking all of the knowledge that I had learned and perfected over the years, and articulating that as best I could for everyone to read. Even though I have written 9 books, I still don’t know how to type. My process varies but consists of lots of handwritten notes in the back of cars, and swatches of color done on paper. I work very closely with my writers and my publisher from start to finish. I have been very fortunate to work with the best of the best in that regard.

AM: Will there be another book that we can expect to see from you?

BB: Never say never. I don’t know if it will be a traditional book or one that has a digital component to it. We’ll see what’s in store.

AM: We’re fans of JustBobbi.com as well as EVOLUTION_18 as we love your approach to beauty from the inside out. Why did you launch the site as well as the beauty brand and what can we expect to see from them as we continue throughout the remainder of the year?

BB: My lifelong philosophy has always been that beauty, and confidence, starts with what you put inside your body. The launch of my lifestyle inspired wellness line, EVOLUTION_18, is a natural extension of beauty from inside out. After spending 25+ years talking to women about their health and wellness challenges, I became a certified health coach and learned what it is women need to know in order to look and feel our best. EVOLUTION_18 is a collection of highly effective simple formulas that target a wide range of beauty concerns. They are made with clean, high quality ingredients that give you everything you need for a beauty boost from within. Justbobbi.com is a modern lifestyle platform for all things wellness, beauty, and everything in between. It’s a platform that aims to educate and inspire how you live your life through never-ending exploration and storytelling.

AM: With so many successes in the beauty world, you launched another amazing venture in a new vertical – hospitality. Tell us about The George and why did you want to do this?

BB: The day I left Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, my husband called me and asked if I wanted to be a part of a new project – The George Hotel. It is a historic property that he completely restored into a 32-room boutique hotel. I became the Creative Director of the hotel, and it was my mission to create a design-minded boutique hotel in the heart of Montclair where we live, that offered guests a unique and one of a kind experience.

AM: In addition to Athleisure Mag, we have a podcast network – Athleisure Studio which has 4 shows and we know that you have a podcast show, Long Story Short with Bobbi Brown – what can we expect on this show and who have been 3 of your favorite guests on this show?

BB: Long Story Short allows me to talk to some of the most accomplished people in the world who are true masters of their craft. The podcast offers a glimpse into their journeys, discussing both their highs and lows in order to get the essential takeaways of a life well lived. Everyone has a story and I love finding out what that story is. Three of my favorites are Mickey Drexler, my mentor, Elvis Duran, one of my best friends, and Jen Atkin.

AM: What philanthropic efforts are you involved in that you would like for us to know about?

BB: I am on the board of Reaching Out Montclair, in my hometown, which provides essential needs for underserved children and their families in our community.

AM: What are 3 beauty musts that you think that we should have with us when we travel?

BB: First, a good moisturizer – preferably one that contains an SPF. Protecting your skin from the sun is of the utmost importance. And when you’re traveling, especially on a plane, your skin can dry out easily, so make sure to keep skin moisturized in order to keep it looking hydrated and plump. Second, a probiotic beauty starts in your gut. Taking a probiotic daily will help with your digestion which in turn helps keep your microbiome balanced and your skin clear. Third, a cream blush – I like to travel with multipurpose products. A cream blush is perfect to give you a nice healthy glow and can be used on your lips as well.

AM: When it comes to your legacy, what do you want people to take away in terms of your impact on the beauty industry and just embracing life’s opportunities?

BB: Be a sponge, be kind, and work hard.

IG @JustBobbi

Read the August issue of Athleisure Mag and see Leaving Her Mark with Bobbi Brown in mag.

