Athleisure Mag SEP ISSUE #105

ISSUE #105
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@AthleisureMag

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table of contents
issue #105
sep 2024
145
STYLE FEATURES
THE PICK ME UP
150
98
IN OUR BAG
157 ROCK THIS WHEN MAKING
YOUR WAY TO BRUNCH THIS
FALL
BEAUTY FEATURES
FIG BEAUTY
Faith, Family, Food
Chef Aarti Sequeira
This month’s cover is with Chef Aarti Sequeira and we chat with her about faith,
food, and family! We also talk about Food Network’s Halloween Wars, upcoming
shows, foodfestivals, and upcoming projects.
16
161
ATHLEISURE BEAUTY
Food Network Wine Food Festival (NYCWFF)
2024
We’re looking forward to covering the NYCWFF which will take place in NYC as well
as in Brooklyn. We give you the scoop on what you can look forward to, events that
you should know about as you plan your tickets, and more!
40
146
LIFESTYLE FEATURES
ATHLEISURE LIST
HARBOR BURGER SHACK
J.D. Martinez
52
NY Mets’ DH J.D. Martinez talks about
baseball, the season, and his partnership
with Pfizer.
Derek Hough
64
We caught up with Dancing With the
Stars’ judge, Derek Hough to talk about
the show, dancing, and Pepcid.
145
ATHLEISURE LIST
ABACOL’ANTICA PIZZERIA
DA MICHELE
AthleisureMag.com - 10 - Issue #105 | Sep 2024

®
9PLAYLIST
Calvin Harris
This month, EDM DJ/Producer Calvin Harris shares with us what he’s listening to this
month for 9PLAYLIST.
72
Court to Wellness
Sloane Stephens
80
This month, we sat down with 2017 US
Open Champion, Sloane Stephens who
recently launched her beauty brand Doc
& Glo during NYC’s Grand Slam.
®
THE 9LIST STORI3S
Nastia Liukin
84
5X Team USA Olympic Gymnast Nastia
Liukin shares her must-haves with us in
beauty, style, and fitness.
Art of the Snack
SUSHIDELIC
100
This month, we headed down to SoHo to
get a full on Kawaii culinary experience
at SUSHIDELIC in this month’s The Art of
the Snack.
NYFW SS25
Edit
120
Fashion Month kicked off here in NYC
with NYFW which showed collections
from SS25. Here are some of the shows
we saw this season.
Issue #105 | Sep 2024
- 11 - AthleisureMag.com

This month, We're making the transition
from the Summer to the Fall. We're thinking
about all the things that this season
is perfect for from still being able to enjoy
being outdoors with a few layers, the
crispness that begins to encompass the air,
a number of fun festivals, apple/pumpkin
picking, and so much more! The last few
months have involved being out and about
with friends and family, and of course the
upcoming holiday season.
This sense of community and coming together
with food is something that Chef
Aarti Sequeira embodies. We've had the
pleasure of interviewing her in our NOV
ISSUE #71 a few years ago when her My
Family Recipe Journal was released. At
that time we talked about how she came
to food, being a chef, Food Network's Halloween
Wars, and more.
This month, we caught up with her to talk
about her latest cookbook that came out
last year - UNWIND: A Devotional Cookbook
For The Harried and Hungry, food
festivals that she is participated in and
why she likes being involved, hosting Halloween
Wars, why she likes being part of
the Food Network family and more!
ATHLEISURE MAG: It was so great chatting
with you a few years ago where we talked
about how you got into food, your food
journey and everything that led up to the
Family Recipe Journal that you dropped as
at that time, you were a few days out from
dropping that book!
So before we talk about things that have
gone on since that book and things that
are coming up, we’d love to know if you remember
the dish that you had that made
you first fall in love with food?
CHEF AARTI SEQUEIRA: Oh wow! I mean,
I don't remember doing this because I
was just a baby but my mum, my most
vivid memory of me with food is that she
would be making dinner and she would
just you know pick me up and put me on
the counter next to her chopping board
and she would just be slicing onions, gar-
lic and ginger and she'd look away for
a second. And you know, with my little
like you know how babies don't have
like knuckles, right?
AM: Right!
CHEF AS: They just have dimples. It’s
just those teeny, tiny dimples in a fist
and I'd grab the onions and I was just
shoving them in my mouth!
AM: Oh!
CHEF AS: She couldn't, she couldn't believe
it and I liked it! It’s ironic because I
hate raw onions now.
AM: Right!
CHEF AS: But I loved it back then, and I
think that, you know, just from then on
that the kitchen is just always where
I've wanted to be and there's always
been food in my mouth haha.
AM: Which is a good thing! I feel like
if people were less hangry, that things
might be better!
CHEF AS: Well that is true!
AM: Well, when we last chatted you
were like a couple of days out actually
from the My Family Recipe Journal, but
since that conversation in talking with
you, you also have released UNWIND: A
Devotional Cookbook For The Harried
and Hungry. Can you tell us a bit about
the book, why you wanted to create it,
and what can we expect when we're
reading this?
CHEF AS: Yeah, I really created it for
people like me and maybe people who
are not like me, but anyone who experiences
that sort of 4:30pm/5:30pm salt
in the wound?
AM: Yes!
CHEF AS: You’ve had a full day and
you've been all things to all people and

then you’re like, “and now I’ve got to
make dinner?”
AM: Right!
CHEF AS: Are you kidding? And it feels you
know, it’s the last thing usually between
you and bed.
AM: Yeah.
CHEF AS: Haha or you and crappy television,
you know what I mean?
AM: Exactly!
CHEF AS: It’s the last hump that you have
to get over. And I just found myself taking
this thing that had once been my joy and
once been my Sanctuary and starting to
resent. It was like I started to phone it in
and that's not right because you know, I
have children now!
AM: Right!
CHEF AS: I didn't want to be giving them
or serving them resentment at the dinner
table.
AM: Of course!
CHEF AS: So, one of the things that I remembered
is that there was this woman
that owned an Indian grocery store in LA.
and when I had to talked to her about
cooking, she had mentioned that she had
always prayed before she cooked and
that was such a light bulb moment for
me! She's Hindu, and I'm Christian. and I
just remember going, well if she's doing
it - why am I not doing it, you know?
AM: Mmm
CHEF AS: So I did start praying before I
cooked and I just found that it opened up
a passageway, like a spiritual passageway
that took this very mundane chore. This
thing that I resented and helped me see
it as a moment of sacred connection and
it redeemed it, right? And what I found
was that in what started off like, "oh Lord,
please let this dish turn out right or
okay,” you know what I mean? Or let the
kids like it or not have anything fall on
floor – turned into…
“You know, one of the reasons I'm really
upset right now, Jesus is that I'm really
feeling discouraged that I didn't get that
job that I wanted.”
AM: Right.
CHEF AS: Or, “I'm really scared about
this thing that's happening in my family
or any number of things.” And so, while
I was cooking, that's when that conversation
was happening. And I found that
there was so much healing.
AM: Yup.
CHEF AS: That healing that was happening
through that whole process was
amazing. And I was like, well, if it works
for me, I would like to be the sort of
guide that says, “hey guys, this can work
for you too.” This can be a moment, a
half hour, 45 minutes in the day, where
okay, maybe you didn't have your quiet
time today, or maybe you did, and you
need another one. This can be It. And I
think the lesson that I learned from that
is that, you mentioned it! You know,
so often when we're walking into the
kitchen at that hour, we are tired and
we are hungry and we are hangry. And
that's when quite often we are in that
space. So, if we can get into the practice
of turning our eyes towards heaven,
when we are at our worst in the kitchen,
then we will do that when we are at
our worst in the car, in a meeting, doing
laundry, talking to someone that's very
triggering.
AM: Oh yes!
CHEF AS: All of this stuff, it just builds
up muscle in us. So, I now have learned
after that experience and after writing
UNWIND that how you show up in the
kitchen and how you come out of that
kitchen, is great practice for how you

show up and leave every situation in your
life.
AM: That really resonates because a lot of
times when there's projects being worked
on whether it's a series of business meetings
or calls I need to make I'll do a prayer
before.
CHEF AS: Yes!
AM: It could be a project or anything I’m
doing where I need that reset, it allows my
mind to take a pause a beat and then to almost
get closer to certain things that maybe
have nothing to do with what's going
on. But you're able to kind of like categorize
it and you just come out a lot better
of a person versus me just running out and
being like argh!!!
CHEF AS: It is good to sort of slow down.
You know, I think a lot of people say, get
present. And for me, getting present with
myself is just not enough because myself
is the problem. So I need to get present
with God. That is the one that's going to
pull me out of myself and actually fix it.
AM: That's true. That's very true. And, you
know, do you find that, because I find that
the books that you've done, it is so personal
because you are talking about, you
know, getting in touch with yourself, getting
in touch with God, getting into a better
place. Is it is it more difficult to have these
books that have a cookbook component as
well as this other inspirational component
too? Do you feel the process in writing it
is longer? Do you feel that you get, you
know what I mean - like, because you're
doing two different components putting it
together. It's beautiful, and seamless, but
I know a lot of times if I'm writing something
that comes from more of a personal
place in my heart, I'm gonna grapple with
that for like 80 more hours.
CHEF AS: Yeah, 100%. I mean, I think writing
a cookbook is a much more difficult
process than I imagined. I think before I
kind of got into this world, I was like, oh,
well, you know, you just write your reci-
pes and blah blah.
AM: Right!
CHEF AS: But then once it becomes your
way of life, at least for me, you know,
I'm super critical.
AM: Yeah, same.
CHEF AS: Super critical of myself and
so I'm questioning every instinct, every
idea, every finished product. Wondering
if it's good enough, wondering, if I've
written it well, wondering - you know
saying the worst things to myself. And
so, then couple that with trying to be an
ambassador for God.
AM: Right.
CHEF AS: There is always like, there is so
much room for failure. I did find it to be
a really, really difficult process. We also
did it so quickly. We did the whole thing
in about 6 or 7 months.
AM: Whoa!
CHEF AS: You know, most people take
like a year or 2 years because, you know,
some of the people that I'm seeing putting
cookbooks out, they're like, “you
know, this has been the past 2 or 3 years
of my life,” and I'm like, oh my God! You
know, I don't know what's worse. Like
I don't know if it's worse to live with
something for 3 years and live with that
kind of pressure for three years.
AM: Exactly.
CHEF AS: Am I a marathon runner or am
I a sprinter? I think I've always been a
sprinter.
AM: Yup.
CHEF AS: So I think that God kind of
knew, you know, what kind of project it
needed to be for me. But yeah, I mean,
I think I even posted on my social media
about how difficult it was that like the

process of creativity was not like - was
not like a scene from Ratatouille and it
has never been for me. It's never been -
it's very rarely a moment of like the muse,
you know, and going to bed where it’s
saying, “hey, why don't you pull tamarind
and ginger together and build ribs,” like
it’s very rare that that happens. A lot of it
is full on. It feels like you're working out,
you are throwing weights around picking
them back up again, throwing them down
again that was the process for me and getting
to write that book meant that I had to
employ 2 very different parts of my brain
and try to make them make sense. But it
was also a great challenge, like, I really
enjoyed it and I sort of felt like this idea
for me felt like a download from heaven
and so I was like at this moment in time,
I'm the only person that is doing this. So I
have to believe that I am also being totally
equipped to do it. I have to thank my husband
who helped me so much because he
loves words and he loves the Bible and so
it's really helpful to have him at my side
literally for some of them like writing portions
of it and then me being able to then
put it in my own words. He was like such a
such a rock to me.
AM: That's amazing!
Are you already thinking about that next
cookbook? I mean, you've already done,
you know, these last two. I mean, I know
you had one before obviously, but you
know, that's so quick between the recipe
book. Now it's UNWIND! Is there something
in the future that you're kind of
sketching out?
CHEF AS: I don't know, you know, I think
cookbooks are so hard because frankly
there are just so many of them and it's
hard to capture people's attention in between.
I mean, I'd love to write another
one, but I think I also would like some time
to really fine tune you know, where is my
cooking at this point? What is it that excites
me. And what you know? I just feel a
little bit all over the place because my career
has really, has really taken off it feels
like this year.
AM: Yeah.
CHEF AS: I’m traveling, so much of
that. I'm probably cooking for other
people more than I'm cooking for my
family.
AM: Wow.
CHEF AS: And yeah. And so, I want to
get back to cooking for my family because
I feel like that's like truly the essence
of who I am or who I want to be.
And so, I'm open to it, of course, and
I'm open to even doing another one
because I, I do think that I'm proud of
it. I really, I'm really proud of it. And
even, you know, and every time, just
even the other day, someone sent me
a photo of one of the recipes that
they made and the fact that they were
doing it in their small group and they
were going through the devotions together.
I mean, it just is like so meaningful
to me more meaningful than
anything else I've worked on, because
yes, they're making the recipes, but
they're also reading the words that I
wrote and reflecting and when I read
the words that I wrote, I'm so very
convinced that I was not the one that
was writing them because I don't recognize
it!
AM: Haha right!
CHEF AS: You know, I'm a little nervous
to go through that whole process
again because, frankly, it was really
rough. But when I look at it and I look
at the fruit of it, I'm like, well, I mean,
hi, I get to partner with God again and
that’s kind of amazing.
AM: One thing I love when I'm looking
at your IG, I love your Monday Motivations.
I think they're so amazing.
CHEF AS: Oh thank you!
AM: And as we are dropping on Monday,
do you have a Monday Motivation
for us that we can share with our read-

