AM SEP ISSUE #117

ISSUE #117

PHOTO CREDIT | PAUL FARKAS

@AthleisureMag

PUBLISHER

Paul Farkas

EDITORIAL

Kimmie Smith

Co-Founder, Creative + Style Director

Paul Farkas

Co-Founder, Artistic Director, Tech Director + Men’s Lifestyle Director

PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTIONS

PHOTOGRAPHERS | Paul Farkas | Angel Flores |

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ello | JWJ Enterprises | Adam Rouse | Nino Scholl | Matt Swinsky |

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EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

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HOST

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MIXING

Athleisure Studio Team

ATHLEISURE STUDIO

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table of contents

issue #117

sep 2025

191

STYLE FEATURES

THE PICK ME UP

196

176

IN OUR BAG

203 ROCK THIS WHEN

HEADING TO YOUR

NEIGHBORHOOD BODEGA

BEAUTY FEATURES

PUMPKIN BEAUTY

Still Snowin’

Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins

This month, our cover star is 4X Gramy nominated artist, NYT Best Selling Author,

Entrepreneur, and Philanthropist Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins! We talk about 20 years in the

industry, his orchestral tour, Vegas Residency and his latest album, Still Snowin’.

16

207

ATHLEISURE BEAUTY

Pain Recovery for Athletes & Fans

42

We enjoy watching our favorite matches, tournaments and more. When it comes to

being able to enjoy these games, we need to take care of ourselves. We chat with the

team at TYLENOL to find out how they are making sure we are comfortable and their

partnership with the NWSL and Gotham FC here in NY.

192

LIFESTYLE FEATURES

ATHLEISURE LIST

AESCAPE

Dagne Dover

55

We sat down with Co-Founder/Chief Creative

Officer, Jessy Dover to talk all things

Dagne Dover.

Gummies + Zzz

78

We talk with Pickleballer and winner of

Survivor: Blood vs Water, Tyson Apostol

to talk about the sport, gummies, etc.

194

ATHLEISURE LIST

BIOGRAPH

Back to the Cul-de-Sac

STARZ’s The Couple Next Door

106

We return to the cul-de-sac in STARZ’s The Couple Next Door with a new cast of

chaacters in this thriller series. We sat down with the cast of the show to talk about

the new stories that will leave us shocked and surprised!

NYFW SS26

Edit

120

This season NYFW took us to an array

of runway shows and presentations for

SS26. We’re sharing our favorite shows

and looks this month.

®

9PLAYLIST

146

With Love, Meghan

This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from

Meghan Markle herself who shares with

us what she listened to for Netflix’s With

Love, Megan!

Food Network

NYCWFF 2025

160

Next month, we’ll be covering the Food

Network NYC Wine Food Festival taking

place a The Seaport, here’s what you can

look forward to.

Art of the Snack

Leonetta

148

This month’s The Art of the Snack takes

us to NYC’s east side to enjoy a phenomenal

Mediterranean meal by Chef Ed

Cotton.

As we settle into the Fall, we know that the

weeks ahead will be productive and busy!

We’re navigating a number of projects

while looking ahead to 2026! This month’s

cover is definitely on that same wavelength!

Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins is a 4X Grammy

nominated artist, New York Times Best

Selling Author, Entrepreneur, and Philanthropist

who is known for a number of

songs that have been on rotation on our

playlists and more.

We wanted to know more about how

he got into the industry, his passion for

music, and his creative process. We also

wanted to delve into his national TM: 101

Live Orchestra Tour which has been sold

out. Due to the success of this tour, he announced

his residency in Las Vegas at PH

Live at Planet Hollywood with The Masquerade

(Oct 31st + Nov 1st) and The Nutcracker

(Dec 19th + 21st). On Sept 28th, he

dropped his latest album, Still Snowin’!

We had to find out this and more from the

man himself!

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s a pleasure to speak

with you as I have been a fan, and I have

enjoyed your body of work musically, as

well as being an entrepreneur, so we’re

thrilled to have you as the cover of Athleisure

Mag this month!

