Athleisure Mag JUN ISSUE #42

Jun 2019

- 1 - AthleisureMag.com

JUN 2019

@AthleisureMag

PUBLISHER

Paul Farkas

EDITORIAL

Kimmie Smith

Co-Founder, Creative + Style Director

Paul Farkas

Co-Founder, Artistic Director + Tech Director

FASHION CONTRIBUTIONS

PHOTOGRAPHER Paul Farkas | Mary Kang | Benjamin Lozovsky |

Sansho Scott | STYLIST Kimmie Smith

BEAUTY CONTRIBUTIONS

GROOMER Bamike Ogunrinu

ADVERTISING

info@athleisuremag.com

@ATHLEISUREMAG

CONNECT + VISIT

E-mail: info@athleisuremag.com

Website: www.athleisuremag.com

Athleisure Mag, a Division of Athleisure Media LLC.

table of contents

issue #42

jun 2019

57

STYLE FEATURES

THE PICK ME UP

REFINED RUSTICITY

with Chef George Mendes

PHOTOGRAPHY Paul Farkas

STYLIST Kimmie Smith


118

STYLE FILES: PRINTS

119 STEP INTO THIS LOOK FOR A

DAY PASS AT THE CABANAS

BEAUTY FEATURES

Refined Rusticity

Our June cover is Michelin starred chef, George Mendes who is the restaurateur

of Aldea as well as Chef Club Counter’s pop up, AMAR. We talk with him about his

passion for cooking, his culinary journey and where he gets his inspiration.

16

54

CALAMANSI BEAUTY

AthleisureMag.com - 16 - Jun 2019

121

ATHLEISURE LIST

126

IN OUR BAG

Something You Should Know

with John Salley

44

We talk with NBA Champion John Salley about his legacy, wellness and more.

50

LIFESTYLE FEATURES

ATHLEISURE LIST

STANDARD DOSE

Pride Island 2019

See Madonna, Grace Jones, Teyana

Taylor and Amara La Negra.

58

Style Inspired with 84

Brad Goreski

We talk summer style with Brad Goreski.

52

ATHLEISURE LIST

CAMP WONDERFUL


The Art of the Snack

with Osteria 57

This month, we head to The Village to enjoy Osteria 57’s menu which is filled with

an array of dishes that consist of pescatarian and vegetarian delights. We talk with

Chef Riccardo Orfino to talk about his culinary background and signature dishes.

92

Bingely Books + 106

Bingely Streaming

In our monthly feature, we share what

we’re reading and streaming this month

while you’re on your commute, working

out or taking some down time.

The Fitness Icon 143

with Denise Austin

We sit down with trailblazer, Denise

Austin who talks about her start in the

industry in the early day of aerobics, her

current projects and more!

Athleisure Studio

Tune into our podcast network, Athleisure

Studio. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple

Podcast, Stitcher, Google Podcast and

more.

The Nine List

153

We’re focused on how you can enjoy

beauty, fitness and style when you’re off

to the next destination!

Jun 2019


REFINED RUSTICITY

with Chef George Mendes

PHOTOGRAPHY Paul Farkas

STYLIST Kimmie Smith




We have been a fan of Chefs Club NY

since 2017 when we did our interview

with Chef Chris Szyjka who had a residency

there and was also participating

in Cochon555's NY leg then. It was inthis

interview that we found out Chefs Club

was founded in 2012 by Stephane De

Baets. This restaurant group features

some of the world's top chefs in iconic

locations including: NYC, Chefs Club

Counter, Aspen and Taipei. Chefs enjoy

being featured in these locations as

well as being able to have takeovers in

their space and menus.

In addition to their fine dining component

of Chefs Club, in 2017 Chefs Club

Counter, a fast casual brand opened

as means to focus on this sector of the

market. It was at a recent Michelin 4x4

dinner held at Chefs Club that we found

out more about Chefs Club Counter and

the current residency of Chef George

Mendes with his concept restaurant

AMAR! Our menswear cover rocks

easy looks that Chef would wear in the

restaurant as well as planning a number

of tasks involving this restaurant

as well as his Michelin starred Aldea in

Union Square including summer's accessory

- sunglasses. We talk with him

about his Iberian/Portuguese cuisine,

his culinary journey and how he maintains

inspiration when it comes to making

fantastic dishes. Whether you enjoy

his offerings at Aldea or you enjoy

enjoy his fast casual fare at AMAR, he's

always bringing the love of Portugal in

every bite.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When was the moment

that you realized that you loved

food and wanted to be a chef?

CHEF GEORGE MENDES: I think it – it

really came in stages to be honest with

you. I grew up in a Portuguese household

where there was always fresh

food on the table and a patch of garden

even if it was in the backyard or

on the driveway. My mother would always

cook for my dad, my sister and I.

We would always have home cooked

meals 5 or 6 days out of the week.

When I graduated from high school, I

wasn’t pushed to go into the direction

of going to college or to university. My

mom and dad said that I should find

something that I loved and work to

make money in something that I wanted

to be a part of. I took a field trip one

day to the Culinary Institute of America

with my marketing class and I spent

the day up there and fell in love with it.

I think that I truly believed that I already

had a seed planted in me from

growing up around good food from

my mother cooking at home, but also

the holiday feasts always made a big

impact. I can still smell the Portuguese

table of the bounty of salt cod, rice

dishes, suckling pig and filet mignon.

It was kind of a mingling of Americana

and Portuguese foods. So, there was

filet mignon and surf and turf with lobster

tails. There was this chicken rice

and rabbit. I was just was planted at

a very early age growing up that the

the life and culture of living in a Portuguese

community always had – food.

AM: Nice – it’s always food!

CHEF GM: Food there was always food.

There would be Saints Day celebrations

at a local Portuguese Community

Club and there would be sardines

on a charcoal grill, there was chicken

grilling with pitti pitti sauce which has

inspired recipes in my career today

whether it’s a sandwich or half of a

chicken grilled with the same sauce

that I grew up with. It’s funny because

I have come full circle now in a way!

AM: Can you tell us about your culinary

experience from where you trained

through restaurants that you worked

with prior to Aldea?

CHEF GM: It all started with the Culinary

Institute of America in the early

90’s. From there, I spent another year

in a classical French restaurant at The

Stonehenge Inn - classical French cook-

ing. Then I came to New York for the

first time and took a cooking class with

Chef David Bouley and then I asked

him for a job on the spot because I

was mesmerized by the kitchen itself

and the brigade and how it reminded

me of school a little bit. But the food

had a big impact on me and I wanted

to learn a different style of cooking.

I stayed with him for over 3.5 years and

in between, there were stints in Paris

at Arpège, a 3-star Michelin restaurant.

I was able to do that for awhile in the

late 90’s and then I came back to New

York again and helped a fellow Bouley

cook/chef open up his restaurant

called Wallsé which was Austrian and

went through the experience of what

it was like to open up a business from

scratch and to learn all the parts. From

there, I took a job as a chef at the age of

24 at a little bistro called Le Zoo. I was

very young and I was doing the kinds

of things that I learned at Bouley. But

I had the desire to still travel abroad

and to learn from French Masters. So I

moved to Washington DC which was a

link to get me back to France again so I

did that. I went to the South of France

to work and came back to the US again

and took a job working as a chef at a

restaurant in Times Square with a very

very heavy pre-theater business – insane!

AM: How did that feel?

CHEF GM: It was insane! It wasn’t quite

scoop and serve style of cooking, but

it was high volume and every thing

had to be ready and get it done fast!

I missed the finesse and I missed the

tinkering. You know, tweezers weren’t

around yet so we weren’t doing all

of that yet – but 5-8 years later, I hit

a point where there was a lot of noise

coming out of Spain with this avant

garde movement that was happening

in terms of a culinary revolution.

