ATHLEISURE LIST | [SOLIDCORE]

[solidcore] is a 50-minute, full-body strength-training workout that uses slow, controlled movements to break down the slow-twitch muscle fibers so that they build back stronger and leaner. Described as “pilates redefined,” [solidcore] differs from a traditional pilates class by bringing different levels of intensity and efficiency to the workout and the overall experience. With a focus on empowering [communities] and creating a space where everyone feels inspired, included, and seen, [solidcore] is on a mission to help people create the strongest version of themselves.

If you have yet to do this kind of workout, we suggest heading to the studio 15 minutes prior to class so that you can have a demo with your trainer, learn about safety information, get hands an assistance and even learn about modifications that you can use throughout the workout. Their classes are designed so that even in a group setting, you can get personalized interaction that will help you optimize your workout and experience.

You'll find that during the workout that this version of pilates is unique as they focus on results that overload and break down your muscle fibers and then giving them time to recover and adapt. By using rotating monthly muscles it prevents plateaus and creates balanced bodies. This method helps people build long, lean muscles that frames your physique and increases your metabolism.

We also like that after your class, you can still be connected with others who also enjoy working out at this studio by staying in touch via their social channels whether you're looking for encouragement, tips or chatting with those who are in your class.

Whether you're taking one class or are looking for the membership that works best for your location or your travel needs, you should visit their site to see the options as well as the studios that are available near you.

[solidcore]

Culver City

8900 Venice Blvd. Unit 106

Culver City, CA 90232

Hollywood

6677 Santa Monica Blvd.

Unit 103

LA, CA90038

solidcore.co

IG @solidcore

PHOTOS COURTESY | [solidcore]

Read the APR ISSUE #77 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | [solidcore] in mag.

DARLING ON THE RISE WITH SOFIA TILBURY

We have been fans of Charlotte Tilbury for a number of years as we love her approach to creating inclusive products, ensuring that these items truly work as well as including innovations within her assortment of makeup and skincare. You also know that she's just as passionate at making her celebs and red carpet beauties look fantastic as well as her fans. Her niece, Sofia Tilbury has this same passion and works with her aunt to continue her initiatives. We find out more about the brand, her makeup journey and more.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What is it about the beauty industry that inspired you to work in this field?

SOFIA TILBURY: Growing up in Ibiza, makeup, fashion, art and beauty were always around, so it’s hard to remember when I first became inspired by the creative world, but I always looked up to my aunt Charlotte in her career as a makeup artist. Photography and art were my favourite subjects at school, so my first real experience with makeup was looking at fashion magazines and trying to recreate Charlotte’s cover looks on my friends so we could take photographs!

When I started to get into beauty, Charlotte’s biggest blessing was to let me come and work for her. She said the most important thing for a career in beauty was assisting someone, so you can watch and learn first-hand, and she was SO right. Working with Charlotte is the best makeup training you could ever get!

AM: A number of people dream of working with as well as being mentored by a visionary in their field. How is it to work so closely to an industry icon as a makeup artist as well as to learn the business from your aunt?

ST: When your aunt is Charlotte Tilbury and you want to be a makeup artist, there’s a huge pressure to be incredible, and you definitely feel like you have a lot to prove, but Charlotte is all about confidence and she empowered me every step of the way! I had to start where any other makeup artist would, and I had to work my way up, but it was the best way to learn. Charlotte is the most incredible mentor, so I feel super lucky to have been able to follow her and learn how she works her magic!

AM: What has been the best beauty tip that Charlotte has shared with you?

ST: One of the best makeup tricks I ever discovered through Charlotte was the power of a feline flick! It’s something she taught me from a young age. Your eyes are the most mesmerising part of your face, and when you use a gorgeous, creamy liner (like the Pillow Talk eyeliner) to elongate their shape and make them look more feline, it transforms your whole look! It works on everyone!

AM: Can you tell us about the positions that you have held at Charlotte Tilbury and what you do currently at Charlotte Tilbury, what is your role like and what areas do you cover for the brand?

ST: When I was 18, I worked full-time at the Charlotte Tilbury counter as an artist for two years and I learned so much. Retail is hard work. I was surrounded by all these incredibly talented and experienced makeup artists and I had to learn fast! I loved it. Then, behind the scenes, Charlotte started asking me questions about what was selling well, which products customers were asking for and what was missing from the range. That was how I started working closely with Charlotte on product development and the brand side of things.

I’m currently a Brand Ambassador and Product & Content Creator at Charlotte Tilbury Beauty. No two days are ever the same! One day I could be part of a campaign, the next I’m testing colours with the product development team or dashing to do a VIP’s makeup for an event like the Golden Globes or the Oscars. I particularly love the opportunity I have to create content for Instagram. It's always amazing and inspiring to see my followers trying a look I’ve created and feeling like a more beautiful, confident version of themselves as a result. Charlotte has always talked about the power of makeup to transform your energy, and in those moments, you do feel incredibly humbled by it.