ers?
CHEF AS: Ooo. What have I been toggling
in my mind? I think the message
that I feel like keeps coming up is - if God
is knocking on the door, he's kind of yelling
through the door at you.
AM: Ha! I feel that one!
CHEF AS: Which is kind of, “are you more
interested in what I can do through you
or are you more interested in spending
time with Me?”
AM: Ooo ...
CHEF AS: Because I have to say, I took
inspiration from someone who posted it
online - that concept, at least. But I have
been feeling it -
AM: Yeah.
CHEF AS: You know what I mean?
AM: Yeah.
CHEF AS: The first one is about me.
AM: Yup.
CHEF AS: And the second one is about
God.
AM: It's about Him. Yeah, you gave me
goosebumps because I yeah, I thought
about something very similar to that, a
couple months ago, and I was like, well
am I really trying to do that because I
want to amplify Him or am I trying to
do it so I can boost myself up? Like wow,
yeah.
CHEF AS: Yeah, it hurts. So I did not like
it.
AM: 100%
CHEF AS: When I saw it on IG and I still
don't, but I think that's the point. I think
that it's –
AM: It’s uncomfortable -
CHEF AS: It’s uncomfortable and I think
those of us who are sort of our own turbines,
who are in that sort of entrepreneurial
space, it becomes a lot about me
and what can I do? What can I accomplish
and what's the next thing to build?
How do I build on what I've already
built? All that stuff and so then we try
to kind of loop God into it saying, “you
know use me for whatever it is that you
want,” but you know intrinsically, we're
like yeah we want to get some action,
right?
AM: Right.
CHEF AS: You want to rustle up some action.
And I think, especially for me, like
I'm not really good at sitting very quietly.
AM: Same
CHEF AS: Or sitting in a posture of listening
or just being or just any of those
things.
AM: It's a good reminder.
CHEF AS: Yeah, that would be my Monday
Motivation is just go sit and do nothing
for a minute.
AM: Yeah, wow. Yeah.
CHEF AS: Haha I know!
AM: Well, you are always traveling! You
were just on an amazing trip in Peru with
some of our faves who have previously
been in our issues - Chef Duff Goldman,
Chef Fariyal Abdullahi who was our AUG
ISSUE #104 cover, and Chef Marcel Vigneron.
I love an immersive trip and it
seemed like you guys got to combine
your culinary knowledge along with
those that were indigenous to the area
and people, as well as to be part of some
amazing cultural activities!
Right now your IG has a number of food

festivals you’ve been at as well as those
that are coming up! We are looking forward
to the Food Network Wine Food Festival
that takes place mid Oct. and I know
that you’re not involved in that one, but
Iove being able to go to festivals like this.
What do you love about participating in
food festival and can you tell me more
about the Del Mar Wine + Food Festival
that is next month? I mean that Spice Girls
Dinner seems pretty amazing.
CHEF AS: Yeah, food festivals are so fun
because it's sort of like, you know, that
everybody there is one of you, you know
what I mean?
AM: Yup!
CHEF AS: Like, these are people that love
food and love food television and love to
celebrate and love to gather!
AM: Yes!
CHEF AS: The Gathering thing to me has
really been feeling more and more important.
I think because we have so many
years of not gathering.
AM: Yeah that was tough!
CHEF AS: I heard once I was listening to a
podcast and I'm not saying I've ever read
Alexis de Tocqueville, but I guess when
he visited America he was like, “the thing
that's very interesting about Americans is
that they love to gather.”
AM: Facts!
CHEF AS: They will find any reason to
gather and so when we weren't gathering,
it was like one of the most un-American
things that we could have done.
AM: Yeah.
CHEF AS: So I think that's one of the things
that I have come to really appreciate
about food festivals is we're all together.
We're breaking bread, we're maybe having
a couple cocktails.
AM: Yes!
CHEF AS: You sort of feel like, this is
who we are. This is the essence of our
humanity, the essence of our identity
as a people, you know? It's a very
unifying moment. I think, especially
for people who are creating content,
whether it's, you know, on traditional
streams, or on social media streams,
or YouTube or whatever it is, you know,
it kind of goes out into the ether and
even if you get likes, yes, you get some
sort of feedback, but to see the actual
faces! To sort of interact with the actual
spirits of people who were like, “I
saw when you did that thing.” Oh, it
feels real and it feels really gratifying
in that moment, selfishly. And it feels
very encouraging, honestly - to say,
okay, I'm on the right path, I'm going
to keep going because it can feel like a
very isolating experience.
You know, basically, like I remember
when Twitter came along we were
all like, oh, doesn't it sort of feel like
there's one million people and each of
them has a megaphone and they're all
yelling? So no one's listening to each
other and so sometimes things like
food festivals can be so gratifying because
here are the people that have
been listening!
AM: 100%
CHEF AS: You can see, you can then engage
like, oh this is what touches people.
And this is what people find necessary.
And this is what sort of they find
unique about when they come to my
corner of IG and it can help sort of fine
tune your voice.
AM: Exactly!
Tell me about the Spice Girls Dinner at
the Del Mar Food Festival!
CHEF AS: Yeah, I'm excited about Del
Mar because not only because it's a
very beautiful food festival, this whole

thing was spearheaded by Troy Johnson
and his wife, Claire Johnson and you know
I've known Troy forever for like decades
through Guy's Grocery Games.
AM: Ok!
CHEF AS: No, no it’s not been that long!
So this is the, you know, they already have
babies, but this is another baby of theirs.
They're really putting their money where
their mouths are and trying to encourage
the same thing, the sense of community
and gathering, and celebration, and celebrating
chefs who are, you know, taking
risks in the kitchen and so, I'm really excited
to go see people, but also support
people who are risking it all you know.
AM: Wow.
CHEF AS: Like Troy and Claire, I think our
dinner is going to be so interesting because
I love Claudia Sandoval (winner of
MasterChef S6, Judge on MasterChef Latinos,
Host of Taste of the Border on Discovery+).
I love the way she cooks. She has
a really strong connection to where she
comes from and in a way that I love because
she sometimes will take the humblest
of dishes, like, her grandmother's
beans and she won't change it all that
much. She will present it just like that
because she's like they're actually good
enough. That's very inspiring to me because
there's, you know, a lot of the food
that we all grew up with, it's not restaurant
food.
AM: Correct.
CHEF AS: It's home food. I'm trying to figure
out a way to gussy that up so that it
looks pretty in an Instagram photo sometimes
can feel very difficult!
AM: Daunting, yeah.
CHEF AS: So I I think that it's, I think it's
really, it's been very inspiring to me to
go, no, the dal, just the way it is. The dal
just the way I grew up with is enough and
good enough! So, I'm really excited to see
where our spice palettes cross over,
compliment each other, and contrast
with each other. I think it's going to be
a really fun dinner and I'm really excited
also for the wine pairing because
Neeta Mittal, owner of LXV Wines
- she's Indian and so she's got a particular
palette when she's looking at
wines because she's going well, what
wine will play well, with these spices -
will amplify them and vice versa. So, I
think it's gonna be a really interesting
unique dinner in that way.
I'm relatively new to this circuit you
know, compared to some people that
have been doing it for a while and so
you're only honestly, you're only as
good as the organizers of the festival.
It is such a beast to organize these
things. There's always something that
you didn't think about.
AM: Right, for sure.
CHEF AS: So that's a huge factor to me!
I want to be at a festival where we’re
all you know, you do your job, I do my
job, but we do our job so that we can
support each other and make each
other look good. That's, you know,
that's one of the big things.
AM: That's amazing.
CHEF AS: I love going to festivals where
there's a lot of great food on display,
you know, especially a lot of adventurous
food because I'm like, oh, the people
that are going to show up here are
going to be willing to try things that,
you know, they've maybe never tried
before.
I just did the Ilani Wine and Food Festival
at the Ilani Resort just outside of
Portland. That one was so amazing because
even though you know this festival's
been going on forever, I made
these Jackfruit Sliders with a date barbecue
sauce. That was a two for two
in terms of things that people haven't
tried before. People were so willing

like, when you know, I remember someone
came over and they were like, “your
pulled pork was amazing.” I was like, “that
was jackfruit!” So I love going to festivals
where I can bring something that someone
hasn't had before. Not just for the
the purpose of maybe trying something
new but, then also that people go home
and they're like, I'm going to buy that and
I'm gonna work that into my meal plan, or
whatever it is. You know, that's just like
I want to be of service, and that's really
helpful but I love festivals like that where
I can be of service.
AM: I think that that’s amazing. And I saw
those pictures of the Jackfruit Sliders. And
I was just like, whoa, I've had jackfruit but
never thought about barbecue sauce and
dates – but ok!
CHEF AS: Yeah, well, you know, I had the
barbecue sauce ready to go. I had that
idea. I was just trying to think because I
didn’t think that I was gonna have the
time or the energy to like slow cook a ton
of pork.
AM: Right.
CHEF AS: So then it was like, what about,
you know, I think actually I was talking
to Damaris Phillips (2013 winner of Food
Network Star, Guy’s Grocery Games Judge,
author of Southern Girl Meets Vegetarian
Boy) about it and then we came up with
that idea together, so that was super helpful.
AM: Love that! Ok, so Halloween Wars. I
mean, first of all, I can't even believe that
we're sitting in the fall.
CHEF AS: Yeah!
AM: It's rainy here in New York today and
I'm like, wait, the holiday season is around
the corner. I always know it's around the
corner because I see the promos for Halloween
Wars.
CHEF AS: Ha ha! I know! It’s all a long slippery
slope from there!
AM: Yup! So what are you excited about
for this season? I always look forward
to the different things and I'm always
amazed at how grotesque in the best
way possible that some of the things end
up being, I'm like, oh my God, who does
that? I'm so scared! But at the same time,
the baking capabilities and dedication to
craft is next level when they’re on the
clock!
CHEF AS: This season is so great because
each of the teams is helmed by an All-Star.
So each of these people have won before,
they know what it feels like and they know
what it takes. So, they’re kind of acting like
team leaders to their teammates. There's
a lot to, you know, you whenever you go
into competition, you don't cook, carve,
sculpt the way that you do –
AM: Exactly.
CHEF AS: At your bakery or at your place,
you know? You've got to, you've got to do
it in a way that is a work smarter not harder
kind of mindset.
AM: Yeah.
CHEF AS: And yet, you're still going for
perfection as possible. So that's why this
season is so great because and that's why
that from day one like the displays were
already almost like finale level.
AM: Ooo.
CHEF AS: Perfect, right?
AM: Yeah -
CHEF AS: You had these people who are
veterans informing the entire process. So
that's what's so great about this season.
AM: That is so exciting!
Tyler Florence’s, The Great Food Truck Race
is one of my favorite shows. So, seeing you
on the finale, this last season, I was like,
wait, there's Aarti!