JEEZY: I love that! Thank you so much!

This is amazing!

AM: So, you’ve said that for you, music

was a vehicle for business. When did you

fall in love with rap, and when did you realize

you wanted to be an entertainer?

J: I fell in love with music at a very young

age. I think my mother bought me like

a Fat Boy’s tape, EPMD tape, and that’s

kind of when I was just like, “okay, this

is something I love, and when we moved

from abroad and came back to the States

right before my parents separated, we

moved into this small apartment complex.

The lady, her name was Dimitri. She

lived next door, she was, you know about

my father’s age and she played Supersonic.

Like, all day, every day, I mean, like J.J.

Fad, Supersonic, and it was like, I

heard this song literally from when

the sun went up to when the sun went

down. Because she would play it, and

I would just put my ear to the the wall

and just listen to it. I just couldn’t believe,

like what I was hearing, because

I was feeling it. As I started coming of

age and you know, I found the people

that I liked, I ended up discovering

Tupac and I just felt like he was for

me. Like, I just couldn’t believe somebody

else had the same views I did,

and that’s why I really like fell in love

with it. And I was, like, okay, you can

learn from this. I can enjoy it. This is it.

That was the moment.

As far as the artistry, I think I was

forced more into being an artist more

than I chose to be. I learned from

music like music has always been my

teacher. One of the real reasons why,

I still, you know, listen to podcasts

is that I’m learning something. I feel

like I always learn from the people I

listen to. But the first entrepreneurs

that I ever saw were the local hustlers

or when Cash Money or No Limit,

when they were taking off. I was,

like, okay, I could do that, but I want

to be a CEO, so I basically, was grinding

up money to be a CEO of a label,

so I would put my money into the

artists, and it didn’t work, you know.

And over time, I kind of left with no

money, a studio, and really a dream.

And one of my guys said, “man, you

might as well, just try it yourself, because,

you’re the most dedicated and

devoted to it, but also, it’s your life.”

AM: Wow!

J: I thought about it and I was like,

you know what, you’re right. And I

just started to, you know, get in the

booth and it took me 10 years. But I

stuck with it and the next thing, you

know, I was dropping, Tha Streets Iz

Watchin, Trap or Die, and then Thug

Motivation. It’s been on ever since

then.

AM: I mean, where do you get your inspiration

from when it comes to creating

new music and what is your creative process

like?

J: Hmm, creating new music for me, so I

never looked at it as music. It’s almost like

a journal. You have to live to journal. Like,

if you’re not living, you don’t got nothing

to journal about. You’ve gotta go through

some good times, some bad times, some

setbacks, some adversity.

AM: Yup.

J: For me, my process is living. You know,

I go out. I have all these new experiences.

I learn all these new things. You know, I’ll

take a couple of chances, take some risks

and with that, I’m able to basically journal

about what I’m going through right or

what just happened. I navigate through it,

and that’s how I go into albums. They’re

more like journals.

It’s like, what happened? How did you deal

with it? How you feel? What are you gonna

do better? What are you inspired to do?

What’s in line with your purpose? That’s

how I write the music. Now, as far as like

the temperament of it, and the sound just

depends on where I’m at. If I’m in a place

where I’m in a great space, like, right now

and this project that I’m about to release

now, the music’s going to feel that way,

you know, like, Still Snowin’ it feels like

I’m in a good place, but, my last project I

Might Forgive ... But I Don’t Forget, I was in

a bad place, so the music was darker. The

sound was darker, the production was

deeper. The tempo was slower. So it just

depends on how you feel. So, my process

is where I live. It’s about enjoying your life

no matter what state you’re in and when

you take a break from the world and you

start to journal, let that come out in the

music. The rest is pretty much art.

AM: Right?

J: It’s almost like, if you’re trying to keep

up with the trends or trying to stay on the

radio and stuff like that - it might be a little

more tricky because you’re not yelling

it from a real place.

AM: I love the idea of you saying,

you’re coming from a place of when

you’re living, and so it is very interesting.

