RAINE MAGAZINE Volume 8 | Innovate

DESIGN AND INNOVATE ISSUE 

8

evening and resort 

WWW.NOVALORRAINE.COM

EDITOR’S NOTE 

 

WELCOME TO RAINE MAGAZINE 

 

I welcome you to take a journey through the vivid pages of Raine Magazine. Get lost in the stunning photography and get 

 

inspired by personal stories of the top entrepreneurs in fashion, entertainment, culture and business. We are very excited 

about this issue. We bring you talent from New York, Miami, The Netherlands, Van Couver, China and more. 

 

Each of our entrepreneurial leaders impressed our team with their innovative stories or products. Get captivated by the 

 

modern design process of Prophetik. Read about some of the newest website launches in fashion. See the shorelines of 

 

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Before you leave the pages of Raine, listen to the smooth sounds of Res, a beautiful independent recording artist and get a 

 

taste of what it's like to chill at the Polar Lounge or dine at Tresanti. 

 

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A special mention to some of the talents from Volume 7, The Hollywood Issue: 

 

Photographers: 

 

Evan Browning: Photographed Fresh Face Model - Krista Gamble 

www.evan-browning.com 

 

Steve Zak: Photographed Fresh Face Models - Elisabeth Resch and Mark Dimuzio 

www.stevezak.com 

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www.ellathecollection.com 

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RAINE 

The Creative and Unconventional Entrepreneur 

MAGAZINE 

Vol.8 

EDITORIAL TEAM 

Nova Lorraine – Founder/Creative Director 

Sam Morris– Features Editor 

Marilyn Wilson – Senior Editor 

Mary Lafayette - Editor 

MARKETING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: 

Noelle Frieson 

EDITORIAL TEAM: 

N ovaL orain e–F ou n d er/C reativeD irector 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS : 

SPECIAL THANKS: 

Sam M oris–M an agin gE d itor 

Lauren Applebaum 

Jordan Cavaliero 

Milena Jakovljevic M arilyn W ilson –Sen iorE d itor 

Monique Forrest 

Tamara Walker 

Nicole Stone 

Jaeme Griffin MARKETING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Gregory Williams 

Chaz Busutill 

N oeleF rieson 

Philiane Phang 

Akin Fadairo 

Soulgee McQueen 

CONTRIBUTING 

Leticia Young 

WRITERS : 

GRAPHIC DESIGN: 

Felicia Crawford 

N in aU d eagh aG regR obertson Natasha Gabriel 

Shakira MNobles 

ilen aJakovljevic 

M artin aM arko 

Frederique Porter 

Gregory Koutrouby Sh akiraN obles 

JavierH ern an d ez 

Vered Koshlano 

Suezette GRobotham 

regoryK ou trou by 

Destah Su Owens ezeteR oboth am 

SPECIAL THANKS: RESEARCH: 

Bonnie Gleicher Jord an C avaliero 

M on iqu eF orest 

Krystal Bailey 

Nina Udeagha N icoleSton eG regoryW iliam Carlotta sHarrington 

D estah O w en sP h ilian eP h an gNinah Bell 

B on n ieG leich Sou lgeM cQ u en Sherrie Spears 

GRAPHIC DESIGN: 

N atash aG abriel 

Martina Marko RESEARCH: 

F red eriqu eP orter 

MEDIA: 

Javier Hernandez K rystalB ailey 

V ered K osh lan oGeff Yabes 

C arlotaH arin gton 

E .L ock 

N in ah B el 

COVER CREDITS 

MEDIA: 

Ruthie Davis 

COVER CREDITS 

G eff Yabes 

www.ruthiedavis.com 

G eorgeK on taxis 

w w w .georgekon taxis.com 

Raine Magazine 

 

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REINE7-final-3-28-11-all-pages.indd 2 

3/28/11 1:18 PM

RAINE 

The Creative and Unconventional Entrepreneur 

guts and glory 

28 

MAGAZINE 

Vol.8 

GERSHON 

26BLYDEN 

CHILLIN LIKE A 

VILLON 

interview with 

mark quavillon 

where to eat.stay.chill 

bizz buzz 

34 

TECH TOYS 

CHILL AT THE 

POLAR LOUNGE 

20 New York City 

24 

EAT AT THE 

TRESANTI 

48 

62 

YILA DONG 

lanscape & fashion 

photographer 

36 

RAINEMAKERS 

42 

NEXT LEVEL 

STOCKIN UP 

hoseanna.com 

PAGE 

fashion 

6MY CANVAS 

IS CLOTHIES 

8RUTHIE DAVIS 

fierce, sexy, fun 

12 

THE NEW 

NAUTICA 

backstage pass 

RES: MUSICIAN16 

a dose of culture 

FUNNELSCOPE 46 

50 

BELIZE 

gateway 

to central 

america & 

beyond 

MARK DEMAIO 

54 

painter, nyc 

INNOVATIVE INTERIORS 56 

international spotlight 

BRENDA 

DE VRIES 

photographer60 

66 

NEW YORK 

FASHION WEEK 

what’s in store for fall 

76 

FRESH FACE 

MODEL

FASHION & BEYOND 

PROPHETIK 

My Canvas 

is Clothes 

BY MARILYN R. WILSON 

Designer Jeff Garner’s soft voice and easy manner speak of his Tennessee roots. These 

same roots ground him and influence all that he creates. When he launched Prophetik 

in 2002, the artist had a vision “...to showcase how things could be done in a more 

positive way.” His goal – to influence designers, change consumers and move the 

industry in a new direction. Every collection also has a message. “I think as artists we all 

have a a story to tell and we have a canvas. My canvas is clothes.” 

Garner was raised on a horse ranch outside of Nashville. Days at home were spent 

doing chores, riding horses, three-wheeling and getting lost in the woods. At school, he 

filled the expected role of athlete, participating in football, wrestling and cross country. 

In private, the soul of the artist was slowly growing. As a child he would sneak into the 

closet with his sister’s Barbie Magic Slate and draw. One peel to erase and he would 

start all over. It wasn’t about keeping the images, but creating them. In his teens, the 

farm’s close proximity to Nashville provided friends that nourished Garner’s soul – 

musicians. “I ended up spending a lot of time with them. I would jump on tour buses 

and that’s how I was fed [artistically]. Otherwise I would have shrivelled up.” 

After high school, Garner loaded his Jeep Wrangler and headed off to California where 

he enrolled at Pepperdine University. Encouragement from a friend led him to audition 

for advertising work. The first time out, he landed the role of working on Blaine, Barbie’s 

DJ surfer friend. This became a series of Barbie commercials shown all over the world. 

They launched him onto the Hollywood scene and residuals provided the funds needed 

to finish school. When Stiletto Entertainment offered him a job, he was quick to say yes. 

Here, Garner did creative direction and tour support for stars such as Barry Manilow, 

Fleetwood Mac and Donna Summer. Creating stage costumes and tour merchandise 

gave him that first chance to use his talent for design. After four 

years of travelling all over the world, Garner felt the pull of his 

roots. “In 2002, I swallowed my ego, returned to Tennessee 

and moved in with my family. Everyone thought I was crazy 

because they felt I was on this pathway to success. But it was 

the wrong ladder. So I started over. I tapped into my music 

connections and did tour merchandising to keep me afloat and 

support Prophetik. I started small because I wanted the vision 

to stay true. That’s where it all began.” 

Garner quickly became concerned about the fashion industry’s 

unhealthy work environment. “My first sample maker got really 

sick from [her time] working with chemical dyes and cutting 

fabrics.” This was the impetus for the Prophetik label to become 

both sustainable and ethical. Dyes were the biggest challenge. “I 

started the process by exploring the use of tea and plants. Then 

I ended up finding two sisters in Nashville, Ali and Sara, who 

now work with us on developing new colors.” Locating the right 

fabrics to work with involved extensive research as well locating 

trustworthy fabric houses. Hemp is one of Garner’s favourites. 

“Hemp is by far number one. It grows fast and doesn’t hurt the 

ground it is planted in. It’s the longest fiber, so the strongest. 

It takes dye well, it’s anti-fungal and can be worn in summer 

or winter.” Others include flax, organic silk, cactus silk and a 

very small amount of organic cotton. All garments are produced 

from sustainable material using organic dyes created from earth 

and garden plants such as madder root, sorrel, indigo and gall 

nut – each grown in Prophetik’s Nashville Community Garden. 

In February 2011, Garner’s unique vision was recognized by 

London Fashion Week when he was one of only 33 designer 

chosen from a list of 1000 to be showcased that season. 

Inspiration for Prophetik’s F/W ‘11 collection, Artist 

Wonderment, came one night as Garner was sitting in 

front of the fire. The question suddenly hit him - when did 

commercialization start? Research led him to the court of Louis 

XV. “Everyone wanted to be like the courtesans in the court. 

They would make their own dresses, but as interpretations. I 

got influenced design-wise by that time period, but then I 

brought in elements from my own home, my own family, and 

recreated them.” Included is a wide variety men’s and women’s 

blouses, shirts, pants, vests, dresses and coats, all of which have 

an historical feel, but with an updated twist. Exposed zippers 

fashioned from interesting recycled metals are used as design 

details and slits in skirts make them more wear-able and some 

of the structures have more modern silhouettes. One material 

chosen for re-invention is heirloom quilts. The designer uses 

them to create mens waistcoats and as small accents on gowns. 

All are statement making pieces. 

With Garner’s vision at the helm, Prophetik continues to 

grow. An accessory collaboration has just been launched using 

discarded leather from Coach to design an iPhone case for 

Apple. May 2011 saw the Vancouver launch of a documentary 

film by Brady Dahmer. A new home collection with Livia Firth 

is in the works and the designer is hoping to offer a line of socks 

and underwear in the near future. Despite the international 

success of Prophetik, Jeff Garner stays grounded and true to 

his ‘campaign of passion.’ “I think we shape and choose our 

reality. We have free will. Everyone has a choice and I choose 

this path.” 

A video of Jeff Garner’s work can be seen on Raine TV: http:// 

rainemagazine.com 

For more information visit his website at www.prophetik.com 

6 

Raine Magazine Vol. 8 - Innovate

Artist Wondermont: Photography by Fairlight Hubbard 

Raine Magazine Vol. 8 - Innovate 7


Ruthie Davis 

FIERCE, 

SEXY, 

FUN 

FIERCE, 

SEXY, 

FUN 

BY MARILYN R. WILSON 

8 


“I worked with 

the designers and 

learned on the job” 

At the tender age of two, designer Ruthie Davis put 

on her first pair of red patent leather Mary Janes and 

refused to take them off at bedtime. By age eight she 

had a pair of four inch baby platforms secretly given to 

her by her older sisters. She would sneak them out of 

the house and slip them on before she reached school. 