CHEF AS: Ahhh. Yeah, the food was legitimately
awesome! You know, sometimes
it's like you know with competition you
have a lot of grace because things are
not gonna - you just don't have the same
amount of time that you would at home
or in a restaurant. So I was so impressed,
every bite that I took, I was like this tastes
completely dialed in. It was amazing. It
was truly amazing.
AM: Well, are there any other shows coming
up that we should keep an eye out for
because I always love when I see you at,
like, Tournament of Champions or you're
on Guys Grocery Games. And I'm like, this
lady is working.
CHEF AS: I'm trying to work. I am trying
to work. I just got something and I don't
think they've announced it yet.
AM: Okay.
CHEF AS: That's going to be super exciting!
AM: Amazing.
CHEF AS: Thank you! And then you know,
all the usual like Grocery Games and all
that kind of stuff is still coming down the
pipe. Yeah, it's just always such a privilege
to be part of the part of the family over at
Food Network. Whenever we get to see
people, you know, you get the sense that
that Food Network is on all day.
AM: Exactly.
CHEF AS: For some people, you know
what I mean? It's just very cool that even
if I'm not currently shooting something
and they turn it on, more than likely one
of us is on there. You know? It feels really
intimate to be in people's homes that way,
and I think that that's how they feel about
us, you know, based on the reactions we
get. So it's really such a privilege.
AM: I love that and are there just any upcoming
projects In general that you would
like to share to get out there or or, you
know, just things that you have going on?
CHEF AS: Yeah. I mean, one of the most
exciting things that's coming up in the
short term is that I'm expanding my line
with QVC.
AM: That’s amazing!
CHEF AS: Yeah, really amazing! It's such
a huge community to be able to dive
into and QVC has been so generous and
so sweet with me to sort of pull me into
the fold and say, hey what do you think
about doing this? And here are the kinds
of things that our people love and how
would you put your own spin on it. And
so, you know, it's a select few people that
get to do that and I was really hopeful
when we started the line last year that we
would get to do this, and It has expanded
exponentially and some of the things that
we've got in the line, I use on a daily basis.
They're unbelievably good quality, you
know, I really wanted to make sure that it
would be something I would use and it's
just really exciting, so I think that's going
to launch at the end of October.
AM: Congratulations on the continued success
of your line with them and I’ve seen
the cute kitchenware!
That's so exciting. Yay!
CHEF AS: Yeah!
AM: I just love that every time I see you
on shows, you just have such a love and
zest for food, and like you're talking about
community and people coming together!
What do you want your legacy, you know,
to be in terms of the imprint that you've
left on all of these different things that
you're doing and whatever ends up being
in the future - that may not be happening
at this moment?
CHEF AS: Gosh. Well, I mean, the most important
thing to me obviously is my family,
right? And just for my girls to know that
I did the best I could to balance these two
parts of my life. But that they were always

way more important than anything else,
you know, for them and my husband to
know that.
But outside of the home, I guess that I
want people when they think of me to
think of someone – who really valued
coming around a table. Like, I really think
that there are so many things that are
coming in to distract us from connection
with each other, you know, phones and
social media. And I know there's been a
lot of discussion and study recently on,
you know, the impact of phones on kids.
AM: Yes.
CHEF AS: And teenagers. And what that
does to the family and I really think that
something as simple as sitting around the
table and having dinner as many nights
as possible is one of the most powerful
things that we can do to combat that. Like
so that would be probably part of my legacy.
Then the other part is that, so often
when I'm competing and doing things like
that, I'm doing stuff that I feel completely
out of my depths doing.
AM: I feel that.
CHEF AS: I'm, you know, like just recently
I got booked for a bunch of things and it
made me so scared. I was like crying in a
fetal position.
AM: Oh no!
CHEF AS: It was bad because I was like, I
cannot do this. I don't know how I'm gonna
fail like. That has no matter how many
times I do it, it just feels like it's something
that I'm constantly fighting and I don't
think I'm the only one.
AM: Nope!
CHEF AS: So I suppose part of my legacy,
I hope these are very big words. It's just
that, I was loud about feeling unequipped
to do things, but doing them anyway!
AM: Which is huge! I tell people all the
time, I’m always in my head, mulling over
things and nervous before I do something.
Even if it's like a million times, whatever,
because everything is a little bit different
and you just, I don't know, it's a thing, but I
was like, if I feel that shaky about it, I have
to kind of tell myself that you feel shaky
because you want to do so well, and you
care so much about what it represents for
myself and what it is for the other people
involved. So I try to turn it, although I'll
still sit there and be like, I gotta run to the
bathroom. This is crazy, but in the end, it
does end up being lovely.
CHEF AS: Yeah, I think that there's the
sense of like, if it isn't going easily, then
you must be doing something wrong or
you must be in the wrong place. Yeah, you
must have made the wrong decision and I
think that as I mean I'm 46 now. So hopefully
it'll stick this year …
AM: It hasn’t yet, but it’s tough.
CHEF AS: Yeah, hopefully, but you know
for the first time this year, I was like, after
I had my little fetal position breakdown. I
was like wait. Why don't I ever say to myself,
“yes, I don't know how to do these
things. I feel completely out of my depth.
But the second half of that is, I'll figure it
out.”
AM: Yeah.
CHEF AS: Yeah, figure it out. Just saying
that has started to change things where
I'm like, okay, you know, it may not go
smoothly and it may not go off without a
hitch.
AM: Right.
CHEF AS: But, I will figure it out. You know
what I mean? It doesn’t have to go perfectly.
I'll land something out of there.
And that has felt very empowering actually.
I think that just saying that to ourselves
can be very edifying.
AM: 100% I like that. I will try to remember
that the next freakout that happens.

CHEF AS: I will figure it out!
@aartipaartipics
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT/BACK
COVER, PG 16 - 22 Rowan Daly | PG 25, 26 +
38 Food Network |

We're looking forward to one of our favorite
times of the year in terms of the culinary
calendar - the 2024 Food Network
New York City Wine & Food Festival (NY-
CWFF) presented by Invesco QQQ! Much
like Chef Aarti Sequeira mentioned in her
cover interview, there is something about
gathering and community! Being at these
events allow you to see a number of Food
Network stars, celebrity chefs, food personalities,
mixologists, culinary creators
and more! You will be able to enjoy master
classes, panels, wine tastings, your favorite
restaurants through tastings and intimate
dinners, as well as to try new ones
to get an idea of their menu. We enjoyed
attending last year's event which you can
check out what we did here from our OCT
ISSUE #94.
This year, we're excited as NYC's ultimate
wine and food festival takes place Oct 17-
20th and will include over 80 events over
4 days that will be in NYC and in Brooklyn
that allows you to join them in their mantra
of EAT. DRINK. FEED NYC! This includes
500 restaurants, bars, and 200 sponsors.
On average, approximately 48,000 fans
a year attend this event along with 3,000
volunteers that are involved to support
this event.
As we're days away from kicking off the 17th
annual event, a number of these events
will take place at the Invesco QQQ Campus
at Brooklyn Army Terminal. By including
the borough of Brooklyn into the festivities,
it centralizes the signature events,
Pier Parties, and the Grand Tasting (which
is one of our events that we will attend on
the Trade Day) into one expansive 450,000
square foot campus. Regardless of whether
it's raining or not, this will be a tented
experience at this location so that you
know the good vibes, bites, and sips will
happen uninterrupted! It also highlights
the diversity of culinary tapestry that also
exists here and it's exciting that they are
making their debut at the NYCWFF.
While we celebrate food and what it means
when we're together, 100% of net proceeds
from NYCWFF will support God's Love We
Deliver which is NYC's only provider of medically
tailored meals and nutrition counseling
for individuals who are living with
severe illness. To date, NYCWFF has raised
more than $14.8 million for its charitable
partners to make a significant impact in
the city. In 2023, God's Love We Deliver delivered
4 million meals to nearly 15,000 individuals.
Make sure to read our OCT ISSUE #105
which drops on Oct 30th where we will
have a recap on events we attended during
NYCWFF which includes: Southern Glazer’s
Wine & Spirits Trade Day hosted by Wine
Spectator at Grand Tasting, Meet Cutes
NYC presents Tacos & Tequila, and JJ Johnson’s
The Cookout: A Hip Hop Celebration
hosted by Rev Run and Angela Yee.
@nycwff
@godslovenyc
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Paul Farkas

It was great to spend some time with NY
Mets’ DH Slugger, J.D. Martinez to talk
about his playing with the Mets; his nickname
'Flaco;' his go-to workout exercises;
his music taste and the OMG team hit anthem;
and more.
As a player with asthma, he also highlighted
how important it is to consider having
a vaccine for Pneumococcal Pneumonia,
especially with certain risk factors, such as
having asthma.
This conversation was brought to us by
Pfizer, who informs that Pneumococcal
Pneumonia is a potentially serious bacterial
lung disease. Symptoms can hit without
warning and take you out for weeks, possibly
even landing people in the hospital.
You are at higher risk being age 65 years or
higher, or 19 and older with certain chronic
health conditions, such as asthma, chronic
lung disease, chronic heart disease, diabetes,
and more, according to Pfizer. Talk to
your doctor or pharmacist to see if pneumococcal
vaccination is right for you.
Visit https://www.KnowPneumonia.com/
to learn more.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Your nickname is Flaco
how did you get that nickname?
J.D. MARTINEZ: My hitting coach when I
was in Little League growing up, he was
my mentor, Paul Casanova. I was super
skinny, and he just started calling me Flaco.
That was my nickname. He'd call me
Flaco. It's one of those things, through
Miami. It was like my code word almost,
where like you'd call me Flaco, you knew I
hit with Cassie, and I worked with Cassie.
(Editor's Note: Paul Casanova's teammates
also called him 'Cazzie')
AM: You were diagnosed with Asthma posing
challenges way back in Little League,
what risks does having Asthma play in
sports and what can people do about it?
JDM: Asthma was a big part of my childhood.
I remember being in Little League,
and I think I was maybe 3 year old when I
was diagnosed with it, and being in Little
League and trying to play baseball
with asthma and constantly being in
and out of the hospital, like once a week
with my mom and my dad. Throughout
my whole career it's just been managing
it, and finding ways to manage it,
like with medicines and stuff. That's
why I'm here today and partnered
with Pfizer to help spread the word
about Pneumococcal Pneumonia, and
how having asthma puts me at over 5x
higher risk for the disease, compared
to healthy adults age 18-64. So, I got
vaccinated to help protect myself and
I recommend that everyone with asthma
to talk to your pharmacist or your
doctor or go to KnowPneumonia.com.
It's very important for me. I just know
so many kids that should know this
stuff playing with asthma.
AM: When working out, what are 3 goto
exercises for you?
JDM: For me, it's turning my hips on,
doing a whole hip circuit - a routine
that kind of loosens up my hips and
strengthens them at the same time.
Then from there, I really turn on my
core and stabilize my trunk. Then I like
to do legs, because they are my weakest
part of my body, so for me, I feel
so much strength, when my legs are
strong, so I like to do legs as much as
I can.
AM: What music do you listen to energizing
for the game? This whole OMG
song really took off!!
JDM: For me, it's kind of whatever is hot
at the time. I know sometimes we're in
the clubhouse and Winker's putting on
some rap, and if we're riding with that,
we're riding with that - and feeling like
you're Eminem I guess, and you're having
fun with it. And for me, EDM, like
House Music, with a lot of beats, that's
what gets me going. That's kind of
what me and Mark Vientos listen to in
the gym when we're warming up and
activating. And then obviously you got