When you’re hearing your music,

but it’s always so super authentic,

which I really appreciate.

J: Mmm yeah I receive that – thank

you. I think the key to this game - any

game really is to stay true to yourself.

Staying true to how you really

feel, stay present and stay in your

flow. Don’t really get caught up in the

noise because as artists, you have a

million people to tell you how to do it,

but they have never done it. And then

you have people telling you what you

should do and it’s almost like a recipe

you get from your grandmother. She

taught you how to do it and you understand

it and nobody else can come

and tell you how to remix this recipe

if it has been a family secret. Culture

is like our family secret. Nobody can

come in and tell me how to remix

culture. I’ve had people try and you

know, I made some unpopular decisions

to stay in my flow. Of course, I

went through some turmoil, but it all

came back around because I stayed

solid, and I kept the Integrity of who

I am, what I’m doing, and what I’m

saying. So, I don’t want to be the guy

at the park you know, out with my

daughters and somebody’s like, “oh,

that’s got to make that whack something!”

AM: Right!

You’ve been in the industry for 20

years, which is not only incredible, but

it’s a cultural milestone. You’ve been

on this live orchestra tour focusing on

your debut album and performing in

like some insane venues at the Apollo

Theater here in New York. How did

you come together and decide that

you wanted to incorporate a 26 piece

orchestra and and really pushing the

boundaries of what blending hip-hop and

classical music is together?

J: Well, the thing is, growing up, you know,

we watched all the mafia movies. So, John

Gotti stuff and all that, and we just associated

that with the good life, right?

AM: Yeah.

J: You get to that point in life you just us

see it through a different lens because

you made it to this point, which is why we

were always fascinated with the narcos

and all of that.

As far as our culture, we just want to get

it to a place where - you know, it was

once a dream, a hope, and a prayer that

you made it past 21 because of the circumstances

you were in. As you make it past

21, you start to think, like, “damn, what

am I going to do now?” And as I have matured

into this, to meet the next level is

this or that, and the next level for me is 20

years later. Staying in my truth was something

that I always dreamed of doing with

an orchestra. I was able to do that in Atlanta

at the High Museum. It was the first

time at 45 years old that I had even seen

an orchestra! So, you know, on top of

being, nervous, because I’m like, “okay,

how does this work for me?” I wondered

whether people would accept it. By the

third song, I was, like, “oh my God, I gotta

take this around the world because this

is aligned with my purpose, It’s inspiring

and uplifting my culture.”

There are people that I see in this crowd

that have suits on that I’ve never seen in

suits, Right?

AM: Right!

J: There’s people here celebrating life and

just happy to be here because they feel

as good as they look – and that’s a feeling

right? I said to myself, for my 20-year anniversary,

I’m going to take this around the

world because there’s somebody in Kansas

City that’s never been to an orchestra

before, there’s someone in DC that hasn’t,

there’s somebody in Miami, there’s

somebody in Detroit and they deserve

that! The best thing I could do

is bring this experience to them and

present it in a way that’s cool. It was

a date night to see all these married

couples are out having a great time

together because they grew up on

the music. But now they get to celebrate

together.

It’s the first of its kind and to do it as

a tour and to do it independently as

well!

AM: That’s quite an undertaking to do

for you to personally back it yourself.

The logistics that are around that,

like, how has that been to put all that

together?

J: I gotta say, I have an amazing team,

you know? We tight, but we’re strong.

Everybody believed in the vision, and

we hit the ground - boots on the

ground, and we hit the ground running.

The experience of some of the

orchestra members and their dedication.

You know, the people that were

breaking down the equipment, and

like everybody was just in on this, like

everybody gave it, they’re all it’s one

of the most amazing experiences I’ve

ever been a part of, especially in the

touring world.