In 2006, Ruthie launched her eponymous shoe line which she laughingly 

describes as, “Imagine Manolo Blahnik and Nike had a baby.” 13 collections 

later, Ruthie’s “Fierce, Sexy, Fun” design aesthetic has become de rigueur for 

an amazing list of celebrities including Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry 

and she is often referred to as, “Celebrity Shoe Designer, Ruthie Davis”. 

to China and be taught how to build 

shoes. It was like boot camp. I 

realized I had better ideas than the 

designers. My ideas were also the 

ones that did really well businesswise.” 

Then UGGs offered her the 

challenge of coming to the West 

Coast and re-branding their casual 

line of footwear. It took three years, 

but her innovative ideas turned UGGs 

into a hot international fashion line. 

At the time she felt ready to focus 

on launching her own business, 

however 9/11 and a recession led her 

to put things on hold for a few more 

years. In the meantime Ruthie landed 

an executive position managing 

Davis has always been fashion forward. Doing what had been done before 

never interested her and still doesn’t today. Even a bandana would find a 

new expression in her wardrobe and classmates noticed. A talented athlete, 

she loved clothing that was form fitting and aerodynamic, but her wardrobe 

did not include the standard track suit. “I’m talking Chanel Sport, Prada 

Sport. When I’d go skiing I used to think I was going to a black tie event. 

I’d look amazing in a Bogner one-piece, black hoodie cat suit.” Post high 

school, Davis earned a degree in English and Visual Arts. Her passion – 

writing and water color painting. She first worked as a sports writer for the 

Harford Current and then as a production assistant for ESPN. With a long 

term goal of owning her own business, she headed back to school and 

earned her MBA from Babson F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business. 

A position as Associate Product Manager at Reebok turned Davis’ focus 

to shoes. “I worked with the designers and learned on the job. I would go 


footwear, marketing and design at 

Tommy Hilfiger which afforded her 

the opportunity to gain invaluable 

experience in a large fashion house. 

Tommy Girl Shoes was just one of her 

successful additions to the brand. 

Finally, the moment was right. Davis 

left Hilfiger and worked feverishly to 

complete her first shoe collection. 

“I didn’t spend a lot of time talking 

about what I was going to do. I just 

built the shoes. The line included 

this really cool graphite heel and 

a titanium wedge, just like Mac’s 

PowerBook G4. Then I did a launch 

at an art gallery in West Chelsea 

where we hung all the shoes like art. 

I didn’t even know who I was going 

to sell to at that point, I just wanted 

to see something tangible,” recalls 

Ms. Davis. Despite all her time in 

the shoe industry, Davis had no 

experience in how to market highend 

luxury. Packets were sent to 

people with photos and a cover letter, 

samples were placed in beautiful little 

bags and taken on cold calls; and she even loitered in stores, befriending 

the sales clerks until the manager came in. Her hard work definitely paid off. 

Editorial attention received from quality fashion magazines, including Elle 

and Vogue, created a phenomenal buzz. The fact that the celebrity crowd 

embraced her shoes right from that first collection produced an unparalleled 

amount of press. From runway to red carpet, her shoes were seen and 

mentioned everywhere. 

Ruthie Davis® shoes and handbags are designed with the strong, athletic 

woman in mind. “My muse is a James Bond girl in a one-piece ski suit, 

swooshing down the mountain.” A multi-tasker at heart, Davis often designs 

while out running. Anything she experiences can provide that spark of 

inspiration. Back in the studio, Ruthie immediately jots down notes and 

creates sketches. Bright neons, eye-catching metallics and black fill out 

the palette. Studs embellish many of the designs. In true Davis fashion, she 

often takes a known element and elevates it to a new level. An example is 

the spike heel. “I’m the first one to use these taller spikes. As they didn’t 

exist, I had to create a custom mold in Italy. We also had to design a new 

technology [to attach them] as they are so long, they could catch and come 

off easily.” 

10 


After over five years of developing her brand, Davis feels this collection 

shows she has both matured as a designer and is on the scene to stay. “It 

is a real collection. It’s got all the bell’s and whistles, sizzle and sexiness, 

of the Ruthie Davis® brand. It also has a variety of heel heights, some 

sharper price points and is well merchandised. It’s super cool and on 

trend, but yet very wearable.” The newest pop for fall is a custom color 

she christened: Race Car Green. All the hardware is either rose gold or 

gun metal. A complimentary line of handbags round out the line. Fall 

‘11 will also see a capsule collection of sneakers, to be developed into a 

larger offering in upcoming seasons. 

The next year promises to be very busy for Davis. She will appear on 

reality television this summer in Bravo’s Mad Fashion. A Ruthie Davis® 

jewelry line is currently in development for release in Spring 2012. She 

also manages to find time apart from a very busy work schedule to 

mentor women. Her message to them, “You can be whatever you want 

to be – smart, successful, feminine youthful, sexy – and you don’t have to 

compromise yourself in any way. You can go after your dreams, but you 

have to work hard.” 

For more information go to www.ruthiedavis.com. 



THE NEW 

NAUTICA 

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED 

BY SAM MORRIS 

12 


Founded in 1983, the 

nearly thirty year-old 

U.S.-based apparel 

brand, Nautica, has truly branched 

out in recent years. This is partially 

due to the purchasing of Nautica by 

VF Corporation which owns other 

lucrative brands such as Lee, and 

Wrangler Jeans, Vans, Kipling, and 

The North Face. The company 

first started out solely as a men’s 

outerwear collection, but now 

has products ranging from men’s, 

women’s and children’s apparel and 

accessories to a complete home 

collection 

Whether it’s adding more upscale 

items like modern styled blazers, 

watches, eyeglasses and fragrances 

for men, or continually refining and 

updating their staples like jeans 

and windbreakers and swimsuits, 

the Nautica name is now an 

international one. They have a 

huge market overseas (especially 

in China) in addition to being sold 

at Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, Bed Bad 

& Beyond, and other specialty and 

department stores throughout the 

United States. 

Last year, Nautica launched their 

brand new ‘Ocean to Ocean’ 

advertising and marketing campaign 

which features real people in their 

own exciting and vibrant coastal 

communities showcasing their 

lifestyles and strong connection 

to something at the center of the 

Nautica brand, the water. It began 

just outside of Seattle in September 

of 2010 and features everyone 

from teenagers to adults who are 

the heart and soul of America’s 

coasts. 

Their current summer collection 

features a combination of reds 

and blues alongside more neutral 

tones like white and grey and 

can accommodate fashions for 

everyone from a sailboat instructor 

in Seattle to a magazine editor in 

New York, who happens to own a 

pair of Nautica eyeglasses. 


14 


www.JSHOES.com

BACKSTAGE PASS 

RES musician 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HANNAH SALEN 

16 



musician 

WRITTEN BY LAUREN APPLEBAUM 

A decade ago, you could find Res, 

a velvet-voiced singer & songwriter, on top 

of the Billboard charts with her hit singles 

“They Say Vision” and the Nas remix of her 

song “Ice King”. Shortly after the success 

of her first album, “How I do”, which was 

released under MCA Records, the label 

went under and Res was immediately 

scooped up by Geffen Records. Res’ 

soulful lyrics and seductive hip-hop style 

with a rock n’ roll edge made a distinctive 

impression in the music industry and 

gained her a loyal fan base of followers 

who appreciated her unique sound and 

expressive flavor. 

After joining Geffen Records, Res 

created an entire second album which 

was completely mixed, mastered . . . and 

consequently shelved. While living off the 

label’s salary in Los Angeles, not only did 

Res struggle with finding a way to give her 

fans more of the music they were asking 

for, but she also found herself battling 

to evoke her innate creativity. Instead of 

adhering to Geffen Records seemingly 

hopeless plans for her music career, Res 

made one of the bravest decisions of her 

life: to sever ties with her major label and 

take her music and business into her own 

hands. 

In the spirit of true 

entrepreneurship, Res has since been 

independently releasing her music, 

marketing her own merchandise, and 

booking her own shows. The demise of 

her major label contract lead her on an 

inspiring journey which included joining 

famed hip-hop crooner Cee-Lo as a backup 

singer on his world tour and creating the 

group Idle Warship with Talib Kweli, one of 

the industry’s most respected independent 

rappers. 

18 

Raine Magazine Vol. 8 - Innovate 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELLEN VON UNWERTH

Raine Magazine was able to catch up with Res after her a 

live performance to learn more about what motivated her 

to make her past business decisions, and what we can 

expect to see from Res as she continues to pursue her 

comeback. 

RAINE: Severing ties with your major record label in 

order to take your music career back into your own 

hands was an incredibly bold decision. What was 

your breaking point? 

RES: Taking my career into my own hands was a hard 

decision for me to make. I was at a point where just 

having one album out wasn’t enough. I would walk 

down the street and get recognized for my debut 

album, “How I DO”, but people ALWAYS asked 

what’s next, and that they wanted more. Learning 

that my diehard fans wanted more was the turning 

point. 

RAINE: You still have a very loyal fan base. Tell us about 

some of the things you do now independently to market 

yourself and help your fans hear your unreleased music? 

RES: I am very grateful for my fans, they keep me in the 

business. I get so many encouraging tweets and Facebook 

messages, and that’s the main way I keep in touch with my 

fans. Social media as a whole has given me access to fans 

and some great business contacts. 

RAINE: Being the marketer of your own brand, do you 

ever encounter business opportunities that you feel 

might conflict with your artistry? Does the business 

woman in you say “yes” when your creative spirit says 

“no”? 

RES: Yes, it’s hard wearing the hat of manager, marketer and 

artist. They can be conflicting roles at times. For example, I 

was asked to collaborate on a song with an unknown artist 

prior to even listening to the music because they agreed to 

pay me a certain fee. Later I had to check myself, and take 

a step back. I don’t want to be an artist that makes creative 

decisions based solely on money. The manager in me was 

saying “do it and this money will pay for something I need”, 

but the artist in me was saying “Res, how can you say ‘yes’ 

and you didn’t even hear the music”. So to say the least, I 

am always going back and forth making tough decisions. 

RAINE: Are the decisions that you make for your career 

strictly intuitive based on your experience in the industry, 

or do you have someone to advise you? 

RES: The decisions that I make for my career are part 

intuitive, part calculated and part based off of my experience. 

I do have a few people that I ask for advice here and there. 

And Talib Kweli is someone I talk to a lot about the business. 

His work ethic and productivity is to be admired. 

RAINE: How do you maintain the same drive and tenacity 

about your career that you had a decade ago? Have you 

ever had moments where you wanted to give up? If so, 

what motivated you to keep moving forward? 

RES: I am naturally the type of person who has never had a 

problem 

with picking 

myself up off the ground after 

a defeat. If something isn’t going my way, I 

usually try to de-stress and get well rested so I can get back 

at them again tomorrow. I have days, even weeks, when 

I want to give up… but then I realize that performing and 

making music is what I am and why I am here. 