S1. E7. | ATHLEISURE KITCHEN WITH LARA MERRIKEN OF LÄRABAR

On today's episode of Athleisure Kitchen, we take it back to basics by talking about whole foods and the creation of the amazing fruit and nut bar which is known for having only 2-9 ingredients in each one! We talk with the founder of LÄRABAR, Lara Merriken about the inspiration behind the creation of LÄRABAR, how her life as an athlete at USC for women's volleyball, being a social worker as well as being a mom shaped her to creating this food innovation when she went on a hike one day in the Rocky Mountains. As someone in the clean eating space for nearly 20 years, LÄRABAR started with its signature 5 bars and has now expanded to nearly 20 that includes their new protein line. Lara shares how she created the initial offerings as well as her need to create a snack that allows those on the go to maintain their health without having to spend time finding the nutrients that they need in this episode that is presented by LÄRABAR/General Mills. After the episode, if you want to see the interview as well as a number of your favorite bars and new ones, make sure to visit our show notes to watch it as well.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

S1. E6. | ATHLEISURE KITCHEN WITH CHEF RON SILVER OF BUBBY'S

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

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

AWARDS SEASON BEST DRESSED | EMMY'S 2019

The beginning of Awards Season starts now for the 2019-2020 season and last night’s 71st Primetime Emmy’s 2019 at the Microsoft Theater in LA had a number of looks (14 in fact) that left us saying, Best Dressed! We will continue to update all the necessary information that you want to know right here!

PHOTO COURTESY | Christopher Polk/Variety/Shutterstock

NIECY NASH

STYLIST | Zerina Akers

DESIGNER | Christian Siriano

JEWELRY | Irene Lummertz Jewelry

MAKEUP ARTIST | Naima Jamal

HAIR STYLIST | Ray D.

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JEREMY STRONG

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PHOTO COURTESY | Christopher Polk/Variety/Shutterstock

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PHOTO COURTESY | Matt Baron/Shutterstock

KRISTIN CAVALLARI

STYLIST | Dani Michelle

DESIGNER | Nicole Felicia Couture

SHOES | Stuart Weitzman

MAKEUP ARTIST | Ash K Holm

HAIR STYLIST | Justine Marjan

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STERLING K BROWN

SUIT | Brioni

SHOES | Christian Louboutin

WATCH | IWC

CUFFLINKS | David Yurman

PHOTO COURTESY | Matt Baron/Shutterstock

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PHOTO COURTESY | Matt Baron/Shutterstock

RUPAUL

WINNER | Best Reality Competition Program; RuPaul’s Drag Race

WINNER | Outstanding Host for a Reality Or Competition Program

WINNER | Outstanding Costumes for Variety, Nonfiction Or Reality Programming

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REGINA KING

STYLIST |

DESIGNER | Jason Wu Collection, Custom

JEWELRY | Irene Neuwirth

SHOES | Christian Louboutin

MAKEUP ARTIST |

HAIR STYLIST |

PHOTO COURTESY | Christopher Polk/Variety/Shutterstock

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PHOTO COURTESY | Rob Latour/Shutterstock

GAIL SIMMONS

STYLIST |

DESIGNER | Christian Siriano

JEWELRY |

MAKEUP ARTIST |

HAIR STYLIST |

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MICHAEL K. WHITE

NOMINATED | Best Supporting Actor - Limited Series in a Movie; When They See Us

PHOTO COURTESY | Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

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PHOTO COURTESY | Rob Latour/Shutterstock

MANDY MOORE

STYLIST |

DESIGNER | Brandon Maxwell

JEWELRY |

MAKEUP ARTIST |

HAIR STYLIST |

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FAITHE HERMAN

STYLIST |

DESIGNER | Mia Bambina

JEWELRY |

MAKEUP ARTIST |

HAIR STYLIST |

PHOTO COURTESY | Matt Baron/Shutterstock

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PHOTO COURTESY | Vince Bucci/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

ANGELA BASSETT

STYLIST |

DESIGNER | Antonio Grimaldi

JEWELRY |

MAKEUP ARTIST |

HAIR STYLIST |

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CLEA DUVALL

STYLIST |

DESIGNER |

JEWELRY |

MAKEUP ARTIST |

HAIR STYLIST |

PHOTO COURTESY | Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

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PHOTO COURTESY | Rob Latour/Shutterstock

