Read the JUL ISSUE #103 of Athleisure Mag and see HOW TO DRESS | WHen Watching Summer Games in mag.
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PHOTO COURTESY | Bernard Kamungo
When we watch our favorite sports or athletes, each person comes with a backstory, dreams, aspirations, and inspirations that come together through their love of the game and what it means to them. We sat down with Bernard Kamungo who plays for FC Dallas as well as joined the USMNT team earlier this year. He talks with us about how his love for soccer which started in the refugee camps of Tanzania kept him on a positive path and continued when he came to the US as a child. Unbeknownst to him, his love for the game would result in him going pro and being able to live his dreams of going out on the pitch throughout the season. We also talk about the importance of proper tools for recovery when injured as well as what he does prior to and after his matches.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with soccer and at what point did you realize that you wanted to play it?
BERNARD KAMUNGO: I started playing when I was very young, probably as soon as I started walking. Growing up in Tanzania where soccer is the main sport, that made it easy for me to fall in love with playing soccer.
AM: You grew up in a Tanzanian refugee camp and began playing there. Can you tell me about the early days of you playing the game?
BK: I was born in a refugee camp and playing soccer helped me avoid a lot of negative stuff going on in and around my life. My family could not afford a living. We could not afford food, clothes, etc. So, most of the time, my friends and I were playing soccer after school for fun. 1v1, 2v2, and so on, just to get away from the negativity. It was the only thing that brought joy into my life at the time.
PHOTO COURTESY | Bernard Kamungo
AM: When you turned 14, you came to the US and continued playing. What was it like coming here and playing this sport?
BK: It was a dream come true coming to the US. I had seen a lot of movies, videos, and pictures of how amazing the country was, and I always wanted to come to the U.S. The freedom, jobs, and the culture. It is amazing. Some of those things, we don’t have them back home. Soccer played a big part for me to adapt and connect with people in the U.S., besides my family. I had to get out of my comfort zone. It was great getting to use the real soccer ball and cleats to play soccer. I believed one day I would get to do that, and it felt great to be able to do so for the first time.
AM: At what point did you want to go pro?
BK: I hate saying this now that I’m a pro footballer, but honestly, at that time, I had never thought about going pro. It was not realistic for me, so I tried not to think about it. Even though I had a lot of people that believed in me and knew I could make it.
AM: You signed with FC Dallas in 2021, what did it mean to you to join this team?
BK: It was surreal. Especially for someone like me who had just come from a refugee camp with such limited dreams. Being able to achieve that in such a short amount of time was unbelievable.
AM: When you're in season, what's it like when you're training for your games? Tell me about what an average week looks like in terms of training, working out, etc.
BK: My weekly schedule is not that bad. We mostly practice Monday through Friday and play games on Saturday, with an off day on Sunday.
Our practice time changes depending on the month we are in, and we adjust based on the weather. Right now, our report time is 8:00 a.m. I wake up at 6:50 a.m., pray, shower, meditate, have some tea, and head to the stadium for breakfast. I get to the stadium around 7:50 a.m. After breakfast, I go to the gym to foam roll, stretch, and for mobility training before I am ready for practice starting at 9:00 or 9:30 am. Depending on how long meetings take after practice and training, I take an ice bath and get a massage, if I’m sore or tired. I am always looking out for my body and overall well-being, so whether that means settling in for some TLC after practice or suiting up with The BetterGuard during practice and games, I will do what I can to make sure I am performing at my best and preventing any injuries that I can. After that, I’ll eat at the stadium or go home and have lunch, about an hour or two after practice.
When I’m home, I spend time with my family for a bit, take a 30-minute nap, sometimes more, depending on how I feel. I will read, play FIFA, or watch a movie, while I’m wearing my Hyperice recovery boots. I end my day by eating a healthy dinner at 7:30 p.m. and going to bed around 10:30 p.m. before repeating this same schedule the following day.
AM: What are you looking forward to this season as I know you're currently in the regular season right now.
BK: This season, my goal is to lift a trophy at this wonderful club with all my amazing teammates.
PHOTO COURTESY | Bernard Kamungo
AM: Do you have any routines that you do before a match to get ready for the game and what do you do post-game to come down from all that energy on the field?
BK: My game day routine is so simple. Most of our games are played at 7:30 p.m. and we report at 5:40 p.m. I’ll sleep as much as I can the night before the game. I normally wake up between 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. and have brunch. I keep my mind and body at ease, preparing for games by wearing my recovery boots and relaxing for a bit by reading, while getting in the game day mindset by playing a bit of FIFA or watching clips of soccer games. I then take a 30-minute nap and, when I wake up, eat my pregame meal by 3:00 or 3:30 p.m., at the latest. Once I shower and meditate, I head to the stadium. My head is in the game, and we hopefully come home victorious. After the game, I go home, but I find it hard to sleep after a game. I’m not a talker after games, so I just sit and take it all in, whether I am sitting alone in my room, playing FIFA, or with a small group of friends.
AM: What are your must-haves that you use to assist you in playing the game?
BK: Before the game, I must have either tea, hot milk or rice as my pregame meal. On the field, I rely on kinesiology tape to keep my wrist stabilized and The BetterGuard ankle brace to keep my ankle protected from serious injury. I went down during the end of the first game of the playoffs last season against Seattle. All I want to do is play soccer and compete and, when injury gets in the way, it is the most frustrating thing. Wearing The BetterGuard, I have been able to recover faster and get back on the field quickly, rejoining my team in Dallas to finish the 2023 season and join the USMNT to start 2024. The Betterguards’ team has been working to take their signature product to the next level, and I am excited for everyone to get their hands on The BetterGuard 2.0, launching July 31, to experience the peak athletic performance I have while wearing the brace.
AM: When you're not on the field, how do you take time for yourself?
BK: I like to stay indoors, so I spend most of my time inside, hanging out with my family and friends while trying to stay focused.
AM: Are there any projects coming up that you would like us to know about?
BK: I am so thankful for everyone’s support and look forward to seeing you at an upcoming FC Dallas match. Our season runs through October, and you can find more information, including where to watch or how to buy tickets at fcdallas.com. You can find me on Instagram @bernardk17.
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PHOTO CREDIT | Trevor Moran/Red Bull
In this month’s issue, our front and back cover story is World Surf League's #2 pro surfer Griffin Colapinto. He is also competing in his first Olympics for Team USA Surfing at Paris 2024! We talked with him about how he got into surfing, his passion for it, how he balances between between an athlete and taking the proper self-care he needs, and more. We also talk with him about Athletes for Good which established grants for athletes to give to their charity of choice.
Of course we have been glued to our screens watching our favorite athletes, sports, and countries during the Olympics! In this month's issue, we have interviews with 2X Team USA Gymnastic Olympic Medalist Jordan Chiles (G1, S1) who has already won Gold with her team! We talk about how she got into the sport, her passion for it, competing at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024!
We also sat down with Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng who are a fantastic duo for Team USA Olympic Beach Volleyball. We talk about their road to these Summer Games, how they stay in shape and trained for it, and what they are looking forward to.
We love how the Olympics bring people together whether it's the sport, the ceremonies, celebs, and even veterans. We sat down with Nastia Liukin (G1, S3, B1) 5X Team USA Gymnastics Olympic Medalist as we talk about her Olympic journey, advice to this years team who call themselves, The Golden Girls, and her love for pickleball. We talk about her collaboration with Recess Pickleball.
We also wanted to talked with Sydney Leroux who plays soccer for Angel City FC and is also a Team USA Soccer Olympic Gold Medalist from the London 2012 and 2015 FIFA World Cup winner. She talks about how she fell in love with soccer, why she enjoys playing it, the importance of proper recovery through injury, and more.
We have always enjoyed Citi's Taste of Tennis which takes place here in NY right before the US Open! This event allows food, tennis stars, celebs, tennis enthusiasts, and more to come together to toast great chefs and restaurants, the hospitality industry, and some great competition at Arthur Ashe Stadium! With the event taking place in August, we sat down with Penny Lerner of AYS Sports Marketing to find out more about the event, why it was started, and what we can expect from this year's event. Make sure to read our AUG ISSUE #104 as we will talk about the event and what we experienced when we were there.
Earlier this year, Bob Marley's biopic, One Love came out in theaters and ahead of that release, Bob Marley and The Wailers: The Ultimate Illustrated History by Richie Unterberger came out. We wanted to talk with the author about the book, his music, life, legacy, and impact.
We all have shows we enjoy and when there is an opportunity to have a companion shows where there are elements of the show we love as well as providing context for the show and the real people that live those lives, it's a great merge of the two. We have been fans of and have interviewed various cast members of STARZ P-Valley. While we wait for the next season, you can enjoy their series Down in the Valley which is Executive Produced and hosted by Nicco Annan who plays Uncle Clifford in the TV series and within this companion series he takes us into the Delta to tell the stories of those that live there and drawing parallels between the scripted show and the reality of those who live it every day. We talk with him as well as Shoshana Guy who is also an Executive Producer. They talk about identifying the storytelling they brought forward, some of their favorite moments, and why this was something that they wanted to do.
We also talked with Lara Wolf who stars in Peacock's Those About to Die. We talked about her career, how she approaches her characters, why she was drawn to this Peacock Original, and upcoming projects.
We always enjoy when we can talk with designers and those in the fashion industry. In this month's issue we talked with Irene Chen, industry veteran and Co-Founder of luxury handbag brand of Parker Thatch. We wanted to know more about the line, the thought that goes into the handbags and jewelry that are created, what we can expect for fall/holiday and more!
This month's The Art of the Snack comes from Kintsugi Omakase in SoHo short for an amazing series of tasting menus that are next level.
We had the pleasure of attending the EU Gem Ham Prosciutto di Carpegna PDO event at Manhatta last month. We take you behind the scenes of this dinner.
This month's Athleisure List comes from wellness studio Othership in Flatiron here in NY and Hiraya a restaurant and cafe concept in DC.
This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from 2X Team USA Olympic Gymnastics Medalist Jordan Chiles and 3 Michelin-Starred Chef Alexander Mazzia who is currently one of 3 chefs at the Olympic Villages. This month we have our 9PLAYLIST MULTI from LA Angel FC's Sydney Leroux who shares songs, books and podcasts/TV/films that she is enjoying. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from Team USA Beach Volleyball Olympians Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng who share their must-haves in beauty, style, and fitness. Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from Jordan Chiles who shares her routines that she does, enjoys, and has Morning, Afternoon, and Night. This month's THE 9LIST 9CH3FS and THE 9LIST 9B-L-D comes from Restaurateur/Chef James Wozniuk of Makan in D.C. Executive Chef Whitney Amero Caceres of Primrose in D.C., and Food Network's Sunny Anderson.
Read the JUL ISSUE #103 of Athleisure Mag.
We always enjoy watching our favorite shows and the actors that portray characters that are memorable. In addition to enjoying their creative pursuits, it's always interesting to see when their life experiences initiate an entrepreneurial endeavour based on issues that they may have come across.
We sat down with Maria Camila Giraldo who we recently enjoyed watching her in Netflix's Griselda. We wanted to know more about how she came to acting, how she approaches her characters, how she came to this series and to find out about her wellness brand, Fungiments. Co-founded by her and her fiance, Cole Garson they set out to create this brand that uses mushrooms and adaptogens.
ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the first film or TV show that made you realize the power of acting?
MARIA CAMILA GIRALDO: The first film that made me realize the power of acting was V for Vendetta. The performances were so compelling and intense that they truly demonstrated how acting can convey deep emotions and complex ideas, leaving a lasting impact on the audience.
AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be an actor?
MCG: I think I was born an actor. Ever since I was a baby, I would grab the camera and perform different characters. As I grew older, I started producing my own short films and homemade talk shows. This passion for performance and storytelling has always been a part of me.
AM: How do you approach playing your characters as we know everyone has their own process.
MCG: My approach to playing characters depends on the character and the story. Currently, I'm very influenced by Ivana Chubbuck's technique. It's an amazing method that helps me connect my own reality with the character's reality, allowing for a more authentic and powerful performance.
AM: We enjoyed watching Netflix's Griselda - how did you become attached to the project and what drew you to this series?
MCG: I started auditioning for Griselda in October 2021. It was a lengthy process. Initially, I was considered too young for the original role I auditioned for, but they eventually called me in for a different role. I didn't hear back until the end of November 2021 – that’s when I received the exciting news that I had to move to LA for the project. I had always wanted to be in LA, having visited on and off for the past three years, so it was a perfect opportunity for me.
AM: The storyline and telling Griselda's story was amazing. On your IG, you shared that you had a vision board where you noted that you would be on a top show and Sofia Vergara (Modern Family, Chef, This is Me ... Now: A Love Story) was also on there and of course we saw that come to pass this year! What was your biggest takeaway from doing this show?
MCG: My biggest takeaway from doing this show is the importance of dreaming big, working hard, and preparing for the opportunities you want. If you do, the moment you’ve been waiting for will eventually show up. Having a vision board was a constant reminder of my goals, and seeing it come to fruition was incredibly rewarding.
AM: You're going to be in a film with Al Pacino (The Godfather, The Irishman, Serpico), is there anything that you can tell us about this?
MCG: Initially, I was hesitant because I didn't like horror movies. However, my managers insisted I take a look at the project. When I did, I realized it was more than just a horror film—it was a psychological thriller that delved into mental health, a topic very close to my heart. After my concussion and personal struggles with mental health, I felt deeply connected to the story and its significance.
AM: You were recently at the Cannes Film Festival and we loved seeing your look on the red carpet. What was it like attending this festival and were you there promoting a film?
MCG: Attending the Cannes Film Festival was a dream come true. We were there for private screenings of The Ritual (Editors Note: This is her upcoming film with Al Pacino). The experience was incredible - the magnitude of the event, the glamour, and the sheer amount of talent present was amazing. It was an honor to be part of such a prestigious event and to witness the global celebration of cinema.
AM: As someone who has been playing a number of roles, you are also an entrepreneur in the wellness space! What led to your wellness journey to becoming an entrepreneurial aha moment?
MCG: When I went through a concussion, I realized that there weren't many natural alternatives for managing my anxiety or improving my focus and concentration that didn't involve medications, and I didn't want to go that route. So, I tried everything and looked everywhere. I found a lot of relief in mushroom supplements and adaptogens. After searching through pharmacies and supermarkets and not finding anything similar, I saw a big opportunity to create a fun brand that people can connect to. That's what led me to create Fungiments and become an entrepreneur.