RAINE: This year alone, you have released a Valentine’s 

Day mix-tape and plan on releasing an EP of Fleetwood 

Mac covers, your 3rd album, as well as a record with 

Talib Kweli. Which one of these projects do you feel the 

most personal connection to? 

RES: Out of all the projects I would have to say, “ReFried 

Mac Tunes” [the album of Fleetwood Mac covers] and my 

new album “RESET” are my babies! I have been working on 

them the longest and have had a lot of fun times working on 

them. But the Idle Warship album with Talib is super special 

too. 

RAINE: With your upcoming releases, what kind of 

promotion will Res fans have to look forward to? Any 

plans for more performances in major cities? 

RES: Well, I am looking to do a lot of promotion through 

social media and videos, as well as live performances. I 

have done shows in supermarkets to coffee shops to concert 

halls! This summer I am looking to focus on New York and 

Chicago. I am going to perform as much as possible! 

RAINE: Your story, music, and passion is truly inspiring. 

What advice can you offer to other aspiring artists who 

are trying to make it in the industry? 

RES: Thanks! The one piece of advice I would give an artist 

is to not stop creating for anyone or anything! When you feel 

down…create! When you’re in a great mood, create! You 

have nothing without a product and no one can do you better 

than you! 

To learn more about Res and her upcoming performances 

and album releases, visit: http://www.the1res.com 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WHITNEY THOMAS 


WHERE TO EAT.STAY.CHILL 

CHILL AT THE 

POLAR LOUNGE 

New York City 

WRITTEN BY JAEME GRIFFIN 

20 


Nothing says good time to me more than a room of guys/gals dancing. And there were a lot of them at Polar Lounge on Saturday night. I have never 

been more impressed to see men and women so uninhibited in a public situation and it was grand. Maybe it was the high girl to guy ratio, the generally friendly 

atmosphere, the pitchers of drinks that were constantly being filled, or simply that the DJ was really good, but whatever it was, it helped contribute to what I 

would say was a smashing good dance party. 

From the very beginning, the staff was helpful and polite, which is never a guarantee at a club and the line moved smoothly and quickly. For such 

a small space, I was impressed with how separate areas were delineated, probably helped along by the “caves” within the lounge The cocktail waitresses 

were fantastic, constantly moving through the crowd, abandoned glasses were promptly removed from the tables and spilled drinks were cleaned up almost 

immediately. There were only two bartenders, which made sense for the size of the actual bar, but with the number of people in the space, it meant you waited a 

good long time for your drinks, and there was nothing really that could have been done, except adding another person behind the bar. 

The drinks themselves were a little intense, most of them having a predominant flavor that overpowered the rest of the drink, but the Artic Tea would 

probably have been my favorite with a little less mint. The biggest hit of the night was definitely the Operation Highjump, an original cocktail that is reminiscent 

of a vodka martini mellowed out with white grape juice. It was icy cold, refreshing and tasted like excellent vodka without the face you make when you drink a 

straight vodka martini. I’m pretty sure though, that they add more novelty than flavor. 

If you’re down to spend some money, you can also try the Polar Shots, which were delicious, but a little steep at 12 dollars if you’re buying a round for 

your friends. 

The décor is simple and unobtrusive, and really, no one is there to check out upholstery. It was clean (especially for a unisex bathroom) and the 

banquettes were comfortable. I’d say if what you’re looking for is a place to get your groove on, grab some of your friends, some dancing shoes, and check it out. 


22 


WHERE TO EAT.STAY.CHILL 

EAT AT 

TRESANTI 

Soho, New York 

WRITTEN BY CHAZ BUSUTTIL 

24 


To simply categorize SoHo’s Tresanti as another brick 

oven pizza restaurant would be a gross disservice 

to its owner and executive chef. And that’s my point: 

this “nouveau trattoria”, which features real brick 

oven pizza in addition to numerous classic and 

modern Italian dishes, has an executive chef. Veteran 

restauranteur Jerry Longi has entrusted his family’s recipes with 

rising star John Navarria’s innovative yet grounded culinary brilliance. 

Navarria’s infusion of his classical French roots, the Longi recipe 

vault, and modern kitchen ingenuity is peppered throughout Tresanti’s 

diverse menu. 

As I escaped the din of the nearby Holland Tunnel and entered 

the festive yet subdued classical jazz soundtrack of Tresanti, I was 

greeted under dimmed lights by an amicable bartender in front of 

a well-stocked mahogany stage. There was a warm ambiance and 

classy, unpretentious air that was conveyed through its spirited but 

humble owner as well as its knowledgeable and personable staff. The 

authentic wood-burning brick oven imported from Italy served as the 

centerpiece of the sunken lounge dining area, which was encased by 

an arena of mahogany-framed windows. 

After sampling from their extensive wine menu and munching on 

oven-fresh garlic flatbread (a light and delicious bread substitute), 

I began my night with selections from Tresanti’s fairly standard 

“antipasti” menu. While their dry calamari left something to be desired, 

the fresh tuna tartare with avocado mousse and chili oil, as well as the 

Peroni-steamed little neck clams with pancetta and diced tomatoes, 

illustrated some of Tresanti’s aforementioned delicious ingenuity. In 

terms of their dozen signature thin-crust pizzas, I tried the standard 

Margherita; a pesto pie with oven-roasted chicken and house-made 

mozzarella which was highlighted by Longi’s rousing rendition of the 

classic sauce. 

Had I opted to fill up on their array of pizzas, which was a tempting 

proposition, I would have missed out on what distinguishes Tresanti 

from most other restaurants of its kind. The menu was divided into 

two distinct sections of entrees, the first of which featured staples 

like chicken parmigiana, pastas, and seafood risotto. The homemade 

lasagna with sausage bolognese was hearty and delicious, but the 

pan-crisped truffle gnocchi with crispy pancetta and prosciutto finished 

with a brown butter sauce was nothing short of spectacular. The 

latter section, aptly named “Innovativo”, served as an exhibit of Chef 

Navarria’s French-infused progressive wizardry. Highlights included 

a delicate grilled fillet of orata, a light and delicious Mediterranean 

response to snapper, garnished with grilled cauliflower florets and a 

brown butter citrus vinaigrette. French-inspired dishes like braised 

rabbit with smashed Yukon Gold potatoes and a tangy pancetta 

and currant reduction, as well as pan-roasted duck with cranberry 

compote and a dense but light cornbread stuffing, made me almost 

forget about the pizza. 

I somehow managed to enjoy Tresanti’s homemade desserts next, 

saving room for two trademark Italian confections. The Italian 

cheesecake was tangy, creamy, and light, but with rewarding 

substance, and their glass-encased tiramisu won points not only for 

taste but presentation as well. 

Tresanti clearly exceeded my expectations of what I thought 

I was going to experience upon dining at a brick oven pizza 

restaurant/”trattoria”, because oftentimes the latter term is casually 

tossed around by restaurateurs like a football. In the case of Tresanti, 

though, they not only capture the essence of what a modern-day 

trattoria should be, but they deliver their message and style in a such 

an unpretentious manner. Jerry Longi and Chef Navarria have married 

their respective styles and culinary roots to spawn a refreshing, and 

winning, downtown venue. 


GUTS AND GLORY 

“GERSHON BLYDEN: 

ERNIE DELGROSSO 

THE MIDAS TOUCH” 

WRITTEN BY AKIN FADAIRO 

26 


Most successful businesses are born out of necessity. Whether 

it is from social or personal needs, filling the void that affects others is 

tantamount to creating many of the leading innovators of our generation. 

Meet Gershon Blyden, co-founder to: InHouse Group, Triafit, and 

LegacyChamp.com. 

Gershon is no stranger to the competitive spirit. Originally from 

a wealth management background, Blyden adapted the skills he learned 

while navigating the investment marketplace and charting the financial 

success of the wealthy, to giving back to the small businesses that need it 

most. His unique ability to implement strategic financial maneuvers has 

constantly yielded success for the companies he has mentored and advised. 

So much so that he was able to co-found InHouse Group, an investment 

firm that provides capital and critical business acumen to minority owned 

businesses. Located in New York, InHouse Group has helped many 

community based enterprises achieve financial success in industries where 

small minority owned business have been historically underrepresented. 

And it was no surprise that he brought that invaluable experience to his 

latest endeavor –TriaFit. 

The world’s Ironmen and Triathlons are words that from 

the outside seem to only include a select group of people that have 

superhuman abilities to push themselves to the furthest extent of what their 

bodies allow. But what many people don’t know is that this is a sporting 

division of which is terribly underrepresented by culturally diverse 

groups. A creative and unconventional entrepreneur, Blyden witnessed 

this disparity firsthand after completing his first Ironman competition 

with two of his closest friends. The success of this great achievement had 

been marred by the fact that he and his friends were just a handful of the 

African-Americans in the race. A race that was documented on film by 

Affiliate Media LLC and is titled: “From Ordinary to Extraordinary”. 

From his Ironman experience, Blyden has questioned why there 

is such a great disparity of racial representatives, where African-Americans 

count for just 0.5% of all participants throughout the sport of triathlons. 

Through his research, Blyden discovered that African-Americans, 

although generally accepted as being naturally athletic, were stereotyped 

as being incapable of the discipline necessary to compete in and complete 

endurance races. Blyden was so disheartened by this misconception that he 

decided to leave his corporate career in 

the financial sector and focus his unique perspective and personal passion 

for enriching the lives of others through TriaFit. TriaFit is a cutting edge 

triathlon fitness brand dedicated to raising awareness and promoting 

cultural inclusion. Triafit educates new generations of competitors on 

the lifestyle benefits of triathlon competitions. “I wanted to tackle that 

stereotype while serving as a trailblazer and representative, to expose this 

great sport to a new generation of diverse athletes,” states Blyden. 

The push and desire to answer the questions that others have 

either overlooked or just failed to deem as important, is something that 

Gershon Blyden holds dear to his personal ethos and is a mantra that has 

partially driven him to the successful heights that he has achieved thus 

far in his career. His success has also been shaped by his dedication to 

accountability and perseverance. His former career at some of the world’s 

most famous financial institutions has given him the foundation and the 

experiences to truly understand what it takes to make a fledgling business 

successful. He believes that “it’s not just an all-star product … it’s also 

about managing a team of people, communicating a consistent message 

to your customer base, creating protocols so [the company] can operate 

efficiently, and creating a culture where everyone will be enthusiastic 

about the company.” Adapting to the constantly changing consumer 

market place, Blyden is focusing his efforts on the underrepresented 

factions of Triathlon sports and through LegacyChamp.com is giving 

fitness aficionados like himself a place where they can network and have 

a centralized digital home to post their stats, find fitness tips, and to 

generally exchange information about their love of sporting. 

Gershon Blyden has taken two of his favorite things, things that 

ordinarily wouldn’t be paired together, and is living his entrepreneurial 

dream. From his strong business acumen and his love of sports, Gershon 

is on his way to building a fitness empire through unconventional means. 