I heard a lot of whispers out there,

like, “Jeezy, don’t come to the West

Coast.” I was, like, “no, we love the

West Coast.” So, just for that, we just

got a residency in Las Vegas. We’re

bringing a 101 piece orchestra - first

time to ever do it and we’re doing it

at Planet Hollywood. We’re doing The

Masquerade on October 31st, and

November 1st, and then we’re coming

back with The Nutcracker on December

19th and December 21st with

that 101 piece orchestra members,

Adam Blackstone, Derrick Hodge, DJ

Drama, DJ Ace, and we bringing the

whole show to the West Coast, and

we want to make it a destination, so

it’s more of an experience. Now, mind

you, everybody else in the world is more

than welcome to come. But I wanted to

set up in the West Coast, just for the West

Coast.

AM: It sounds amazing. We have previously

interviewed Adam Blackstone a couple

years ago. I find his artistry to be top notch

and he is everywhere! Derrick Hodge, DJ

Drama, DJ Ace - all of you coming together,

creating this. How has that been?

J: It’s been amazing. I mean, I tell them

all the time. Man, you know, I’m rocking

with the best.

AM: Yup!

J: Adam Blackstone, brilliant. He’s brilliant,

Derrick Hodge is phenomenal. Like,

I’ve never seen someone that understands

the way he understands how to

mobilize the orchestra. Color of Noize

Orchestra, has been phenomenal. Everything

they’ve done doing, this tour has

been nothing less than great. DJ Drama

is the legend! The records that we have

created and the synergy we have to see

him open up the show - it’s almost like I’m

getting hyped in my dressing room. Me

and DJ Ace, we’ve been together almost

12 years now and we’re like Batman and

Robin – you can’t have one without the

other! We still give people that so you’re

really getting 3 shows!

To me, it’s just like seeing everybody go

down memory lane and really, just celebrating!

By the way, it is not just a celebration

of 20 years of Thug Motivation!

20 years ago, they were not in tuxedos

listening to this music. That means you’ve

done well for yourself to even be here.

I’m just the guest of honor, and I’m coming

to help you party! What I love is, in

the beginning, a lot of people didn’t understand

what an orchestra was because

they hadn’t been to one before. So they

were thinking more like they were going

to come and my music would be playing.

They didn’t think that I would be there.

Once they realized that no, this is still a

party, and when you get here and

you stand on your feet, you never sit

down - it’s been a party ever since!

AM: Wow!

What do you think your takeaway is

going to be once the orchestra tour

is completed, and obviously, this residency

is an immersive environment.

What are your takeaways going to be

from doing these kinds of shows?

J: So always bet on yourself. To always

stick with your vision no matter

how many times people will tell you

that it won’t work and what people

won’t do and just hold your nose and

jump in.

AM: Alright now!

J: That’s it! You have to take chances.

You’ve gotta do things that are great.

You gotta push the envelope and I just

feel like, when you’re independent,

you can do all those things. You don’t

have to go back and forth with someone

and try to get them to see what

you see – you just take a chance. I hope

and I pray that the generation behind

being a generation behind them actually

get a chance to see that you can

evolve in this. You can give yourself

permission to evolve. You don’t have

to stay in this box that they put you

in because that’s the way you came

out in the beginning. You don’t have

to stay that person you’re allowed to

grow in this, you know?

We didn’t get to see Tupac get to his

full potential. We didn’t see some

of these greats get to their full potential.

We didn’t see that from Bob

Marley, you know - you get the right

to grow in this. You get the right to

evolve in this. Just be unapologetic of

yourself and lean in and just be present

meaning - I know where I’m at in

my career, I know it’s been 20 years,

but I feel younger than I’ve ever felt.

AM: Yeah.

J: I feel more creative than I have ever

felt. I have more wisdom, more knowledge

than that, I have more resources as

well as relationships. And it’s just like, the

thing that I don’t like when it comes to

our culture and our music is that they feel

like they can put a timeline on you.

AM: Facts.

J: You don’t get that with country music

or rock music. Matter of fact, the older

you get in rock, the greater you are. You

know what I’m saying? Why can’t you be

like that for us?

AM: As you know, sometimes we’re harder

on ourselves?

J: Right!