AM: As a Celebrity Makeup Artist, what have been some of your favorite projects or people that you have worked on?

ST: I’m fortunate enough to work with some of the world’s most inspirational, beautiful women—from Sienna Miller to Irina Shayk; Romee Strijd to Candice Swanepoel—and at events like the Met Gala, the Golden Globes and the Oscars, so it is impossible to choose a favourite!

One of the highlights of my career was my first ever time as the Lead Makeup Artist at London Fashion Week in September 2019. I created the makeup looks for Agent Provocateur, Temperley London and Olivia Rubin shows. It is incredibly fast paced and exciting backstage and working with the designers to create looks that complemented their vision and artistry—from the prints and fabrics to the cuts of the dresses—was an absolute dream come true!

AM: What are your 3 must have products in the line that are your essentials?

ST: This is always SUCH a hard question!! I can’t live without any of our products! I’m a lip liner girl so my first pick would have to be a Lip Cheat. I never apply lipstick without liner! My favourites are Hot Gossip—a peachy nude—and Supersize Me—the perfect rosy-pink shade that resizes and reshapes the appearance of your lips instantly!

Magic Cream is always in my handbag. I have a tiny little travel sized pot that I use whenever my skin is dry—whether it is for priming my skin for a makeup tutorial or hydrating my arms and legs before a night out! I also love to use Charlotte’s new Magic Cream Light—which is a lightweight, supercharged version of Magic Cream. It’s perfect for combination skin going through an oilier phase, or for humid summer weather! It just leaves your skin looking glowing and hydrated with a satin-matte finish.

And third, Magic Away Concealer is my ultimate skin saviour. I wear it every day. It has incredible stretch and coverage so when I’m tired or my skin is not looking so great, it just blurs out all the imperfections and lifts your confidence straight away. You could event wear it on its own without foundation if you wanted to!

AM: You do several tutorials for the brand with a focus on an array of looks, how important is it to have that content and education?

ST: On social media, people are constantly asking me for tips and tricks on how to recreate my celebrity makeup looks from red carpet events, how to get the perfect smokey eye, how to cheat the perfect lip shape—so it’s super important to me that I’m constantly creating content to answer those questions and decodify those makeup secrets!

While I’ve been in isolation, I have spent my time creating content that hopefully will uplift and empower people through the magic of makeup, whether it’s how to make your eyes look bigger and brighter with the Pillow Talk Luxury Palette or how to use your night-time skincare routine to carve out a little selfcare. Makeup and skincare are incredibly powerful, so I love to share that knowledge with everyone!

AM: With a number of us doing a lot more video calls, what is the best way to get a healthy glow to our skin as well as adding a pop of color?

ST: I think the key to looking good on video calls is having gorgeous, glowing skin so you look happy, healthy and radiant!

For the past few months I’ve been using Charlotte’s new Magic Serum Crystal Elixir and the way my skin looks and feels is AMAZING! It has never been so hydrated, smooth and poreless—and that really is the key if you’re going to be in front of a camera all day! It has a magic matrix of supercharged ingredients, including Polyglutamic Acid—which is four times more hydrating than Hyaluronic Acid—so it creates a beautiful, hydrating filter effect on the skin and it makes makeup application so much easier too!

I layer Magic Cream over the top to intensely hydrate my skin and give it a dewy look, and then I glide Hollywood Flawless Filter over my cheekbones to really give my complexion a boost. There is nothing like glow for transforming your mood!

When you look tired, you feel tired, so my next tip would be Magic Away concealer. It has incredible stretch and coverage so you can use it on its own as a base if you’re being called into a last-minute Zoom and want to look fresh and bright-eyed! I always like to use a lighter shade under my eyes to bounce the light and counteract any darkness, and then I use a shade that matches my complexion to conceal any redness or imperfections.

To lock that in, I use Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder—this is the best powder EVER. I don’t know a single makeup artist or celebrity who doesn’t swear by this! It is so finely milled, it glides on like silk and blurs out pores and fine lines in an instant. It’s like a filter for your skin!

For a glowing pop of colour, I like to swish and pop the Pillow Talk Cheek to Chic Blush over the apples of my cheeks. I love that it has a highlighter shade in the middle for the perfect kiss of glow!

AM: We’re fans of Instant Eye Palette in Pillow Talk and loved seeing it throughout the red carpets during Awards Season. In April, the brand dropped Charlotte’s New Magic Serum Crystal Elixir. Can you tell us about this new launch and feel free to share any other products that we should know about?

ST: The Magic Serum launch was incredible! We launched it with the first ever virtual press day for the brand and beauty industry, and it created a huge buzz, so it was super exciting to be a part of that. It had a huge 10k waitlist, which is just incredible!

So many people are obsessed with how this serum has transformed the look of their skin—myself included! It’s a high-performance, potent yet comforting formula and it’s great for sensitive skin too.