Throughout all of his endeavors, he encourages cultural diversity as a way 

to foster and promote a variety of different opinions and perspectives. 

“I am a firm believer that cultural diversity in an organization fosters 

creativity, flexibility and adaptability… I’ve solved complex problems 

by virtue of being surrounded by so many diverse viewpoints.” By 

seeking out a wide variety of backgrounds, Blyden is taking small but 

purposeful strides to challenge and change the stereotypes that drew him 

into his endeavors to begin with. LegacyChamp is just another example 

of this policy: “At LegacyChamp, we are an extremely diverse group, 

unlike most tech start-ups. Cultural inclusion and diversity is one of our 

advantages because we can see everything that our competitors see and 

many viewpoints that they do not.” 

His extensive portfolio boasts many successful endeavors and he 

is determined to change the fitness industry on Ironman. Gershon Blyden 

is an entrepreneur for the digital age, one who is embracing the change 

that has come with the evolving scope of the consumer marketplace. With 

that in mind, he isn’t in it for the profits. “I hope to inspire people to do 

whatever it is that they have always wanted to do. Create your reality 

and own your legacy. Discover your personal genius and live the life 

that you truly want to live.” With these words TriaFit and LegacyChamp 

will represent not only the products of determination, hard work, and 

community support, but they will also represent the change that can 

happen when one person stops to question and want more. 

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: JASON GREEN. GERSHON BLYDEN, AL SIMPSON, FRANK WILSON 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DARIUS JEFFERSON 


GUTS AND GLORY 

28 


chillin like a villon 

INTERVIEW WITH MARK QUAVILLON 

Raine Magazine Vol. 8 - Innovate 29 

WRITTEN BY TAMARA WALKER

Quavillon made a name for 

himself in the community for 

making unique tables and 

other pieces out of sustainable 

materials, including bamboo. 

Mark Quavillon could be the perfect 

spokesperson from the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” 

initiative. Not a kid who grew up in front of the 

TV or with video games, he spent a lot of his 

childhood outdoors. Thanks to parents who 

encouraged an active lifestyle and growing up just 

steps from the ocean on Florida’s Space Coast, 

Quavillon enjoyed a childhood filled with sand 

and surf, horses, and a variety of sports—all of 

which led to a natural transition into a career that 

focused on the outdoors. 

30 


The Space Coast of Florida is not only known for NASA and shuttle 

launches (Cape Canaveral is just up the street), but also as the hometown 

of some of the world’s top surfers including, CJ and Damien Hobgood— 

particularly Satellite Beach. The whole town of Satellite Beach has the surfing 

bug. From amateurs and casual surf enthusiasts to members of the pro-circuit, 

everyone has at least one surfboard at home. The town easily leant itself as the 

perfect birthplace for Villon Sportswear. 

Surfing may be Quavillon’s favorite sport, but it is also the core of 

who he is as a person. Surf culture is all about loving and enjoying life. It’s 

a lifestyle that embraces self-exploration. It’s this mentality that has helped 

him take a natural and very organic journey into creating his brand. Originally 

a furniture designer, Quavillon made a name for himself in the community for 

making unique tables and other pieces out of sustainable materials, including 

bamboo. He later tried his hand at designing cool, comfortable gear for friends 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAREN COOPER WELLER 

and family. Starting with t-shirts and artwork he personally designed, he took 

an artistic hand (he had a natural affinity for drawing), combined the lessons 

learned from a multi-sport background and used them to lay the foundation for 

what is quickly becoming one of the top brands of surf fashion in the United 

States. But Villon is more than just t-shirts and surf/skate wear. Villon is 

something for the people. 

Villon started out as something Quavillon did for fun; giving his friends 

t-shirts and other gear with unique designs which quickly caught the attention 

of surfers visiting Satellite Beach. Soon, friends were helping him grow his 

business by organizing events where his shirts were being sold, and later he 

hired them as his first sales reps. 

Villon is growing quickly and, like surf culture, is embracing the 

community in which it was born. Going green and embracing a sustainable 

lifestyle is more than a trend for the brand. It is actually its next step with the 

soon-to-be launch of Ollive, a charity driven collection whose proceeds will go to 

benefit charities that focus on children, the environment and animals. The line 

itself will be made of organic cottons and inks. 

Villon Sportswear is currently being sold through handpicked 

distributors in select locations and very soon online at www.villonsurf.com. 


BIZZ BUZZ 

TECH TOYS 

WRITTEN BY MILENA JAKOVLJEVIC 

ON EAR WANGS by FUNNY WANG 

Funny name, amazing sound quality. They come in shiny red, sleek white and cool black. 

Called “the first social headphones” because of their integrated duo jack, On Ear Wangs 

are meant for you and your significant other to walk hand in hand while both listening 

to the same music from the same source. The headphones deliver natural, thumping bass 

with crystal clear mids and highs. Truly beautiful music. 

PRICE: $169 

http://www.fannywang.com/on-ear-wang-headphones.html# 

USB MAILBOX NEW MASSAGE INDICATOR 

A cool little gadget notifies you with a light whenever you recieve an email or 

a massage on a ton of different social sites. The little USB mailbox changes the 

color from red to green when you get a massage and makes a little sound. It’s not 

necessarily the funnest of gadgets, but it is pretty useful. 

PRICE:18.00 $ 

http://www.usb.brando.com 

FUJI FINEPIX X100 

In this hipster day and age, retro and vintage is almost the only acceptable form of 

design and companies are listening to the demand. Canon, Leica and others have 

launched retro appearing cameras and now Fuji is following with it’s X100. The 

compact body with a fixed lens in combination with a full sized SLR sensor, make 

for a unique combination as well as an amazing mixture of old and new. 

BLACKBERRY PLAYBOOK TABLET 

It hit stores a few weeks ago, so it’s fresh out the oven. Smaller and lighter than 

an iPad at just 425 grams and 7-inches, it’s running a BlackBerry tablet OS with 

the screen resolution1024×600. The creators promise “true multitasking“ and 

for all you gadgetarians out there, I’m sure you are eager to try it out. With a 

size similar to e-readers, it’s going to be very handy for reading e-books and as 

Amazon comfirms, a Kindle app for the PlayBook is already on the way. 

PRICE: $499 

Avaliability: In stores 

34 


BARNES & NOBLE NOOK COLOR 

With the addition of new features to the e-reader, it is becoming more of a tablet than a 

reader. In addition to existing features, Barnes & Noble has added Adobe Flash playback 

support, email and an app store and of course, as the name states, a screen in color. All of 

that makes Nook Color a contender in the tablet market. 

PRICE: $249 

Avaliability: Barnes & Noble 

EVERGREEN USB POWERED TUNRNTABLE 

Do you still hold a candle to vinyl records? The unforgetable quality of sound and 

the cool retro element still make it a pretty cool thing to have and use. The company 

Evergreen is making the experience of listening to vinyl records easy and accessible, 

they have released a USB record player turntable. It connects to a USB port and 

outputs the audio through your computer and it also has analog audio output jacks for 

an external set of speakers. You can order it online for a cool price of about $49 USD. 

PRICE: $49 

http://www.donya.jp/item/19011.html 

PHOSPHOR REVEALS TINY CRYSTALS WATCH 

Have you ever seen a mechanical digital watch before? It’s certainly a novelty, and a pretty one at 

that. Using rotating plastic Swarovski crystals to display the time, it works by flipping individual 

dots to display number. The technology uses an electromagnetic pulse to change the position of 

crystals on the face of the watch. The watch is a little big and heavy for a wrist, but the stlye and 

the technology more then makes up for it. Men and women models are avaliable. 

PRICE: $199 - $249 

http://www.phosphorwatches.com/ 

VTECH’S INNOPAD TABLET 

The kids are always the first to follow technology, even the youngest ones, and here is something 

made exactly just for them - The Vtech InnoPad tablet. Designed for ages 4 and up, it is similar to 

your typical tablets while mimicking the intuitive interface in a child friendy manner. Anything your 

child would want – music player, games, animated books, photos, eReader and more is avaliable on 

the InnoPad. We recommand the Vtech’s Learning Longe Navigator, an app that enables parents to 

supervise their child’s use of the tablet by tracking their learning progress in the software already 

on the tablet. 

http://www.vtechkids.com 

PPRICE: 74.99 $ 



A BUZZ IN THE 

BEAUTY BUSINESS 

After an almost 10 year career on the East Coast, Jenny 

moved west to pursue writing and hosting in the beauty 

industry as well as to prove that she could persevere as a 

freelance hair and makeup artist in Los Angeles. 

As a member of the Hair and Makeup Artists’ Network 

in Los Angeles and after a total of over 14 years now in 

the industry, Jenny is considered an expert in the field. 

She currently writes for the health and beauty sections 

of numerous publications, such as DivaVillage.com and 

LA2DAY.com, as well as hosts a makeup how-to series for 

EHow.com. Jenny also finds time to be the LA trainer for 

numerous cosmetics lines including the natural mineral 

makeup line www.HerbsOfGrace.com and the botanical 

skincare and makeup company, Jordan Essentials Cosmetics. 

Jenny started her beauty career at the tender age of 17 

in New Jersey. She worked for a well known cosmetics 

company (Garden Botanika) as well as a freelance makeup 

artist in NYC / NJ throughout her college career. She left The 

College of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Science Degree 

in 2000 at the age of 21, but continued to pursue a career 

in the beauty industry, working for numerous cosmetics 

companies, including beauty giant MAC Cosmetics. 

Jenny currently works with an amazing team of celebrity 

stylists and photographers at AgentsforArtists.com and 

is preparing to launch Dish Magazine, an online fashion 

and beauty magazine, acting as Beauty Editor. She is also 

working on a huge project to revive LA Fashion Week by 

September while giving great indie designers a platform to 

showcase their amazing work. 

Jenny Karl: 

Makeup Artist 

RESEARCHED BY GEFFREY YABES 

Jenny also owns and runs Jenny Karl Hair and Makeup 

Agency based in Los Angeles. Founded late last year, the 

agency has an amazing and highly trained team of hair and 

makeup artists, specializing in Airbrush Foundation, Print, 

Film, Television, Beauty, Fashion, Special Events, Mens and 

Ethnic hair and makeup. 

Jenny is also a 30 (something) single Libran who loves long 

walks on the beach and is a certified beauty product junkie 

:)  

To learn more about Jenny, visit her at www.jennykarl.com 

36 



Growing up, Mark Johnson was always mesmerized by the 

imagery and sounds of New York City he saw in films and 

on television. By age 10, he began charting his place to live 

there and by age 20 he was a resident. Starting off as “the 

computer guy” at a Japanese Trading Co, most of his free 

time was spent walking around the city exposing himself 

to art - from street artists to tagged sides of buildings by 

neighborhood kids to Andy Warhol. 