I thought, “wait a minute, Spain is a

neighbor of Portugal," and I started

seeing the relationship of this familiar-

ity happening between the two countries

especially with the flavors of

the olive oils, garlic and the tomato. I

worked with Martin Berasategui and

that was a big lightbulb moment for

me and that’s when I knew I wanted

to create my own style and my own

identity. I felt that I had trained for

many years at that point and now was

the time to create my own voice. He

opened up my eyes to the cooking that

I grew up with again. He said, “revisit

those flavors that wholesomeness,

rusticity the memories, those aromas

and try to interpret them and put it all

together. Put them all in a stock pot,

mix it up and see what comes out.”

At that time, I took the Chef de Cuisine

position at Tocqueville which was a

French American restaurant with the

agreement with the owners that I was

given the opportunity to create specials

and contribute to the menu and

that was my first foray or first road to

take the discovery of what I wanted

to be as a chef and that’s what also

led me to creating the style of Aldea.

That’s when I realized that that was

what I wanted to do and started calling

it “refined rusticity.” It’s a term that I

coined and we talk about it in the book

a little bit as a means to really capture

the rustic nature of Portuguese cooking

and to finesse it all the way.

AM: How was it creating your book and

how much time did it take you?

CHEF GM: Two years. Books are a fun

project. They’re a lot of work, a lot of

soul searching, a lot of hours, a lot of

talking and writing – a lot of recipe development.

Because a lot of the things

that we do in the kitchen are not measured

precisely unless you’re going into

pastry. When we were doing the book,

my author Genevieve would measure

the cups and table spoons of this. It

wasn’t just a drop of olive oil or a dash

or a smidgen - those words didn't exist

anymore. It was a fun project.




AM: Do you think you would do another

cookbook?

CHEF GM: Yeah.

AM: Are you currently working on a

cookbook?

CHEF GM: I’m not currently working

on a cookbook as I have a number of

restaurant ideas and concepts on my

mind to focus on right now. But, books

are a great way to put a lot of ideas together

to help with your name and to

expose it to the public more. It allows

you to tell you story more and people

can hold it in their hands and say,

“I want to eat in this restaurant and I

want to know more about this particular

cuisine.” I really like that part of it.

AM: Tell us about Aldea and what one

can expect when they are coming in to

dine?

CHEF GM: They should expect what

I like to say, “a roller coaster ride” in

a way that they are able to eat in an

open kitchen area with a chefs counter

or chefs table or to eat in a romantic/intimate

booth to the side or to go

upstairs and to be able to eat in the

Mezzanine or private dining where it

can be more quiet. So, they’re given a

lot of different dining environments.

As far as the menu goes, that mark of

classic Portuguese flavor but what I

also like to call a free spirit that Martine

and I believe in – we cook with the

seasons, we cook with the farmer’s

market – we cook with what’s inspiring

us. There is a lot of inspiration from

Japan and other former Portuguese

colonies like Goa, India and Brazil and

Macao, China. So there’s a lot of adventurous

flavors going on there. You

know I really want people to come to

Aldea with an open mind. At the same

time, I don’t want to over complicate

it. They are coming to enjoy an anniversary

or a birthday, but they are also

coming in to be fed and nourished. So

that's our number one responsibility.

We want to offer something that is

creative and sometimes entertaining,

but also making sure that you leave

content, happy and satiated!

AM: You have received a number of accolades

for Aldea including a Michelin

star. Can you tell us what it means to

receive that?

CHEF GM: You know, receiving a Michelin

star is a great stamp being that

I trained in Michelin star restaurants.

Having a star of our own means a lot

as it’s great recognition but it pushes

us harder to maintain it or sometimes

you get another one. It’s nice to be recognized

being that the Michelin guide

is French history and now that they are

globalized, it’s great to have Portugal

on the map. There's two Michelin star

restaurants in Portugal in Lisbon and

in Rocali and there’s a little Portuguese

inspired restaurant here in NYC – Aldea.

It means a lot to be in that book

and it’s really satisfying, inspiring and

it motivates us.

AM: Some people don’t know how you

get one and what that process is.

CHEF GM: Yes the Michelin Guide historically

and notoriously works anonymously

with inspectors that come to

your restaurant unannounced. They

could be dining by themselves, a party

of 2, 4, 6 or 8. We never know.

AM: So you have to be on your game all

the day.

CHEF GM: Yeah – being on your game

all of the time. It is like that!

AM: You have a pop up this summer going

on with Chefs Club Counter called

AMAR. Can you tell us how this came

about to as well as the collaboration

with international model, Sanne Vloet?

CHEF GM: You know, with Chefs Club,

I have always had a relationship over

the years with Stefane the founder

and he has always given me opportunities

to contribute to Chefs Club

the brand and I have always enjoyed

those opportunities. I have always had

this concept of trying out or feeding a

mass market with the lunch rush for

what people want for lunch while also

providing them something healthy and

quick but also with the same stamp of

flavors that we do at Aldea and in my

DNA with my Portuguese focus. Stefan

and I spoke for awhile and it grew

into something small next door to an

opportunity of the whole corner of

Chefs Club Counter and here we are 2

weeks in and it’s going great. It’s great

to have that opportunity in a place like

Soho with foot traffic and lunch rush

which is a whole different ball game

for me and to feed people in an hour

and a half which serves 150-200 people

which is a total different direction

from what we are used to doing over

at Aldea. It’s taken some time to adjust

and to tinker. Like food has to be plate

within 10 seconds versus a minute.

Things are a lot more immediate and

we’re discovering new cooking techniques

and combining ingredients that

travel well – using online ordering platforms.

So it’s been fun and it’s been a

learning curve that’s challenging and a

lot of work.

AM: How do you juggle running Aldea

as well as AMAR – what does a typical

day look like between these two restaurants?

CHEF GM: Well I’m lucky that Aldea

doesn’t do lunch. So I’m lucky that I

can do lunch at AMAR at Chefs Club

Counter and be able to dinner at Aldea

although AMAR does stay open a little

later. But I am trying to split my time

between the two. The month of June

has been heavy focusing on AMAR

right now, but it’s been going really

well and Aldea is only open 5 days a

week Tues – Sat and AMAR is lunch everyday

haha.

I like to push myself and I like challenges

and problems. Things that give me

opportunities to grow because it’s

very easy to become stagnant and to

regress and rest on our laurels. You

end up not moving so opening AMAR

at Chefs Counter Club during the summer

as a pop up has given me a new

challenge that that’s what I really love.

AM: Why was it important to you to

participate in this pop up this summer?

CHEF GM: First and foremost is to test

AMAR the concept and to test the environment

for fast casual and to see

what that’s like. A lot of chefs these

days that have fine dining restaurants

want to dabble in fast casual with a

quick serve environment. I was given

this opportunity to do this for 3

months as a pop up so it’s an opportunity

for a prototype that can be permanent

afterwards. That’s the main

focal point here. It’s also to make sure

that we have a responsibility that the

paying customers have something

good to eat and quick. I think I come

on board with the same standards and

excellence that we have at Aldea and

the reputation of Chefs Club. We’re

doing a lot with Michelin and the 4x4

dinners as you know and representing

that brand of Chefs Club and Chefs

Club Counter in quick service is fun. It’s

an interesting time!

AM: How important is it for chefs to

utilize opportunities such as going on

air, being on social media to showcase

your brand and various projects that

you are apart of?

CHEF GM: I like the opportunity to

feed more people, reach a different

audience precisely. Aldea is a fine dining

restaurant where we have an average

check average that the diner can

spend about $110 to $130 per person

for a number of courses and beverages.

Doing AMAR, we’re now in the

bracket of $18 to $20 a person. So, I

really enjoy the opportunity to feed

more people at a different time of day

- 31 -

at the lunch rush for the quick serve

environment.

AM: What are 3 signature dishes which

can come from either restaurant that

people need to try.

