RAINE MAGAZINE Volume 16 | Innovate

RAINEQUARTERLY 

SUMMER INNOVATE! ISSUE 

VOL 

16 

MAGAZINE 

A FOODIE FAIRYTALE 

MEET EMMA MCQUISTON 

TOP 1O MOST AMAZING SPAS 

SWIM LOOKS THAT WILL INSPIRE! 

A SNEAK PEEK OF FALL FASHION 

THE NEW. THE RISING. THE MUST KNOW 

T H E F A S H I O N & L I F E S T Y L E R E S O U R C E F O R C R E A T I V E E N T R E P R E N E U R S

RAINE 

FASHION.ENTERTAINMENT.CULTURE.TECHNOLOGY VOL 16 


fashion 

5 

midnight 

summer 

> 8SUMMER CHIC 

chromat 

14 

RICARDO SECO 16 

Pool LOUNGING18 

20 agueda lopez 

bracelets & bobbles 24 

lACE & PRINT 26 

STYLES FOR HIM 28 

beauty 

AMAZING SPAS 55 

58 DR SPICER 

fitness 57 

business 

JOHN BATTELLE 60 

can you keep a secret 62 

> 

entertainment 

32 daniela brooker 

zinepak 36 

> 

37 amanda seales 

nazneeN 

contractor 38 

41 katherine laNasa 

JEN KIRKMAN 42 

EDWIN HODGE 43 

gleb savchenko 44 

emma kenney 46 

SPORT: TYLER CURRAN 50 

EMMA MCQUISTON 48 

enchanted by summer 52 

64 TECH 

TOYS 

culture 

66 MIAMI 

La Mamounia 68 

Buckingham 72 

Hushi Robot 76 

Patti DeSante 78 

79 Adriana Santacruz 

82 FALL FASHION 

85 DSQUARED 

>

RAINE 

FASHION.ENTERTAINMENT.CULTURE.TECHNOLOGY VOL 16 


EDITORIAL TEAM 

Nova Lorraine - Founder and Creative Director 

Marilyn Wilson - Senior Editor 

Derron Forrest - Business Development 

Janet Igah - Style Editor 

RESEARCH EDITOR 

Carlotta Harrington 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

David J. Freschman 

Mariessa Terrell, ESQ. 

Noelle Frieson 

Tina Chen 

Nadirah Jilaan 

Michelle Winters 

Liz Belilovskaya 

Christine Perez 

ART DIRECTION 

Martina Micko 

SPECIAL THANKS 

Frederique Porter 

Javier Hernandez 

Natasha Gabriel 

Tina Littlejohn 

Nekisha Slade 

COVER CREDITS 

Photography by Jennifer Kendall 

INQUIRIES 

Press: media@rainemagazine.com 

Advertising: advertise@rainemagazine.com 

Submissions: submissions@rainemagazine.com 

RAINE MAGAZINE 

NEW YORK * LA * SAN FRANCISCO * MIAMI 

CORRESPONDENCE 

Raine Magazine 

PO BOX 3021 

Windermere, FL 34786 

Raine Magazine is a trademark of Raine Creative Holdings LLC and is published quarterly. All contents, logos, and articles are copyrighted materials 

and all right are reserved. Any reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of Raine Creative Holdings is prohibited. The publisher 

also reserves the right to refuse any advertising material for any reason deemed inappropriate by publisher. Raine Magazine’s subscription is 

$50.00. Please make checks payable to Raine Creative Holdings. To distribute Raine at your business, please email editor@rainemagazine.com.

FASHION TO LIVE FOR 

A Midnight Summer’s Affair 

Photographer: Sergio Garcia 

Model: Christi Schaeffer @ Page Parks 

Stylist: Jeanette Chivvis 

Assist. Stylist: Ashli Vondara and Elizabeth Goitia 

Hair/Makeup: Leslie Belcher 

Light Tech: Craig Thomas 

"Shot on location at Gallerie Noir, special thanks to Melissa and Carrie" 

Bracelet - Lydell NYC 

Heels - JM Whitney 

Priya Dress - Edgar Gomez

Belt - Michael Kors 

Heels - Dolce Vita 

Hair Accessories - Bloomingdales 

Rings - Saks Fifth Ave 

Miranda Dress - Edgar Gomez

Royal Blue Accessories - Aftershock 

Heels - Dolce Vita 

Donna Top & Marilyn Trousers - Edgar Gomez


summer 

chic 

Photographer by Gilbert Rivera 

Stylist by Carlos Marrero 

Make-up & Hair by Victor Noble using Mac 

www.victor-noble.net 

Manicurists- Daphne Allende 

Model- Rebeca Valentin @ element model 

dress prada , shoes YSL

shirt Diane Von Furstenberg, acessories 

bcgbmaxazria, 

pants Dolce & Gabanna

odysuit HUYKE belt Bottega Venetta, 

Acessories bcgbmaxazria

Dress EC, acessories Clara Kassavina

Pants Alexander Wang, jacket Just Cavalli, 

Necklace Clara Kassavini shoes YSL


INTRODUCING CHROMAT… 

A r c h i t e c t u r a l D e s i g n s f o r t h e H u m a n B o d y 

An alumna of The University of Virginia’s School of Architecture 

(ARCH), Becca McCharen pines towards developing conceptual 

collections that allow her to do iterations of a single idea. With her 

interest in fashion and her architectural background, she is able to 

combine the two concepts into a single creation. McCharen’s desire 

in building scaffolding is prominently displayed in all her collections, 

trademarking powerful architectural undertones. This is evident in 

her most recent collection “Chromat Super Structures: a collection 

inspired by parametric design and mathematical equations such as 

hyperboloid structures” – it is beyond your traditional feminine bevy. 

Accentuated with blunt bangs and fiery orange hair, this siren 

has been conjuring and managing this distinctive brand circa 2008. 

Throwing on Beyoncé and Andre 3000’s version of Back to Black, 

Becca McCharen shares the low-down on her incredible label. 

Shortly after McCharen built her initial base in Lynchburg, 

Virginia, she gravitated towards the tri-state area and collaborated 

with International Playground Showroom, which is now the home of 

Chromat’s killer wardrobe, nestled in the heart of SoHo. With a full studio 

in her care, having a runway show in her small Virginian town swiftly 

became a foreign concept. After five years of co-founding Chromat, 

McCharen has made a steadfast effort to curate a label that uniquely 

redesigns itself within her two passions. In the ultimate experiment of 

putting complex building designs onto the anatomy of the human body, 

McCharen has provoked a new level of fashion and we are excited to 

see her continue her series of explorations. 

Upon inquiry of Chromat’s unique name, McCharen replies by 

explaining her obsession with organizing colors, detailing the premises 

of her own apartment, which was originally arranged in multiple colors, 

but nowadays it’s systemized in monochromatic order. Chromat, 

which stems from the Greek word chroma, meaning color, is only 

befitting as her brand’s title. Rather than pursuing her original goal of 

being an architect, McCharen channels her expertise of incorporating 

constructive blueprint designs onto smaller scales such as female 

bodies. This integration quickly became the foundation of Chromat. 

“It is the same design process, it’s just the difference in 

sites and scales. Going from concept research and site research into 

material investigations, it allows me to move forth into creating models 

By Tina Chen 

and samples.” Much of Chromat’s most recent collections are made 

to appeal towards strong, fearless women. Artists such as Beyoncé, 

Madonna, Nicki Minaj, and Nicole Scherzinger have all donned 

Chromat pieces: and these are just to name a few. The structural 

pieces emphasize on effeminate silhouettes. One of McCharen’s most 

favored pieces is the machine city dress which highlights the body with 

a grid-like composition muscled from an architectural theory that she 

was obsessed with in school. It has been featured in Numero Tokyo 

66 in all white. Some of her inspirations stem from McQueen, Sarah 

Burton, Rodarte, Haider Ackermann, Comme Des Garcons and Jean- 

Paul Gaultier, who she hopes to work with one day. McCharen sheds 

light upon the appeal of wearing garments from fresh designer friends 

to trading garments with other fashion devisors. Just this Sunday, she 

received a garment from fellow designer and friend, Titania Inglis, during 

a studio visit. 

McCharen is recognized for praising the women and men who 

work in tandem to conjure up couture designs out of humble fabrics 

such as cotton and elastic and gives even more props to the ones who 

can embrace richer material such as lace and leather. As for personal 

style McCharen draws her brilliance from individuals such as Jeremy 

Scott, Karen Winsberg, Adeen, and her indefinite fondness for Grimes’s 

work. 

Designers often go back to their roots for inspiration, and 

the root aspect for McCharen has always been architecture plus her 

earnest appeal towards confident women. In her Spring/Summer 13’ 

Riot Box collection she stresses the boldness of strong feminist punk 

icons like Joan Jett, Pussy Riot and the Guerrilla Girls on her pieces. 

Her pentagram suit II and X Bustier suits easily capture her clients with 

no wistful glances. In her Leather Core Cage Collection, one of her 

fiercest pieces has to be the leather symmetrical skirt; allowing patrons 

to wear it as a vest or skirt piece. 

This femme fatale wishes to characterize power, intelligence, 

and a sort of passionate coldness in all her collections. She aspires to 

portray a natural phenomenon of static electricity between the garment 

and the individual clothed in it. We look forward to the continued success 

of Chromat! 

Photos courtesy Chromat


DESIGNER 

RICARDO SECO 

“Absolute Certainty” 

By J.L. Arevalo 

Ricardo Seco, an up-and-coming fashion designer 

from Mexico, has a tattoo symbol on his right wrist, 

which means “Absolute Certainty.” This is the kind 

of person he is, and you can see it in his designs. 

Right before his most recent New York Fashion 

Week show, he was very calm, completely in control, 

and admirably down to earth. Let’s get inside this 

designer’s mind. 

RAINE: Tell us about your inspiration. 

SECO: The concept for my design is “Urban 

Orthodox.” I lived in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for six 

months and that’s where I got my inspiration. I had 

a very good experience living with the Orthodox 

Jewish Community. I love the black coat, and they 

really believe in their tradition. They believe in music, 

the arts, and many things. When they believe it they 

feel alive, and this is why I call my collection “Alive.” 

RAINE: You used to have a successful business in 

Mexico, and you gave all that up before you became 

a designer to follow your dream. What kind of 

challenges did you experience? 

SECO: I was the general manager for an import 

and export business, but I felt I was not complete, 

so I went to Milan and studied there. I was a late 

bloomer; when I started; I was 31 years old. 

RAINE: If Michelle Obama came to you and said, 

“I am not happy with my husband’s wardrobe,” how 

would you change it? 

SECO: I like President Obama a lot. I see him in a 

classic suit but I know he is chic. I would put him in 

a skinny pants, white shirt with leather jacket. He will 

look great, and with Converse shoes he would be 

the most stylish president! 

RAINE: What do you want people to get out of the 

collection show? 

SECO: All communities give you something and you 

never know. When you see the people you never 

know what is inside. You have to take the time to 

know why they dress like that, and I am sure you will 

be surprised. This is homage to the Jewish people. 

When I saw them I like what they wore. When I see 

the hat, I see cool. When you keep your tradition, 

you will have your own identity. In the end I want the 

Urban Orthodox to walk with absolute certainty. 

PHOTOS COURTESY RICARDO SECO 

As for the show itself, it was congruent with his 

thoughts. The outfits themselves were simple, 

functional, and tradition-minded – none of the 

exotic animals, space suits, or intimidating makeup 

characteristic of other fashion week exhibitions. The 

models strode out one-by-one as if on their way to 

school, with leather paneled coats and modern man 

purse in hand. The monochromatic color scheme 

never looked so masculine and sharp. Black is 

the new black again. On each of their heads were 

tassels and a yarmulke, a symbol and a reminder 

to that “God is above us”. That it is important to 

celebrate your heritage and culture. Ultimately, as 

Ricardo Seco has demonstrated, less is always 

more, and anyone can afford to be stylish.

ALFA 

Accessible Luxury For All 

Custom tailored suits, shirts and more - all according to 

your individual specifications and body measurements. 

www.313.alfadesigner.com

A SPECIAL 

SECTION ON 

SUMMER 

SWIM STYLES 

LOOKS THAT WILL INSPIRE YOU! 

Featuring: 

Lounging By the Pool 

Black is Back 

Golden Bracelets and Bobbles 

Go Wild for Lace and Prints 

Swim Styles For Him

LOUNGING BY THE POOL 

Photographer Presscott McDonald; Creative Director Myrdith Leon-McCormack @ MLM Represents; Makeup Michelle 

Camaeu; Hair Tequilla Fletcher; Nails by Viviana Gomez; Location Disgraceland Miami Beach Florida; Designer- Rana Rojo 

Bathing Suit Bottom- Rana Rojo; Beaded Jacket- Rana Rojo; Necklace-Macys; Cuff- Made in India; Ring-Michael Kors; Shoes- Jessica Simpson 

Red Bathing Suit- Rana Rojo; Black Blazer- Rana Rojo; Necklace Chloe; Glasses Tom Ford; Earings- Stylists Own; Foot Bracelet- Made in India


BLACK IS BACK 

Bracelets: Vince Camuto 

Two piece swimsuit: Red Carter 

Photographer: Manny Roman @ A.i.R Inc Group 

Stylist: Waina Chancy 

Makeup/hair: Taryll Atkins @ Cielo Blue 

Management 

Model: Agueda Lopez @ Caroline Gleason 

Management

MODELPRENEUR 

AGUEDA LOPEZ 

Agueda Lopez is the former beauty queen from Cordoba, Spain, who put her tiara aside to pursue a modeling career. Agueda’s destination was 

Miami, Florida, a place she now calls home. After her featured ad campaign in 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimwear Edition, Agueda has graced 

various magazine covers including Fantastics Magazine and People En Español. In addition, she’s walked the runways of Miami Fashion Week 

and took part in the Red Dress Fashion show to support Heart.org. Agueda’s current venture is launching her children’s clothing line called 

MIKABOO inspired by her daughter Mikaela. You can also catch her as the newest face of Univision’s DESPIERTA AMERICA on her segment “ 

MAMA AL RESCATE “. 

Raine Magazine - Volume 15 21

Earrings: Vince Camuto 

2piece suit: Agua Bendita

Sunglasses: Tom Ford 

One piece swimsuit: Red Carter


GOLDEN BRACELETS & BOBBLES 

Dress - Carmen Marc Valvo; Bracelets 

- Whiting & Davis, Coro; Necklace - 

Accessocraft N.Y., Goldette; Woven necklace - 

70-th.; Link – Goldette; Broach - Florenza 

Photographer Lila Serezhkina (www.lilena. 

ru); Model Anastasiya Levchenko; MUAH Vera 

Terentieva; Style Elena Bublic 

24 

Raine Magazine - Volume 15

Bathing suit - Zeki; Sandal - Fornarina; 

Necklace - Kenneth Jay Lane; Bracelet 

& Collar bracelet – “Star”, “Pyramid” 

Kenneth Jay Lane; Bracelet – “Chain” 

Kenneth Jay Lane; Collar bracelet – 

“Leaves” Rachel Zoe; Ring – “Flower” 

Kenneth Jay Lane


Renee, from America's Next Top Model, shows us how to 

GO WILD WITH 

LACE AND PRINTS! 

Lace Top: Vintage 

Bottoms: Victoria Secret 

26 


Leopard Jumpsuit: Ezinia 

Photographer: Jason Bassett 

www.jason-bassett.com 

Model: Renee Bhagwandeen 

Makeup Artist: Erika La' Pearl Roman 

Stylist: Erika La' Pearl Roman and Ian 

Johnston 

Location: John U. Llyod State Park 

(Private Beach) Hollywood, FL


Styles 

for Him 

Shorts - Robert Graham 

Hat- Robert Graham 

Watch - G-Shock by Casio 

Tank - Robert Graham 

Shorts - QMS 


28 


Shirt - Carhartt 

Shorts- QMS 

Top and Shorts - WeSC 


Photographer: Jason T. Jaskot; Fashion Editor - Renessta 

Olds; Fashion Assistant - William ShiSeer James; Make-up/ 

Hair Design: AMA Pro Artists; Estefania Crespo & Juliette 

Laracuente; Model: Arpad Cseh/Envy Model Management

RAINEQUARTERLY 

HOLLYWOOD & GLAMOUR ISSUE 

VOL 

15 


GET TO KNOW SOCIAL MEDIA SENSATION 

AUDREY KITCHING 

STARLETS ON THE RISE: 

CARLY ROSE SONENCLAR AND DEBBY RYAN 

OLYMPIAN GABRIELLE DOUGLAS SHARES THE 

GUTS AND GLAMOUR OF ELITE GYMNASTICS 

DISCOVER HOLLYWOOD'S HIDDEN 

JEWEL IN THE MEDITERRANEAN 

UNCOVER THE BEST WINES IN THE WORLD 

THE NEW. THE RISING. THE MUST KNOW 

T H E F A S H I O N & L I F E S T Y L E R E S O U R C E F O R C R E A T I V E E N T R E P R E N E U R S 

GET YOUR RAINE IPAD APP TODAY! 

www.rainemagazine.com

ENTERTAINMENT | MUSIC

By Liz Belilovskaya 

B e a u t i f u l , D r i v e n a n d R i s i n g ! 