It has Golden Vitamin C in it, which is a non-irritating alternative for anyone who has ever struggled with traditional Vitamin C serums like I have. It helps even and brighten your complexion without causing breakouts or redness. The Magic Serum also contains Niacinamide, which is like a bootcamp for your pores.

Another thing I love about this serum is that it actually has CRYSTALS such as Rose Quartz, Moonstone and Amethyst in it! I’m from Ibiza, so I grew up around crystals and a bohemian way of life. I wear crystals every day; I really do believe in the mood-boosting, holistic healing aura of crystals, so this feels extra special and powerful right now.

I like to use 4-6 drops on cleansed skin, really taking the time to warm it between my fingertips and massage upwards and outwards over my face.

We’ve also just launched the most incredible new smoothing, pore-blurring Airbrush Bronzer that literally makes you look airbrushed! I like to apply it to my cheekbones, temples and across my nose using the new Air-Brush bronzing brush— creating broad strokes wherever the sun naturally hits you. It smoothes, blurs and enhances the look of your facial architecture. It also contains Hyaluronic Acid, so it actually hydrates the skin while you wear—it never looks dry or cakey like some bronzers! It mimics the look of a sun-kissed tan!

AM: As someone who has a number of makeup tips, how can we find a nude lipstick that works for our skin tone?

ST: For fair skin, I find cool blue-pink nude lipsticks like Charlotte’s award-winning Pillow Talk and Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria look fantastic. Glossy textures like the Lip Lustre in Pillow Talk can also help create that plump, kissable look that is amazing for a day look.

With medium skin tones, you’ve really got the option of going cool or warm. For a more cool or neutral nude, opt for a shade like Penelope Pink or Nude Kate and use a lip liner in a slightly peachy shade, such as Hot Gossip, to help it blend into your natural lip shade. My skin is a little warmer, so I love tawny-nude shades like Superstar Lips in Glow Kiss or Hot Lips 2 in Glowing Jen. They give a really beachy, sun-kissed nude that looks amazing on olive skin too!

For deeper skin, the key really is the lip liner. I love to use the Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk Intense or Foxy Brown to really give the lips a perfected, rich brown colour that helps any lip shade blend beautifully without washing out the skin! The shades Stoned Rose, Angel Alessandra and Superstar Lips in Everlasting Kiss look stunning as nude lipsticks on deep skin tones. They give you an instant goddess pout!

AM: What is your go to skincare products to prep your skin prior to makeup as well as after washing it off?

ST: The first thing I do when prepping my skin or removing makeup is double cleansing with the Goddess Cleansing Ritual. I begin with the Citrus Oil Radiance Cleanse, which is a coconut-oil based, citrus-oil blend that melts your makeup away. I then follow this with the second ritual, which is a purifying charcoal cleanse. It draws out impurities and tackles deeper-rooted environmental dirt, helping to unblock pores and eliminate excess online, which I love.

Next, I’ll use my Instant Magic Facial Dry Sheet Mask or my Goddess Skin Clay Mask. When we were working on the dry sheet mask, Charlotte was super inspired by Korean beauty, so we worked with some amazing labs to create this formula of genius ingredients–including vitamin B3, crocus bulb extract, peptides, oils and butters–to penetrate deep into the skin using a biomimetic vector delivery system. If my skin is a little oily or congested, I’ll use the clay mask—which is rich with almond oil and Spanish Clay. It doesn’t crack or dry like other clay masks do! Every time I use this on myself or one of my clients, I’m blown away by the way it makes the skin look baby smooth!

Another one of my favourite tricks I learned from Charlotte is facial massage— her celebrity clients call this the “Tilbury Tap!” When prepping a client’s complexion before makeup, I pinch along the jawline and cheekbones, tap my fingers around the eye area and massage Charlotte’s Magic Serum and Magic Cream up and out with sweeping, open palms to help stimulate lymphatic drainage and micro- circulation.

IG @ctilburymakeup

@sofiaschwarzkopftilbury

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Sofia Tilbury

Read the June Issue #54 of Athleisure Mag and see Darling on the Rise with Sofia Tilbury in mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

HOLLYWOOD

Netflix

Netflix Originals

Ryan Murphy's Hollywood takes place during the Golden Age in a Post WWII era with a cast of characters that are making efforts to make their dreams come true as they navigate the culture around them. We are introduced to actors, filmmakers and writers who are focused on rising to the top in the film industry no matter what the cost is.

As we follow each character's journey, we learn more about the industry from the power that happens in the rooms where decision are made, the challenges that take place and biases that are still apart of the mechanisms that exist in this industry to this day. The show makes a case for what would have happened if these systemic had been erradicated. To this day, what took place during the Golden Age are still being navigated in the current day.

SELENA A STAR DIES IN TEXAS

Vault Studios

Spotify

This six-part series chronicles the life and legacy of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. The podcast details the senseless murder to this Tejano star who was quickly becoming a crossover artist after enjoying a meteoric rise to to fame by the hands of a superfan that broke the hearts of millions of her fans.

