Read the MAY ISSUE #101 of Athleisure Mag and see Rock This For Much Needed Summer Fridays in mag.
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ROCK THIS FOR MUCH NEEDED SUMMER FRIDAYS
Read the MAY ISSUE #101 of Athleisure Mag and see Rock This For Much Needed Summer Fridays in mag.
When we began working in the fashion industry, there are a number of memories that we will never forget that allowed us to see the work of those who have brands that focus on the importance of heritage and artistry. One of our NYFW experiences involved a stunning runway show that showcased dramatic crisp white shirts with architectural collars and accessorized with belts and earrings. We also attended an intimate fragrance launch at her home where she not only played piano for us, but allowed us to see how her brand is truly one that runs seamlessly in your life beyond just what one wears on one's body. Josie Natori is the epitome of refined style, luxury, and the ultimate in self-care.
We sat down with the Founder and Chief Executive of The Natori Co. in her offices in NYC to talk about being a child prodigy in piano, how she climbed the corporate ladder at Merrill Lynch, and how her passion for creativity led to her launching her namesake company which includes a number of coveted labels, and the importance of having brand authenticity and integrity.
ATHLEISURE MAG: It is such a pleasure to see you again! We met many years ago!
JOSIE NATORI: Yes, you were at one of my fragrance launches, I don’t remember which one it was.
AM: Yes it was awhile ago and it was such a beautiful event as I was able to hear you play the piano, and you hosted it at your home. I have been such a fan of the brand for so long so it’s amazing to be here now to talk to you!
When did you realize that you loved fashion and wanted to design?
JN: No, I never said that I wanted to design. I loved fashion, when you grow up in the Philippines, you love clothes. So it was never a dream or an aim or a goal. It was a total accident as it was not something that I would have thought about.
I started out in Wall Street for 9 years and it was a great business to be in. But then I also had this artistic background as a pianist as I had been playing since I was 4 and that creative and artistic aspect as well. I never dreamt of nor wanted to and I don’t like to be called a clothing designer. I’m an artist and a businesswoman. I like beautiful things and I have figured out how to do them.
AM: What do you love about playing the piano?
JN: It’s kind of second nature. You’re born, you dance, you play, you sing, you dance, you act, and my mother, she was also a pianist. So everyone had to play an instrument, you didn’t question it – you just did it. I started playing when I was 4, I performed concerts and at the age of 9, I played solo with the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra. Thank God that I did it and I love to play the piano because it’s a great way for me to express myself through the piano.
AM: That really nice.
You came to the US and attended Manhattanville College with your focus in Economics and you’re such a trailblazer, as you climbed the corporate ladder at Merrill Lynch in the 70s.
JN: Yes, I was the first female VP of Investment Banking at Merrill Lynch.
AM: Well what did it mean to you to have that position especially as a woman?
JN: You know what, when I was on Wall Street, that never really occurred to me. Growing up in Manila, I came from a place with strong matriarchal society where the women were very strong. My mother was an entrepreneur, my grandmother was also a businesswoman. I never questioned that. So when other people would look at what I did and say how unique it was, for me I never had that as an issue, I never confronted it, I didn’t worry about it, I just did it. I know that those looking at me felt that as a woman and a minority, I checked 2 boxes, but I never saw it that way. I think that I was just at the right place at the right time and I think that with my background and my upbringing, I had no fear.
AM: What took place for you to transition from being in finance and doing well, to move on to fashion?
JN: Yes, I got bored after being there for 9 years and I came to the decision that I had no desire to be the President of Merrill Lynch. It’s not that I was given that opportunity, but I knew that that wasn’t something that I wanted. I felt that I had climbed the mountain, and I woke up in the morning and I felt that I didn’t have -
AM: That fire.
JN: Yes. So I always knew that I would have my own business because my grandmother is entrepreneurial, my father started his business and he was a self-made man. It was only a question of what business. Then Ken and I got married and I was thinking of what business we could do. We explored a brokerage firm, but we didn’t have the resources and it wasn’t the right time in the Stock Market. So I started exploring and thinking about other businesses like opening up a McDonald’s and other ideas. But it was just by accident that the business of import/export in the Philippines came up. Not in a million years was I thinking about design, it was about the trade of product. It evolved and I was really fortunate and the left brain and the right brain aligned. That’s what was missing. Wall Street had made me work in one way and there is a lot of creativity in that field that people find exciting, but for me, it was boring. In terms of finance I did enjoy making the deals. But in fashion you’re making deals and also working with product. It was exciting and I have always enjoyed fashion, I’m a shopaholic.
AM: What was your vision initially when you first launched the label?
JN: There was no vision, it was just buying and selling. It was just me seeing items and purchasing it and you just keep going. It was only later on when I brought in an embroidered blouse to a buyer and she felt that it would be great as a sleep shirt and so that was lingerie. At the time, lingerie was either lewd or frumpy. So I was lucky that I was able to get into that area and I was also very persistent and I learned on the job!
AM: It’s the best way to go about it sometimes.
JN: No one taught me.
AM: Looking at your brand today, you have a number of labels. What is your process in deciding what pieces will go with what portion of the label and the corresponding design?
JN: I think that over the years we have been fortunate to be able to have some tiers because you have Josie Natori which is the most luxurious, distinctive, and most expensive label and that’s not for everybody and it’s available at Saks in terms of its distribution. Natori is more everyday and it’s at Dillard's and N Natori at Von Maur. It’s for that day-to-day life. We also have Josie which is a bit dormant right now, but it is for that younger customer. We’re just really fortunate to be able to have that a brand that has different tiers and also includes various categories. I think that we have something to offer for everyone. Whether you’re buying a caftan for $6,000, $900, or $198 you see the difference in materials, but the integrity of the brand is there.
AM: I have had the pleasure to wear some of your caftan dresses from Josie Natori and they are the most stunning and beautiful pieces to wear.
JN: Thank you!
AM: One of the things that I like so much about your lines is that you do have a number of licensees and categories that are within the brand. What is your process in terms of how you decide on including accessories, home goods, candles, fragrances, etc?
JN: Well, I think that it was after 5 years. You know, you’re not really a brand until the customer tells you so. When the customer tells you, that’s when you can look at things differently and Natori really is a state of mind. There is a whole philosophy about it. I thought that the brand is about feeling good and there is a sociological element about the brand and there is also a design element. The brand is about having feel good products and being true to yourself as well as feminine. Then there is the actual aesthetic of the design which is the East-West and the modern aspects of it and you can see it in a number of the pieces that we have. It is about bringing art into life.
But when it comes to products, I’m not going to do pots and pans, that doesn’t relate to the brand. We’re focused on the inside and out as well as head-to-toe. Because you can create that East- West in so many places in the home and under the covers. A feel good brand means you’re going to think about fragrances, fabrics, and what makes you feel good. As a brand, I think that we have a point of view and that’s what makes us distinctive and there is also that psychographic where when you buy Natori, it’s a gift to yourself. It’s about feeling feminine, loving yourself, why not? It’s indulgence.
AM: One of my favorite bras is actually from your line as it’s a T-Shirt style super light and comfortable while feeling luxurious. It’s always easy to wear and I agree with you on how the brand inherently has that feel good nature about it.
In looking at the collections that you have, it allows that woman to go out to for a night on the town, to work, to being casual and to really navigate her life. What would be 3 pieces that are essential across your whole brand or for each individual label?
JN: That’s really hard and you know, my philosophy is that we make clothes that make you feel good, feminine, comfortable, elegant, and stylish. But where you wear it, that’s your decision! I’m not telling you what to do! Some people like to take our slip dress and wear it to sleep in, but someone else is wearing it to go out in. So for me, it’s a range of possibilities and a point of view. It’s a sensibility of how you dress you know? It’s a statement, it’s feminine, and to me, it’s about wearing it wherever you want!
In terms of pieces, you want to have that great foundation, so you want to make sure that your underwear is comfortable. Then you have those options of wearing a caftan, or a lovely kimono or a dress. Of course, there’s accessories and it’s hard to point out just one as there are so many options! To me, the items that are closest to your skin are the most important as opposed to what’s outside.
AM: I couldn’t agree more!
There was a runway show that you did years ago and I know my mom and I attended this show. Most of the looks were dynamic white crisp shirts paired with your accessories. I just remember seeing beautiful collars, elements of Geometria, and belts – it was just stunning.
JN: Oh great!
AM: It was like a Dynasty moment which I am a huge fan of as I love the glamour and drama that came through with the way that the characters were styled on that show.
JN: I am very proud of the artistry that we have created for this brand and the handwork comes from the Philippines. We have been able to bring that craftsmanship to our collections and it’s about bringing the best of the past and to apply it to modern luxury whether it's on your body or your bed. I just think that we deserve it. We work so hard on this Earth!
AM: Where do you see the brand going whether it’s collaborations or big product launches that we should keep an eye out for?
JN: We are fortunate that we have built a following and a customer base and we have never taken that for granted! We need to continue to be relevant to the next generation. We want to continue only do the categories that relate to the brand and we always have to think about who our customer is. Each generation is different and I am always thinking about who we can speak to what they are looking for and what makes sense for who we are. We can’t be stuck. My son is the President of Natori and we’re always looking forward and keeping things fresh.
AM: What does it mean to you to have Natori as a member of the CFDA?
JN: Obviously, it’s a wonderful organization that really showcases and supports its members and it’s great to have a voice and I appreciate that. I don’t really consider myself a designer, but I think it is important to be involved whether it’s hosting a function/event, to mentor as well as to advise and to have that representation.
AM: Absolutely.
What are you the most proud of in terms of what you have done with this Empire?
JN: Well, it’s not an empire number 1.
AM: I think it is a big deal to be around as long as you have with your distribution channels, licenses and being a multi-million dollar brand. To start as a sleepwear/lingerie brand and to have an array of celebs like Lady Gaga, Kate Beckinsale, and Rose Huntingon-Whiteley wearing your labels.
JN: I have to say that we are very proud. There aren’t too many brands, I don’t think that have lasted this long and are independent. So I feel that that is something that my family is very proud of. My son Ken taking over as President, but I’m not retiring anytime soon! I’m getting close to 77, but I don’t feel old you know? It’s really a mindset to me and I think young! When I’m traveling with our team, sometimes they say, “can we rest?” and I say, “what do you mean rest? It’s time to go!” They are more than half my age. So it’s fun and I think that we are just proud that we are able to build this brand and we are proud of the connections to the Philippines because I think that without my Asian heritage, and I am very proud about that, it is what distinguishes me and it is my point of differentiation to bring that heritage and background and to bring the essence of that in an art form into our prints and patterns is great to add and to infuse in our modern way of living. It’s been an exciting journey you know? We’re known for our prints and I think that being able to have that distinctive point of view we are proud of what we have offered and continue to do. We are proud of being a privately held and family owned company. But, there is no sitting on your laurels. It’s a very tough environment and we’re just navigating that is the business climate is different and has its challenges. But it’s exciting when you’re doing this and to see what you have built and will continue to do as you evolve and to present yourself the way that you want to present yourself. There is freedom in being able to do that. I’m proud of that and I think the real test is that I want the brand to live beyond me. It has to keep on going and we can’t bastardize the brand. I’d rather keep the brand like this and to have integrity which is important to me.
AM: You have been such a trailblazer and it has been such an honor to have you talk with us about the brand so that we can share with our fans and readers of Athleisure Mag!
JN: I’ve looked at your magazine and Athleisure doesn’t mean that you’re just wearing the sweats, track suits, or activewear. I think the term and how you present it is redefining it. Natori is a way of dressing. It’s a way of dressing that’s feminine, glamorous, statement, full of color, happy, and it feels good. It’s a mindset of how you want to be whether I’m relaxing and reading the paper on the couch. Athleisure is my time! It’s me time! That’s why Natori is about buying for yourself! You can buy it and afford the pieces that you want and I think it is interesting!
IG @natori
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Natori
Read the APR ISSUE #100 of Athleisure Mag and see INDULGE YOURSELF AND ME TIME | Josie Natori in mag.
Accessories are always the favorite part of our look and it's always great to add to our collection. Over a decade ago, we learned about a boho brand that allowed us to wear them with a number of our outfits, no matter the style we were rocking at the time. This brand is known for their leathers, fabrication, style, and very quickly become a go-to that you enjoy wearing!
We caught up with CEO/Founder, and Chief Cheerleader, Tony Drockton of Hammitt. His passion for this brand and its growth is undeniable. He believes in having fun in the workplace and creating memories for those that will wear the brand as they make it their own. We wanted to know more about how the brand started, how he came to the brand, the design aesthetic, and upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for.
ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s such a pleasure to connect with you as we have been a fan of the brand for as long as it has been around! I also love that we have a few things in common from both of us being from the Midwest!
TONY DROCKTON: I’m from Cleveland and I get to make fun of it because I was born there. It was great growing up there, but then I just absolutely wanted more. I like going back, I’m grateful to have family there, but I’m also grateful as you know – you being on the East Coast and me on the West Coast, it’s great to be here! Where in Indiana?
AM: Indianapolis and my parents met and graduated from your Alma mater, Bowling Green State University!
TD: Oh wow! I’ll be back there in BG this month.
AM: Nice, I went to Indiana University.
TD: Yup, that’s a good one! BG, they have a thing called Entrepreneurship Week every year and I started going back last year and I’m going back this year. I get to speak and judge a competition it’s so fun!
AM: Before we delve into talking about the brand, can you tell me about your background and how you came to Hammitt?
TD: Well we are in our 16th year, quick start, I bumped into Stephanie Hammitt when she was making the bags locally and I fell in love with her as a person as she’s wonderful. She was looking for an investor and I loved the designs and the brand and thought, “let’s give this a shot.” That’s the nexus and once I got into this industry, I fell in love with it.
AM: I remember being gifted a back back in 2009 at an Editor event and I love a lot of the things about that bag that are still cornerstones of the brand. The hardware – the rivets are one of my favorite things, the beautiful fabrication, just how easy it is to wear. I would take them with me to TV segments, a number of events, and travels. I think that it is a testament to the brand that it has really held true as well as having grown into other categories, which is great!
TD: Thank you! The DNA of the brand has been since Stephanie Hammitt and it has really iterated along what we felt would improve the functionality, keep it relevant on the design side, and more importantly to last multiple generations. It’s really about standing the test of time like you mentioned. That’s what we look to do with every new design and also some of our earliest designs are some of our best sellers.
AM: For those that aren’t familiar with the brand, how would you describe what Hammitt is and what are those main things about the brand that people can always see?
TD: I’d say the joy of the brand is how I like to describe it. Like you said, years ago you ran into it and you still remember it and wear it. I think that whether you’re manufacturing footwear or handbags or furniture or cars, when you make something that people get joy out of being apart of, wearing, driving, being in a community of, you’ve nailed it. Think of the late Tony Hsieh, the founder of Zappos, I was just relistening to his biography and he talked about how he wasn’t a shoe guy, he was an experience guy and that he wanted to make sure that his internal team, his vendors, and his customers all had a great experience with Zappos. I follow that same lead with Hammitt.
AM: Being the CEO and the Co-Founder of the brand, tell me about your roles at Hammitt and I also love that you are the Chief Cheerleader which I think is awesome!
TD: Thank you! Well you know, when you’re the founder, you do it all. There’s just a couple of us in the office including our current designer, Jeanne Allen, she's on her 10th year. Then you grow into sort of more of a leadership role as a CEO. I stepped away and became Chairman and brought in a CEO for 7 years and then he just retired. We retired our first long time Hammitt person in March and now I'm CEO again! So I’m Founder, CEO, and also the Chief Cheerleader which has always sort of been my role. I go back to my football days where I was always the guy cheering them on whether I was on defense or offense saying, “we can do it, we can do it!” Whether we were down 1 or up as you want to keep up that energy.
I think it’s very important for people to have fun wherever they work and also cheerleading our team during some of the tougher years. It’s just as important to remind people to stay humble when things are going as well as they are right now and that’s a cheerleader right?
AM: Absolutely.
What’s an average day or week like for you at the brand?
TD: Ha! There isn’t one! You really want to have an open schedule for when people need you. I’m a big believer in keeping that so that I can have 1:1 time as needed. We also have a limited number of regular meetings that we all have within the company and then I try to spend as much of my time in front of our customers or in front of our retail sales associates at our 3 stores, or with our vendors out in some of our Wholesale partners. That’s the joy of standing by our collection in the middle of Minneapolis, and having people try it on and to ask them how they know Hammitt or standing in my store. Or it’s about walking down the street when someone has it on in the wild and asking them how they know about the brand? The next words they say are the words that energize me. Most of the time it’s, “oh I just love this bag, it was given to me by somebody,” or “that it has traveled with me all around the world.” Sometimes it’s simply how many memories that it has created. That’s what they usually talk about. That’s what is so wonderful!
AM: Well, I love the fact that you are so in tune from the customer side and also with your team. My background was in Wholesale, I worked at Lacoste so I dealt with a lot of our accounts. When you see someone that is in the C-Suite that’s rolling their sleeves up, it’s actually energizing not only from a customer perspective, but the actual team of employees that works together. So that’s amazing.