When you first meet Daniela Brooker, it’s hard to believe 

how young she is. Beautiful, energetic, super smart and 

ultra charismatic, you understand immediately just what it 

is about her that sets her apart from other young starlets. 

She’s a charming young woman with a crazy powerful 

voice, in hot pursuit of her dreams – there is no Plan B for 

Daniela, and something tells us, she won’t need it. 

RAINE Where are you from and what is your background? 

BROOKER: I am actually from a very small town outside of 

London and my background, well, my mom is Venezuelan 

and my dad is British and here I am (laughs). 

RAINE: When did you start singing and who were your 

influences? 

BROOKER: Oh god (laughs), I’ve always sung, I’ve been 

singing since forever, but I sort of started to record music 

when, I think I was about 13. My mom likes Spanish music; 

Juan Carlos is one of her favorite artists, and my dad, he 

listens to rock-and-roll and, he’s into Tupac and stuff like 

that. But I like all types of music, across different genres. 

I am influenced by the classics, and I love all the modern 

pop artists as well. 

RAINE: Out of the classics, whom do you like? 

BROOKER: (laughs) You know my influences vary. I like 

Etta James, and the Rat Pack, you know what I mean, I like 

Jazz music, but I also really love my bands, like Aerosmith, 

ACDC and Queen (laughs), you know, old rock-and-roll. 

RAINE: Out of the modern pop-stars, whose performance 

style do you admire? 

BROOKER: Oh, Beyonce, definitely, she has that raw 

energy, it just so incredible to watch her! But I also like 

Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stephanie, Shakira, you know, 

the big divas; they’re all amazing. I also love Pharrell and 

stuff like that too. 

RAINE: Do you mimic your performance style after them? 

BROOKER: Do you mean the dancing and all that? I dance 

on stage, but I don’t have a routine. I do like to dress up, 

you know with the big hair and I like to have outfits, but no, 

I don’t have choreography. I throw in Spanish lyrics in my 

songs, or a Spanish cover in my sets, that’s something I 

try to do, definitely. 

RAINE: You have been performing and touring, whom did 

you like to perform the most with and what are some of 

your touring experiences? 

BROOKER: Well, a little while ago we did a tour with The 

Saturdays. I was their support act, so that was absolutely 

incredible, it was one of the most amazing experiences. 

Touring experiences, oh god, it’s one of the best things 

for the artists, but we performed in Texas, and where we 

were, it was a place with house music and when we played 

our set, people were line dancing, and we thought, “alright, 

let’s go with it”, but it was pretty bizarre. 

RAINE: Do you miss your family when you’re on tour? 

BROOKER: You know, we are such a close and tight family 

that they sort of come with me everywhere I go; my mom is 

actually right outside here. My dad couldn’t come this time, 

but yeah, in my family, we’re all really close. 

RAINE: How does it feel to build up your brand? 

BROOKER: I mean, I am a performer, and you know, I 

hope people like what I do. I am competitive and I’m driven. 

I actively sought out a producer when I was 13. I’ve been 

writing songs and meeting with different people to work 

with ever since, it’s all part of rising. 

http://www.danielabrooker.com/ 

Breathe, out July 15 th . 


Photographer Diana Gomez

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ENTERTAINMENT | MUSIC 

BUILDING A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR “ZINE” BUSINESS 

Meet ZinePak Founders: Brittany Hodak and Kim Kaupe 


ZinePak , pronounced ZEEN-pack, is a magazine package that 

combines about 64-120 pages of original, custom-written content, with 

branded merchandise for any brand, artist, entertainment franchise, or 

athlete. We sat down with the lovely founders of ZinePak for a brief chat 

about their product, and the company they built in two-years time. 

RAINE: How did you first come up with the idea to start ZinePak? 

HODAK: I come from the music industry and Kim comes from the 

magazine industry. We realized that 

people love reading about musicians 

and movie stars, listening to music and 

watching movies. ZinePak is a fun and 

innovative alternative to traditional CD 

packaging; each one includes a CD and 

a small format magazine with original 

and customized editorial content. We 

were confident that if we can provide 

people with incentive to go out and buy 

a physical product instead of going on 

line to download it, they would. 

KAUPE: We started ZinePak about two 

years ago, in 2011, and it has really 

grown a lot, sometimes I can’t even 

believe it. There were a lot of people 

who said it wasn’t going to work but 

we’re young and determined. We like 

to say that ZinePak is for the super 

fans because we’re engaging fans in a 

unique and memorable way. 

RAINE: How does it feel to be on your 

own? 

KAUPE: It’s sort of terrifying, you have to 

start with nothing; no health insurance, 

no safety net. 

HODAK: I remember when we were 

just starting, someone asked us about 

our business plan. We ran to Starbucks 

with a piece of paper and jotted down 

two things: have fun and make money! 

We came back to the company and showed it to them. “That’s not a 

business plan,” they 

said, “with all due 

respect, this is our 

business plan, this is 

how we are going to 

build our company”, 

we replied. 

RAINE: How do you 

pick your clients, and 

is there someone you 

wouldn’t work with? 

KAUPE: Many of our 

clients refer us to 

their friends, so that’s 

how we get a lot of 

our business. We try 

to stay inline with our 

brand, we analyze 

each potential client 

and determine if they 

will fit in with what 

we’re trying to do, or 

not. 

HODAK: There was an incident where we had to turn down a potential 

client because of their legal woes. 

RAINE: How long did you know each other before you started ZinePak 

and are you close? 

KAUPE: I think about 2 months, right? 

HODAK: Yes. I mean I really enjoy working with Kim; we get along and 

work well together. 

KAUPE: Definitely, if I go on vacation or have to travel somewhere, I 

know that Brittany will be there, and that I am not leaving the company 

alone or without supervision. Of course it’s great having that knowledge. 

RAINE: In business, they say it’s a bad idea to partner with your friends, 

have you found any truth to that at all? 

HODAK: No one ever asked us that before! I mean we don’t really hang 

out socially; we already spend all our time together. 

KAUPE: (laughs) I love my friends, I think they are some of the most 

amazing people in the world, but I think I we would kill each other if we 

had to work together. 

RAINE: The two of you are rather young and attractive ladies, have you 

faced any sexual discrimination in your business endeavors so far? 

HODAK: Yes, a little while back, we were doing a business pitch and 

one of the men in the room said “it’s (ZinePak) a cute hobby”. We were 

like “ yeah, thanks, except it’s actually a multimillion dollar business”. 

The other people in the room were very uncomfortable and apologetic 

for his behavior. 

KAUPE: I think that because we’re young women, sometimes we’re 

not taken seriously. We have to prove ourselves, and we do with our 

product. The last two years have been amazing! 

Photos by Shervin Lainez 

36 


ENTERTAINMENT | MUSIC 

HEY MISS DJ! MEET VH1’S AMANDA SEALES 

By Carlotta Harrington 

RAINE: At what point in your career did you consider yourself an entrepreneur? 

SEALES: I feel like I’ve always been of a business mind. Even when I was a 

gymnast I would paint designs on hair clips and sell them at the gym. Then I 

created fancy-schmancy clip holders and sold those at the gym! One Christmas 

I even made a coloring book and sold it at the gym. I grew up with a single 

mother who instilled in me early on that I needed to be independent and selfsufficient 

and using my talents to do so always made sense to me. 

RAINE: What is the most difficult challenge you had to overcome in your career? 

SEALES: Getting out of my own way. For a long time I didn’t understand how 

to choose my battles and harness my strengths. I had a lot of people around 

me that were like zeroes to the left. You know what happens when you add a 

zero to the left of a number? NOTHING. It adds NOTHING. With some maturity 

and inspired people in my life my path became clearer and has allowed me the 

opportunity to hopefully flourish to my potential. 

RAINE: You were once known as Amanda Diva. What prompted the name 

change? 

gymnast!) 

- I can sing the Greek alphabet. 

RAINE: You›ve hosted numerous projects throughout the years, how do you stay 

fresh in the business? 

SEALES: I honestly have no idea lol. I will however give you this lil nugget, when 

I’m hosting on TV and we’ve been shooting for hours and I’m tired and over it, 

to prevent looking like that on camera, during the countdown to action I repeat 

to myself “kittens and koalas kittens and koalas kittens and koalas”. Because 

the fact is kittens and koalas are adorable creatures and if thinking of them in 

all their cuteness doesn’t bring a smile to your face you’re a terrible person. I of 

course, am not, so every time, without fail, I find myself smiling a genuine smile 

of joy for the camera and it keeps me looking fresh long after I’ve began running 

on the fumes of fumes. 

RAINE: DJ-ing is known to be a male dominated field, however do you feel 

being a female gives you a competitive edge? 

SEALES: Oh definitely. Let’s keep it real. Women look AWESOME behind the 

turntables and a lot of event producers want that awesomeness. However, I 

don’t in any way consider 

that to be a pass for 

mediocrity. I actually feel 

even more pressure to 

make sure that I actually 

DO the damn thing behind 

the turntables and not just 

look good while not doing a 

damn thing behind ‘em. 

RAINE: How did you land 

the job as host for VH1›s 

Master of the Mix? 

SEALES: I literally woke 

up on a Friday to an email 

from my lawyer with an 

offer aka I didn’t have to 

audition. The wonderful 

folks at VH1 suggested me 

for the position. You have 

no idea the excitement of 

NOT having to audition. I 

did a cartwheel of 

exuberance in my living 

room…no really. 

Photo by Jerome Shaw 

BEALES: I turned 30 and it just seemed corny to have a fake name. I want to be 

taken seriously not just as an artist but also as a culture critic and tastemaker. As 

long as I had that name it felt like an invisible hand keeping me from elevating to 

become the woman I’d always hoped to be. 

RAINE: Tell us how «Death of a Diva» came about? 

BEALES: I got so tired of watching the incessant fighting and women debasing 

themselves on TV. Also, when I spoke to my peers many of us kept running 

into the same issue of being told we weren’t sexy enough or crazy enough to 

be interesting for television. An agent literally told me “if you had a twin sister 

and ran a bakery then I’d be more interested in repping you. At least then I could 

create a show around you. According to your resume you’re just a funny black 

girl who knows a lot about music. There’s not much I can do with that”. Ridic. I 

decided that I had to not only speak on the media’s increasingly deleterious 

female image but also to take matters in my own hands and not just complain 

but be a part of the solution. 

RAINE: Share with us three fun facts that your fans don›t know about you. 

SEALES: I LOVE taco bell. I’d serve it at my wedding. 

- I can still walk on my hands for a really long time. (Once a gymnast always a 

relationship with on Facebook. 

RAINE: What do you enjoy 

most about hosting on 

VH1? 

SEALES: They like me 

for me and let me be 

“me”. They are nice and 

consistent and the content 

I’m involved in is thought 

out and of quality. They’re 

like the good boyfriend 

you’re proud to 

acknowledge you’re in a 

RAINE: Where do you see yourself in three years? 

SEALES: Buying my first property (I found myself in the most POINTLESS 

conversation outside my building the other day and I realized it’s time to move 

and gave myself 3 yrs to be in a house!); hosting my own humor based pop 

culture/news television show, a best selling author, my art/music event (more 

like an extravaganza!) “Spectrum Funk” expanding from the US to Paris to South 

Africa, wearing clothes made of my own prints and designs, and accompanying 

my mom on trips to the places in the world she’s always wanted to go but 

didn’t get a chance to until retirement! Oh and PAYING OFF MY COLLEGE 

LOANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

RAINE: What›s the best advice you could give to someone looking to break into 

the hosting world 

SEALES: Diversify your skill set. I’m a good host because I can read the crowd, 

speak articulately, think fast, and be funny. I gained those skills partially from 

hosting but mostly from the other lines of work within entertainment that I’ve 

explored. 


ENTERTAINMENT | FILM/TV 

Taking Hollywood by StorM 

Meet Nazneen Contractor 

By Nova Lorraine 

38 


N azneen Contractor surpasses every goal she sets out to achieve, 

whether it be starring in a major blockbuster (this summer’s Star 

Trek: Into Darkness), landing a role on a hit show (24), or bringing 

goodness to those around her. With an incredibly diverse and welltraveled 

upbringing, Nazneen learned to open her heart to a passion 

for performing from a young age. She brings this passion to life while 

working alongside stars like Zoe Saldana under the direction of the one 

and only JJ Abrams. Her belief in good thoughts, good words, and good 

deeds makes her a true role model. Follow along as this Persian beauty 

takes us by storm. 

RAINE: Tell us what interested you about being an actor? What made you 

make that leap? 

CONTRACTOR: I was actually a dancer for many years. I trained in 

classical ballet and was dancing 10 times a week when I was 15 and loved 

it! I realized that I was utilizing every part of my body in terms of performing 

except my voice and so I decided to explore acting and never looked back. 

I was about to go to a really wonderful performing high school in Toronto 

and I switched my major to drama. I went on to attend the University of 

Toronto on a scholarship where I majored in Theater and Psychology, 

but after one year I was recruited by Stratford, a classical Shakespeare 

repertory company that had me doing 8 shows a week. Leaving school 

wasn’t an easy decision to reconcile with my parents, they were very clear 

I should have a university education. I did go back to school after 3 years 

of working with Stratford. I ended up booking a series in Canada and was 

doing homework on set on the weekends. It was very difficult, but I loved 

learning. That’s the biggest gift you can get as an actress. 

RAINE: How does your international background influence you as an 

actor? 

CONTRACTOR: I was very fortunate that I had a father who worked all 

over the world and was insistent that his family went with him. Whenever 

we would take a holiday, we would go together as a family. I was very 

well traveled as a child: I traveled to Kenya, and lived for 6 months on 

every single continent before the age of 10 - except Australia and North 

America. Everywhere we went, we attended school and I feel like that 

was a blessing. When I was 10, my mother said okay, this enough - we’ll 

stay in Toronto. It was a double-edged sword. I was able to fit into any 

environment that I was put in and I was very comfortable around whomever 

I was with; however, I always felt that I was an outsider looking in. I think 

that has helped me as an actor. It has given me a different perspective 

from many actors. 

I lost my father two years ago and the 3 things he always did were: love us 

unconditionally, educate us, and show us the world. 

RAINE: From your perspective, how are performing on television or in 

theatre different? 

CONTRACTOR: They’re completely different mediums. You have some 

parallels when it comes to comedies filmed in front of a live audience. 

My theatrical training was mostly classical, predominantly Shakespeare. 

Everything is so much more pronounced in theater: theater is the 

magnifying glass of acting. I really feel like doing both has benefited me 

as an actress. I have so many tools in my belt. I can take my performance 

to that height and level: a mark of a true actor is to do everything and do 

it well. 

RAINE: Where are you in your goals as an actor? 

CONTRACTOR: Your measure of success depends on where you are. 

When I moved to LA I made a list of all of what I wanted to do. I wanted 

to land a big American show: I got a role on 24. I wanted to book a pilot: 

I booked 4. I feel like I’m just beginning because I want to do this until 

the day I die. What do I do next? That’s the exciting thing about being 

a freelancer. There is the unknown. You have to have the personality to 

just go with it. I struggle with that because I come from two professional 

parents that get up and get their paychecks every day of their lives. It’s 

very exciting and very terrifying at the same time. 

RAINE: Where you always like this, a thrill seeker? 

CONTRACTOR: I was always a performer. My parents got me a boom 

box when I was 3 and I would make up routines and perform for them. I 

always had that sense of play when I was a kid. I would play hours and 

hours on end making up ridiculous scenarios. I always had a fascination 

of performing and was never shy. When we moved to Toronto, one day 

my parents found me 4 houses down the street singing and dancing for 

my neighbors. When I went through puberty I became a little more shy 

and introverted. My favorite part of the year was when we did dance 

performances. I was always told that I had beautiful feet and posture, but 

my biggest strength was my performance. My love of performance would 

get me all of these honors and accolades. I always felt that I was on stage 

and I loved it. I wasn’t always the highest jumper, but I always wanted to 

tell a story. 

RAINE: Your name is very unique; does it have a meaning? 

CONTRACTOR: My names means “graceful maiden”. It’s a Persian name, 

I’m a Parsi. They’re known for many things: philanthropy, great success, 

and superstitions. When you have a baby a Parsi astrologer comes to 

the hospital and tells you what letter your baby’s name should begin with 

based on when the baby was born. For me it was to be either N or Y. 