AM: Tell us about Fungiments and its use of mushrooms and adaptogens.
MCG: Fungiments uses mushrooms as the hero ingredient, blending them with other adaptogens to enhance their targeted effects. This approach allows us to create products that truly work, unlike other mushroom supplement brands that often include mushrooms in low milligrams, leaving you unsure if they are effective. Our formulations ensure that each product delivers tangible benefits for your specific needs.
AM: Tell us about your assortment and although you just launched, do you have plans on additional items to add to your offerings?
MCG: Our body is like an ecosystem, and our goal at Fungiments is to create products that support each system within it. For example, we have Super Prune gummies which support digestion with Turkey Tail mushrooms along with other functional ingredients. Super Bouncy is for those lacking energy and focus, made with Cordyceps, ginseng and more. We recognize that we are holistic beings, and one issue, like lack of energy, can often be connected to another, such as poor sleep. Although we just launched, we already have plans to expand our offerings to cover a wide range of needs, including sleep, energy, and overall wellness, ensuring that every aspect of your health is supported.
AM: When you're not working on your next project or working on Fungiments, how do you take time for yourself?
MCG: When I'm not working on my next project or Fungiments, I take time for myself by exercising. I have chronic pain, so movement helps to alleviate my symptoms and keep me feeling better. Additionally, working out has a positive impact on my mental health, and I also focus on skincare to take care of myself both physically and emotionally.
PHOTOS COURTESY | Fungiment
Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ROOT OF IT | Maria Camila Giraldo in mag.
For the past 4 seasons, we have enjoyed 9-1-1: Lonestar which allows us to follow the work and lives of first responders that are in Austin Texas! With an engaging ensemble cast, we took some time to talk with Julian Works who plays Mateo Chavez. We've watched as he's grown with his fellow fireman, become involved in a relationship, and really coming into his own!
We wanted to know more about how he got into the industry, his passion for storytelling, being in 9-1-1, how one trains for this role, his movie The Long Game, and more!
ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the show or movie that made you fall in love with storytelling?
JULIAN WORKS: I’ve been a movie buff since I was really young and loved so many classic films like Rear Window, La Dolce Vita, Rebel Without A Cause, East of Eden, On The Waterfront, A Streetcar Named Desire, Rocky, Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather, Taxi Driver, and Midnight Express. They definitely lit a spark in me, and after hosting a YouTube Sports channel called Mun2 with my uncle as a teenager, I decided to audition for a rendition of The Odd Couple at my high school. I ended up booking the lead role of ‘Oscar Madison’ and the rest is history!
AM: Prior to you coming to 9-1-1: Lone Star, I first remember seeing you on The Affair. What is your creative process in approaching the characters that you have played?
JW: I do extensive research for any role that I play. In the case of The Affair, I came into the recurring role of ‘Angel’ after the show had been airing for 3 seasons, so I took it upon myself to binge-watch as many episodes as possible before the audition so that I could grasp the tone and the rhythm of the show. In the case of 9-1-1: Lone Star, on the other hand, I had the privilege of developing the character from its inception and the writers have molded the character around what I’ve brought to the table over the past 4 seasons. For The Long Game, I first read the novel by the great Humberto G. Garcia, then researched what it may have been like to be a Mexican American in 1950’s Del Río, Texas and of course brushed up on everything golf-related (including playing the game quite a bit before we began filming). Doing a deep dive into script and role analysis is also a part of my process. It always helps when you have a great director like Julio Quintana (Blue Miracle, The Vessel, Disgraced) or television showrunners like Tim Minear (9-1-1, Ratched, American Horror Story) and Rashad Raisani (Burn Notice, 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Lone Star) at the helm who guide you and put all of the pieces of the story together.
AM: What drew you to 9-1-1 Lone Star?
JW: Producers Ryan Murphy (Glee, Pose, American Horror Story), Brad Falchuk (Nip/Tuck, Scream Queens, The Politician), and Tim Minear. As soon as we saw their names attached to the series, my team and I knew we had to do everything in our power for me to work with them. It has been one of the most rewarding work experiences of my life.
AM: What is the training like to be on this show in terms of wearing the gear and being able to be in the mindset of a firefighter?
JW: It definitely takes some getting used to and ample training time. The gear is super heavy, so you have to be physically fit to handle the long hours with bulky clothing and able to handle sizable equipment, sometimes in hot weather. We’ve gone through extensive training with real firefighters and incredible consultants with our production team to make sure we honor the real firefighting heroes who risk their lives every day for us.
AM: Tell me about how you came to the 9-1-1 Universe as you actually had a few episodes in the flagship and how did that then bring you to 9-1-1: Lonestar?
JW: I booked a memorable Guest Star role opposite the legendary Angela Bassett (Waiting to Exhale, American Horror Story, Black Panther universe) on the flagship show, 9-1-1. A year later, when 9-1-1: Lone Star was casting, I read for ‘Mateo Chavez’ late in their casting process, fresh off of filming a TV show in Canada. Luckily, much of the creative team and the producers were the same on both shows, and they thought I’d be a great addition to the cast. I thank my lucky stars for that, since playing ‘Mateo’ has been one of the greatest experiences of my life until now.
AM: You also get to play a twin every now and then - what do you love about Marvin?
JW: I only played ‘Marvin’ once on the original 9-1-1 show. I love that he’s a very genuine and charismatic person who just lacks direction in life. To his benefit, Angela Bassett’s character, ‘Athena,’ gives him the tough love that he needs. She is the reason he reflects on his life and looks to change for the better at the end of the episode.
AM: For those that need a refresher where do we end with Mateo from last season and what can you tell us about where we pick him up again for next season?
JW: Without giving away too much, let’s just say that he and Nancy (Brianna Baker) are a part of the fifth season’s storyline. Stay tuned for new and big climate events, explosions, amazing rescues, and the evolution of old and new relationships! Like all previous seasons, ‘Mateo’ will have a breakout episode where new and exciting things will be revealed!
AM: For fans of the show, what are the takeaways that you want viewers to feel about Mateo's arc or the show in general?
JW: I love ‘Mateo’s’ humor and optimism, even when faced with great adversity or personal challenges. He keeps getting back up and trying again, until he achieves his goal and I’d like viewers to really take that positive attitude and indefatigable outlook with them, into their own lives.
AM: You are in The Long Game which hit theaters last month and debuted at SXSW last year where the film earned the SXSW Narrative Spotlight Audience Award. What drew you to this movie?
JW: The incredible novel, Mustang Miracle, by Humberto G. Garcia, the script, and our indomitable director Julio Quintana. I almost worked with Julio before on another movie right as I was offered 9-1-1: Lone Star, and after watching that film, I knew I had to work with him. The stars aligned and I had an incredible experience working with him and the entire cast and production team that made the film possible.
AM: For those who have not seen this movie. Tell me about it and who do you play?
JW: I play ‘Joe Trevino,’ a young Mexican-American caddie who ends becoming the San Felipe High School’s most valuable golfer and a champion, along with his team, for the Texas State Championship in 1957. The film is based on a true story and tells the story of the racism and prejudice of our country’s past, but also the hope, evolution, and inspiration that everyday Americans have demonstrated to make America a better home for us all. Simply put, it’s a story about the triumph of the human spirit over adversity and illustrates the lesson for people of any background that you can do anything if you believe in yourself, work hard, and have a strong team around you to reach your goals.
AM: You have an incredible cast that's also in this film from Jay Hernandez (Suicide Squad, Magnum P.I., Last Resort), Dennis Quaid (Lawmen: Bass Reeves, Full Circle, The Day After Tomorrow), and Cheech Marin (Shotgun Wedding, Machete, Nash Bridges). Canelo Alvarez is an Executive Producer of the movie. What did you enjoy about being in this film?
JW: Besides having the privilege and the honor to embody the late ‘Joe Trevino’ and work with our talented director, cast, and production team, I loved the preparation, both physically and mentally. I also loved our filming locations, from Colombia to Texas, and learning from so many wonderfully talented people. Of course, having Canelo Alvarez executive produce our film was phenomenal, and meeting him at his most recent fight in Las Vegas was surreal.
AM: When you're not on set or when you're preparing for your next role, what are 3 workouts that you do to stay in shape?
JW: I love to box, train in mixed martial arts, and go on long-distance jogs and hikes.
AM: How do you take time for yourself?
JW: Music is an important outlet for me. Listening to it and creating. I love a variety of music, from Nipsey Hussle, Drake, and Dr. Dre, to Elvis, The Bee Gees, and Michael Jackson, and compose lyrics for future songs that I’m looking to record.
AM: Are there and upcoming projects that you can share?
JW: I am currently filming the 5th season of 9-1-1: Lone Star and the entire cast is very excited to be back on set! We look forward to sharing the continuation of our storylines and our characters’ journeys with fans this Fall. Stay tuned!
IG @julesworks
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Dylan
Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT | Julian Works in mag.
We love when we have the opportunity to sit down with actors that let us think about the characters and the situations that they present to us in the roles that they play! Reza Diako has been in a number of shows that we have enjoyed from Guy Ritchie's The Covenant to Apple TV+'s Tehran, and Netflix's The Diplomat! His approach to his characters; his belief in having to shake hands with the characters that he is portraying; and the need to dig into himself in order to present them to us on screen is amazing. We talked about his approach, how he got into the industry and his portrayal and approach to Apostle Philip in international phenomenon, The Chosen.
ATHLEISURE MAG: What is the first film or TV show that you fell in love with and at what point did you realize that you wanted to be an actor?
REZA DIAKO: Let’s see. One of my first favorite films was actually – it was quite – well let me say that there are a lot of films that I watched and as the story goes, my mother was a big film buff since she was young like 11 or 12. She would watch Ingmar Berman (The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries, Fanny and Alexander) films. So I think that that got passed down to me. You know, I have a psychology background so I was always interested in psychological films and so I think that at some point when I was quite young I was exposed to Persona by Ingmar Berman. I found it really profound, but it was a lot of serendipitous affects that got me into acting.
There was a time when I was studying psychology and then in medical school and I was struggling because I was getting ill. Weirdly, I was watching some videos by Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, City of Lies, Black Mass) and it was weird because I spent a couple of months looking into his interviews. I was taking a lot of acting classes since I was a teenager. Art ran in the family because my mom was a painter, I did a lot of music so forth and so forth and here I was studying medicine and watching Johnny Depp's interviews could there be a career here and is it too late? It was funny because I was taking classes more so for the psychological reasons of embodying humanity more at the individual level, rather than what I was studying which was categorical. What is really weird is that some months later serendipitously, I ran into Johnny Depp on my birthday, and we actually talked to each other and I told him about how much I cared for him.
AM: It all lends itself to how you navigated one part of your life and continued into this direction that also meant a lot to you.
RD: Right, it just shows the synchronicity of the situation because after that encounter, things just kind of flew. He actually signed a Happy Birthday message for me and after that we just kind of parted ways. About 6 months later, I’m at a place where I’m pausing medical school because I had a very difficult illness situation going on. Then my acting continues and that’s when I realized that my acting gave me a sense of meaning and purpose and an impetus and happiness. I decided to apply for drama school because I had a great acting coach in London for years and I got in. Then I trained at Mountain View in London and it was so serendipitous and that’s when things started unfolding as I was coming out of drama school. They were casting Tehran and looking for young Persian heritage actors and I never thought it would come by so quickly and it was so interesting. But yeah, I was always watching films with my mom and I would say that Ingmar Berman's Persona and a lot of interesting Iranian films as well people like Asghar Farhadi (The Salesman, About Elly, The Past) – A Separation which had a big impact on me, but it was the whole range. Then there was Johnny Depp and his performances in the Pirates of the Caribbean or I’m a big Heath Ledger (10 Things I Hate About You, A Knight’s Tale, Lords of Dogtown) fan so watching The Dark Knight that was a big moment as well into – I think that I was always working on how to make an impact on the world. Sometimes when I saw those things and realized that it was in my own internal world, but also in the collective and in the impact that it made, it was cool to see. It took me a while to realize how much art can make an impact and that’s when I knew. When I went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to do a play I knew that this was it.
AM: We enjoyed you in Tehran as well as in The Diplomat.
RD: Thank you.
AM: I thought that that was amazing. What do you enjoy about storytelling?
RD: Thank you first of all as that is kind of you. What I love about storytelling, and I guess in acting as well is coming at it from a psychological background. I always like to leave something behind that impacts the world and makes us think a little more. I think the world is a little bit scared of looking internally. We always point fingers outward and I think that there is something about art and play and creativity and story that I have even encountered through studying people like Carl Jung who gathered the collective stories and found there were common grounds. It’s fascinating because through the collective or through the story or the mythology, people find the individual and through the individual that seems very specific and particular about a particular cultural area, people can find something profound and collective. That is something that I deeply love and resonate with and that’s kind of the aim when I work. It’s the work I do on projects with directors that I love and on characters that portray the complex weird parts of humanity in a way that dares someone else to say, “hey, that could be me” and I can understand it and it makes them reflect I guess. It's kind of the point!
AM: What is your creative process in terms of how you look at getting into the characters that you play?
RD: Yeah, I mean, that’s a complicated one and it really depends on the people and the teams that you are working on and the director. I always believe in surrendering deeply as I think it’s the core of it. I learned that after medical school that life is not a formula and that art is not a formula. I think that the purpose of art is actually to let people know that the exhale is more important than the inhale sometimes. Because if you inhale so much -
AM: I have kind of been learning that and being more aware of that lately.
RD: I know right? That’s what happens! You inhale so much and somehow you have to let go! So I guess that the process is a cocreation. It’s something that in all of my training, it’s about being receptive to the other and also to everything around you and let everything impact you. That’s sort of part of it to the core and with that, without getting too technical because I don’t want to – there is something about coming from within and finding that throughline and kind of making a handshake with the character. I always try to and to find that which is hard. You have to dig deep again to the corners of yourself like the character in The Diplomat. Playing someone who is so different than who you are and you’re trying to find the common ground through both imagination and also your own experiences. I always like to go to the child because of my psychology background looking at the pains and the little buttons that get pushed and how the character tries to build a world and character and persona on top of it. You can kind of layer things up a little bit. The true self and the mask lets say.
AM: What kinds of characters and projects are you drawn to? What do you look for when you decide to attach yourself to a project?