Oh My God, OMG, our victory song, you
know, and the whole Iggy thing that happened.
(Editor's Note: Met's teammate
José Iglesias is also a Latin Pop music artist
who performs under the name Candelita).
It was hilarious. It was just funny how that
whole thing came about..
AM: Sure, well you said you had to hear
it first - and then you were like Wow it's
good right --
JDM: Yeah I was in Triple-A, and all of a
sudden Iggy was like, "I got to show you
this song, I got to show you this song." I
was kind of making fun of him, I was like,
"what are you like Marc Anthony now,"
because he was being represented by
Marc Anthony for some time now, coming
up with all of these songs. And he was
like, "you got to hear this song," and then
he played it for me in the speaker, and he
was like, "I think this one is going to be the
one that really blows up, like really helps
me." I said, "dude, this is really good, I
kind of like this! If you get called up to play
for the Mets, we're playing this, so you
gotta send it to me..' He wanted to play it
for the walk up song, and so when he got
called up I got it played on the speaker for
everyone, kind of in honor of Iggy coming
up. And the team was in a fragile state at
that point, we weren't playing very well,
and we kind of all jumped on board and
it became our team anthem I would say.
We made it a joke that every time we hit a
home run we would play it.. so then they
did it, and it kind of caught all of the fans
off guard.
AM: We also see you like Reggae music a
lot?
JDM: I also love reggae when I'm on my
boat!
@jdmartinez28
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 52, 56 - 63
+ 9DRIP STORI3S PG 60 - 63 NY Mets | PG
54 - 55 Pfizer |

It’s always a pleasure to watch those that
are truly one with their work! You see
their passion and the care that they have
for their craft and Derek Hough is one of
those people! Whether you’re watching
him dance, judge those on Dancing with
the Stars, or working with other clients to
get their vision to the stage in the way that
they want it, he is a man who is full of life
and shares that love with everyone who
watches him! We had some time to chat
with him to find out more about how he
became a dancer and choreographer. This
4X Emmy winner for Outstanding Choreographer
and 6X Mirror Ball winner for
DWTS sat down to talk with us about his
life and passion for dance, what we can
expect from this season of DWTS and his
partnership with Pepcid.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fall
in love with dancing and when did you realize
that you wanted to do it as a career?
DEREK HOUGH: I first fell in love with
dancing when I was about 11 years old, my
mom actually made me go to dance class.
I have four sisters and she dragged me to
dance. I walked in and I had an amazing
teacher and he just made it really cool. He
gave me a nickname, Heavy D, and I was
like, oh, that's cool. But for me, I fell in
love with dance really just with the music,
just the way it made me feel, moving my
body, syncing it up to the beats and the
rhythms. I just fell in love with it, and I got
to travel, and compete, and I had a great
community. So dancing has been a really
important part of my life, not just in the
art form of it, but the social aspect of it as
well, feeling a part of something, a community.
So, yeah, dance has been part of
my life for a long time.
AM: Your career has been phenomenal
from being a dancer, choreographer, you
even choreographed a dance routine for
Olympians who were World Ice Champions
for Sochi 2014 where they won Gold,
you've acted and more! Did you imagine
that dancing would allow your creativity
to have access to these opportunities?
DH: You know, it's crazy growing up, we
always want to be like rock stars, right?
You're listening to music and you're
playing air guitar on your bed, jumping
up and down and imagining being on
stage. It's kind of crazy to think that I'm
able to sort of live out those childhood
dreams but through dance, to go live on
stage in front of tens of thousands of
people, hundreds of thousands of people,
honestly, perform in front of millions
of people on television and meet
an eclectic group of people. I’ve met
astronauts and Oscar winners, Emmy
winners, race car drivers, just people
from all walks of life because of dance.
I met my wife because of dance. I owe
so much to this beautiful art form and
this sport as well. It's an incredible gift
that keeps on giving.
AM: You've been involved with Dancing
with the Stars since Season 4 when you
were a guest instructor and then in Season
5, you came on as part of the professional
cast. What was it about the show
that drew you to want to be part of it?
DH: Well, it's funny actually, originally,
the producers asked me in season
four when I was a guest on there they
said, “Are you interested in doing the
show?”. I was like, “No, it's not for me.”
I'm in London doing a musical and this
show isn't really my vibe and then my
sister won season four and I was like,
“Wait, hold up, hold up. What's this
show again? Hold up, what's going on?”
So I joined season five. It's funny that
people back then were like, “oh, this
show, it's so ridiculous, it's not going
to be around that long." It's so interesting
how it's one of the longest lasting
shows honestly, knock on wood, it
keeps going. But yeah, I love it, I love
it so much. Again, the gift that keeps
on giving. It really is, each season is just
unique and different every time.
AM: What are you looking forward to
this season?
DH: I'm looking forward to obviously

all the contestants in their journeys and
just seeing how it all evolves. There's a
few little things that I'm actually planning,
there might be a performance in the future,
so I'm preparing for that. I'm looking
forward to that, and I think this season
holds something special. It's been a very
interesting year with lots of highs and
lows and challenges, and so to do something
on this season, that will be meaningful.
I'm looking forward to that, that's all I
am going to say without saying too much
about it.
AM: Being on the show as well as other
projects that you're part of has to be a lot,
how do you take time to relax so that you
can be ready for the next day?
DH: There's so many different projects that
I'm a part of - doing my tour, doing Dancing
with the Stars, and it's important. It's
about balance and the best way for me to
switch off my brain because my brain just
keeps going nonstop. One of my favorite
things to do actually is I go home and I do
my little snacking and streaming, just like
we all do. Get home and watch my favorite
show and I bust out the snacks and I
am a prolific popcorn eater. I love popcorn
so much, but it doesn't love me, but
I had to have it anyways. It actually works
out great because to manage that sort
of heartburn if I overdo it, I have Pepcid
Max Icy Cool Mint and it just works really
fast, it lasts all night unlike those antacids,
and it provides an instant cooling sensation,
which is great and again, it lasts all
night. So I kind of call it my Chilling with
Pepcid. I'm chilling with Pepcid, but that
way I can enjoy my snacks, I can enjoy my
shows, my hot sauces. Honestly, before I
actually go on stage as well when I go on
tour, because there's nothing worse than
when you eat something and you go on
stage, you have to sing and perform and
talk and host, and you just have that burning
sensation. So it's great to have that instant
cooling sensation with Pepcid Max
Icy Cool Mint. (Editor’s Note: Based on
9-hour acid control studies during the day
and 12-hour acid control studies during the
night. Acid control does not imply symp-
tom relief.)
AM: Obviously, dancing is a total body
workout, what are other things that
you do to stay in shape as well?
DH: Lots of stretching, I do yoga, working
out, and just strength exercises
to sort of engage the muscles to turn
them on. Speaking of icy cool, man, it’s
ice baths pretty much twice a day and
just PT work. I have to do all the things,
you know what I mean? I'm almost 40
years old and I was told that my dancing
career will be over by like 22 years
old. So I'm like, we'll see about that. It's
important that I'm mindful and I take
care of my body for longevity and I do
anything and everything I can to sort
of maintain that. There's lots that goes
into it for sure.
AM: When you're traveling due to tours
or being on set, what are your must
have travel essentials?
DH: My dog, my baby, Luna, she's sort
of the emotional therapy dog. I must
have water. My physical therapist is a
must have, I have to have that because
the training is so vigorous and the performance
is so intense, that we need to
have that. I'm a pretty simple guy, honestly.
I'm pretty simple, you know, my
rider, you know, how people have riders,
like, in their things, I’m pretty basic.
I'm pretty boring, honestly. I should
be a little bit more of a diva honestly
but I'm not, I'm really simple, I just like
simple things. When I get back on the
bus, especially on days off, I just enjoy
myself with the snacks. All the snacks,
popcorn, nuts, I love chips and salsa,
jalapenos. I love jalapenos so much, I
can just eat them in a bowl just raw by
themselves, it's delicious. Some chocolate
stuff, peanut M&M's, Red Vines.
AM: You have partnered with Pepcid
recently. Why was this synergistic with
you to work with them?
DH: I think that that's part of it really,

was that ability to sort of have something
on hand that works fast, it lasts
all night, and when I perform where
I get that heartburn before going on
stage and to have that instant relief
that, that cooling sensation, it's really
genuinely, really helpful. It also allows
me to have a bit more balance in my
life to enjoy myself a little bit. I have a
really strict regimen in my training and
when I'm on tour and my diet and everything
I do, but it's also nice to just
enjoy myself, and just chill and snack,
snack down a little bit and popcorn
doesn't love me, but I still love popcorn.
@derekhough
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 64 -69
Disney/Eric McCandless | PG 70 Jesse
Bauer |

Over the years, we have always enjoyed
when we have connected with 2017 US
Open Grand Slam winner Sloane Stephens.
Most recently, she was our DEC ISSUE #84
2022 cover. We always enjoy catching up
with her about her sport, new projects, as
well as her philanthropic focus.
We had the pleasure to catch up with
Sloane and this time we caught up with
her to find out what she has been up to
since we last talked with her! We were also
excited to hear about her new wellness
beauty brand, Doc & Glo that she launched
during the US Open this summer! We also
talked with her about her partnership
with Athletes for Good which is a joint initiative
between P&G, the IOC and the IPC
that recognizes the efforts of athletes to
improve their communities off the field of
play, while also giving their best every day
on their journey to their ultimate performance
at Paris 2024. P&G awarded 20 Athletes
for Good grants of $24,000 each to
support causes championed by recipient
athletes.
Sloane founded the Sloane Stephens Foundation
in 2013, helping children from disadvantaged
backgrounds dream big, both on
and off the tennis court, by offering yearround
tennis, education, mental health
and financial literacy programs. The foundation
uses tennis and education to change
the narrative of poverty, health inequity,
and educational development. With programs
up and running in the Compton Unified
School District – reaching 15,000 children
in the area so far, the Slone Stephens
Foundation will use the Athletes for Good
grant to continue to grow the community.
ATHLEISURE MAG: We always love when
we get the chance to catch up with you as
we have enjoyed previous inbooks as well
as a cover with you! You have had a busy
year, what does your schedule look like for
the remainder of this season in terms of
upcoming matches?
SLOANE STEPHENS: I’m currently in Asia
for the final tournament swing of the year.
After this, I’ll head home for my off-sea-
son to spend time with my family before
beginning my pre-season training
block and playing in some exhibition
matches.
AM: Are there any routines that you
do before a match to get ready to play
that you feel that you need to do?
SS: I always make sure to have a well
balanced meal – usually chicken and
rice with some type of veggie. It really
depends on the time of my match but I
prefer being the first match of the day
so I don’t have much down time beforehand.
AM: Are there any routines that you do
once you have completed a match to
come down from all of the energy that
you had to exert?
SS: Yes! I always get a massage and try
to do some sort of self care whether it
be a mask or just lighting a candle and
relaxing.
AM: We always love following along
your social media to see what you are
up to and it's fun to see campaigns
you're part of, your collaborations, and
travels. Last month, you launched Doc
& Glo which is amazing! Tell us about
why you wanted to launch this brand as
well as the meaning behind the name?
SS: I’ve always loved self care and this
was always something I wanted to do.
It’s a really exciting passion project for
me! Seeing it all come together has
been so special. The brand is named
after my grandparents - Doc & Glo.
My grandfather was an OBGYN – they
called him doc, and my grandmother
Gloria was a fabulous woman who
taught me so much about self care
starting at a young age.
AM: You launched 2 products - tell us
about them and why did you want to
start with them? Do you envision tackling
other areas that will be available at
Doc & Glo?