RAINE: Tell us more about what Zoroastrianism is and what it is all about? 

CONTRACTOR: My religion is believed to be one of the first religions to 

preach one god, it’s believed to be older than Judaism. The religion is of 

tolerance: good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. If you achieve 

those in daily life, you are guaranteed a place in heaven. There is good 

and evil in this world and it is our choice to follow the good. Charity is a 

huge component in our religion. We also believe the body is sacred, so 

there’s no smoking or drinking. We live every day to the fullest and believe 

life is a celebration. I studied my religion every week and went on to teach 

it. It’s such an ancient religion, but not a lot of people know anything about 

it. I am honored to be a part of it and honored to bring it to my family. 

RAINE: Congratulation on your role in Star Trek. How difficult was it to 

land that role? 

CONTRACTOR: It’s actually a great story. I auditioned in December 2011. 

It was a very special audition because I was 9 months pregnant. I had not 

had an audition in a long time and hadn’t worked since I was 3 months 

pregnant. I had also lost my father that year. My manager called me with 

the audition for Star Trek 2, for this very pivotal character in the movie. I 

asked, “Do they know I’m pregnant? Do they know I’m really pregnant?” 

and was reassured they knew I was due in just two weeks. The audition 

was the next morning, which was earlier than I expected. I hit the worst 

traffic ever and was running really late. I even called my husband asking 

him to find me an alternate route, but he reassured me that it was going 

to be ok. I finally arrived and I was very sweaty and tired. As I’m doing my 

audition, JJ Abrams walked into the room. After they finished the taping, I 

was introduced to him. I am a HUGE JJ Abrams fan. I was hoping my water 

didn’t break because I had to pee so badly. After I left, he asked whom I 

was. He watched my tape on the video camera and said, “That’s the one”. 

I have to credit the casting directors to see me beyond the pregnancy. 

JJ wanted a mother: he wanted someone that would go to the end of the 

earth to protect her child. 

RAINE: How was it working with the very talented Zoe Saldana and JJ 

Abrams? 

CONTRACTOR: It was great! Zoe was so warm and friendly and sweet 

and they all wanted to see pictures of my baby. The entire cast is a bunch 

of young actors that are extremely talented and with a super franchise. 

They all know JJ and they all get him. He is a very demanding and 

meticulous director, but he has a huge heart and everyone is on the same 

playing field. He speaks to everyone with success and sincerity and a lot 

of heart. I LOVED going to work. It was my first feature film and a great 

learning experience as well. Here we would shoot maybe one page a day 

and it was so exhausting - emotionally and physically - especially since 

I had given birth 6 weeks earlier and it was hard to leave my baby at 6 

weeks. I was so vulnerable and open, so exposed that it really added to 

my performance because I was faced with so many new challenges. Chris 

Pine was just awesome! He lives in my neighborhood and he was talking 

to me about my performance and my kid. He is an inquisitive and lovely 

actor. I felt so lucky and so spoiled. 

RAINE: What can we see you doing next? 

CONTRACTOR: I think that I would really like my next project to take 

me to the next level. I’ve played the daughter, the lawyer, and the cop. 

I would like my next project to really utilize my new skills as a mother. It 

should be something where I can bring what I’m learning right now to the 

stage or screen. I think Star Trek will help me with that because I have a 

youthful look and the world will see me doing other things. I would love to 

work with JJ again. He makes it so safe and easy to work with him. It was 

so amazing. This is life. This is life at its best. You can have it all. A wife, 

sister, and mother - I want to play every role in every stage in my life - I 

have to do it all!

Photos by Joe DeAngelis


LIVING IN THE MOMENT 

Meet Katherine LaNasa 

by MIMI HAYDEN 

If you spend one second talking to Katherine 

LaNasa, it’s not hard to see how her enigmatic 

beauty and charm could easily convince even 

the most austere of hearts to yield. Quick wit, 

southern charm and ballet poise have given 

the New Orleans native and one of Hollywood’s 

leading ladies, a well-refined grace, but she is 

also human, and very relatable. 

“I never wanted to be an actress. It was not 

something that I set out to do,” she recalls. 

LaNasa, a classically trained ballerina, studied 

at the legendary North Carolina School of the 

Arts which led to an apprenticeship with the 

Milwaukee Ballet and later, danced with Salt 

Lake City’s Ballet West and the Karole Armtiage 

ballet. During a trip to Los Angeles, where her 

ballet company was being photographed for 

LIFE Magazine, she met former husband, the 

late, legendary actor Dennis Hopper – with 

whom she shares a son. Upon settling in to life 

with her then husband, LaNasa came across a 

documentary filmed by Sydney Pollock about 

the late and great Sanford “Sandy” Meisner. 

“Whatever he is doing, I want to do that. I want 

to be in that space and move just like him,” she 

said. She went on to study at The Neighborhood 

Playhouse under Meisner to hone her abilities. 

In the film, Jayne Mansfield’s Car, which is 

slated for a nationwide June release, LaNasa 

plays Donna, a small town beauty queen who 

has returned to her hometown in Alabama to 

bury her mother whom she hasn’t seen in years. 

During her return home we see the complexity 

of her character being the fun loving doe-eyed 

woman that also exudes a quiet loneliness. 

“I feel like Donna was the odd man out. Her 

brothers have this bond that they share from 

all being in the war together. She’s returning to 

Alabama from being in Atlanta, where she’s not 

a big deal, her husband’s a loud-mouth that talks 

all of the time. But here in this town, everyone 

loves her. She’s the fun party girl.“ Through her 

work on Jayne Mansfield’s Car, she gained a 

mentor and friend in Robert Duvall and Billy Bob 

Thronton both of whom she remains really close 

with to date. 

“I’ve been lucky enough in my career to have 

never been ‘type cast.’ I get to enjoy playing 

total opposite characters like Lizze on A&E’s 

Longmire or Sofia on Deception.” LaNasa 

plays Sofia Bowers, a mad-cap matriarch on 

NBC’s soap-drama. From the scene when she’s 

confronted with her husband Robert’s infidelity 

you instantly know her character doesn’t lack 

confidence. “She has a lot of self-loathing about 

who she is. She loves her daughter. I hope that 

as time goes on they reveal the dark devilments 

of her character,” she says. 

When you speak to LaNasa, 

you get the sense of 

someone who has lived a 

remarkable life. Nuances 

about balance and the “ability 

to let go.” She believes 

to live in the moment and 

that at the end of the day 

everything will be all right, if 

you just live. As for advice to 

hopefuls, “Persistence is the 

whole game. Preparation 

is everything. It takes time 

to know yourself and your 

instrument. ” When asked 

if women could have it all? 

LaNasa says, “I think you 

can. You make decisions. 

I think ‘having it all’ is selfdefined. 

Contentment 

comes from within. But I do 

feel that women are in the 

position to do it.” If there is 

anyone who can defy the 

odds and make it so, it is 

definitely Katherine. 

**Ed. Note: NBC/Universal 

Studios decided not to 

renew Deception for a 

second season. 

Photo by JAYNE MANSFIELD’S CAR 

Photo by Bell Soto 


ENTERTAINMENT | COMEDY 

FUNNY GIRLS RULE THE WORLD! 

Meet Jen Kirkman 

By Michelle Winters 

Between joining the banter of Chelsea Handler’s infamous round table 

as a regularly featured guest on Chelsea Lately, performing stand-up 

at major clubs across the country, and penning her debut novel, the 

New York Times bestseller I can barely take care of myself: Tales from 

a Happy Life Without Kids, Jen Kirkman is ushering in the new wave 

of comedy. Her comedy is unapologetically honest and refreshing. Her 

hilarious writing can be seen in a number of sitcoms and she shows 

off her acting chops in the hit spin-off mockumentary “After Lately” on 

E! - as well as in the cult hit series “Drunk History”. Keep your eye on 

Jen: funny girls are ruling the entertainment world. 

RAINE: How did you get started in stand up? 

KIRKMAN: You have to have a certain form of craziness. When I was 

little, I was always fascinated by stand up as a kid, but I didn’t know 

how to go about doing it. It wasn’t until I was in college that I realized 

that stand up was something you could do for a living. However, I 

didn’t attempt it until I was done with college. I couldn’t ignore this 

feeling that I had to do it. The really funny people are the ones that are 

the quiet ones I remember that I wanted to be the class clown when I 

was growing up and would do these dumb things that no one thought 

was funny except me. I failed miserably as being a class clown. I have 

really close girlfriends and we were all real funny together but I was 

the only one that wanted to take my sense of humor to the masses. 

RAINE: Do you ever get nervous before going on stage? 

KIRKMAN: Yes, I still do. It’s not really stage fright nervousness; it’s 

more of a gripping sense of concern. I will sometimes get a huge rush 

of excitement. I hope I always feel something. The last 15 minutes 

should build. If it doesn’t build at the end then I am kind of screwed, 

so there are about 30 jokes that I don’t like doing but I know people 

will laugh at them. As comedians we usually have a parachute in our 

back pocket. 

RAINE: Do you have any regrets doing this as a career? 

KIRKMAN: No. I am lucky that I can do stand up mostly as a career 

along with my writing job. The last 4 years I have been steadily getting 

paid. It was a hobby the first 12 years and I’ve never regretted it. I 

knew how hard it would be and I love doing it. I am lucky I get paid to 

do it. 

RAINE: Are there any fun facts about you that fans don’t know? 

KIRKMAN: I am super into spirituality and self help. I love psychology 

and love reading those kind of books in my spare time. I am also 

really into high fashion. I have every fashion magazine and I know 

every trend coming, even though I don’t wear them. If I weren’t doing 

comedy I would love to work as Rachel Zoe’s apprentice. 

RAINE: If you weren’t doing comedy what would you be doing? 

KIRKMAN: I would love to be working at a magazine or working 

in the fashion industry somehow. The realistic answer: I would be 

someone’s executive or administrative assistant. I am organized and 

know Microsoft Office in and out. I would be miserable, but that’s what 

I would be doing. 

RAINE: What has been your most challenging moment? 

KIRKMAN: It’s hard when you know you are good. I would have friends 

have me open for them and once or twice a year I would get on TV. I 

knew people knew I was funny, but I was not yet making a career out 

of it yet. During the week I would go back to my desk job. That was the 

most challenging time, the years when I was living a double life and not 

knowing when anything was going to happen. 

RAINE: What advice would you give to aspiring comedians? 

KIRKMAN: There’s no easy way to go about it and no improvements 

on how to start. Go to every open mic you can and start doing it and 

do them all the time even if you bomb. Make friends in that community. 

Those connections are important because it’s who you came up with 

it and not who you know. Don’t be impatient and don’t send videos to 

established comedians. You have to grow into your jokes. The jokes I 

told when I was 22 weren’t funny then, but they got really funny in my 

thirties. Also, only do it if you could do it without getting paid. 

RAINE: What has been your most memorable moment? 

KIRKMAN: Thanks to Chelsea, I got to do a half hour of material in front 

of 5,000 people and it was great. It was a big, rowdy crowd listening and 

laughing. It was definitely a highlight. 

RAINE: We can’t wait to see what you’ll do next! What are your goals? 

KIRKMAN: I would love to write another book. I already have an idea 

and am making notes. I would like to do a stand up special, and just 

continue getting better and doing more. It’s the stand up and the writing 

that I love the most. 

Photo by Robyn Von Swank 

42 



A CHAT WITH PURGE’S 

EDWIN HODGE 


Photographer: Rowan Daly; Groomer: Kalie Johnston 

From humble beginnings to Hollywood, Edwin Hodge has flourished 

every step of the way. Starring in this summer’s hit psychological thriller 

Purge, alongside Ethan Hawke, the down-to-earth actor accepts every 

new challenge with a strength that rivals actors twice his age. See what 

inspires this rising star to bring his best to every role, both professionally 

and personally. 

RAINE: You’ve worked on many projects including CBS’s NCIS - what 

has been your most challenging role and why? 

HODGE: Most challenging was my role in the Purge because doing 

this film I actually had to dig a little deeper to bring out what I wanted to 

express to the audience. The character is such an intricate person and 

so instrumental to the film. I wanted to make sure that I did my part so 

the character was believable and able to connect with the audience. 

RAINE: The premise of Purge is both intriguing and terrifying. What 

were your thoughts when you first read the script? 

HODGE: My first thought: “Wow! This is a really sick and morbid film.” 

Then, I took a more thorough look into my thought process when 

researching the film. The context of the film relates to other things 

that may be going on today. It was very engrossing. The family has to 

morally decide if they want to partake in something they don’t believe 

in. It shows the power of choice and the power of humility and how to 

deal with mistakes. We have the opportunity to make a change and do 

something different even if you feel it’s wrong. It was so gratifying to see 

the trailer. 

RAINE: How was it working alongside Ethan Hawke? 

HODGE: He was one of my favorite actors to work with besides Samuel 

Jackson and one of the coolest guys you could ever meet. Not many 

times will you sit down with an actor of his caliber and still be treated as 

an equal. He was always concerned that we felt comfortable with what 

was going on in the scene. He wanted to make sure we didn’t suppress 

our talents. We could talk about whatever and nothing changed about 

our respect level for each other. 

RAINE: What or whom do you draw inspiration from to bring the best to 

the screen? 

HODGE: Honestly it’s my mom - my inspiration has solely come from 

my mom. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. As a family, we 

were homeless three times. My mom has always been the one person 

that has given me the strength to keep going. She would always be 

positive and let me know I could be whoever or whatever I wanted to 

be as long as I stayed focused and kept my grades up. When I felt like 

I couldn’t push myself, my mom was pushing for me. She is one of the 

greatest people ever and I am blessed that she is the person she is and 

instilled in me the qualities that I try to instill in my friends and the people 

around me. 

RAINE: Tell us about some projects you’re working on that are in the 

pipeline? 

HODGE: We’re in the process of filming One Heart, a film centered on 

a Gainesville, Texas football team. It’s a very coming of age project that 

focuses on a group of teammates. I’m also waiting to hear if NCIS Red 

is picked up. 

RAINE: What do you love most and least about what you do? 

HODGE: I love he idea that creativity is within us. I can transform myself 

at different occasions from being a doctor to a policeman to being a bum 

on the street. The hardest part is doubt. A lot of times you doubt yourself 

because in this industry you hear no before you hear yes. You have to 

try to get past the idea that someone doesn’t like you or think you’re 

talented. However, those yes’s make up for the 10 or 20 no’s that you 

may hear. 

RAINE: What words of wisdom would you share with other rising actors? 

HODGE: Always be persistent in the idea that you have set for yourself - 

never let anyone deter you from your goal. If you have to find a different 

avenue, get there in the most humble and respectful way. Educate 

yourself about the world in terms of culture and community to prepare 

you for a possible future role –basically, education, intelligence, and 

persistence. 



HOW TO DANCE WITH THE STARS 

M E E T G L E B S A V C H E N K O 


Raine sits down with the new and 

sensational addition on one of America’s 

favorite dance shows, Dancing With The 

Stars. Gleb Savchenko is an awardwinning 

dancer and choreographer and 

was partnered with Lisa Vanderpupm of 

‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ 

on the last season of DWTS (USA). 

Previously, he’s won six Professional 

Latin Dance Championships, and was 

ranked 10th in the world by the World 

Dance Council in the Pro-Latin American 

division. He’s also an established 

model and television personality having 

worked for Hugo Boss, GQ Fashion, 

Cosmopolitan, Men’s Health, Calvin 

Klein and “Time Out”. 

Savchenko has traveled throughout the 

world and resided in Hong Kong, New 

York, and Sydney during his appearance 

on the Australian version of DWTS. He 

is currently living in Beverly Hills with his 

gorgeous wife and daughter, but is open 

to going where the wind and opportunity 

take him. 

RAINE: Where are you originally from? 

SAVCHENKO: I’m from Moscow, Russia. 

RAINE: How and when did you first begin 

to participate in dance? 

SAVCHENKO: I started to dance when I 

was 7 years old. Russian parents always 

want to involve their kids in creative 

circles and activities, so that’s how I 

started. (Laughs) I also did a lot of other 

things too, like tennis and swimming. 

RAINE: When did you decide that dance 

would be your profession? 

SAVCHENKO: I realized that I would be 

a professional dancer by the time I was 

14 years old. 

RAINE: How did you decide that? Was a 

girl somehow involved? 

SAVCHENKO: (Laughs) Girls are 

always somehow involved. No, I realized 

that I could do this on a professional 

level because of the feedback I was 

getting and how I enjoyed doing it; I 

realized I had a gift that I could use. I 

graduated from The Russian University 

of Theater Arts “GITIS” with a degree 

in Choreography and thankfully, have 

been steadily working. I really enjoy it; it’s 

something I really care about. 