Throughout the podcast, listeners are privy to rare and never before heard audio that details various components of her murder as well as those that weighed in on what was going on during the star's life. We also learn about those that were involved in her daily life and how they impacted a number of events that took place.

WIND OF CHANGE

Crooked Media

Spotify

What would you say if a popular song by a heavy metal West German band known as the Scorpions was released after the fall of Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union? The power ballad "Wind of Change" became the essence to a peaceful revolution that was sweeping across Europe. This song also became the biggest rock single ever and many fans felt that this song also ended the Cold War!

Many decades later, NewYorker writer and host of Wind of Change Podcast, Patrick Radden Keefe and Pineapple Street and Crooked Media heard a rumor that this song wasn't written by this band and was actually created by the CIA!

Patrick looks to find the truth by interviewing former operatives, rockers and more from Ohio, Moscow and Kiev! This show focuses on spies, propaganda and government secrets in this eight-part series.

Read the May Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Streaming in mag.

SHE GIVES THAT GLOW WITH TOSKA HUSTED

There's nothing better than glowing, clear skin! It doesn't matter whether you're hanging around your house, at the office, going on errands or are enjoying a special night out! When you have great skin, there's a glow that comes from within. We took a moment to talk to Celebrity Skincare Expert and Owner of Toska European Spa, Toska Husted. She has been responsible for a number of Hollywood's stars including Jennifer Aniston. We wanted to know tips on how we can achieve that look as well as the Biologique Recherche Remodeling Face Machine that she uses in her spas where she is also 1 of 5 brand ambassadors for this company. With the holidays coming up, Awards Season and whatever red carpet moment you're focused on, we're giving you the scoop on achieving great skin!

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize you wanted to work in skincare?

TOSKA HUSTED: When I was growing up, the women in my family made a point to take great care of their skin, which inspired me down the road. Later in life, I had the opportunity to attend Steiner, the elite beauty school in London. While there, I wanted to learn not only how to take the best care of my skin, but also how to help others achieve that, too.

AM: What is Toska European Spa and what services are offered there?

TH: Toska European Spa is an expert Biologique Recherche center where we offer our clients result-driven facial treatments. All of our facials are hyper-personalized and are tailored to a client’s specific needs.

AM: You have a celebrity filled client list that includes Jennifer Aniston, Ashley Busch (our March 2018 cover), why do you find that you are being sought out for those that want to be known as #skingoals and #nofilterneeded?

TH: With over 20 years of experience in the beauty industry, training from some of the most elite beauty schools in Europe, and with the finest products and technology, I can achieve results that are immediately visible, and long lasting, too.

AM: With Awards Season about to get into full swing, what do you feel that your clients are looking for?

TH: During Awards Season, clients come in wanting to look like the best version of themselves. When it comes to skincare, that includes healthy skin that is free of breakouts, evenly toned, youthful, and with a glowing complexion.

AM: You are 1 of 5 brand ambassadors for Biologique Recherche. Can you tell us about this brand and why you wanted to align with them?

TH: Biologique Recherche is focused on results. The reason I choose to work with this brand exclusively is that they respect the skin’s integrity and health. Skincare is seen as an important part of the overall wellness and is not just cosmetic.

AM: You’ve been able to achieve glowing results via the brand’s Remodeling Face Machine – what does this machine do in tandem with products created by them?

TH: The Remodeling Face Machine combines four types of electric currents to tone and sculpt facial muscles, improve muscle memory, and revitalize the epidermis. By using BR products with the Remodeling Face Machine, we can target specific skin concerns such as acne, hyperpigmentation, loss of tone and elasticity, and more.

By altering the settings, how does that affect the kind of glow that you can achieve?

Each treatment is tailored to the client’s needs— depending on what their skin requires, I adjust the settings and use a specific cocktail of serums.

AM: It’s been noted that when you have used the machine on Jennifer Aniston and due to her love of extractions, she likes high intensity. You have credited her Greek skin the ability to have high pain tolerance for these intense treatments. Does ancestry have something to do with this area and are there certain ancestral backgrounds that have benefits to obtaining glowing skin?

TH: Genetics play an important part in what your skin is predisposed to look like, but external factors and how well you take care of your skin, which Jennifer is very disciplined and consistent, are crucial when it comes to having that healthy, glowing complexion.

AM: How can we achieve glowing skin for our red carpet moments?

TH: Good skin is not achieved overnight or with just one treatment. Using products that help tone and brighten the skin (such as Biomagic Mask and Le Grand Serum) are always important before a red carpet event as well as a lifting facial treatment, but consistency and discipline are key.

AM: In terms of aftercare, what products do you suggest after using this machine?

TH: A prescribed home care regimen tailored to your skin is very important. A good gentle cleanser, Lotion P50, serums, a masque, moisturizer, and sunscreen should be everyone’s go-to daily products.

PHOTO CREDITS | Toska European Spa

IG @Toska_EuropeanSpa

Read the Oct Issue of Athleisure Mag and see She Gives That Glow with Toska Husted in mag.