SS: We plan to launch more items in the
body care space! Stay tuned!
AM: What has it been like in terms of coming
up with this brand, doing all the R&D
behind it, and finally releasing it for us to
enjoy?
SS: It has truly been a labor of love! I’ve
been working on Doc & Glo for 4 years so
to finally see it out in the world is an amazing
feeling. This brand was made from
scratch – custom formulations, custom
packaging, and months and months of
testing. I’ve learned so much during this
process and I can’t stress enough that entrepreneurship
is not for the weak!
AM: How is your Sloane Stephens Foundation
going and are there any upcoming
projects that are going on that we should
know about?
SS: Everything is going really well! 2025
marks our 10th year of programming in
Compton and our programs are stronger
than ever. We’re also expanding more
meaningfully into South Florida, which is
very special to me.
AM: How did you and the Sloane Stephens
Foundation connect with Athletes for
Good?
SS: I'm incredibly proud to be a member
of Team USA. They've provided so much
support throughout my career, including
a scholarship for my MBA degree. I saw
this funding opportunity for P&G’s Athletes
for Good in an email and immediately
wanted to apply on behalf of the Sloane
Stephens Foundation.
AM: What did it mean to you to be awarded
the grant?
SS: It means so much to be recognized for
the work of the Sloane Stephens Foundation
and to stand alongside so many other
hard working athletes who give back
to their communities across the country.
When I started SSF in 2013, I sought out
to create opportunities for youth to have
tennis change their life. I believe in
the power of grassroots sports and
want all kids to have an amazing first
interaction with whichever sport they
choose. I appreciate the support of
P&G in making these dreams come
true.
AM: Are there projects or initiatives
that you will be able to grow or incorporate
in your plans because of the
grant?
SS: This grant funding supported our
summer camp in Compton, which just
wrapped up after an amazing 8 weeks.
We're constantly looking to improve
and add new elements to our summer
camp to give our kids the best possible
experience. This summer, we were
able to incorporate group sessions
with our social worker as well as art
therapy led by our social workers every
Friday.
AM: Are there any other projects you
have going on that you would like to
share with us that we can keep an eye
out for?
SS: We’re preparing to launch our next
2 Doc & Glo SKUs this winter and I’m
really excited for everyone to experience
them! I want to take over the
home and away body care routine.
@sloanestephens
@docandglo
@sloanestephensfoundation
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Sloane
Stephens

THE ART OF
THE SNACK:
SUSHIDELIC

This month's The Art of the Snack takes us
to SoHo after the first night of NYFW SS25.
After taking in a series of shows throughout
the day and early evening, we were
ready to continue a bit of drama during
dinner! We found ourselves at SUSHIDEL-
IC which was a feast for the eyes as well
as the tastebuds. We were transported to
Tokyo, Kawaii, and interactive eating. After
enjoying an epic omakase meal experience,
we sat down with this restaurant's
General Manager, Esmeralda Syku to find
out about the art within its 4 walls, characters,
what you can expect to enjoy when
you're dining in, and of course the power
of Kawaii that is infused throughout your
meal here!
ATHLEISURE MAG: We had the pleasure of
dining at SUSHIDELIC to kick off our first
night of Fashion Week of the SS25 season
and it was amazing to see the decor, the
vibe, the sounds, and more. Tell us about
the joint venture between AUTEC and Asobi
Systems that came together to create
this restaurant.
ESMERALDA SYKU: The joint venture
between AUTEC and Asobi Systems was
instrumental in bringing this vibrant
restaurant to life. AUTEC, known for its
innovative approach to sushi, introduces
a fresh perspective on sushi-making that
emphasizes creativity and quality. Meanwhile,
Asobi Systems, recognized for its
creative flair in entertainment and design.
AM: We love Kawaii as we got to experience
it when we were in Tokyo and love how it
is presented in the restaurant. For readers
who are not familiar, what is Kawaii and
what is the Kawaii experience that guests
can enjoy when they come in to dine?
ES: Kawaii is the definition of cuteness,
but it can resonate differently with everyone.
When guests dine with us, they can
expect to embark on a delightful culinary
journey where our Executive Chef, Reina
Tange, artfully combines unexpected colors
and flavors, creating unique and playful
dishes. It’s not just about the food;
it’s about immersing yourself in a joyful,
whimsical atmosphere that sparks happiness
and nostalgia. Each meal becomes
a celebration of creativity and
cuteness, ensuring an unforgettable experience
for everyone!
AM: We had the pleasure of meeting
Sebastian Masuda who is known as the
Godfather of Kawaii and was responsible
for Kawaii Monster Cafe in Tokyo.
We know that he created the stunning
art that is at SUSHIDELIC, can you share
more about the pieces that people can
see when they come in?
ES: As you enter, you'll be greeted by
stunning art pieces that reflect Masuda's
signature style. The suspended, colorful
lipstick lights create a playful ambiance,
setting the tone for a delightful dining
experience. Center stage, you’ll find
three charming and curiosity-provoking
cats, each sporting a playful expression
that invites interaction and adds a whimsical
touch. The rotating conveyor belt is
a highlight, showcasing an array of artistic
creations, from purses and shoes to a
playful cat enjoying sushi.
AM: Tell us about the Delic Cats as we
loved being greeted by them and how
they correspond with the 3 cat sculptures
that are suspended from the ceiling.
ES: We have Delic cats, each with their
own, personality and spunk: Tipsy, Lovely,
Sassy.
AM: We ate at the sushi bar which was
great to enjoy watching the DJ, seeing
the art on the conveyor belt and being
at the center of the action! What can you
tell us about the design aesthetic of the
space?
ES: Everything in SUSHIDELIC is custom
made and was designed by visionary
artist, also known as the “Godfather of
Kawaii”, Sebastian Masuda.
AM: Can you tell us about where Chef Reina
Tange trained, schools she attended,
restaurants she worked in before coming

to SUSHIDELIC?
ES: Chef Reina Tange was born and raised
in Tokyo and has worked in prestigious
hotels and resorts. Chef Reina Tange’s
culinary journey started at her family’s
restaurant, Sokodo-so, on Hachijojima, a
subtropical island off the coast of Tokyo.
She then pursued culinary arts studies at
the Japan Culinary Arts College. Reina’s
passion for food led her to Italy, where
she attended the University of Foreigners
in Perugia and gained experience working
in local restaurants. After returning to
Japan, she worked at the prestigious Bvlgari
Hotels and Resorts in Ginza, Tokyo,
where she honed her customer service
and operations skills.
AM: What is the menu design process in
terms of deciding what you would like to
include on the menu?
ES: A lot of thought and creativity goes
into our menus. Each item is carefully curated
by Chef Reina Tange, drawing from
her extensive experience and inspired by
Sebastian Masuda’s artistic vision. The
process involves selecting unique flavor
combinations, prioritizing vibrant presentation,
and incorporating seasonal ingredients
to create a delightful Kawaii dining
experience.
AM: We enjoyed the Pure Imagination sixcourse
omakase! Can you tell us about this
as well as the Painter's Palette?
ES: Currently, our Omakase style menu,
PURE Imagination, features 5 courses –
each course is a piece of art that bursts
in your mouth, full of flavor - from the savory
and sweet 1st course, which is the
Hokkaido Scallop Macaron to the carousal
wheel, giving the guest the opportunity
to try our various delic rolls and nigiri.
Our sauce palette is like a painters palette
and we encourage guests to create their
own journey and dabble into our different
sauces to create a variety of flavors. Our.
Sauce palette includes: Spicy Mayo, Wasabi,
Carrot Ginger, Ponzu Mayo, Black Sesame
and Yuzu.
AM: For those that opt to enjoy their
menu a la carte, what are 3 appetizers
that you suggest that we should enjoy
when we come in for dinner?
ES: When delighting in our A la carte
menu, we encourage guests to try these
dishes: Tuna & Crab Croquette with soy
marinated tuna, Chicken Kaarage and
Fried Gyoza.
AM: From the Delic Rolls, what are 3 rolls
that we should enjoy?
ES: Rolls we recommend include: Special
Salmon Roll, Aburi Salmon and Wagu Uni
Roll.
AM: Tell us about the Tokyo Signature
portion of the menu and what are 3 items
you suggest that we can enjoy with family
and friends?
ES: Our Tokyo Signature portion of the
menu are items inspired straight from
Tokyo that are currently popular and our
recommendations include: Poke Avocado
Sushi Burger (hamburger style with a
crispy rice bun filled with flavorful Poke
Avocado), Delic Fries (loaded with flavor
from Bonito Flakes, Salmon Roe & Fried
Garlic), and Minced Pork Katsu Ball (with
a curry sauce).
AM: Tell us about the Sushi Tower Deluxe?
ES: Our Sushi Tower is a tasting of all of
our favorites! From our specialty Delic
Rolls to fresh sashimi and mini cups of
our popular Chirashi Parfait.
AM: From Tokyo Sweetness, what are 3
dishes that you suggest that we should
think about?
ES: Our favorites include the Lost Red
High Heel, a delightful chocolate and hazelnut
cake adorned with an edible red
high heel, and the Jiggly Lips Panna Cotta,
which adds a playful twist to a classic
dessert. Don’t miss the Harajuku Parfait,
a creative mixture of desserts from the

chef's imagination, presented with flair
for a truly whimsical experience!
AM: Tell us about Sushi Sundays.
ES: Sushi Sundays is the perfect day to
gather with friends and family to enjoy delicious
sushi in a vibrant atmosphere. It’s a
time to relax, share great food, and create
lasting memories. Whether you're a sushi
aficionado or trying it for the first time,
there’s something for everyone to savor.
Join us for a fun-filled Sunday where you
can indulge in our creatively crafted sushi
rollsand delightful sides, all while soaking
in the Kawaii ambiance!
AM: You are open for lunch as well. Are
there any dishes that are specific to the
lunch menu only?
ES: Lunch at SUSHIDELIC is all about fun
and relaxation! Join us to enjoy our enticing
lunch specials, which feature a selection
of salads, soups, and various sushi
rolls. Be sure to try our Rolling-to-Lunch
special, perfect for those looking for a
quick yet delicious bite. Or indulge in the
Sushi-Go-Round, which offers a delightful
variety of sushi rolls to share and savor.
It’s a great way to enjoy a leisurely meal
with friends or take a break from your day.
AM: Cocktails are always our favorite part
of the meal! What are 3 that you suggest
that we should try?
ES: Lovely in Pink (named after our Delic
Cat Lovely), Tipsy Sake-Tini (named after
Delic Cat Tipsy), Sugar Plum Spritz
AM: Does SUSHIDELIC change its menu
throughout the year and if so, can you tell
us about what we should expect for the
Fall?
ES: Yes, we do change our menu seasonally!
This fall, we’re excited to revamp
both our PURE Imagination and à la carte
menus, introducing a variety of delicious
new dishes that capture the essence of
the season. From cozy flavors to vibrant
ingredients, our new offerings will cele-
brate autumn’s bounty. Stay tuned for
the launch of our refreshed menu, coming
mid-October—we can’t wait for you
to try the new delights!
AM: Are there any upcoming events that
you can tell us about that we should
mark our calendars for or what we can
anticipate for the upcoming holiday season
such as New Years Eve?
ES: Join us for our spooktacular Halloween
festivities, where our beloved Delic
cats will transform into playful Zombie
cats, adding a fun twist to the celebration!
And that’s not all—stay tuned for
exciting updates about our New Year’s
Eve celebrations, where we’ll ring in the
new year with style, delicious food, and
unforgettable experiences. You won’t
want to miss it!
AM: In addition to the sushi bar seating,
you also have tables, what can you tell us
about those looking to do group dinners
or special events?
ES: For large groups, we highly recommend
table seating, allowing you to relax
and enjoy meaningful conversations
with your friends while immersing yourselves
in the vibrant atmosphere. This
arrangement fosters a communal dining
experience, perfect for sharing delicious
dishes and creating lasting memories
together. Whether you’re celebrating a
special occasion or just enjoying a night
out, our table seating enhances the experience,
making it even more enjoyable!
@sushidelic.nyc
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 100 SU-
SHIDELIC| PG 102 - 113 Paul Farkas |