AM: You’re absolutely right! I see Joe Perry

of Aerosmith, Metallica, The Rolling

Stones and it’s like oh my God, iconic –

they’re still doing it and killing it, but we

have that, too, and that should be respected

within the culture.

J: And by the way, Richard Pryor when

he was young he was probably cold but,

Richard Pryor when he got older ha ha –

he was a whole different beast, a whole

different monster! He was a whole different

animal!

AM: Facts!

J: That’s what I’m saying! For me, we’ve

got to grow up as a culture! We have to

grow up as a people. We have to grow up

as men. We can’t shy away from that. I’m

listening to classical music in the morning,

I’m not negating that. No more Patron for

me, but I’ll take some red wine! That’s my

life!

AM: There you go!

J: You know what I’m saying, ain’t nothing

wrong with that!

AM: As someone as busy as you are

and you’re on the road touring, how

do you stay in shape to optimize yourself?

Here at Athleisure Mag, we’re

always talking about fitness and/

or wellness routines. So, what are 3

things that you do, because you’re always

on the go?

J: Yeah, I mean, the good thing is, I’ve

been busy pretty much 90% of my life,

so I have been dialed in. I would say

first, you know, you got to start off,

you know, with your mental health.

For me, that’s waking up meditating,

praying about how grateful I am even

when things aren’t going well. Taking

the time to journal in the morning and

step outside to get some fresh air. I’m

definitely gonna go to the gym, and

sometimes you know you might not

have as much time as you would like,

but you still got to do something.

AM: Exactly.

J: That’s my thing, just do something

every day. And also, you know, of

course, your vitamins, your nutrients,

and stuff like that. I think eating right

is a big part of that, but also like to

be honest with you, the biggest thing

I’ve learned through all this is like,

don’t let none of this stuff stress you.

AM: That part!

J: If it’s not in your control, there’s

nothing that you can do, it’s in God’s

hand. He can handle everything.

AM: Exactly!

J: There is nothing for you to worry

about.

AM: There’s many a time that I’m like,

that’s on you, Lord – I know you got

that and this.

J: Then just make decisions! Try your

best to make decisions, you know, as

quick as you can, so you don’t dwell

on them. If you can’t make you that decision,

just make sure you got some people

that you trust that you can run things by

just to get some insight.

I would say, you know, eating right, working

out, taking care of your mind, taking

care of you, and just knowing when it’s

enough because you gotta have a work/

life balance. I think that’s how you stay

young. If you’re just working, and you’re

not playing or doing things that charge

you or fuel you, then you’ll be depleted.

AM: Absolutely.

J: Start with God first, then start with your

mind, and then start with your physical

health and just take care of yourself. Just

treat yourself how you would treat your

best friend!

AM: Pretty much!

You celebrated your birthday by dropping

another project Still Snowin’ on your

birthday, September 28th with DJ Drama.

The live IG with you. hosted by DJ D-Nice

was great, The office went nuts!

J: Yes!

AM: Tell me more about this, and why did

you want to do this? I mean, you’re putting

on a whole orchestra, and you’ve got

this going on.

J: I know right? I couldn’t resist it! We were

in Miami and I was getting ready for the

tour, and I was just like, “you know, come

out and put a studio in this bedroom!”

AM: Ha!

J: I know when it’s time. It was time for

me and I felt with the orchestra and all

of these things inspiring me this time,

you know and getting back into my art

bag as far as art collecting and stuff like

that, which was one of the reasons why I

tapped, Dr. Fahamu Pecou to do the cover

art and actually paint the painting for

the project.

For me, it’s just like, when you feel it,

you gotta go. Because when you’re

forcing it, it’s when you shouldn’t be

doing it. If you’re doing it for money,

you definitely shouldn’t be doing it.

But if you’re doing it for the love of

it, the passion of it, and it happens

to come with some kind of monetary

gain – absolutely! I’m doing this for

the people that have always had love

for me. I feel like they deserve it. In

the words of the great Andre 3000,

“if you want to hear something, make

it yourself. He told me that one time,

if you like something and you want

to hear it, make it yourself.” That’s

what I did, and this project is definitely

where I’m at and I feel like, culturally,

we need this, the fame needs, the

people need this. It’s got to be a higher

vibration. This is that. I want people

to feel good, you know? I want

people to feel good while they out

here grinding, anybody out here, you

know, solving the puzzle of life. I just

wanted them to have some theme

music!