CHEF GM: At Aldea, it’s been 10 years

but the Arroz de Pata (duck rice) has

still been a signature dish that I have

always enjoyed and the Hokkaido Sea

Urchin toast at Aldea which I would

say is a tie. Ah the Shrimp Alhinho Xerem

- ah that’s good too.

AM: It’s hard to just choose a few!

CHEF GM: And then at AMAR, I’m having

fun with these salads. It’s been

about 2 weeks in and building a salad

that is going to quench your hunger or

satisfy you for running out of work for

an hour etc and giving you a protein,

veggies and greens to hit every food

group and dancing with all of the people’s

dietary restrictions – vegan, gluten-free,

dairy-free and nut allergies!

It’s been challenging but I welcome it

because this is the age we live in and

there are a lot of demands and people

are very food savvy and watching

what they eat and that’s what AMAR

is. AMAR means “to love” in Portuguese

and there is this care that is involved

and a care for what you are putting

into your body and high quality

ingredients and care into the preparation

and serving it. It’s a delicate dance

between producing a lot of food in a

short period of time and presenting it

in a beautiful way. So there is a lot to

put this into the mix.

AM: What are 3 ingredients that you

usually have in your kitchen that you

enjoy cooking with?

CHEF GM: Really good Portuguese extra

virgin olive oil, fleur de sel which is

flower of salt and I think the last one

has to be fresh parsley, fresh cilantro

and lemon thyme. I think that those

three herbs are the anchor of my cuisine

and what we really do to balance

the power of protein and meats and

vegetables. I love citrus as well so I

cook with a lot of zest of lemon and

lime and like the brightness and acidity

that it gives.

AM: Iberian and Portuguese cuisine are

a part of your culinary style. You are

participating in a culinary tour this fall

in Portugal and you are also a part of

TAP Air Portugal’s Taste the Stars Programs,

can you tell us about this and

why these are areas that are also great

to include in your chef’s portfolio?

CHEF GM: I think that it’s important to

bring awareness to Portuguese gastronomy

and I think that we are still under

the radar. I think that we’re of the

level of Italy or France or even Spain

our neighbors. I try to build awareness

with my colleagues in Portugal

as well and bringing a group of people

through an itinerary all over the wine

country in Portugal and to dine at

restaurants and cooking and demonstrations

– talking about the culture

of Portugal gastronomy is just another

push into calling for exposure and

attention. To say that you’re this little

country and you’re trying to do something

well. A lot of talented chefs are

there. We have beautiful landscapes,

beautiful architecture and beautiful ingredients.

I think that we have some

of the best seafood in the world. Having

the opportunity to show people

there that are going on this trip as well

as doing what I do here in New York

and with what we’re doing on TAP Air

Portugal with the airlines – in Business

Classes, we’re presenting people

with Portuguese flavors with an Aldea

DNA. Again, along that same goal of

showing travelers and people flying to

Lisbon and Portugal for the first time

what Portuguese cuisine is for the first

time. I think that airplane food gets

a bad rap. I think that initiatives like

these really help.

AM: It’s great that people have that cu-

linary opportunity by being on that

flight. Clearly, you travel quite a bit,

what are 3 things that you have always

have in your carry on when you’re heading

to the next destination?

CHEF GM: Um wipes – cucumber wipes

to keep fresh. I mean, I just love the

air on airplanes it’s so stale and dry.

Waking up from a nap on an airplane

– I like to rest and I’m not a great flier

because I hate turbulence. So I always

take something to calm me – a

lot of homeopath herbs right now that

I enjoy. I like a good pair of noise cancelling

headphones, an eye pillow, an

eye mask and then a good snack. I try

to board with a good yogurt or a Kind

Bar. Those are my top things. If it’s a

really long trip, I make sure that I have

good music downloaded as well as a

movie or two.

AM: Who are you listening to right

now?

CHEF GM: Ah Tame Impala it’s an indie

band led by Kevin Parker, they’re Australian

and are amazing. I’ve seen them

live and I’m going to see them live again

in August at Madison Square Garden.

I have to be honest with you, I think I

love all genres of music. I could be into

hip hop one day and be into classic rock

the next. Then I’m into jazz. At AMAR,

our playlist is very heavy into Brazilian

and Samba jazz and I think that

music is very powerful. It really resonates

with me and sets the mood. It

makes me happy and when I’m upset,

I just listen to music and it just turns

me around. It takes a really happy moment

and makes it even happier. So I

will talk to people who will say, “music

does nothing for me,” and I’m like, “oh

God – how can you say that?”

AM: Everyone needs a soundtrack!

What do you do to stay in shape?

CHEF GM: I run. I’m a runner. I do a

lot of half marathons and marathons.

Right now, I’m a little injured but I love

to run and I love the exertion of it and

the mental strength that it takes to do

the distance running whether it takes

13 miles or 26.2 to run a marathon. I

love the runner’s high and what I feel

after running a 30 minute easy pace

run. It builds a lot of clarity, strength

and I can spend some time in my own

head. It’s been a good thing for me.

Then I’m on my back. I like cycling. My

girlfriend, Suzanne and I, tend to find

ourselves on our days off as she has an

intense job as well. We use Sunday afternoons

to go for nice bike rides.

AM: What keeps you inspired to continue

cooking? Is it going to travel destinations,

goals etc?

CHEF GM: I’m inspired by traveling and

I’m inspired by visiting new restaurants

and catching up with my friends

to see what they are doing. I think that

Lisbon with the new 2 Michelin star

restaurant it has and the 1 stars with

these young chefs that are coming into

their own and finding their own voice.

I love to go to these places in Mexico

like Tulum and eating in these restaurants

that have these great Yucatan

recipes and ingredients and salsas.

Cooking outside and open wood fire

grill – these things are very inspiring.

But what keeps me really motivated is

just being in the kitchen and looking at

fresh ingredients. Cutting them open

and paying attention to the color and

texture and what they taste like. What

new combinations I can come up with

and what wacky interpretations I can

do – why not grill a cucumber as opposed

to just using it raw. I like tinkering

around and being in the kitchen. I

can let the team take care of regular

customers and I can have the opportunity

to just cook what I am feeling at

the moment with no menu, no guidelines,

no rules. To express what I am

feeling at the moment!

AM: Are there culinary areas that you

have yet to go to that are on your bucketlist?

CHEF GM: I want to go to South America

– Brazil, Chile, Peru, Argentina. Chile

- has hundreds of varieties of potatoes

for example and I want to go and experience

that!

Reserve your seat for Chefs Club Presents:

Côté Médi by Chef Terrance Brennan

which runs from July 10th - September

28th.

@GeoMendes

@AldeaNYC

@ChefsClubNY

@ChefsClubCounter

BEAUTY CREDITS

Groomer, Bamike Ogunrinu prepared

the skin and styled the hair for this

shoot.

MAKEUP PREPARATION PRODUCT

LIST

PREP | BIODERMA Micellar Water |

REBELS AND OUTLAWS Love Potion

| DRUNKEN ELEPHANT B-Hydra Intensive

Hydrating Serum | TWINMEDIX

Pro: Refine Eye Corrector + Moisturizer

| EMBRYOLISSE Protective Repair

Stick Moisturizing Lip Balm |

FACE | MAKEUP FOREVER Ultra HD

Cream Foundation + Pro Bronze Fusion

Bronzer 20M | KETT COSMETICS Kett

Set | BENEFIT COSMETICS Foolproof

Brow Powder | SURRATT Expressioniste

Brow Pomade |

HAIR | LAYRITE Superhold Pomade |

@BamikeOgunrinu

FASHION CREDITS

Kimmie Smith created luxury easy casual

menswear looks for this cover shoot.