While enjoying a coffee in Hell’s Kitchen one day, Johnson 

was approached by a modeling agent. Not the type of 

person to pass up an opportunity to be exposed to fashion 

and culture while traveling the world, Johnson signed 

with the agency and went on to work with fashion icons 

like Gianni & Donatella Versace, Giorgio Armani, Tommy 

Hilfiger & Ralph Lauren. Through his work on the pages of 

magazines and in front of the lens, Johnson began to learn 

and appreciate the art of fashion advertising. 

THE BIRTH OF THE 

BIONIC EGG 

While still modeling, Johnson was offered a position as Art 

Director for a groundbreaking digital media project at Big 

Time Productions in collaboration with MTV.com. As he 

got deeper into the project and the world of web design, 

Johnson started suggesting and implementing redesigns of 

websites he felt looked too busy, were difficult to navigate, 

or that had too much informational clutter that did not add 

value to the product or services that the site was supposed 

to represent. 

Johnson saw a major opportunity to launch his own web 

design business and started working with mostly fashion 

clients, soon after expanding to the worlds of PR, Hospitality 

& Commerce clients. Johnson had always thought of his 

sites as organic organisms that were growing and evolving 

as a collaboration of client and creator. In 2001, BIONIC EGG 

was born. 

A decade later, BIONIC EGG is still evolving. In the internet 

game, 10 years is a long time and Johnson prides himself on 

recognizing where we’ve been within the digital space and 

has a unique outlook on where we’re going. 

In his spare time Johnson likes to paint large portraits on 

4x4 canvas and has been featured in several NYC shows and 

exhibits. 

WHAT’S NEXT FOR MARK JOHNSON: “I’m currently 

collaborating with GLEE’s Adam Anders on his label Ander’s 

Music Records, dedicated to developing young talent. The 

site I’m working on will help launch these artists and spread 

their music to targeted audiences. I’m also developing a 

new e-commerce site with Lance Bass that helps raise funds 

for various charities...but that’s still in the works so I can’t 

reveal too much right now!” 

Mark Johnson: 

Webdesigner 

WRITTEN BY CORINNE FISHER 



EXISTING WITH 

XIST TALENT 

Although her days are now spent booking and guiding young 

performers, Maria, age 33, started in the business in 1991 

as an actor in independent films. Trained in New York City 

at American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Weist Barron and 

at New Jersey’s Papermill Playhouse Conservatory, Maria 

loved being exposed to all facets of the entertainment 

industry, including the behind the scenes happenings. Always 

intrigued by the creative roles of casting directors, Maria 

always felt that this was a natural instinct that may just 

be more rewarding and exciting than being in front of the 

camera. 

In 1998, Maria was offered the opportunity to begin a 

lucrative career in the Information Technology field and 

therefore, made the decision to embark on a journey into 

the world of corporate America. She spent the next 7 years 

working in computers, as a network engineer in the legal 

field. Although Maria enjoyed utilizing her skills in her 

position, 2005 proved to be a turning point. 

Xist was formed in 2005, as a entrepreneurial project. With 

offices in her hometown of Caldwell, NJ, Maria quickly tapped 

into her years of business management experience in her IT 

career, as well as her intense passion for the entertainment 

industry, and made sure Xist entered the scene with a fierce 

competitive spirit and unwavering client support. 

Maria DeSantis: 

Agency Owner 


Since inception, Xist has become the go-to Agency for NYC 

Casting Directors, Producers and Creative Photographers. 

With a large base of talented youngsters ages 4-17, Xist 

is also the only Agency on the East Coast boasting an 

exclusive Extras Performers Division, handling background 

and non-speaking roles for performers ages 3-25. With an 

astounding roster of past and present projects, and a terrific 

staff including Booking Assistant, Jamie Jacobson, Xist is 

always generating positive buzz and vibes. Xist was featured 

in Seasons 1 & 2 of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, as 

Maria represents Gia Giudice, daughter of Teresa Giudice. 

This year is already proving to be a successful year. In 

February, Xist moved offices to trendy and artsy Montclair, 

NJ. With a newly-formed Production Company, Stellar 

One Entertainment, Maria is working on a few projects, in 

addition to running the Agency. Major announcements to 

come for both Xist and Stellar One Entertainment. To keep 

up with the buzz, check out the website www.xisttalent.com 

and facebook: www.facebook.com/XistTalent. 

38 



Edward L. Jamele III is an 

entrepreneur, residing in New 

York City for the past 5 years. 

The Southington, CT native is 

a University of Rhode Island 

and Rhode Island School of 

Design alum. His career started 

during college as a consultant 

specializing in group dynamics 

and strategic marketing. From 

there, Edward honed his skills 

at RISD’s Interior Architecture 

program in 2005, where a mentor 

and professor of his quickly urged 

him to continue working in the 

field. At that point, Edward had 

already secured a solid base of 

clients, under his design and 

consulting firm Gemelli Design, 

LLC. He has been published 

in several trade magazines for 

his accomplishments in niche 

markets including Senior Health 

Care Facilities, Hospitals and 

Restaurants. 

From there in 2007, he cofounded 

Done Construction LLC, a 

residential and commercial service 

and small construction firm based 

in his hometown of Southington, 

CT. Done Construction services 

over 900 corporate locations 

including clients such as Target, 

Wal-Mart, Dunkin Donuts and 

more. They are also the lead 

service and construction supplier 

for the largest extended care 

facility management firm in 

Connecticut, Athena Healthcare. 

Quickly after the booming success 

of Done Construction, Edward 

acquired United Cabinets of 

Newington, CT with his partner, 

mentor and father, Edward Jamele 

Jr in 2008. United Cabinets 

allowed Edward to grow his 

creative persona as Creative 

Director, to a new level, where he 

has designed and consulted on 

over 200 special projects to date. 

United Cabinets is known for their 

superior craftsmanship in custom 

woodworking, cabinetry and 

design. The in-house design team 

consists of highly qualified and 

trained professionals lead by the 

vision of Edward and his father. 

In 2010, Edward got the itch to 

begin his next venture alongside 

his business partners, Joshua 

Thomas and Staci Perkins. 

From there, Good Life Event 

and crowdMGMT were born. 

Good Life Event is a monthly 

concert series produced by the 

trio that combines cool brands, 

up and coming artists, celebrity 

headliners and philanthropy. 

One would think this is a lot to 

accomplish in one vision, but 

it certainly has been pulled off 

nicely receiving rave reviews 

from both peers and media alike. 

CrowdMGMT was born from the 

demand and word-of-mouth 

buzz about this trio’s successes 

and from there, a creative 

agency was born. CrowdMGMT 

is an experiential marketing 

boutique agency that focuses 

on special event production, live 

music events, brand awareness 

consultation, social media and 

celebrity talent acquirement. The 

small firm has quickly grabbed 

the attention of clients like 

Popcorn Indiana, DEOS, NBA, 

Anti-Hangover, Roosevelt Room 

Toronto, and Boardroom Chicago 

to name a few. 

With his record of embarking 

on new things and mastering 

his abilities to succeed in niche 

markets, it is clear that Edward 

has no intentions of stopping any 

time soon. He plans to get his 

hands in television production and 

is an aspiring author as well. He 

tells us, “You can expect to see 

Good Life Event on tour in major 

cities across the US as well as a 

noticeable increase of awareness 

with any brands we work with at 

crowdMGMT.” 

The motto Edward swears by: “Go 

confidently in the direction of your 

dreams and pursue the life you’ve 

imagined without hesitation.” 

LIVING THE 

GOOD LIFE 

Edward L Jamele lll 

Serial Entrepreneur 

and Founder of Good 

Life Events 




PHOTOGRAPHER 

Andrew Werner is a successful New York-based 

photographer. When his finger pushes down to click and 

capture the view, it’s a picture perfect snapshot. Many 

accomplished photographers have had the opportunity 

to discover his ability and passion to encapsulate the 

extraordinary beauty in each frame, and how his nonstop 

footage fosters his passion and innovative mind. 

Andrew was born and raised on Long Island. He studied 

photojournalism, but his focus quickly shifted to projects 

with both aspiring and experienced models for fashion 

and editorial shoots. With his outgoing personality 

shining through the lens, Andrew’s eccentric, edgy style 

of shooting developed; making his subjects flash out all 

their flaws and light up their beauty, relaxed and camera 

ready. Andrew’s internal drive and attention to detail are 

apparent in all of his images, whether it be in fashion, 

beauty, or event photography. 

Andrew is constantly on the lookout for creative, 

ambitious, and motivated artists. He works with a 

fantastic and talented team and wide variety of looks and 

styles. He is always open to new ideas and “anything that 

will make a focal point stand out from the clutter.” 

ANDREW WERNER 


He has covered New York Fashion Week for many 

seasons, shooting and working with the hottest designers 

including: The Blonds, Adrienne Landau, Sally Lapointe, 

LAMB, Milly, Buckler, Richie Rich, Alexander Berardi, 

Tadashi, Betsey Johnson, Tommy Hilfiger, Diane von 

Furstenburg, BEBE, Malan Breton, Duckie Brown, Zang 

Toi, and Monique Lhuillier, just to name a few. 

Andrew’s work has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, 

InTouch Weekly, am New York, Life&Style, The New 

York Post, NBC, Fiasco, Creem, and The Village Voice, 

where he was named one of the Bravest and Best 

Photographers in New York of 2010. 

40 


BIZZ BUZZ 

the 

next 

LEVEL 

FINANCE . MARKETING . MANAGEMENT 

by noelle frieson 

42 


Cash Flow is King 

By Noelle Frieson 

cash flow is king 

According to the Small Business Administration, 56% of 

businesses fail in the first five years. Most would think 

the primary cause of failure is the inability to garner a 

profit; but surprisingly, it’s not lack of profit that kills most 

businesses, it’s the lack of a positive cash flow. 

Cash flow allows your business to run on a day-to-day 

basis as well as purchase goods, pay employees and your 

vendors. The biggest mistake many entrepreneurs make 

is counting receivables as cash flow. Many companies that 

anticipate a profit from their recorded receivables end up 

being cash poor. For many, making a sale doesn’t mean 

you will receive the cold, hard cash at that very moment. 

Let’s start with the difference between profit and cash 

flow. Profit is the difference between sales and expenses. 

Sales and expenses are calculated at the time the sale is 

booked or purchase is made, not when cash exchanges 

hands. On the contrary, cash flow is the difference 

between actual cash in and actual cash out. Recognizing 

the difference can help keep your business both profitable 

and open! 

What are some vital ways to stay on top of 

your cash flow? 

BECOME OBSESSED WITH YOUR ACTUALS 

Business owners tend to overestimate sales and underestimate 

expenditures. Keeping track of the week-to-week, day-to-day 

actuals, gives business owners a snap shot of their financial health at 

that moment. 

CONTROL YOUR PAYMENT PROCESS 

It is always best to get payments upfront for any goods or services. 