AT THE BODY ELECTRIC

We're constantly talking about a number of trends in style, beauty, wellness and more. This month, we chatted with Celebrity Piercer and owner, Brian Keith Thompson of the famed Body Electric, which is Hollywood's destination for tattoos, body piercing and jewelry! We wanted to know more about trends that are taking place in body piercing, how he came into the business, who he has worked on (Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone are just a few as well as who he'd love to include within his client list. We also want to know what we should look for, as those that may be getting piercings at their local studio.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us how you got into the world of piercing?

BRIAN KEITH THOMPSON: That’s actually a funny story. I was getting tattooed at Body Electric and, after five years of frequenting the place, it came up for sale and I bought it. I needed a job, so I started piercing. I didn’t realize I would actually fall in love with it and actually be good at it; I was just doing it to kind of pass the time and get the respect of the fellow employees by having something other to do than just make money and run the business.
And the better I got at it, the more I loved it; the more I loved it, the better I got at it.

AM: What is Body Electric, when did it start, what services are offered there?

BKT: Body Electric was started March 16, 1992 by a tattoo artist from Switzerland. I became the proprietor on June 11, 2006. I’ve owned it for 11 years. The services we offer are tattoo, body piercing, and jewelry sales. We don’t do anything other than those three things.

AM: Why is Body Electric such a destination that has a number of celebrities flocking to it?

BKT: I ask myself that question every day. I think it has to do with a lot of different things: (a) it’s been around for a long time, so it's kind of a pillar in the Hollywood tattoo community; (b) consistency and trust: like any business—be it a restaurant, retail story, tattoo-piercing studio—
you need to have consistency. And that consistency needs to be maintained month after month, year after year. And you need to maintain trust with your clients. If your clients trust you and you can maintain that trust, you can maintain your business and you will be there year after year. If you erode that trust, it’s just a matter of time before you’re closing your doors for good.

AM: We’re always talking about trends. Are there trends in piercing we should keep an eye out for as we continue into 2018?

BKT: Yes. Multiple dainty constellation-style piercings decorating the ears is very in right now—multiple locations, but doing it small, dainty, and with taste. Also, I think that asymmetry is going to continue to be a very popular trend. A lot of my clients aren’t wearing the same earring in both the first holes of their lobes. I’m seeing this a lot more. I’ve been an advocate for asymmetry for quite some time and I love to see that it’s catching on and people are embracing it, because you can have two different looks: your left ear has one look, your right has another. To me, that’s really cool to have that change of pace.

AM: For those who are looking to get their piercing done that won’t do so at Body Electric, what should be looked for in terms of sanitary work spaces and processes?

BKT: Start researching online. If you find a studio that doesn’t have a website, that’s the first red flag. If you find a studio that has a sprinkle of bad reviews, but the majority of them are good, that’s not a reflection on the studio. It’s usually a reflection on the clients.

If you see a lot of five-star reviews and then one star and then a fifteen fivestar reviews and another one-star, those are probably a specific client's attitude problem or just their taste—not liking the particular studio. You can’t make everyone happy all the time. (And why would you want to?).

If you see a studio that has nothing but two- and three-star reviews, one after another, and people are just voicing their concerns, that is a sign that maybe you should investigate further. Maybe walk into the establishment. If you walk in and it looks cluttered, it doesn’t smell good, the floor looks dingy, the employees look like they are really pissed and they don’t want to help you, just turn around and go find somewhere else. You will regret it if you don’t.

A clear sign of a functioning, good business is the employees are happy. If you walk in and everybody is miserable, that’s the sign of all signs. You’ll get a gut feeling. You’ll know when you’re in the right location. Everyone has a different taste and style. A studio that you like, someone else may not like. It doesn’t mean that you’re wrong or they’re right. It’s just your taste—you like this particular studio and that’s fine, too. But definitely look at the website. Find a piercer or a tattoo artist that likes your style.

Look at their portfolio. Do they do the style of work that you like? Do you see it in their portfolio? If they just tell you that they do a certain style of work and they’re good at it, that’s not enough. Somebody who is really good at a particular craft is going to have photos of that craft and if they’re doing it well, they are going to have multiple, different options for you to look at. A true professional is going to have this photo evidence readily available.

Not all artists use printed-out portfolios anymore. I don’t even have one. It’s mostly digital now. My portfolio is my Instagram. And that's okay. So just check their Instagram out. If you see things you like and you see that they can handle it, that's the best way to go forward, I think.

AM: Is there any recovery or upkeep that needs to be kept in mind after piercing a body part?

BKT: Absolutely. There’s months of aftercare and keep-up. I’ve said many times that getting a piercing is an instant gratification, but it can take months—sometimes up to a year—to heal a specific body part. And you have to have this in mind when you get pierced. “Do I have the time to care for this? Do I have the maturity to care for this? Do I have the patience for it?" All
of these factors in and sometimes it can be a "slow boat to China," but if you're patient and thorough, you can heal it and move on.