KERRY WASHINGTON

STYLIST |

DESIGNER | Alexandre Vauthier

JEWELRY |

MAKEUP ARTIST |

HAIR STYLIST |

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EMILIA CLARKE

STYLIST |

DESIGNER |

JEWELRY |

MAKEUP ARTIST |

HAIR STYLIST |

PHOTO COURTESY | Matt Baron/Shutterstock

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

SMARTBEATS X SMARTWATER

We’ve been fans of smartwater ever since we can remember so last month when we had the opportunity to attend 2 events that focused on smartbeats X smartwater (also available on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube), we attended. Simply put, SmartBeats X SmartWater is a first of its kind program designed to enhance holistic wellness through the fusion of music, tech and hydration. This was achieved through their partnership with artists Toro Y Moi, Nosaj Thing, Madeline Kenney, Washed Out and Empress Of. These artists music were powered by the sound technology app Endel. They created soundtracks and soundscapes that are designed to enhance your flow, mental balance, gets you to move or simply connect with friends. We were able to put 2 of these tracks through its paces in our first event where we did a guided meditation with The Big Quiet and smartwater partner, Jesse Israel as well as a workout with the brand’s Creative Director of Wellness and fitness expert (as well as Nike master trainer), Joe Holder which also incorporated the other track.

PHOTO CREDIT | Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for smartwater

The second event, held at Lightbox, was the launch party where we were able to sample all 4 of the tracks, meet the creators of these tracks, re-connect with Joe Holder and Jesse Israel and meeting the founder of Endel through presentations and conversations with the collaborators that were involved. In addition, guests were able to interact with one another while enjoying cocktails (Blood Orange Bourbon Sour and Raspberry Rose Basil Sangria) that were paired with sparkling SmartWater. smartbeat X smartwater includes 2 parts within the project where the A-Side has music artists that are featured as well as the B-Side having the soundscapes that are powered by Endel. A-Side’s soundtrack was produced by Toro Y Moi who created this via collaborations with featured artists that complimented the SmartWater varieties.

• MOVE | Record producer beat maker and DJ, Nosaj Thing makes music gets you pumped, moving and ready to break a sweat. Paired with the Alkaline line for hydration supporting active performance and recovery.

• CONNECT | Alternative R&B and electronica artist, Empress Of provides the perfect backdrop for entertaining and connecting with friends. Paired with sparkling smartwater for delightful hydration while socializing.

• FLOW | Folk artist Madeline Kenney’s classical sound reinforces focus and productivity. Paired with still smartwater for everyday need.

• BALANCE | Washed Out’s chillwave sound promotes mental balance is complemented by smartwater’s antioxidant line for cognitive rejuvenation.

Soundscapes (B-side) enhanced, personalized, sound experiences tailored to key occasions and will partner with Endel, an app technology that generates reactive, personalized sounds. Endel’s tools are able to synthesize location, time, weather and other factors in real time. Whether it’s Yoga, running, meditation and more, the b-side provides the perfect soundtrack for each activity.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | HANOI SOUP SHOP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AM: Does the menu change based on seasonal offerings?

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

direction we go on a given day.

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

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

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

SL: Beef Pho with Brisket & Oxtail.

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

Papaya Salad with Beef Jerky.

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

SL: Iced Vietnamese Coffee

Hot Egg Coffee

Avocado Shake

PHOTOS COURTESY | HANOI SOUP SHOP

IG @HanoiSoup

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

Bingely Streaming

OTHERHOOD

Netflix Originals

When mothers realize that their kids are not responding to them, they take their issue of being empty-nesters and head to NYC for surprise visits. The three mothers who have been friends for decades juggle a bit of mother's guilt on their kids as well as navigating their new state in life. With their sons living their own lives, they find that they see one another less and less - they want to re-establish their connections with one another beyond Mother's Day brunches.

Throughout the movie, we watch them individually work on being noticed in front of their children. But it's also fun to see how they come together to update one another on their progress with their kids as well as how they are supporting one another as they continue to come to terms with the dynamics of their life. These suburban moms also take in a number of touristy as well as typical activities that New Yorkers do each day.