RD: What do I look for? I love to work with certain directors because I love their work and that is always a big thing. When I say that I love their work, it’s not from a personal cool vibe thing. It’s more like going back to what I was saying before. I like directors and projects I suppose that are looking into exploring some complex, taboo, or unspeakable act of human nature at the core. Trying to aim for something specific, cultural, and potentially different cultures that is always something that excites me. Despite that, and despite the specificity, to have a collective relatability at the heart and when I say that, it’s something quite simple and essential about the common human heartbeat. So if you’re doing that, you’re doing quite well. Having said that, I’m really open to exploring all sorts. I’m a musician so I like projects with music, I like projects that demand physical change, I’m also a personal trainer and I’m kind of a freak about accents, dialects, picking up languages. So I always love to work in different areas like that, especially because of my weird and complex background. I have never really been able to be one thing.
AM: The Chosen has become such a phenomenon and I know the 4th season is currently streaming right now. You play Apostle Philip. What drew you to the series and why did you want to be involved in this?
RD: Yes, it is definitely turning into a phenomenon, and it is definitely fascinating to watch. I have been a fan for some time, and it has been really cool to see it grow. I can’t believe it started as a short film and it’s insane!
What’s it like to be part of it? They call it a Family, A Chosen Family and it was quite a big embrace. So when I came, I felt very grateful because like many of the fans, I was a big fan of Philip and the way that character was played. It was an interesting, slightly scary, and extremely honorable experience of joining. I think that what I tried to bring is a lot of love as a fan and a lot of that heartbeat. That was also so deeply reciprocated as I have never seen a set like that where there is so much love and respect and a sense of deeper meaning involved through and through from the kind people in catering that offer me free desserts, to my room for whatever reason – I have a gluten-free diet so that is really sweet, to Dallas Jenkins (What If, The Ride, The Shift) himself and even production.
AM: When you were approaching to play Philip, it’s very unique as Yoshi Barrigas (Six, Criminal Minds, Forty-Seven Days with Jesus) previously played him and now in S4, you are playing him. Did you feel the need to marry the two because you're playing a Biblical character that existed, but now you have the layer of playing someone that was played by someone else in the same production a season apart. How did you approach that as I think that that is a unique situation.
RD: It is, it was very fun. It was fun and challenging. Going back to kindness, I met Dallas on day 1 and he gave me a big embrace and he said do it your own way and you don’t have to replicate anything. Having said that, being a big Harry Potter fan, and seeing the Dumbledore (Editor’s Note: In the movie franchise Richard Harris (Patriot Games, Unforgiven, Gladiator) played the character in the adaptations of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. After his death, the character was played by Michael Gambon (Book of Eli, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Judy) in the 6 remaining films of the adaptations) change and certain other characters that changed -
AM: Right!
RD: You feel like as a fandom, you want to see some type of continuity or else it feels jarred. It was kind of a fun challenge and I felt very safe to bring myself which was not so difficult. I really felt connected with Philip when I watched it because of the fact that I had been to 10 schools in 4 different countries and I’m kind of a nomad anyway. People notice that I can sleep anywhere on set and I’m known to do that especially since the last 2 years the work in Egypt, in Europe, and in America you’re always on the go! I understood that nomadic side and living in the wild and living in a simple way and also I think because of my personal journey in psychology and having that interest in Jungian therapy, I have done a lot of soul searching and facing the different difficult parts and my therapist as well as other people say that I am kind of an old soul. People have said I’m an old man in a young guy's body which is not necessarily the funnest thing to say or to receive sometimes! I’d rather be young! So that part wasn’t so hard for me to relate to the heartbeat. Someone who has lost as in S4, Phillip is losing his mentor, and I had a therapist that passed away after a long journey and there was a lot of common ground there and on the other hand, it was a very interesting process along the lines of what you learn in drama school in terms of the craft. Sort of the body work, the dialect work, I watched the previous actor’s work who portrayed Phillip, obsessively and I was inspired by people like De Niro (Taxi Driver, Cape Fear, Goodfellas) who took over Marlon Brando’s (Last Tango in Paris, On the Waterfront, Apocalypse Now) role in The Godfather and I felt that he did that so I felt that I should probably take a lead from his papers. So I obsessively followed that, and I tried to sustain some level of mannerisms and aspects of him the best way that I can to keep some continuity and more so because as a fan, I would have wanted to see that.
AM: S5 is currently in production correct?
RD: That’s right!
AM: More often than not, people are always talking about it and where they are in the season or bingeing the previous seasons to get current.
You also have additional projects coming out that I’m also excited for. Can you tell us a bit about The Astronaut which has Kate Mara (Transcendence, House of Cards, Class Of ‘09) which we love and Laurence Fishburne (Matrix franchise, Clipped, Megalopolis) which is amazing. What can you tell me about it and who do you play?
RD: Sure I can! It was a deep honor to work on that. It was a very lucky encounter that got me on that project, and I was so grateful to work on it. I was offered to work as the NASA Director, Ethan Marshall. Going back to the old soul thing, they said this guy needs to be 50 and I’m not. Even though I have a beard and I may not look young.
AM: You still look under 50 even with the beard.
RD: When I shave, I will show you and I will prove it!
So it was interesting and I had to think again, both from an age and experience wise in terms of how he would embody things around him. The fact that it was a NASA leader, I tend to try to be very obsessive and very inspired again by what I was talking before about shaking handshake with the character, you have to let the character direct you and if that’s not happening how can you reflect that back to someone. I let myself be so consumed with all the parts of the character that may be different to me. So I went to the library and got a bunch of different books and everything I could get, videos, footage, etc. about NASA projects and I basically had to do 2 Doctorate degrees in physics and engineering in a matter of weeks which was a challenge and it was doomed to fail. We gave it a shot and it gave me a lot of interesting knowledge into that whole world of NASA and it just was very interesting. I was particularly happy about it because I had been working very hard to convince the industry that I am not just the Middle Eastern and Iranian guy, so having that honorable position to work as an everyman kind of Ethan Marshall guy was a good step in the direction that I would love to go. So that was a big happy moment for me and the team was amazing as well! Kate is amazing and it was such an honor to work with her!
AM: You also have Reading Lolita in Tehran which will also be out this year and I know it’s based on the bestselling memoir of the same name. Can you tell me about the film/book and who are you playing in this?
RD: That was a different one. As much as The Astronaut happened very quickly, Reading Lolita has been almost a 2-year journey! We knew that the film was being made and Eran Riklis (Miral, A Borrowed Identity, Spider in the Web) had us read for a while and he is a genius and I adore him. The project took a long time and I think it’s because he wanted to have Golshifteh Farahani (Girls of the Sun, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Brother and Sister) on. There was a revolution in the 1980's in Iran and then what ensues is a cultural revolution that went on for a few years. It was interesting because it was a real-life historical event and it was also one that I know that my mother went through as well as other Iranians that I know. They have those memories, her university closed down, she had to pick up painting underground because she was studying fashion and they don’t do fashion anymore because that’s now against the religious political viewpoints of the time. So it was a very interesting period, both historically and personally and I think that it is one of those stories where you read about something in the corner of Iran about something that we may not know exactly about, but it can say a lot about, the level of chaos that follows after a revolution where people expect some kind of immediate euphoria. The euphoria comes, but then after it’s some kind of peace or Lion King kind of story – that "Pride Land" has some type of moments that potentially might not come. So, that’s the kind of fun thing that I love about Reading Lolita.
I love the character Bahri which means maritime or the sea in Arabic. I found that really cool. Something about this guy is so interested and in love with literature and art. He is an artist at heart. But at the same time, he is very deeply enamored by his teacher and lecturer Azar Nafisi played by Golshifteh Farahani - which for me was a dream lifetime goal to work with. He’s oscillating between the two places of that plus being part of the Islamic society out of need and out of his personal reasons, but it is interesting because again it’s one of those great complex characters where you would make a judgement and say he sucks because he’s part of this tyrannical group and how dare he, especially the way he is describing the book. His writings of Huckleberry Finn and what he thinks of that, but then also secretly watching Azar Nafisi, it’s one of those where you don’t know what to do with it. But you see the human spirit and the heart underneath it. It was a lovely thing. I saw him as a caged dove.
AM: Are there any other upcoming projects that you have coming up that we should keep an eye out for besides the 2 we just talked about?
RD: I can’t wait for S5 of The Chosen. The script is amazing and I can’t talk about it. The moments are great and I think it’s going to be kicking things up a notch! Other than that, there are some things in the pipeline that are coming up. I need to keep those a mystery for now.
AM: We were talking about your background obviously before you became an actor, your background in psychology, going to Medical School and all of those things that you did, why were you initially interested in those areas and why is mental health so important to you?
RD: Thanks for asking that! I think that when I was 15 or 16, I would always think that I wanted to do something that make a massive impact on the world and not from an ego standpoint, but in a way to make the world a better place. Over the next 3 or 4 years, slowly this idea emerged that I would love to set up a psychotherapy center particularly for children and adolescence. I think that my reason for that was in my travels and attending 10 different schools, I had friends from Korea, India, and Iran – I went to American schools and those in England etc. Everyone has some sort of trauma whether it was acute or chronic, something from their families or from school and they are carrying these things around. They would talk to me about it, but if someone could actually hold these people the level of impact that it would have on the next generation it would be massive. That was kind of the drive. I kind of went on this big self-discovery as I am a fan of The Dark Knight so I was on a sacrificial Batman journey saying that I am going to make my life about this. It led to a bit of challenges when it came to my illness in medical school, but it was interesting because this diagonal path that emerged with acting – the dream is still there. I feel it every time I get success it comes from God, The Universe, The Collective, or however you want to put it. I feel very humbled and blessed. It makes me want to save up the finances and all of the wonderful blessings that come with it as part of the plan to hopefully become an advocate and to create this center for the future and serendipitously, I ran into someone else that had the same dream so it’s nice when you surrender and the weird stuff that happens.
That was the main thing and I did a lot of personal therapy and I love Jung because he looked for the common as opposed to the difference and in all of my travels, that is something that speaks to me as well.
AM: When you’re not on set, how are you taking time for yourself as you’re busy and you’re focused on doing the impact for others – but you have to fuel and infuse yourself.
RD: I’m learning that myself and am learning to do that more! I am a bit of a workaholic and a bit of an obsessive. But not from an ego place, I am on a mission to make things happen that is good for me, but also for everyone else. That takes a lot of energy and I think you should give your 100% and then you surrender. It either works out or it will work better – there is no other way. Even if there is pain or suffering, it’s only for a while and it just means that something good is on the horizon.
What do I do? I have a very nice therapist who has taken over the job of the previous one who had died from COVID. Jokes aside, that is very helpful because when you’re trying to constantly be on set and you get exhausted, I’m a very big advocate for it.
On the other end, piano is a big part of my life. That’s where I find myself! Ludovico Einaudi, I’d like to learn his entire repertoire – a lot of classical. That’s how I started. Engaging in art – drawing, painting, playing piano since I was 7 or 8. I sometimes write – I would say that it is emotional vomit, but some would call it very bag poetry. But that’s really helpful just to get in touch and then other than that I try to just have a cross between work and not work. I love this art and I love this medium and currently I’m on a break from The Chosen so I am in NY immersing myself in theaters and going to Lincoln Center and watching my heroes like Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote, The Talented Mr Ripley, The Hunger Games franchise) and John C Reilly (Gangs of New York, Moonbase 8, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) doing True West and then watching films from all over the world. I love to get inspired by the unknown as opposed to the known. I like to open myself to new places and then try to keep healthy the best that you can physically – exercise, sleep, read – the basics!
AM: Haha right? Taking a shower! Try to live like a normal person!
RD: Haha I just took one a couple of hours ago! So I’m doing well – coffee, black coffee.
IG @rezadiako93
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | OC Ryan West
Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see CHARACTER MASTERY | Reza Diako in mag.
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelor Disney/John Fleenor
PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelorette
This week, The Bachelorette is now in Auckland, New Zealand so it will be interesting to see what the men are going to get into this week with Jenn Tran. The men take in the city and hang out a bit while they wait to see her and to continue their connections with her. Jesse Palmer also has some lunch with her to find out where she’s at at the moment. He also tells her that the reason that people don’t really eat on the dates because he scarfed food down during his season.
She leaves Jesse and she heads over to the men and goes on a date with Sam M. for a 1-on-1. The rest of the men settle into their suite and Devin gets in his head on why he didn’t get a 1-on-1.
On the 1-on-1 date, Jenn wonders if they can go deeper so that she can really get to know him. Their date takes place in a beautiful spot where they can see see 360 degree views. The waiter tells them that people are jumping off the side of the building. Sam M. answers for both of them that they should jump. She lets him know that she does not like that he spoke for both of them while not checking in. Although they didn’t jump, they are doing a Sky Walk where they are harnessed in. Of course they end up doing the jump it was just really awkward on how they ended up getting to that answer.
While we wait for the dinner portion of the back half of Sam’s date, the date card arrives. Spencer, Marcus, Grant, John M, Austin, Jonathan, Dylan, Thomas, Jeremy, and Sam N will all be on the group date. Devin will be on the 1-on-1 date. Sam is an interesting person to chat with as he has a number of tag lines and you don’t really hear him talk about himself or be vulnerable in any way. It’s not a surprise that he hasn’t really shared or given of himself in an authentic way. Although he shared hist story about being engaged, there never feels like any heart behind his words.
The group date takes them to the soccer field and they get to see a Haka and they have some professional rugby players teaching them about the sport and putting them through a few drills. Back at the suite, Devin and Sam M are sitting together and of course they continue to beef with one another.
Back on the field, the rugby match is getting serious between the blue team and the orange - blue wins. All the men on the group date arrive for their cocktail party after the group date. The guys feel that he is being too much as he is not the only one who won the match. In addition, Marcus tells him to check himself as he would let someone else sit on the couch with him. He brought in the trophy as well as the rugby shirt. This feels like it’s going to backfire on him. Apparently the shirt he brought says Sam’s Wife which matched what he wrote on his, Jenn’s Husband. He even took a moment with her by pulling her aside first and he believes he is getting the Group Date Rose. She plays a bit of lacrosse with Jonathan which she enjoyed as both of them played it in college.
The guys talk about how Sam N. is being disrespectful and that he’s not carrying himself like a man. He lets them know that he is here for Jenn and not for anyone else. They let him know that when they are in a group setting, he needs to check himself so that he fits in better. They all feel that he is childish and he doesn’t care about how they feel about what he did.