However, sometimes that can’t be done. In my business, I have found 

letting clients pay in installments helps us close sales. Installments 

can leave a business lacking cold, hard cash in anticipation of the 

next payment. If you must invoice clients or allow them to pay 

over installments, you will want to control the payment process. 

Check the financial health of your clients before you extend credit. 

Sites like dnb.com (Dun & Bradstreet) can give you reports on the 

financial health of your clients for as little as $39.95. Also, have 

your clients pay by credit card with a clearly defined installment or 

payment dates in place. By having a credit card on file for payment, 

it saves your receivable department the task of contacting clients for 

payment. 

DON’T SIT ON CHECKS 

Many businesses will deposit checks on a weekly or monthly basis. 

This keeps the business cash poor. Deposit checks the day they 

come in. Daily trips to the bank not only keep money flowing 

through your business, but it helps you stay on top of your liquid 

assets. 

MAKE RECEIVABLES A PRIORITY 

If you are the owner of a small business you may be the CEO, Sales 

Representative, Office Management, Accounts Receivables and 

Payable departments; all in one. It’s easy to neglect late payments 

from your clients or give them more time than your policy states. 

Begin the collections process the first day a payment is late. And 

don’t continue providing services if bills remain unpaid. 

About Noelle Frieson: Noelle is the principal 

partner of Prosperiti Partners Inc., a marketing 

firm specializing in small business marketing and 

recruitment. You may reach her directly by emailing, 

noelle@prosperiti.net. 

The success of your business depends on your executive team being 

completely committed to the business financial health. Even though 

the end goal is profit, cash flow is still king. But don’t stress. By 

following the simple steps above you can keep control of your cash 

flow and reap the fruits of your labor in profit. 


THE NEXT LEVEL 

blogging and marketing 

Over the years I have attended a multitude of seminars on, “Marketing for Entrepreneurs”. The one thing I hear speakers saying over 

and over again is to start a blog. With that one word, “blog,” a sea of pens get to work and eager entrepreneurs take notes on the 

importance of blogging for the promotion of their businesses. Most believe that if they start a blog they will gain new customers and 

increase their profits. But the truth is, starting a blog alone won’t make your business an overnight sensation. 

Blogging has changed the landscape of marketing. Not as an easy way to garner foot traffic – anyone who has tried to keep a blog 

up knows that it is not easy – but as a conversation tool with your clients and followers. As the Internet becomes more interactive, 

businesses must also become more interactive. Blogs allow your business to publicize your expertise and then discuss it with your 

clients and fans. If you follow a few simple tips, your blog can help drive traffic to your site…and keep them coming back. 

POST ON A CONSISTENT SCHEDULE: 

This doesn’t mean you have to post every day, or even multiple 

times a week, but having a regular schedule tells readers when 

to come back for new content. If a reader comes to your blog 

and sees old content they become disinterested, move on and 

don’t come back. 

MAKE YOUR BLOG A CONVERSATION – NOT A 

MONOLOGUE: 

Make sure to answer people who comment on your blog – let 

them know you care about their responses. Urge readers 

to talk back and forth about the blog topic. Answer their 

questions and ask questions to spur conversation. Having 

an open conversation with your readers can help you make 

necessary changes to your customer service, inventory and 

marketing plan. 

MAKE YOUR BLOG INTERESTING, RELEVANT AND 

SEARCH FRIENDLY: 

An obvious statement, but not as easy as it sounds. Feel free 

to draw in pop culture and top search topics that are relevant 

to your website. I once knew a woman who owned a vintage 

clothing shop. She frequently blogged about celebrities sighted 

wearing vintage pieces and then link back to similar pieces and 

designers sold in her boutique. The genius of her blog was that 

she kept her topics relevant to her readers and drew in new 

readers by tagging her blogs with the celebrity names. When 

a person searched for their favorite celebrity they would 

stumble across her blog and be tempted to purchase from her 

online store. 

BE A GUEST BLOGGER ON OTHER SITES: 

By asking a relevant blog to be a guest blogger on your site and 

by you guest blogging on their site, you are able to maximize 

on their readers. It’s a win-win situation because you both gain 

readers. And if you are able to guest blog on several sites, your 

name and business gain searchability, as well as credibility. 

SYNDICATE YOUR BLOG: 

This would mean adding your blog’s feed to the other sites that 

compile content. For instance, Alltop is a site that compiles 

blogs into categories, making it easy for the reader who wants 

to find new blogs to read about a certain topic. You can also 

submit your blog-to-blog directories such as; My Blog Log, Fuel 

My Blog or Blogs on Blogged. 

DO A SERIES; EVEN BETTER… A VIDEO SERIES! 

Give them a teaser and a cliffhanger and they will come back 

for more. Why do we tune in every Sunday to Desperate 

Housewives or Grey’s Anatomy? Because it’s an on-going 

story. Dole out your blogging knowledge over several entries. 

It will give your reader a compelling reason to come back. 

And if you are really ambitious, make it a video blog series. 

Video is becoming a must in disseminating information. It 

will allow your readers to put a face and personality with the 

information. 

USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO CONNECT WITH YOUR READERS: 

Everyone has their own preferred method of following their 

favorite web brands. Using Facebook, Twitter, and other social 

media outlets, gives your readers an alert that you’ve posted 

new content. 

About Noelle Frieson: Noelle is the principal partner of 

Prosperiti Partners Inc., a marketing firm specializing in small 

business marketing and recruitment. You may reach her 

directly by emailing noelle@prosperiti.net. 

44 


Tablets vs Laptops 

July 28th 2010. That was my husband, Mario's birthday; the 

day I got him an iPad, and the last day I saw him on his laptop. 

From that day, he checks and sends emails, plays games, creates 

music, surfs the web, watches movies and navigates the streets of 

Northern New Jersey; all in the time it takes his laptop to power 

on. 

His almost romantic association with his 10 inch black device 

made me question if our laptops are going the way of desktops 

and dinosaurs? Can a person live on tablet alone? So with my 

purchase of iPad’s archenemy, the Motorola Xoom, I decided to 

take a week vacation from my trusty laptop and go "Survivor 

style" with nothing more than my new android operated device. 

Footloose and Laptop Free 

Installation was easy. Upon turning on the Xoom, I entered in 

my Gmail account and within a few seconds, all of the apps I 

have in my Android phone appeared out of thin air. I was able 

to get all of my emails, but responding by touch typing was 

awkward. I missed the ease of my trusty keyboard. 

All of my important laptop files were handy through the 

DropBox app for android. DropBox is an online file storage 

system that links to all of your computers and devices. I opted 

for the $9.99 a month package for 50GB of storage over the free 

2GB of storage, and moved most of my computer files over to 

my DropBox account. And with that one app, all I had to do was 

click on the screen, and all my daily files were at my fingertips. 

By day four my laptop jones had dissipated, and I was happy to 

only use my new tablet. The Xoom was a lifesaver at a “doctor’s 

appointment gone bad.” After 15 minutes in a room filled with 

other patients gathering dust from their wait, I pulled out the 

Xoom, connected to the office Wifi and spent the next hour 

finishing articles for the June issue of Raine Magazine as well as 

answering client emails. 

The Jury Is Still Out 

After 5 days of Xoom only access, I was still left with the 

overwhelming question, “Can I toss my laptop in exchange for 

my tablet?” The answer is, almost. 

With mostly every computer company coming out with a new 

tablet in the next year, we know the market is paving the way 

for tablet laptop replacements. Someday soon most major 

companies will be utilizing tablets instead of laptops. According 

to Omar Khan, Chief Strategy Officer of Samsung Mobile, “We 

want each company to hand out 50,000 tablets instead of 50,000 

laptops.” Khan continues, “Android is becoming more enterpriseready 

every day, we’re all working on hardening Android to 

make sure the security is there, so it can become a true laptop 

replacement.” 

But from my personal experience, it’s not a laptop replacement 

yet. Heavy productivity apps for design and website 

development are lacking, storage on most tablets is limited and 

touch-typing is just plain annoying. So for now, I would keep your 

laptop at home or the office – as we did with our old desktops 

– and buy a tablet for vacations, meetings or the occasional 

doctor’s office visit. 

If you decide to go Laptop free, here are some great apps for an 

easy transition: 

DROPBOX : 

DropBox is an online file storage system that links to all of your 

computers, tablets and mobile devices. Paid subscription starts at 

$9.99 per month. For those of you on a budget, there is a free 

subscription that allows up to 2GB of storage. 

DOCUMENTSTO-GO: 

An app that mimics Microsoft Office; you can view and Adobe 

PDF, Work, Excel and PowerPoint files. In addition, you are able 

to save it to your device or to a Google Docs account for easy 

access from anywhere. There is a free limited version; however 

the full version is $14.99. 

ROOT EXPLORER: 

Root Explorer is the ultimate file manager where you area able 

to access the whole of an Android’s file system. Features include: 

a SQLite database viewer, text editor, the ability to create and 

extract zip files, and send files via email. Root Explorer is sold on 

the Android market for $4.01. 

LOG ME IN IGNITION: 

LogMeIn Ignition for Android allows remote access to one or 

more computers anywhere, anytime. Directly control your Mac 

or PC, all your programs and your files – like that important 

presentation for your boss or that application that only exists on 

your work computer – with a simple click. Log Me In Ignition is 

sold on the Android market for $29.99. 


BIZZ BUZZ 

FUNNELSCOPE: travel meets social media 

BY CARLOTTA HARRINGTON 

Picture it: you’re planning your first 

trip to an amazing destination. Your flight 

is booked, but you’re still searching for that 

perfect hotel. After hours of surfing the net 

for rave reviews, you finally choose one 

that appears to have the best amenities 

and biggest bang for your buck. Once 

you’ve arrived, you see that the room isn’t 

clean, the floors are stained and the service 

is lacking. Disappointed that you didn’t get 

what you expected? 

Kul Singh, a social media 

entrepreneur and founder of Funnelscope. 

com, had the same experience. Singh, who 

has traveled to over eighty countries, was 

continually frustrated with the disconnect he 

experienced when planning a trip. 

“One part of the planning that takes 

the most time is booking a hotel,” Singh 

explains. “Since a hotel usually represents 

the greatest cost of a trip, it can often make 

or break a trip.” 

Most travelers go to alternative 

sites in search of getting the best deals 

and reviews on the hotels in that area. In 

the late ‘90s, hotels rarely had their own 

websites for consumers to browse. They 

depended on sites like Hotels.com, Orbitz 

or Expedia to put them in the traveler’s 

reach. 

“Current online travel sites offer 

a wealth of information, but are tedious to 

research or [are] like reading a brochure— 

lacking any interactivity and engagement.” 

In an age where customers are consistently 

utilizing social networks like Facebook and 

Twitter to connect with one another, Singh 

saw an opportunity to develop a social 

networking atmosphere to revitalize the 

way hotels connect with their consumers. 