RAINE: Whom do you admire on a 

professional level, and whom would you 

like to dance with? 

SAVCHENKO: On a professional level, 

I admire Mikhail Baryshnikov, he just 

has this precision and emotion, and it’s 

very impressive. I also think everyone on 

Dancing With The Stars is very talented. 

Who would I like to dance with? I think 

Julianne Hough, she’s just a really great 

dancer, and you know, I would like 

to dance with Megan Fox, not for her 

dancing skills though. (Laughs) 

RAINE: Do you have other passions, 

other than dance? 

SAVCHENKO: I would love to get into 

acting; I studied acting when I was living 

in Australia; I’ve had a few hosting gigs, 

but I have always wanted to start my 

own fashion line. I really enjoy fashion; 

I don’t like to dress sloppy, you know? 

I like looking polished and presentable. 

No ripped shirts or stains or anything like 

that. I try to take care of myself, of my 

appearance and I also like nice things. 

RAINE: What type of clothing are you 

considering for business? 

SAVCHENKO: I would love to start an 

underwear line. It would be comfortable 

and you know, sexy of course (laughs). I 

could market it myself, use my modeling 

experience and try to incorporate what 

I’ve learned in this business (laughs). 

I just think it’s something that I have a 

passion for, why not try to use it, you 

know? In the future, I would love to do 

this and acting. 

Photographer: Benny Haddad; Stylist: Estyn Elan; Grooming: Symone Prince 

44 


Photographer: Brett Erickson 


MEET DAVID LAMBERT 

A FACE ON ABC’S THE FOSTERS 

By Rochelle White 

RAINE: You are a versatile actor, what acting method do you find works best 

for you when on set? 

LAMBERT: I usually like to read the scene with the other actors involved. 

It’s important for me to understand the flow of the scene, but each job is 

different for me in terms of preparation. For example, right now with The 

Fosters, I tend to read the full episode instead of just focusing on the scenes 

I’m in. It helps me understand my character’s arc overall. 

RAINE: We see you have lived in a myriad of places like Louisiana, England, 

Taiwan, Texas, and Georgia, out of all these places, which one influenced 

you the most? 

LAMBERT: I went to Taiwan when I was only about 10, so seeing the other 

side of the world and a completely different culture at such a young age 

really humbled me once I got back to the states. It just stuck with me how 

different things were in Taiwan and really made me develop a love for 

traveling, and trying new foods and seeing new places. Traveling is now one 

of my favorites perks that comes with acting and I believe everyone should 

get out and take a trip or two! 

RAINE: Out of the numerous roles you play on TV, which type of role do you 

enjoy the most? 

LAMBERT: My favorite roles are the ones that cause you to think and map 

out. A role where it challenges you as an actor and forces you to step up 

to the plate and really see if you have what it takes to pull it off. I believe if 

you’re not being challenged then you can’t grow. Growing in this industry 

and pushing the limits is very important in the long run. 

RAINE: What is it like working with Executive Producer Jennifer Lopez on 

The Fosters? 

LAMBERT: Jennifer Lopez is fantastic! She is a very down to earth woman, 

very nice and considerate. She’s done things like send cupcakes and other 

goodies to the set while we’ve been filming. She’s also just come by at 

random times to check in on how the shooting is going as well as see the 

sets - definitely a very cool boss to have!! 

RAINE: Is there anything about your character “Brandon” on the Foster’s 

that relates to your own personality? 

LAMBERT: Brandon and I definitely have things in common. We both play 

piano and really have an overall passion for music in general. We also both 

are the oldest in our families so I definitely can relate to Brandon feeling 

protective over his siblings and his moms. There are definitely enough 

similarities between Brandon and I that make him such a close character to 

me. He’s definitely a character I play, but I also definitely have a lot to pull 

from just in my personal life. 

RAINE: Which cast member, if any, is most like any of your own 

real life family members? 

LAMBERT: Cierra Ramirez who plays Mariana has actually been 

friends with my real sister far before we even started doing the 

Fosters together, so I’ve seen her around just hanging with my 

sister, it’s really funny how she and I now play siblings on a show 

together after probably a few years of just seeing her randomly 

so it definitely wasn’t a stretch to view her and treat her as family. 

RAINE: Are there any upcoming projects that you are excited to 

give the public an inside glimpsed on? 

LAMBERT: I did an independent movie last summer that ended 

up going to Sundance, which was an amazing experience. It’s 

called The Lifeguard and it was a really special project for me. It 

was written and directed by Liz Garcia and stars Kristen Bell. I 

must admit it’s definitely a more mature themed movie but just an 

amazing experience for me at the time. everyone involved was 

so great and I walked away learning a lot. 

RAINE: Though you are pursuing your acting career fulltime, do 

you have any other passions you would like to share with us? 

LAMBERT: Mainly music and I’m also interested in screen 

writing, maybe writing movies someday but for now I just read 

a lot of books about it and learn as much as I can. It’s definitely 

a very interesting side of the business creatively to me though. 

RAINE: With your rigorous schedule, how do you balance work 

with fun? 

LAMBERT: I think the key with that is finding your work to be fun, 

which I luckily do. I love all the people I work with, including all the 

cast and crew. Everyone is so gracious and hard working and just 

amazing. It’s hard not to feel so grateful, and to be surrounded by 

good people all the time. They really make it worthwhile for me, 

so I guess I just find my work to also be my fun. 

RAINE: Are there any specific activities or hobbies that you enjoy 

when not working? 

LAMBERT: My friends and I like to go on random adventures, 

road trips, trips to the lake, trips out to Big Bear; we also see a 

lot of movies but really it’s constantly changing. It’s just whatever 

we feel like doing at the time. I know a lot of musically talented 

people though so we do our fair share of jamming as well. 

RAINE: Last but not least, is there any advice you can give to 

young aspiring actors and actresses that want to pursue a full 

time acting career? 

LAMBERT: I would say if you have a clear idea of what you want 

do - never doubt yourself, you will make it. It won’t happen over 

night. It takes many years of dedication, so it’s just one of those 

things where you have to stay dedicated and find the good in 

every step of the way. It’s a journey for sure. 



MEET 

SHOWTIME’S 

TEEN STAR, 

EMMA KENNEY! 

By Michelle Winters and 

Researched by Christine Perez 

At thirteen-years-old, most future entrepreneurs are 

engrossed in middle school, attending soccer practice, 

and dreaming of their big breaks. Young starlet Emma 

Kenney has already gotten hers. At the mere age 

of ten, she scored a starring role in Showtime’s hit 

series Shameless and will soon start filming its fourth 

season. Despite her fame, Emma has remained a 

normal kid with big aspirations. Keep an eye on this 

rising teen star! 

RAINE: What has been the biggest obstacle had to 

overcome on your journey as an actress? 

KENNEY: For this season on Shameless, my character 

Debbie was so exposed and vulnerable with Frank. 

I had to find a different approach for the character - 

she is usually sweet and loving. I had to train for the 

emotional change. I would think of something sad 

or play a song on my phone. I also have an Actress 

Notebook I use for inspiration. 

RAINE: What projects would you like to work on next? 

KENNEY: I really want to do film, an action movie one 

day. My dream role would be something like James 

Bond or Titanic - something underwater or with water 

scenes. I think all actors need one of those experiences. 

RAINE: Is becoming an actress all what you thought it would be? 

KENNEY: I thought it would be a lot more serious but instead there’s a lot of fun 

involved. 

RAINE: How do you stay grounded? 

KENNEY: My mom and dad are both far from the acting business and I actually live 

in New Jersey and go to a public school. I really have very few actor friends, so 99% 

of my friends are normal teens and they all keep me grounded. 

RAINE: Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 

KENNEY: I see myself hopefully still in the acting business. I’d love to have gotten 

into NYU - the Film School and to have done movies. 

RAINE: What are your words of wisdom for aspiring young actors? 

KENNEY: Keep on trying and you will get the feeling when you know an audition 

is right for you. You should also get out there. I remember this one audition that I 

worked so hard for. I was flying home from a family trip to Alaska and I got home 

and found out that I didn’t book it; I was second runner-up. Three months later I had 

the audition for Shameless. 

Photographer: Teren Oddo; Stylist: Monty Jackson; Hair: Jonathan 

Colombini/Exclusive Artist; Makeup: Sonia Lee/Exclusive Artist 

46 


SPORT 

A FUTURE 

Meet Tyler Curran 

by Nadirah Jilaan 

Photos by Carl Curran 

Tyler Curran, a 16-year-old athlete on the path to 

triathlon stardom began in the sport at the mere age of 8. Tyler 

explained that his father was the primary influence on him: “I 

wasn’t very good at the sport at first, but I did it because my 

dad wanted me to.” Tyler originally only competed in 1 or 2 

triathlons per summer, but this slowly changed as his passion 

developed. 

Success came quickly to Tyler. He won his first triathlon at 

age 10. He realized that not only did he have the ability to win, 

but this also was an activity he enjoyed. The next year, he 

competed in the 11-14 age group, which he admits was a major 

challenge. By the time he was 12, Tyler was fully committed to 

racing and training. 

Triathlons consist of swimming, biking, and running 

and demand intense training. He admits it is difficult to balance 

training with normal teenage activities: “since we have practice 

every night, it definitely holds back on the school work. Also, on 

the weekends, since we have practice every Sunday morning, 

I can’t sleep over at a friend’s house. Friday, we have practice 

at night, so that might prevent me from going out.” With this 

busy schedule, he still finds time to play basketball and add to 

his growing sneaker collection. In all, Tyler has completed 30 

triathlons since the age of 12. This past summer, he competed 

in the adult male category at the Sleepy Hollow Sprint Triathlon 

in Sleepy Hollow, NY and won first place. 

Every athlete has a part of his or her sport they enjoy 

most, and for Tyler, it’s the environment. He appreciates 

that his competitors are nice and supportive of one another. 

However, he confesses that he still gets nervous before each 

race: “I get very nervous before all of them... nerves give me 

energy. ” Tyler shared that not only is he competing against 

other triathletes; he is always competing against himself. “You 

don’t want to not be nervous and be more laid back and have 

a surprise, so when you’re nervous and you’re ready to go, it’s 

always a lot better.” 

Tyler admits that his encouragement comes from 

having a supportive family. His father and 11-year-old sister 

Olivia are also triathletes and his three-year-old sister Emma 

may one day join the family sport. His mother is the glue that 

holds everything together. “When everyone else is enjoying it, 

you can enjoy it that much more. I don’t see myself getting out 

of it very soon, especially because my family is so involved,” he 

shares. His goal is to become a professional triathlete one day. 

Tyler plans to compete in the Ironman Triathlon, which consists 

of a 2.4-mile ocean swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride, and 

followed by a 26-mile marathon run. “Hopefully that day will 

come,” he says with a proud smile. 


COVER STORY 

Emma 

McQuiston 

A Foodie Fairytale 


photography by 

Jennifer Kendall 

Dress: Suzie Turner; Necklace: Anton Heunis at 

Maggie Owen; Stylist: Patrice Hall 

Photographer - Jennifer Kendall 

Fashion Styling - Jess Broadhead and Patrice Hall 

Make-up and Hair - Zoe Gale using Mac cosmetics 

Photography Assistant - Oliver Coltman 

Videographer - Antony Burger

Things are heating up for Emma McQuiston. The esteemed culinary artist is 

not only a rising celebrity in the food world, she is also set to become England’s 

first black marchioness when she marries Ceawlin Thynn, Viscount Weymouth in 

June. The 26-year-old beauty has a passion for helping young girls discover the 

joy of cooking. Between hosting her own popular online cooking show, sharing 

her life and recipes through her incredible blog, and planning one of the most 

exciting aristocratic weddings of the year, Emma found time to sit down with 

Raine and give us a behind-the-scenes glimpse of her modern day fairytale. 

RAINE: Tell us about 

your love for cooking. 

MCQUISTON: It 

all started with my 

mother. She is a very 

traditional chef. She 

taught me the basics, 

how to bake bread. 

We always cooked for 

our family and friends 

and even for events of 

100 people. Cooking 

came naturally and 

I have a passion for 

trying new things. 

I enjoy being in the 

kitchen. I like to share 

new discoveries or 

dishes I’ve invented. 

I love staring at the 

presentation of food 

in the markets. My 

mom is one of my 

kitchen heroes: she 

loves entertaining for 

a full house. 

RAINE: What was your favorite experience in culinary school? 

MCQUISTON: I think it was the new flavors. I went in knowing what I liked 

to make, but enjoyed learning new skills and experiencing different flavors like 

ravioli with a saffron cream. I learned how to make South Indian curry. I found 

it interesting to create my own curry and liked experimenting with heating the 

coriander seeds with the dry spices. That was the first place I ever did that. Red 

chili became one of my favorite ingredients: I love spicy things and chili boosts 

the metabolism. 

RAINE: How did you get the opportunity to host your own show on E.Food.com? 

MCQUISTON: Commissioning a show and talking to various production 

companies takes a long time. My blog has been an incredible outlet for growing my 

audience. E.Food.com contacted me to references recipes relevant to celebrities 

while putting together short and seasonal dishes. It’s been about a year now since 

I started with them. I would love to have my own show where my blog comes to 

life. People could see my day-to-day search for new recipe inspiration or maybe 

a travel food show. I’d love to go to Croatia and expose how they prepare seafood 

because it’s so different. 

RAINE: What do you love most about hosting your own show? 

MCQUISTON:It gets easier the more you do it. You have to stay calm and present 

it nicely and don’t forget to breathe and make sure nothing is on fire behind you. 

My acting background has really helped. The reaction I get is nice. People are able 

to get to know what I like from my videos. My audience can build a relationship 

with me through the show. 

RAINE: What do you like least? 

MCQUISTON: It’s the hectic element - just nervousness before the camera comes 

on or getting tongue-tied while trying to annunciate in front of the camera. Also, 

continuity is quite tricky. You have to be able to think forwards and backwards at 

the same time. I’m getting better at it. I hope! (smiles) 

RAINE: What is your favorite dish? 

MCQUISTON: I love healthy food. Everything is in moderation, not deprivation. 

I enjoy Provencal cuisine, Southern France cuisine – the food is amazing. One of 

my favorites things in the world is Sea Bass with Chilean garlic wrapped in tin 

foil and cooked in the oven for 15 minutes. My favorite thing to eat in the summer 

is raw vegetable with a mayonnaise-like sauce made with olive oil, mustard, 

anchovy, and pepper. 

RAINE: How does your cuisine or cooking style differ from most chefs? 

MCQUISTON: I am quite Mediterranean in my taste in style. My food looks 

good, tastes good, and it’s good for you. I love food you can pick up with your 

hand and share. While I enjoy watching the processes and equipment on shows 

like Master Chef, my style is more homey than that. I’m a cook, not a chef in a 

restaurant. It’s more free and family style. I try to keep it healthy, interesting, 

and uncomplicated. I’ve managed to use my passion and turn it into a career. My 

style is based on how I live in it: I don’t promote anything I won’t do in real life. 

Hopefully I will get better with age. I’m not saying I am the guru - I just LOVE it! 

I love sharing what I know and what I do, it’s “friendly” cooking. A lot of young 

girls my age don’t cook, even if they do they make desserts or pasta. I came 

across a niche and want to encourage them to make interesting stir-fry dishes or 

fitness recipes. I want to encourage girls to cook for each other. It shouldn’t be 

intimidating. 

RAINE: What is Ceawlin’s favorite dish that you have prepared for him? 

MCQUISTON: He likes eating very healthy, which is brilliant. He loves kale, 

roast chicken – we have quite similar tastes. 

RAINE: Do you prefer cooking for large parties or intimate groups? 

MCQUISTON: It depends. Once you have gone big, you should go massive. 

There comes a point where you are just all in. When you are cooking for a lot of 

people, you have to do something that can stretch. I like to make it versatile when 

preparing for a big group. I was making pizza almost every day last summer and 

everyone loved it – I even though of opening my own pizza shop. I wanted to open 

a frozen yogurt shop once, it’s one of my favorite things, but a perfect location is 

hard to find in London. 

RAINE: Do you have a favorite 

celebrity chef? 

MCQUISTON: Jamie Oliver. He 

came out as the unconventional 

chef when he was young and show 

his show in a loft. It was very 

different and now he is an industry 

in himself, he’s a brand. He has his 

own culinary school and has quite 

a following. He’s a really good 

chef and person – he did a project 

where he helped underprivileged 

teens get jobs in his kitchen. He’s 

the chef who makes me want to 

cook the most; I’ve watched every 

one of his shows. 

RAINE: How will your new life 

change your career aspirations as a 

culinary artist? 