LOOK 1 COVER + PG 21 - 27 | TILIT Chef's

Coat | MAVI JEAN'S James Skinny

Jeans | TITLE OF WORK Double Cuff

with 10MM Leather Bracelet |

LOOK 2 PG 16 - 18 | HANRO V-Neck

T-Shirt | MAVI JEANS James Skinny

Jeans | RANDOLPH Intruder IR002 23K

Gold E.P. | TITLE OF WORK Double Cuff

with 10MM Leather Bracelet |

LOOK 3 PG 28 - 35 + BACK COVER | LOOK

2 | PARAJUMPERS Zipped Fleece | TED

BAKER Sunglasses |

@Shes.Kimmie

PHOTOGRAPHY

Paul Farkas shot this editorial using

Canon Mark IV; and selected Canon

lenses: EF 50/1.2 L, EF 24-70 f/2.8 L II, and

EF 70-200 f/2.8 L II.

@PVFarkas

You can hear Chef George Mendes' interview

this month on our show, ATH-

LEISURE KITCHEN which is a part of Athleisure

Studio, our multi-media podcast

network! Make sure to subscribe to

find out when the episode drops. You

can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts,

Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy

listening to your favorite podcast.

2019

A Festival for

Denim Lovers

June 8 & 9 | 11am - 6pm

A two-day shopping event with the best denim brands, a

rare sneaker exhibit, vintage treasure hunting, seminars,

music, food, and more.

Metropolitan Pavilion

125 W 18th Street

New York, NY 10011

For more information and to purchase

tickets, please visit: denim-days.com

Use code NYDD19 and receive

10% off rides. Terms apply.

This month, we talk with John Salley,

who had a phenomenal NBA career

with 4 Championship rings on 3 separate

teams. Post his NBA career, he has

been a host of FOX Sports' Best Damn

Sports Show Period, a host on a number

of shows such as VH1's Basketball

Wives and Basketball Wives LA, as well

as a number of other hosting and TV

appearances. In addition, he is known

for his philanthropy, activism and his investments

within health and wellness.

With his focus on veganism as well as

the cannabis sector, he has a truly diversified

portfolio. We talk with him

about his career, his legacy in the game

and his transition into current projects.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was that moment

that you realized that you wanted

to play basketball and ultimately, go

to the NBA?

JOHN SALLEY: At the time, I think that I

was 6 years old! I was realizing that everybody

was getting up early to go to

work and I saw that people were playing

games at night and that’s when I

knew that was a job that I wanted instead.

AM: As a 15 year veteran in the league

and as the first player to win 4 championship

games on 3 different teams,

what do you think your legacy is in

terms of your contribution to the game?

JS: Oh wow. My legacy? Some of my

teammates like me, I say it all the time

time that everything is just moments

in time! For me to be on that stage 5

times and to win 4 of them is an amazing

accomplishment and that can’t be

taken away. A lot of the people that I

talk to say that there are great players

and I tell them that there is a difference

between great players and champions.

AM: A lot of people during this time of

year get a little confused when it comes

to buying their father or father figures

something for Father’s Day. What are 3

gifts that you suggest so that we’re not

just getting in the rut of a coffee mug

or a tie?

JS: A tie and a coffee mug is good because

next year you realize that you

broke that coffee mug or you're still

wearing that tie that everyone saw

at that Christmas party ha ha! I have

this wonderful bald head. God took

the middle out so I took the rest out. I

love and use the Philips Norelco 6000

Shaver. It protects your skin from getting

those cuts and head bumps. It has

rings that goes around. It feels good

all day. I shave my head so that I can

always be smooth and ready.

I also love, as I am a photographer and

always take pictures – Epson Workforce

BT4750 Printer with an ecotank.

Many people take pictures and they

leave it on their camera. Sometimes I

like to put it in a frame! I like when you

can have something in your hands and

and know that you have it.

Lastly, you can get the 4K UHD Blu-Ray

Player which is available at Amazon,

Best Buy, Target etc. A lot of guys have

a lot of Blu-Ray collections but I love

that you can just sit back and watch all

of your favorite.

I love Bumblebee so funny and you

can watch with your whole family at

anytime! They also have Forrest Gump

which I believe is one of the greatest

movies of all time – everybody else

does too. Tom Hanks got his award

because of it – you can do anything

in America and that is a proven thing

about Forrest Gump and everything

counts to the next point. It’s the 25 year

anniversary too! Then there is Batman.

I mean, you have Jack Nicholson and

he was psycho and they played a lot of

Prince music which I loved! The movies

come along with this player and it's

cool that this is what people want to

see. That's what I think works for Father's

Day.

SOMETHING YOU

SHOULD KNOW

with John Salley

AM: This time of year also makes you

think about what you want to gift grads

– what ideas do you have for that?

JS: For a grad – I don’t want you sitting

around all day eating nachos that’s not

vegan and just watching movies although

it’s a great gift to have! I definitely

suggest the Epson printer for

anybody.

AM: As you transitioned from the

game, you’ve been in movies, hosted

shows, are philanthropic and you are

making serious moves in the health and

wellness sector. Why is being involved

in this area so important to you?

JS: Well, I have a big foot but I want

to leave the smallest footprint on the

planet whenever I decide to leave. I believe

everything deserves to have life.

Nothing needs to be taken from life it

just needs to have life. I believe that

the best you can, the best energy you

put forth, making sure you do something

to help society, the world, the

planets, and animals – the more you

do the more you’re blessed!

@JohnSalley

PHOTOS CREDITS | PG 45 + 48 JOHN

SALLEY | PG 46 + 47 Shutterstock |

You can hear John Salley's interview

now on our show, #TRIBEGOALS which

is a part of Athleisure Studio, our

multi-media podcast network! Make

sure to subscribe to find out when the

episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify,

Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts

and wherever you enjoy listening to

your favorite podcast.

Last month, Standard Dose launched

its three-story space as a CBD based

wellness experience in NYC's NoMad

neighborhood. Their aim is to create

an environment as a destination for

elevated wellness that aims to facilitate

an understanding of natural restorative

practices. Guests can enjoy

high quality CBD and plant-based products,

daily yoga, meditation, education

workshops and spa services. Educators

are on site to inform shoppers on the

benefits and uses of 100 curated CBD

and plant-based topical and ingestible

products.

Upon continuing in the space, a tea bar

offers custom blends for detox, immunity

and healing. Beyond this area is a

meditation studio where guided sessions

can be booked.

On the top floor, an outdoor rooftop

hosts a number of additional meditation

and yoga classes. In addition, there

will be community events that focus on

CBD and plant-based wellness.

ATHLEISURE LIST: NYC

STANDARD DOSE

This month, keep an eye out for a spa

treatment room where select clean

beauty services and body treatments

can be reserved.

STANDARD DOSE

1145 Broadway

NY, NY 10001

www.standarddose.com

@StandardDose


Jun 2019


ATHLEISURE LIST: Timber Lake Camp in Shandanken, NY

CAMP WONDERFUL

Camp Wonderful is a summer camp

for adults that launched in August of

2017. Co-Founded by Jonah and Paige,

both enjoyed their experiences attending

camps and enjoying the transformative

experiences that take place

when one is within this environment.

Both also worked at Cirque du Soleil.

Campers enjoy an array of activities

that allow them to rest, recharge and

to engage with fellow attendees. With

professional trained on-staff counselors,

activities include arts & crafts,

writing, playing music, self-defense,

sensory walks, night hikes, greeting

card making, speaking Shakespeare,

book readings, acroyoga and more.

Guests have access to luxury cabins,

outdoor areas, 2 lakes, heated pool,

athletic fields, theater and performance

space, yoga an dance spaces,

gyms, and full art studios.

This camping experience is recreational

drug and alcohol free as well as tech

free (no access to your smartphones)

which allows people to connect with

one another and to truly be present.

When purchasing your all inclusive

camp experience, breakfast, lunch

and dinner are created by expert foodies

that meets the dietary needs (food

allergies, restrictions and preferences)

of the guests that are attending. Previous

campers have enjoyed the late

night snacks offered at Ma's Basement

(their camp canteen) like s'mores.