AM: Well, one of the things I appreciate

about you, is that you’re always

involved in various projects, and I recently

saw that you were in Trap City.

What did you enjoy about being in

this film and can we expect to see you

more in TV /film as an actor?

J: This film to me was really cool because

I had a lot of creative control. I

was able to play a preacher that has

street ties. I had to preach a sermon,

so imagine that!

AM: Right!

J: It was actually fun, though it was

one of those things where there was

some down time. I was like, let’s try

this again. Being in front of a camera,

shooting music videos and doing

this for most of your career, you

just get really comfortable in front of

the camera. It’s always those things

you do when you have time, and you

want to push yourself.

To me, it’s like, that’s another challenge

- remembering lines, and showing up on

time. Capturing those emotions because

they told me that I had to cry and I said, I

don’t know about that, but we’ll figure it

out.

AM: As someone who is an entrepreneur

with an ever growing portfolio, you most

recently collaborated with Eastside Golf

for their limited edition collab this past

August. What was that process like, and

what do you think the synergy is between

hip-hop and golf?

J: I think it’s the synergy between men

and golf and Black men in golf? I think that

we looked at the sport as if we had no say

in it. Shout out to Olajuwon Ajanaku who

just went pro and he is the CEO over there

at Eastside Golf. He’s one of the best players

that I’ve ever seen, but we joke all

the time about making golf cool. Golf is

a part of my mental health if I’m honest.

When you’re out there on that course and

you’re able to have that fellowship, deal

with people and be out there in that fresh

air and listening to great music - it’s really

how these meaningful conversations

take place that helps your mental health.

It brings up a level of peace you wouldn’t

believe, and I think that’s what it is, I think

us as Black men - we’re in a place right

now, where we love peace, and this adds

on to it. So I think that’s what people are

actually doing, and the love! Golf is like

like, you can never beat the course – you

just play it. Sometimes you play good and

sometimes you play bad. You’re not going

to beat the course. You’re not going to go

out there and get a hole in one every time

you play the ball. The lesson is, every shot

sets you up for the next shot. That’s how

you have to live life. Every thing sets you

up for the next thing.

AM: You also launched EDGE Energy Drink.

Love the packaging. Love the can. Why did

you want to add this to your diverse portfolio,

and what can you tell me about the

assortment of beverages?

J: Well, I’ve never been an energy

drink guy. But the first time I had a

taste of this, I was, like, oh my God,

this is amazing. No aftertaste, it’s

fresh. I had them bring down the sugar

content in it.

AM: Nice.

J: I love the packaging. I love what it

stood for, and I’ve had energy drinks

and some of them could be really

harsh. Some of them could make you

really jittery. This was nothing of the

sort. What I really love about EDGE

is the opportunity to promote it and

market it as a mixer as well.

You know, these signature drinks you

like these signature cocktails. Instead

of putting all this stuff in it with all this

sugar and all this caffeine, you can go

with something like EDGE and enjoy

the taste and still get the energy you

want. I like to do things that align

with my purpose and my lifestyle.

You know, I might have 1 a day, 2 a

day. I want to run it around so that it

gives me the energy to get my work

done. If I do, you know, ever, ever

have a cocktail or something, I’ll just

throw some EDGE in there instead of

putting all this other stuff in there.

It’s an amazing product. I’m actually

excited about it. We’re gonna have

a great year next year with Edge, for

sure!

AM: When you’re not on the road or

working on projects, how do you take

time for yourself?

J: I really like to take a lot of time to

work on myself spiritually, mentally,

healthwise and to say grounded. So

a lot of my free time, I’m really looking

to be the best version of myself

and really making sure that I am balancing

my life. I know that balance is

a word that doesn’t really exist, but

you know, at the same time, I think

that it is important to make sure that

you are pouring into yourself and that

you continue to grow so that when it is

time for you to share back into the world,

you’re more prepared.