TD: You know Kimmie, in the earliest days, every new person had to work in our in-house distribution center for at least a week. They got to run the products, they got to ship them, pack them, write the handwritten notes when people purchased them, look at the repairs when they came in, and check in new product. That sort of energy can’t be recreated by starting in the office. We’re much bigger now so not everyone is in our fulfillment center, but many of us still spend time on the retail floor, and if we don’t do that, we absolutely spend time at our events. We throw a lot of events and our team always shows up to support. Being in front of the people that love the brand, it’s not work. If it’s work, get out! The greatest companies in the world do this all the time whether it’s in the fashion industry, or any other industry, or the service industry right?
AM: Yup! 100%
How would you define the Hammitt customer?
TD: Ooo. You know, laying aside demographics and laying aside the main psychographics, she loves life and that’s our customer.
AM: I love that! You never know what detailed answer will come with a question like that and it’s great when you hear it, but there is something simple and expansive about she loves life!
I love that the assortment is so diverse whether you’re minimal or not. Can you walk us through the assortment or major product types of the brand?
TD: Well, let’s start with some signature pieces that have been around for about 5-15 years. We have our Daniel which is our satchel and it’s carried all over the country. It can hold a notebook computer or it can hold just a couple of things for the day. We have the Bryant right next to that – those 2 go hand-in-hand. Our collectors have both. Then you go into our clutches and we have the VIP which has been around since almost the beginning and there is a whole series of VIP different styles around that. The belt bag is hot right now so Charles is in charge. There’s a slingback so you can wear it around or wear it as a crossbody it’s a great bag. Then we drop down into the bag that I like because it’s called The Tony!
AM: That’s fair!
TD: It’s a perennial winner when it comes to events. I’m sure for Athleisure Magazine, there are a couple of people that might like sports and you have to have a clear bag when you’re going into the stadiums! Then The Tony leather sits side by side that series. Then we have a new entrant called the Kyle. Kyle is small and goes everywhere for the woman who seeks joy and goes everywhere, she’s going to love Kyle!
AM: Wow! When does the Kyle come out?
TD: Let’s just say that it could be out by the time that people are reading this!
AM: Ok!
So if there had to be only 3 bags that a woman would take to start or round out her collection what would those essentials be in the world of Hammitt?
TD: If she’s going on a trip and she can only take 3, I think that she's going to pack the Charles for everyday and probably inside of that, she is going to have a Tony or a VIP to go out with friends or for some events. Those are the go-to bags that I see most women carrying.
I have to mention one more!
AM: See that’s what happens!
TD: It just came out and we just dropped our VIP Mobile which carries a mobile phone and everything that you need in a day.
AM: In terms of fabrication, I love that you just have so many colors and textures. What’s your approach when it comes to colorways in general or as it pertains to the different bodies?
TD: The beauty of having a brand that has been developed over this time, I have an amazing design team led By Jeanne and Collier Smith, they’re all about color theory and one just currently came back from over seas and the other is in Brazil right now. Additionally, they were in Paris, they have been to Milan, so they just finished choosing colors for Spring 25 and they’re already looking for colors for Summer 25. They really look at color as a combination of when the bags are going to come out and what is the inspiration for the collection. So, they have some pastels in our Fall collection for 24 and they’re pastels – they’re right on the runway in the Fall collections. They really try to align both with that woman that loves to be a little bit on the fashion edge while also always wanting something that is timeless. So they walk that line with color theory.
AM: In terms of hardware, I have always loved that about the brand as well. Is that the same thought that goes into that by maintaining certain elements of it and deviating a bit here and there depending on the styles that it is on?
TD: You know, we’re really consistent on our hardware. The reason for that is the DNA of the brand is actually the look of the the brand from far away and across the street. So that signature rivet detail either comes down on the side, the bottom, or the front of every design. It’s 1 size rivet and it’s spaced pretty consistently and that’s the main hardware. Then the other piece of hardware is interchangeable, for example, all of our straps are removable so you can move them from bag to bag especially when trends change. So, we’re pretty consistent. But I will let you in on a secret – we might be working on a new custom piece of hardware that may come out sometime this year and that’s new for us! What we will do also is that within the rivet, we may change finishes and we might even change to a custom rivet for one of our collectible editions. We have done a lot of collaborations. So we have done collaborations with different brands so there will be some customization on the actual rivet for a specific collection which you might have seen in the past on a few items and you’re definitely going to see that later on this year.
AM: Well that’s exciting.
What is your process in terms of your inline items when you’re thinking of adding items to the heritage of the brand versus keeping the core?
TD: Again, the design team, their call to action is that when they see a need in the market, then they’re going to bring us a new silhouette. So we don’t hamper them and say that we need 4,000 new silhouettes every week. In general, it comes down to about 4 times a year that they’re going to bring out a silhouette that fills a need as functionality is the backbone of the brand, but that is also probably on trend as we do have the classic silhouettes that are already in place. It’s a combination of the two and I will let you in on another one, every time that we launch a new silhouette, a single H rivet that we put on it is on the right corner and it signifies that it is brand new. It’s only on it when we launch it.
AM: I like that, it’s almost like a hidden Mickey when you go to Disney. When you know where to look.
TD: Yeah! I heard of this thing about the first pickle at Disneyland, have you heard about it?
AM: Yeah I had heard something about it!
TD: We have some Disney girls that work for us and if you’re the first one in the park and you run to the pickle vendor, you get the first pickle and then a button! I love Easter Eggs.
AM: Same!
TD: When I was a young kid playing video games and you would bump into the secret doorway or you would have to tap the keys in a certain way to open up another level, we have a lot of those in this brand!
AM: I love it!
TD: This catalog right here is our latest one and it has multiple hidden Easter Eggs inside of it. We have the H rivet on our bags, inside of our bags is a little vintage tag which actually says when it was made, every bag has a secret little red somewhere whether it’s outside or inside, and it goes on and on and on.
AM: That’s so fun because as people grow with the brand, they have these fun things to look for and there’s always something new to unveil which is what makes the brand so exciting.
TD: It is! People want familiarity, I believe and the familiarity is the consistency of our long term silhouettes and the signature of the detail and the high quality in the functionality. So they also want something new and when we launch a pure fashion collection, so right now it’s April, we just came out with a new colorway on the VIP that will only be launched now on that silhouette and when it’s gone it’s gone. So it’s a seasonal exclusive, now we also may have repeat seasonal colorways that we bring back every year and that would be normally on newer silhouettes or on other ones. So next year if a leather is really good and then we have our long time perennial leathers that we use over and over again and that’s what we call our bestseller collection. So we have the combination of the 3 and that really allows us to serve every customers needs.
AM: About how many launches would you say a year are taking place – or drops? Because I always love that in accessories it tends to be different then in apparel.
TD: They design in quarter periods. So this year, we call is 24.1, 24.2, 24.3, and 24.4, but traditionally they would call it I guess, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Holiday, Cruise but within each one of those quarters, we have our monthly collections and within our monthly, we also have our weekly drops. So really, every week we’re dropping a new leather family and/or a new leather family with a new silhouette. Every month we have new combinations of either leather families or silhouettes and for every quarter, we have a new collection that tells a story.
AM: Your Sales Meetings must be interesting because that’s massive!
TD: Well, that’s our design team. I love it and they come up with everything. They get inspired and we’re in our 24.2 which is Summer. By the way, do you know Jose Canseco?
AM: Um of course one of the premier power hitters in MLB with the A’s and played for a number of teams including the Yankees!
TD: Well, our latest catalog as you can see here, this is his daughter Josie (Kygo Feat. Ella Henderson - Here for You video, Kith Park: SS2019 NYFW, The Surreal Life)! She’s adorable and amazing.
AM: When you first were talking about the catalog a few minutes back and I was looking at it, I thought wow Jessica looks really good but I know she is much older then the young girl that is on the cover, but wow that’s her daughter!
TD: That’s Josie, we shot her last month and this catalog is our summer collection and it was inspired by our hometown of Hermosa Beach which is where the brand is born and raised, where I live right now with my son, our offices, and Hermosa is a very eclectic town. It’s right next to Manhattan Beach, but it’s its own personality. They came back and that was about a year ago and they laid out what they thought would be a collection to honor our hometown and she was perfect. We shot her and everything came together in this collection of what I just told you about it. It has monthly drops, it has weekly drops, we had a big launch event on April 4th and that’s the first time that we have done this sort of launch. But it’s about bringing everyone together to honor our little town of Hermosa Beach – it’s been fun.
AM: How do you approach doing collaborations and partnerships. I love the work that you have been dong within Mary Fitzgerald of Netflix's Selling Sunset as I think she’s great and you can see how she is aligned with the brand.
TD: We love Mary, she was truly a fan for a long time like you, she knew Hammitt. She was a real estate agent right here on the South Bay where we’re from and then she went out to the West side and had the show, she already had our bags so she was already wearing them. That’s one way that we do collaborations when it seems to be a match. Another way is when my design team and myself love art! Art is my personal inspiration. I go to Art Basel, whenever I travel I go to a lot of modern museums so does Jeanne so does Collier and we found Alex Alpert who is our latest collaboration and we found him at Art Basel a couple of years ago and we’re launching with him this quarter next month. It’s graffiti and when you at look at the design, it’s actually all Hermosa Beach, it’s our city, its waves, volleyball, our logo and he drew this on leather and then we made it into the collection. And that rivet which you can see is a melting rivet.
AM: Which is pretty cool.
TD: So Alex is a fulltime artist, young, very cool and he has a collaboration that I can’t mention coming out with a global brand. He’s gotten really lucky and I don’t even know if he is even 30 yet! The commonality between Mary and Alex – it’s the ones that we think have a great personality. They love life and we want to really collaborate with people where we enjoy the relationship.
AM: Are there other collaborations that we should also keep an eye out for? Are you thinking about LA28 which is coming up? I could see some amazing things there.
TD: Yeah, so there’s a women’s rally launching in the Fall called the Princess Rally and it’s a 100 women driving sports cars from Southern California up to Northern California and it’s sponsored by Richard Mille, a luxury watch brand. We’re doing a collaboration between us, Richard Mille, and them.
Every September we have what we call the September Issue. We have a collaborative bag that will be coming out for that this year as well. Then at the end of the year, there is an artist that we have a collaboration coming out with and she is a print artist and that’s Dani Dazey. She has already posted about it and she's lovely! She’s so great and she did a beautiful print and we have a whole collection that we will be dropping before the end of the year with her. We’re already working on our collaborations for ’25.
AM: Haha I’m always thinking of something. Being that my background is in fashion, being a Fashion Stylist, as well as being an Accessory Expert, I love seeing true collaborations between people or brands that are amazing on their own, but when they are brought together, you truly have a whole new way of looking at something that you really appreciate.
TD: You know, it’s wonderful right? One of the things that we do is these pop-ups as we have 3 retail stores – Manhattan Beach, South Coast Plaza, and Le Jolla here in California. For Women’s Month in March last month, every Saturday, there were 5 of them and across 3 stores, we had 15 pop-ups of small artisans – candlemakers, hatmakers, flowers, and permanent jewelry. They came and set up in our stores on a Saturday and we welcomed in our customers to meet them and they brought their fans and we had champagne, drinks, and music pumping. It was a really great atmosphere and we will be bringing in a lot more of that as we go on throughout the year. It was very successful.
AM: Do you do pop-ups outside of California like here in NY? Or are you thinking of making a store in NY?
TD: We have had pop-ups throughout the country, not in the traditional open for 2 month set up. But we have sat inside a Kendra Scott store in The Hamptons or back in their hometown. We have been invited to do trunk shows all over the country with our retail partners and we still do. We just celebrated National Hammitt Day with our largest partner on a Saturday and they had a small gift for all of their clients and it was a lot of fun. NYC, it’s still on my map and my bucket list. In our earliest day, we used to do a week in the windows of Henri Bendel for Hammitt when they were around.
AM: I remember! I loved that store and still miss it!
TD: I loved it too and I liked us being there. So I have always wanted to come back to NY in style and be on 5th Ave for our own pop-up and it will happen one day!
AM: That is so amazing and I can’t wait for that. Are there any pop-ups in your local area that you want to share that are taking place this Spring or Summer that we can keep an eye out for for our readers?
TD: I would say that in our 3 stores at least 1 to 2 times a month we have small artisans and makers that will be coming in and so look out for those. On May 17th is our Annual Investors Day. So we did a crowd funding and we have a lot of collectors who invested and we are bringing them all together and it’s a day of joy and fun. We can share our results and what we’re doing moving forward. This will be the first time that we have done that. So this will be great. Then once a year we usually have an in-person event that is in Nov where people fly in from all over the country and it’s a theme. Last year’s was Mama Mia and it was a Greek theme and people get to come and be in that theme to have fun, food, and great cocktails. It’s also a great way for them to be able to see all of our latest designs.
AM: Obviously as we’ve been talking, it’s a women’s brand, but there are a lot of pieces that translate for a man as well. Would you ever create a men’s capsule collection or go in that direction in some way?
TD: [Smiles]
AM: I thought so!
TD: I don’t know, maybe you’re on to something haha!
AM: What have been some of the things that you have been proud of for this brand?
TD: I mean, I’m always the proudest when someone comes up to me and tells me how much they have loved my Hammitt. It’s always what they do with them, where they traveled, who they got it from, what memories they have created, and the second piece of it is our team! I was so proud of Angel who was just in NYC.
AM: Yup, I saw him and had the chance to chat with him at the Accessories Council event at Tin Building by Jean-Georges.
TD: He started at our retail store 3 years ago and I asked him what he wanted to do and he told me that he wanted to work at our headquarters. I said great and I told him that when he was ready, let’s go.
AM: What are things that are taking place with the brand whether it’s holiday season or whatever that you’re able to share that it longer term that we can keep an eye out for.
TD: I just saw our Holiday collection. It just came in and it’s mind blowing. It’s the colors, the textures, and it’s going to take it to another level and is a celebration of who we are. I gave you the secrets of Fall – the Princess Rally is going to be great, our September Issue, wait until you see it. That’s all I can give you for now!
IG @hammittla
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Hammitt
Read the APR ISSUE #100 of Athleisure Mag and see THE JOY OF ACCESSORIES | Tony Drockton, Hammitt in mag.
We had the pleasure of having Carissa Moore a Team USA Olympic Surfing Gold Medalist and 5X World Surf League Women's Champion as our FEB ISSUE #86 cover. We have always enjoyed seeing her compete and how she does so with a smile on her face!
Hawai'i Gold: A Celebration of Surfing shares her story and what she thinks about her sport, her love of Hawaii as well as surf legends on what it means to be a surfer from Hawaii.
In this book, we find out about the heritage of surfing in Hawaii and of course the images in the book include the island, surf icons, surf prep, and so much more. It's defintiely a book that you will find on your coffee table that everyone will want to look through when they stop by.
We know about those who climb Mount Everest and in Everest, Inc. The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World, we get to know more about those who are instrumental in that effort - the guides and climbers!
We know that making the climb is not for the faint at heart as there is bad weather, severe altitudes, and it is congested for a number of people who make the attempt whether it's ego driven or to add to their social feeds.
The trip also has an impact on those who don't respect the mountain by leaving trash behind or even exploiting local Sherpas.
This book has a comprehensive focus on the history of the Himalayan guiding industry which started in the 1980's with gritty entrepreneurs who wanted to create a new style of expedition planning. You'll find quotes by those in the industry, writers, filmmakers, and Hollywood notables. All share their thoughts on the climbs to add their thoughts to this portion of the industry.
The first Mon of May is fashion's biggest night known as The Met Gala and in Fashion's Big Night Out: A Met Gala Lookbook, we look at a legendary event that fuses art, fashion and pop culture. You will learn about its history through imagery which started in 1948. It also looks at the ensembles that hit the carpet based on theme. There is also a foreward by iconic designer, Jeremy Scott who has created a number of looks for this event.
Read the APR ISSUE #100 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY BOOKS in mag.
Read the APR ISSUE #100 of Athleisure Mag and see 63MIX ROUTIN3S | Tony Drockton in mag.
Read the APR ISSUE #100 of Athleisure Mag and see 63MIX ROUTIN3S | Josie Natori in mag.
This month, we attended a number of NYFW FW24 shows which is a great way to see the upcoming collections from an array of designers that are on our radar. We kicked off the season with New York Men's Day - NYMD on Feb 9th that presented its 21st season of 8 designers between the morning and afternoon session at Location05 in Hudson Yards.
NYMD | TERRY SINGH
We started off with Terry Singh's presentation with his namesake collection for his menswear brand that launched in 2014 and is based in NYC. Terry was raised in NYC and began working in the fashion industry in the '70s. He also took some time to go to India where he immersed himself into Indian culture as well as meditation. He returned to the city with his shift in how he approached his life and wanted to take what he learned to bring it to make his mark in fashion.