MCQUISTON:Ceawlin is very 

supportive and what’s brilliant is 

my job doesn’t tie me to a desk. 

I’m currently speaking with a 

literary agent about an upcoming 

book. I think it’s good that I’m 

honest with my cooking and that 

will continue to grow as I grow. I 

can’t wait to teach my children to 

cook one day. 

RAINE: Where do you hope to be in 5 years? 

MCQUISTON: I’ll hopefully have finished my book and have my own show 

on television – a travel food show or blog follower show. I’d also like to have a 

column in a magazine in London or the US. 

RAINE: What are you most excited about in your new role in British Aristocracy? 

MCQUISTON: It’s very exciting to be married and the wedding is all about 

happiness and turning a new leaf and starting a new life. I can’t wait to share all 

the things I discover after being married on my blog. 


PREVIOUS PAGE: Dress: Bruce Oldfield Necklace: Anton Heunis at 

Maggie Owen London; Ring: Emma’s Own. Stylist: Patrice Hall RIGHT: 

Top: Printed Jacquard top, available at Zara.com; Shorts: Flower 

print shorts, available at Zara.com; Necklace: Stylist’s own (similar 

available at Topshop.com); Shoes: Christian Louboutin, see similar at 

christianlouboutin.com Stylist: Jessica Broadhead

Dress: Bruce Oldfield; Matching 

Earrings and Bracelet: Anton Heunis 

at Maggie Owens; Shoes: Gina


ENCHANTED 

by SUMMER 

Photographer - Nikolay Mikheev 

Style - Christopher Giron, Lesley 

Ramirez (6thEditionStyling) 

Model - Natalia Chernukha 

Gown by Jacky Tai; Jewelry: Vintage 

52 


Gown by Jacky Tai; Heels by BCBG; Jewelry: Vintage

healthy 

skin is 

beautiful 

skin... 

www.epiceinternational.com 

when placing your order on-line use code RAINE30

BEAUTY 

Sanctuary Camelback Mountain 

Relax Your Mind, Let 

Your Conscious Free: 

The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Spas 

By John Petty, III 

Many often refer to “hard work and dedication” as the ultimate keys 

to success. And who are we to deem that inaccurate? There are an 

overwhelming number of instances supporting the very idea. However, 

if you will, take a minute out of your overcrowded schedule and explore a 

different perspective. As an entrepreneur, not a single idle moment exists 

for you…ever. The amount of effort you exert simply trying to wrap your 

head around the concept of a “break,” is taxing in and of itself. And a 

day off? That idea is so foreign; there is probably a better chance of you 

meeting the real Saint Nick. Even with all of that, it is essential to the 

success of not only your business, but also of your person, to invest in – 

what I am sure we can both agree, can be classified as “much needed” 

– down time. 

Let us help you occupy all the down time you don’t have! In no particular 

order, Raine Magazine would like to present to you the world’s Top 10 

most innovative spas. 

Oasis Day Spa 

Location: New York, New York, U.S.A. 

Owner / Founder: Bruce Schoenberg 

Why not start in our own back yard, shall we? Located in Midtown New 

York City at the Affinia Dumont Hotel, Oasis Day Spa features over twelve 

different massage therapies, in addition to other enjoyable and relaxing 

spa treatments. Oasis Day Spa, founded in 2001 by Bruce Schoenberg, 

also offers a diverse selection of facial treatments, hydrotherapy and an 

exclusive fitness center with personal training options. Think of it as thee 

highly decorated, “all-in-one” option for spa and fitness. Oasis has been 

featured in Best of New York and received the Day Spa Diamond and the 

Reader’s Spa Silver Sage Choice Awards. Book your appointment now, 

and we won’t say ‘we told you so’ later! 

THE SPA at the setai 

terme di saturnia 

lebua Spa by L’Occitane’ at Devi Garh by lebua, Udaipur 

Location: Udaipur, Rajasthan, India 

Owner / Founder: Deepak Ohri 

In January of 2013, Lebua Resorts acquired Devi Garh of Udaipur and 


eshaped the resort into what we recognize today as Devi Garh 

by lebua, Udaipur. The spa here is bar none. As the resort itself 

sits on the outskirts of the major city of Udaipur, Rajasthan, India, 

its position constitutes it as the ideal place to rejuvenate self. 

“Soothe your body, stimulate your mind and strengthen your spirit” 

at the fresh facility which offers premiere gratifying treatments in 

a more than accommodating setting. This utopia features regional 

ingredient combined with natural L’Occitane products to produce 

preferential regimen that you won’t be able to forget if you tried. 

With 5 treatment rooms, 1 cabana, steam, sauna, Jacuzzi and 

gymnasium, the most difficult portion of your journey, will be coping 

with the fact that all good things, must come to an end. 

Argyle Salon and Spa 

Location: Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. 

Owner / Founder: The Jeff Klein Hotel Group 

If you want to look and feel like a star, go to where the stars go to 

look and feel like the stars they are. Argyle Salon & Spa, located at 

8358 Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, is the ultimate fusion 

of dazzle and fitness. With Argyle, we’re asking you to completely 

neglect every notion you associate with the term “traditional.” 

Pushing the spa-nvelope, this establishment “redefines the beauty 

ritual.” They provide a rather extensive service list, including the 

standard salon and nail care, facials, waxing, tanning and more. 

If you’re interested in new life, try the Hammam. A Turkish “Bath” 

method in a low steam-heated room designed to exfoliate and detox 

your body while your mind takes that break it has been fervently 

begging you for! Considered a “must,” by Argyle frequent visitors, 

the soothing warmth of the Hammam creates an unerring way to 

begin your treatments. Be sure to tell them Raine Magazine sent 

you. 

Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa 

Location: Paradise Valley, Arizona, U.S.A. 

Owner / Founder: The Westroc Group 

Close your eyes and imagine 12,000 square feet of pure bliss. Now 

open your eyes. Our guess is your first thought was nowhere close to 

Arizona…unless…your imagination landed you in Paradise Valley. 

Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa is the closest place 

to perfection on Earth. ‘What makes this getaway unique’, you ask? 

Their Asian-inspired spa service packages include one-in-a-million 

features such as Chakra Balancing, Glycolic Acid facials, and 

eyebrow and eyelash tinting, among several others. The aesthetics 

are five-star, as the 53-acre resort features breathtaking natural 

views, further enhancing your experience. Hey, you! Wake up… 

We can’t blame you; the mere thought of the visit almost relaxes 

us just as much. 

Terme di Saturnia Spa & Golf Resort 

Location: Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy 

Owner / Founder: Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. 

Italy. Oh, Italy. The Terme di Saturnia Spa and Golf Resort is located 

in the rolling hills of Tuscany’s Maremma region. There, you can 

begin your revitalization with an Oxygen Infusion facial, schedule 

a Mukha Bliss face massage, and take pleasure in a Golfer Back 

Massage. This spa has a five-area focus: hydrotherapy, beauty, 

stress management, massage, and aesthetic medicine; all helping 

you to achieve that physical and mental balance you greatly yearn 

for! Their fitness center is state-of-the-art and their thermal waters 

remain at a “constant” temperature of 98.6° F. It has been coined 

one of the healing centers of the century. Grab that passport and 

beat us there! 

norwich spa at foxwoods 

oasis spa 

Maui Zen Day Spa 

Location: Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A. 

Owner / Founder: Virginia Lacker 

You can put the passport away for this one. We’re on our way to 

Maui, where Maui Zen Day Spa awaits our arrival. This intimate 

gem is everything you need to relieve those daily mental pressures; 

and they managed to fit the experience of a lifetime into just 

1,000-square feet. Their massage therapy arsenal includes the 

traditional deep-tissue, Swedish, and hot stone in addition to the 

exotic lomi-lomi, reflexology and couples aromatherapy. The spa’s 

Signature Zen Massage blends techniques from Hawaiian, Asian,

argyle spa 

and European traditions for a full-body massage experience. We would be 

remiss if we didn’t mention to you, all of their services are available via their 

Zen To Go feature, which provides the ultimate convenience by sending 

their therapists to your hotel or condominium by appointment. Don’t worry. 

They’ll be sure to keep your snoring a secret and to lock the door behind 

them. 

The Norwich Spa at Foxwoods 

Location: Mashantucket, Connecticut, U.S.A. 

Owner / Founder: The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe 

People don’t normally “get away” to Connecticut. But those people don’t 

know about The Norwich Spa at the AAA Four Diamond Foxwoods Resort 

and Casino. That wasn’t a typo. Yes, one of our Top 10 Spas in the world 

is in a casino in Connecticut! Conveniently located on the ninth floor of 

the Grand Pequot Tower, the spa welcomes you to rest your spirit and 

breathe easy…offering an all-encompassing menu of services from alluring 

massages to exquisite skincare. Their detail-oriented salon staff is ready 

to give you that transformation you’ve been putting off since your senior 

year of college. On your way out – because, yes, you eventually have to 

leave – grab some of the spa’s line of private-label body, bath, and skincare 

products to take a piece of that heaven home. 

cleopatras spa & wellness 

BodyHoliday at LeSPORT 

Location: Gros-Islet, St. Lucia 

Owner / Founder: Craig Barnard, The Sunswept Estates 

Would you be interested in an entire resort dedicated to health and wellbeing? 

We’re talking chemical peels, acupuncture and hydrotherapy, mud, 

algae and seaweed body wraps on a Caribbean island surrounded by 

white sand, blue water and perfect year-around weather. If your answer 

is “yes,” then the 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2012 Reader’s Choice Awardwinning 

BodyHoliday at LeSPORT resort is the place for you! When the 

Barnard family founded the BodyHoliday at LeSPORT, it was their intention 

to develop a phenomenon with what they felt were life’s simple core 

objectives as its focus: relaxation, restorative beauty, exercise and good 

diet. Beat that, Treasure Island! 

The Spa at The Setai 

Location: Miami, Florida, U.S.A. 

Owner / Founder: Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. 

Here’s how to make your friends envy you: Share the fact that you spent 

the last few days ignoring their calls, emails and tweets at The Spa at The 

Setai Resort in South Beach, Florida. First of all, it’s Miami. Does this spa 

need any more of a selling point? Each spa suite is equipped with steam 

and shower units built for two … wink, wink. You have the option to tailor 

your treatment regimen for a therapist to carry out in the privacy of your 

accommodations. If getting out is more your thing, take advantage of the 

personal training and yoga courses administered throughout the day. Being 

that fine dining is also essential to overall wellness, The Setai offers three 

top-notch dining options: The Restaurant, The Grill and The Pool & Beach; 

each featuring a unique feasting experience for which your taste buds will 

be eternally grateful. We promise you, that your standard fast food will 

never taste the same. 

Cleopatra’s Spa and Wellness 

Location: Wafi City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 

Owner / Founder: The MKM Group 

Who are you? Before you attempt to answer, just know that you don’t know 

yourself until you make your way out to Dubai and discuss life and the 

pursuit of happiness with Cleopatra, herself. Cleopatra’s Spa and Wellness, 

located in the center of Wafi City, is an urban escape that is more than just 

another luxury spa. This aesthetically pleasing health resort epitomizes 

wellness and encourages the growing health and fitness demands of 

modern society. After merging Cleopatra’s Spa, Pharaoh’s Club and Hair 

at Pyramids in 2009, the facility is the first and largest independent day 

spa in the United Arab Emirates to date. Fully equipped with a massive 

outdoor pool and lazy river, child-obliging facilities, sun bathing decks, and 

ravishing landscapes under statuesque palm trees, Cleopatra’s Spa and 

Wellness prides itself on A-1 customer service, and its avant-garde fitness 

center. I mean, historically Cleopatra had all the answers anyway, right? 

devi garh by lebua 

body holiday wellness center 

Now that you’re bursting with excitement over the potential to enjoy 

a reflexology massage in Maui, Chakra Balancing in Paradise Valley, a 

Hammam in Hollywood, and a lazy river in Dubai, doesn’t “hard work and 

dedication” sound like such an arid obstruction?

BEAUTY 

Top 5 Summer 

Foods for 

Healthy Skin 

by DERMATOLOGIST Dr. Michael Spicer 

Fish 

Who would have thought that fresh fish is probably the best food 

for your skin? This food group is especially high in Vitamin D, E and 

Omega 3 fatty acids. The Omega 3 fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic 

acid (EPA), has been shown to block matrix metalloproteinases 

(MMPs). UV exposure from the sun can cause these MMP’s to 

degenerate collagen and cause fine lines wrinkles. So a little fish 

in your diet may help you preserve that youthful appearance. 

Raw fish, like that found in sushi, is one of the best sources of 

natural Vitamin D, especially herring, mackerel, salmon and tuna. 

Studies have determined that Vitamin D is arguably one of the 

most important supplements for general health. Persons with low 

vitamin D are more at risk for colon, breast, and even skin cancer. 

So wear your Épicé Daily Facial Moisturizer with SPF 20+ and 

enjoy a weekly portion of fish. If you are vegetarian or vegan, I 

suggest supplementing with a daily dose of 2000 mg Vitamin D3. 

Green Tea 

Green tea is an excellent source of natural polyphenols. 

Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants that can help protect the 

skin against the damaging UV rays form the sun. According to the 

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, drinking two 

cups or more of green tea can reduce the risk of developing a 

particularly common skin cancer, called squamous cell carcinoma, 

by thirty percent. Of course, for proper sun protection still wear your 

Épicé Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 20+ or for the sports fanatics, 

Epi-Dry SPF 50+ sunscreen. Help your skin look younger longer by 

drinking a couple of cups of green tea can daily. 

You are what you eat, and a healthy balanced diet is essential for 

healthy, glowing skin. There are several foods that you can include in 

your daily routine to help keep your skin healthy. 

Fruits 

We all know that fruits and vegetables are important in a healthy diet, but which 

ones are best for your skin? A study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food 

Chemistry looked at which fruits have the highest overall antioxidant level. 

Antioxidants are important because they absorb and neutralize damaging 

free radicals from the environment. They found that strawberries had the 

highest overall antioxidant level, followed by plums, oranges, red grapes, kiwi 

fruit, pink grapefruits, white grapes, bananas, apples, tomatoes, pears, and 

honeydew melons. 

Vegetables 

Vegetables are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals needed to retain that 

youthful appearance. For example, spinach is high in iron and sulfur, important 

in red blood cell formation and smooth skin, respectively. Chili peppers have 

the highest natural Vitamin C content. Vitamin C is essential in collagen 

development and with the passing of time and UV exposure the collagen of 

the skin starts to degenerate. Make sure to include foods high in Vitamin C 

to keep that youthful appearance. Add color and flavor to your favorite food 

or salad with yellow bell peppers. Yellow Bell Peppers have over 400% more 

Vitamin C than green bell peppers. Vitamin C is a great antioxidant, which 

helps protect the skin from harmful free radicals in the environment. Red bell 

peppers are the second highest, so the next time you are in the produce 

section, choose yellow and red bell peppers instead of the usual green ones. 

Nuts 

Almonds and walnuts are excellent sources of biotin. Biotin, called 

Vitamin H, is a must for healthy skin, hair, and nails. As a health tip 

I recommend 3 milligrams of biotin daily for damaged hair or nails, 

but a serving of almonds will help keep the skin healthy. Nuts such 

as walnuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, and flax seeds are a great 

source of essential fatty acids and oils. These essential fatty acids 

are necessary for our health. Humans can’t make them and they 

must be obtained through diet. Studies show that these fatty acids 

are essential not only for brain function and cardiovascular health, 

but they are also necessary to keep your skin looking healthy. 

Flax seed oil in particular is known as an excellent supplement 

for people with dermatitis, eczema, and sensitive skin. Much of 

the skin’s barrier is due to its lipid oil content. These lipids keep 

the moisture that is in the skin from evaporating, keeping it soft 

and supple. Many moisturizing skin care preparations use nut oils, 

such as shea, macadamia, peanut, and safflower seed oils. Some 

believe that changing your diet to include these polyunsaturated 

fatty acids (PUFA’s) can actually help with skin problems such as 

acne. 

In conclusion, no one food is best, but if you start a balanced diet 

using a combination of the above you should notice a difference in 

your skin in five days. Give it a try! 

Dual trained in both dermatology and dermatopathology, Dr. 

Michael Spicer founded the international beauty brand, Épicé 

International. To learn more about Dr. Spicer and how you can 

achieve great skin, visit: www.epiceinternational.com 

58 


BEAUTY | FITNESS 101 

TOO BUSY FOR YOUR DREAM BODY? 

By Fitness Guru Maik Wiedenbach 

“I do not have the time to workout.” is something I hear over and over from prospective clients or acquaintances - and it is true. Implementing a 

daily or even three times weekly fitness regiment into a week filled with business lunches, late office nights, kids soccer games and the like can 

seem daunting to say the least. If you don’t have the financial means of a Hollywood star to employ a personal trainer, chef and stretching expert 

to work in the confines of your home, it can be difficult to stick to a program. 