Guests can stay in a shared luxe cabin

or they can bring their own tent and

camp on the grounds. Cabins come

with attatched private bathrooms, air

conditioning, shaded porches, beds

with premier bedding and pillows and

you can select inclusive/mixed gender

or an all male/female housing.


Campers can drive to the camp or can

take Camp Wonderful's private buses

that are $75 round trip. In addition, you

can purchase single or group tickets.

You can still reserve your 4-day/3-night

camp experience by selecting Sept

Sept 5th - Sept 8th or Sept 12th - Sept

15th. Each all inclusive experience is

available at $799. To get an idea of

what's in store for you, make sure to

check out an itinerary.

PHOTOS COURTESY | Camp Wonderful

CAMP WONDERFUL

Timber Lake Camp

Shandanken, NY 12480

www.campwonderful.com

@campwonderful

Jun 2019


PRIDE ISLAND

This month marked Athleisure Mag's 3rd

year of being media sponsors for NYC

PRIDE! In addition, this year WorldPride

took place throughout the month here

in NYC. WorldPride has been in existance

for 20 years and has had 6 times that it

has been showcased; however, this year

was the first time that it has taken place

in the US. It came to NYC as a means to

honor the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall

Uprising Commemorating the historic

event where the modern movement

began in 1969.

This year's theme, "Millions of Moments

of Pride" included events ranging from

panels, parties, movie nights, brunches

and more. Being able to share the events

as they took place as well as attending

them is part of the fun of celebratiing

during this time of year while also supporting

and being an ally to our LGBTQI+

community. The events culminated in

one of our favorites - Pride Island. This

event takes place over the last 2 days of

pride and includes a number of performances

from an array of entertainers.

This year included Grace Jones, Teyana

Taylor, Kim Petras, Amara La Negra and

Madonna!

Check out amazing moments from PRIDE

ISLAND.

PHOTO CREDITS FOR NYC PRIDE + WORLD

PRIDE | THIS PG - 67 Mary Kang | PG 68 -

71 Sansho Scott | PG 72 - 79 Benjamin Lozovsky

|

2019

Jun 2019


Go!

crispygreen.com

facebook.com/crispygreen @crispygreensnacks @crispygreen

Inspiration

doesn’t just occur.

It’s created.

Perfection isn’t simply achieved.

It’s worked for.

Reserved for those who get out and go. Fueled

by nature. Motivated by spirit. How do you go?

We loved Brad Goreski when we first met

him on BRAVO's The Rachel Zoe Project as

he stepped into the world of styling and

being her assistant, he continued on with

the network's It's A Brad Brad World and

appearing on a number of shows including

being a co-host on E! Fashion Police for

a number of seasons and during Awards

Season on E! Live From the Red Carpet

where he gives the inside scoop on who he

dressed, who is wearing what and making

predictions on what designers we will see

on the red carpets. His career has included

being a Creative Director at Kate Spade

and dressing a number of coveted celebs

includign Emily Ratajkowski, Demi Moore,

Rashida Jones and Jessica Alba to name a

few. He's known for rocking dapper style

and never being afraid of color and patterns

for his clients or himself.

With summer officially starting this month,

we took some time to talk about how he

got into the industry, how he is inspired

to dress his clients, the importance of

sunglasses - summer's accessory and last

month's MET Gala looks that he loved this

year.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you know

that you wanted to be in fashion and ultimately

know that you wanted to be a stylist?

BRAD GORESKI: I think I knew from a very

young age. I always loved fashion and putting

looks together for myself and for my

mom. I was always so aware of what everyone

was wearing that I feel like this is

kind of exactly what I was supposed to be

doing. But the real turning point is when

I was in college and I was looking for a

summer internship and I landed at one in

Vogue in NYC and the rest is kind of history.

I just knew that it was where I wanted

to be. I feel very lucky that I have been

able to work in an industry that has been

so welcoming to me for many many years

now and I feel very very lucky!

AM: How do you get inspiration when it

comes to styling your clients?

BG: Social media is such a great place to

get inspired. There is everything from the

past, present and future available to us

there. I follow a variety of different people

and different pages. It’s so fun to be

able to see something like I noticed an old

image of Marilyn Monroe the other day in

a great black lace blouse, pencil skirt and

heels and just the whole vibe of the setup!

I said to myself, “I have to do this with

one of my clients this summer.” It was just

a really beautiful summery look and there

are so many great trends this summer as

well. It’s just really fun to keep up with

these trends on social media.

AM: What are 3 trends this summer that

we should be thinking about in terms of

creating our dynamic look?

BG: Well one of the big trends that I’m

loving in terms of the summer for men

and for women is really bright bold color.

Whether that’s a bright red or a royal blue

or even something as crazy as a bright yellow.

Thinking about bold color is one of

my favorite trends! You can do that even

in suiting with a blazer or even in shorts.

The second one is florals – florals are everywhere

right now whether it’s a bigger

floral or more of a micro floral – a smaller

one – I think florals for men and for women

is a nice summery way to kind of add a

little bit of interest to your wardrobe.

Of course, number 3 is always having a

good pair of sunglasses. I’m so happy to

be partnering with the Vision Council to

be talking about sunglasses and protecting

your eyes this summer and also the

best ways that you can purchase a pair

of sunglasses and the steps that you can

go through to be thinking about when

you are buying a pair of sunglasses. You

always want to be protecting your eyes

and buying those that protect yourself

from UVA and UVB rays. You want to look

for that little sticker that we’re all familiar

with on your sunglasses that let you know

that they protect you from this. You also

want to be able to have the right comfort

and fit. You want to get a pair of sunglass-

STYLE INSPIRED with

Brad Goreski

es that really suits the shape of your face.

Then you need to look at your lifestyle.

What do you do throughout the day? Are

you super active, are you running errands,

do you run around with your kids? Next,

what’s your style? Are you looking more

towards a Marilyn Monroe style that is

more vintage and has a cat eye or are you

looking to be a little more classic and looking

to do an aviator?

AM: These are great points and there are

some people that opt not to wear sunglasses!

What do you believe are some of

the misconceptions that they have that results

in them not wearing them?

BG: I think that there are a lot of myths

out there about sunglasses. I think that

some people believe that if it is cloudy

outside, that they are not getting any

UVA/UVB exposure. Whether it’s cloudy

out or not, you are always at risk of UVA/

UVB exposure. I think that also when people

look at their sunglasses and see that it

has a super dark lens, they think that they

are getting the ultimate in protection.

The only way that you know that you’re

getting protection from UVA/UVB protection

is when you see that little sticker that

says that. You want to look for it for sure.

I think that The Vision Council says that

whenever you’re out during the day that

you should be protecting your eyes with a

pair of sunglasses.

AM: These are great points that we should

always be mindful. As someone that I know

travels quite a bit, what are 3 things that

you tend to carry with you in your carryon

when you travel?

BG: Very good question because I am

taking off on a flight this afternoon! So,

snacks – I always have to have them with

me. I like to have my own with me because

I like to eat on the airplane and it gets me

through. I always have some bars, a little

treat, I like to carry some almond butter

with me. I always have earplugs with me

as well because I like to have just quiet.

I also like to have my headphones with

me as well. The last flight I took, my headphones

fell out of my bag in the backseat

of the car and I really had to do some centering

work. I was like, what am I going to

do for 6 hours?

AM: That is the worst!!!! We have been

fans of yours for a long time and love seeing

you on E! Live from the Red Carpet. As

the Met Gala taking place last month with

its focus on Camp, what were your 3 favorite

looks from this year’s carpet?

BG: Ooo that’s a good question! I am going

to say that I loved Cardi B in Thom

Browne, Katy Perry in the Moschino

chandelier and I love Emily Ratajkowski in

Peter Dundas I believe.

@MrBradGoreski

PHOTOS CREDITS | PG 85 BRAVO | PG 86

SharpShooter |

You can hear Brad Goreski's interview this

month on our show, Bungalow SK which is

a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media

podcast network! Make sure to subscribe

to find out when the episode drops.