Terry feels that, "this collection resonated with the narrative of my odyssey, visually manifesting the metamorphosis that defines who I am today."
The collection included a number of pieces that included blazers, outerwear, structured skirts, intricate fabrications and coordinates. It was a rich tapestry that allowed us to see where menswear as well as genderless looks can be elevated for gala and soiree looks.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 98 Terry Singh
NYMD | Y.CHROMA
The 4 designers that presented their collection in the morning of NYMD, showcased collections that included suiting and eveningwear. We were also excited to check out Y.Chroma, founded by Max Israel! This brand was founded in 2023 in Lisbon, Portugual.
The collection is focused on male midlife re-invention with a customer base of 40+ and want to wear vibrant hues. The European crafstmanship was evident in seeing this collection and we truly enjoyed the unique textiles that were included in this show and still presented a youthful collection that we could totally see being worn by those that are outside of the intended demographic. We love how they embrace midlife reinvention and the universal appeal of this brand!
PHOTOGRAPHY Courtesy | PG 101 Y.Chroma
BACKSTAGE PRABAL GURUNG
We left Location05 to pop out to cover Backstage at Prabal Gurung who showed at the Starrett-Lehigh Building. Being backstage allows you to see how the inspiration for the designer's vision comes together for the hair, makeup, and nail teams.
The inspiration behind Prabal Gurung's comes from the loss in his home country of Nepal where he created silhouettes that offered a balance of warmth and melancholy through tactile fabrics that were sculpted and ethereal.
“It was to give into grief,” Gurung said backstage. “That was a new thing for me, but I decided to give in simply because that was the only way that I could go through it, which took me back to my father’s side of the family — which I normally have stayed away from, to be completely honest — and it led to these images and everything. It was just so cathartic and so healing, so I brought this to life because it gave me comfort.”
To merge the gravity of the somberness of the inspiration of the show, there was still a balance with his signature feminine styles by incorporating fringe and drapery. These ethereal elements gave a sense of uplifting ones spirit.
The apparel that hit the runway was supported by a glam team that worked with the models, Super Models such as Precious Lee, and celebs such as Sarita Choudhury (Homeland, Blindspot, And Just Like That...). We had the pleasure to chat with Celebrity Nail Artist, Gina Edwards who is the Kiss Product Inc U.S/Canada Brand Ambassador and Lead Nail Artist for this show. In addition to her role with these products, she has worked with Chanel Beauty on a Valentine's Campaign, she was the manicurist for Nicole Kidman for her Balenciaga Ambassador imagery, and was the manicurist for Vera Wang for her CFDA Award to name a few.
We wanted to find out how she extended Prabal's vision into the nails that worn by the models who were part of the runway show.
ATHLEISURE MAG: We always love going backstage to see the magic come together and we've been watching the models as they're in prep to hit the runway. We know that you used acrylic nails to create this look. Can you tell us more about this?
GINA EDWARDS: For the show, we used these acrylics in nude in XXL and we stiletto’d it out to be coffin shaped. We just created the color over it to give it that exclusivity that is the theme of this show. The look whether it’s the red or the silver is a bit of a moonstone/cat eye effect. When you look at it one way, it has one color and then another, you see the other one. It’s a bit of a haunting effect and that ties into the makeup that has that smokey and sultry look to it. So the nails really add to that vibe. It’s amazing to see how everything comes together. The designer has a vision and he explained it to the glam team of hair, makeup, and nails. So we came up with this idea and everyone loves it and along the way, you tweak it to get it to where you see it today.
AM: How long did it take for you to arrive to what we’re seeing on the runway for tonight’s show as it’s a collaboration between Prabal's vision of where he sees it and how you’re interpreting the theme?
GE: Well, there was about 2 weeks when you’re having the conversations and when you land on what you think will work and then you get the products in and to be able to create what has been decided on. Once you select the teams that will actually execute it, I would say it’s about 5 days.
The elusive nail which was the theme for the show was inspired by the experimental use of fabrics in Prabal's collection. The magnetic, cat-eye finish on the KISS nails really merge that eccentric and elusive element together to create that haunting look which is in keeping with this collection which is known as, Fragmented Memories.
AM: Oh wow and there’s so much work to build the nails!
GE: Oh yeah, I mean, shaping takes the most time! I mean shape is everything when it comes to the nail. You have to shape the nail, look at, then look at it from the birds eye view. It looks one way when you see it from one standpoint and then another and then, this nail isn’t on you so it’s a lot of work to really articulate the nail.
You can get The Magnetic Effect Manicure at home which is one of the hottest trends from the runway. Using KISS Gel Fantasy Magnetic collection in style Ruler or imPRESS Color Press-On Manicure in style Red Velvet you too can rock these stunning nails from Prabal’s show in minutes. These ready-to-wear styles are easy to apply and last up to a week.
HOW GINA EDWARDS CREATED THE CUSTOM-DESIGNED RUNWAY LOOK:
• Step 1: Select and size KISS Salon Acrylic Natural Nails in style Crystal and shape to stiletto
Natural Nails in style Crystal and shape to stiletto
• Step 2: Apply nail glue to belly of the nail and natural nail, then press down gently, repeat x10 nails
• Step 3: Apply a coat of your favorite magnetic color and use magnet on both sides parallel to the nail. Cure each finger for 90 seconds
• Step 4: Apply second coat and use the magnet again to see the glass like effect on the nails. Cure for 90 seconds.
• Step 5: Add top gel coat and cure for 60 seconds.
PHOTOGRAPHY | PG 102 + 103 Go Runway.com
After spending a few hours at Prabal Gurung's backstage courtesy of Gina Edwards and the KISS Products team, we made our way back to Location05 for the second session of NYMD and the designers that were showing during this presentation.
NYMD | THE SALTING
Designers Michael Ward & Manel Garcia Espejo founded The Salting, a menswear/womenswear brand in 2018 and is based in NYC. With their second presentation at NYMD as well as being recently inducted into the CFDA as interim members, they are carried in approximately 20 locations in the US and Canada including Bergdorf Goodman.
They're fabrications are globally sourced with sustainable mills and all of their tailoring is done in the US. This design duo has an extensive background in fashion design in the luxury space.
This season's collection's inspiration is On The Waterfront and has an aesthetic that honors longshoremen and dockworkers with its use of buffalo checks, plaid, tweeds, chalk stripes and more. Even their sportswear showcases their tailored DNA and we enjoyed their classic pea coats and other structured pieces.
PAS UNE MARQUE
In 2018, Sean Coutts founded menswear label, Pas Une Marque in Paris. The brand's entire manufacturing takes place in Peru. Within each of their collections, they work with a number of artists to tell their brand story. Printemps, the first department store in Paris, carries the brand. We loved the outerwear that was included in this show and can't wait to see more from this brand.
We had a bit of snow that hit NYC, but with 2 shows that we had been looking forward to from 2 Project Runway alums, we were ready to be dazzled by their NYFW FW24 collections.
BISHME CROMARTIE
The afternoon of Feb 13th, we made our way to The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad to see Bishme Cromartie's NYFW FW24 presentation. We first learned about Bishme when he competed on Season 17 of Project Runway where he came in 4th. For Season 20 of Project Runway All-Stars, he came back and won! It was amazing to see a number of our favorite designers across the season on this show and the ability to see Bishme push the boundaries of Avante Garde to his self-proclaimed, Street Garde, has been a great evolution.
His brand has been worn on a number of red carpets by Michelle Williams (American Soul, Wrath: A Seven Deadly Sins Story, Kingdom Business) of Destiny's Child, Chloe Bailey (Grown-ish, Swarm, Praise This), and Jennifer Hudson (Cats, The Jennifer Hudson Show, Respect), to name a few.
This presentation had a palette of red, white, and black and spanned from elevated streetwear all the way to red carpet looks during Awards Season.
When asked about where the inspiration from his show came from, he shared, "I further explored my obsession of mixing Streetwear with Avant Garde designs. Striking, feminine and bold shapes paired with a variety of coats, edgy tops, form fitting and dramatic gowns. I continued to define what “Street Garde'' is by staying true to my aesthetic and testing new ideas. I wanted the collection to feel strong, effortlessly sexy, masculine, and feminine at the same time. The collection showcases the Bishme Cromartie woman who is ready for change, constantly on the go and loves to stand out, no matter where she is. This season we are entering the Batrix."
PHOTOGRAPHY | PG 104 - 108 Paul Farkas |
LAURENCE BASSE
We ended our NYFW FW24 shows the evening of Feb 13th with Project Runway alum, Laurence Basse who was a finalist in both Season 15 as well Season 20 for Project Runway All-Stars. We have been a long time fan of her mastery of leatherwork and in seeing her first solo show at The Paramount Building in Times Square, we were thrilled to be able to talk to her in detail about how she got into the industry, her namesake line, her NYFW show, and what we can expect from her as she continues to push the envelope of her brand.
ATHLEISURE MAG: It is such a pleasure to be able to talk with you as I’ve been a fan of your work and aesthetic!
LAURENCE BASSE: Thank you so much, thank you! I really appreciate you having me.
AM: Of course! I have been a fan of yours since I first saw you on Season 15 of Project Runway, and just your artistry, the way you work with leather, your style, and attitude – everything about you is definitely Black Girl Magic.
LB: Oh I’m trying, I’m trying.
AM: Oh no, you are not trying, you are doing!
So you got your start in the industry as a model. You have modeled with BENNETTON, Jean Paul Gautier, and you have been in French Elle as well as Cosmopolitan. You did this for 15 years, what was the moment that you realized you wanted to be a fashion designer.
LB: Well I mean, this is the narrative in the streets, but really, I went to fashion school in Paris before I was even modeling. I started fashion school when I was 17 years old. So from 17 – 22, I was in fashion school and I started modeling when I was in Paris I think 3 years into fashion school. It was just there and I thought, “why not?” I used that to then move to the US and it became a 15 year off and on.
AM: Where did you go to school?
LB: I went to school, my first one was in Normandy called Elisa Lemonnier and then I went to another school in Paris, an art school by the same name at the 12 Arrondissement.
AM: When I first saw you in Season 15 of Project Runway, I was just blown away by what you did throughout that season. What drew you to compete on the show?
LB: You know, let’s just say that I never casted for the show. I never did. I quit modeling, I was in LA, I was bartending, and I had my studio, but I was like, ok, since I didn’t do the designing the way that they are saying which is you get out of school and you go work for a brand, and I didn’t do that. I was modeling, traveling, and living my best life.
So at this point, I was 35, I had started this thing, but how do I go from zero to 50 at least? I had a friend of mine that was a Super Model back in the days in France and she actually reached out to me a year before my season to do the French version of Project Runway in France, and I said, "hell, no! I'm not doing a reality show blah blah blah boom boom boom – not when it comes to designing.”
Time went by and I got an email after that from the US. They told me that they were casting for Project Runway. My first reaction, “hell, no!” I’m not doing this. But my friend was with me and she was like, “Laurence it is a good opportunity and you should do it.” I didn’t say no. I literally waited until the deadline. If the deadline was like Mar. 30th at midnight, I waited until the deadline to submit whatever it was that they were asking me.
Then they called me back. I didn’t know that they had already had a casting in the US. So I thought that I was going in for the casting, but it had already been done. I went straight to the final 2 appointments that they had before they decided on who they wanted to have on the show. I went in and I brought in like 10 pair of clothes and they loved it and after that, they asked me to come in the next day. The next day was a whole hour – hour and a half interview. That’s when they say, ok we know you can sew, we love you, but as far as your personality, they have to figure that out.
I did my interview for a little over an hour and it went well I think. I was good! The lady told me, “Laurence, if you made it this far it means you’re perfect for this show. But If we do not cast you for this season, please come back next season.” I told her, “I won’t be coming back.” If I make it, great and if I don’t, I’m still happy. I literally left the casting and I literally left the casting and I was going to my car in LA and I was like dancing in the parking lot. It was an investment for me. It’s already mine and if not, it’s ok too. Then they called me and that’s how I made it onto the show.
AM: I’m glad that you did because the moment you started creating dynamic pieces and watching how you work with leather beyond what I have seen anyone else do – it was phenomenal to watch. As a fashion stylist and someone who has grown up in this industry from a young age – watching you make leather do things that we don’t think that that fabrication supports usually, I was like, “where did this women come from?” I became obsessed and it was thrilling to see you be a finalist on that season.
LB: Thank you!
AM: And then when it came to Season 20 that aired last year with Project Runway All-Stars, what were you thinking about coming back to this crazy environment of a competition show?
LB: Oh yeah, it’s definitely crazy!
So basically, the first time that I went, I didn’t know what I was expecting. I went in and I thought to myself, I am going to win. There was no other option and then I didn’t win. So I went home and I thought, “what am I going to do now?” But God has other plans. With the show rolling, it just jump started my career. I have just been going ever sense since that. It did a lot of things that were great for me. So when the second time came around, I thought, never again would I do a show like that. Right?
AM: Yeah!
LB: But, the only reason and again, they came back and said, “Laurence, do you want to jump on a call? We’re thinking of doing All-Stars.” I said sure and got on the call. But I wasn’t like, “yay!” I had to pause and think about it. Like I said, it did great for me, they have their own agenda and I went in with my own. Even when I accepted to do it, and I did it because it was All-Stars. It was about the contestants coming back to compete for something bigger. So I was like ok, this can’t hurt me and it can only reboost the machine. So I went in and I remember I said, “my head said that the best position for me to land was to be a runner-up.” Technically, I don’t want to win because I don’t want to be tied into anything.
But my ego, wanted to win the whole thing. The ego is the one that got hurt, but everything happened the way that it was supposed to happen. I did what I wanted to do and it was ok.
AM: Well, you turned out amazing pieces yet again!
LB: I was like, keep playing in my face!
AM: I love it!
So why do you like working with leather? Your mastery of leather is just insane.
LB: Thank you!
Well, I’m self-taught when it comes to leather. But my background is really haute couture, making the dresses and all of the extravagant things that people like to wear. I was like, everyone is doing this – a lot of people are doing it. I wanted to be different. I don’t want to be in the norm. I wanted to know what was out there that I could do and work with that I could separate myself from most designers. So I was thinking about leather for 2 reasons. As a child, when I was younger, leather was – when I would look at people who owned leather, they were rich. It was something that, yes I wanted it. But I couldn’t afford it. Then, before that, I love luxury. All of the stuff that I love when I go to the stores, it gives me a real headache! Because it’s $5,000, $6,000, and $10,000! I’d look at it and I’d say, “I can’t do it!” So I decided let me teach myself how to do this and I am going to do it better and I'm going to do it as a challenge to myself. I thought, “ok, all the stuff that I love the Balmain, Saint Laurent, the Gucci, the Tom Ford – it’s over overpriced,”, but look who’s talking now?
It's overpriced, but I’m going to one day sell my stuff at the same price as those people. I’ll be up there with them and that was the bet to myself. So, then leather when people think about it, they think it’s rigid and that there’s not a lot of what you can do with it. But for me, I was like, I’m going to get in there – me and leather are going to have a talk and we’re going to get to know each other. Now I know leather pretty well and I work it like it’s any kind of fabric. There’s no limitation to it. If you want a wedding dress, I’ll make your wedding dress in leather. If you want a flowy skirt or whatever it is, I just don’t want to put limitations on it.
AM: Well you are a master at it. You work a leather like it’s a silk or a taffeta and before you, I had never seen people treat it that way!
LB: That was the goal.
AM: How would you describe your brand your line. You have a number of NBA athletes and different celebrities that have worn your collection.
LB: Well my line, my line is definitely – it’s not haute couture, I’m not RTW. I’m somewhere in between so it’s a luxury brand catered to strong women and strong men. It’s very – for me it’s normal – but the stuff that I put together, they’re not supposed to exist in the same world. But they work for me, because it’s just an extension of me – female/male, cold/hot, edgy/soft – I just love to mix the two together.
AM: What are 3 core pieces that if someone was purchasing pieces from you for the first time that they would be essentials to have in their closet?
LB: Oh you have to have a classic leather jacket. The classic LB is the one with the shoulders. I have been rocking that one for the past x amount of years. You would think that I have a lot of leather jackets, right?
AM: Oh yeah!
LB: I have probably 3 but I recycle them. I have this one that’s like a Motorcycle Jacket with the shoulders and it’s classic and I love it! So, either that one or a Bomber – whatever classic is to you. A pair of leather gloves, and a jumpsuit!
You don’t even need 3, if you like to have just one, it’s either a leather jacket or a jumpsuit. If you can’t afford it, get a pair of gloves!
AM: There’s a solution and then keep saving your coins to get one of those pieces!
LB: Exactly!
AM: My Co-Founder and I had the pleasure of going to your NYFW FW24 show! My mouth was on the floor throughout the runway show and I even teared up a bit because the craftsmanship of seeing great pieces always transports me.
LB: Thank you!
AM: What was the inspiration behind this collection?