So, what is to be done? Here are a couple of things that I have learned over the years that might be helpful. 

• Schedule your workouts: make them visible for yourself and 

others in your calendar. You must treat workouts as me-time 

and defend that time slot vigorously. In the end, you will be 

more productive and happier after you worked out, so your 

environment does benefit from your egoism. 

• Do not join the cheapest or fanciest, but the closest gym. No 

matter how great the equipment is, it is not worth a 40-minute 

train ride. After all, the best gym is the one you go to, so make 

sure it is either close to home or work. 

• Find a training partner and set up an appointment. If there is 

someone waiting for you at the gym, you’ll be less likely to 

simply stand that person up. That can also be a personal 

trainer with a strict cancellation policy. 

• Switch it up. The beauty of not being a professional athlete is 

that we do not have to excel in one particular sport but can 

choose from many options to train across. Monday swimming, 

Tuesday boxing, Wednesday salsa anyone? 

• Time your workouts. Write up your workout, set your phone or 

watch to 40 minutes, and go. Try to get as many sets in good 

form as you can during that time frame. The short breaks 

will give you a nice pump and release endorphins quickly. In 

addition, a 40 minutes pump workout will seem much more 

achievable than a monster 10x10 squat session; so you are 

more likely to do it. 

• Schedule a photo shoot. In my experience, setting up (and paying 

for) a photo shoot is one of the greatest tools to get results. 

In my experience, once someone commits and mentions the 

shoots to his/her friends, they (the trainee) will be much more 

likely to be accountable and follow through on the program. 

• Combine exercise and family life. That can be as simple as giving 

your kids piggyback rides (uphill if you are really adventurous) 

or taking a family hike on the weekends. This way you will 

also get your kids interested in a healthy life style without 

making it seem like a chore. 

• Get educated about fitness: the more you know about the body in 

general and yours in particular, the better results you will get. 

This will result in greater motivation going forward. 

• Have pre-planned cooking days. Lets face it: we eat whatever 

is there, especially when we are hungry / stressed / tired or 

all of the above. If your fridge only contains Haagen Dazs 

and yogurt, well there goes your meal plan. Since it is simply 

impossible to cook everyday (at least for me, if you can, more 

power to you) I recommend to set aside 2 three hour blocks 

during the week where you prepare the majority of your meals. 

A slow cooker can be a Godsend, simply throw in meats and 

vegetables for a stew, get some rice at the Chinese take out 

place and you have a solid base for 10 meals. Note: a wellequipped 

spice racked is critical to avoid boredom! 

• Relax: you are not helping anyone including yourself, if you sit in 

the corner, munching on organic kale chips while judging 

everyone else. Any reasonable diet should have room for a 

cheat meal; you are human after all! 

If you manage to follow some of these pointers, you should be well on 

your way to your dream body! 

Photo by Dorothy Shi 

About Maik: 

Maik (pronounced Mike) Wiedenbach is a fitness coach and physique architect based in 

New York City and East Hampton. He is an NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) 

certified personal trainer and AFPA (American Fitness Professionals Association), certified 

nutrition and wellness consultant and weight management consultant. 

A two-time World Cup and Olympic trial swimmer in his native Germany, Maik founded his 

company Adler Training in 2006 and quickly became one of the most sought after trainers 

in Manhattan. As a medalist athlete and scholar, he uniquely combines professional 

dedication, empathy, and intellectual rigor in keeping up with the latest fitness and health 

study findings in medical journals. 


RAINEMAKERS 

FROM WIRED TO WEB 2.0 TO TACKLING BIG DATA 

MEET THE ULTIMATE ENTREPRENUER 

JOHN BATTELLE 


In our era of ultra-connectivity, one man stands out as a pioneer of 

Web 2.0. Entrepreneur John Battelle is best known for launching 

standout media properties such as Wired, The Industry Standard, and 

Federated Media Publishing: all now top-ranking online properties. His 

insights into emerging trends have made him a leader in all things web. 

Battelle co-founded and co-hosts the annual Web 2.0 Summit and his 

next book, WHAT WE HATH WROUGHT will give us a forecast of the 

interconnected world in 2040. Follow along as we learn more about this 

tech leader who is definitely ahead of his time. 

PART 1 - THE EARLY YEARS AND ENTREPRENEURISM 

RAINE: What was your first entrepreneurial moment in your childhood 

that you can reflect on? 

BATTELLE: When I was a kid, one of the things that I used to complain 

about with my friends in middle school was when our parents would 

have these cocktail parties, and they would ask us to help them. We 

would do whatever we could do to not be around. This was the early to 

mid 70’s. There was a circuit of these parties in our social set. My mom 

would complain that it was a lot of work, so my friends and I founded 

Parties Unlimited, and we catered these parties. I did the bar. I was 

12 years old. I made the business cards. I was the co-founder. I saw 

this as an opportunity to turn this negative into a positive. How were we 

going to get paid, and how were we going to scale it? Thirdly, we looked 

good in the eyes of our parents and it got us in the middle of the party. 

It was also pretty easy to steal a few drinks! I ran that for 2 to 3 years... 

until it became uncool to be doing that in high school. 

RAINE: Can you talk about your interest in technology as an artifact of 

who we are and what we do? 

BATTELLE: I’m obsessed with ad technology right now, not for the 

technology, for what I think it means underneath. The infrastructure of 

advertising technology is very complicated. It’s an open platform with all 

kinds of players from entrepreneurs to fraudsters. It’s 10 times the size 

of search engines, i.e. Google. It’s how our culture is going to interact 

with each other: through data. I’m studying it because it’s the next great 

artifact of our society. I’m interested in how to guide it. And what is the 

greatest artifact ever created so far? The Macintosh. 

RAINE: What was the catalyst for creating Web 2.0? 

BATTELLE: It was an idea. I wrote a piece while teaching at Berkley. 

I was working with a magazine called FOO, Friends of O’Reilly. One 

of us had this idea of bringing together a group of really cool people 

without any agenda. Something is happening, we thought- a second 

coming of the web. This was between 2003 and 2004. We decided 

to call this conference Web 2.O. It had a great run for a decade, but 

I ultimately made the decision to stop doing it because it had run its 

course, and it was time to do other things. 

RAINE: Are certain individuals destined to be entrepreneurs? 

BATTALLE: Entrepreneurism has become a job description in today’s 

world, and it’s simply not true. When I did Wired in the early 90s, the 

first truly crazy thing I’ve chosen to do; we had 300K and 11 people, and 

I was employee number 5 or 6. I took that job and was so in love with 

the idea and saw that I was going to be part of building something, and 

never thought about the consequences (e.g. no pay for 3 months). I 

never thought, ‘Oh, I’m going to be an entrepreneur now.’ 

Now, everyone wants to leave business school or any school to be an 

entrepreneur. It’s like a kid leaving school early to be drafted, as if it is 

an understood path. It’s celebrated and its hyped. That wasn’t what I 

was. We go on this path, and we figure out what we are and are not 

good at and we re-examine it. It turns out that a lot of entrepreneurs stop 

running things, and then they become venture capitalists; they become 

the player under a coach or the coach that helps the player. After a 

couple of decades of starting stuff, you tend have a bit of reflection. I 

just can’t imagine not being in a start-up and had been working at a ‘real 

job’ instead. I am fortunate to have made a path, so far, in making new 

things as opposed to working on others’ in a large organization. 

A lot of people go through this process and fail. Maybe it’s not wise to 

for the press to glamorize this. There is a potential downside if you don’t 

go into it with your eyes wide open: lost relationships, health, time with 

kids, money, life… 

PART 2 - THE BOOK 

RAINE: Has the premise of your book changed since your announcement 

to write it, back in 2011? 

BATTELLE: It’s a difficult task to paint a picture of what the world could 

look like in 30 years. In terms of a premise and starting the narrative, 

I’ve figured out how to tell the story and I’ve identified a hero. The overarching 

premise is the same, but it’s still an active work in progress. 

RAINE: What are some scary or more concerning observations that will 

be highlighted in the book? 

BATTELLE: One: As we, as a society, become data-driven and begin 

to clothe ourselves with data about ourselves and our interaction with 

others - could be commercial, social or political interaction - as we 

create information about that, and as it is stored, analyzed and tracked, 

it is done on systems that we don’t have control over as individuals. 

It’s not the privacy issue. It’s far more about the individual and the 

organization and how that social contract is written about this new 

currency of information. I’m very interested in that piece of the puzzle. 

I don’t think many of us as readers have thought very deeply about that. 

We are entering a new era, and it’s extremely exciting the potential of all 

kinds of opportunities. But we have to think about who is in charge of 

this information. My concern is when we start adopting systems through 

60 


the equivalent of early lockdown. In other words, getting systems that 

have closed architectures and, for technical or commercial reasons, 

there isn’t an opportunity for citizens to have access to their own 

information…Facebook, for example. The system was built as a closed 

system. It’s very difficult to get actionable and valuable data that was 

co-created. There are business reasons as to why they have not made 

it easy, but I think architectures like that, in the long run, lack innovation. 

In Summary, do we have an open architecture to control data that is 

personal in nature, and does it mean something to me personally? 

Two: I’m very concerned with early policy lockdown. The concern or the 

fear over privacy tracking creates overbroad legal framework that stunts 

innovation. In the mid 90’s when the Internet first became a thing, we 

saw a reaction of society and lawmakers that viewed the Internet as 

negative. That was society’s view of this strange new dark force of the 

web. It was a place where child pornographers and fraudsters were 

waiting to take advantage of you, hence ‘Never put your credit card on 

the Internet.’ The broad perception was that it was a negative platform 

that would eventually hurt you. Now, when it comes to the next wave of 

conversation with ‘What’s next?’ the answer is “data”. Early on it was 

web pages, but now the world has become all about data. It’s regarded 

as a negative that data is used to track you. But the legislation shouldn’t 

prevent the exchange of data in an open system, which would allow for 

an explosion of ideas and innovations. For example, sharing health 

data anonymously would allow entrepreneurs to analyze it and generate 

ideas to better assist in new healthcare innovations. This could allow 

us, as a society, to create a progression of ideas that could add decades 

to our lifespan. Right now, we avoid this kind of openness on the net. 

Three: Finding and describing artifacts that exist today that will be 

considered artifacts of the future. Programmatic Advertising Technology, 

computing infrastructure that underpins the display of ads on the 

Internet, is good example. There is a phenomenal infrastructure of data 

that decides what ads you see; that infrastructure is an open ecosystem. 

There is no one actor that controls it. Thousands of companies use 

it. It’s probably the most intense computational system that has been 

created on the planet. If anyone wants to start a company and add 

value to it, they can, i.e. Facebook and Yahoo. Those companies didn’t 

have to apply to a government agency to do what they did, unlike our 

current ad system. 

The 40 companies worth in range of a billion dollars wouldn’t exist 

without this open eco-system. On the other hand, there is a half billion 

to a billion dollars in fraud, putting non-human traffic into the platform. 

They run ads on websites that no one sees and get paid for it, putting 

malware into unsuspecting browsers, creating zombies to run pretend 

traffic over their other websites. That’s the price of the open ecosystem. 

What we have to do as a society is to police that and manage it and 

bring it down to a dull roar, just like search engines did after being 

riddled with fraud early on. 

What’s happening right now in the open ecosystem of marketing - it’s 

not just about ads. What’s compelling about this infrastructure is that it’s 

a response system that can be changed on the fly, as an architecture. 

It’s open and we can add value to it. It’s also good to determine the right 

response when you turn up your thermostat. We need a programmatic 

infrastructure underneath us that is open and responsive to the amount 

of data that we have access to in the world. It’s a model, moving 

forward, for how we interact with our energy grid, transportation grid, 

etc. The current system is closed and inefficient and non-innovative. 

With regard to government, hackers from the Internet space are taking 

problems of government systems and solving them in a fraction of the 

time. What once took 2 years now takes 2 months with a team of 3. 

Discovery and search, however, are still unsolved problems, because of 

the amount of information that is put up every day. The amount of data 

that is put on the Internet is doubling each year. The scale in which this 

is growing is mind-blowing. 

RAINE: In terms of social media, do you see the anti-Facebook, the 

extreme opposite of Facebook, cropping up? 

BATTELLE: Yes. What we want are all of the benefits- the connectivity, 

the ability to share and respond, and the sense of community from 

Facebook, while still having the ability to make it instantaneously go 

away. Example: why was Snap Chat such a phenomenon? Another 

example: at a conference, what makes a breakout of 40 people go to a 

smaller discussion - an instant social network for an hour. We want an 

interface that allows us to do that without a huge corporation sucking up 

that data and not allowing us access to it. 

RAINE: What do you want the reader to walk away with after reading 

the book? 

BATTELLE: To keep innovative solutions from being stunted by political 

and legal lockdown. There is an extraordinary world to be created if we 

just have faith in ourselves. 

RAINE: When will be the official release of the book? 

BATTELLE: 2014 

RAINE: Will you be doing a media tour for the book? 

BATTELLE: Yes. Absolutely!

BUSINESS 

Audio books are my latest obsession. I listen to them 

everywhere: in the bathtub, in the car, at the grocery store. My most 

recent download is The Beautiful Fall by Alicia Drake. This story 

describes the decadence of the 1970‘s and chronicles the rise of 

Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld. In one passage, the author 

describes Karl Lagerfeld’s method of research. A voracious reader, 

Lagerfeld purchased scads of fashion books and magazines daily. He 

was known for buying two copies of each book; one for his library and 

one to cut up and share with his entourage, including illustrator Antonio 

Lopez and his creative partner Juan Ramos. 

It is not unusual for fashion designers to research and study 

the past collections of others in order to create a “new” collection. 

Likewise, it is quite common for creatives to gather together to parse 

out new ideas in groups. However, when inspiration can come from 

any and everywhere, it can be difficult to determine the origins of a 

singular creative idea. 

Recall the legal battle between Iam Flemming and Kevin 

McClury. In this instance, Iam Fleming, the author of the spy novel series 

featuring “James Bond” invited Kevin McClury and Jack Wittingham 

to join him in the Bahamas. During the course of one evening over 

drinks, the trio discussed plot ideas for an underwater cinematic 

adventure. By morning, it was virtually impossible to determine who 

actually “authored” the story. The collaboration soon fell apart. Later, 

Iam Fleming decided to base his newest book, Thunder Ball on the plot 

discussed that fateful night. McClury was not amused and later sued 

Fleming for copyright infringement (among other things). McClury 

won. And Iam Fleming died of a heart attack soon thereafter. 

The Flemming/McClury incident serves as a cautionary tale 

of what not to do when collaborating with others. There is a better 

approach. By drafting, executing and enforcing sound proprietary 

information agreements (or non disclosure agreements) creatives can 

help prevent their ideas from being misappropriated by others. 

Any idea that is kept secret and gives it’s owner a business 

advantage over competitors can be considered a “trade secret.” 

Trade secrets can be protected under contract law, provided they are 

held in confidence. Before a creative discusses an idea or shares 

a vital document or electronic file with another, she can present 

the collaborator with a non-disclosure agreement that articulates 

the terms of the disclosure. Some of the common terms found in a 

non-disclosure agreement include a definition of what constitutes 

confidential information, a purpose statement describing the purpose 

of the agreement, a term of confidentiality (how long the confidential 

information should be protected) and a damage clause that lists 

penalties for unauthorized disclosure. 

Still, it is important to note that non-disclosure agreements like 

all contracts, are only as effective as their drafters. Be sure to ask a 

licensed attorney to assist you in drafting a non-disclosure agreement 

to ensure that it contains all the necessary terms for enforcement. 

Also, before you present the agreement to your next collaborator, 

carefully consider whether the collaborator is indeed trustworthy. It is 

not advisable to share your creative ideas with anyone you do not trust 

unless you are willing and able to sue to enforce your rights. 

Please note that the information provided in this article is for general 

purposes only. It is recommended that you seek the advice of a 

licensed attorney in your state before making decisions or executing 

anything related to your legal issue or base any decision off of the 

content from this article. 

Can You Keep a 

Secret? 

Mariessa Terrell is President of the Board of Directors of the 

Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts (www.waladc.org). 

She is an intellectual property attorney, brander and founder 

of SBC Law Group with over 10 years experience providing 

intellectual property law services to fashion designers, defense 

contractors, non profits and start ups. Mariessa endeavors 

to make the trademark registration process simple and 

affordable by helping clients select marks that will be afforded 

the most protection, conducting comprehensive searches of 

potential trademarks and filing trademark applications with 

the US Patent and Trademark Office. Prior to starting her own 

firm, Mariessa worked as Trademark Examining Attorney with 

the United States Patent and Trademark Office and helped to 

register thousands of fashion brands including, Revlon, L’oreal, 

Estee Lauder, Balenciaga, Chanel, Dooney and Burke, Avon 

and countless others. 

www.sbclawgroup.com 

www.fashiontrademarks.biz 

by Mariessa Terrell, Esq. 