We’ve liked Marcus for awhile and seeing him chatting with Jenn and her letting him know that she can carry his burden was really sweet. Of course back with the rest of the guys, Thomas N. asks Sam N. to step out as if he didn’t learn from the last time that he was in that same situation with Devin. Thomas N. takes time to chat with Jenn and Sam N. comes in to interrupt them as he wants to get a kiss from her. He asks her for a kiss and says that he wants to take their relationship to the next level. She tells him that she recognizes his efforts and she knows he has never had a relationship and never been in love - she tells him that she doesn’t know if she can see them in the place that he wants to be in. She offers to walk him out.
She lets the men know that she sent him home. She gives the group date rose to Marcus. The guys are happy for him and are glad that Sam N. will no longer be part of the group.
Devin has his 1-on-1 date with Jenn and she’s excited to learn about the culture of this place as well as sharing about her culture and religion and to see how he will be receptive to that. They have a great time learning about the people and their customs. They also talk about the kinds of customs that come from their own lives that they want to bring forward for themselves as well as children. They learn that they both want children. At the dinner portion of their date, they talk about their family structure and they see a lot of similarities between how they grew up, what they don’t want to have in their lives, and how they continue to move forward to have what they want. Devin lets her know that he is falling for her and he wants to celebrate her every day for as long as he can.She loves this connection and want to continue and gives him a rose from their date night.
Before the cocktail party to find out who is moving on, Matthew, an old flame comes asking if he can join the process. They dated for a period of time; however, after 3 or 4 months, it didn’t work out although they reconnected as friends. The cliffhanger leaves us wondering if he will stay, how it will affect the men, and more.
JENN GAVE ROSES TO | Austin, Devin, Dylan, Grant, Jeremy, John M., Jonathan, Marcus, Sam M., Spencer, and Thomas N.
JENN DIDN’T GIVE ROSES TO | Sam N.
Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Ricky Middlesworth
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
This month's cover has been someone that we have watched excitedly over the past years. He hit our radar in 2012/2013 and we were immediately struck by his design aesthetic that ensures that you are the conversation starter and statement in whatever room you occupy! From the craftsmanship, the visual texture, and passion of the designer, Walter Mendez and his Walter Mendez Atelier have been worn by celebrities, iconic entertainers, socialites, and more.
When it comes to designing, it's about creating a world and one that continues to evolve from season to season. We wanted to know more about how he got his start, his creative process, his approach to his RTW, couture, bridal and bespoke; his recent The Golden Cage Exhibition held at The Beverly Hills Hotel, what he's working on, and how he takes time for himself.
ATHLEISURE MAG: I have loved your work since 2012/2013 and certainly no later than 2014! So the fact that we’re chatting right now is definitely a moment!
WALTER MENDEZ: Oh wow, you’ve literally seen the journey and I am honored that you have been aware of my brand for that long! I think that everything that I say in terms of what this collection means to me, you’ll be able to understand a little bit more. So that’s really beautiful, so thank you!
AM: Well thank you! I’m the Co-Founder/Creative + Style Dir of Athleisure Mag as well as being a fashion stylist, so I have followed your work on Instagram and those who have worn your pieces. Your design aesthetic, your approach to bodies whether they are male or female is so amazing. I grew up in a family of designers and product designers. My mom was a couture designer and so I have such an appreciation for you and the space. So I know our readers are going to love it, but I want to tell you thank you for creating this and things that I have looked at when I was in an airport on my way to wherever or when I’m scrolling as I go about my day – the pieces truly transport me away to somewhere else and it’s a vibe! So I thank you for what you have done!
WM: Well thank you, it truly is appreciated. There are moments like yesterday when I was posting and last night I was going through photos it made me say wow. I’m genuinely so proud about what I have accomplished, of my craftsmanship, my aesthetic, my voice as a designer and I’m just so proud of what I know and what I feel that I represent. And not just what I represent to my family, but so many other people out there.
AM: When did you fall in love with fashion?
WM: I would have to say that falling in love with fashion really started early on. I remember being probably 4 or 5 and I just remember putting on my favorite jacket and what was so surreal to me in that memory is that feeling of that jacket. I just felt so cool and the minute that I would put that jacket on I felt that I was owning that room. I remember feeling that feeling and I knew that that was the essence that I wanted to capture in my designs. It was the essence that I want my clients to feel because it’s such a beautiful feeling. I’m sure that you can relate. You have an outfit where you can say, “I know I slay.”
AM: Oh yeah!
WM: I know that when I walk into a room, this outfit shows that I mean business. That feeling, that is the essence of my brand and the essence that I want to give every client of mine. That’s priceless. The energy that you’re able to control your entire day – when you feel good, you’re walking and you’re able to walk to the beat of your own drum, people notice. You attract a different experience.
AM: At what point did you realize that you wanted to be a fashion designer and then that you wanted to create your own namesake collection?
WM: I think that I always played with the idea of being a fashion designer and as someone growing up who didn’t have much, I found myself kind of wanting more. Looking back, I see the beauty in it and I always look at the fact that having nothing allowed me to dream of everything.
You know, we all have the things that spark our interest. We all have our things that we gravitate towards on a level of beauty. Because I’m just that type of person who loves that, I thought, “ok, I may not be able to afford it, and I may not be able to go out and get it, so I’m going to create it.” That’s really where my creativity flourished and I found myself being challenged. I remember my first dresses. I honestly barely only had one sewing class.
But I knew I wanted to play with fabrics and I knew I wanted to play with textures and shapes. So how those dresses came together, I don’t know, but they came together and I saw the vision and the look. It was just so beautiful to see my journey evolve.
AM: I love that!
How do you describe or define your design aesthetic?
WM: My design aesthetic in terms of modern day context, I feel that I design for the main character. For me, if I am dressing you, I’m dressing you to be the star. If you are coming to me, you are going to walk into that event and you are going to own the room. If you want to go to an event and kind of be low key -
AM: Then don’t wear your designs!
WM: Ha ha – I want to give you that full fantasy moment from the minute that you walk into the room and for everyone to want to know you, want to talk to you, give you compliments and for them to be in love with your essence. That is what I give my clients because I know the power and the importance of feeling good and looking good. It’s really about learning to get the most out of a special event. That’s really what it is. Everyone that comes to me, it’s for a special event. I know that the level of production, the level of experience that you’re going to – it’s elevated and more than your average day. I know that I can elevate it to another level.
AM: I will say that there are times when I am watching a red carpet or a music video, there is an ethereal quality whether you’ve designed something that is closer to the body or has various dimensions to it, I can tell when it is one of your pieces that I am looking at. I know it before the credit has been rolled or stated. You can just tell.
WM: Yes!
AM: It’s amazing, it’s absolutely stunning.
What was your feeling when you launched your first brick-and-mortar store? What did that feel like as it is such a huge accomplishment.
WM: It was such a beautiful feeling because for me, I felt that it gave me a home. It was such a beautiful feeling to feel that I have something that is mine and I am focusing on a legacy. Even looking back, in this moment now, I look back at that Atelier – it was beautiful. I’m so proud of it.
Despite being in a different situation than I am now with the level of clientele obviously, my world knowledge, my fashion knowledge – I literally have always tried to make the most out of everything that I have. That is always the advice that I have to myself. It’s about being creative and how do I take it to the next level? How do I challenge myself?
AM: How do you get inspired for each season the you create or for that which is bespoke? Where do you start pulling from?
WM: When I design the collections, I always pull from almost a point of my own personal journey of where I am in that time. So, I always have a lot of self reflection. So what’s my outlook in life, what am I excited about, what intrigues me, what fantasy world would I want to go to next? It’s all a form of a little bit of manifestation and a little bit of a form of intrigue/interest. Like for example, prior to the Golden Cage, I did the Odyssey Collection. For me, I looked at it and at that time, I had traveled the world and I had seen so many beautiful places and it was like, what’s next? So it was the idea of playing with a bit of an outer space world evolved. I started being inspired by different stars, three dimensional Saturn rings, the idea evolved from that and I wanted it to feel modern and sleek and sophisticated – but for it to still have this element of wonder.
That led me to The Golden Cage where I felt that I could do an artistic reflection of my journey. I wanted it to be a love letter to the younger me.
AM: Do you ever look at a fabric – sometimes from a stylist perspective, I see a fabric, a handbag etc and that notion gets stuck in my head and I think about how I can style around that idea for a look or series of looks for an editorial. Have you ever had a nagging item that eventually found its way to being part of a beautiful collection?
WM: Yes and that happens very often! It happens all of the time. Sometimes it can be a physical item that I end up using a prop or it can be a particular movie or music or a certain film. Anything that is able to evoke emotion in me can be used as a form of inspiration. For me, it is so important to capture that essence and then it just evolved. It evolves when you put the different pieces together, it evolves into the next level. For me, it’s like how does this go into a movie – let me create the characters – let me create the story of how can I make all of these dresses that are very much so different but are still part of the same story.
I’m often my very own movie producer, casting director, costume designer, and then it all just makes sense in my head.
AM: You have created this brand that is so coveted by so many people. It’s luxury, it’s on the red carpets, in divas’ residencies, it’s on celebrities, socialites – what does it mean to you to have that kind of impact with the people that want to wear your work and want you to be part of their story when it’s their moment?
WM: It’s truly surreal, it’s a blessing, it’s a privilege. I love what I do and I am so proud of what I do, but I am also blessed that the people that believe in me are able to not just want to wear me, but to be part of my story! I understand that every single client when they are coming to me whether it's a red carpet, an event, a gala whatever it is – I know that you are coming to me because it’s a special moment. The fact that you are choosing your special moment to share it with me and my designs, that to me just speaks volumes.
AM: Obviously you’re known for your RTW collections, couture gowns, and bridal. I love that you were quoted saying that, “fashion was meant to be custom made.” I love that and agree it is such a privilege to have something made with me in mind. Tailoring is always key. Why should people understand this and the importance of tailoring, investment pieces as opposed to spending on items that are not constructed with us in mind and in many ways are throw away.
WM: Yeah, it’s important for me to communicate the fact that fashion is meant to be custom. Because I feel like it is almost a fogotten fact. When you think about history, traditionally, royalty – everything was custom made.
Even if you weren’t royalty, you would get custom made because things weren’t mass produced. The challenge with mass production is that we all have different body types. I mean as a person, one arm is different than another. We are custom built as people. We have individual stories and we have individual needs. So even the girls that are the same weight size – one can have a little bit of a shorter torso, one can have a longer torso -
AM: One boob is bigger than the other.
WM: Yeah there are so many details that are just custom to your body. So when something is mass produced, they’re trying to find the middle ground. They’re looking at hopefully the most amount of people that can buy it. So if you’re off slightly by any way, it’s never going to fit. There is nothing more important than a tailored piece for you.
AM: One of the things that I was talking about at the beginning – I’ve always been a fan of your social media. I love how it’s about you, your line, your collection. I love seeing you with Olivier Rousteing, Creative Director of Balmain, and your account reflects such a vibe of authenticity, this world of luxury, globetrotting, etc. How important is your social media to your brand to showcase to those that are your clients, potential future clients, friends, or people who are simply conduits that can refer others to you?
WM: I like my social media, because to me it’s more than ever, I want to be a beacon of representation for my people. I love sharing all of these experiences because I want to show other people who maybe are from my same background, same challenges, or just not your perfect typical white picket fence All American life – there are people like us in those spaces. These spaces are for all of us and I always tell my family, especially my cousins, and my friends that my success is your success. I want to prove to you all – people like us that we can be in these spaces as well. I think that some of is is being done for the inner me. I literally grew up thinking that someone like me a POC would be in these spaces.
Growing up for me, every brown person that I knew, they weren’t in a place of status or those positions. So growing up for me, there was a period of time where I wondered, “can I not get there?” Is that not how it works? More than ever, I want to highlight to people that I want to show them that we can get there. You can get there and you can do it wherever you want and you have to believe in yourself. We have to start somewhere.
AM: If you don’t see it, it can be hard to visualize for some people when they don’t have a road map. You do have to start somewhere. You have to put in the work and you can have this lovely life.
WM: Also, besides representation, in addition to my skin color, I also look at all of the queer youth to show people in the LGBTQIA community that there are people in positions of status, in positions of wealth and in environments of wealth. We don’t see that enough and I want to show people that everything that makes you, you can make it into what makes you strongest to what makes your career and to be successful at it is what is truly a blessing!
AM: Tell me about your fashion exhibition at The Beverly Hills Hotel. It looked stunning as I have seen the pictures as well as coverage on this. Why did you want to do this, what was the idea behind it, and how long did it take you to do as it was like a Met Gala Costume Institute’s Exhibition. (Editor’s Note: The Met Gala is the first Monday in May and is the Oscars for fashion. It launched in 1948 and was the brain child of fashion publicist Elanor Lambert who played a key role in launching NYFW. Although it has evolved since it’s inception, it's current iteration includes a red carpet with noted celebs dresses by designers that attend this event in a specific theme. The Met Gala is a charity and fundraiser for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. The Gala has traditionally been timed to mark the opening of its annual fashion exhibition. For 2024, the Met Gala’s dress code was The Garden of Time and the exhibit for this year is Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion and can be seen at the Museum and features 250 rare items from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection. The exhibit spans over 400 years of fashion history and includes Schiaparelli, Dior, Givenchy, etc. This year’s exhibit will include 3 main zones – Land, Sea, and Sky which pays tribute to the natural world).
WM: So the reason why The Beverly Hills Hotel was the place that I wanted to have that moment was that I have always been inspired by the 1957 Cadillac ad that was shot at The Beverly Hills entrance. I’m sure you know what I am talking about based on that reaction.
I have always seen that photo as such a glamorous moment in life. I have always been allured by it. I have always gravitated towards it so when it came to creating and curating an event for my next collection, I felt that I would use that moment of inspiration. I need to give my people that moment in a modern day life. To be able to be someone who looks up to the entire Metropolitan Museum and what they represent, an event like the Met Gala, I needed to make sure that whatever I deliver was up to that level because I know that I can. I know that I can, I know that I deserve it, and I know that my clothing is worthy of it. I know that my clothing is meant to be in those spaces because I see my work as my art and I know that what I can do, nobody else can do. I am truly and authentically me in my essence and in my work. It’s a mixture of me being so proud of my work and me being educated and making sure that what is being presented is not only going to impress me, my family, and my friends, but is also going to impress my clients, my peers, and anyone in the fashion industry. Because to me, it's such an honor to be able to get the feedback from people that know what they are talking about to be like, “wow, I’m impressed.”
AM: It was stunning to see it. What did it feel like to be in the room with everyone from your friends, family, clients, etc. to toast you like that as well as this body of work?