As you know, NYFW happens 2 times a year
as it looks ahead to the Fall/Winter collections
as well as those in the Spring/Summer.
It's a time for the fashion community
of editors, retailers, buyers, celebs, socialites,
and enthusiasts to come together as
they navgate a hectic series of days that
include presentations, runway shows, previews,
lunches, dinners, and after parties.
By attending these functions, you get a
bird's eye view on what to expect in terms
of trends, silhouettes, hues and more.
What we see here in NY will mirror or extend
into what takes place for the other
fashion calendars that occur in London,
Milan, and Paris (you'll also see that those
shows may also add elements as well). You
can see the top colors from NYFW SS25 via
our friends at Pantone.
This month, we hit the shows and as we enjoy
sharing with you a selection of what we
saw in Mens and Womens fashion this season
here in NY, we'll highlight these shows.
In addition, it's always fun when we cover
the Backstage of a show as it allows us to
see how the look and creative direction includes
other facets of the overall look.
We kicked off NYFW with New York Men's
Day which allows you to see a series of designers
throughout the day via presentations
or hybrid presentation/runway shows
that are divided by a morning as well as an
afternoon session. In addition to designers
that showed (A. POTTS, Clara Son, Earthling
VIP, Sivan, The Salting, of—nothing,
Sermon Series, STAN, Tarpley, and Terry
Singh), we also enjoyed vignettes where
sponsors Sperry and Victorinox were also
in these studios. The designers that showed
their presentations also collaborated with
Victorinox on designing cases that were
within the vein of their collection for the
upcoming season which were on display.
THE SALTING SS25
For the presentation/hybrid runway show
of The Salting, we were transported to
an Italian seaside complete with a dock
that the models stood on for this genderless
collection. The weather worn hues of
blues, charcoal, olive, neutrals, and carnelian
were seen throughout the collection
and models. This nautical sensability
was amplified with choice accessories
that included large intricately knotted
brooches, hats, and other details that
made this feel like a line that you could
wear for a number of moments in your
lifestyle. The use of floral prints and seersucker
was a visual texture that we found
pleasing whether we saw the collection
together during the presentation or separately
when they did their runway portion.
CFDA Designers Michael Ward and Manel
Garcia Espejo noted that they were, "celebrating
the Italian seaside and Italian
life - village life by the sea. We leaned into
'60s and '70s Italian film and we studied
mostly Luchino Visconti (Death in Venice,
Ludwig, The Stranger), Federico Fellini (8
½, La Dolce Vita, Ginger and Fred) and we
pulled a lot from the film Death in Venice
- the opulence of it, and we landed with
this."
Without a question, this was a collection
that we truly enjoyed seeing and dare we
say, our favorite.
@newyorkmensday
@thesaltingnyc
CLARA SON SS25
This menswear presentation leaned into
a dream Clara Son had on her bicycle and
the elements of nature that she rode beside
which is seen in the color palette of
this assortment that gives a nod to the
coastal area with mountains, rocks, and
flowers for her Reminiscence collection.
The lines was enhanced with biker hats,
seats, and functional bags.
@clarasonstudio
EARTHLING.VIP SS25
Part of enjoying a show is how it is presented
to you and as soon as we saw
multiple frames in the studio space with

models walking in and out of them at various
points, we were really excited about
seeing the menswear and womenswear
that were part of this show that included
embellished denim, leather jackets, graphic
tees and hardware laden leather weekender
bags for a rocker on holiday vibe for
this LA based brand.
@earthling.vip
STAN SS25
Another show of note to share from NYMD
comes from STAN a line that is handcrafted
in LA by designer and Co-Founder,
Tristan Detwiler who is a, "craftsman by
trade. My medium: dirt stained remnant
of tattered, worn textiles, ingrained with
stries of hand woven fibers. There is history
awaiting discovery, buried in the deepest
corners of the world. A medium that
allows me to peer into faraway culture, ritual,
religion, and family heritage. I live in
perpetural search for such things. Stories
relayed from the past; translated through
centuries. The goal of STAN is to re-contextualize
long lost memories to live on." He
has a passopn for sustainable and meaningful
practice in fashion as we continue
to navigate those that are mass produced
and involved in greenwashing.
This SS25 collection is made from 100% sustainable
materials that includes deadstock
and recycled fabrics. In terms of his work
as a whole, he enjoys upcycling vintage
quilts to make a one of a kind garment and
has used antique fabrucs, bed linens, and
grain sacks. This allows him to search the
world for rare materials that then become
translated into his beachy assortment of
sets, outerwear, and separates.
This season, a robe-style coat was made
from Portuguese wool blankets from the
early 20th century and striped suits were
made from 19th century-style French ticking
fabric. This material would traditionally
be found in matress covers. Embellished
pieces from this collection came from vintage
beads and crystals that were sourced
from his mother who was a jewelry design-
er in the '80s.
@stanclothing
CHUKS COLLINS SS25
Prior to attending Chuks Collins SS25 presentation
that was held at Chelsea Factory,
we met him at the South African
Consulate General. In addition to being
a designer, he is the Co-Founder of The
African Fashion Council which was hosting
5 designers who had a compilation
show the day after his. During the press
confrence/mixer, we met the 2024 Jaguar
South Africa x #GiveHerACrown designers
(Gugu Peteni of Gugubygugu; Tsakani
Mashaba of HAMETHOP, Thando Ntuli of
MUNKUS, Manthe Ribane of her namesake
brand, and Keneilwe Mothoa of
Neimil) and listened to an engaging Q+A
that was moderated by former Essence
Editor in Chief, Constance White. Being
able to hear about their brand, how the
created, the challenges that they face,
and what is on the horizon for them was
truly interesting. We also heard from
members of the South African Consulate
General as well as they were the hosts
in partnership with Jaguar South Africa
of this mixer which includes wines from
the region and esteemed guests of both
brands. The importance of introducing
South African designers and having their
work seen at NYFW was a huge part of
the initiative.
Chuks Collins spoke at this event and was
excited to share these artists that we
would see later in the week. When we
arrived at his show, we saw an array of
looks that blended African and Western
design as well as a mix of tradition and
modernity. He noted that he was, "grateful
for the opportunity to keep creating
and expressing myself through my work.
This collection means a lot to me, and
the homecoming process has been very
healing for me. The collection is deeply
inspired by my African and Western
roots, reflecting a blend of cultures and
experiences. Having grown up in Africa
and Europe, and now living in the US, I

have been empowered and nurtured by
many women, including my grandmother,
who taught me how to sew. This cultural
tapestry forms the foundation of 'Nné,' infusing
each piece with rich narratives and
a deep sense of heritage.”
@iamchukscollins
FREDERICK ANDERSON SS25
We also attended Frederick Anderson's
SS25 show which was held at the DiMenna
Center for Classical Music at the Baryshnikov
Arts Center. This collection was inspired
by his travels through Northern Africa
and how he connects to his experiences
there. Looks that hit the runway included
lightweight garments as well as those that
have stunning lace and beaded ensembles.
The visual texture that was included on
the runway really let you see his cohesive
story.
@frederickanderson_designer
BACKSTAGE | BRUCEGLEN SS25
We enjoy attending shows, but it's also
great to be able to head backstage to see
how the look is coming together. We made
our way to the Gansevoort Hotel in the
Meatpacking District to see BruceGlen's
line which is known for vibrant color and
is designed by twin brothers! This season,
with a theme of Out of the Blue, there was
a bit of whimsy and childlike wonder with
the looks that were part of this presentation!
We sat down with Celebrity Manicurist,
Miss Pop whose work has been in countless
NYFW as well as global Fashion Weeks,
editorials of a number of magazines, and
celebs that have included Gwen Stefani,
Janelle Monae, Ariana Grande, and Beanie
Feldstein. We wanted to know about how
she came to being a Celebrity Nail Artist,
why she wanted to be part of this show,
how the nails are part of this (as well as
telling us about another show that she was
excited to talk about the nail direction),
and she gave us tips on how we can make
our nails looks amazing with tips and
tools!
MISS POP: I love this on you! Oh my God,
are you wearing Ophelia – is this Zoya
Ophelia? That was what I was working
with yesterday!
ATHLEISURE MAG: No, it’s not.
MP: It’s literally one of the colors that I
was working with yesterday that we did
on a man.
AM: This is Sundays Nail Studio gel so I
don’t know what they call this shade.
MP: I love that place! Amy and I are
friends!
AM: I met her a few years ago right when
the salon launched in NoMad. She is so
sweet!
MP: She is a wonderful human being, I
recommend that people go there all the
time. I don’t work at a salon, but I always
suggest there.
AM: It’s so clean there and so zen.
MP: Well, it’s because she’s a manicurist.
It makes a really big difference when
you’re a licensed manicurist. You walk
in and you’re like, oh all the laws are followed
here. I’ve gotten to know her a little
bit and I have been there a couple of
times and she is lovely!
AM: I love that! Well we’re in the thick of
it right now as BruceGlen’s show will be
starting shortly and I always love being
backstage to see the look come together.
Being able to sit down with you to talk
about the direction of the nails for this
show will definitely be exciting for our
readers to know about. Before I delve
into that, when did you realize that you
wanted to be a Nail Artist?
MP: Oh wow that is a question! I actually
got into nails because I was sick and
stuck in bed for a couple of years. I was

laid flat out in bed so that really limits
your options on things that you can do.
You know, I had done nail art as a tween.
In middle school, I was told that it was distracting
to other kids and they made me
stop! It was devastating, but I went to a
good school and I moved on with my life
and then years and years went by and then
almost 15 years went by and I got sick. I
was stuck in bed and I always loved having
my nails, like, bright cherry, my lipstick
red every week. But once I got sick, I realized
that I had so much time on my hands.
I literally started painting my [nails], that
was one of the few things I could do. It
also made me feel better because when
you're recovering. I mean, you see this? I
look like this every day but when you're
sick, you can't do your hair right or get in
my dress. I couldn't do any of the things.
I could, normally done, I had meningitis.
AM: Oh my.
MP: And uh, it was just - people wanted
to visit me and I was like, visit what? Yeah,
what are you visiting? Like it's like I don't
have anything good to talk about. I'm like
a shell of myself.
AM: Wow!
MP: I can't even watch TV. I can't even tell
you what I'm watching on TV because you
can't tilt my head. So I was like, what am I
gonna do? And then it occurred to me that
I could probably paint my nails like this.
AM: Oh wow.
MP: And so, I started doing it that way and
then, by the time I picked it up for four
hours, I was enrolled in beauty school. It
took me like a year and a half to get there
but I did it okay?
AM: Absolutely!
MP: I did it because after doing my nails so
much I was like, I just want to know how
to do it right. So I went to beauty school
for my own entertainment and I was on
Tumblr when I was sick posting my nails.
And I just became friends with nail artists
all around the world like Illustrated
Nail and there was like a crew of women
online that were just like sharing tips
and tricks like all of them right now are
big nail artists. And we also sort of, like,
became friendly and we were trading
tips and it was such a beautiful space
and so after I went to beauty school, I
just was like, you know what, I actually
think that I am done. So I went to NYU
and then beauty school which is not the
financially intelligent order. But uh, here
I am.
AM: So what is your favorite part about
creating nail art?
MP: Ok, the thing about nail art is, it's really
ephemeral. Like I, I want something
different every day. It’s the chance to
give yourself what you want.
AM: Right.
MP: Right, literally every day, or every
week. Yeah, I'm a nail polish girl and
Zoya's nail polish. So I really align with
the brand. I like natural nails and I wear
natural nails because of when I was sick
so I'm very conscious about the products
I use and I'm allergic to acrylics. So,
um, it's a common allergy actually. So
what I like, is the opportunity to change
and to give myself exactly what I want
in the moment and to, like, celebrate
the now and the moment! Like, this, the
hair, the makeup, all of this - I do that for
you. You're welcome. That's how I'd like
the world to see me, but the nails I do
for me. It’s what I see of myself. So, for
me, it’s just an opportunity to complete
what I want and to make myself happy
to entertain myself.
AM: I mean, that’s amazing!
What's the inspiration behind the nails
that are in the BruceGlen show?
MP: Oh my God. So the reason I really
wanted to work with BruceGlen was because
they're dopamine dressing.