62 


Collect things with a simple touch 

Experience digital media in the real world 

Build a social timeline with the things that interest you 

Engage with the world in real-time 

Setup a consultation for your upcoming event or tradeshow! 

Ariana Speirs 

Sales & Event Specialist 

O: 855-299-4395 

M: 801-556-2063 

E: ariana@poken.com 

www.poken.com

BUSINESS 

TOYS 

By Javin Forrest 

PDJ 

Ever have one of those times when you wish you had a portable DJ station that fits in your pocket? 

Well, this summer that wish will come true. Korea’s JD Sound will be releasing a solution to the US in 

the summer of 2013 called PDJ (portable DJ). This miniature device packs all the bells and whistles 

that you need to create a groove as a professional DJ into pocket-friendly unit. Designed to offer a 

plethora of features that you would find in a full sized unit, the PDJ comes with 2 color LCD touch 

panels. Each panel has a 320 x 240 pixel resolution that allows for menu access, sample control, adding 

effects, virtual turntables, and more. There are also six rotary controls, independent Play/Pause & Cue 

Transport buttons (per deck) and a cross fader. There are ports for monitoring, microphone input, line 

out stereo, and a mini-USB, and as well as an SD Card. It’s LiPol battery will allow you to keep the music 

going for 12 hours per charge. Dimensions of the PDJ with in at 250 x 66 x 16.8 mm (9.8 x 2.6 x 0.6 in), 

286 g (10 oz) and it has 4 GB of internal storage. In 

short, this is a party in your pocket and would serve 

as an excellent gift to any music enthusiast. 

Cost: $600 

http://www.jdsound.co.kr/index.asp 

HG-One 

Is it a drill, or a perhaps mini jet engine? The HG 

One is a mix of old meets new. This pristine 

machine is designed to bring home the quality of 

a large expensive coffee grinder to any espresso 

or coffee enthusiast that’s willing to crank away to 

their hearts content. The construction uses precisely 

aligned conical burrs that are standard within any 

good grinder. Inside this beast lays a clean design of 

hardened steel gears upon a stainless steel shaft that 

is durable & easy to maintain. It’s good ol’ fashion 

human strength combined with a futuristic machine 

to deliver an excellent grind. 

Cost: $900 HG-one.com 

Nitecore’s 

TM26 

Need a light or four? Coming in at a combined weight of 

just over 15 ounces is Nitecore’s TM26. This QuadRay 

Beam Cannon produces a whopping 3,500 lumens, which is 

comparable to what a video projector in a conference room 

can put out. It has LEDs so powerful that the manufacturer 

incorporated built-in electronics to prevent it from overheating. 

There is an OLED display on the side that will show you how 

warm it’s getting along with various other settings. This is all 

controlled from two stage single button switches on the side, 

which allow you to choose from 8 brightness levels and modes. 

It has a remarkable runtime of 1,000 hours on a set of four 

lithium-ion batteries. This is all housed inside an aerospacegrade 

aluminum alloy that is submersible to up to two meters 

of water (Waterproof IPX-8). 

Cost: 390 

Nitecore.com 

64 


NEST 

Most people do not think much of their thermostat at home… until they become 

aware that it controls half your energy bill. Meet Nest, the self learning thermostat. 

This device will not only learn your heating and cooling habits when you are home, 

but it will also automatically program itself and tune things when you are away. 

Just use it like your previous thermostat and it will learn each time you set it. It can 

learn your comfort zone at night and in the morning and it will adapt with your life 

changes. This smart device also 

has the ablity to be controlled 

remotely from anywhere and 

can be aware of upcoming peak 

energy periods from your power 

company. It will then fine tune 

your heating to use less energy 

during expensive periods. 

COST: $249.99 

Nest.com 

Siva Cycle Atom 

Going on a bike ride? Why not charge your phone or USB 

device at the same time? The Siva Cycle Atom can do that 

for you. It connects to your bicycle seamlessly and without 

any tools to provide enough power to keep your device 

charged on the go. It can also charge a portable battery 

that you can use with your device at the end of a bike ride. 

It has a compact design that is durable enough for rain 

or shine to keep your lights lit for the road and devices 

charging through each turn. 

MSRP $105.00 

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/332999904/the-sivacycle-atom-powering-your-life-one-pedal-a 

Music Machine 

The intricate beauty of a music box is something 

that will never fade with time., especially when it’s 

designed by the renowned horological creators 

REUGE & MB&F. They have taken their 150 

years of expertise and their unique and exquisite 

line of timepieces to create The MusicMachine. 

This eye-catching vessel first appears to be a 

cross between an aeronautical hydroplane and 

a spaceship from a galaxy far, far away. The 

micro-engineering of the vessel comes with two 

brass cylinders that play three tunes, each about 

35 seconds in length. The left barrel plays two 

‘Star Wars’ themes & one from ‘Star Trek’. The 

cylinder on the right plays Pinks Floyd’s ‘Another 

Brick in the Wall’, Deep Purple’s ‘Smoke on the 

Water’ and ‘John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’. Only 66 of 

these will be produced. Half will be in white and 

the other half will be in black lacquer. 

Cost: $13,000 

http://mbandf.com/machines/performance-art/ 

musicmachine/#/intro

WHERE TO EAT.STAY.CHILL 

WELCOME TO MIAMI 

If you’re looking for a fabulous weekend getaway filled with international 

glamour, excitement and tons of hotspots, then Miami is the place. In 

this edition of Eat, Stay & Chill, we’re taking you on a stylish weekend 

rendezvous through the nation’s most sizzling city. 

By Milissa Mathai 

The Sagamore Hotel 

JUVIA 

WHERE TO EAT 

The Edge Steakhouse, Four Seasons Miami 

The Edge Steakhouse situated in the Four Seasons Hotel 

with its casual luxe atmosphere is a relaxing break from 

the high-octane music and décor Miami is known for. 

Chow down on succulent steaks grilled to perfection 

and share delicious appetizers like shrimp and grits 

and baked potatoes with a gourmet twist. EDGE, Four 

Seasons Miami, 1435 Brickell Avenue, (305) 381-3190 

Juvia 

Juvia’s camouflaged, penthouse location provides 

breathtaking panoramic views of the city and ocean. It’s 

incredibly beautiful by day, and ultra sultry and romantic 

by night. Juvia’s Executive Chef Sunny Oh, who controls 

the kitchen at Nobu for a decade, seamlessly blends the 

flavors and culinary traditions of Asia, France, and South 

America. Expect to find mouth-watering appetizers like 

Causa Croquettes; Sugarcane skewered Hawaiian Blue 

Prawn, Sautéed Duck Margret and Chilean Sea Bass. 

But don’t forget the best part: dessert. Those who have 

a sweet tooth should definitely try the Chocolate Candy 

Bar or Choco Croustilla - a delicious way to wrap up a 

meal. Juvia, 1111 Lincoln Road, (305) 763-8272 

66 


WHERE TO STAY 

The W Hotel South Beach 

The notorious W South Beach hotel is known for having one of 

the most unforgettable views of the Atlantic and has been notes 

as being one of the most gorgeous beachfronts in Miami. It could 

make anyone want to settle down and set-up residence in one 

of its suites. With an in-house Bliss Spa and an impressive list 

of restaurant partners including celebrity-magnet Mr. Chow 

and The Dutch, W South Beach solidifies its spot as the choice 

destination hotel for both W’s jet-set guests and Miami’s most 

fashionable locals. W Hotel South Beach, 2201 Collins Avenue, 

(305) 938-3000 

The Sagamore Hotel 

The Sagamore Hotel stays true to Miami’s eclectic style by 

blending the art scene inspiration with contemporary design. 

Each modern suite is complete with a balcony overlooking the 

pool and/or the ocean. The convenient location allows you to be 

steps away from Miami’s hottest clubs and restaurants. 

Sagamore Hotel, 1671 Collins Ave Miami Beach, (305) 535-8088 

JUVIA 

WHERE TO CHILL 

Hyde Beach 

Out of all of the clubs in Miami, Hyde Beach at the SLS hotel 

takes the cake. The chic crowd, amazing DJs and delicious 

cocktails all come together for an unforgettable night out. Rub 

shoulders with Miami’s glitterati and dancing the night away in 

true Miami fashion. SLS Hotel, 1701 Collins Ave, (305) 674-1701 

The Edge Steakhouse 

Bal Harbour Shops 

The Bal Harbour Shops is one of America’s most exclusive 

malls and a candy store for fashionistas! From Roberto Cavalli, 

Calypso St. Barth, GUCCI and more. The tree-lined shopping 

oasis will satisfy all of your couture cravings. 

Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Avenue, (305) 866-0311

CULTURE | TRAVEL 

La Mamounia 

A STAY FIT FOR PRINCES AND PRINCESSES 

Photos courtesy La Mamounia

The name of La Mamounia can be traced back to 

the eighteenth century. Its story starts with the King Sidi 

Mohammed Ben Abdellah who was customary to offer 

his sons, as a wedding gift, a house and a garden located 

outside the Kasbah. This is how Abdessalam, Mamoun, 

Moussa, and Hassan were to become the place names of 

the gardens that the king would offer them. These gardens 

“Arsats” are still known today, but only the arsat al-Mamoun 

was destined to become famous and inspire the name of La 

Mamounia. 

It is said that the prince used to hold extraordinary 

garden parties (named “nzaha” in Arabic) in the park for 

entertainment, which is now a popular amusement in 

many Moroccan cities. The magnificent remaining garden 

of such royal registrar combined with its 8 acres of ground 

and marvellous flora has the effect of leaving guests utterly 

delighted with all that they see. From the beginning, La 

Mamounia proved itself to be a true monument combining 

the traditional Moroccan architecture with the Art Deco style. 

From the beginning of its story, La Mamounia 

has never been large enough to satisfy all the guests who 

wanted to be accommodated. Until the end of thirties, the 

hotel had only fifty rooms. But it was expanded in 1946 to 

include 100 rooms, then refurbished successively in 1950, 

1953, 1986 and finally in 2006 for a reopening with 210 keys 

on September 29th 2009. 

Throughout the years, visitors from the four corners 

of the globe come to La Mamounia.


51 Buckingham Gate 

51 Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites & Residences has unveiled its new Cinema Suite, 

created by acclaimed Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee. A journey through 

world cinema and an ode to tradition, this 1,832 square foot two bedroom suite, 

with a dining room, study, powder room and kitchen, has been is designed in 

tribute to the history of film and takes inspiration from motion pictures across 

the globe. Aptly, the Cinema Suite opened just ahead of celebrations marking 

100 years of Indian cinema in 1913. The suite is inspired most notably by the era 

of 1940s and 1950s Hollywood and Indian Cinema. Guests will find reference 

to masters like Ray, Coppola and Bergman in the imposing study, world cinema 

leaders like Majidi, Wong Kar-Wai and Almodovar amongst the cultured kitch of 

the living room and echoes of The Stepford Wives in the kitchen. One bedroom 

is reminiscent of the golden Hollywood era of Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe 

whilst the other draws on colonial inspiration and renowned Indian artists 

such as Guru Dutt, Merchant Ivory and Bimal Roy. The suite is a celebration of 

personalised detail and global culture. Visitors will marvel at breathtakingly rare 

Bollywood film prints, remarkable history books, vintage mirrors and a myriad 

of portraits and drawings. From the leather Chesterfield to precious glassware, 

intriguing art and antique rugs, world arts and crafts are displayed throughout. 

Each wall is a work of art in itself, with striking Nina Campbell wallpapers in burnt 

orange, black and red and curios collected from over 32 different cultures. The 

suite displays sumptuous silk drapery, magnificent oak flooring, priceless antique 

furniture and ornaments such as rare Chinese porcelain, Bhutanese frames and 

1920s embroidered Indian lamps. The Cinema Suite is an urban cocoon featuring 

cutting-edge technology blending perfectly with the glamorous design. The 85 

inch plasma cinema screen, with a 3D state of the art home theatre system, is the 

biggest private screen in a London hotel suite. The world-class Steinway Lyngdorf 

cinema system makes for a fully immersive cinematic experience which raises the 

bar for in-hotel audiovisual offerings. Preloaded with a repertoire of over 300 

international motion pictures, books and music, it acknowledges that time is well 

spent amongst films, art and culture. Whilst utterly different in style, the Cinema 

Suite is the second designer collaboration for 51 Buckingham Gate, following 

the autumn 2011 launch of the world’s first Jaguar Suite which was conceived 

by Jaguar Design Director, Ian Callum. For more information on 51 Buckingham 

Gate visit: www.51-buckinghamgate.co.uk


CONVENTO RESTAURANTE DIVINUS 

CONVENTO CLOISTER 

Martinhal Beach 

The Luxury and Magnificence 

of Portugal’s Five-Star Trio 

By Barney Lehrer and Jesse Nash 

Luxurious five-star accommodations, prizewinning 

architecture, world-class gourmet food 

and the finest wines - where are we? St. Tropez? 

Paris? Rome? Nope! It’s Portugal, the unsung 

luxury destination at the southwestern tip of 

Europe. 

We recently stayed at the “Five-Star 

Trio” of hotels in three magnificent regions of 

Portugal. This is a cooperative marketing program 

which is the brainchild of Chitra and Roman Stern, 

developers and owners of Martinhal Beach Resort 

& Hotel, the relatively new (2010) five-star resort, 

as a way to introduce visitors to this varied and 

enchanting country. 

Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel, 

Western Algarve 

Known as “Europe’s most famous 

secret,” the rolling hills, dramatic coastlines 

and sandy beaches of the Algarve in southern 

Portugal provide a wonderful getaway spot. And 

every Portuguese schoolchild knows of Sagres, 

referred to by early geographers as “the western 

edge of the earth.” According to popular legend, 

it was in his villa on the rugged Sagres Peninsula 

that Prince Henry the Navigator established a 

school of navigation and mapmakers in the early 

1400s; and it was certainly from Sagres that he 

sponsored pioneering voyages along the coast of 

Africa. 

The stunning Martinhal Beach Resort 

& Hotel, just outside the sleepy little town of 

Sagres, is the only five-star property in this lovely, 

unspoiled corner of the western Algarve. And 

what a resort! Surrounded by the Costa Vicentina 

National Park, it’s the jewel of the region, with 

its opulence, exceptional restaurants, extensive 

sports and recreation venues, spa and stunning 

setting. What’s more, it welcomes children and 

is designed not only for couples in search of a 

relaxing escape, but also with families in mind. 

It even offers villa rentals and villas that can be 

purchased outright or on “leaseback” terms. In 

total, between the 38 boutique hotel rooms and 

the over 150 spacious designer villas, the resort 

has about 1000 beds. 

It takes a pioneering spirit and a lot 

of vision to create a magical place like this from 

nothing, and sure enough, Chitra, a native of 

Singapore, and her Swiss husband Roman 

Stern are a very special couple. Chitra’s father 

immigrated to Singapore from India, were he still 

has many business interests. Roman’s father is a 

well-known lawyer and property developer whose 

interests include the Liss Ard Country Estate, a 

resort in County Cork, Ireland. The couple hired 

award-winning British architectural firm Conrad 

and Partners to do the overall design and British 

furniture and interior designer Michael Sodeau 

for the interiors. The Sterns run the resort with 

the efficiency and attention to detail renowned in 

their native countries, while making sure that the 

renowned Portuguese charm and warm hospitality 

dominate the atmosphere. And, as parents of four 

young children themselves, they made sure that 

the resort is set up to accommodate the needs 

of families, including play areas for different age 

groups in all parts of the resort, as well as trained 

babysitters who take over the kid care when a 

couple would like to have some romantic moments 

alone. 

“We understand the needs of families 

on holiday,” explains Chitra. “There must be 

opportunities for children of all age groups, as well 

as ways for parents to have time alone.” 

Although the Martinhal Beach Resort 

& Hotel has only been open since 2010, it has 

already been recognized as one of the top resorts 

in Europe. Indeed, it won the 2012 Europe’s 

Leading Villa Resort Award from World Travel 

Awards. 

Our motto for this resort is, “Come for 

the sea, stay for the good life!” 