You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts,

Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy

listening to your favorite podcast

The Art of

the Snack

FOR THE PESCATARIAN + VEGETARIANS

We're in the thick of the summer and we

enjoyed a phenomenal tasting in the West

Village's Osteria 57, a rustic Italian restaurant

whose menu consists of savory dishes

that are created with fish and vegetabes.

In addition to a truly satisfying meal, they

also had a fantastic wine selection. After

finishing this 6-course meal, we sat down

with Executive Chef Riccardo Orfino to find

out more about his culinary journey, dishes

at the restaurant and more.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about your culinary

background in terms of where you

studied and previous restaurants you

worked in.

CHEF RICCARDO ORFINO: I went to a culinary

school in Italy, where I studied for 5

years. After completing my studies, I had

the chance to go to Milan and work for 2

Michelin Stars restaurant Il Luogo di Aimo

and Nadia. With its 50 years of history, this

was definitely one of the most important

experiences in my formation. In 2015, I

moved to New York and began working

as Chef de Cuisine at Osteria della Pace, at

Eataly Downtown. After 2 years, I decided

to embark in a new adventure and moved

to La Pecora Bianca restaurant, where I

was Executive Sous Chef until April 2019

when I started at Osteria 57 as Executive

Chef.

AM: How would you define your style of

cooking?

CHEF RO: I would define my style of cooking

as new Italian seasonal food. When I

cook, I follow the costal cuisine approach,

which is based on the concept of simplicity:

working with fresh flavors to let the

simplicity of the ingredients to fully come

out. Lastly, I really love to use a lot of

herbs when I prepare a dish.

AM: When did Osteria 57 open and as Executive

Chef, what is your role there?

CHEF RO: Osteria 57 opened its doors in

September 2017 and I joined in April 2019.

My role here as Executive Chef goes beyond

“just” cooking. It also includes supervising

all back of house operations,

such as coming up with the menus, working

with and directing the staff, dealing

with orders …and working closely with

Emanuele Nigro, of course. Hands-on on

everything!

AM: Tell us about Osteria 57’s menu and

why the menu is focused on seafood and

vegetables?

CHEF RO: Osteria 57 is a vegetarian and

pescatarian restaurant. We love to use

seasonal ingredients, and we try to stay

as much local as possible. I embraced the

restaurant’s philosophy of fresh ingredients

and not offering meat, as I believe

in a kitchen that works beyond animal

products “created” in farms, and that is

oriented in using healthy produces. Furthermore,

I very much enjoy cooking with

vegetable and fish; it is different from my

previous experiences and therefore it allows

to use my creativity more.

AM: What are 3 signature dishes from Osteria57?

CHEF RO: Crispiy Cauliflower with Paprika

aioli, Paccheri Pomodoro with Burrata

Cheese and Basil and Linguine with Vongole

and Bottarga

AM: What are 3 ingredients that you use

in a number of the dishes that are your favorite?

CHEF RO: I would say, definitely tomatoes

when in season, basil and extra virgin olive

oil.

PHOTOS COURTESY | OSTERIA 57

@Osteria57


Stay connected and follow us across our

social channels on @AthleisureMag!

Jun 2019


Bingely Books

THE HUCKLE & GOOSE COOK-

BOOK

Harper Wave

Anca Toderic + Christine Lucaciu

When the founders of meal planning service,

Huckle & Goose created this cookbook,

their aim was to provide the necessary

tools to make cooking at home,

simple and enjoyable. Each week these

sister-in-laws help people find the secrets

to encourage them cook more and to like

it! They want people to shake up what

they are making in the kitchen to keep it

new and fresh for themselves

and those that they are cooking

for.

The cookbook illustrates 100 recipes

that span over 16 weeks of

meals that are simple, seasonal

and can be made at home 3 times

a week. This includes vegetable

focused dinners, Instagrammable

salads, breakfast and dessert.

The focus involves good ingredients,

family traditions and includes

a "use everything in your

fridge" method. There is advice

to cooks on how to implement

these dishes and to create a natural

rhythm in your kitchen so

that making meals doesn't seem

so anxiety driven and daunting.

CITY OF GIRLS

Riverhead Books

Elizabeth Gilbert

From the author of Eat, Pray,

Love, Elizabeth Gilbert sets the

stage of the theater world in the

1940's in New York City. Her story

is told from wise woman looking

back on her youth for all of

its highs and lows.

We meet Vivian Morris at the

age of 19 in 1940 after being

kicked out of Vassar College due

to a lack of performing. Her well

to do parents send her to Manhattan

to stay with Aunt Peg

who owns an over the top and

crumbling theater called the Lily

Playhouse. She is introduced to a


For Olive, bad luck is one thing but having

to spend her sister's wedding day

with the best man Ethan Thomas is not

her idea of a good time.

With plans to rise above, the entire

wedding party gets food poisoning

minus herself and Ethan. With a free

trip - honeymoon available, she is determined

that Ethan will not be the

only one to enjoy it! With their white

flags drawn, they head to Maui for 10

days and assume the role of newlyweds.

Surprisingly, Olive realizes that

pretending that she is lucky isn't hard

to do and she feels that she is exactly

where she is meant to be.

myriad of characters from actors, writers,

stage managers and more. But

when she makes a personal mistake, it

bleeds over to her professional life and

it will take years to undo the affects of

the scandal.

THE UNHONEYMOONERS

Gallery Books

Christina Lauren

It seems that with Olive Torres, that

when it rains, it pours. She feels that

she is the unlucky twin when it comes

to a layoff and a number of misfortunes

that tend to only happen to her. Her sister

Ami is always in a land of bounty like

when she paid for her entire wedding

with an array of contests!

Jun 2019


Bingely Streaming

1865

Wondery

Spotify

This Wondery podcast takes its listeners to

the moment that President Abraham Lincoln

was assassinated. We are immediately

introduced to a cast of characters that

are left to grapple with a coup that threatened

to shake up the bureaucratic system

of power. Secratary of War, Edwin Stanton

takes the task of ensuring that those who

are meant to run the country stay in play

while also ensuring that the line of succession

remains intact with Vice President Andrew

Johnson becoming President. While

maintaining order, he also has to make various

concessions as a means to maintain

order which includes putting some of his

beliefs on the shelf while navigating the in-

terests of the country.

Bending to Southern interests, attempting

to greenlight initiatives

that involve reconstruction for

newly freed slaves, as well as finding

John Wilkes Booth, and additional

mysteries that surround

this actor turned conpirator envelop

every part of Stanton's decision

making and progress of the

US. With all of these issues, 1865

shows how Stanton will betray

his friends, his integrity and the

very constitution that he is trying

to protect under the veil of maintaining

justice for the country.

CULPABLE

Tenderfoot TV + Black Mountain

Media

Apple Podcast

For fans of To Live & Die in La and

Up and Vanished comes a new

True Crime story, Culpable. This

podcast's focus is on those cases

that have yet to be settled and

what justice has not been served.

We are taken to Mississippi to find

out about what has been deemed

a suicide by Christian Andreacchio

on Feb. 26, 2014. He was found in

his bathroom of his apartment

with a single gunshot wound to

the head. But there is evidence

that shows that not only was this

a homicide, but a premeditated

murder. Host Dennis Cooper investigates

this story and probes

those who knew him and were

with him in his last hours to find

out what truly happened in order

for his grieving family to finally

put the issues revolving around

his death to rest.


DESIGNATED SURVIVOR

Netflix Originals

With 2 seasons on ABC, Designated

Survivor was saved by coming to

Netflix with episodes being released

weekly!

The story of lower-level cabinet member,

Tom Kirkman who through succession

is elevated to President of the

United States continues as he continues

to ensure that the country stays

together. As designated survivor, he

continues to navigates threats that are

made to the country by those outside

of it and even those he works with on

his staff. In each episode fans watch as

he maintains the balance of continuing

to grow within his position while supplying

humanity to address the issues

that he and the country face each day.