1619

New York Times Audio Series

Apple Podcast

This riveting podcast created by the New York Times and hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones, focuses on August 1619. This pivotal period in our nation's history, centers on a ship that carried enslaved Africans 400 years ago that arrived to the British Colony of Virginia. Fundamentally, their arrival would mark centuries of slavery. Listeners are taken through their experience and learn the steps that took place that encouraged this environment to become the natural state of affairs.

This podcast also looks at the long shadow it cast in terms of its commodification, the creation of a long battle for freedom, tracing racism to Jim Crow era, electoral politics, prison industrial complex, sugar within African Americans' diets, and more that slavery created by instituting the practice. This story is told through essays, interactive content and looks at, "the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of the story of we tell ourselves about who we are.”

FREE MEEK

Amazon Originals

This 5 episode docuseries showcases a decade long legal battle that Meek Mill has been battling. This series starts with Meek at the top of his career as a chart-topping rapper who would transition to being sentenced by Judge Genece Brinkley, to prison for 2-4 years for popping wheelies.

When the ruling dropped, #FreeMeek dominated Twitter feeds and the movement spread to fans and many from his label mate Rick Ross to even his nemises, Drake - stood in solidarity to voice their support for him. The series documents his career, legal woes to being a Co-Founder and partner of REFORM Alliance, a criminal justice reform that was founded by the likes of billionaires and business men Jay-Z and Michael Rubin.

Read the August issue of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Streaming in mag.

THE SANDWICH INDEX

Who doesn’t love a good sandwich that is filled your faves? We took some time to chat with Chef Byron Talbott to talk about regionality when creating foods, the Sandwich Index and his 3 favorite ingredients to have on hand when making his next sandwich.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment when you realized that you wanted to be a chef?

CHEF BYRON TALBOTT: I was 17 when I made the decision.

AM: You’ve worked with some phenomenal restaurants and we know that you’re also a photographer, and food stylist, how important is it as a chef to have all of these talents inhouse?

CHEF BT: My kids love it as well as my wife for some time. It’s always a treat to have a chef in the home. I love cooking so it makes for a good symbiosis.

AM: Tell us about the sandwich index and what inspired the creation of this?

CHEF BT: Well the Sandwich Index is regionally inspired. These are all sandwiches from around the states: north, northeast, south, southwest – all that good stuff. It’s just a collection of all those ideas and I love cooking regionally, so it made a lot of sense.

AM: What is it about sandwiches that make you think of all of the kinds of creations that go into them? Do you just, enjoy these specific categories of food?

CHEF BT: Sandwiches are great at the Talbott home, it’s always a great day to have one when we’re at home. Today I’m working with a wrap, the Hatch Chili Avocado Turkey wrap – the Premium Carved Slow Roasted Turkey Breast from Hillshire Farm which is a great product. It has a very similar feel to fresh carved turkey and you can use it in salads and all kinds of good stuff. Today, I’m using it in a wrap. It’s a fun little creation that you can just layer and go. It’s a great inspiration behind this dish.

AM: What are 3 ingredients that we should always have on hand when we’re thinking of making versatile sandwiches – just to make sure that we don’t get into a sandwich rut? Especially for those that do like to eat them all the time.

CHEF BT: It’s always lettuce, tomatoes and probably avocados as the main kind of thing nowadays. I make sure to have those on hand! Because I am from New Mexico, Hatch Chilies are a sacred ingredient there so I tend to have spicy peppers at home, but that’s just me.

AM: Oh wow! What are 3 sandwiches that you would suggest that are perfect for the summertime?

CHEF BT: I would say that this wrap is a perfect one, The Italian Grinder – everyone loves a sub sandwich and the Cubano is fantastic because it has that warm crunchy feel and those are some of my choices. But also the BLT as I always love a really good BLT!

AM: You were speaking earlier about regionality being important to you. What are some of the other things that are important to you when you’re thinking of what inspires you to add to your Sandwich Index or when you’re just cooking in general?

CHEF BT: Regionality is a great way to approach cuisine. Right now, I’m assembling this sandwich which is inspired by the Southwest with great ingredients that I tend to cook with a lot like roasted Hatch Chilies which are beautifully peeled and you can layer onto it, you have the Premium Slow Roasted Carved Turkey which is always a great product to work with and it’s just about having those ingredients for a really good sandwich.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE 9LIST

Read the August issue of Athleisure Mag and see The 9List in mag.