LB: You know, I always tell people that the place I design from it’s I guess a storytelling place, but it’s like I tell my stories by creating. That’s my communication. I don’t sometimes put words into it. I don’t always have a story, but for this one, it started with one piece – a Bulletproof Vest. With everything that is going on in the world, you know – all the crazy stuff, the wars, but if you stay in it, you go crazy. So we still have to find other beautiful things in the world that is going on. So it was a mix of the two. The leather Bulletproof Vest – that’s why I mixed it with the soft and beautiful flowy stuff. I got it from that piece and I just let it flow.
AM: I’m sure it was such a project to undertake, a solo show during NYFW!
LB: Girl, it was insane!
AM: Days leading up to your show, I was on your IG and I could see that there were a lot of moving parts going on. It definitely built up the anticipation, but I know you must have been spending a lot of time getting all those things together.
LB: My God! One day I will tell that story. But we kind of documented everything on film – not everything, because sometimes you don’t think about it. It was by far one of the hardest things that I had ever done. I self-financed it, I had a great team, but me and Mykel, we were both wearing different hats and I had to try and stay kind of zen and to be able to create. I mean, I made all of my samples. There was no team, that’s maybe for next season. But we literally decided because Project Runway All-Stars wrapped in Sept. and technically, we were already at Fashion Week. So I thought, “ok, it doesn’t make sense for me to do a collection in Sept.” But really, if I wanted to wait until I was ready to do it, I should have waited until the following Sept. But then I thought, “no because while things are still hot, I can’t skip Feb.” So we decided that we had 2.5 months to do it. We didn’t know how, we just went by faith. It was like, I believe in you, you believe in me and we just jumped out of the building with no parachute and we hoped that it would land.
AM: What other projects do you have going on now that we can look forward to or that we can keep an eye out for?
LB: Well right now, everything is moving so fast, we are getting our appointments together – so the sales teams so that we can start getting into production and getting into stores. So we will do that in Mar. and we have Market week coming up and April, back thinking about Fashion Week in Sept. So for that, we want to take this to Paris. So the goal is to do Paris Fashion Week and NYFW.
AM: What do you want your legacy to be as you have done a lot and I can only imagine what you will still do with yourself and your brand. But you are a trailblazer and a role model, because there are still not a lot of visible Black people that own luxury brand and especially in the fashion space. That’s something great to see you do unapologetically and in your own style.
LB: Absolutely, like I tell people, it was super important for me growing up in France and even being here, all you hear is people telling us what we can and cannot do and how far we can dream. It’s like when I used to tell people when I was in school to my teachers, they would look at you and roll their eyes. They would tell you to come back down, to be real, and those jobs aren’t for you.
AM: Yup.
LB: And because you said that, that’s why I tell people that I know that I am a Black woman and it’s not going to be easy and that I will have to work 10X harder than the next one because they already have a leg up. I know that and I’m at peace with that. I’m strong. I’m going to knock all of those doors down until I get to where I need to be.
When I went to Italy and they are the kings of leather, how they received and reacted to my work, I looked at their reflection in my eyes and I knew that I had it. I just want my people, or even any people, but especially my people to see me and look at me like, she did it. The hard part of it, I will tell my story and write my book one day about it. I want people to look at me and know that it’s possible. Sometimes, all you need is 1!
I’m not doing it just because I love fashion. I could be ok and I have done a lot and I can be content. But no, I need to continue forward and that's what I want my legacy to be. Because when I have to think of a high end Black designer, I have to do some research and think about it and that’s not normal.
For me, we are fashion.
AM: Absolutely!
LB: Seriously, I look at Christian Dior today, Balmain, and Gucci with the stuff that they are doing now, if you told me 20 years ago that this is where they are going, I would have said you’re dreaming!
AM: 100%
LB: But they’re taking those aesthetics, and we’re not getting credit for it. And then we go and give them our money. I think one of the mistakes I think sometimes we do as Black people when we enter that industry, we set limitations. Money is money wherever it comes from, I don’t care. I’m designing for whoever loves fashion.
I tell people that I am Black everyday, we don’t have to debate about that. But, you need to think about how you move. Hire your people – that is where the power is. Where the money comes from like I don’t care. My clients are everywhere. They’re European, American, African, wherever I don’t care. They love fashion and that is what we’re going to talk about. That is the business model of what everyone is doing. You’re presenting a good or service and then via marketing, you’re able to translate that story; however, the offering is universal.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Laurence Basse
Read the FEB ISSUE #99 of Athleisure Mag and see NEW YORK FASHION WEEK FW2024 EDIT in mag.
Read the FEB ISSUE #98 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S | Laurence Basse in mag.
Read the FEB ISSUE #98 and see 9LOOKS | Moncler Grenoble in mag.
PHOTO CREDIT | The New York Times
You know what time of year it is, we’re all focused on March Madness which allows us to increase our ability to showcase our depth of knowledge in Bracketology, “the activity of predicting the participating teams in a tournament, typically the NCAA. basketball tournament.” With Selection Sunday, March 17th around the corner, we’re all thinking about who is going to the big dance and who we’re adding into the Big Bracket. The New York Times is launching a Bracketologist Sweatsuit Set for college basketball-watching enthusiasts this Friday, March 8th.
This set will exclusively be sold on The New York Times Store and is the first drop from their “Words” Capsule Collection. This will be an evolving product collection that decodes modern language through journalism. This collection will include the Bracketologist Sweatpant ($80) and Bracketologist Crewneck Sweatshirt ($70), the perfect ensemble to wear when you’re out and about or gathering with friends to get your brackets in order!
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
This month's cover editorial is with actress and writer, Maria Sten. Throughout her career she has used her passion for creativity to navigate her interests whether it was being Miss Denmark 2008 and then representing her country at Miss Universe, working as a model and a dancer until connecting with her passion for storytelling!
For fans of Big Sky, she wrote for this crime genre series that took place in Montana; those who enjoy immersive podcasts, she included her voice work in QCODE's Narcissa; and she's currently in Prime Video's Reacher whose second season is streaming now and we're excited to see that not only is the third season greenlit, but it is already in production, and of course her character, Frances Neagley will be back!
We wanted to find out more about how she got into the industry as a writer and actress, the stories she likes to tell, how she gets inspired, being on Reacher, its success, working on projects she's passionate about, and more.
We also enjoyed our cover shoot with her at il Pellicano and Bijoux Lounge in NoLita which has been on our list to transport us as we navigate the winter weeks ahead.
ATHLEISURE MAG: We have been a fan of yours across the Narcissa podcast, your work as a writer with Big Sky and obviously with Reacher! But before we delve into that, in our research we saw that you were Miss Denmark 2008 and competed at Miss Universe as well, you were a dancer, and a model. What made you want to do that and to ultimately, dig deeper into entertainment as a writer and a producer.
MARIA STEN: You know, that’s a good question. I think that one thing that is true to my life and has always been true is that I have just zero chill. So I just want to do stuff all the time. I want to work, I want to challenge myself all the time and I want to grow. I came to NY when I was 18 to be a dancer and obviously when you come to NY as an immigrant, I did not have papers and I was working very hard to try and build my career and to build sort of a profile for myself so that I was able to get papers, and I was going back to Denmark and then randomly, Miss Denmark opportunity came up and I thought, sure why not? I won and then they said, do you want to go to Vietnam for 1 month and do Miss Universe? I thought, how could I say no to that? I think it was sort of a strange roundabout way as I don’t think that I consider myself to be a pageant girl per se, but it was such an incredible experience and I got to meet these amazing women from all over the world and I do still know a lot of people in that community. So you never know when these once in a lifetime experiences – how they can come about! For me, that was just something that I couldn’t say no to.
Then I think that from then on evolving into a dancer and then music, acting which I had done when I was a teenager and as a child a little bit. I sort of realized that these were the things that I wanted to do for my life. The desire to write came as a necessity to do so as I didn’t really feel that I could really stretch with the opportunities that were offered to me. Black women in the industry, at least at the time, it was more limited what we were offered. It still is in terms of opportunities, but of course, it is better now. I just wanted to write to play in the same roles that my other colleagues were able to play in as well. Then people apparently thought that I should be a writer! So now, I do both!
AM: I love that and to your point about the pageant system. In addition to my role here, as a fashion stylist, I have styled Miss America 2019 as well as Miss Ecuador 2018 ahead of her competing in Miss Universe that year. It is such an interesting world and that network is really amazing because the interest that a lot of the people do are so different. It’s literally that they could be rocket scientists, fashion designers, or other interests. It’s cool to see people that are part of that world!
MS: It’s really interesting and I think of course in America, it overlaps a lot. I’m still in communication with Miss Puerto Rico that was from my year, Ingrid who is also an actress, Meagan Tandy who was Miss California USA who was the year before me, and Miss Iowa from 2007 Dani Reeves is a good friend of mine. Not necessarily because we competed in pageants, but that network and you just find people like you do in any other industry that you connect with and you stay friends with! It’s really incredible. Meeting photographers like Fadil Berisha who is an amazing photographer did my very first headshot in New York when I was 19.
AM: I styled a shoot for an artist that he did the album art for – so talented!
MS: Yes he is and that was because of Miss Universe. I’m definitely grateful for that opportunity and it was only just a springboard for me to stay in the United States, to build my career, and etc. etc.
AM: I was such a huge fan of Big Sky and love that you wrote for this series. What drew you to this show?
MS: I am a huge Western nerd. I have been riding horses since I was 3 years old and I went to the US for the first time when I was 8 and spent a month with my family on a ranch in Arizona and I totally got bit by this Western bug because I grew up riding English and I had no idea that there was this thing that was called the Wild West and that there are these big wide open spaces with nature and cowboys with cool hats and six shooters! So I totally got obsessed with this world and watched all the westerns growing up and I had been wanting to write one for forever. I did write a pilot early on which was a spec of mine which was a period western. So when Big Sky came along, it was kind of an obvious choice for me. It was a Black female lead set in Montana and it’s a crime show and I thought – yes and of course, David E. Kelley (The Undoing, Love and Death, The Lincoln Lawyer) was attached! Generally, I don't do a lot of network television, but when it is David E. Kelley is doing it – that’s the parameters for it – that’s sort of a no-brainer for me.
AM: What do you look for in a project when it comes to you coming on as a writer?
MS: I definitely look for character and world and relationships. That’s definitely what I’m looking for and a lot of my projects are always born out of wanting to play in a world, but also what do I want to do as an actor? What could be interesting for me as an actor and also, what is the lack in the space? If I don’t see it in the space – female villains or Black people in the Western space – all of these things are things that I want to be playing in, but I don’t see – that is always a good incentive for me to start writing in some way, somehow. Definitely looking for things that are unique and have something to say. That is always important to me.
AM: What is your creative process like when you’re writing. It must be so interesting where obviously you’re thinking about the storyline and future seasons or how that character arc grows over a period of time. Where do you start with that?
MS: I definitely start with the pilot and I think about what is the pilot, who are the people that we care about, what is the central relationship, and what is the central theme of the show? Then, once I have a good grip on the pilot, what are we setting up with the world and the relationships with the characters – then I will branch out. I do that sort of organically. Once I’m flushing out the pilot, I’m thinking about when certain information will have to be revealed if you’re thinking about the season as a whole.
AM: Right.
MS: It’s an organic way and I don’t really have a way of going about it. I think that most things come to me in different ways. Sometimes I just know a scene, I know the beginning or the end, sometimes I just know the character and I just want to focus on that character and what interesting situation that I can put them in. Most of my own stories are like misfit families. Family dramas of some kind. So oftentimes, the central relationship will always be some kind of family relationship and how we can dive into these complicated relationships. Flawed characters are what I like to dive into. So that’s usually where it goes.
AM: I’m a huge fan of podcasts, generally true crime. But I really appreciate other genres in the scripted space. QCODE is one that I love with their immersive approach to storytelling and Narcissa was amazing and I loved hearing you in it. What drew you to that?
MS: Thank you!
AM: Oh it was so good!
MS: Yeah, I think that – what was happening at that time? Fun fact, I think at the time, I was home writing on something and I had just broken my wrist snowboarding so I was sort of just stuck at home and they said, “do you want to do this thing from your closet?” and I said yes absolutely because I really wanted to be able to do a project. That was one fun fact and also I think I really just wanted to dive into the character. That character is so interesting and not to give anything away, but playing something like that and the different dynamics that you have to sort of consider in playing a character like that, I thought it was interesting and to also look at AI and what’s to come in our society – I thought that that was interesting. For me, I thought that it was a fascinating dive into audio. I haven’t done a lot of voice work and I would love to. So I thought that it was a good way for me to get started.
AM: Over the holiday I watched the first season of Reacher and then watched the screeners of the 2nd season of Reacher. It's interesting that with as many shows that I watch and love there are always those that I haven’t gotten around to and I know I would love them! In prep for the interview, I wanted to see both seasons and it was so good and so fun to jump into. What was it about this show that you wanted to be involved in this series?
MS: Off the bat, it’s the action! I love the action, I love strong characters, kinetic characters, kinetic stories – Neagley, this word is so overused, but she’s a badass in a lot of ways and she also has this other kind of quirky quality about her. So to me, that was something really interesting to get to play with and to figure out how to make it interesting and grounded at the same time. For sure, to begin with. I knew it was going to be this splashy/action show and then when I got the job and I realized that there was this whole billion dollar book franchise that is behind it – I read all the books that Neagley was in and I got excited because there was so much to dive into and to explore that was about this mysterious woman that I got to play!
AM: Well beyond reading the books and the information that you were given, how else did you prepare to play her?
MS: Definitely kinetically. I was training just sort of on my own physique that we do as actors. Then I did kickboxing which I did when I was younger, shadow boxing, doing drills with a stunt team and then there was a lot of speaking to military veterans that had served – specifically women who had been in the army and the marines. I have a couple of friends that are veterans and so they put me in touch just so that I could understand what that life was like and the real things that you sort of have to endure day in and day out as being deployed and being part of this mahinery that is the US military.
I just love doing research and deep diving with characters so it was a combination of a few things.
AM: Obviously, not to have spoilers or anything, but where do we leave Neagley in Season 1 and where do we pick up with her again as we go into Season 2?
MS: You know, the good thing about the show is that each season is a contained story, right? We do 1 book per season so it feels quite satisfying where when we were in the first season, it was a limited series and if you’re watching the 2nd season, you don’t have to have seen the previous one to enjoy the next one. Of course, I think that you should so that you have an understanding of the character Reacher (Alan Ritchson), who he is and how he moves through the world.
But I think that we leave her and she’s come in to do her duty and to help save her friend. And now, we pick back up with her in Season 2 where there are bigger stakes for her and them because members of their unit have turned up dead. I think that is much more of a personal round and a personal story for all of our main characters this season. I think that the action and the scope of the season is indicative of that in terms of the action and the interplay between the characters and how stark it also is given that we shoot in the winter in Toronto.
AM: The final episode of the second season I was like, this is so exciting where everything ends. We know that it has already been greenlit for the 3rd season and we know that we will continue to see you. Do you know anything about the 3rd season that you’re able to share with us or what would you like to see if you were able to be in the Writer’s Room?
MS: I may or may not know things that I may or may not be able to talk about! So we can leave it at that ha ha! Of course, we will see Reacher do cool things in Season 3 and if Nealey shows up to lend him a hand again – hopefully that will be exciting for the fans as well as it has been in the other seasons. I think that the liberty of doing a book per season, we can dive into new stories as we adapt them for screen. The showrunners and the powers that be can fit it into what they feel is right for the TV version. So a lot more action of course, but the story changes in terms of scope, in terms of world, and I think that it will be interesting to see what comes next.
AM: Are there any upcoming projects that you have that we should keep an eye out for?
MS: I’m currently working on a few things on the writing side. I just finished a pilot which is a modern Western set in Wyoming where I also live. Right now, I also have 2 features in development, but they are in very early stages, but that’s what I plan to be working on for the writing side this year.
AM: When you’re not working on a project or in the throws of a project, how do you take time for yourself?
MS: I travel a lot. I love to go to different countries exploring different cultures. I specifically go to Mexico a lot, I go to Southern Africa a lot, I spend a lot of time on horseback in the bush in Southern Africa. There’s just nothing better than seeing wildlife from horseback. For me, it’s a great way to of course get inspired, reset, and step away from the hustle and bustle of our industry and just to have some stillness and to be off of our phones and to reconnect with nature.
IG @mariasten
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 38 - 45 + 45 Prime Video/Reacher | PG 42 9LIST STORI3S + PG 118 NEW YEAR N3W YOU Image Courtesy Maria Sten |
Our shoot with Maria Sten took place on Mulberry street in NoLita at il Pellicano and Bijoux Lounge. Following the credits from this photoshoot, we delve into into this restaurant as well as the lounge so that you can plan your next night out in an epic way!