AM: Yeah.
MP: You're so happy when you’re wearing
their clothes!
AM: I came in with them on the elevator
and you felt it.
MP: Yeah, you’re in their world. I felt just
like the the joy coming off of it! Their
clothes spark joy. So I really wanted to
work with them because I just thought
that that was the fashion I want to be part
of. Like I think to be able to bring that out
in clothes and to make yourself so happy
- I mean, that's part of what I like to do
with nails!
AM: Absolutely!
MP: Even when I want to wear black nails!
So today their collection is all about
dreams and I took the color we're doing
today for Zoya is, we're calling it Dream
Blue and I keep joking because the name
is Walker. That is like, Sleepwalker Blue.
AM: Oh!
MP: That's something because their show
is so dreamy and it’s really something that
is part of this season which is about fantasy.
The idea of stepping outside of this
world and going somewhere far more
beautiful. I mean not that this world isn't
beautiful, but we might be having a moment
that isn't.
AM: Exactly!
MP: We might be going through some
things.
AM: Exactly.
MP: So that's why we're doing a dreamy
blue and having something that is bright
and cheerful.
AM: It's beautiful.
MP: And it's like finest.
AM: That's amazing. And, you know, if we
were doing - for those of us that might
do our nails at home because we're in between
sessions, what are three tools we
should always have in our kit?
MP: I mean, I only do my nails at home
and I highly encourage it.
AM: I think you are fortunate because
you are coordinated and a professional!
When I do mine, it's all over the place
and I wouldn’t let anyone see that!
MP: A lot of people say that but, it took
me six months and if you do your nails
every week for six months, you'll figure
it out. It's all muscle memory. You have
2 hands with the same things on both
sides.
AM: Well, both hands are still different.
MP: Yes, you have a dominant hand and
that will be your easier hand and I'd be
lying. If you look at my Instagram, I'm
always taking photos of my left hand,
so I would be lying if I told you that my
right hand is equal, but I can get it done.
Um and I also think you have to be like
patient with yourself. Like it's gonna be
hard at first, but anything worth learning
or doing - you never do it right the
first time! This is also paint. It's not -
you're not painting yourself with like a
tattoo!
AM: Ok, I hear that.
MP: So this is my number one. This was
worth the price of admission to be in
beauty school. This is this is you need
this. So, what I love about this is that it's
a paintbrush. This is a Simply Simmons
#4, filbert head, short handle.
AM: Oh wow.
MP: Available at Dick Blick, the art supply
store, and even Michael's and all of
them. And so what I learned at Beauty
School, is you dip that in remover - acetone-based
remover, non-acetone base

remover, really doesn't matter. And that
will get in between and clean it off the
skin.
AM: Oh, right!
MP: I've been a professional manicurist
now since 2012 and I still get polish on everyone's
skin that I do. This is what I use.
AM: Okay.
MP: It's also great for like, you know,
when you lay a line down and you're like,
oh, that wasn't smooth.
AM: Yeah.
MP: Like it's like a jaggedy little you can
see where the brush touched, you just go
swoop and now you have like a properly
even one.
AM: That’s a great tool!
MP: So okay, I just saved you $2,500 going
to beauty school, you're welcome.
The other thing I love is Base Coat. I'm
using Zoya Anchor Base Coat. I also love,
that Zoya has the Naked Manicure Base
Coat and their Naked Manicure Perfectors.
I like that you can do pink, you can
do buff, you can do nudes. It doesn't matter.
But they're enriching for your nails. So
it's like using a strengthener but it's also
like a little bit of a sheer tint.
AM: Yeah.
MP: So I love that and then I apply the color
over it. I either wear it bare like that or
I color over it.
So the first thing you want to do when
you want to give yourself a manicure, is to
cleanse your nail bed.
AM: Yup!
MP: I don't go so far as to use alcohol.
Some people do or they, buff their nails.
But you don’t have to buff your nails. If
you just slightly dehydrate the nail bed,
you're gonna basically get the same effect
without disrupting that. The top
layer of your nail is the most keratin rich
to me. You don't want to disrupt that
unless it's flaking, or peeling.
AM: Right.
MP: So I love Base Coat. So I cleanse my
nail bed with a little remover. We're using
this Zoya Remove Plus, which is like
the greatest. So when you apply using
Remove Plus, to first, dehydrate the nail
bed. So that when your application goes
on, you're starting from a surface that
lacks oil, that last debris, it’s a cleansed
nailbed. But you know what I also love?
AM: Yeah?
MP: Ok so my other 2 tips I’m going to
hit you with. So Cuticle Oil, I know that
people are going to think, what does
that have to do with my long lasting
manicure?
AM: Yup.
MP: It's because it’s not only great for
your skin and your hands look good, but
your nails getting everything, it needs
to stay strong and resilient. And it will
make your manicure last a couple extra
days if you apply Cuticle Nail Oil every
night. The other thing you learn at Beauty
School is to seal the free edge. Like
every stroke you do, make sure you do it
to the rim of your nails and that's a little
bit harder, if your nails are below the fingertip.
It's still possible and you can always
go in with your cleanup brush and
get the skin. That’s called Capping the
Free Edge.
AM: I love when my manicurist does that!
MP: I like doing it first, not last.
AM: Really, I feel when I have it, it's last.
MP: Because I feel like when you do it
last, it gives a little.

AM: Like an edge or a bit of a lift as sometimes
I’ve had it where you feel that ridge.
MP: I feel like when you do it at the end it
can lay not as smoothly as I want it to.
AM: Yeah, I have had that happen a few
times and I find since I wear gels usually,
so for 2 weeks it becomes a tactile point
that I am constantly touching as it stands
out from my nail not visually, but when I
am running my finger over it. But I get why
you do it in the stage that you do.
MP: Yeah, that’s just me and it’s a personal
thing. There are other manicurists that
do it the other way. For me, it's just my
order of operations, it’s not the standard.
AM: What are the hues for Fall that we
should be looking into. For me, regardless
of the time of year, I tend to lean towards
colors that look like they are black
but they are another color. For me Ophelia
or the brand I am wearing that look similar
to it, although it’s not in that “shade
that looks like it could be black”, it’s such
a great foggy tone that I love the Brown/
Mauvaise of it all. I’m starting to want to
play with those deep chocolates as a bit of
a switch up.
MP: It’s crazy, because when I saw you, I
thought you were wearing Ophelia, which
is, what we did yesterday at the THEOPH-
ILIO show yesterday.
AM: I’m so bummed that I missed the backstage
and that show, but this season has
been hectic and the timing didn’t work.
But in looking at the images of the show
and the nails, I really loved it!
MP: Do you want me to tell you about
those looks because they were so fun!
AM: Yes please!
MP: Ok so first let me talk about the colors
of Fall. This is so fun. So for fall right
now, we're looking at, I keep calling them,
Reality Bites Reds. It's like yeah like what
Janeane Garofalo and what Winona Ry-
der would have worn then circa 1994.
AM: Yup!
MP: It’s all about those Reds and those
are gonna change for Spring. We're gonna
go right back to Cherry.
AM: Oh yeah.
MP: So get it out in Fall. I also really love,
like a chocolate brown, like I've always
been a chocolate brown, girl, the nail
polish that made me, the shade that
changed my life. was Chanel's Vamp.
AM: Same girl, same!
MP: My mom bought it for herself and
I took it from her with the matching
lipstick and that was it. I was done! My
life was made! I was way too young to
be wearing lipstick and it didn't matter.
I like, okay still to this day, that is the
shade.
Now one thing I love about Ophelia this
like dark brown is that, people always
wonder when they're doing nudes, what
nude will match my skin tone, right? That
can be a really tricky question to answer.
One way to answer that question is to
say, well, what color is my hair?
AM: Okay.
MP: You think of your skin as being your
neutral, but your hair is a color that's
existing in your beauty look. And when
you paint your nails, it draws the eye up
to your face.
AM: That's true.
MP: Aka, the money maker.
AM: Okay, I’m with you!
MP: So, I love doing nails that are nude
or neutral that match my hair color, so I
love chocolate brown. And I think that,
you know, like if you have jet black hair
or jet black nails, it’s a nude neutral that

you don’t think of. And it’s a lot easier to
match than your skin tone, I think.
AM: That’s really smart and I don’t think
that I have heard anyone say that before!
MP: Oh yeah, I was inspired. I put it on
Beanie Feldstein (Lady Bird, American
Crime Story: Monica Lewinsky, The Humans)
that way. Especially when Fall rolls
around, it's just the perfect time to get
into those chestnut browns, dark chocolate
browns, in your case, some deep
blue – which is gorgeous!
AM: I love deep blue!
MP: Yeah. You know! It's so fun and the
other way I like to eliminate the challenge
of how to find the perfect nude
for you, because I really do think that
that’s hard!
AM: 100%
MP: I never wear a nude because, yeah,
I'm just not natural. That's not who I am
- natural. That’s s not for me supernatural,
now, we're talking. So speaking
of supernatural - so yesterday for the
show for THEOPHILIO SS25. So we did
skin tone, we did Nyssa which is like uh
like a caramel and Ophelia which is like
a dark chocolate brown. Yeah, honestly
I thought you were wearing it. And then
over it, we put my favorite Zoya shade
Leia which is this sparkly opalescent
sheer that turns every shade into opal
gorgeous magic! Even if the skin tone
and the color you chose isn't perfect,
when you add a layer of rainbow over it,
you’re catching that opalescence, and it
tones it to your skin. Wow. So it's a good
cheat and it's also a good trend. Like
right now, definitely for Spring you're
going to be seeing like even nudes aren't
flat.
AM: Right.
MP: We're making them sparkle magic.
Like, we're chroming them.
AM: Much like your phone case - love!
MP: Oh, thanks Amazon. Full stop. [Miss
Pop is showing behind the scenes images
from the show to showcase the nails
looks that took place here and here] So
here are some shots from yesterday
AM: Yes! That's the color because I said
what color is that. It definitely felt like a
whimsical edge and it looked beautiful
on all of the models!
MP: I know right? So this is what we
put, black, um, Willa which is our black.
Then over it, we put Apple, which is like
a green glitter. This is Carrie, which is a
yellow gold, and then this deep purple,
which you obviously would love. Um,
this is Mimi, and we just use the bottle
brush and brush it over the black. So
it gave it this like Glam Dimension and
then it looked very much like chrome.
So like you don't have to go to the salon
and get gel, you can with your natural
nails, at home, just paint on Zoya in the
bottle.
AM: Wow
MP: Look at that. I recommend putting
black down first because I think
it makes it chromier. It gives you more
of that effect. It gives it a dimension. It
gives it depth. Like anytime you want to
get your glitter dimension like put black
down first or dark. It's like it's like the
way high contrast works with black and
white. Yeah, you're doing that with the
glitter.
AM: Wow.
MP: Light and Dark. Black is the absence
of light. White is all the colors swirling
together and glitter is light catching. So,
it's like kind of the same theory.
Now this Is the caramel color I was telling
you about and it's an opalescent
glitter over it and when you put it on a
hand, oh my God. I can't even tell!