WM: It felt like the different dimensions of my spirit were coming together and being acknowledged. Like I was being celebrated for my creativity while also being comfortable in my skin, in my queerness, in my creativity, in my aura while celebrating my family and being a beacon of light for everyone that has not only paved the way for me to be there but also paved the way for people who will walk after me. To me, I want to be that leading force and to show people, if I can do it, you can do it. You just have to believe in it and you have to work hard. You have to be consistent because this just doesn’t happen overnight.
That’s why I am so appreciative that you love and are aware of my journey because you have seen the elevation of my work, my craft, and my dedication.
AM: And consistency.
WM: Yeah, you have to wake up everyday and give it your best. I always believe that it doesn’t matter how fast you are moving, as long as you never stop moving. As long as you can say that you are better than you were yesterday, that is all that matters.
AM: Absolutely – 100%!
What is the next project that you’re going to be working on that we should keep an eye out for?
WM: That’s a hard one! There is a lot going on, but I do like to be mysterious as I always like to surprise people. Even for this event when I was sending out the invites, it was “you are invited to the Walter Experience.” So many people like my close friends, were asking what it was, what it meant and I told them, it’s a Walter Experience – when you get there, you will know! I wanted it to be an experience and a moment where I could show me and the way that I process things and it’s such a complex way. Even when I was working on the set design with the team and Butterfly Floral, I was like, “it has to be bigger, it has to be grander.” They were trying to process it and asked me if I was sure. They wondered if I wanted things so giant.
AM: Yes!
WM: And I was like, “YES!” It is important for me to have people to be able to look up because that is a moment that for me, reminds me of my childhood. Always feeling like I was looking up and having that sense of wonder and exploration. Because this was a love letter to my inner me, I had to give that perspective.
AM: I’m sure you’re coming to the end on working SS25 in terms of the collection side. Are you going to be showing here in NY, are you going to be showing in LA – what can you tell us about that?
WM: I can definitely tell you that that is what we are in talks on with the team. It’s really amazing to see not just the response here in the States, but also the international response from other fashion capitals of the world. To hear them tell me that they love what I do and that they would like us to show there and to be part of their calendar for Fashion Week. It’s so surreal because every season that I come out, I am so excited to see the Fashion Weeks around the world and to have them now that these companies and production companies now want me to be part of those Fashion Week calendars it’s a blessing! It just makes me so happy because those moments it's so much but in a blessing! It just makes me so happy because those moments it's so much but in those times I come alive! I know that I am meant to do that. Something comes over me and I just get comfortable in those spaces.
The fact that I am able to do what I love and be authentically me and then be able to produce art that is so widely celebrated, it’s such a beautiful feeling.
AM: You have worked on so many dresses so I know this will sound difficult. Are there 3 that stick out in your head? Whether it’s the dresses themselves or a moment that generated making them, or the clients themselves? Are there 3 moments/dresses/looks in your career where you were like, yes this is what I really love?
WM: Yes there are 3 and yes it is very hard to narrow it down to that. I’ll pick 3 that have just felt like full circle moments for me and have just touched me to my core. Because to me, now I am at a position where it’s very important for me to always celebrate that child and celebrate that inner child that dared to dream because that’s literally where it all started.
I would say that one moment that was really special was the first time that I dressed Beyoncé (Mufasa: The Lion King, Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé, Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé) as it happened on my birthday. I just remember sitting there thinking that Queen B just redefined my brand! I will forever remember not just my birthday, but the first time that I got to dress her. It was a beautiful moment because the first that that I got to dress her, it was the first reveal post twins. All eyes were on her and everyone was watching. So to be able to design a piece for her that not only made her comfortable but also made her look absolutely stunning, it was a huge moment where all eyes were on her and to be part of that was just amazing and it was a blessing. So that would be one of my absolute favorites.
Another favorite piece that I absolutely loved was working with Mariah Carey (Precious, The Butler, Girls Trip) for her Vegas Residency and to see my gown on all of the billboards all over Vegas and even here in LA the billboards promoting her. That residency in Vegas was such a surreal moment because I had a flashback to the younger me when I was in 7th grade in my ESL class because English is my second language. It hit me because I literally picked Hero by Mariah Carey and that was the song that I chose to translate to present it to the class!
AM: I love that song!
WM: I had completely forgotten about that and then it didn’t hit me until that moment. I went to the opening night of the residency and she closed the night with that song. It was such a beautiful moment for me to get to experience and for me to be able to look back at that little boy and think, wow. The journey to go from that moment in my life to this one! It was just a full circle moment. That was a really special moment.
Then the third one, I have to say that that one is hard. There are so many special moments. I mean there are so many people. I am going in between Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building, Selena + Chef, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me), JLo (Enough, Hustlers, Atlas), Paris Hilton (The Simple Life, Paris in Love, This is Paris) – there are so many moments! Even my Oscars moment last season was so special. It’s really tough!
AM: I recognize that as I knew it would be!
WM: There’s also 2 epic Beyoncé moments!
As a whole, I remember growing up as a kid, I had all of these posters of singers. Remember those tabloid magazines like J14? I had all of these posters of these celebrities over my bed. Every celebrity on that wall, I dressed! Like Britney Spears (Kenan & Kell, Will & Grace, Crossroads), working with her was such a beautiful experience for me because my first exposure to American music and the English language – I learned to speak through the voices of beautiful talented artists like Beyoncé, Mariah, Britney and now here I am at a point where they believe in my art.
AM: You have left such a mark on the fashion industry, what do you want your legacy to be?
WM: I think that my legacy is wrapped in the word authenticity. I really push all of my clients that I dress and I do it with the way that I present myself and people really finding their true beauty and authenticity. We all know what we want.
When we’re all going somewhere and we know what we want, we say I want to wear this, I wish I could wear that etc. We know what we want and sometimes it’s a matter of being afraid or not wanting to do too much and some people wonder whether wearing something will get people talking. But you know what you want so if you know what you want, why not?
That is what I want my legacy to be. I want it to be about authenticity. So when people come to me, I tell them to tell me what they’re dreams are. I want to be let in and no limits so I know the vibe, the essence, and who you are as a person. What do you want to show? Forget what people are going to say – it’s about you – what do you want? I try to do that with even the way that I dress. I dress for me and I’m not trying to follow a trend or to be like anyone else. I’m doing me and that lets me radiate on my own terms and on my own level.
AM: As someone who I know your schedule is always packed, when you’re not designing or working on the next project, how do you take time for yourself? Do you find that time because I know when you work for yourself it’s tough to turn it off and we have to figure out ways that we can focus on ourselves so that we are infusing our energy back to us. That way we can be our best selves for everything that we are doing?
WM: I do try to make it a time to give time for myself. I do know that it takes a lot whether I’m meeting with my clients or I am going into fittings. I invest all of my in my work and with people so it’s very draining, but I always make it a point to make sure that I have my me time. My gym is in the mornings, my yoga classes, those are my me times. I try to make any moment that I can with me – even if I am just walking around the city. I put my headphones on and I put a song on that makes me feel good. I am runway walking down the street – that is me! It’s just what brings me joy, it clears my mind, and it sort of allows me to process it. Because despite it being a lot of work and very demanding, and a lot to process and deal with and manage because I have a large team at the Atelier from pattern makers, sewers, hand beaders, and teams of assistants, the PR team, the Social Media team – it’s a lot to drive the energy of my village. It takes a village, but to me, I am in charge of driving that energy and it’s very draining. Now when I say draining, I mean it in the most loving way. To me, draining is not a negative word. It’s sort of like, if you love to run marathons, it’s going to be draining – but you love it! But I always make it fun. This is fun. I live in a fantasy world. Because I love it, I find those me moments in there.
AM: I totally get and feel the same way!
WM: Even talking to you right now! I’m having fun!
AM: That’s the thing! We get to do so many things and to engage with so many people that you may feel tired, but when you love what you’re doing you’re always able to dip into that well. Somehow, you figure out how you can refresh yourself.
In this industry and I know you know of people like this as well, they went out for something that they wanted to do, it didn’t work out and then they either stopped or soured on the experience. Then there are those such as yourself that wanted it, found a way, and they are living exactly what they wanted and I always find that to be amazing and energizing as I love knowing those stories especially when it’s from those that I have admired their work from their beginnings and have been able to see that trajectory over time. It’s such a vibrant community to be part of.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT/BACK COVER, PG 16 Chris Martin | PG 19, 20, 23, 24, 28, Alex W Photography | PG 31 - 34 for 9LIST STORI3S Kelly Balchim |
Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see BEHIND THE SEAMS | Walter Mendez in mag.
We've enjoyed watching the screeners for Hotel Cocaine which is currently streaming on MGM+! We are transported to the late 70s and early 80s when Miami is in the midst of a shift from vacation and retirement destination to the epicenter of sex, drugs, crime, and a battle between those who are on opposing sides of the law while embracing disco, wealth, and more! The events that unfold are based on accounts by those who lived it that took place at The Mutiny Hotel which still exists today, but without the activities that made it famous during that time.
We had the pleasure of connecting with Creator, Showrunner, Executive Producer, and writer Chris Brancato (Narcos, Narcos: Mexico, The Godfather of Harlem) and Director, Guillermo Navarro (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 1 and 2, Night at the Museum franchise, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey) who know how to bring these stories to life so that we can see the complexities, conflict, and humanity of the characters in their stories. We talk about their love for storytelling, working together, and framing this show in all of its nuances.
ATHLEISURE MAG: We are so excited to be able to talk with you! Chris, I know you created Narcos as well as Godfather of Harlem which I have been a huge fan of and Guillermo as the Director of Godfather of Harlem – once again, it is a fantastic show and you also directed Narcos, so it’s nice to see you guys working together on this show!
What do you guys love about storytelling in general?
GUILLERMO NAVARRO: Well, it’s a tremendous opportunity to actually reflect on life and to put our own ideas into it and to tell those stories. There is nothing better than that!
CHRIS BRANCATO: I love the process and the friendships that you make from the writing room where we create the scripts to the production people who put everything together, and then editorial where we make a “finished product,” so to speak! The goal is always to entertain.
AM: You guys came together for Hotel Cocaine which I have watched all 7 of the screeners and can’t wait to find out what happens in E8! The story is amazing. Why did you want to tell it and specifically Guillermo, what attracted you to this series and why did you want to be part of it?
GN: Well I have been partnering with this one for awhile and finally we reached and found a Latin story and so I completely just went for it. It was an opportunity to talk about the relationships of the Latin world with America and it focused on the drama of 2 brothers and the delivery of this and the story about what had to be happening in Miami to receive all of that input and to become what it is!
AM: In terms of creating the show Chris, what was your thinking? I love the characters, the complexities and the depth of them, and they keep unveiling themselves in different ways and it is shot so beautifully. How did all that come together?
CB: Well, it’s interesting. Guillermo and I did Narcos together. We first met on the show Hannibal and I realized he was a directorial genius – [Guillermo motions teasingly that Chris is going on and on buttering him up until Chris notices]
AM: Wait, you are and I have enjoyed seeing your direction in a number of programs so these are facts!
CB: Right? So effectively when I did Narcos, one of the actors that was a friend of mine came up to me and said, “you know, my father was the General Manager ager of the Mutiny Hotel. He said it was the Studio 54 of its day in Miami and it was the home to DEA Agents, drug dealers, movie stars, rock stars, and so the subject matter fascinated me and I knew that to do it right and to give it the proper Latin perspective, I was going to need to find a partner. I searched far and wide in the Latin world and I couldn’t find anybody other than him [Chris teases Guillermo by shaking his arm] so that is how we got stuck together!
AM: I love that story! Obviously, this story takes place in Miami but you shot it in the DR?
CB: Yes, because the Domincan Republic, we scouted Puerto Rico, Colombia, and the DR, but ultimately, we decided that the Dominican Republic had the best look of a 70s Miami because Miami is so overbuilt now, we could never replicate Miami in the 70s!
AM: Well I love the DR and I always love whenever I spend time down there regardless of the city!
What do you want viewers to take away from this show. I can’t say enough about how much I love how it was put together, the characters, the way it was shot etc. I can’t wait to see the finale to see how S1 ends.
GN: Well, that the impact of the drug world on society is real and it’s very profound. And that, I come from Mexico and the social tissue is destroyed by the drug world. For me, it was very important thing to talk about that every time someone consumes it, people die. So it’s about accountability and responsibility of something that is consuming entire societies.
CB: We like to deliver themes like that in a very shiny wrapping.
AM: Right!
CB: So the sex, drugs, disco, Latin music pel collars, bell bottom pants, and the Mutiny girls. So again, the goal is to entertain and put the nutritional value in a hidden way so that the kids don’t notice the broccoli!
IG @cbrancato86
Now that we have a framework for this series thanks to Chris and Guillermo we wanted to continue to frame this show as well as the lens that we should view as. We talked with Danny Pino (Scandal, Law & Order: SVU, Mayans MC) and Yul Vazquez (Magic City, The Outsider, The Godfather of Harlem) who play brothers Ramon Compte and Nestor Cabal in this era in Miami as they navigate the DEA, drugs, the Mutiny Hotel, past and present family dynamics and so much more!
AM: As a fan of both of your works in other shows as well as obviously in Hotel Cocaine, why were you attracted to this series and why did you want to be part of it?
DANNY PINO: Thank you for this question! Yul Vazquez! That is the short answer. I’m not saying that because he is here. But he is, he’s right here! The reality is that the first phone call that I got about Hotel Cocaine came from Yul. Yul and I, there are not a lot of Cuban Americans in Hollywood right? So whenever I would go to an event and I would meet other Cuban Americans, we would eventually land on, “have you met Yul Vazquez?” I’d say, “no I have not met him, I know of him and we have mutual friends. He’s a fantastic actor, but I have not yet met him.” Or I would go to a set and someone in the crew or in the cast would say, “well, you’re Cuban American, have you met Yul?” We’d have the same conversation! “I love his work and I haven’t met him.” Then, we happened to meet on Law & Order: SVU! And we became fast friends. It’s like when you meet somebody that you feel that you have known your entire life! I’m not talking about like your entire acting life, I’m talking about – were you at my 15s? Were you at my baptism? Because I feel like you must have been in the Catholic church with us!
The phone call where Yul calls me and says - look, I have been working on this show, The Godfather of Harlem with Forest Whitaker - the fantastic Forest Whitaker with Chris Brancato, the creator of Narcos and there is this show set in Miami, 1978, called Hotel Cocaine, based on The Mutiny and we’d be playing brothers. I said, I’m in! He was like, maybe you should read the script. And I was like, wait, maybe I should read the script! That’s the short answer to your question! Once Yul kind of set that up, I was already – the momentum and the inertia towards doing it was already in motion.