Jun 2019




Jun 2019



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Jun 2019


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I

Growing up, many of us may remember

our moms, aunts, babysitters etc having

VHS and eventually DVD's of Denise Austin!

You may have even started your day working

out with her along these prople. When

it comes to a fitness icon, she is one of

them and we loved sitting down with her

last week to talk about how she came into

the fitness industry, her success with her

VHS, DVD and daily TV Show on ESPN - Get

Fit with Denise Austin. We talk about her

impact in the fitness industry and serving

2 terms of the President's Council of Phyiscal

Fitness and Sports and working alongside

Arnold Schwarzenegger. We also talk

about her fitness focuses as well as her

work with her daughter, Katie Austin!

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment

that you realized that you wanted to be in

the fitness industry?

DENISE AUSTIN: Well, I was a gymnast

since I was a little girl and got a full athletic

scholarship to college and I went to the

University of Arizona and and then I got

my degree in exercise physiology and aerobics

was just beginning. It was the early

80’s and I moved back to California where

I’m from and I met Jack LaLanne, the godfather

of fitness and he gave me my first

start on television. I loved it so much! I

was teaching aerobic classes all over LA

at the time and of course at that time,

we only had little rooms to teach. There

weren’t any big gyms. I taught in racquet

ball courts and things like that. We really

enjoyed the TV part and I got my own

show on KABC LA. I got married and then

I moved to Washington DC and started on

the Today Show. I then had my own show

on ESPN and Lifetime – everything just

kept going.

When I was in college, I knew that I could

teach some type of fitness with music because

that’s gymnastics anyhow. So I just

parlayed it into a career!

AM: Wow! Thinking back to a number of

us who were growing up when you were

starting, we did it with our moms – you

had TV shows, VHS and DVDs, you wereliterally

everywhere! Did you consciously

think to yourself that you were going to

have this brand and it’s going to be something

where people are going to say, “oh

Denise Austin – that’s a thing?”

DA: Well, not really! I didn’t know the

name brand back in the day, 35 years ago!

But I loved what I was doing because I

was getting letters from people telling

me that I was making a difference in what

I was doing in their lives. It’s such a fulfilling

job and to this day, I do it because I

love hearing that it changes them and it

changes the way that they feel. They have

said that I have saved them, their marriage

and I have had people cry and thank

me. To know that you are out there helping

people just made me want to keep

being out there and doing more! I figured

out how to keep going and it was kind of

a “learn as I go” and I helped create some

of this stuff!

I was learning as I was going along and I’d

say, “oh yes, I can do a monthly segment

on the Today Show – yes I can on fitness!”

Then it was like, “yes, I can do VHS.” So it

just kept going and I work very hard and

persistence did pay off. I’d work on weekends

and make appearances. I constantly

love what I do so I’m a hard worker so

that helped!

AM: Well, that’s an understatement! What

was the first time like when you created

your first video? You knew you were on a

set and its production time. What was that

like?

DA: Oh it was a dream come true! I was

27 and it was my first VHS. I was able to

film it at the first MTV Studios and they

were just kind of starting and I used their

sets and I was right here in NYC. I had top

makeup people for the very first time and

I was like ok – I just did it. I had my routine,

but I went for it and I was who I was. It

was Rock Hard Abs and Rock Aerobics, I

had two VHSs out of it and they were hits

at the same time that my friend, Jane Fonda

was coming out with her VHS tapes. It

was a vary exciting time for the industry

THE FITNESS

ICON

with Denise Austin

because aerobics was just starting in the

early 80s.

AM: Did you come up with the outfits yourself?

As a young girl doing the workouts,

the fun part was seeing the style involved.

To this day, there are photoshoots that

have appeared in the magazine that have

taken concepts off of looks that you wore

then and then bringing them into present

day shoots!

DA: What I did for Rock Aerobics is that I

had a unitard and I said to myself, “this is

all about the abs – I’m going to do a cutout.”

So I cut out my material around the

belly button and I used my pair of scissors

to cut out the whole around my stomach

so that they could see my abs while I was

doing my workout. That’s one of the biggest

pictures that I had and I saved all of

those items. Now my daughter has fallen

into the fitness footsteps now. Thank God

I saved so many leggings, high cut up the

butt leotards and hot pinks and hot lime

green! It’s fun because it’s now all coming

back – “let’s get physical.”

AM: How do you keep your energy?

DA: You know what? I’m like this. I wake

up like this! Everyone asks my kids, “does

your mom wake up like this?” I’m like,

“yeah if you spend the night with me,

you’ll see! Good morning!”

AM: Your a morning person clearly – what’s

your flow like during the day?

DA: Yes! It changes if I’m traveling but

mostly I get up, I do like my cup of coffee

in the morning. I squeeze in my workout

on most days for 30 mintues in the morning.

I try to get in my workout. I do lots

of online, post, my social media, I answer

all my messages, do my email and then I

make appearances, give speeches. I eat

lunch, I eat dinner – I never skip a meal.

I just love food and I eat well. 80% of the

time, I eat well and have my treats 20% of

the time. Evening time, I'm ready to have

my glass of red wine - that is my treat and

I enjoy that. I have lots of girlfriends, a

great husband, 2 daughters and a huge

family. Family means a lot to me and so do

my girlfriends. So I do many things with

friends!

AM: It’s so important to be balanced!

DA: Yes, I eat most everything just all in

small bites as it’s all about moderation.

AM: You served 2 terms on the President’s

Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, can

you tell us about the council, how you came

to joining it and what were your roles and

responsibilities by being apart of it?

DA: It was years ago when President Bush

appointed me and Arnold Schwarzenegger

was the chairman of it. The appointment

was made by President Bush 41, God

rest his soul as he was the sweetest man in

the world and very fit. I was under Arnold

as our chairman and we went to schools

all over the nation. It was a volunteer job

and we were trying to get kids into physical

education at the schools which was really

hard and we did appearances and Arnold

paid out of his own money in every

state we went to. I would lead aerobics to

young kids and it was the beginnings of

this grass roots for the President’s Council.

It was a really fun time because we

were trying to get fitness out there during

the 90’s so it was a very important time

you know. We were trying to change people’s

eating habits. We were trying to get

rid of some of the sugars in people’s cereals.

So we lobbied on The Hill in front of

Congress and pleaded with them to make

changes for the school to get kids moving

more and to get physical education back

into the schools. We worked hard!

AM: That council was so huge. I graduated

in 1997 from High School and starting in

my Sophomore year, in addition to the traditional

gym classes, you could have aerobics

as an entire class. We also had potato

and salad bars at our school. Our school

system was seen as progressive and a lot

of times, we talked about the fact that because

of the council, it allowed our school

system to understand that this was so im-

portant. I appreciate the efforts that you

guys did to make this happen!

DA: Your school system was progressive

and it was a lot of work, but I’m glad you

had that opportunity available to you! We

also made recommendations and guidelines

with top doctors which was years of

work and I learned so much to be around

the brilliant minds of medical, health and

wellness. I learned a lot which helped me

to grow to teach other people especially

women and to this day, I still get on the

phone and talk to these top doctors all

over the country! I use them as great resources

to this day. It was a wonderful

time and good networking.

AM: Amazing and you also helped launched

the Food Pyramid System as well! How was

that and what was it like as this is huge!

DA: I sure did! Well, they worked with nutritionists

all over the country to come up

with this pyramid guide making sure that

the sugars were low and that the whole

grains and fruits and vegetables that

were at the bottom, took up a lot of our

plate. They asked me to be the one to kick

it off at The Department of Agriculture

in Washington DC in this whole glorious

building and it was a huge honor!

AM: It’s amazing to hear so many things

that you have done and been apart of that

you didn’t even think about, but that is the

cornerstone of what we know today. How

are you so humble about that?