“... I think that asymmetry is going to continue to be a very popular trend. A lot of my clients aren’t wearing the same earring in both the first holes of
their lobes. I’m seeing this a lot more. I’ve been an advocate for asymmetry for quite some time and I love to see that it is catching on and people are
embracing it ...”

— Brian Keith Thompkins

I would also say that if you're starting to get pierced, start with no more than three at a time. Heal those successfully and then move on. Doing too much too soon can just add to the problems that you may have healing. 

AM: What celebrities have you worked on and who would you like to work on that you’ve not yet done so at this point?

BKT: I worked on Jennifer Lawrence multiple times, Emma Stone, FKA Twigs comes in quite often. I’ve done multiple piercings on her. I’ve pierced Beyoncé numerous times. I just recently pierced Adele. That was really cool. Those are a few of the celebrities I’ve been lucky enough to work with.

I was watching Saturday Night Live this past Saturday and Natalie Portman was hosting. I was losing it when she did that rap. There are a few close-ups of her and...funny, that's how much I
think about work... I'm watching this at home and thinking, "Wow, I'd like to pierce her ear.” I don’t know if that sounds weird or not, but sometimes I do that. I just see an ear and I think “Wow, that’s a really great look. I’d like to pierce that.” I told my girlfriend that I hope I get to pierce Natalie Portman.

Read more from the Feb Issue and see At the Body Electric in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | THE WALL

If you don't follow their Instagram, we want to put THE WALL on your radar. THE WALL was created by celebrity trainer and group fitness guru Jason Wimberly. After more than a decade
in the fitness industry, and having taught at some of the top studios in the country like SoulCycle, Revolution Studio, and Equinox, the former professional ballet dancer decided it was time to create his own concept. Combining his experience of having taught over 6000 classes throughout his career, he created the 123STACK, which is THE WALL’s signature workout.

The vision began in 2016, but in early 2017, THE WALL launched its first pop up location on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood. Designed as a space to introduce the curriculum and the brand,
the pop up (take advantage of the $18 introductory class prices) has been a great introduction, but will shut down end of February to focus on opening the new 5000 sq ft flagship studio located on Wilshire and Labrea. Opening date for the flagship studio is projected to be April 2018.

The new flagship studio goes beyond what you would expect from most fitness studios. Designed by De Spec Architecture out of NYC with a focus on communal space outside of the designated workout areas, the studio will be a mecca for all things health and fitness, with two separate studios, one for weight training and one for cycling. A large lobby and retail area
designed for connecting and unwinding - will feature athleisure brands Sukishufu, Vimmia, Year of Ours, Michi and men’s label EYSOM, as well as THE WALL’s own signature collection. Finished off by full service luxury locker rooms featuring a private label of bath products from Gazelli UK. Clients will be invited to refuel and rehydrate at THE BAR, the studio's own juice bar and café. THE WALL will be partnering with brands like Café Gratitude and Clover Juice to create original menu items exclusively for the in house café. Add on free spin shoe rental, free filtered water stations, and free 90 minute parking, and it’s safe to say every detail has been planned meticulously by Wimberly and team.

Wimberly combined his experience of having taught over 6000 classes in his career, and dreamt up the 123STACK, which is THE WALL’s signature workout. Comprised of 10 minutes of core activation, 20 minutes of high intensity circuit training, and 30 minutes of indoor cycling, the entire concept of THE WALL is to push you beyond whatever is holding you back, by physically and mentally pushing you to break through. All with a team of seasoned instructors that have expanded the offerings to include STACKED; a 45 minute rhythmic weight training class, full spin classes, and are in the process of launching a restorative recovery class to the schedule.

One of the things that sets THE WALL apart from other fitness studios, is that all classes are done in rhythm and in unison. While most studios utilize stations or circuits in programming,
clients often cycle through stations without any real sense of togetherness. Focusing on the power of the group, and building community, regardless of what weight you decide to lift or where you start, at THE WALL, everyone finishes together.

THE WALL POP UP
7503 W Sunset Blvd @ Gardner
LA, CA 90046

THE WALL FLAGSHIP
730 La Brea @ Wilshire Blvd
LA, CA 90038
 

www.thewallfitness.com

Read more from the Jan Issue and see Athleisure List | THE WALL in mag.

FROM LA WITH LOVE, GIA MANTEGNA

When you grow up in a creative family, you get to try your hand at a number of things to find out what works for you. Gia Mantegna grew up in the industry and has been acting since she was a kid, is a singer and in addition to her roles, can say that she has been able to spend quality time on set as a fellow actor with her dad, Joe Mantegna in the nail-biting series, Criminal Minds.

We sat down with Gia to talk about how she got into acting, what it's like to be on Criminal Minds, playing dramatic characters with a twist, her new show that is available now on CW Seed, what's going on with her music and some of her go to places in LA as well as when she's here in NYC.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did the acting bug hit you?