PLANNING THE ULTIMATE SUMMER HOLIDAY IN AUSTRALIA

The Australian tourism industry is one of the fastest-growing in the world, with an annual growth rate of 5.2 percent, according to Tourism Australia. The country has become one of the hottest holiday destinations, particularly during the Australian summer, which falls between December and February. The great weather is perfect for exploring the country's beautiful beaches, experiencing their culture, visiting national landmarks, and touring Sydney, Melbourne and other wonderful cities in Australia. Whether you're visiting Australia for a few days or relocating there for the summer, there are a few things you should take into consideration when prepping for your holiday. 

Why Australia is the ultimate summer destination 

With endless stretches of fantastic beaches, a variety of water sports and activities, marine life encounters, and fresh seafood, it won't take you long to understand why Australians love the water so much. One thing that draws visitors to Australia during the summer is the weather. The sunny days with hot temperatures, coupled with the cool sea breezes in the coastal regions, create the perfect conditions for a relaxing day on the beach, fun in the ocean, and exploring Australia's most iconic tourist attractions, such as the Sydney Opera House and Uluru. 

Health and safety precautions for your Australian holiday 

While Australia is a secure tourist destination where you can enjoy travel experiences safely throughout the year, you still need to take some precautions to ensure your stay is hassle-free. First of all, you need to be ready for the Australian summer sun. Even on cloudy days, the sun is very strong, and will burn your skin in minutes. You should apply a high-level sunscreen regularly throughout the day to protect your skin. You'll also need health insurance cover. If you fall sick or get injured during your holiday, your health insurance cover will pay for your medical costs. If you plan to bring any prescription medicine into Australia, make sure you bring the prescription or a letter from a doctor outlining your medical condition. If you will be hiking or bushwalking, you'll need to wear protective clothing to avoid snake or spider bites. 

How to get the most out of your Australian summer holiday 

Australia is a great summer destination, but not every part of it. If you visit the North, the weather will be wet, and there is a good chance of getting caught in a tropical storm. For the ideal Australian summer holiday, plan your trip in the southern parts of the country, where you will find hot, sunny days to explore the incredible experiences on offer. Bring lightweight clothing, such as t-shirts, shorts, swimwear and sunglasses, especially if you will be spending a lot of time outdoors. Remember to book your accommodation and excursions well in advance to avoid any disappointments. 

Australia is an amazing country with lots to do and see, and many amazing people to meet and interact with. To enjoy your summer holiday in Australia, make sure you get everything right during the planning stage, and get ready to have an unforgettable experience. 

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS

A new study by Hallmark shows that in a digital age, people are craving authentic connections and with texts and social media being a common everyday occurrence, a greeting card stands out as a more meaningful way to communicate among other things. In fact, most consumers agree that they would prefer a card over a text message regardless of their age. We wanted to find out more about the power of these actions and how we can manage these personal connections in an age of instant gratification. We chatted with psychiatrist, Dr. Vania Manipod to find out more about this and how we can achieve this balance.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What are the benefits of using the digital tools that we have to stay connected especially when our lives cause us to be on constant on the go mode?

DR. VANIA MANIPOD: Social networks can be useful to some extent as we use it to keep up with people’s lives, because they are posting what they are up to. People also rely on it to keep them up to date on news; however, I want to emphasize that these types of experiences are a lot more passive and fleeting. The latest survey results found that as humans, we tend to desire more of those deeper meaningful more impactful connections with others. So when it comes to fostering these types of relationships, it’s truly quality over quantity in a way that social media can’t match.

AM: Why do these digital tools become a barrier to communication?