DA: I almost forget that I did it! I’m moving

ahead so much that I don’t really think

about it!

AM: When you think about how you, Jack

LaLanne and Jane Fonda laid the ground

work for what fitness videos are, various

programs etc. They were the precursor to

today’s studio and boutique fitness locations.

DA: Oh I just love what I do! I keep going

and I just feel that I do look ahead and my

focus now is looking at women that are

over 40. I have a Stop the Clock Guide –

which is a nutrition and fitness guide for

women because this age group has women

that aren’t really seen anymore. I truly

believe that those in this group - we want

to be healthy, we want to be attractive,

we want to look good and we want to

do everything. That’s why I’m here and I

want to tell them, yes we can. I have the

best exercises to do away with belly fat

after menopause. I know how to firm up

your arms so that we look good when we

wave goodbye. Muscles work wonders on

your metabolism and I know through research

that it does work. I believe in it so

much because fitness is the best preventative

medicine that there is. I preach it

and I want my women over 40 to hear me,

to learn and to not give up! They need to

have a positive attitude about it as many

women get clogged down with stress in

this age in our life but there is so much to

look forward to because we live longer

now and we want to feel better.

AM: When you look at ages from 40-50

etc the way you work out when you are in

those ages is different then when you’re in

your 20’s and 30’s – what are the focuses in

these age groups?

DA: Well in your 40’s, I still think that women

need a lot of cardio to burn the fat. In

the 50’s I focus mainly on target toning

exercises because that’s when you start

to have your metabolism drop during this

age. One of the reasons is because you

lack good muscle tone. The more muscle

cells in your body, they’re active at rest. So

the second you start losing muscle tone,

that’s when you gain weight and that’s

why the correlation between this in your

50’s is so important. I want to save women

right away before it gets away from

them. That’s why they need to focus on

muscle condition which is what the guide

is all about. Then in your 60’s, I hit this age

group which is why I do more toning of

course, but then I also turned it into stability

exercises more core, strength training,

stretching and balance.

AM: How important is recover to you in

terms of working out?

DA: Very important! I take very good care

of myself. I do Epson Salt baths now, I do

foam rollers in my workouts, I believe in

smoothing out my muscles for less stress.

I try to once a month get a full body massage

and those are just some of the little

things that I do for wellness and recovery.

I’m a big believer in eating healthy too!

I’ve added in my nutrition guide, new recipes

that have a lot to do with Omega-3’s

as we need those as we age. Also some

great healthy fats to make our skin still

look supple and our hair looking fresh. So

beauty plays a key role in what you are

eating. I add a lot of different elements

into the recipes that I make. Everything

that I make is quick and easy, because if it

isn’t easy in the kitchen, I won’t do it!

AM: What are 3 workouts that you think

that everyone should be doing regardless

of their age or wherever they are in life

that are great for their abs, butts and legs?

DA: Absolutely. Always the simple rule of

thumb is something for your upper body –

a push up. If you don’t want to do it on the

ground, you can do it against your kitchen

counter or the office desk. It gets the

arms and it gets your chest – so that takes

care of your upper body. Mid Section,

the old fashioned plank or sit-up it takes

care of your belly and that whole core. I

like to hold it up to a minute or change it

up and do different things like bicycles or

anything for your abs. For the lower body,

squats and lunges for your hips, thighs

and butt. If your knees hurt you, just go

half way and do many squats. You can

hold onto a chair or a countertop to use it

for extra support. So you get something

for your upper body, your mid section and

your lower body.

AM: How many books have you written?

DA: Oh 12 books and I'm writing a book as

we speak!

AM: What is that process like for you?

DA: Oh I’m terrible. It’s the worst job of

my life because I talk so much that I would

rather talk it, then write it. I feel like I am

giving a speech to help women and then,

that’s how I write my book – exactly like

how I would talk it. Then I have to have an

editor for English and then it’s a process.

AM: So what projects are you working on?

DA: Well on my DeniseAustin.com site, I

bought back all of my TV shows that everyone

used to watch and that they have

missed. They now have Denise on Demand

for their workouts just like they used to!

You can time it so that even at 7am you

can go to my website and bam it’s there so

that you can stream it. Now I’m working

on focusing all of my energies on Stop the

Clock because it is so popular. We’re doing

challenges on that. Recently, we had a

4 day arm challenge so that you could get

sexy arms for the summer. So we’ll be doing

some new challenges for the month

of July so come back to DeniseAustin.

com to see that. All of the challenges are

free and I do have an online membership

that is under $100 for the entire year. Everything

that you want from me from my

old workouts, new workouts, old shows,

new shows, new challenges and an eating

plan. If you need a focus on your meal

plans I have this for you and if you need

to focus on the way that I eat, vegetarian,

gluten-free, heart healthy etc. – we have

something for everybody!

AM: Do you and Katie workout together?

DA: Yes! That’s another focus I have! Katie

Austin is my little daughter – well she is 25

but we do mother-daughter workouts together.

She is doing a tour and I am joining

her in some of the cities. I’m very excited

about that. This is really fun being able to

work with my daughter. She teaches me

things about Social Media. She’s the one

that got me on Instagram – I had Facebook,

but now I have this. And then I try

to help her on what I have learned in my

industry, focusing on good form and little

details. You know, I have 2 daughters. My

oldest Kelly, is in the music industry, when

I would film my TV Show when they were

younger, Katie would stand there by the

camera and do it with me. Kelly would

be out there looking for shells or who

knows what! Katie was always watching

and I had no idea after college that that

was what she wanted to do. So it was so

fun that she loved it, is a natural and she

learned from years of being there. Everyday

– she was even in a workout video

that I did years ago when she was 7 for Fit

Kids. She had already filmed videos and

been on shows for years.

AM: There is something about when you

have parents that are in a business that

you can see or be around and how it ends

up being a part of your career!

DA: Yes so true! My oldest daughter is a

Music Supervisor. She picks songs for

movies. My husband is a sports lawyer,

but he is a music nut! When she was little,

they used to put playlists together so it’s

like one focused on what his passion was

and one focused on what mine was. It’s

kind of fun!

AM: In LA, where can we find you grabbing

a bite, shopping and working out?

DA: Yes we had been based in Washington

DC for 32 years and now we’re in LA

– back home! In LA I like Earth Café for

food and coffee, it’s one of my favorite

stops in Santa Monica. For dinner, I love

Scopa, I just went there in Venice it was

delicious and it’s Italian! I do eat pasta,

but only from good places – why not? Oh

gosh, you’ll see me walking on the beach

a lot. You’ll see me doing the Strand Walk

which is a 5 mile walk on the strand which

is like a boardwalk. You’ll see my husband

and I play tennis a lot and we go on bike

rides a lot too! We bike ride to Happy Hour

as I only have one glass!

I love walking in NY and Chicago. The second

that I land, I throw my bags in the

hotel and I get out and walk. I don't care

what time it is, I get out and walk for 30

minutes. It's a great thing to get out and

stretch.

AM: We’re all about #TRIBEGOALS. Who

are 3 people that inspire you?

DA: I would say my daughters. They inspire

me to work harder to be a good

person. They’re watching and as a mom

that means the world to me – as my family

means everything! I would also say my

husband – his loyalty and his integrity to

people. I look up to him. In business there

are so many, I can’t even just pick one in

my industry. There was Jack LaLanne and

now I also look up to writers that are really

cool like Tim Farris and Dave Asprey.

PHOTO CREDIT | PG 143, 147 + 148 Denise

Austin | PG 144 Jaguarps | PG 151 Featureflash

|

@DeniseAustin

You can hear Denise Austin's interview later

this month on our show, #TRIBEGOALS

which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our

multi-media podcast network! Make sure

to subscribe to find out when the episode

drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple

Podcasts, Google Podcasts and wherever

you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.

Jun 2019



Athleisure Mag JUN ISSUE #42

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