GIA MANTEGNA: I started acting at a really young age in school. I think I was about 11 when I started theater and that’s kind of where I got the bug. I had obviously grown up in the business
because my dad is an actor.

AM: We’re huge fans of him!

GM: Yeah, yeah me too! Growing up around that environment and being in that industry it was just something that was second nature to me. And I was like, "when is it my turn?" Being the second born child and always wanting attention, I was known for having this personality and having a need to be heard. The only outlet for that was to sing and to perform - so that’s how it started. Then after doing theater, I started working in film and going to TV and auditioning. It hasn’t stopped yet – knock on wood.

AM: What are some of the roles that you have been in?

GM: My first big gig was a Christmas film called Unaccompanied Minors which was a film directed by Paul Feig. He did Bridesmaids, The Heat, Ghostbusters (Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy) etc. That was my introduction into really working in Hollywood. It was such a great experience working with Paul and the cast. That was a fun role for me and I have done a lot of
spots on TV.

I’m really drawn to the darker roles naturally. I am a positive person, but I love those really weird roles. I did a role on Perception where I played this girl who swallowed knives and it was a strange one, but I loved it. Now comedy is where things are going for me which I also love because it’s harder and comedic timing is hard to do. The dramatic roles come easier to me but
comedy is where I am falling into and where the world is going, it’s nice to laugh a little bit.

AM: How much has your father been an influence on your roles and how has it been also appearing on Criminal Minds with him?

GM: YES oh my gosh. I can’t watch Criminal Minds – I live alone with a cat!

AM: When we travel, it’s always on as a marathon and we get sucked in, but we have to have a buddy and the lights on to watch it!

GM: Oddly enough, I never worked with him on the show. When I first auditioned for the show, I was 17 there was a different actor playing my father and I never had any scenes with him. Then one day, the writers came to me with an idea where my character came back with Aubrey Plaza’s character as they wanted two strong female characters to come back to shake up the
team. Aubrey and I came out to do it and I didn’t have any good dialogue with my dad, but there was this scene where he pointed a gun at me which was really exciting as that is always fun to work with a family member holding a gun in your face. I mean when is that going to happen? Hopefully not. But it was great because I have worked on a number of shows, but Criminal Minds – that cast is such a tight-knit group, they’re a family. They get along and it’s
been running for so long which is a testament to how great it is to be able to step into that show for a few weeks. It was the greatest gig in the world and to be able to hang out with my dad for a bit. The character was fun too as she was psychotic!

AM: Tell us about CW Seed and how we can watch it?

GM: A lot of networks have digital platforms as I think that they are trying to compete with Netflix and things like that. CW Seed (shows you can catch: Riverdale, Original Dynasty) is CW’s answer to that. It’s their digital platform where they create new media and they also run shows that have already been out on the website. You can watch on their website or their app.

Our show, Life After First Failure has myself and Breanne (who plays my best friend on the show), we received the script and we loved that there were two strong female characters
shaking things up – we fell in love with it. We did 3 episodes in Portland and CW Seed ended up breaking it up into 6 episodes - to make it more palatable for the audience.

The way it seems to be going is that it’s all about quick easy content for quick gratification. At first, I was a little disappointed, but it’s the way that things are going now. I like longer episodes, but the younger generation is easily bored and when they’re bored, you lose your audience. But the character was so much fun to play and it was different and new. Honestly, it was one of my favorite people to play.

AM: Is there a second season coming out?

GM: In a perfect world, yes – the hope was that the network would see that there was a strong response to it – but they’re kind of new. So a lot of it has been left to us and social media has really helped in terms of campaigning for the show. We definitely want to come back to do more episodes – right now we’re not sure so we want people to watch and tweet to request more episodes.

AM: We know that you are also a singer can you tell us about how you started that and what your plans are?

GM: I was always singing at a young age. My parents threw me into everything soccer, piano, saxophone etc. Singing stuck with me – my sister and I took lessons at a very young age. Both of my parents have a musical background and it was just one of those things that I always kept in my back pocket, but I was too scared to use and then it got to a point that I really wanted to do a show so I got a producer and a band and we put it together with a show at The Whiskey in LA. It was so great, but there aren’t really any plans as I was starting to work on an album and then acting picked up, but it's always something I go back to. Right now, I record things and sell them to shows and just kind of do it as a hobby.

PHOTO COURTESY | Scott Bonnie

AM: What is the genre?

GM: It ended up being a rock show when I was at The Whiskey. But the song I’m most proud of, ‘I Won’t Wait’ it’s alternative/electronic. It has a cool vibe to it as I’m inspired by Banks and Tove Lo - just I love that electronic ease and fun. But when I get back into singing, I want to do a lot of oldies covers as I listen to a lot of 70s music. I love Top 40, but I’m inspired by that era. I have been listening to a lot of THEM (Van Morrison’s old band) lately and I thought it would be really fun to do a lot of covers of music that my parents grew up with as that's what I listened to growing up.

AM: What is your personal style when you're going out for brunch versus when you're having a night out?