IT'S ABOUT THE STORY COVER EDITORIAL | TEAM CREDITS
PHOTOGRAPHER Paul Farkas | FASHION STYLIST Kimmie Smith | MUA Rebecca Restrepo | HAIR STYLIST Corey Tuttle |
IG @pvfarkas
IT'S ABOUT THE STORY COVER EDITORIAL | CREDITS
LOUNGE LOOK PG 16-19 | BUCK MASON Molasses Lounge Wool Shirt + Pants |
FITNESS LOOK BACK COVER + PG 20 - 25 | COSMOLLE Air Wear Long Sleeve + High Waisted Legging Set | ATHLEISUREVERSE Varsity Jacket | NEW BALANCE 550 Sneakers |
OUT + ABOUT LOOK PG 26 - 29 | GREY BANDIT Adriana Coat | LNA CLOTHING Essential Cotton Kaden V Neck | MAVI Wide Leg Pant | ABBOTT LYON Curb Chain Necklace | SEQUIN JEWELRY Marleigh Evil Eye Charm Necklace | NAGICIA Braided Ring | SMARTGLASS JEWELRY Cube Gold Ring in Aqua and Antique Clear |
NIGHT OUT LOOK FRONT COVER PG 30 - 35 | FORE Dress | ALEX SOLDIER Silver Drop Earrings with White Topaz | LAGOS Caviar Beaded Ring, Black Caviar Silver Station Ceramic Caviar Beaded Bracelet, Black Caviar Single Station Ceramic Diamond Bracelet, Signature Caviar Silver Caviar Bracelet | STEVE MADDEN Evelyn |
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS
PAUL SHOT WITH | CANON Mark IV and Canon Lenses - 24-70, 70-200 + 50 1.2 | SIRUI Dragon Series Bendable RGB Panel Lights set of 2 of B25R*2 + DJ280 |
ATHLEISURE MAG: It was such a pleasure to have our cover shoot with Prime Video's Reacher star, Maria Sten. Tell me about the backgrounds of the co-owners of this restaurant from previous restaurants etc.
IL PELLICANO: Owner, Massimo Tabacco's journey from Rome to New York City in the mid-eighties led him to work in several esteemed Manhattan restaurants like Tre Merli, Azzurro Ciaobella, Coffee Shop, and Paper Moon Milano. In the early '90s, he opened Gilda near Saks 5th Avenue, where he forged a lasting friendship with Kyky Conille, who became a significant part of his citywide ventures. Kyky Conille is known for nightclubs in NYC like Provocateur, PM, the original Bijoux, and Lily Pond in the Hamptons. The restaurant is located above Kyky Conille and Dimitri Hyacinthe’s new club, Bijoux Lounge, which has become one of NYC’s hottest going out spots. Il Pellicano and Bijoux will be working together to deliver elevated dining upstairs and a late-night menu down for Bijoux’s patrons’ downstairs.
AM: When did il Pellicano launch and can you give us some background on the restaurant as I know you have a sister restaurant in CT.
IP: Popular, Fairfield, Connecticut Italian restaurant, il Pellicano, is opened its first NYC outpost. Known for their infusion of old classics with a modern twist, Il Pellicano will stand apart from the other traditional Italian restaurants on its block. Il Pellicano is located at 149 Mulberry, and encompasses a 50-seat dining room, a 40-seat front patio and 30-seat back garden. Owners Massimo Tabacco and Kyky Conilleofficially opened its doors to the public on Friday, January 12th.
AM: What is the importance of the Pelican?
IP: The Pelican (Il Pellicano) is a small hotel in Poro Ercole, Italy where Massimo (owner) used to ride to with his friends with motorcycles from Rome. Amazing ride on the coast of Tuscany, so it always had a sentimental meaning to him.
AM: Tell us about the design aesthetic of the restaurant and the meaning behind the name.
IP: The design is sleek and modern with green booths and gold light fixtures. The walls are filled with framed photos of Pelicans – drawing from the name.
AM: Who is the Executive Chef at il Pelicano on Mulberry St and can you provide information on their background and kitchens that they have worked in?
IP: Chef Saul Media is the executive chef at Il Pellicano on Mulberry Street. Chef Media’s heritage of Puebla Mexico is where the kitchen was his earliest classroom thanks to his grandmother and aunts. In his early twenties he embarked his journey to NYC, Connecticut, West Coast and then back to the East Coast making a mark in the world of culinary arts. With Chef Media’s first few years in the trenches starting as a dishwasher, then a line cool and then eventually cooking in renowned establishments including Gibsons Italia in Chicago, The Mark by Jean-Georges in New York, G’ios Italian and Cena’s restaurant in Tampa Bay, and the iconic steakhouse, The Forge, in Miami, among others.
AM: For those who are coming for lunch, tell us about 3 appetizers that we should try when dining with family or friends?
IP: Olive Oil Flight – three select styles of monini single harvest olive oil served with fresh baked herb focaccia
Caesar Salad – romaine arugula, croutons, parmigiano Reggiano, Caesar dressing
Heirloom Tomato Caprese – bocconcini mozzarella, basil oil, balsamic pearls, parmesan gel
AM: What are 3 main dishes that you suggest that we should have when we're coming in for lunch with family and friends?
IP: Chicken Milanese - arugula, tomato, cucumber, onion meyer lemon vinaigrette
Cacio E Pepe – Bucatini, Pecorino, Cracked Black Pepper
Tuscan Steak Sandwich – Shaved steak, cubanelle pepper, raclette cheese, carmalized onion
AM: What are 3 cocktails or wines that would be great to pair with our meal?
IP: Super Tuscan, Promis by Gaja, ITALY
Sancerre, Moulin Camus, ITALY
Barreled Negroni – Gin, Campari, Antica & Barrel aged in House
AM: For dinner, what are 3 dishes that you suggest to begin our meal?
IP: Forgmaggi e Salumi – rotating selection of curated meats and cheeses and house made accompaniments.
Carpaccio Di Polpo – thinly sliced octopus, roasted eggplant and tomato musarda, sherry glaze
Suppli di Riso Funghi – roman rice rice ball stuffed with mozzarella, parm, truffle dust, pistachio cream
AM: What are 3 dishes that we should have our eye on?
IP: Carbonara fettuccine - parmiggiano reggiano, guanciale and cracked pepper
Tartufo Al Funghi - pappardelle, wild mushroom blend, white truffle, pecorino romano
Pork Chop Scarpariello - cherry peppers, onions, white balsamic, crispy potatoes
AM: What are 3 sides that we should have with them?
IP: Rainbow Carrots, Mushroom Blend, and Asparagus.
AM: What are 3 cocktails that we should have in mind?
IP: Olive Oil Martini - tito’s fat washed with monini olive oil, cocchi bianco, brine, castelvetrano
Durazno Verde - tequila, ancho reyes, peach, lime, poblano ice, tajin
Amari & Aperitivo - a custom cocktail experience: select the bitter and the bartenders do the rest!
AM: What are there 3 dessert options that you suggest?
IP: The Almond Cake, The Smoked Burrata with Dried Figs, Infused in Truffle Honey, and the Chocolate Budino.
AM: As we navigate the winter and look towards the spring, are there any events that we should know about?
IP: Weekend truffle party brunches and a new truffle menu launching.
In Athleisure Mag's DEC ISSUE #96, Bijoux Lounge was featured in Athleisure List. We wanted to share a bit more about this hot spot!
As temperatures drop below freezing, venturing out for a night in NYC has become dreadful. The struggle of searching for a spot to stow away your bulky winter coat, spending ungodly amounts to Uber two blocks or enduring long club lines is very real. What if we told you there was a way to enjoy an entire night out without ever leaving a single location? In the past year, it has become increasingly common to bars/clubs or vice versa allowing you to complete the night out within the confines of one building. Il Pellicano & Bijoux Lounge is NYC’s newest restaurant and bar combination. Nightlife maven Lionel “Kyky” Conille, a pioneer and renowned for his NYC nightclubs like Provocateur, PM, the original Bijoux, and Lily Pond in the Hamptons, quietly marked his return to the scene with the opening of Bijoux Lounge at the end of 2023. This speakeasy-style, moody red-lit club has already hosted notable events, including the 21st birthday celebration of "Summer I Turned Pretty" star Lola Tung and Society Management's model-filled holiday party. Above the bar, Bijoux owner Conille and longtime friend Massimo Tabacco unveiled Il Pellicano a few weeks ago. The menu promises a seamless fusion of timeless and contemporary Italian flavors, echoing some of the beloved dishes from Il Pellicano's Connecticut location. Collaborating seamlessly, Bijoux and Il Pellicano are set to provide a can't miss elevated dining experience upstairs and a late-night menu downstairs.
Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see IT’S ABOUT THE STORY | Maria Sten in mag.
We're always looking at how we can add to our jewelry boxes and with so many choices, it's important to know more about what you're buying when it comes to diamonds. With options from natural diamonds and lab diamonds, we wanted to delve deeper into things that are worth noting when you're making this purchase as well as how the technology has advanced to such a point that the possibilities are endless.
We sat down with Jerry Taylor of Taylor Custom Rings who talks about what brought him the diamond industry, his passion for lab created diamonds, having the knowledge necessary to purchase your diamond, and the process of how these pieces are created.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fall in love with diamonds and gemstones?
JERRY TAYLOR: It was very accidental actually in college, broke and looking for a job. I interviewed at a jewelry store, kind of begrudgingly. I wasn’t really interested in high pressure sales. That’s how I kind of viewed the jewelry industry and that store that I ended up working at was a great place to be. I had a great boss that really mentored me in the industry and I fell in love with it way back in 2003.
AM: Oh wow, at what point did you decide that you obviously wanted to delve deeper into the industry and become a graduate as a gemologist at GIA which is a whole other level to be involved in that.
JT: Yeah, again, I am going to use the word accidental and you will probably hear it a few more times! I was in school studying and I was pre-med. I wanted to do something in the medical profession and that was my plan. In the end, I was planning on being a dentist, that was the goal. I have an underground degree in science and it was probably my Junior year that then my boss said, “hey, I think that you would do great in the industry. I don’t know if you thought about making a career out of this, but I think that you could." I knew that and I started thinking about it and I ended up deciding that this is what I wanted to do as opposed to going on to dental school. By the time I graduated, I was working full time as a manager at that jewelry store and after my undergrad, I decided to do my graduate gemologist degree at the Geological Institute of America so that’s how that played out!
AM: That’s crazy!
Why did you decide that you wanted to launch Taylor Custom Rings?
JT: So, working in retail, I was at that store for 12 years. At the beginning of that time, custom designed rings weren’t really accessible to most customers. So if someone drew a picture and wanted something to be created, they wanted an element of one ring with an element of another ring, and they wanted it to be combined – the way to custom make a ring was difficult to do. You would have a bench jeweler sit down with a block of wax and hand carve the design. That was just really limiting so most jewelry stores didn’t offer that service because it was very very expensive and it took a lot of time. It was also high risk for the customer because they weren’t certain that it would turn out exactly like they would want it.
AM: Exactly!
JT: So, basically, that was something that always intrigued me. People would come in asking me for that and I really wanted to say that we could do custom. So that was one of my projects or roles in my company to figure out ways to be able to offer custom projects to our customers. I was trying to stay on top of technology and manufacturing processes and basically computer design technology in the jewelry industry took off where instead of carving wax by hand, you could design it all in a software system and then you could send a specialized file to a robotic mill that would cut the wax for you and it would be precise. Then you could finish manufacturing the process from there so that the finished ring would be very predictable and similar to what you could represent to a customer before they made any final decisions in a picture. So that was a really fun time in the industry to be able to figure out the best way to do that and I spent a lot of years developing that system and that process and building relationships with great designers and manufacturers. Because of that, the market shifted and a lot of things became available and people were drawn to and wanted to have custom rings.
As I worked retail and really loving helping people to make their custom projects, another thing that happened with online shopping – it makes me feel old because it’s like talking about when pictures launched!
AM: Well I was born in ’79 so I’m right there with you ha!
JT: Ha we’re in the same age frame. So people came in with their picture board and said, “I found this ring and I really want to make it like this.” A lot of diamond companies started listing their inventory on websites and really started cutting out a lot of the markup. Because when you don’t run and operate a jewelry store, you don’t have that kind of overhead. You can charge a lot less and that became a thing where more and more people were coming in with online quotes and asking for price matching and they wanted the online price but the retail experience. That was really hard to run a big retail store and to be able to do that. But I really loved that part of the process and I had worked in the industry for over 10 years and I started to feel like I wanted to do my own thing. I didn’t want to be restrained by an existing company or limited opportunities for growth and so Ashley and I, my wife, decided to launch the business and it was actually terrible timing in a lot of ways. She was 8 months pregnant with our last kid, kid number 4.
AM: Oh lord!
JT: We had recently bought a home and it was just – a lot of people close to us thought that we were insane. And we were, but we just felt that the timing was right. We had this idea to have our own company and to be kind of a hybrid to have our own online business, but have the ability to work with people personally through their projects and to cut out some of the overhead with this sort of price competitive thing that we were filling in the industry. So we did that in the Summer of 2015 by launching Taylor Custom Rings.
AM: As an Accessory Expert so I have had the pleasure of sitting there and watching how the diamond industry has changed especially with people looking at natural diamonds versus lab created diamonds. The different options that are out there, it’s a great time to see where everything continues to go especially when you’re looking at ethical sourcing.
Why did you choose to work with lab created diamonds?
JT: Well I was always intrigued by the science and lab created diamonds was created in the 50s, but it was for industrial goods like sandpaper, drill bits and things like that. It wasn’t until more recently that the technology had advanced to a point where they could create gem quality for diamonds. When that became a thing, I was very interested in the technology and the process, but also I was very involved at that point in sourcing. I would fly to India and New York and buy the diamonds we needed for inventory.
What I realized in working with mined diamonds, that even if you worked with great companies, which we did – you could only trace them back so far.
AM: That’s very true!
JT: Even though the industry post Leonardo DiCaprio and Blood Diamond and the response to the horrible things that happened in Sierra Leone, they have tried to implement more practices to be more accountable when it comes to sourcing. It’s not perfect and it’s far from it. That was something that we felt! We were always a little uncomfortable in saying that we actually don’t know 100% even when our suppliers are telling us that they came from this mine in this country – it’s very hard to actually validate that. So lab grown diamonds were very attractive for that reason. They pose a very significant societal benefit to be able to know that this diamond didn’t come out of a conflict zone, it’s not funding war, we know that it was grown here, it was polished here, and we can actually track it. That was very attractive.
Also, lab grown diamonds aren’t controlled by the big conglomerate, like DeBeers. So pricing was very attractive and pricing has come down since then, but even in the beginning it was such a significant difference between a mined diamond. Customers loved it! Who doesn’t love the idea of getting a diamond that they feel better about socially and environmentally, but that it also costs less. It’s a no-brainer and at the beginning, we started offering our customers both and asked which they preferred and the overwhelming majority were choosing decided to really lean into it and now that’s all we advertise on our website and it’s been great!
AM: I love it! I know that it’s something that I personally enjoy and I also love that over the past few years, the depth of colors and different options that are available – it’s interesting to see where that part of the industry has gone and it does make me feel that when I am wearing it, I know exactly where that came from! Like you said, I don’t want to wear something that is funding situations that I don’t support.
So for those that are looking to buy lab diamonds, what are things that people should be aware of whether they’re purchasing from you or another store in the marketplace to consider?
JT: Yeah so, there’s some real basic things. You know about the 4C’s – diamonds are graded in 4 basic categories. The carat weight which is how much the diamond weighs when we put it on a scale. The cut grade which is the brilliance and the sparkle that the diamond has, the color of the diamond which is how much yellow or brown or colored hues that are saturated in the diamond and how visible that is. Then it’s the clarity which is internal characteristics that happen as diamonds form whether it’s in the Earth or in the lab. They have the same clarity inclusions and the more they are and the more noticeable they are, the less valuable the diamond is.
Those are the 4 basic factors and then it gets pretty nuanced. I’m kind of a nerd about this stuff!
AM: Loving this as it’s my wheelhouse!
JT: There are a couple of big things that aren’t necessarily – like if you were on a website in their database and you were trying to choose from your computer screen or if I’m looking at a suppliers list of inventory and looking at the numbers, there are a few things that don’t show up.
The first one is color nuance. So this happens in mined diamonds some depending on where they originate, sometimes they have a prominent green or brown color and that color is undesirable and it’s not pretty. It’s not enough green to make it an actual green diamond or enough brown to make it a colored diamond. It’s a hint of it and it makes you think that you want to clean the diamond. But when you do, nothing changes so that’s true for lab grown diamonds as well. One of the most common color nuances is blue. Blue can happen naturally by the chemical boron. It can make the diamond a little bit blue it can make fluoresce under black light. If there is a lot of it, it can make a really beautiful color. So in nature that happens and it’s very rare and blue diamonds are very, very rare. But if there is a little bit of it in there, it has what we call a nuance in it. And again, unless someone wants something that is a tiny bit blue, it’s not a desirable trait. Oftentimes, it’s not offered on the grading report. Sometimes it is if it is very strong and it will say in the comment section, blue nuance. But it’s not often that that is the case. That happens with brown and grey and even green. So that color nuance is something that when I am buying diamonds for inventory or sourcing for a customer, that is an additional criteria that we’re really picky about and we don’t want to have any kind of color nuance in a diamond.