AM: I was looking at the pictures and I was
stunned!
MP: I’m trying to find you a picture of a
woman who had it on her. No, I only had
the oh no, it's right here. Like look at that
nude. Like that's it. And It is. It's a nude,
but it has that Chrome finish. It's like your
sunglasses.
AM: I love the effect of these Carrera’s
they’re my favorites to wear.
MP: Like I had a minute. So the stylist for
that show is Christine Nicholson. And she
is brilliant and she's a nail queen like, oh,
okay, I've done her nails. Like I've known
her for years. I did her nails years ago. She
has great nail taste, and she knew exactly
what she wanted.
AM: Boom.
MP: So this is the gold glitter and then we
actually put it on the men too.
AM: Because I saw that and I said, oh my
God, this is amazing. And I'm like, oh!
MP: As you can see, this is Ophelia do you
see it and now you know I’m not full of
ish? See this color on this guy Thursday.
He was delightful. I love his name also.
AM: Her mani looks great.
MP: And the men were so excited to get
their nails done. So, I did him and Noah,
oh, Moe, I'm sorry. This is Moe. Moe made
my Fashion Week.
AM: But even with the leopard print, it
looks so good with that.
MP: I was like, is that going to be too much?
And then I told myself, no that thought is
too much! Do what you want!
AM: It really came together beautifully.
MP: This is Nema and he had the deep
purple glitter so it’s subtle. It only catches
the light, to me this was more of like a cat
eye than a chrome. They were so excited
to get their nails done and they were so
kind about it. So I told him, you're making
my Fashion Week because he was so
happy. He was like, “I never get nails.”
This is so fun. I love it. Like, look at his
hair.
AM: He looks happy.
MP: And then you see the nail. The black
is laid down first and then the green
is right out of the bottle. This color is
called Apple.
Oh that Jawaraw.
AM: I saw him last year at Prabal Gurung’s
show.
MP: Yes, the last time we had worked
together was actually 2020 February in
Milan.
AM: Oh wow.
MP: We did Pucci together. The town
shut down and so we were joking about
that backstage. I was like, man, glad everyone
made it out of Milan.
So doing the men was super fun that I
mean that's certainly you know a personality
statement for men now too.
What else can I tell you with the chrome?
I mean I think everything's just going
super iridescent rainbow glitter magic,
that's what I like to call it, but some people
also call it Chrome.
AM: I like glitter magic better.
MP: Unicorns, sprinkles, prancing, rainbows
across your nails. That's how I
would sell it, but other people just call
it chrome and save themselves some
words!
@bruceglen
@misspopnails
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 121 - 133
Paul Farkas | PG 144 - 139 Lam Lai |

ATHLEISURE LIST: Kittery, Maine
HARBOR BURGER SHACK
We hear that there's so much to look
forward to this Fall in Kittery, Maine.
You can take in the Taste of Kittery,
filled with the town’s culinary delights.
For beer enthusiasts, the nearby NH
Brewfest provides a fantastic opportunity
to savor fresh brews while enjoying
the crisp fall air. You can also enjoy
apple picking, corn mazes, and the
Fall foilage!
Harbor Burger Shack opened June 15th,
2024 and has become a hotspot for locals
and tourists. The owners wanted
to create a family-friendly space that is
both affordably priced for those in the
area. Their focus remains on serving
our guests the highest quality fresh ingredients.
They reimagine the classic 1950s road-
side diner in a spacious 4,500-squarefoot
setting that features a 90-seat
restaurant and a charming country
store. The nostalgic atmosphere is enhanced
by vintage advertising posters,
original neon signs, and classic Americana
decor.
A striking 1932 firetruck marks the entrance,
setting the tone for the retro
aesthetic. Inside, you'll find teal blue
walls, red and white tiles, and mustard
yellow hanging lights that create
a warm and inviting ambiance. The
space featurs high ceilings, upcycled
exposed wood beams, and a large
fireplace with their mascot proudly
displayed above the mantel.
They recommend that we should try
the Classic Harbor Burger, topped with
AthleisureMag.com - 146 - Issue #105 | Sep 2024

American cheese, lettuce, tomato,
pickle, and the house signature, Wicked
Harbor Sauce; Aye Aye Smokehouse
Bacon Burger, loaded with crispy bacon,
American cheese, lettuce, tomato,
pickle, and finished with Moxie BBQ
sauce; and the New Beef n Reef Lobster
Burger which features a house-made
lobster cake—a New England twist on
the classic Maryland crab cake—crafted
from fresh-shucked Maine lobster.
It's paired with a juicy 6 oz Angus beef
patty, topped with crisp lettuce, tomato,
onion, and house-made Wicked
Harbor Sauce. All the sauces are made
in-house, and meat blends are sourced
from a local butcher; brioche buns
breads are also sourced locally.
An alternative to their burgers include
their Crispy Chicken Sandwich, the
Cheesy Chili Dog, and the Fried Fish
Burger.
While they have a variety of classic
and creative shakes, including timeless
favorites like Vanilla, Chocolate,
and Strawberry, they also offer a more
playful Shake section including: Shack
the Cereal, Chocolate Whoopie Pie, and
Strawberry Shortcake.
HARBOR BURGER SHACK
355 US-1
Kittery, ME 03904
Their Fries & Sides are the perfect accompaniment
and consist of Classic
Crinkle-Cut Fries, Loaded Fries with bacon
bits, cheese sauce, and ranch drizzle,
Fried Pickle Chips, Sweet Potato
Tots, and Chili Cheese Fries with chili,
cheese sauce, and bacon bits.
Issue #105 | Sep 2024
harborburgershack.com
@harborburgershack
PHOTO CREDITS | Harbor Burger
Shack
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ATHLEISURE LIST: NYC, Santa Barbara, Hollywood + Belmont Shore
L'ANTICA PIZZERIA DA MICHELE
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele traces its
roots back to 1870 in Naples, Italy, and
remains a symbol of authentic Neapolitan
pizza to this day. The family-run
pizzeria is dedicated to perfecting
their craft, and continuing the legacy
of the founding family. It is referred to
as the Sacred Temple of Pizza and is a
pilgrimage site for pizza enthusiasts.
Their US restaurants are designed and
conceptualized to create a welcoming,
home-like ambiance, where guests can
savor wine and pizza at their leisure.
Owner/Restaurateur Francesco Zimone
was born and raised in Naples, Italy
and grew up dining at the 154-yearold
pizzeria with his father. He moved
to the US in 2002 and was a Financial
Analyst for Lionsgate Films and then
joined Universal Pictures to work with
film producer Dino De Laurentiis (Giada
De Laurentiis' father). He would lat-
ter become the West Coast Italian
food ambassador for Academia Barilla
which fueled his dream of owning his
own restaurants. He opened the first
U.S. outpost of L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele
in Hollywood in 2019.
When dining with friends and family,
three must-try appetizers are the Gnocco
Fritto, which has deep-fried pizza
dough, creamy burrata, prosciutto,
and arugula; the Meatballs, have
Aspen Ridge beef, rich tomato sauce,
freshly grated Parmigiano and served
with crostino; and the Calamari with
sliced zucchini, shrimp, and fennel, all
perfectly paired with a zesty homemade
arrabbiata sauce.
Salads that we have our eye on include
their L’antica Caesar with Romaine, Radicchio,
Capers, Parmigiano, Breadcrumb,
Caesar-Anchovy Dressing; the
Caprese Salad with Heirloom Tomato,
AthleisureMag.com - 148 - Issue #105 | Sep 2024

Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil, Extra Virgin
Olive Oil, Salt, Black Pepper; and the
Carciofi Salad with Castelvetrano Radicchio,
Artichokes, Pistachio, Pecorino
Romano, Lemon Dressing.
When it comes to pizza, we recommend
the classic Margherita with Tomato,
Fior di Latte, Pecorino and Basil;
the Diavola with Tomato, Fior di Latte,
Pecorino, Basil and Spicy Salame—a
fan favorite; and L'antica standout, the
Truffle Pizza with Double Fior di Latte,
Pecorino, Basil and Shaved Truffle.
We suggest adding Truffle Fries topped
with Parmigiano and Shaved Black
Truffle! Pair it with the classic Italian
cocktail with a twist: the Alpine Spritz
made with Alpe Amaro, Giffard Pamplemousse,
Prosecco, Grapefruit, finished
with sparkling water. Enjoy their
Tiramisu—coffee soaked sponge, mar-
Issue #105 | Sep 2024
sala cream and cocoa.
For brunch enjoy Italian classics such
as their iconic Italian Omelette, Ricotta
Bruschetta, Pizza Carbonara, and the
Frittata Dell’orto. Pair with a refreshing
La Primavera with Stray Dog gin,
aperol, lime, foam, chartreuse mist.
L'ANTICA PIZZERIA DA MICHELE
81 Greenwich Ave
NY, NY 10014
Check out additional locations
at damicheleusa.com
@damichelenyc
PHOTO CREDIT | L'anitca Pizzeria
Da Michele
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AthleisureMag.com - 152 - Issue #105 | Sep 2024

Stay connected and follow us across our
social channels on @AthleisureMag!
Issue #105 | Sep 2024
- 153 - AthleisureMag.com

Bingely Books
BOWLARAMA THE ARCHITEC-
TURE OF MID-CENTURY
BOWLING
Angel City Press
Chris Nichols with Adriene Biondo
In the post-war nation of World War II,
bowling swept the US! For some, it's a
hobby and for others it's a sport - but for
many it was part of an ultimate modern
lifestyle that many could participate in!
This and more is explored in Bowlarama:
The Architecture of Mid-Century Bowling
where you can enjoy the art, architecture,
and style that comes from these spaces.
Bowling alleys were seen as modern palaces
and firms were constantly interested
in outdoing one another to have the
most luxurious lanes, stunning bowling
balls, and refreshment areas that were
fantastic. In this book, you'l see
vintage imagery from another
era, hand-drawn architecturalrenderings
and more that give
you insight into what this meant
for the nation!
DISCO: MUSIC, MOVIES,
AND MANIA UNDER THE
MIRROR BALL
Rizzoli
Frank Decaro
We love the disco era from the
music, clothes, clubs, celebs, and
more. It was a confluence of a
number of amazing elements
brought together in the '70s and
in many respects, we can still
see its impact on fashion, music,
pop culture, and more. In Disco:
Music, Movies, and Mania Under
the Mirror Ball, this coffee table
book tells you everything that
you want to know and is available
via pre-order right now.
This era was known for drug-fueled,
DJ-driven, glam that came
forward in a NYC loft party! It's
also important to remember
that Black and Latin queer culture
which emerged in their
clubs also infused this era and
there are a number of historical
struggles that the LGBTQ+
community were involved in at
this time as well. This movement
became a mainstream phenomenon
which changed the overall
culture in general.
AthleisureMag.com - 170 - Issue #105 | Sep 2024

Regardless of where you live and how
fall looks in your locale, you will be able
to see and enjoy the rich tapestry of
colors, textures, and moods that only
fall can offer.
Through vivid imagery, interviews and
more, this book explores how this era
has impacted the last 50 years and how
it has been seen in film, TV, fashion, and
interior design.
AUTUMN SPLENDOUR:
A VISUAL SYMPHONY OF FALL
Independently Published
Felicity Publishing
We love this time of year, we say goodbye
to the Summer and we embrace everything
there is to love about the Fall!
In Autumn Splendour: A Visual Symphony
of Fall, this coffee table book brings
this season to life through stunning
photography of landscapes that define
this time of year!
Issue #105 | Sep 2024
- 171 - AthleisureMag.com

Bingely Streaming
THE PENGUIN
HBO Original
HBO + MAX
We always love watching a good DC Comics
and this limited series of The Pengiun definitely
had us enthralled from the ffirst episode
as we get to see Oswald "Oz" Cobb
(Colin Farrell) who is navigating his current
role and takes the next steps into
his destiny to control Gotham
City. We see the city in a bit of a
state with seawall's collapse that
Joker implemented. With a power
vacuum that took place when
Carmine Falcone died he must figure
out to deal with his children-
Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) AND
Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen)
as well as dealing with the Maroni
family who is helmed by Salvatore
Maroni (Clancy Brown) who is in
prison!
We also watch as he puts his empire
together and we get to know
more about his origin story! We're
excited to enjoy the remainder of
the season and we also enjoyed
the companion podcast, The Penguin
Official Podcast which drops
new episodes every week immediately
following the release of
the TV series.
THE CIRCLE
Netflix Original
Netflix
Alert! S7 of The Circle, a social media
competition is out now - send
message! We have loved every
episodes where we meet an array
of contestants who come to the
game without seeing one another
and that only have the ability
to communicate via Circle Chats.
Whether they play as themselves,
are catfish or are a hybrid of the
two, they must interact with one
another, build alliances, figure out
how to navigate the game, rate
one another, and eventually make
it to he final round where one
winner will be awarded $100,000
AthleisureMag.com - 172 - Issue #105 | Sep 2024

for their efforts! As is the case each
season, we see our favorites, we enjoy
seeing who connects with who,
and it's always fun when they come
together for their reunion to see the
players put a face to the name of
the people that they have interacted
with.
THE PRESTIGE TV
PODCAST
The Ringer
Spotify
We watch a number of shows and
we love when it's prestige - these are
shows of high quality that are known
for their high production value as
well as complex plots. Shows such
as The Bear, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos,
and more would be examples.
What we love about The Prestige TV
Podcast by the team at The Ringer is
that they have a number of episodes
where they break down some of the
hottest shows to talk about what is
taking place in the show, fan theo-
Issue #105 | Sep 2024
ries, interviews that include actors or creative
teams that are involved and more! It's
a great way to ensure that you're on track
with what is going on in the series. It's always
great to see if the show you're watching
is being covered by their ever growing
team.
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Issue #105 | Sep 2024
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