DR. VM: Social media is designed that we spend as much time as possible on it. Even the way that we communicate is via text message or using instant messenger. That’s meant to make it easier for us with one click of the button; however, it’s truly the more deeper meaningful gestures that are simple like just making a phone call – which goes above and beyond in taking time out of our busy daily lives to foster these connections. For example, making that phone call to someone that you haven’t talked to in awhile instead of sending a text message, inviting them to lunch or sending them a handwritten card, these are gestures that have a lot more meaning and foster these connections. Ultimately, it increases happiness.

AM: With social media as well as a 24-hour news cycle, that is difficult to turn off, how does this actually hamper positive communications that we want to have with others?

DR. VM: What’s happening is that it gives us this illusion and it makes us want to have more of an instant gratification. So when we get that like, we like when that action happens or that someone gave us a comment. That sends a positive reinforcement in our brains that are kind of like gambling. When you see the sounds and hear the lights, it makes you feel very excited and gratified, but those things are very short lived. Ultimately, those don’t foster the deeper and emotional connections that we want with people. So that’s why I suggest, social media in moderation only – social media detox is also great because it gives us a different perspective and makes us realize that spending so much time on social media could be making someone feel lonely, isolated and depressed. So social media in moderation, social media detox - setting boundaries around it, is so important.

AM: When we can’t connect in person with the people that we care about, do you have any tips on how we can keep it personal – when it is still digital?

DR. VM: Well, the survey results found that when given the option (with consumers at all ages), receiving a text message or a greeting card that had the exact same message, they found it to be much more meaningful and impactful. Millennials interestingly enough, who we know are so used to communicating digitally – they found that receiving a card was much more meaningful and made them feel more noticed. It’s as simple as that in addition to reaching out and making gestures that show that you took the time to show them that you cared.

AM: With the summer coming to an end, the fall makes us think about gatherings where we come together and of course, the holiday season. What are ways that we can ensure that we keep connected in a healthy way. You just mentioned specifically when we’re not in person that we can send a hand written note or card – how do we keep the communications healthy with people that we care about whether it’s a text or a card?

DR. VM: That would be trying to reach out to them, sending them a greeting card and not just on a holiday or a birthday when it is expected. Doing it just because is nice as the survey also shows that even though we do send cards during expected times, the ones that are sent just because have been received as more meaningful. This is why, we encourage people to not just do this during the big occasions, but even spontaneously because it boosts your relationships with people and ultimately boosts happiness.

AM: In terms of the psychological connection, how do you connect with people that are of a different age like your niece versus your grandparents.

DR. VM: Again, it’s about going above and beyond. I think that my niece would definitely be into her emojis and all that, but it’s about spending more time with them. Whether it’s your grandparents or little niece. It’s about spending time and that shows that you are investing in the relationships, connecting with them on a deeper level and you’re taking the time to build upon these relationships that already exist.

AM: For ourselves, when we’re taking a break from digital media do you have tips or suggestions that we can do for escapism from these moment by moment interactions?

DR. VM: There are 3 tips that I would suggest to keep in mind. 1. Set boundaries with social media. Make sure that no one has their phones when they go out to dinner and that people are having conversations. 2. Having a social media detox because it’s not until we’re away from it that we realize how much time we spend on social media that can help change our perspective and ultimately lead to the 3rd tip which is to invest more time into fostering and nurturing our personal connections that already exist. This leads to increased happiness and decreased happiness.  

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

LAUNCHING A NATION WITH PAIGE MYCOSKIE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AM: So where did the name come from?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AM: Do you sponsor or have any athlete ambassadors?

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

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

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

IG @PaigeMycoskie

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

S1. E5. | BUNGALOW SK WITH PAIGE MYCOSKIE OF AVIATOR NATION

On today's episode of Bungalow SK, we talk to a creative that we have loved since popping on our radar on CBS' The Amazing Race. Paige Mycoskie who understands the importance of branding as well as giving her customers the comfort they need to maneuver throughout their day. As the founder of Aviator Nation, she fused her love for design, music and a retro aesthetic to create a brand that is known for its signature stripes and good vibes for men and women. With her brand popping up on athletes and being styled on such shows as TNT's Animal Kingdom as well as being included in photoshoots at Athleisure Mag, we find out how being at the right place at the right time has been a significant benefit to Paige's endeavors.