YUL VAZQUEZ: I mean, it was pretty much the same for me. Danny really was the only choice really for this. It was too perfect but you know sometimes when something is so perfect it doesn’t wind up happening?
AM: Right!
YV: This is a no brainer and then suddenly it doesn’t happen! But this was one of those times when the no brainer happened the way it was supposed to happen. I absolutely love working with Danny and he knows that that is the truth! I know that I can stand there with him and we can get through any scene no matter what the journey of the scene is and we can work around it and figure it out and we get to the end of the scene and I know that when he opens his mouth, I am going to believe everything that he says! That sounds like simple obvious things, but not always the case. Not always the case. I always knew with Danny, I am going to have a guy that was there today. Not a guy who decided that he was going to do this 3 weeks ago. You know, rehearsed it in the mirror because that is one thing that makes me insane. When I get somebody and I’m like no matter what you do, this person is going to do the same thing because they have locked themselves into this thing. We figured out this flow with this whole thing and we improvised a lot of things and we had the freedom from Chris Brancato, Michael Panes (Godfather of Harlem, Bull, Law & Order: Criminal Intent) and Guillermo Navarro which is a huge part of the design, the brains, and the engine of the show. He encouraged us by saying that we knew this world better than any of us are going to know. We know what it’s like to be a Cuban from Miami and so that’s what we did! It’s really what we did and I think that we brought a lot of ourselves into the thing more so then I think that I have ever done!
DP: You’re talking to a musician/artist. Yul would come at this scene with the same words, but in a totally different way! So to be present and to be able to play jazz with him all the time and you know, a lot of the script is written in English. We know as many Cuban Americans know, and many Latinos know, that we don’t speak in English all the time.
YV: Correct.
DP: Our probably chosen language or first language is Spenglish and so we would manipulate some of the script to have the same intention, the same wording, but to be able to go back and forward fluidly in Spanish to give the authenticity of what you would hear not only in that time period, but in modern day Miami!
PRESS POOL: As you reflect back to all the roles you have played throughout your career, what lessons have you taken from them that have helped you in your role in Hotel Cocaine today? How has it shaped you to be the actor that you are today in those roles?
YV: I think that every stitch is a stitch in the fabric of an actor’s career. You try to vary it as much as you can and then you try to decide the parts as much as who is involved and who’s hands it’s in. So I think that everything feeds everything. I also paint, I’m a photographer, and I am also a musician so everything feeds everything and I don’t think one thing takes away from another. I see everything as one orb. So, I think that everything in life feeds everything. Meet ing you and it’s the succession of events for me. That’s how I think that we arrive to where we are today.
DP: I mean, Yul is a renaissance man. He does everything incredibly well and for me, talking about different characters and how it now leads to Ramon Compte, the General Manager of the Mutiny Club and Hotel, I’ve played characters who were on the right side of the law – in fact they were the law. In 2 successive shows whether it’s Mayans MC or Hotel Cocaine, playing characters that you can potentially consider an outlaw – right? I think that what I find which goes to the heart of your question, the throughline for the characters is with great writing whether it’s Meredith Stiehm (Homeland, ER, NYPD Blue) on Cold Case; whether it’s Warren Leight (In Treatment, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Criminal Intent) on Law & Order: SVU; whether it’s Elgin James (The Outlaws, Lowriders, Little Birds) on Mayans MC; or Chris Brancato for Hotel Cocaine, all of those showrunners are fantastic at developping a character who rides the line between on the right side of the law and a potential on criminality.
All of those characters, whether it was Scotty Valens on Cold Case where he had some anger issues and would go back and forth on being able to control that or Nick Amaro who was also going back and forth on being able to control his anger and his frustrations and what not with his job and within his family, you can say similar things about Miguel Galindo and now we have arrived at Ramon Compte who also has to ride that line. It’s just like what Yul said, there’s a building and a learning from each experience especially when the writing is so dialed in and so challenging for an actor which is the best thing that we can have to be able to have that range which we can sort of carve through a performance and to go back in forth between scenes where you say, “I really love this guy, I could absolutely see myself doing the same thing – exactly what he is doing,” and then the very next scene saying, “how could you choose to do that? I hate this person!”
DP: Right? So that’s the currency that actors love to deal in.
PP: When we see the scenes that you guys have together at The Mutiny Hotel and this is a testament to who you are as actors, but when you have the club scenes there is so much going on with the dancers, the lights, and all of these things are happening all around you – as actors, how do you not get distracted by all of the things that are taking place in the background? What is your secret?
YV: It’s hard! It really is hard and sometimes let’s say that your patience it tested – yeah it is! It’s a great question and it is very very hard, for me.
DP: I think it’s one of those things where – and it is a fantastic question because a lot of people don’t realize exactly what happens. They play the music and cue us into the song so that the background artist can get the rhythm of the song that is going to be played and then they kill the song. So the background artist can continue with the rhythm so that we can say our lines in silence so that we don’t have to record the line over and over again for clarity. And that gets a little strange because you can still hear the heels and the platforms stomping on the dancefloor so it is a little distracting in that way. What helps is to have an actor like Yul. When you have an actor like Yul and you have words by Chris Brancato and Michael Panes, where you are engaging in a scene that matters and has life and death circumstances and ramifications, that tends to crystalize everything and you start to get that much more focused.
YV: Yeah, so Danny’s right. All we really have is each other and that helps! Having him helps anchor things for me! He’s right, exactly what he said. It becomes a very interesting challenge you know because it is all of the things that the audience never sees. You know the old saying, “you don’t want to see how the sausage is made.” That’s really true!
PP: For people who live in Miami, The Mutiny is such a staple and an icon of an era that created the backbone of what Miami is as a city from the glitz and glamour, to the element of crime and other things. Danny you’re a Miamian and went to FIU and you grew up there and you know the city. What does it mean to you to portray this era that shaped what Miami is nowadays?
DP: That’s a fantastic question and as we’re both from Miami, we talk about it all the time! We talk about not only the impact of The Mutiny, but the impact of the 70s, it was such a transformative period of our city! It really changed Miami from being sort of a sleepy retirement/vacation spot to a cosmopolitan hot spot. Then it changed when The Mutiny upped the ante on that and it became a hedonistic pleasure palace! Right? People were flying in all over the world to have an adult experience at The Mutiny. I have actually stayed at The Mutiny, it’s not what it was before, it is now much more lowkey. It’s like a hotel residential sort of establishment now, but the structure is still the same, the pool is still the same, and you still feel that if the walls could talk, you’d be hearing some fantastic stories and I think that that’s what our show does. The walls talk in our story.
IG @eldannypino
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Hotel Cocaine
Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK | Hotel Cocaine in mag.
On June 26th 9pm ET, S3 of FX's The Bear released all episodes from this season which is available exclusively on Hulu in the U.S. and on Disney+ in all other territories! We had the pleasure of hearing from portions of the cast about this show that has truly been a phenomenon for those in the culinary industry, enthusiasts and more as we head back to Chicago it deals with the highs and lows of running a restaurant, navigating the industry as well as the complexities that take place FOH, BOH as well as outside of the four walls that they operate in!
The press conference included Executive Producer and Restaurateur Chef Matty Matheson (Craig of the Creek, It's Suppertime!, Workin' Moms), who also plays Neil Fak, Jeremy Alllen White (Shameless, Homecoming, The Iron Claw) who plays Carmy, Ayo Edebiri (Black Mirror, Abbott Elementary, Bottoms) who plays Sydney as well as who directed Episode 6 "Napkins" of this season, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Girls, The Dropout, Andor) who plays Richie, Abby Elliott (Saturday Night Life, Odd Mom Out, Cheaper By The Dozen) who plays Natalie, Liza Colón-Zayas (In Treatment, Law & Order, Titans) who plays Tina, Lionel Boyce (Loiter Squad, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Jellies) who plays Marcus, and Ricky Staffieri (Chicago P.D., Better Call Saul, This is Us) who plays Ted Fak.
If you have watched or caught up on the previous seasons of The Bear, we suggest that you watch as there will be light spoilers. In terms of S3 the conversation focuses on the trailer and how it ties into the previous seasons.
PRESS POOL: Matty, in addition to your playing Neil, you are an executive producer and from a menu creation perspective, what are the decisions that are involved in creating those dishes?
CHEF MATTY MATHESON: Yeah, like, Courtney Storer is also a producer, and she handles a lot of the menu development. I work with her and her team and ideation stuff of what Carmy and Syd would be thinking about and how to execute those types of dishes; and create; those types of menus; and who they are and how they would present themselves through a culinary lens. But yeah, a lot of the dishes—you know, we had some really good chefs, and Courtney is amazing at executing and creating that food and bringing that to life. And there were some dishes that were more difficult than others. A lot of the desserts that Lionel and Marcus were creating and storytelling were difficult. Pastry is very - you know, it's a lot of science, a lot of stuff going into that. But overall, I think just trying to make beautiful food and thoughtful food and pushing the envelope.
PP: What was it like cowriting the first episode, what that experience was like, what you brought to the table and also, what it did for you.
CHEF MM: I think a lot of people that have had amazing careers, like Carmy had or chefs in general, have worked under a lot of chefs. And there's little pieces that you grab onto throughout your life, and that's how and what makes you who you are, the good and the bad. And in culinary school, I had this chef that told us this story about how 30 chefs made who he was and told me this story about working under all of these chefs all over Europe and working with chefs and cooks and just learning all of these different trades. And you know, it is a trade. And so, I think picking up these little skills along the way - and you never stop learning - is who you are made of, you know? The people around you. And we kind of wanted to tell a story of what and how Carmy was kind of built in that way.
PP: It seems like Neil's role is increasing with every season and we're seeing more of him. Was this planned from the beginning or did it grow organically out of the way the character interacted with the other characters?
CHEF MM: I’m not too sure. I think they saw that I could remember a couple more lines. And then, I think Chris Storer (Ramy, On The Count of Three, Dickinson) kind of chucked me a couple lines, and then I think we'll keep it moving. But yeah, I don't know. I really don't know. I think happy to be here and then, you know—
JEREMY ALLEN WHITE: I think, yeah, I mean, I think Chris was responding to Matty's work on the show. Matty had never acted before the show, and it turns out he can do it so beautifully and he can be so funny and lovable. And so, I think Chris wanted to work with him more and more. And it's also like I've never seen Chris be more joyful...
EBON MOSS-BACHRACH: Yeah.
AYO EDEBIRI: It's true.
EMB: Yeah.
JAW: ...than when he's directing a scene with Matty and like throwing lines at him. It really is the most excited that I see Chris is working with Matty.
CHEF MM: What Jeremy Allen White said.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Jeremy, we got a taste of Carmy's mentality following the finale and how the walk-in incident impacted him in the trailer. But going into Season 3, how will that experience impact him and his employees at The Bear?
JAW: Yeah, I mean, you know, what happens, I do get out of the walk-in refrigerator and that's good. And then yeah, you know, I think Carmy does what he does, which is he sort of buries himself back into his work and really tries to challenge himself and in doing so, really challenges everybody around him and I think becomes quite challenging to be around, as well. A lot of challenges.
PP: Things were not in a great place between Richie and Carmy when we last saw them. How will their relationship move forward as the season progresses and can they overcome the differences that they have?
EMB: They're great now. They're great. They...
(Laughter.)
AE: Play pickleball on Wednesdays.
EMB: They wake up every morning, go for a jog. You know, a little coffee klatch. No, I mean, you've got to watch, I think, right?
JAW: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, yes, Carmy is like continuing to do what he does best, I think, which is like be incredibly avoidant of all the issues that he has going on.
AE: No. What?
JAW: And that's what you'll see, yeah.
AM: Last season Richie got to work at another restaurant which really softened him and informed him a lot. How did that inform you moving forward with the character and into Season 3?
EMB: Season 3 picks up I think not long after Season 2 ends. And I don't know, I think Richie is in a place where he's sort of seen...he's been exposed to maybe a more evolved way of being, and I think he kind of sees a path to head towards. But it's one thing to see the path and it's another thing to walk it. So, I think, like any kind of personal growth, it's forward and back and there's not a kind of clear and one-direction path.
PP: In the Season 3 trailer, Carmy presents Sydney with a partnership agreement. What does this promotion mean for your character and how does Sydney and Carmy's relationship evolve in Season 3?
AE: Well, I think that that's one of the things in the season that we sort of deal with is what it means to Sydney and what that next step would mean for her relationship with Carmy, who's somebody that I think she really has looked up to but now is sort of in the thick of doing business with. And it's I think a lot more chaotic than she might have idealized before they really started working together. So yeah, I think that's sort of something that you'll see.
JAW: Yeah. Yeah, I think for Carmen, he's not the best communicator, but he will often kind of make a sort of grand gesture like that to try and communicate to Syd or the kitchen or whomever. And I think that's his way of kind of reaching out. But oftentimes, I feel like people aren't prepared to sort of receive like - I think he's got a lot going on in his mind all the time, and people aren't always aware of exactly what's going on. And so, yeah, I guess...again, yeah, you'll see obviously how that affects Carmen and Syd's relationship. But I think Carmen's trying to welcome her in a little bit was the point of the partnership agreement, yeah.
PP: What is going on with Tina this season. And then Ayo, would love to hear what it was like directing an episode.
LIZA COLÓN-ZAYAS: What's up with Tina is she is struggling to, you know, be her best and the challenges and wrestling with the demons of her past and you know, white-knuckling.
AE: Yeah, directing was a blast. I really loved it. It's like a dream to get to work with our crew as an actor. And so then, I guess by extension of directing that feeling was only amplified. I was just so impressed and so moved every day. And then, I got to direct some of my favorite actors in the world, and it just felt like a bit of a master class, but also a gift. Like, I was just in the best circumstances of truly just masters of their craft beside me, and I just felt so lucky. I was kind of like this is maybe the best job in the world? Or tied for first place, at least, with the one of acting. Yeah, so it was really wonderful.
AM: Did you choose the script that you were going to direct or is it just a decision you made with Chris Storer?