AM: That’s really interesting and why do you think that people don’t really list the nuance?
JT: That’s a great question and I have gotten a lot of different answers from all of the grading laboratories. But basically, their mission is to provide reliability in a third party grading report for consumers so that they have confidence in what they are buying. There is so much that goes into grading and analyzing a diamond and they want to make sure that it is digestable for the public and that it's not too much to figure out. They want to make it simple and effective so there are these things that are right there on the border that I would love as someone in the jewelry industry, I would love to see that on a report and that additional analysis. But I think that out of simplicity and also, I have to say that a lot of people don’t care as much. A lot of jewelry is made for chain and mall stores so it’s bought in a different way than how our customers come to us when they make a purchase. So there’s also a massive percentage of the market that doesn’t care. You’d have to call and interview GIA to get a response which would be better than mine, but I have the sense that they don’t want to devalue the product.
AM: I think that what you’re saying makes sense to me. When you talked about the nuance, it’s the first time that I have heard of it and after you explained it, I know it’s something that I would be looking for as I’m someone who really does care about details like that. But I can also understand that for John Q Public who’s going to his local mall, you know the 4Cs and that may be tapping you out a little bit.
JT: Yeah. They want something that’s beautiful and is going to go into a great piece of jewelry and not everybody is looking for that detail and they just want to know that it looks nice.
AM: How long does it take for a lab diamond to go on its journey from being what it starts as to a piece that can go into your ring?
JT: The bigger the diamond, the larger it takes. But the average size I would say is between a 1 and 2 carat diamond and that takes about 3-4 weeks to grow. Then it has to be cut and polished like a mined diamond does and depending on that process it’s another couple of weeks. It’s pretty fast!
AM: Oh wow! That’s very interesting.
So, just like in fashion there are always trends. What are the trends as it pertains to diamonds and gemstones in jewelry and more particularly in engagement rings?
JT: As far as diamond shapes go, oval is really the most popular shape and round diamonds are the most classically always popular choice and always in style. Just like I’m sure fashion does, it’s cyclical really. What’s popular in the 70s comes back in time again and the same with jewelry.
A fun thing that we’re seeing right now is that marquise shaped which is like a football shape, that’s becoming really popular again. I probably went 10 years like in the early 2000’s never selling it because no one wanted it and so that is coming back which is fun! It’s a fun shape because it’s really big for its carat weight, but it covers a lot of surface area and you can do some fun things with it from a design perspective. Radiant cut and cushion cut is popular also and then as far as jewelry styles, yellow gold is one of the most popular color metal right now. If we were talking 10 years ago, rose gold would be the most popular metal. Yellow gold is like the round diamond shape, and it has always been really classic. It’s really popular right now. Of course silver an platinum gold, the more silver looking metals are steadily really popular.
Thicker bands are very popular right now. We went through a phase where everyone wanted thinner or very dainty bands with little prongs.
AM: Which I was never a fan of!
JT: Yeah, from a durability standpoint, it’s kind of scary! One of the things that I know from the technical standpoint, wider and chunkier rings are becoming more popular which is very cool and they just hold up better!
AM: For lab grown diamonds, can you pretty much get any shape just as you would in natural?
JT: Yeah the supply has become much better. In the beginning, it was very hard to do that. Because there were only a few growers and the inventory was very limited and it was getting sold very quickly to the buying networks around the world. Now, you can basically get whatever you want!
We’ve custom grown and cut diamonds for customers that want something that’s not available. We did a 3.5carat portrait cut which is a very thin diamond that’s flat on the top and the bottom with facets around the edge so that it’s sparkly on the edge but completely see through in the middle.
AM: Oh wow!
JT: We set a little green emerald right underneath that diamond so that you could see through to that emerald on the ring. That custom diamond was custom grown and custom made for that customer because that’s not a readily available diamond on the marketplace.
AM: That’s interesting!
JT: So there is a lot of availability right now. It’s really exciting.
AM: I love that because I have always been a fan of Asscher and Cushion Cuts. I know for myself over the last 15/20 years, I have always said that I would only wear a lab created diamond. So to see where sites that I have been watching over the last few years have increased their assortment to a number of shapes, cuts, and colors – it’s absolutely amazing. As you said, it’s a lower price in comparison to getting that ring from the natural diamond. So it’s cool to see where the technology and interest has gone.
When people are coming to you, what is the process when someone is looking to have their ideal ring created by you? Not necessarily having you grow the diamond although that is something that’s amazing and what I would want. What would that normal process be?
JT: We have 2 kinds of customers that we serve now. We’ve been an online business since the beginning and have helped customers from all over the US, Canada, and even other countries. They contact us through our website and we have a team of design consultants where after they fill out a design form, they take it from there and work with them step by step to make sure that they at first know their vision and that the customer gets exactly what they want. We give them a very accurate quote from us so that the custom er knows exactly what it costs and then if they decide that they want us to make the ring for them, we do half the deposit up front to get started. Our design team then renders the ring digitally with our software so that the customer can see a photo realistic rendering of what the ring will look at from multiple angles. We even send them a rotating 360 animation and we work with them on any revisions. So it’s a very visual process and we want to make sure that it’s perfect and that there are no surprises when it’s finished. So if they want to have anything altered, we work through those revisions with them and once they approve the design, we finish making it for them. Then, we ship it to them. That’s a really fun process and that’s what we did for a very long time.
Then last May, we opened our first retail store and so we have a showroom now. My wife and I over the years have designed our own line of rings and so we have those on display so that people can come in and browse through our collection and if they fall in love with an existing piece, they get to pick out the exact diamond that goes in the ring. We have an inhouse goldsmith that puts the ring together and they come back and they can pick it up!
Then we can also do the full custom process too. If they have ideas or they want to do combinations or they have pictures, we can go through that process with them as well.
AM: That’s really cool and it’s awesome to hear how over the years you have navigated different ways to approach the vision you have and how you have stayed focus on lab created diamonds! Even with my background in natural diamonds as well as lab diamonds, you left me with some nuggets and details that I will have in my pocket as I purchase pieces of this nature from understanding color nuance and the fact that I could have my ideal lab diamond grown as I am all about customization and I know our readers will love being aware of that as well as knowing about the trends and what’s going on in the industry as a whole as well as in this particular area.
JT: It’s always great to talk and this was just the tip of the iceberg and I always welcome future discussions from you.
AM: Absolutely, the wheels are churning as I think about everything we talked about.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Taylor Custom Rings
Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleiure Mag and see BEHIND THE SPARKLE | Taylor Custom Rings in mag.
We enjoy including a number of brands within our issues whether it's our roundups or editorials that we style. So when we have the chance to share more behind these brands it's a great way for you to know more about how they were created, their vision, and more about their assortment. We have been a fan of BÉIS since it launched in 2018. With a focus on travel as well as being on the go, we have enjoyed seeing how Shay Mitchell has infused her love for travel, quality, design and more into this brand!
We hosted Athleisure Mag Summit® where we sat down with Liz Money, SVP, Brand & Creative, BÉIS. We talked about her background in the fashion industry, how she came to the brand, digging into the assortment and projects that they have coming up that you'll want to keep on your radar.
ATHLEISURE MAG: I’ve been looking forward to chatting with you about the brand and in prep for this interview, I found out that we both graduated from Indiana University so it’s always exciting to talk to another person from there!
LIZ MONEY: You know that not only am I graduate from there, but our president, Adeela Hussain Johnson, is also a graduate from IU!
AM: I didn’t know that!
LM: Yeah, she actually graduated in the same year.
AM: I graduated in 2002 and it’s always fun to connect with those that went there.
LM: I graduated in 2004!
AM: Nice!
It was great to be connected earlier this year through the Accessories Council when we included pieces from the brand in our JUN ISSUE #90 photoshoot that we did at Kimpton Eventi Hotel. We’ve been a fan of the brand since it launched! So we love that since this is part of our Athleisure Mag Summit® virtual event, we can talk to brands and people that are involved in with the brand in order to get to know more about them, to include them in our YouTube Channel and in our issue of course! We’re so excited to have you.
LM: We’re excited to be part of it honestly.
AM: So, before we dig into all thing BÉIS, I wanted to find out more about your background! Can you walk us though previous brands and/or positions that you did prior to coming to this brand?
LM: Sure! You went to IU, you lived in Indiana, you know about the brand Vera Bradley, It’s a very popular, Midwest, Southern, East Coast brand. I spent 12 years there – pretty much right out of college working for them. I started on their cutting room floor because I was just out of college and they didn’t have very many positions open and I knew that if I was going to stay in Indiana, it would be one of the few opportunities that I would have to design and do creative. It was sort of an opportunity to get my foot in the door. I ended up working on the cutting room floor and sewing placemats for my 1st 8 months there during second shift from sometime to midnight – I can’t remember!
I used every opportunity I could to get in front of the people that I needed to by going to company events and chatting with those people. Pretty much, I was very persistent. I applied for every internal job that I felt that I could potentially do that my degree supported. I was a fine arts major and studied a lot of sculpture, but primarily, I studied textile design as it pertained to art. So, I did that and ended up becoming an assistant in the product development department and I just took on more and more tasks as they saw fit. I was under essentially, the VP of PD, the VP of Design and the Cofounder of the brand – Barbara Bradley Baekgaard. I was working with them every single day. I showed them what I could do, above and beyond, then I worked my way up at Vera Bradley. I spent the bulk of my time there as a Trend and Creative Director. I really worked over the development and design and working hand in hand with marketing, merchandising, and all of those departments from a product perspective, but also from a creative and trend perspective. Then Beach House Group which is a co-founder of BÉIS, reached out to me and I started working here!
AM: I love that and can I just say, growing up in Indiana, I remember my early days in terms of knowing the brand as the classic Bible book covers and the obviously, once I started styling, I couldn’t believe how the product assortment, colorways, etc grew and they had some fun pieces like the duffle that converts to a hanging bag which I used with shoots and styling my clients for the Grammys. The fact that they went from the patterns and hues to what I knew them as a kid to where they are now is really cool for the heritage of that brand.
LM: I mean honestly, the position that I had with them was just incredibly rewarding and taught me so much that I was able to reciprocate into my knowledge here for BÉIS.
AM: I love that and tell me what you do at BÉIS.
LM: Of course, we are a travel brand and are more so an on the go brand. We are at the pivotal white space of a brand that is giving you this affordable highly functional product that also looks really good and then with our own personal creative spin on it which is essentially putting a little humor to it. We have a lot of lifestyle and are incorporating high fashion as well. I am the SVP of Brand, Creative and essentially I am over our product and design team, our creative team, and our marketing team.
AM: That’s a big umbrella.
LM: It’s a very big umbrella. I try to think of ways that give me a bit of a smaller umbrella so we’re going to be hiring a VP of Marketing so that’s great!
AM: Well that’s amazing!
I remember when the brand started in 2018, I don’t remember what the first product was, but I feel pretty early on, The Weekender was there as a fashion stylist and accessory expert so when I travel that’s great, but I do need bags that I can lug my items to photoshoots, work with my celeb clients – so to see that you guys have created such an assortment and that you have items that can work in an array of situations, it’s truly a brand that is on the go!
What is the ethos of the brand and why did Shay Mitchell want to create it?
LM: So honestly, the ethos of the brand is to be in that white space of creating an on the go brand and it was very intentional that we launched the brand with bags and not with rolling bags and that came later in 2019 as you know. This ethos of creating an on the go lifestyle brand really helped us through the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 when travel felt that it was really at a halt. I felt that we could easily pivot to bags that we could use on a daily basis for a walk, etc.
So really the ethos of the brand is creating this fun lifestyle brand that is relatable, affordable, and accessible to people. It’s on the go right? You’re always on the go! You’re going to the gym, the grocery store, you’re going for a walk, whatever it is that you are moving to. Shay is an incredible partner in this brand. She’s involved in the day-to-day quite honestly in the creative, product, and the positioning and the reason why she wanted to develop this brand is because she is centered into this ethos. She travels a lot, she has her YouTube Shaycation and she was traveling a lot for her job, she’s traveled since she was 15 years old when she start ed getting into the industry she was in Thailand or Bangkok for awhile. Travel is in her blood. She knows it and she understands it. What she noticed was this gap in the industry of really expensive bags that were great looking, but they had no functionality, really cheap bags had some function, but they looked really cheap. So she was like, where is the perfect bag that is in the middle of that. The Weekender is actually one that she carried and that she loved. It’s a beige bag and she wanted to design off of that bag that she had and loved for so long and sort of got scuff marks, was dirty and had been with her all over. I have no idea of what that bag was as I have never seen it. But we just based off of her sketches and drawing and hearing about her background of using it the love that she had for it and all the places that she took it to, it’s basically how that on the go lifestyle brand was created.
AM: I love that! As someone who has designed collections I’m always interested in other’s approach to their assortment. What do you look for when it comes to adding new designs or even new colorways? You guys are doing really amazing at that as well.
LM: I mean, it’s not that much of challenge. As you know from a design perspective and for an assortment, you’re essentially trying to look into a crystal ball to figure out what people want. A lot of it is trend driven and design driven and we use programs. We shop the industry and look at what we are attracted to and what Shay is attracted to as well. We have an insane and amazing community of the brand so we’re able to tap into them to see what they want. If we hear them shouting loudly about something that they specifically want then we try to bring it in. A Rolling Weekender is something that we have been trying to work on for awhile because primarily, it’s the size of a Carry-On. So we get a lot of complaints that it’s super heavy. It’s a Carry-On that essentially you carry and whatever you put in there, it's going to be heavy. So, making a potential solution of being able to roll on it is something we want to bring out in the future and we are currently working on that right now.
And then it’s really about leaning into the data and looking at the boring stuff and seeing what people are searching for. A lot of our color expansion has come primarily because either we have done a small drop of something and we see that we have an insane amount of people signing up for it and eventually, we want to be able to answer to these people! They have signed up for Maple and there are 40,000 people that like it, then we are going to bring Maple into the core line.
AM: I love Maple!
LM: That’s how some of it happens!
Maple is one of our top colors right now. How we decide what colors, we are a brand that started with beige and black in our first couple of years. We didn’t really launch any colors in those first 2 or years and then the consumer started wanting color again and I think that’s a nuance we’re seeing across a number of industries right now. Interiors right now, beige and this gray were in and now people are reinvigorating color into their spaces! So I think that we are seeing that trend across the board, but we want it to remain to look good all together so that if you do have a collection that is a mélange of colors that are offered in our product category that look good and match back to each other. Although we prefer monochromatic ha!
AM: Same!
What do you feel are the core pieces of the brand?
LM: The core pieces of the brand are The Weekender, Rolling Luggage is hands down – that’s what the consumer says it is. There is one new item that is really ticking up – our Sports Sling! We literally can’t keep it in stock and I think it’s because when we started designing this, I wish I could go through the iterations of it. It was this thing that could be a long sleeve, it could be a bag, and then it would zip together. When we saw it zipped we loved how compact it was and then we added this sneaky water bottle pocket – it’s the perfect travel companion and the perfect everyday bag and now we’re going to be adding it into multiple different colors. I do think that our sport category is slightly underrated, but the materials of this category are amazing.
But if you are looking through the consumer lens of where is she putting her dollars, it’s our luggage and our Weekender. For me, our luggage, and not to put the word value on it, but it’s a value item. It’s has more function than on any piece of luggage on the market, in this category, at the level of durability that we offer and at that price point. It’s great luggage! I converted my husband to this luggage, Rimowa people who are stans! Once you start using this luggage, people get it!
AM: I love that sling back, it’s one of the ones we shot for our issue. Like you said, I love that water bottle in it. Plus it lays so nice for those who want to wear it towards the front whether you have ample bosom or not!
LM: We take that into account in our testing! We have all sizes and shapes on our team. We try them on, everybody!
AM: I love that as a brand the focus on intention and design and having all of these areas where you’re optimizing its use! How do you decide about that functionality and to make sure that those elements are there?
LM: Yeah, So we honestly have our staple function pieces and there are no compromises to them. They will always be in that bag if it makes sense for the bag. We learned that by trial and error. If we came out with a line and it didn’t have the Trolley Sleeve just because it was a bag that didn’t have it as it wasn’t going to be a travel bag, it would be more of a bag that didn’t have it as it wasn’t going to be a travel bag, it would be more of a daily tote. But then customers would let us know that they would have bought it but they wanted that sleeve. So it was the trial and error of learning what are those core function pieces that we have to have in all of our products. So those are the things – the Trolley Sleeve, Padded Laptop Sleeve – ways to use it everyday and ways to use it for travel. We know that the consumer is not always buying 2 bags – some do, I buy a bag for everything. But some want to use the same tote bag for work, for travel, for sport/gym, whatever – they want it all. So giving the all, but also being mindful that if it is intended to be a sport bag, let’s throw in the sport function – a pass through for your yoga mat or your tennis racket. If it is travel specific, it has to have a padded laptop sleeve, it has to have ease of accessibility so that you can go through TSA. Honestly, finding things to add on like that sneaky water bottle pocket, hidden pockets that are great for easy accessibility of your phone, but it’s not on the exterior so that someone can grab it. Our key leash is a stable, but functionality is a consumer driven thing, but it’s also us using the bag and seeing that this bag can use something like this to level it up times 10!