74 

Martinhal Beach Resort 


FOUR SEASONS 

Martinhal Beach Resort 

Photos Courtesy Jesse Nash 

Convento do Espinheiro, Évora 

From the Algarve, we drove two and a half hours north to the beautiful 

ancient university city of Évora, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Established 

as a city for more than 2000 years, Évora became a second home for Portuguese 

royalty during the 15th and 16th centuries. Around 1400 it is said that an apparition 

of the Virgin Mary appeared above a thornbush (espinheiro, in Portuguese) 

outside of Évora. It became a sacred site and in 1458 the local bishop ordered 

the building of a monastery and church that was to be a home of the Order of 

Saint Jerome. The Convento was the site of many Portuguese and Spanish kings’ 

religious retreats and ceremonies. The Order was mostly dissolved in the mid 19th 

century and the property fell into ruin. 

Fortunately, in 1999, the Camacho family, from the Portuguese island 

of Madeira, bought it and planned its transformation into a five-star hotel. In 2005, 

after painstaking years of meticulous restoration, it opened as the Convento 

do Espinheiro Hotel and Spa (http://www.conventodoespinheiro.com/en), the 

first five-star hotel in Alentejo province and a national historic monument. This 

magnificent hotel offers opulent accommodations, a fantastic restaurant that 

serves traditional Portuguese food in a modern style, a spa recognized as one of 

the best in Portugal and many other luxury features. 

Dinis Pires, the General Manager of the Convento, took great joy in 

telling us the history of the property. “The Convento do Espinheiro is a national 

treasure,” he says “and I am humbled to be its caretaker.” He first brought us 

to the huge vaulted restaurant, which was the convent’s wine cellar. Across a 

corridor from the restaurant entrance is the magnificently restored church, now a 

venue for weddings and other religious events. Dinis patiently guided us through 

the extensive artwork in the church, including its superb tile murals of the life of 

St. Jerome. We visited the former royal residences, now transformed into suites 

fit for a king, and then moved on to the bar, which was originally the monastery’s 

refectory. Before dinner we wandered into the adega (wine bar) for a tasting of 

fabulous Alentejo wines paired with local cheeses and charcuterie. The adega, 

which is furnished with stylish alabaster tables and bars, was once the convent’s 

gothic cistern. 

Our motto for this hotel: “Come for the history, stay for the luxury!” 

Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon 

Towering over Lisbon’s main square, the Marques de Pombal, stands 

a large, handsome building with a simple sign on top: “Ritz.” This is the Four 

Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon, the premier hotel property in Lisbon. Upon arrival, 

doormen who already knew our names greeted us warmly, and then walked us 

into an enormous elegant lobby decorated with spectacular flower arrangements. 

Then it was up to the 10th floor, to our stunningly beautiful rooms with balconies 

overlooking the Marques de Pombal (and most of the rest of historic central 

Lisbon). 

The view is fabulous, the room is fabulous, the service is impeccable 

(the housekeeping staff even neatly folds your clothes!) and the whole atmosphere 

of the Ritz Four Seasons makes you never want to leave! 

Of course, most five-star hotels offer good fitness facilities. But the 

Lisbon Ritz Four Seasons takes the concept of fitness centers to a (quite literally) 

much higher level. The 7,535 square-foot center covers the entire rooftop of the 

building, offering breathtaking views of the city and the Tagus River. It features 

an exercise room, two yoga studios, a 1,313-foot outdoor running track and a 

fully equipped traditional Pilates studio. What appears to be a beautiful indoor 

swimming pool overlooking the hotel’s gardens was under renovation during our 

visit, but a luxurious spa in the basement offers massages, a Turkish bath and a 

sauna. You can easily spend all day at the hotel, it has so much to offer. 

And the restaurant! Overlooking Eduardo VII Park and the hotel’s 

terraces, the Varanda Restaurant features a rich variety of French-style cuisine 

as well as some authentic and diverse Portuguese dishes. Executive chef Pascal 

Meynard, a native of the Basque area of southern France, previously owned his 

own restaurants in Tasmania and the Canadian Rockies and served as executive 

chef at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva, Switzerland, and the 

Four Seasons Hotel Montreal, Canada. For us he decided on a very French, 

multi-course gourmet tasting meal of seafood and meats, accompanied by special 

Portuguese wines. We began with an amuse bouche of foam celery with roasted 

red mullet with truffle condiment. The first appetizer was ObsiBlue prawn, and the 

second scallops with caviar Baeri. Then came the first course of roast cod with 

miso and seaweed salad and crunchy vegetables, followed by a second course of 

poularde (a specially fattened chicken) de Bresse, with lemon gnocchi and green 

asparagus. This amazing meal ended with a fabulous desert of made of cheese 

Bavaroise. Fantastique! 

Our motto for this hotel: “Come for the comfort, stay for the opulence!” 

Seeing Portugal in Style 

What a better way to discover the wonders of Portugal than 

by staying in style in this five-star trio -- each one unique, each one 

offering an unforgettable experience. Marvelous in every way -- or as 

they say in Portuguese, “Maravilhoso!” We’ll be back! 

FOUR SEASONS TRACK

CULTURE | GRAPHIC ART 

THE UNIVERSE OF HUSHI ROBOT 

isual Artist and Fashion Designer, Hushidar Robot Mortezaie 

creates a fantasy cosmos of wide-eyed child-like illustrations 

that reflect his own journey of creativity that began in the early 

90’s NY Underground fashion/art scene through unique personal 

style and applauding the fearless outsider who stands out yet 

finds connection and unity in all his surroundings. His artwork 

and clothing line. 

Some of Hushi’s past achievements have been his 

buying and trend forecasting for the Patricia Field boutique 

which led to the Japanese Pop phenomenon of the early nineties 

that took over the U.S. and abroad. He also began the rise of 

Iranian calligraphy on textiles and initiated a call for the younger 

generation’s exploration of their middle eastern identity through 

celebration,art, and transcending stereotype. 

“Hushi” Was born In Tehran and immigrated in 1975 to 

the bay area of California, at the age of three. He attended UC 

Berkley for Fine Arts in 1991 and moved to NYC for 10 and a 

half years with his design and business partner Michael Sears. 

Together they formed the art/fashion label “Michael and Hushi”. 

The designs were featured in several fashion magazines 

such as W and Italian Vogue as well as worn by celebrities like 

Madonna, Britney Spears, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Brad Pitt. 

Hushi’s signature aesthetic is a collage of multi-cultural critique 

and the contradictory celebration and negation of beauty and 

branding. His mainstays are drawing, painting, silkscreen printing, 

and multi-media collage. 

His work has been featured in galleries across the U.S., 

Japan, Europe, Dubai and Iran. 

76 


About the Brand: 

The Quest for Love, Individuality, and self-expression guide "Hushi Robot" through his voyage into other-worldly dimensions, 

galaxies and virtual dream states. 

The Little Boy made up of metal “installs love and deletes hate ”wherever he goes. Through his travels he discover other 

species, absorbs different cultures, and new ways of looking beyond surface and stereotype to embrace all the beauty and originality 

of the inhabitants that make up the colorful infinite universe of Hushi Robot. The collection can be viewed on www.hushirobot.com 

and sold only to specialty stores around the world.

INTERNATIONAL 

CREATING A NEW MOVEMENT IN 

ENTREPRENEURISMMeet Patti DeSante 

by Marilyn R. Wilson 

The last decade has seen a growing number of individuals 

leave the corporate world to follow their passion. One striking example is 

Patti DeSante. At the pinnacle of her career, she walked away to launch 

her company, and then 13 years later made the life-altering decision 

to embrace a Zen Chaplaincy and Ujamaah. Ujamaah is a conscious 

business working to create Dream Spaces in developing countries that 

would utilize tools such as indigenous Hip Hop to ignite each person’s 

entrepreneurial spirit. The goal – to resource, re-energize and reroute 

the story of development. 

DeSante was a solitary child who loved spending time in 

nature. As a teenager, her independent spirit chose to embrace widely 

diverse friends from all school groups. Working in a hospice at the age 

of 14 opened the door to the pursuit of a career in medicine, but several 

things changed her direction – a love of play, the grind of uninspiring 

studies and a handsome geophysicist. After taking a geology course, 

the appealing vision of a lifetime spent outdoors called. Geology, it was. 

When DeSante graduated, gas deregulation was being 

introduced in parts of Canada. Working as a Natural Gas Broker became 

the holy grail. Although lacking the required MBA in Engineering, an 

innate ability to connect with the right people landed her the job and she 

quickly became one of the top sales agents. The position came with a 

lot of creative freedom. “I always worked in non-traditional businesses 

and we were there to do everything non-traditional we could. It was a 

blast!” This was the high life of big paychecks, fishing trips, corporate 

excursions to Disneyland and more. 

The impetus for 

change came with the birth 

of her daughter. DeSante 

remembers, “As far as I knew 

this was just a two week blip 

in my life. But once I gave 

birth, I put every part of my 

soul into it. It was the biggest 

turning point in my life.” The 

family’s move to a small 

community on Bowen Island 

was also profound. The island 

offered deep friendships with 

many educated, creative 

individuals including the 

executive director of the local 

Dali Lama Center where 

she joined an organizing 

committee. Then came two 

key mentors – Anne Ironside, 

a brilliant woman who helped 

to found the University 

of British Columbia’s first 

Women’s Resource Center, 

and Roshi Joan Halifax who 

started the Upaya Institute 

where DeSante would earn 

her chaplaincy. 

What drew DeSante 

to study at Upaya was 

Roshi’’s focus on using the 

discipline of meditation to affect change in existing world institutions. 

Opportunities arose to learn from leading edge neuroscientists, 

organization gurus out of MIT and international policy makers while 

working with street kids added a different perspective. All meshed 

to ignite a new fire. “I felt a growing desire to give a greater voice to 

these under-represented street-wise youth.” Her world expanded again 

when Silas Balabyekkubo of Bavubuka Foundation and James Kamau 

of Canada Youth Initiatives entered her life. The concept of Ujamaah 

began to take shape. Then came a cutting edge forum where visionary 

Otto Scharmer from MIT shared, “The future of the world is building 

enabling spaces to cultivate creative capital.” 

The term Ujamaah means my economic well-being is 

interdependent on your economic well-being. Simply put, we grow our 

wealth together. Ujamaah’s vision on how to accomplish this globally is 

Dream Spaces. In these centers, language would be maintained, culture 

respected, creativity and passion encouraged and success defined 

locally. “These are spaces to celebrate each person’s uniqueness and 

resource their skills, so individuals can become true leaders in their 

community. It’s about an entrepreneurial movement that will work to 

affect change in their relationships and lives – a movement that will shift 

the political and educational systems that are maintaining the status 

quo.” To this goal, DeSante brings her extensive 20-years of experience 

in the corporate world. “I am a clearing house. I know how to form an 

organization that would connect people, put all their resources in one 

place and maximize the efficiency of where those resources go – a 

place of sharing and networking.” 

On June 15 th , Desante launched “InspiredDrive”to generate 

seed capital for her work. Accompanied by a Hip Hop artist and a 

Molecular Biologist, the tour will feature dynamic interviews with 

individuals on how being engaged with something you love can 

transform your life. Daily written and video updates will be available on 

the InspiredDrive website and virtual followers are challenged to help 

the tour reach a goal of 1000+ people offering $10 each and every day. 

To follow and be a part of the “InspiredDrive” tour, go to www. 

inspireddrive.com. More information on Ujamaah’s Dream Spaces can 

be found on their website at http://ujamaah.tumblr.com/ 

Image by Peter Jensen Photography 

78 


INTERNATIONAL 

PRESERVING 3,000 YEARS OF 

TRADITION THROUGH FASHION 

Meet Adriana Santacruz 

By Marilyn R. Wilson 

Photography: Hernán Puentes (www.hernanpuentes.com) 

Styling: Ana María Londoño - Revista Fucsia 

Make Up and Hair: Alex Ospina 

Model: Ariadna Gutierrez from Contacto Básico (www.contactobasico.com) 


Colombian designer Adriana 

Santacruz exudes excitement when talking 

about her work – eyes flash, hands gesture 

dramatically and her face glows. No wonder. 

In her world, fashion is an art form defined by 

a love of beautiful garments walking hand in 

hand with social responsibility and a desire 

to preserve 3,000 year old traditions. Her 

collections seamlessly blend contemporary 

concepts with cultural roots. Each garment 

is a timeless classic created by skilled local 

artisans. 

Fashion has always been a part of 

Santacruz’s life. As a child she would dress 

friends up in adult clothing and put on shows 

to rounds of applause. As she grew, a new 

passion emerged that would define her future 

in fashion – the desire to rescue indigenous 

traditions. University studies in Spain led 

her to research the relationship between 

scientific knowledge and tribal lore. On 

return to Colombia, the designer’s successful 

participation in Expoartesanias and Bogotá 

Fashion Week propelled her into the media 

spotlight. She quickly began to garner local 

and international honors – El Lapiz de Acerro 

Azul, Colombia’s highest fashion award; a 

scholarship to study at the Istituto Marangoni 

in Milan; the Bienal Latin American prize; an 

invitation to share the runway with Agatha Ruiz 

de la Prada: and more. 

Santacruz’s collection is produced by 

descendants of her local tribe – the ancestral 

indigenous culture of “Los Pathos.” Working 

closely with these aboriginal people brings 

prosperity and improved conditions to their 

village while allowing the designer to offer a 

truly unique line. Local craftsmen work with 

age-old techniques such as “the art of the four 

rustic sticks” to weave fabric, which is then 

dyed using traditional methods. The finished 

garment offers a beautiful counterpoint to the 

mass-produced work seen in today’s fashion 

industry - a play between simplicity and 

complexity that will surely become a cherished 

part of one’s wardrobe. 

Fall/Winter 2013 reflects 

contemporary concepts blended seamlessly 

with cultural roots and infused with a hint of 

the Orient. The collection’s warm palette of 

fall colours – yellow, brick, brown and black – 

was created using Ikat, Tie Dye and Mooring 

techniques. Hand-loomed fabrics are fashioned 

into coats, ponchos and wraps. Silhouettes 

drape softly around the body and have an 

unexpected swing as you walk. There is a hint 

of denim as well as a few select separates to 

complete the looks. Each garment is an artistic 

composition marked by a touch of the worker’s 

hands. No two garments are exactly alike. 

Since 2009, Santacruz has 

increasingly stepped onto the world stage. 

Recently nominated as Colombia’s official 

representative to World Fashion Week 2013, the 

designer will soon be in Paris for the Inaugural 

Ceremony. While being an ambassador for her 

country is a role she embraces with pride, she 

also welcomes the opportunity to encourage 

the preservation of culture and traditional skills 

to a wider audience. For Adriana Santacruz, 

fashion and social responsibility walk hand in 

hand and she wouldn’t have it any other way. 

For information on U.S. distribution 

please contact Monica Macia at mmacia@ 

tribalelegance.com . To visit the designer’s 

website go to http://www.adrianasantacruz. 

com/.

INTERNATIONAL 

FALL 

FASHION 

preview 

At New York Fashion Week this past spring, designers gave us 

a preview of what will be trending and what must have items you 

should incorporate into your wardrobe for autumn 2013. 

Some of my favorite trends were the bright yellows, reds and 

oranges seen on everything from Nautica's super cool jackets 

for men to adorable day dresses by Rebecca Minkoff. However, 

the color that took center stage on many of the runways was the 

color of royalty. Yes, purple showed it's magnificence in a variety 

of silhouettes and fabrics. We saw it in fur at the Vexenia show, 

in tweed on the Richard Chai runway, and on breathtaking dress 

coats at Ralph Rucci. And the fun has just begun. My excitement 

soared after glimpsing the clear, yes clear boots on the Ralph 

Rucci models and the thigh-high boots at BCBG. So, make some 

room on our shoe shelves because high boots are a must have 

this fall. For evening, red is always a staple as shown by Monique 

Lhuillier and Badgely Mischka. For more casual looks for nightfall, 

Czar by Cesar Galindo and Emerson prove that metallics and 

textures are right on target for the stylish of hearts. 

Photos by Emily Lockard 

BCBG BCBG BADGLEY MISCHKA EMERSON 

BADGLEY MISCHKA 

CZAR 

CZAR 

EMERSON 

82 


monique lhuillier 

monique lhuillier 

nautica 

nautica 

Ralph rucCi 

Ralph rucCi

INTERNATIONAL 

VENEXIANA 

Rebecca minkoff 

Rebecca minkoff 

RICHARD CHAI 

RICHARD CHAI 

VENEXIANA

INTERNATIONAL 

Backstage at the 

Dsquared Show at 

Milan Fashion Week 

Design duo Dean and Dan Caten do it again at their most recent 

fashion show during Milan Fashion Week. Their Fall 2013 collection 

is all about details and sophistication while being reminiscent 

of some the most glamourous days of past. Take a glimpse of 

their vision of what you should be wearing this upcoming autumn 

season. 


Photos by Roy Schweiger

RAINE MAGAZINE Volume 16 | Innovate

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