AE: I mean, a little bit of both, I guess? Like, he had one in mind. We're lucky enough to read all the episodes as actors beforehand, and we'd been talking about it for a while. And I know that he had one in mind, and I think he and the other producers, like Joanna Calo (The Baby-Sitters Club, Hack, Beef), had talked about it a bit, about how the episodes would be distributed. Because I wasn't the only guest director this season. Our AD, Duccio Fabbri (She Said, The Whale, Native Son), also directed an episode. And so, I think they had in their minds who would go where a little bit. But then we had a conversation, and he was like, "Which scripts are you responding to?" And I was like, "I would literally give you my firstborn child, who does not exist yet, if I could do the Liza episode, because I would love to work with Liza in that way." And then, he was like, "Well, we have nice little parallel thinking." So, yeah.
PP: Grief seems to be kind of a river that runs through the entire connective tissue of the show. And no one has seemed to really deal with their grief related to Mikey's (Jon Bernthal) passing and also, it seems like there might be some grief for Marcus, as well, coming up. Will there be any reckonings with unprocessed grief throughout this season, and what does that mean for the restaurant as a whole?
ABBY ELLIOT: Yeah, I think with Natalie, she's processing her grief and she's about to become a mother. She's pregnant and so, she's grappling with the fact that her brother had this horrible demise and her relationship with her mom and her brother is not in a good place. So, I feel like, yeah, she's dealing with the grief in that way.
AE: Yeah, I feel like a lot of different characters have grief that touched them in different ways in how they're dealing with it. I mean, I think you said it very aptly. That's one of the connecting threads of the show, so I think it's in the process of being dealt with by different characters in different ways in this season.
EMB: I would say that it's even one of the strengths of the show and I think one of the reasons that it's connected with so many people is I think grief is the river that runs through all of us. And it's the one sort of - maybe one of the only common things that we all share in the human experience. And so, yeah, that continues, and everyone deals with it in their own way. Or not, you know.
IG @thebearfx
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | FX's The Bear
Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see BACK TO CHICAGO | The Bear in mag.
We always enjoy a culinary experience when we can step outside of the city and look back at it to fully appreciate it when we're back! We make our way across the river to Weehawken, NJ to enjoy a meal at Blu on the Hudson for an upscale experience that will create a number of memories this summer whether it's any day of the week or a holiday!
We caught up with Andrew Christianson General Manager of Operations to find out about this restaurant, its ambiance, and what we should order when we're there with friends and family that we want to impress.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did Blu on the Hudson open?
ANDREW CHRISTIANSON: Blu on the Hudson opened in January, 2023 and has never looked back. Our opening was a smashing success and a brand, we have done some exciting things in the last year and a half. Our reception by the surrounding community has been incredible.
AM: To bring Blu on the Hudson's 30,000 sq ft concept to life, you partnered with Designer Peggy Leung who has worked on Tokyo DisneySea as well as being the lead designer for TAO Las Vegas. Can you tell us about her background?
AC: Peggy Leung moved to New York, joining Rockwell Group as a Senior Designer. The experience working with this talented group of artists and designers was transformative, allowing her to take her creative visions to the next level. She was introduced to different design processes, from concept to schematic design creation, and was able to collaborate with other artists and designers on a series of high-profile projects. Her experience during this period includes the Radio City Music Hall, the Kodak Theatre and various branding and graphic design projects. In 2004, Peggy joined Studio GAIA as a Senior Designer. Demonstrating her acumen for managing projects and teams through the creative design process, she quickly rose to Studio Leader and was later made Managing Partner of the firm. Peggy was accountable for the successful completion of high-end projects including hotels, casinos, restaurants, lounges, bars and nightclubs in the United States and abroad, providing leadership and expertise on Award-Winning projects.
AM: Blu on the Hudson is a large space. Can you tell me about the ambiance of this property (from lounges, main dining rooms, sushi bar, rooftop event space etc) for those who are coming in with their friends and family?
AC: Blu on the Hudson is a dining destination for all ages. We believe that it is important for us to remain elevated yet approachable, as everyone deserves to feel those luxurious moments in life. Our spaces are as versatile as our clientele.
AM: Tell us about your Executive Chef Juan Carlos "JC" Ortega in terms of his culinary background and kitchens he worked in prior to coming to Blu on the Hudson?
AC: Upon arriving in NYC in 1995, Chef Juan Carlos (JC) Ortega initially took a position in a small Italian restaurant on East 62nd Street. Shortly after, he landed his first job with BR Guest, as line-cook at Blue Water Grill, which was touted as one of top seafood restaurants and dining destinations in NYC. Chef JC impressed both his co-workers and those above him; after rigorous training, he was promoted to Sous Chef and Executive Sous Chef, respectively, at Blue Water Grill.
In 2003, Chef JC took the helm at Ocean Grill, another BR Guest restaurant, as Executive Chef. In 2010, he was also entrusted with the opening of Atlantic Grill West. Chef JC then accepted the position of Executive Chef at Blue Fin, in the flagship W Hotel New York.
Thereafter, Chef JC joined Catch Steak NYC as their new Executive Chef, until he was offered the opportunity to be part of creating the Blu brand in Weehawken, New Jersey. As leader of the Culinary Department, he undertook creating and launching Blu on the Hudson in July, 2022. As the Concept Executive Chef, he is responsible for developing the menu and managing the daily operations of the restaurant’s culinary aspect.
AM: In terms of roles and responsibilities, what does the Executive Chef and Executive Sous Chef focus on at the restaurant?
AC: Our team of chefs focus primarily on culinary excellence; we do not spare expense when it comes to the quality of our product, from beginning to end.
AM: Tell us about your background in hospitality.
AC: I am the General Manager of Operations. Previously I was acting director for Restoration Hardware. I traveled the country and spent much time in their premiere properties and most esteemed projects to align the vision of the brand. I have worked predominantly in fine-dining environments. He previously was the General Manager for James Beard winning, Chef Maria Hines. I worked as a Sommelier and luxury hotel General Manager before joining Blu Hospitality Group.
AM: Tell us about your Raw Bar and Crudo and Haute Caviar program.
AC: We purchase our seafood directly from the Fulton Fish Market and receive deliveries daily. Also, Chef JC and Blu Team members visit the fish supplier, located in the Bronx, to source fresh produce. Our Raw-Bar highlights include Seafood Towers, a seasonal selection of chilled shellfish; Blu’s Signature East Coast Oysters, with tomato vinaigrette, Meyer lemon and cucumber; and Chilled Maine Lobster, with avocado-yuzu aioli and orange dressing. Our Haute Caviar Program is one of our top sellers; last year, we sold 400 oz. of Haute Caviar.
AM: What are 3 appetizers that you suggest that we should start our meal with when enjoying with friends and family?
AC: When starting your meal at Blu on the Hudson, we suggest ordering Bluefin Tuna Tartare, Seafood Tower and Nori Tacos (2 pc), which have a choice of Salmon & Ikura, Bluefin Tuna & Spicy Aioli, Hamachi & Avocado or Japanese A5 Wagyu.
AM: The menu is seafood forward which also includes your steak program and homemade pasta. For entrees, what dishes would you suggest that we should order?
AC: Our Ahi, Hamachi, Salmon, Branzino and Oysters are delivered fresh and never frozen; you cannot go wrong. If you are in the mood for a steak, our Australian Wagyu, quality wise, is the best available outside of Kobe, Japan.
AM: Tell us about your Beverage Director Jeremy Le Blanche from his background as well as places that he worked prior to coming to this restaurant.
AC: Jeremy Le Blanche has had a decade-long career in cocktail creation and has traveled the world from France to Australia to New York. His career, as a beverage director, started at some of the best five-star hotels in Courchevel, the ski capital of the world, nestled in the French Alps.
Before landing in New York, Jeremy spent three years in the United Kingdom working as Head Bartender and Head Mixologist of Meister Bar, at German Gymnasium, London. Jeremy is the Concept & Beverage Director at Blu on the Hudson in Weehawken, where he’s working his creativity to a higher volume, aiming to learn from different perspectives of the business. Jeremy has been featured in Food & Wine.
AM: What are 3 cocktails that you suggest we should have when we come to eat?
AC: We recently launched our Summer Cocktail menu, which features creative twists on classics using the finest Mezcals, Tequilas, Gins and Bourbons. Cocktails, curated by Beverage Director, Jeremy Le Blanche, include The Dual, Blu’s take on an old fashioned; Dragon of the Winds, a sophisticated variation of a classic rum punch; and Don’t Be Shy, Blu’s version of a spritz.
AM: Tell us about your Sommelier Adam Greer, his journey prior to coming to Blu on the Hudson and about the Wine Program that you have.
AC: Adam received a Certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers of America. He worked with Chef John Fraserat's Michelin-starred restaurant, Dovetail, where he developed a sense of how to pair wine with various dishes as the culinary creations on the menu changed daily. Adam's strengths lie firmly in finding smaller producers, family-owned wineries and wines of outstanding value and quality. The wine list features all the major and some minor regions of the world, including Piedmont and Tuscany, Italy; Bordeaux, France; Rioja and Galicia, Spain; and locally The NY Finger Lakes and New Jersey. Adam has been featured in Wine Enthusiast, Taste France, Food & Wine and more.
AM: Tell us about Social Hour.
AC: We offer our Social Hour (also known as happy hour) Monday – Friday from 4 – 6 p.m. where we offer an approachable cost to our specialty cocktails and rotating starters from the kitchen. We have guests that come from NYC to join us multiple times a week.
AM: The Brunch menu for this meal has a number of options! For the perfect brunch pairing what cocktail, entree and side would you suggest that we should have on our next visit?
AC: For brunch, we suggest starting off your meal with Blu’s Seasonal Black Truffle Bloody Mary; guests can substitute tequila or mezcal upon request. Diners who have a sweet tooth may consider ordering Ricotta Stuffed Pancakes, with blueberry compote and organic maple syrup or those with a savory tooth may indulge in Crab Cake Benedict. Truffle French Fries and Crispy Bacon both pair well brunch entrees.
AM: With the phenomenal views that diners will be able to enjoy, what will you do for 4th of July?
AC: Blu on the Hudson will be opened on July 4th, starting at 11 a.m. Details are still being finalized at this time.
AM: For the rooftop, in addition to using it for private events, will it be another space for guests to enjoy prior to or after their reservation?
AC: Our rooftop, which has spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline, is set to open in the fall. It is an all-glass enclosed atrium and perfect for events.
AM: For those coming from NYC, how can they access the restaurant?
AC: There are several ways to get to Blu on the Hudson from NYC. There is an eight-minute ferry that leaves from multiple points around the island that brings people to our front door. An Uber from the city takes 15 minutes with several bus options as well ranging from 15-20 minutes. If you are looking for the best views of New York, guests should dine at Blu.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Blu on the Hudson
Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ART OF THE SNACK | Blu on the Hudson in mag.
There are so many elements that surround the Olympics, each time the world's best athletes showcase their passion, dedication, and commitment to their sport. With a range of activities that take place, we love finding out more. We had the pleasure to chat with Chef Alexandre Mazzia who is the chef/owner of AM Par Alexandre Mazzia the hottest 3 MICHELIN Star restaurant in Marseille and a former professional basketball player, and he will be one of 3 top French chefs who will be preparing 40,000 meals in the Olympic Village during Paris 2024!
We wanted to find out more about his days as an athlete, his continued love of basketball, how he got into the culinary industry, AM Par, being at the Olympic Games and even being able to take part in running with the Olympic flame as a Torchbearer!
ATHLEISURE MAG: You spent your childhood in the Republic of Congo. What was that like and what about living there shaped the way that you looked at the world?
CHEF ALEXANDRE MAZZIA: I was born in Pointe-Noire in the Congo, at the Clinique des Manguiers. My cooking is neither Congolese nor Marseillaise, but it is inevitably somehow influenced by its environment, with most of the products coming from the Marseillaise environment. It's this Marseillaise and Congolese luminosity that is imprinted.
Spices and chilli are things that are now part of French cuisine that weren't there a few years ago (6-7 years ago). Today, people are a bit more assertive. I leaned on my roots, on the person I was, because it's true that I can't go against who I am. So it was important for me, in a natural way, to transcribe my cooking. And my cooking is described through the roasting, through the chillies, through the spices that are fundamentally who I am.
So, I'd say that my cooking is sparkling, distinctive, sincere, transparent, but yes, it's influenced by my childhood, my entire career, and, above all, by a great intensity.
AM: You graduated with a science degree, but for a time, you were a professional basketball player while you were navigating working in the culinary industry! When did you realize that you wanted to be a chef?
CHEF AM: My journey into the culinary world isn't as straightforward as many might think. Initially, I pursued a science degree, which was a completely different path. Interestingly, during that time, I also had a stint as a professional basketball player. It was a unique period when I was balancing my passion for sports with an emerging interest in the culinary arts. The transition from being on the basketball court to standing behind a kitchen counter wasn't immediate. It evolved over time as I became more immersed in cooking, discovering it as my true calling.
My realization that I wanted to be a chef dawned on me gradually rather than as a sudden epiphany. While playing basketball, I started to explore cooking more seriously. It wasn't just a hobby; it was a passion that kept growing, compelling me to delve deeper into the culinary world. Despite the stark differences between the two fields, I found that both required a similar level of dedication, creativity, and perseverance.
AM: Where did you train and what were some of the kitchens that you worked in prior to opening AM Par Alexandre Mazzia?
CHEF AM: My career path is one that can be called atypical. Immediately after my baccalaureate, I was lucky to attend a cooking school where I learnt the basics of cooking and general knowledge of the Hospitality industry. It gave me a chance to master the practical skills of cooking. After that, I acquired several diplomas and certifications, with a specialisation in pastry, chocolate and candy manufacturing. I got those diplomas while alternating school classes and work. It allowed me to build experience very quickly while discovering a world I felt I belonged to.
From that time on, I started accepting myself more. Since I came from abroad and only arrived in France at the age of 15, in the beginning, I used to be very independent. Cooking allowed me to travel a lot and open up. And then my passion became more than a passion. It became the source of my inspiration and motivation from which I learnt all my knowledge - practical and theoretical. It helped me learn about general culture, people, and Chefs and understand better the different cultures present around the world. Not just on a country level but regionally too. I also got to understand a great deal about “savoir-faire” (know-how) varieties making the base of French cuisine. It allowed me to have a strong knowledge foundation on the matter. As I travelled, I got to discover new flavours and become more aware of the importance of textures in cooking.
AM: How do you define your style of cooking and what influences it?