AM: If someone is brand new to the brand, what are 3 pieces that you suggest that they should have?
LM: Ok, I am going to tell you that this is the worst thing for me to say – I am not personally a weekender girl!
AM: What?
LM: I don’t know why. I don’t travel like that. My number 1 is you have to get the Carry-On – you absolutely have to. If you don’t spend the money in any other way, the Rolling Carry-On is a must. Next to me, you have to have a bag that goes on top of it. So if you’re a Weekender Girl, then the Mini Weekender is a must. I love all of our East to West Totes which are in our Recycled Collection. The Premium Duffle and the Premium Weekender just came out. I will carry this over the holidays for the first time. I love that it is a duffle, but it also snaps. So it can be more of a tote which I am more of a Tote Girl. You can’t go wrong with our Work Tote because it is super buttoned up. It’s very structured and super roomy and expansive. The third piece is like a sling. Honestly, that is my perfect travel uniform but also the sling and the tote or if you’re a backpacker or weekender – once you get there, you have your Carry-On in your room and then you have these other pieces to take you throughout the rest of your journey.
AM: When I’m styling on set, I use the Sport Pack for accessories that I am bringing on/off the talent or event some of my tools so that my kit which has everything can just stay In one place. I definitely have enjoyed bringing that piece recently into my styling tools for sure.
I also love the engagement that is around this brand! You have some people who are just down for the brand and you have done amazing partnerships with your hotel concept that you did in Dallas and in LA! Can you talk more about this and whether you plan on rolling more out and will you be coming to NY?
LM: So you just missed us in NY when we did a quick week long pop-up!
AM: I know! So bummed as by the time I realized it it was already wrapping and we were on set – but it looked great!
LM: Yes our community is so engaged – sometimes scaringly, but we love it! People either love you or hate you – but we have a lot of love and we’re super fortunate that we are able to engage with our community and one of those ways is through the experiential through our pop-ups. The one in NY again, was such a short stint. The BÉIS Hotel Pop Up was our very first pop up with the BÉIS Motel and it was in the Glass Box in LA at The Grove. We wanted the next iteration to be more experiential and we definitely will continue to create experiential touchpoints in real life with our consumer. Next year, our first one will be loyalty based or service-based pop up. One of the things that we hear from our customers is that our product is maybe harder to clean or how to keep the product in a way that it can last longer. We’re going to be popping up with the BÉIS Wash and we have partnered with cleaning brands and they have helped us create some formulations that get certain stains like wine, mascara, Sharpie, and scuff marks off of bags. We’re going to do another short pop up over a weekend. We’re using this opportunity to have people bring their bags in and we will clean them up for you and we’ll potentially do some livestreaming and show people how to clean their bags themselves at home and we will potentially make this kit for sale for purchase and use it to keep their bags looking good!
AM: I love the campaigns and the images/videos you do. What’s your timeline and the planning involved when you’re looking to do them?
LM: So, our creative process honestly starts 18 months out when we’re designing the collections. We’re a very drop based brand for the last 5 years. We will start moving away from that and start driving into our core of the brand – our luggage, our weekenders and that’s essentially when the creative process begins. Not only does the design and the product speak to how we end up doing the creative. I think I sent you some photos of the Slate Collection. The Slate Collection launched last year in January with our Sport Collection. Essentially, a color that our consumer really loved and we brought it back. We actually brought it back in a small way with Nordstrom for their Anniversary Collection in July and re alized that there was even more love for it! The whole campaign was about being a clean slate so there was this whole car wash scenario! Honestly, it’s about having fun! When we’re going through this creative process, it’s about having fun! It’s great that we love it, but that our consumer will also think that it’s a great idea and that it makes sense with the brand in some way or the other and that it’s a little bit fashiony! It’s about being interesting and not just showing bags in hotels and rooms – which we do and they perform amazing, but sometimes it’s about having a little bit of fun too!
AM: What have been some of the projects that you have been part of that you were really excited to have your fingerprint in there?
LM: Our pop ups for sure! I think that some people witnessed that our first pop up that we had in The Grove, when we opened up, I literally cried – I don’t know if it was a pain cry or a joy cry?
AM: Maybe relief haha!
LM: Yes relief! It was like, wow we’re finally done! That one was super exciting for me. It was the first time that I had done something like that and that I felt that I had owned the process. I also think that the creative and the look of it was just so cool and people’s reaction at The Grove – there are pop ups there every single month. So for people to walk by and say, “wow, it’s the best one that I have ever seen. For you to have so many things in a 20’ sqft x 20’ sqft space.” That was truly a testament to how we as a brand look at everything. When we do something, we’re going to go as in as we can. That means we’re going to look at it from all angles, how we are putting it on social, how does it look on the website, how do we entertain and invigorate our customer at every touch point no matter where they are or what they are doing. So the pop ups have been amazing!
I would say that in general, just the growth of this brand! I have been here for 5 years since we have launched the brand. There are 2 people that have been here longer in this brand and that’s Shay and Adeela, who is also the other IU girl!
AM: Oh nice!
LM: Just seeing the growth of the brand and when you go from a team of 4 or 5 to a team of almost 40, it’s so incredibly rewarding. I have gone from a position where you are the person who is doing most everything because there are only 4 people and you have to split up and do a bit of everything for the business. That was only for a very short amount of time and we grew to 7 and then to 12. Now we’re at almost 40! To see the growth of the brand, how my position has changed from a doer to a cultivator of all of these people and now we’re teaching them and helping us grow this brand beyond our wildest dreams, I think that is probably one of the most regarding and awesome things.
AM: That’s definitely cool to see and you have first hand knowledge in seeing that growth and where you are with the support of 40 people. I remember many years ago when I worked at Lacoste HQ in their Wholesale division – the whole US part of the company was only 60 people and you were doing a lot of support beyond your direct role and it’s interesting to think about how much you do just to get that brand to where you’re positioning it and to meet the needs of partners, customers, etc.
The same can be said here at Athleisure Media and sometimes people have a concept that there are all of these people doing these things and in many cases, that is not what is happening!
LM: Nope! You raise that curtain and it’s like hello!
AM: Exactly, it’s a shock if you ever get to see behind the curtain haha!
You can watch our virtual event on our YouTube channel and we currently have our giveaway that kicked off on Dec 21st and runs through Jan 3rd. For more details on our Athleisure Mag Summit® Series X BÉIS Giveaway, you can find out by visiting our Instagram post so that you can enter!
IG @beis
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | BÉIS
Read the DEC ISSUE #96 of Athleisure Mag and see ON THE GO WITH BÉIS | Liz Money in mag.
Style is a very personal thing as it reflects how you feel and how the world sees you. These styles set the scene which in many ways we showcase in our photoshoots! SETA is a line that balances edgy cool that can work whether you're looking to have a dramatic or an ethereal look. It can be dressed up or down. This month. we hosted our THE 9LIST® Holiday Event where we sat down with Andrea Salazar, Creative Dir of SETA and finalist in Prime Video's Making the Cut S2. We talked about her passion for design, her creative process, being on the show, the brand's vision, and her suggestions for NYE depending on where you'll be watching the ball drop!
ATHLEISURE MAG: We are so excited to be able to talk with you as I have been a fan for the past few years and I know our readers will love hearing more about you, competing on Making the Cut, and of course NYE finds that we can take into ending the year and kicking off to the next! For those that are joining us, Andrea Salazar is the Creative Director of SETA and she competed and was a finalist in Season 2 of Making the Cut which you can stream now if you haven’t done so!
ANDREA SALAZAR: Thank you so much for having me! Where is your magazine based?
AM: We are based in NY. Athleisure Media is our baby and we have Athleisure Mag which is released monthly and you will be in our 96th issue and we have one of our heritage features that we really love which is THE 9LIST. It’s really about those must haves of shop, discover, and experiencing. So when I thought about a brand in thinking about my hat as a Co-Founder/Creative Director as well as being a fashion stylist and an Accessory Expert, your brand is amazing as its great materials, is embellished, has an edgy style to it, and it had accessories too. So having you in THE 9LIST Holiday Event made perfect sense so that we can get to know more about you and our readers are able to understand the brand and of course, show the looks, that they can shop their favorite finds as well! This is amazing and I enjoyed your time on Making the Cut as well!
When did you realize that you wanted to be a designer?
AS: I discovered my passion for design when I was young. I came from a family of fashion lovers! My mother is a fashion designer, my grandmother was a fashionista in her decade! So fashion has been in our blood.
When I was a teenager, I had the opportunity to live in London and I fell in love with the street style as well as European fashion. So since then, I knew that I wanted to be in the fashion industry absolutely!
AM: How did you hone your skills from where you trained or apprenticed?
AS: I have an International Business Administration degree because I always knew that I wanted to do that and to open a business. I knew that I needed to know how to manage it. Then I did Fashion Design in Marangoni in Miami. They opened their doors 4 years ago and I was one of the first students there. Then I also did Visual Merchandising and fashion courses in Milan, Italy. I also did styling courses with stylists in Miami. I did pattern making with a university in Columbia that had those courses online and so I have done different aspects of fashion as it’s what I love!
AM: I love that you love the business and you know it from the design, but also the structure of it and how to plan it.
AS: I think that it’s very important to know about the business first and then to specialize in the fashion part as well. It’s another thing about the business that is important.
AM: How do you approach designing upcoming seasons?
AS: So, I have inspiration from different sources. I love to travel and it’s one of the ways that I get a bit of therapy. When I travel, I am inspired in this way the most. So, I love to go to museums to get in touch with art, culture, and history. I also have personal experiences, friends who love the brand, so I love to be at the stores so I can be in touch with the customer. Their opinion is important for the feedback to see which pattern is working and which isn’t, the fabric, and fit! We always try to do cohesive collections, timeless pieces so you can shop in different seasons. But at the end of the day, they are timeless pieces that you can use all year long.
AM: That’s something that I have loved over the last decade or so that brands are focusing on a timeless collection that can truly be worn year around! You were talking about how you get inspired which is amazing. How would you describe your design aesthetic which I am so obsessed with!
AS: Oh thank you!
As I said, inspiration can come from different sources. My design aesthetic, I’d say that it is an element of sophistication and also a little bit edgy as well. It’s timeless and I try to be classic too! It’s a very eclectic brand where you can find romantic style, classic, rocker, boho – it’s a mix of things like a clash. So when we are with our customers, we try to tell them to take that risk, wear that jacket, be the center of attention as this will make you feel beautiful. We love to celebrate every woman and it’s about them enjoying their self expression too! We want them to express themselves with the pieces.
AM: Tell me about how the brand came about and what is the meaning behind SETA?
AS: The meaning behind the name SETA is S from Salazar because that is my last name. Also my second last name is Zapata so we wanted to get together the S and the Z. When I do my initials, I always do the ASZ and so I have S and Z always in my last name. It’s also an acronym, S – Sophistication, E – Edgy, T – Timeless and A – Attire.
AM: Oh, I love that!
AS: Yes, that is the acronym.
AM: What would you say is the ethos of the brand?
AS: Are ethos for this brand is that we strive to empower individual women to express their uniqueness through fashion. We offer pieces that not only standout, but embody quality and craftsmanship. I’m super focused on craftsmanship, items that are handmade, very unique pieces – we say that they are treasures from the closet.
AM: Love it.
I first became aware of you and your brand from your season on Making the Cut. Why did you want to be on the show and what was it like navigating those competitions?
AS: So, Making the Cut, was a very big decision on my career. It was an opportunity to be on a global stage and at the end of the day, if I didn’t do it, I would never know what would happen! I’m a woman that loves to take risk. I loved the first season, the judges, the way that they produced the show, and it was done very well in a high-end way. So, I think it was a very good platform to be on and it was a great way to learn professionally as well as personally. It was actually a great resource.
AM: Being able to get insights from Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn which we have interviewed previously, that must have been such an amazing resource. What did you learn from doing the show in working alongside them as well as the other designers?
AS: Working with industry icons like Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn was invaluable! It was a big opportunity – the feedback, the mentorship, these things were very important in staying true to my vision – that is what a real designer is. Also, Jeremy Scott says that the life of a designer is tough and you always have to be creating. You launch a collection, you’re already thinking of the next one. It is a non-stop industry that is also very competitive. It was also great to be next to big designers too that had a vision. We were all super different, no one was similar. So it was super interesting to have this cast and I really enjoyed it.
AM: It was so cool to watch you throughout the season as well as the other designers. Since the show, how has your brand grown?
AS: It has really grown! The presence has increased, we have a new clientele, the exposure opened our doors to have our own online channel, we also have Amazon Fashion as a customer. It was great growth and it has been a great year for us. Not only in exposure and publicity, but also for sales. Even after COVID and various things, we have really had a very good result! Being on Amazon has been a vision beyond borders. It’s just been a great opportunity.
AM: I really love that your brand, it has high visual texture, amazing embellishment that takes place and you really lean into that! Then there are the accessories which really rounds it out. Where does your love in those 3 areas come from?
AS: We love elevated looks! I don’t know, you can be a classic woman, but if you put on a belt, you’re already elevating that look.
AM: Yup!
AS: Accessories are the seal of the look. We really love that. That's something that we import because they are statement pieces and the belts are made super well and are handmade leather. We are very focused on that. We love the boots and the shoes and it’s a great way to diversify the business beyond just the clothing.
We’re also exploring the beauty industry – we have our fragrance. We want to do more research on this as we’re already a brand. We want to have candles and other kinds of products as well. So this will be something that is coming in future seasons as well.
AM: Tell me about your boutiques as I know you have a few – walk us though them.
AS: Our boutiques are carefully curated so it has the essence of the brand. From the moment you enter, you are immersed into the world of SETA. You’re surrounded by crafted garments and accessories. You can find our physical stores in Miami, Medellin, and Bogota. Those are our 3 stores. We have projects to open more and to franchise coming soon. But for now, we’re super good with these and of course, we’re available online too!
AM: That’s amazing and I hope you one in NY as that is where we’re based!
AS: We actually did a pop up last year there during NYFW!
AM: What’s your travel schedule like as I’m sure you personally maintain a presence in all 3 stores frequently?
AS: Oh yes. I think that that the pop ups are a very good resource to try different markets and we’re always looking at where the next place will be to open. But NY, that is our next target.
AM: That aesthetic for many of us in NY is just perfect!
AS: We feel the same way!
AM: Tell me about the SETA Gallery at the Sagamore Hotel in South Beach. It’s been fun to see the images on your IG.
AS: We really had this opportunity to have the space in this hotel. It’s a very traditional hotel in Miami Beach. It’s full of tourists and is in the touristy area of Miami Beach and we wanted to make it different. They wanted to expose art - different art pieces and to have it as a fashion exhibition. We are celebrating 10 years in the industry as a brand so that celebration allows us to showcase our most iconic pieces from the beginning! You can find our first pieces of the brand, it tells our story, and you can scan the QRCode and see the story of the piece and they are unique one of a kind pieces. It’s like an exclusive escape where they can see our pieces from our trajectory.
AM: What would you say are 3 core pieces from the brand that are essentials for people to have in their closets?
AS: So 3 essential pieces from SETA is definitely our classic Legend Military Jacket. That jacket has been a classic from the beginning and it’s a must. It’s very well fitted, it’s a statement. It’s good for the winter and the fall. It’s for that girl who loves to travel, so it’s a must. In our suit pants, we have our Baggy Suit Pants which are super super studded and they’re amazing too. They are showstoppers. A belt in general is a must. As I have said, a very classy woman wears classic pieces or basics, a belt adds that extra.
AM: You have a collab that you’re involved in. Can you tell me more about this and how it came together?
AS: Right now, we’re pitching some different shoe and accessory brands. I think that it’s very good to have a marriage and different strategies. But we have also had them in the past, we worked with a Spanish boot brand and we did a runway show in NY in 2022. We were sold out on all of the boots. People loved them and we had collabs with influencers in Columbia and from Latin American. It was amaz ing because they had their own influence and their own clientele. So we also sold super fast with those as well! We can tell that collabs work very well.
AM: In looking at your line, I love the color palette. Do you ever envision other colorways coming into the brand?
AS: Yeah, actually we do try to be more flexible with the colors. But to be honest with you, we only do that with little capsules. It can be a bit of a shocking position when we have colors in the brand and it’s a challenge because it targets a different kind of clientele. But why not?
This year for the holidays we did a bit of a lilac for the embellishment. People love it!
AM: It was pretty cool.
AS: A bit of a hint of color can make a difference.