“Funnelscope seeks to create the first 

social network and commerce platform 

for hotels. We are creating a platform that 

brings together users and friends—via 

Facebook and Twitter—along with hotel 

experts and the hotels to engage in a single 

platform.” 

By doing so, Singh’s goal is to reduce the 

“middleman” of third-party sites like Expedia 

or Orbitz, and place the patron in direct 

contact with the hotels. 

According to Singh, “This 

interaction transforms the hotel search 

process from a cold, lonely experience on a 

website to a more personalized experience 

where the hotels can engage with qualified 

consumers from the very beginning.” 

He envisions the search function of his site 

in the form of a question (similar to Ask 

Jeeves) as opposed to putting information 

into a search box. This, in turn, would offer 

the consumer a more effective and positive 

search experience, similar to combining a 

search engine with Facebook. 

“We expect this will change how 

people currently search for hotels,” explains 

46 


Singh. He adds, “We 

intend to transform the 

search text box into a 

conversation.” 

By incorporating social 

media, Funnelscope. 

com will make it 

more user-friendly to 

get reviews for your 

destination. Instead 

of simply anonymous 

reviews or reviews from 

strangers, the user could 

get feedback from trusted 

sources—friends and 

family. 

“What I would like to do 

is to create a platform 

where the hotels are 

establishing a relationship 

with the customer,” Singh 

acknowledged. 

Making lasting 

connections is something 

that Singh believes in and 

he has inspired a similar 

goal with his team. When 

Singh was ready to move 

forward with his idea, he 

knew that he had to find 

people who felt that same 

passion. 

“Through networking and 

job posting, I was able to 

put together a great team 

of people to help me with 

my vision,” replied Singh. 

Kul Singh has 

bootstrapped this whole 

project and is now looking 

for venture capitalists to 

invest in his company. It 

has taken him eighteen 

months to reach this point 

and is confident that, 

within the next three to 

five years, Funnelscope. 

com will be a household 

name. 


BIZZ BUZZ 

Hoseanna, the new online hosiery subscription 

service for women, was created to prevent the all too 

familiar last minute scramble to purchase pantyhose. 

Launched in March 2011, Hoseanna was founded 

by Tracey Solomon and Katrina Caroll-Foster, who 

have not only been best friends since high school, 

but both are veteran road warriors of the corporate 

world. Whether you are a stay-at-home mom or onthe-go 

CEO, Tracey and Katrina understand that 

there are just not enough hours in the day to stop by 

a store and gingerly shop for hosiery. And let’s face 

it; the overwhelming selection of new brands and 

styles has turned this seemingly simple purchase into 

a frantic chore. 

But what if you could just go online and 

order a subscription of your favorite pantyhose to 

be delivered to your doorstep each month? This 

is exactly the savvy and convenient service that 

Hoseanna has prescribed for today’s busy women 

who suffer from symptomatic forgetfulness of 

stocking up on their essential personal products. 

Raine Magazine was able to catch up with 

the innovative co-founders of Hoseanna and learn 

more about the inspiration and journey behind their 

entrepreneurial endeavors: 

Before teaming up and becoming 

entrepreneurs and business partners, you 

celebrated individual success as accomplished 

business women. Tell us a little more about 

your professional backgrounds and life before 

Hoseanna: 

Katrina: I’ve always been attracted to companies 

with strong brands and great stories – be they billion 

dollar corporations like Intrawest Resort Corp, to 

fast-growing startups like HCareers.com. A strong 

story makes the offer more compelling for the 

customer and also made me feel like I was really 

filling a need that they had. It was important that 

I felt like I was providing something worthwhile, 

while delighting them in the process. 

“Stocking Up” 

with Hoseanna.com 

Hosiery Delivered 

Right to Your Door 

WRITTEN BY LAUREN APPLEBAUM 

48 


FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: KATRINA CAROLL-FOSTER AND TRACEY SOLOMON 

Tracey: My whole professional career has been 

as a consultant or advisor, always looking to make 

things better for my clients or solve a problem 

that they didn’t know they had. I’ve been lucky 

to work with people at Fortune 100 companies 

all over the world, and through it all, I’ve learned 

the importance of connecting with people on 

an emotional level. It’s hard to be unique these 

days – people have so many options. But if you 

can connect on an emotional level, it’s hard for 

someone to replace you once you’ve won their 

heart and mind. We’re working really hard to 

make Hoseanna that kind of brand - a brand that 

women can relate to, that looks, feels and smells 

like them. 

Starting a business with your best friend is 

every woman’s dream come true. However, 

leaving the corporate world to embark on 

your own business venture requires a giant 

leap of faith. Why did you decide to take 

the jump into entrepreneurial waters and 

leave your successful careers behind you? 

Katrina: After years working in the corporate 

world, we had both come to realize the 

importance of independence and flexibility when 

it came to our work lives. For years we had talked 

about doing something together, but the timing 

was never right. I was thinking about going back 

to school for a Master’s Degree, and Tracey was 

jetting around the globe during her consulting 

years. We never seemed to be in the same place 

at the same time 

Tracey: Timing is so important. We knew we 

needed to do our time in the trenches to build up 

the right network of people that we could tap into 

in the future. It took us years to feel like we were 

at a place where we could leave it all behind and 

swim on the strength of our own relationships. 

We had helped others be successful – why not 

join forces for our own benefit? Plus, tech was 

hot again, and women were not going to be 

left behind. Gilt Groupe and Net-a-Porter were 

taking the Internet world by storm and we wanted 

to ride that wave! 

Providing a hosiery subscription service 

is such a breath of fresh air for hardworking 

women everywhere, no matter if 

they are a stay-at-home mom or a corporate 

road warrior. 

When was the “Ah-ha!” 

moment that inspired the concept behind 

Hoseanna? 

Katrina: I remember talking about a girlfriend of 

mine who always wore these fabulous stockings 

from Italy – the kind of funky stuff that even a 

pantyhose-hating girl would love to get her hands 

on. The more we talked about stockings and 

hose, the more personal stories we had about our 

own hosiery mishaps. That’s when we thought to 

ourselves, ‘we’re on to something’. 

Tracey: Our Type A personalities kicked into 

high gear and we started to do some research 

on pantyhose, subscription and replenishment 

services. It didn’t take too long to realize that 

there was nothing out there. 

What proved to be your biggest obstacle 

while working to get Hoseanna off the 

ground? 

Katrina: The biggest challenge was believing in 

ourselves and that the idea could work. Even 

though we’ve had success working for other 

people, we were putting ourselves out there and 

at the end of the day, we were going to have to 

face the music. We had to trust our instincts and 

believe in our own abilities without letting fear of 

the unknown prevent us from taking our shot. 

Tracey: When you work for a big company, you 

have a false sense of time – like you have all the 

time in the world to get things done. When you’re 

an entrepreneur, time is your enemy. Nothing 

can be done fast enough and you don’t have the 

luxury of waiting until everything is perfect. One 

of our advisors said ‘go early, and go ugly’. When 

you’re used to dotting all your I’s and crossing 

your t’s, it’s hard to let go and say ‘let’s see what 

happens’. 

And lastly, can you list 3 items that Raine 

readers need to have in place before moving 

forward to execute a new business plan? 

Tracey Make sure you are solving a problem or 

identifying a pain point that is important to the 

market. It’s no good if you are creating a solution 

for something that no one cares about or isn’t 

really a problem that the market needs to fix. 

Katrina: Don’t focus out of the gate on making 

money. You need to build a brand and have a 

relationship with your customers. Focus your 

efforts on doing what’s right for the customer, 

and you will make the right decision. If they feel 

connected to you and trust you, they will buy your 

products. 

Tracey: Know your tolerance for risk, and be 

prepared to go past it. You have to be willing to 

adapt – nothing ever happens the way that you 

expect. But if you’re willing to embrace the change 

and roll with it, new and better opportunities will 

come your way 

To become part of the Hoseanna experience, visit 

www.hoseanna.com . 


A DOSE OF CULTURE 

Belize 

Gateway to Central 

America & Beyond 

BY LETICIA YOUNG 

50 



52 


It was a sweltering December afternoon as I sat under 

the thatched roof of a an open-air restaurant, unwrapping my 

tamales and washing it down with an carroty colored Fanta. 

I was only five years old at the time, but I released a sigh of 

contentment as I realized just how far I was from the familiar 

streets of New York. I was in a little town called La Democracia 

in Belize – my father’s native land – and as a child I always 

looked forward to my annual Christmas visits. 

Christmas in Belize meant palm trees and moon 

guided walks to Midnight Mass at St. John’s Cathedral in Belize 

City, the oldest Anglican Church in Central America. My father’s 

folklore tales of Tata Duende, a powerful spirit that protects the 

animals and jungles of Belize, made certain I wouldn’t stray far 

from his sight. Frequently hailed as Mother Nature’s Best Kept 

Secret, few destinations in the world offer the mystique of Belize; 

whether it is the remains of the Ancient Mayan Civilization, 

the biodiversity of the Belize Barrier reef – the largest system 

this side of the Western Hemisphere – or the abundance of 

the Rainforest. In general, Belize is considered to be a Central 

American nation with strong ties to both the Caribbean and 

Latin America. 

Ready to Explore. There is an abundance of activity available in Belize. Tourists 

can explore the Belize Barrier Reef with over 1,000 offshore coral and mangrove islets 

and islands known as Cayes. There is safe water for fishing, boating, scuba diving, and 

snorkeling; as well as numerous rivers for rafting and kayaking. In addition, there are 

a variety of jungle and wildlife reserves of fauna and flora with hiking, bird watching, 

and helicopter tours. There are also many Mayan ruins to explore as well as the 

largest cave system in Central America. Some 36% of Belize’s land territory falls 

under some form of official protected status, giving it one of the most extensive 

systems of terrestrial protected areas in the Americas. 

Try something new. The Caribbean coast is lined with a coral reef and 

some 450 Cayes, which offers an abundance of family fun and exploration. 

Snuba, a hybrid cross between snorkeling and scuba diving, is a great, wonderful 

family activity along the Barrier Reef off San Pedro. Other family adventures 

include a must visit to the Belize Zoo to see Howler Monkeys or the National 

Bird, the Toucan. 

A pleasant surprise. Belize serves as an open classroom with many wellestablished 

programs from archeology, anthropology, or biology; to sustainable 

development, history, or linguistics. The country is ideal for experiential 

educators and life-long learners. Popular programs include, tropical ecology 

with both rainforest and marine experiences, and traditional herbal and 

medicinal practices. 