CHEF AM: My cooking blends spice, smoke, and chilli, linking to my childhood in Pointe-Noir, Congo, to my life in Marseille. My signature spice mix includes galangal, ginger, and cumin, enhancing the flavour and depth of each dish. Smokey aromas from burnt woods like vine shoots and olive tree add complexity, while my knowledge of over 45 types of chillies introduces a dynamic tension and variety in heat and flavour. I wanted this culinary approach to celebrate a fusion of oceanic and smoky elements with a vibrant chilli kick.
AM: You opened AM Par Alexandre Mazzia in 2014 in Marseille. What do you love about Marseille and why did you want to open your own restaurant?
CHEF AM: AM Par Alexandre Mazzia is a glimpse of my soul. It is about discovering myself through my cuisine. There is a wordplay in the name of my restaurant, in all subtlety, is a display of transparency and authenticity. It is a place where I give the best of myself, as I am devoted to its guests.
AM: What does it mean to you to have received your first Michelin star in 2015 after your restaurant was open for a year, your second in 2019, and your third star in 2021 for AM Par Alexandre Mazzia?
CHEF AM: All awards that my restaurant has won are equally important to me. Each award represents a recognition of our hard work, dedication, and commitment to providing the best dining experience to our guests. The awards have also motivated my team to perform at their best and maintain the high standards that we have set for ourselves.
There's no real success here. It's just a continuation of work that's been going on for many years. And I think that the way of looking at things was a bit different before, or the way of operating was different before. Today it's part of a collective vision, in other words, we've opened doors. We've given the keys to a way of working, but also to a totally personal way of operating.
I'd say that success is the fact of being, of doing just what you are with complete transparency, but with passion. It's a unique cuisine, my cuisine. It's so personal that I don't think anyone else can do it. So that's why people from all over the world want to discover it, why we've won all these awards, and why these awards represent our know-how.
AM: For those that have yet to dine at your restaurant, tell us about the ambiance that we can expect when we walk through the doors?
CHEF AM: At our restaurant, we offer a unique and memorable experience with 8 tables that seat up to 22 people and a team of 26 dedicated individuals. Our cuisine is "transversal," bringing together the best of local produce from fishermen, farmers, and tableware designers. Our dishes are created using a personal "alphabet of taste" developed from my own experiences. It is an extraordinary experience that many guests have never experienced before.
AM: You believe in the Triangle of Tastes - tell us more about this and how it weaves into your dishes.
CHEF AM: My cooking blends spice, smoke, and chilli, linking to my childhood in Pointe-Noir, Congo, to my life in Marseille. My signature spice mix includes galangal, ginger, and cumin, enhancing the flavour and depth of each dish. Smoky aromas from burnt woods like vine shoots and olive tree add complexity, while my knowledge of over 45 types of chillies introduces a dynamic tension and variety in heat and flavour. I wanted this culinary approach to celebrate a fusion of oceanic and smoky elements with a vibrant chilli kick.
AM: You are 1 of 3 French Chefs that will be catering the Paris 2024 Olympic Games - this is such an honor, but as someone who has been an athlete, what does it mean to you to be able to serve your country and the world in this way?
CHEF AM: I think it's a source of pride, pride for me, for my family, pride for the people, to represent France for the duration of the Olympic Games. It's a way of showcasing expertise, a signature, and a career. I think that I'm always thinking of people transmitting everything that I've done, which showcases a whole range of skills that are, I would say, quite simply unique.
AM: How long have you been planning what you will make and can you tell us some of the items that you plan on cooking? When it comes to meeting the neuro-nutritional challenge of feeding athletes, what have you been keeping in mind?
CHEF AM: I'm first and foremost a chef, so our unique know-how is our ability to adapt. We adapt on a daily basis, we're there to serve our customers, it's our daily job to adapt to the allergies of diners who don't eat this or that product. But beyond that, when they came looking for me to take part in the Olympic Games, of course, I knew very well that I was going to be working for the athletes, so I needed all my work over the years with the nutritionist, sports doctor, physical trainer, mental trainer and a certain federation of different disciplines so that I could have as many skills as possible to satisfy the demands I was going to have. So it's true that I worked for the athletes. It wasn't necessarily more complicated. All I had to do was concentrate on the tastes and flavours and simply be myself, just as I am in my everyday life. What I think and what the OCOG and Sodexo Live! wanted to achieve was to find someone who represented their region and, above all, who had a sporting background and who was bound to be able to adapt in a simple way. It's about putting our expertise at the service of athletes, for their performance and recovery. It also means playing for a team, playing for the "Olympic Games" that are taking place in France.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Chef Alexandre Mazzia
Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see COOKING FOR CHAMPIONS | Chef Alexandre Mazzia in mag.
In Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple, this documentary takes us through the career of producer, musician, songwriter, activist, actor, and more. We see him throughout Jersey in Asbury Park clubs and arena stadiums with Bruce Springsteen as well as to the Bada Bing Club with James Gandolfini! There are interviews from an array of notables that we love, including The Boss himself, Darlene Love, Eddie Vedder, Paul McCartney, and Bono. This film looks at his influence as well as his legacy and how he champions rock ‘n’ roll and social justice.
In this podcast, documentarian David Modigliani shares his family history with us which includes his grandfather Franco won a Nobel Prize. He became interested in the love story that made it possible even when he was on the run in Fascist Italy. As he learns about his story, he finds many dark truths that took place that showed how a family member was left behind and how his family had a connection to Benito Mussolini.
Pack One Bag allows David to go to Italy and to take a look at his families' past and what one would do when they are faced with predicaments. He hears from his family about what took place, he looks at spy documents, diary entries and more. With everything he found, he enlists Stanley Tucci (Devil Wears Prada, Julie & Julia, The King's Man) to tell this story and to bring it to life so that we can understand the importance of history, perserverance and the human spirit despite obstacles that could be in your way.
In Clipped: The Scandalous Story of LA's Other Basketball Team, we take an in depth look on what took place with the LA Clippers and the notorious NBA owner Don Sterling who was known for his racist and problematic remarks which were recorded. Once they were aired, it was the tape heard around the world! This miniseries is based on ESPN 30 for 30 Podcast, The Sterling Affairs.
Both the podcast and the Hulu series looks at the collision between the dysfunction basketball organization, Sterling's marriage, and the impact that the tape and the statements made on them while the team is trying to win a Championship with Doc Rivers (Laurence Fishburne) as the coach and a team that has the building blocks to potentially win their first championship ring.
Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY STREAMING in mag.
In Burgers & Bacon Cookbook: Over 250 World's Best Burger, Sauces, Relishes, & Bun Recipes, you can enjoy recipes that are created from the World Food Championships. We like that the component guide gives you a reference for every topping, burger, bun, and sauce that is found in a recipe so that you can mix and match to make your own creations! There is no excuse to not have your burger take it to the next level!
In addition to the recipes, use the QR codes to see these championship dishes being made, reading chef bios and so much more! We think that you'll find yourself using this book regardless of your cooking level and it's always fun to shake up your latest go-to burger. There are a number of variations to give them a global flavor and it'll be interesting to see what you are influenced to make once you get started.
Mushroom Gastronomy: The Art of Cooking with Mushrooms is a key book for those that enjoy cooking with mushrooms and being able to do so in a varied and elevated way! Regardless of how you obtain your mushrooms by personally foraging, going to your farmer's market or your grocery store - this cookbook will give you the tools you need to enjoy the world of edible mushrooms.
You'll learn about 25 of the most popular mushrooms which are accompanied by stunning photography, their nutritional value, cooking methods, culinary tips, pairings, storing, and preserving.
Vegetarians and carnivores will find recipes for appetizers, soups and broths, main dishes, desserts, and even cocktails. We're looking forward to: Black Trumpet Mushroom and White Bean Bisque, Candy Cap Cream Martini, and Chicken of the Woods Saltimbocca.
We're excited about Seriously Good Barbecue Cookbook: Over 100 if the Best Recipes in the World. If you're a fan of BBQ, you will enjoy varieties of this style including Texas, Kansas City, Carolina, and Memphis! Brian Baumgartner who played Kevin Malone from The Office shared a bit of humor with each dish as well as his own recipes. You'll also find that we have a recipe included in this book as well for a Tomatillos Jalapeño and Mezcal Carolina BBQ Street Tacos.
This cookbook includes BBQ with various meats as well as side dishes, rubs, sauces, desserts as well as drinks to complete your meal. You'll find that recipes come from home cooks, award-winning chefs, and well-known pitmasters from all corners of the earth.
If this world is new to you, you'll find barbecue essentials and cooking techniques, you'll learn about cooking using a grill vs smoker, cooking times, as well as a bit of BBQ history.
This is a great follow up to his first cook book, Seriously Good Chili Cookbook which is another great one to have on your shelves and includes our recipe for Mezcal Jalapeño Tortilla Strip Chili Verde + Mexican Lime Crema.
Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY BOOKS in mag.
Earlier this month, we headed over to Juice Generation for the launch of Juiced Gelato! For those who have yet to enjoy cold-pressed juices at their locations or when they are shipped to you, we'll fill you in!
Juice Generation was founded by Eric Helms in 1999 with a goal to make fresh raw juices available to NYers as an accessible options for whatever our lifestyles were and dietary backgrounds.
The brand continued to grow by offering cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and açaí bowls. Over the years they have grown their locations and they ship nationwide.
They are known for their Get Ur Green On, Supe Dupa Greens, Celery, Watermelon Dragon, Carrot Apple Ginger, Citrus Super C, and Spicy Lemon cold pressed juices, they fuel your body with essential nutrients that are low in sugar. These have been drinks that we have oscilated between on a number of visits.
This month, they launched Juiced Gelato which takes their organic, cold-pressed juices to the next level to have them in a gelato format! Not only is it great for the hot weather that we have been enjoying, but the nutrients are next level! Currently, this gelato is available in their Williamsburg location in Brooklyn as well as in the Meatpacking District in NYC. When you're enjoying your scoops, you can have it in a cup or in a cone. This cone is 100% plant-based and is known as the world's first-ever cold-pressed cone. It's made from upcycled organic juice pulp. It's crispy, wholesome, gluten-free and hand-crafted specifically for Juiced Gelato.
On the night of the launch we were able to enjoy the range of gelatos along with champagne. We love that the range is low sugar, sweetened by agave and has no dairy. Here are our 3 favorites:
Supa Dupa Greens has a tangy taste of green apple and every shade of green. It includes only 4 grams of added sugar per serving.
Celery is energizing with light and zesty lemon. There are only 5 grams of added sugar per serving.
Spicy Lemon bursts with tart and tingling lemon-ginger-cayenne refreshment. It has 6 grams of added sugar per serving.
Keep your eye out for when you can get this gelato shipped to you!
JUICE GENERATION
JUICED GELATO
350 W 14th St
NY, NY 10014
JUICED GELATO
210 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11249
PHOTO CREDIT | Juice Generation
Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Juice Generation in mag.
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelor Disney/John Fleenor
PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelorette
We kick off tonight’s episode of The Bachelorette with some of the men doing their workouts, a warning about gyrating men and libidos, and the men trying to set their differences aside so that they can be focused on Jenn Tran.
The date card arrives and Spencer gets the 1-on-1 date. That means there will be 2 group dates that we’ll see. They end up flying in a helicopter and they get to know one another.
Back at the house, the guys are still whispering about Devin and his antics.
Back on the date, the helicopter portion is done and now they are heading to dinner in a stunning space where they can really talk with one another. We know that he wants to share something that makes him very vulnerable. He lets her know that he has been engaged and has purchased a home with her and then he realized that she was cheating on him. Although he shared this experience, it’s a lot to take in and you can see Jenn seeing if he is able to navigate and be ready for love with someone else. She gives him the 1-on-1 Date Night Rose.
Dylan, Marcus, Thomas A., John M., Grant, Jonathan, Sam N., Thomas N., Sam M., and Devin will be on the group date together. It’s a lot of personalities so we know that this will definitely be a doozy. Their date is at The Forum Theatre but it’s clear that hey will do the Thunder From Down Under which has shows in Las Vegas, but they’re helping out Jenn today. The men look so uncomfortable and can’t believe that this is what they will be doing. They learn how to do a number of moves and then they hear that they will have a live audience watching as well! Jesse Palmer is emceeing the night. The guys are having fun with it and Jenn is joined by 2 sisters who were on The Bachelorette Australia. Jonathan wins the event - Mr. Firefighter. Sam N. decides to drop the L bomb which catches everyone off guard! It seems like there’s a new person in the group that will rub others the wrong way.
Post the group date, the men from the date are at the cocktail party - who will win the Group Date Rose? The men are still thinking about Sam N.’s bold move. Of course, Devin is still out there doing all of his antics and the guys still feel that he’s a bit much. Sam N. also talks about what he said and she let him know that his truth is one that he should share and she is glad that she let him know. Devin hears Sam M. and Thomas N. talk about how he doesn’t even know what it is to be in love so why would he say anything? Apparently, Devin feels big brother vibes over Sam N. so this is not going to go well. The trio have a chat that doesn’t really resolve anything. After meeting with a number of them for a bit, she is giving the group rose to Devin.
We see that Aaron is in the Air Force and is being called in for an opportunity to participate in a flight training group. He has a day to figure it out and he will be flying out the following week - he has to think about what he will do, but for right now, he’s all about his group date. The next group date has Hakeem, Jeremy, Austin, and Aaron on a race track which will allow them to do a race. Austin came in first and got to have a bit of 1-on-1 time with her. With only 4 people on the date, she is spending some time with each of them at the group date cocktail party. Aaron lets her know that he has his pilot’s license. He has to decide what he will do and he feels that he is closer to her. She has great moments with each of them and now it’s a matter of who will get this group date rose. She gives the rose to Jeremy. Aaron thinks about the fact that since he didn’t get one, he doesn’t have the validation that he is looking for since he has to think about the call that he received earlier that day.
All the men arrive for the cocktail portion of this week’s Rose Ceremony. She acknowledges the men upon her arrival and lets them know that they are amazing and that this process is working. She lets them know that she is having a good night. Aaron plans on letting her know that he will be taking another opportunity as he doesn’t want to to stop his life for something that he has worked so hard on. He lets her know that he has dreamed of being a fighter pilot and he wants to take the time to do that. He also leaves her with a few words - some people are not there to be genuine and yet, he didn’t want to say who. That shifts the vibe for everyone else that is there.
JENN GAVE ROSES TO | Austin, Devin, Dylan, Grant, Jeremy, John M., Jonathan, Marcus, Sam M., Sam N., Spencer, and Thomas N.
JENN DIDN’T GIVE ROSES TO | Aaron, Hakeem, Tomas A.
Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Ricky Middlesworth
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