GM: It doesn’t change – it’s always the same – I’m all black everything – it makes doing laundry very easy. I always dress for winter or fall – I wear Doc Martins all the time, I live in them. I love skinny jeans and a baggy sweatshirt on top. I love jewelry which allows me to go a little crazy and I love makeup! My sister and I went to makeup school just for fun and my sister was really into it – she has autism and is really high functioning, but my parents didn’t want her to go alone so I went as her pal and I ended up loving it. I love playing with makeup looks and it taught me what I could do with makeup – so it’s all about the accessories.

AM: How do you take time for yourself in the midst of your busy schedule?

GM: It’s interesting as an actor, you’re your own boss and there is going to be downtime so you’re always trying to stay proactive. I do piano as much as I can to stay with my music.

I do meditate - big meditator. I tried running for 5 mins. - it was horrible, but I really love yoga. There is a huge yoga culture in LA - which I know is everywhere as well. But I have been doing
yoga for so long that I just do it on my own and I just do it in my trailer. Now that I have this amazing cat in my life, I love meditating and doing yoga at home. I don’t do any high impact – I
don’t. I can’t do it because I have this really weird jaw issue which is a severe form of TMJ where I have to get injections in my masseter muscles. So when I do anything high impact the stress goes to my neck and my face and then I have to go to the Chiropractor and it becomes this whole thing. Everything is low impact and easy – I walk a lot and although LA is not a walking town, I live in West Hollywood so I can do that.

AM: What charity/philanthropy do you do?

GM: Because my sister has autism, I have always been involved in that as it has been a big part of my life and to give back to the community. My family and I do not support Autism Speaks as they have paid celebrities to do endorsements which makes sense, but many don't know what they're talking about and funds have gone to the CEOs and very little of the money is going to autism research. More grassroots organizations is where we go and my dad does a lot of work with veterans so anything that involves them and the military, I am all about it. Autism is big for me and there isn’t one that I champion specifically.

PHOTO COURTESY | Marco David

AM: What's on your playlist?

GM: I’ve been listening to a lot of THEM, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan – I went to a concert of his last year and it was so great. I just really love him. Let me grab my phone out. I love Tove Lo and Banks of course. A lot of oldies - OH - Roy Orbison - he's the best for the holidays - I really love his stuff and I have been getting obsessed with Chris Isaak again. OH Tom Jones is my
go to when I'm getting ready, I go to Spotify, put in Tom Jones and listen to everything. It gets crazy and my dad makes fun of me and asks, “why do you listen to my music?” I love it and everything coming out lately now – it’s cool to vibe out to in the background, but I don’t connect with it and it’s not inspirational to me.

AM: When you're in LA, what's 1 place you work out, 1 place you eat at 1 place you shop? What version do you have for that here in NYC?

GM: The answer to most of those questions is home, home, home haha. In NY, I go to McSorley’s Old Ale House - I was just there last night with my mom and my sister. So only in NY
would this take place, we met these two guys where one had just broken up with his wife and one with his girlfriend and they wanted to recreate this picture that they had taken when they were with them at the same bar a few years prior! One ex was blonde and one was brunette and we re-created the picture.

In LA, people are very "don’t talk to me," but in NY it’s so different and they were from Orange County. It was hysterical and the picture was identical and I even arranged everything on the table the same way. McSorley's is my go to.

In LA, I go anywhere although there is this cool Australian bar called The Eveleigh. Serafina just opened in LA so I love that – they’re on Sunset. I work out at home in LA so I just go outside as there is so much hiking you can do and I want to try boxing. For shopping, I am all about ASOS – they have great stuff, affordable and they always have black options. In NY it’s anywhere.
I’m obsessed with shoes, so any shoe store. I love Opening Ceremony and I love Soho in general. Evolution is here and I love them, we have something similar in LA called Necromance, but I haven’t bought anything. Where am I going to put taxidermy squirrels?

My God mom has a store in Toluca Lake near my parents house called Pergolina and she has these beautiful taxidermy animals which she gets from Necromance. Her store is where I get my jewelry and I wear these bracelets all the time. But I’m not a big shopper – I’m an eater – I love to eat. My mom has a restaurant in Burbank called Taste Chicago.

AM: Wait we have heard of Taste Chicago!

GM: I know a lot of people think that it’s my dad’s, but it’s my moms!

AM: Which one is from Chicago?

GM: Both – my whole family is from Chicago and here. We’re here because one of my family members just bought a house in New Jersey. We’re the only ones in LA. We needed to bring Chicago to LA.

AM: So what are we ordering at Taste Chicago?

GM: Chicago dogs, Sicilian Pan Pizza, Deep Dish, Italian Beef, everything – it’s hard core. You don’t go there to get a salad, you go there to work! But I actually prefer NY style pizza haha but I go there for the Italian Beef.

PHOTO COURTESY | Marco David

Read more from the Dec Issue and see From LA with Love, Gia Mantegna in mag.