Design your Belizean Journey. The motto on the Belizean 

Flag reads, “Sub Umbra Florero” which means, “Under the Shade (of the 

mahogany tree) I flourish.” So we invite you to flourish and find your 

space in the shade, whether it’s at Film Director Francis Ford Coppala’s 

Turtle Inn in Plancencia, or rocking to the rhythms of Garifuna drums 

in Southern Belize. Maybe it’s the awakening of a spa treatment in 

a Temazcal (a Mayan sweat lodge), followed by a Sun Lovers Herbal 

Mayan Mud Wrap. Everyone should mark their calendar and design a 

Belizean journey today! For more inspiration visit travelbelize.org 



MARK DEMAIO 

A Rare Public Appearance by the Martyrs of Port Lligat 

PAINTER 

NEW YORK CITY 

54 


Pray For Us Sinners 

Mark DeMaio was born in upstate New York and currently resides in New York City. He is heavily involved 

in charitable work and is a rising talent on the art gallery scene. 

Look for his work online or at his upcoming December show: Synchronicity Fine Art. www.markdemaio.com 



INNOVATIVE 

INTERIORS 

56 


Cecelia Cronk Makes her Mark 

BY TAMARA WALKER 


How many of us can remember sitting in our 

first grade class trying to come up with 

the perfect answer to the question, “what 

do you want to be when you grow up?” So 

many of us had big dreams of being an 

astronaut, a ballerina, Superman, a teacher, a doctor… 

even President. Looking back on those times, many can’t 

say that they are living their childhood career dreams. 

But Eau Claire-based interior designer, Cecelia Cronk, 

can. 

One of Eau Claire’s most distinguished interior 

designers and the founder of CityLiving, Inc., Cecelia 

Cronk is known for her unique design style that she 

brings to her vast array of projects which range from 

residential to commercial. Since its inception in 2005, 

CityLiving has experienced amazing opportunities and 

growth which has helped to make Cronk one of the most 

sought after designers in the Midwest. It’s her core belief 

that “exceptional and stunning interior design should 

be accessible to everyone” which has given Cecelia an 

extensive and very diverse client list that includes large 

professional and commercial clients as well as those in 

small spaces. 

Cecelia Cronk’s design stamp can be seen in 

the heart of downtown Eau Claire at the Metropolis Hotel, 

a four-star boutique hotel. “The owners of the hotel read 

an article about me in a local publication and called me 

about the project. They liked my concept and hired me. 

I designed the entire interior including 108 individually 

and unique guest rooms; the conference room, lounge 

and public restrooms. Also, eight of the guest rooms are 

specialty suites using large metropolitan cities as my 

inspiration. 

She first fell in love with interior design the day 

Cecelia and her father put together her playhouse as a 

little girl. But it was after taking on the daunting task of 

designing a nursery for her nephew all by herself at the 

age of 15, that Cecelia realized that interior design was 

her true calling. 

“I went into the basement, found an old crib and 

dresser, and re-purposed them into the furnishings for 

the nursery,” said Cronk. “The dresser was rather large. I 

made an armoire out of the dresser making a space for 

hanging clothing, drawers and a dressing table on top. 

I sanded and painted the crib and armoire in the same 

soft pastel colors and they looked like the set was made 

58 

Raine Magazine Vol. 8 - Innovate 

M

Naturally gifted with an eye for all 

things alluring, Cecelia never 

received formal training in 

interior design but rather drew 

inspiration and experience from 

each project and the things in life she was 

passionate about. Self-educated, Cronk relies 

on her intellect as well as her God-given ability 

to create and design for her craft. 

I truly enjoy all of the work that I have 

completed locally. However, giving back to the 

community is close to my heart. My greatest 

influence was my late mother. She taught me 

to share my talents and to give back to others 

less fortunate. In my heart, I wanted to do a 

special charitable community project every 

year. My first such project was Humanity 

Design 2010. Our design team decided that 

designing the Bolton Refuge Shelter was a 

timely and worthy cause in our community. The 

Bolton Refuge Shelter is a refuge for battered 

and abused women and children. 

In doing the shelter, my desire was 

to give it a design comparable to a boutique 

hotel. It was most rewarding to provide a 

space for women and children who may have 

been living in less than desirable situations to a 

beautiful place of refuge. 

For Humanity Design 2011, we have 

selected a well-deserving senior citizen in our 

community. We are redesigning her bedroom 

into a Hollywood Regency design.” 

Cecelia’s creativity isn’t limited to 

interior design. She is also a celebrated 

photographer. Her passions routinely fuse with 

one another. 

To learn more about Cecelia Cronk and 

CityLiving Design, visit www.ceceliacronk.com. 

ETROPOLIS HOTEL 


INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT 

Brenda de Vries 

PHOTOGRAPHER 

The Netherlands 

60 



INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT 

YILA DONG 

LANDSCAPE AND FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER 

CANADA 

62 



Through the Eyes of Yila 

RESEARCHED BY N. LORRAINE 

Yila L Dong, originally from China, started her photography journey 8 years 

ago. She fell in love with photography when a friend recommended Magnum’s website to 

her. After seeing those world top pictures taken by some of the most famous journalist 

photographers, she was desperate for an SLR camera. Like many other photography 

newbies, she dreamed about taking the same level pictures someday; but at that time she 

couldn’t afford a very basic SLR camera. 

Finally, about 8 years ago, she spent her savings on her first toy - a Canon SLR 

film camera which opened this new world to her. She also started teaching herself dark 

room processing for black and white photos. Due to digital technology not yer being 

popular at that time, this new found hobby became very expensive for her. 

With Yila’s natural talent and effort, her pictures were gradually recognized by 

her friends and coworkers. Soon after, an international company – IBM, invited her to be 

the event photographer for their large marketing events, which gave her lots of chances to 

improve fast-capturing skills. As a result, her photography continued to improve. She was 

totally self-taught without attending any official photography course, and the images from 

her documentary as well as her event and landscape pictures, started to get published in 

magazines. 

Besides landcape photos, Yila also has a love for fashion. Yila’s fashion photography 

started after she moved to Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2007, a fashion designer 

recognized Yila’s photography potential in the fashion industry and picked her to be his new 

design photographer. The fashion pictures she took became quickly well-known by many 

people in town. Besides taking pictures, Yila has been teaching photography at an art school 

in Vancouver since 2008. 

Yila doesn’t want to stick to one style, she is always ready to take a challenge and 

try something new. If you ask her what her best picture is, she will say: “There are no best 

pictures but only better ones”, because she knows one’s creativity should never end. 

64 


NEW YORK FASHION WEEK 

S 

“IN TORE” 

for fall 

A 

what’s 

New York Fashion Week Trend 

and Designer Report by Sam Morris 

Christian Siriano 

Photography by Sam Morris 

66 


this past February the runways of New York 

Fashion Week were occupied by an array 

of designer collections attempting to move 

fashion forward. As always, for fall collections 

black was the star color and with trends 

ranging from a less is more approach in 

jewelry and styling to a consistent presence of 

various shades of grey. It was easy for looks 

to get a little on the drab side. 

But one trend for fall that made the most 

exciting impression on me was designers’ homage to 

the decadent style of the 1920’s; from sequins, lace 

and fringe to golds, bronzes and silvers. All the best 

collections I saw creatively tapped into this revival of 

the first era of contemporary style, adding a heightened 

sense of sophistication to looks for fall. 

The very first fall runway show I saw in the 

tents in February was that of Christian Siriano, who 

has shown in the tents of New York Fashion Week 

every season since winning Project Runway in 2008. 

The 25 year old, whose entire Fall 2009 collection was 

picked up by Saks Fifth Avenue, is known for the hard, 

youthful edge and drama his clothes often exude. His 

upcoming collection was no exception. Though it was 

black heavy, the balance of both fitted and looser fitting 

garments alongside a diverse range of textures made 

up for it, and the collection was certainly inspired by the 

strength, femininity, and dark color palette of the 1920’s 

and the art deco era. 

A more traditionally 1920’s collection, Polish 

designer Eva Minge showed for the first time in New 

York in February and her striking and effortless looks 

for evening were a real treat. With sequins and sheen, 

stunning oversized fur boots and shades of brown and 

copper throughout (plus a cameo from bright red), 

Minge showed you don’t need a ton of color to carry a 

collection. 

If you like lots of color and buoyant fashion, 

Custo Barcelona is a sure bet on your list of designers 

you want in your closet. The energetic and bright 

fall collection from the European based men’s and 

women’s wear line also drew inspiration from the 1920’s, 

most notably in the usage of fringe and shoulder 

embellishments (and a little sheen here and there). But 

like always, the Dalmau brothers (Custo and David) 

have a whimsical way about their clothes and their 

interpretation of 1920’s chic was handled in a fresh and 

exciting way. 

New Zealand-born Rebecca Taylor, known for 

her playful and sexy looks for day and night, added a 

much welcomed level of simplicity to her most recent 

fall collection. With lots of blue, pops of fuchsia and of 

course a little black thrown in, her fall offerings had a 

1920’s motif carried through in several looks, especially 

ones with richer and more solid tones. Taylor also 

played with color blocking and the variety of her looks 

surely has something for everyone. 

You can always rely on Tibi designer Amy 

Smilovic to deliver a bold and flirty collection during 

New York Fashion Week. Her fall line also had an 

understated sense of refinement that was, in part, 

a throwback to the fashion of the 1920’s. From her 

consistent use of fabulous prints to ultra-flattering 

silhouettes, the Tibi show in February relied a great deal 

on fit, color and texture; balancing golds and darker 

prints with appearances from blues, teals, and reds, 

making for a well rounded and elegant collection. 

Fashion industry staple Vivienne Tam was also 

no stranger to an influence of the 1920’s for her fall 

offerings. Known for her sweeping and highly visual 

clothes, the designer presented a simpler collection for 

fall than we are used to, but sometimes a little simplicity 

can go a long way. A plethora of textures in more muted 

fall color tones made for a stunning collection with a 

dark and exciting edge to it. 

Korea’s most famous fashion designer, Son 

Jung Wan, brought her stunning collection to New York 

Fashion Week for the very first time in February. The 

strong Asian inspired collection had a subtle presence 

of 1920’s glamour carried throughout, not to mention a 

fun 1970’s sensibility. From silvers and furs to beautiful 

draping and wide legged trousers to the usage of 

neutrals like beiges and whites, Son Jung Wan’s looks 

stood out in a sea of dark, sometimes heavy handed 

collections. As the last show I attended during fashion 

week, it was a wonderful way to end and left me 

wanting more. 


Eva Minge 

68 


Custo Barcelona 


Rebecca Taylor 

70 


Vivien Tam 


Son Jung Wang 

72 


Tibi by Amy Smilovic 


FRESH FACE MODEL 

STEVEN JEAYS 

Born in Australia 

Currently living in Vancouver, BC 

Height: 6”1 

Photographer: Yila Dong (yilaimage.com) 

Makeup Artist: Tommy Chiang 


76 


ANGELIQUE VELEZ 

Currently living in New York City 

Born in Bronx, NY 

Height: 5' 7" 

FRESH FACE MODEL 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN MOSMEN 


PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLIVER DIAS 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ABIEL RUIZ 

78

RAINE MAGAZINE Volume 8 | Innovate

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