AM: I can’t believe that we’re talking a few days out from the beginning of the year and when this is in our issues, it will be 2 days before New Year’s Eve!
AS: It’s unbelievable!
AM: For those that may still be planning what their NYE looks will be, I love that for this night, we all do different things.
AS: Yeah, I know it’s fun!
AM: So we reached out to you to give 3 NYE events and to present 3 looks that could be worn with accessories from SETA! So we’ll walk through each of the shown looks and get your thoughts on them (See the event stream here)!
The first one, we thought was amazing for a NYE Loft Party if you’re here in NYC or a roof top if you’re celebrating in warmer climates like Miami! I love that this look is really easy – tell us more about it.
AS: I really love this one because it is perfect for the winter. It’s a Mesh Turtleneck and pants and I love to put this bralette on top so that you can have that shimmery addition to your outfit. The mesh turtleneck, I’m wearing that right now.
AM: Loving the mesh!
AS: It’s like a layer and the Lumino Bralet – love it. The Luminous Collection is for Fall/Winter and is perfect for NYE. The cut, color, this one has the little lilac sequins that I talked to you about earlier. It’s a new color and the Lumino Pant is super comfortable and has a baggy style. It can be comfortable, yet beautiful for a rooftop or a dinner! It’s a very balanced look for the New Year.
AM: We also have a 2nd look that would be great if you’re doing New Years at home!
AS: Oh yeah, amazing!
AM: Not to say that you can’t dress whichever way you choose when celebrating at home, but I love the idea of still putting a great look together whether you’re enjoying it with friends or your significant other. It’s really fun with how relaxed it is – walk us through this one!
AS: It’s flawless. This is our Oversized Shirt in black, we also have it in white. I know a lot of people love to wear white for NYE. But we picked this one. This Alquimia Short is super baggy and is a bit of a Bermuda Short style. It’s embellished and it also has that lilac sequin that we’ve been talking about. It’s very special and these boots – you can wear hosiery or pantyhose with it if you’re looking for more coverage. But it’s the perfect outfit to be at home.
AM: I love this Rocker Boot! Does it slouch or fold over fully if you want to?
AS: Yes you can slouch them!
AM: It’s a sick boot!
AS: Yeah when you slouch them it has a great look!
AM: It looks like you’d have the perfect scrunch with them.
When we’re talking about the classic NYE bring it down with that epic night out, tell me about this!
AS: This is my favorite!
That Luminous Faux Coat! It’s perfect!
AM: Right?
AS: For NY it’s perfect and that catsuit, it’s my favorite of the season because I just posted a video using it and I was in NY because I went to Heidi Klum’s Halloween party and it was chilly. I wore it and I love it! I talked to the people and they loved it and it’s time that we shine in our own skin! People are loving this catsuit, it’s amazing because it’s all crystal and it’s super trendy right now.
I mean Kim Kardashian’s collaboration between SKIMS and Swarovski, I was happy to see that because I knew I was ahead with mine!
AM: When I saw the pieces from their drop, I instantly thought of your catsuit which you’ve already had! You’re so right that this is trending.
I must tell you that I really love your campaign shoots and videos as it lets me step into your world truly! Right now if you look at your IG table we see the pieces juxtaposed to glam elements of a tablescape with dinner plates and candelabras which is stunning. It ties back into the brand and is amazing!
AS: Thank you so much! You’re so sweet and thank you so much for all of this love! I think that when we do the things that we love, everything flows so we are really passionate and SETA is like our baby and it’s like our little daughter that never grows! We take care of her all the time and it’s our life project! It’s like a baby because we have been seeing all of the growth and we still have a lot to do.
It’s a lot of learning, it’s a lot of sacrifice, it’s a lot of bumps in the road but I love it – the success and the failure. It’s up and down, but it’s like life, but we love it as it’s the passion and it’s amazing to do what we love!
IG @seta_apparel
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | SETA
Read the DEC ISSUE #96 of Athleisure Mag and see THE STATEMENT | Andrea Salazar in mag.
Read the DEC ISSUE #96 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LOOKS | Sukeina in mag.
If you've been collecting sneakers and have a passion for some of your favorite Nike, Gucci, Lanvin's etc that are deconstructed, reconstructed and customized with premium and exotic skins, Dominic Ciambrone, a.k.a. The Surgeon is the legendary creative mind that is at the forefront of taking our sneaker game to the next level! His work has been coveted and collected by Justin Bieber, LeBron James, Odell Beckham Jr, DJ Khaled, Canelo, and more. In addition he has worked with Bentley Motors, NBA, NFL, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, Heineken, Reese's, Glenmorangie, 7-11, and a number of other brands. We wanted to find out how he got into and pioneered this space, what his work entails, his projects, working with luxury brands, SRGN Studios, SRGN Academy, his passion for sports, The League, and additional projects that he is working on.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you wanted to be a shoemaker?
DOMINIC CIAMBRONE: When did I realize that I wanted to be a shoemaker? I would say when I was 19 years old. From the age of 15/16, I was painting shoes, but I realized that to actually be a shoemaker, I needed to take my craft a step further. That realization came I think when I met one of my mentors, Michael Anthony who hand makes western boots.
AM: What was that journey like to be able to be self-taught and learning all of those elements?
DC: It was a long road! I started with painting shoes and then I learned how to sew on top of them – I learned sewing in high school. Then I met my mentor who made western boots so I got to watch him make boots and then I realized that that’s what I wanted to do with sneakers. I wanted to make the highest end sneakers in the world and it took many years working for free and just doing stuff to learn about machines and tools. It was a lot of missteps and a lot of learning. I did paint, I did shoe repair, fixed purses and bags. I mean, I did all kinds of things just so that I could learn.
AM: Back in 2011/2012, I had a collaboration with Sebago and I had a line of their boat shoes and we sold it on HSN, Bloomingdale's and a few select retailers and I was so excited. But my background at that time was in apparel and jewelry as opposed to shoes. I remember reading an article about you and your work when I was on my flight heading to the factory in the Dominican Republic. After reading it, I felt that in hearing your story, how you approached your work etc, that if I could take that same approach and focus on the materials and create another way to highlight this style of shoe much as you do with sneakers that I could do it! So reading about you and just thinking about it in a different way saved me from freaking out on my flight I just wanted to say thank you for that!
DC: That’s awesome!
AM: Why do you call yourself The Surgeon?
DC: I was 18 years old in a hotel in NYC for the first time trying to figure out what to call myself, the brand, and what I was doing. I just wrote down a bunch of things and I was just trying to figure out what do I do to sneakers? What do I do to the shoes? I was like, “surgery,” and that’s where it got birthed – The Surgeon. Now that we're expanding the business, we've taken "Shoe" out of the name and go by SURGEON. Our creativity isn't limited to sneakers and you're going to see that more and more next year.
AM: When you’re customizing shoes, where do you start in that creative process when you’re making sneakers?
DC: I mean it changes. I don’t have one set process. For me, I have always been able to build something to life straight from an idea. I love sourcing materials, I’m really big into materials, I think that I’m mostly a materials person. I mostly just love it so much. You can turn something into a product and that’s a beautiful thing.
AM: I’m also a fashion stylist and an accessory expert, so I’m constantly talking about and believe that when someone is purchasing a handbag, jewelry, or shoes, you’re buying what the designer intended in making that item as well as what the wearer puts into it after wearing it and wanting it. Ultimately, that connection between the person who purchased it and the product creates its own history and meaning. When people are buying your shoes, what are they getting?
DC: I mean, ha – they get a piece of my soul. They get a piece of something that’s my entire life and they get a piece of shoemaking history that dates back all the way to Ancient Egypt! I mean, there’s those hieroglyphics on the wall that I looked at recently and some of the oldest ones have people making shoes!
AM: You have been worn and collected by so many people from LeBron James, Justin Bieber, Drake and more. What’s it like when you’re collaborating with them on specific ideas and incorporating your concepts together?
DC: Sometimes they give me the full range to do what I want and then there’s some that have a couple of ideas and I help bring their ideas to life where they will give a little bit of direction and I’m able to go back and forth. I think that a true collaboration is a very beautiful thing. You have 2 energies that are coming together to create something magical.
AM: You’ve also worked with so many brands whether it’s Gucci or Lanvin or Nike or Reese’s, what does it feel like to be able to work with these types of brands and to bring your creativity and artistry into what their lexicon is?
DC: I mean, it’s a beautiful thing. At the end of the day, I just – a friend of mine told me that I’m making commercial cool right? So a lot of the stuff that I get to do is that I get to make cool commercials and I didn’t look at it that way. People just reached out to me for my craft and my artistry and what I have been able to build from my Instagram to just a true foundation where I hold a high value on my quality and my artisanal work with the team so it’s really cool to be able to be part of it.
AM: You’re SURGEON X Bentley partnership last year where you had the limited edition shoes as well as Surgeon-ifying their car, what did it mean to you to work with this brand and to create in this way?
DC: Bentley is one of, if not the most, prestigious car company in the world. So, to be able to fly to Crewe, England and sit with the makers there and to see how they produced one of the highest quality cars in the world was a very humbling experience and it was so amazing to be able to do that because that car is the top of the top!
AM: Oh yeah!
The materials that you use – the leathers, the exotics are amazing. Have you also used sustainable materials like banana leathers, mycelium and things like that?
DC: Oh yeah, I’ve been using different ideas of sustainability whether it’s even recycled materials. I actually flew to Brazil, developed an Elephant Ear plant material and we have used that on shoes and right now, I have a shoe that is launching that the sole is dyed with turmeric, the swoosh is mushroom, pineapple leather, grape leaf leather – I mean, it’s a really cool shoe.
AM: What has been your favorite project that you have worked on?
DC: I don’t really have favorites …
AM: You’re like me – I don’t have favorites, but there are a lot of things that I vibe with!
DC: I think it’s myself – really working on myself is beauty and I never looked at it that way until recently. So to be able to work on myself and to be able to translate that to my children, the work will speak for itself. myself is beauty and I never looked at it that way until recently. So to be able to work on myself and to be able to translate that to my children, the work will speak for itself.
AM: When you started, this industry and the market didn’t really exist in this way and you definitely have left a mark on it. Where do you see the industry in the next 15/20 years?
DC: That’s a great question. I don’t know. I don’t think like that because shoes and the custom industry was something that I think that I really helped pioneer and now for me, it’s way bigger than that. I’m working on architecture, interiors, car design, and so many other things. So just for custom shoes as an industry, I think that more people will respect the process more. I think that some will try it and most won’t like it because it’s a lot of work. I do think that a lot of things will be going to automation and easy to do things.
AM: Tell me about SRGN Academy which you have in LA, Las Vegas and at the Seaport here in NY.
DC: The SRGN Academy was started 8 or 9 years ago now. Growing up, I didn’t have a class or a school that I wanted to go to so I wanted to offer a trade school that you learn how to make a pair of shoes from scratch and at the same time, it’s not just about the shoes. It’s about going through something for yourself and doing something positive for yourself.
AM: Then there’s SRGN Studios, why did you want to launch this and what does it entail?
DC: SRGN Studios and even SURGEON Worldwide, is just a company that I have been able to build. The studio is like my fantasy factory where we have sports and all things under one roof. Not until you’re able to come into the studio do you really get a feel for it. You can only see so much through social media and online. So it's just a way for people to be able to have fun and live life. Life’s too short. I wanted to create a safe and fun place for people.
AM: Tell me about The League.
DC: The League started out of – well my business partner Dallas Imbimbo, he plays basketball and I play soccer. So once we got into our newer space, we just started playing pickup games and then we were like, “oh, let’s do more.” So we turned it into a league and it’s been very competitive, and fun, and a great outlet for me to not just be creative – but athletic and to compete in a healthy way.
AM: It seems like you have a full schedule. Will you ever have versions where you go to other cities like here in NY or in Miami.
DC: Yeah, we’re working on it.
AM: A few minutes ago, you were talking about how your passion extends beyond just shoes as you’re working in architecture, interiors, and cars. Will you have a clothing line, will we ever see a hotel that you do?
DC: Yeah exactly! I’m working on all of those things. I think that the hotel is definitely something that I love. I’m passionate about traveling and experience is something that is very meaningful to me so a hotel is definitely ideating.
AM: Here at Athleisure Mag, we love talking about food, it’s a great love that we’re constantly covering. You have the Canevari’s Ravioli Factory & Delicatessen – tell us more about this.
DC: My dad took over this deli 12-15 years ago and growing up my whole life, my dad was a chef. My mom cooked and my dad, when I was going into my freshman year of high school, they opened a restaurant and I got to see them live out their passions by just opening up a restaurant. At the time, I took it for granted and I didn’t understand it. I thought that it was normal and it was just my normal. Now that they have the deli, I have helped them remodel it, help brand it, and to get the right eyeballs on it to continue to grow it. It’s helped my dad and I to become closer.
They get a piece of my soul. They get a piece of something that’s my entire life and they get a piece of shoemaking history that dates back all the way to Ancient Egypt! I mean, there’s those hieroglyphics on the wall that I looked at recently and some of the oldest ones have people making shoes!
AM: What do you do in terms of working out as we like to know. So what are 3 workouts that you do that we should consider to add into our routines?
DC: Play soccer! Play soccer! It’s such a good workout. I mean and then, steam room, sauna, and I also meditate which is a workout for the mind to relax and physical therapy. I think a lot of people don’t realize how important physical therapy is. We wait until we’re hurt or we need to recover to get to it. But it’s like, if you can be preventative, then you’ll always be good. Mobility workouts are great. It’s less about weight and going crazy, it’s about the body and being really kind to your body and figuring out how to open it up so that you can have it for the longevity of your life.
AM: Totally agree. I turned 40 a few years ago and prior to that I wasn’t as focused on recovering the body post workout and mobility. When I started adding it in, I wondered why I had never done that because your body needs it and you can feel it over time.
When you’re not working, how do you take time for yourself?
DC: How do I take time for myself? I have a life coach that I work with every week. You know, I would say that playing soccer is time for myself even though it is in the studio. It’s really the only time that I ever shut off unless I’m in a meditation or workout. Hiking, traveling, and then working on myself for my children.
AM: Are there any upcoming projects that you would like to share?
DC: Ha! I’d have to ask my team! I can’t even keep up. We’re moving into the new studio, another 20,000 sq ft. We have a collaboration with Allen Iverson that launches next month. I mean, there are so many, I can’t even keep up anymore.
AM: You have so many projects going on and dropping. When a project comes to your attention, how do you decide if that is something that you want to add to your schedule?
DC: We have built such a great team to help manage this stuff so that we can continue to grow and that for me as a creative, I can continue to explore new things. So, it just depends. There are so many great things that we’re working on and a lot of the things that I’m working on is the stuff for the future.
AM: You’re also an advocate and you speak about the importance of mental health which is something we believe in. Why is it so important to you and what do you feel is the connection between mental health and physical health?
DC: As a kid, I went through a lot of mental health challenges, and I don’t think that I knew of it that way. At 24, I ended up jumping out of a window when I was making shoes for Justin Bieber, and I was diagnosed bipolar and I didn’t really know what that meant. Then when I started doing more self-research and figuring more things out, it’s so important – mental health and physical health are one in the same and you need to do both. When you take care of your physical health, your mental health will be better. It’s just true in the same and so it’s very important to physically take care of yourself for your mental purposes and with mindful workouts which is meditation, positive self-talk, it's mindfulness and so many things. And yeah, there’s so many people with how the world is going where people are pushing you know, different types of medicines. There’s something so much more easier about being able to get up and going for a walk, being in the sun, and taking care of your mind, body, and soul.
AM: I heard you like to rap in the office!
DC: HAHA I like to make people laugh! Growing up, my dad always rhymed, more like Dr. Seuss than a rapper, but I do it for myself and also to help people around to laugh. My kids pick it up to and it’s so funny because if I try to start rhyming and rapping, my daughter’s like, “dad, stop!”
AM: I could see you dropping a mix tape!
DC: I mean, I’m working on music more for exploring it. It’s less about rapping and more about just creating!
IG @ciambrone
PHOTO CREDITS | FRONT/BACK COVER, PG 20 + 9DRIP 42-45 Bryam Heredia/SRGN Studios + Grooming/Stefanie Guerra | PG 16-19, 22-41 SRGN Studios |
Read the NOV ISSUE #95 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ARTISAN | Dominic Ciambrone “The Surgeon” in mag.
The week before we head into the holiday season has quite a bit going on and we’re excited that our Athleisure Mag Summit Series with BÉIS’ SVP, Brand and Creative, Liz Money. We’ve had the pleasure of including their brand in our issues as well as editorials that we have shot.
On Dec 20th, from 3pm - 3:30pm ET, our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Dir of Athleisure Mag, Kimmie Smith will chat with Liz about this brand, their assortment, great gifting options, and what we can expect from them in 2024. You can join us virtually and we’ll also have a giveaway with them. Click here or the invite above so that you can sign up for this event.
Read the NOV ISSUE #95 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LOOKS | Cult Gaia in mag.