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that

we should keep an eye out for?

J: I mean, as far as right now, my philanthropy

is the next thing on my table. My

annual Snowball will be on Oct 9th in Atlanta,

GA. It’s the gala for my non-profit

foundation, Street Dreamz Foundation.

This foundation is for at risk inner city

youths. It’s a big, big, big, big deal this year.

This year, the theme is Forever I Love Atlanta.

Ludacris Bridges will be hosting. So

it’s going to be amazing! I have some special

surprises for all of my Atlanta folks.

We’re going to raise a lot of money for a

great cause and for some great kids.

AM: What do you want your legacy to be

known as? You are a 4X Grammy Nominee,

you have sold over 10 million albums

worldwide, you’re a profound storyteller,

NYT Best Selling Author, you have an impressive

portfolio entrepreneurially - what

do you want people to feel or say about

you when they think about you and your

body of work?

J: You know, I want to be a great father

and to continue to be a great brother. As

far as my legacy, I want to be known as

somebody who took all of the risks that

he had to take to pour back into his community,

to pour back into his culture, to

pour back into his people, and also the

younger generation that it’s 1,000% ok to

evolve. It’s 1,000% ok to be in your truth.

It’s 1000% ok to who you are.

AM: It was so great to sit down and talk

with you as I know you have a busy few

weeks ahead! As a fan of your music, I’ve

enjoyed hearing about your vision, purpose,

your com mitment, and your focus

on community. I think that’s super important

and that you’re a reflection of what

people should look for when it comes to

someone who is resilient and just doing it.

J: I appreciate that and receive it!

@jeezy

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT/

BACK COVER Matt Swinsky | PG 16 -

33 + PG 36 -39 JWJ Enterprises | PG 34

Erika Goldring |

We caught Women’s Soccer Club Gotham

FC X Washington Spirit at Sports Illustrated

Stadium, NJ, to watch pre-game warmups

and take in the game in the TYLENOL

VIP Suite. It was a fun match to see, ending

in a tie-score after some good scoring

attempts and excellent defensive efforts.

We asked Jen Gow, US Head of Pain at

Kenvue, and Dr. Chang, NWSL Chief Medical

Officer, about TYLENOL’s multi-year

collaboration with Gotham FC; supporting

the team’s health, aid recovery and helping

keep elite athletes at the top of their

games.

We spoke about TYLENOL’s “Relief Zone,”

where NWSL fans can receive branded

recovery kit giveaways, misting fans, and

cool towels through the season. Also we

explored activations they will have to support

athletic trainers, celebrate recovery,

and spotlight resilience of NWSL players

and women’s sports.

ATHLEISURE MAG: TYLENOL has announced

a multi-year collaboration with

Women’s Soccer Club Gotham FC, how

will it support the team’s elite athlete’s

health, aid recovery and help keep them

at the top of their game?

JEN GOW: As the Official Pain Reliever of

the NWSL, TYLENOL® is so excited to support

players throughout the season by

equipping league trainers with the tools

they need to aid recovery and help keep

athletes in the game. We are stocking

each trainer’s bag with TYLENOL® products

for use with athletes on and off the

field, pending their pain relief needs.

AM: Tell us more about the slogan “#TylenolPartner

I can love the game without

the pain,” and how it promotes pain relief

goals for athletes and fans.

JG: We know a tackle can hurt, but also

know those stadium seats can cause

many aches. As a brand, we’re here for all

types of minor aches and pains so that everyone

can focus on cheering, supporting

and playing the game.

Athletes are constantly undergoing

stress on their body during training

and performance, often resulting in

minor aches and pains. TYLENOL® offers

a portfolio of products that can

meet each athletes’ individual pain

needs, so the result is a personalized

recovery routine to help them feel

their best on and off the field.

AM: From the TYLENOL PRECISE

Pain Relieving Patches and Nighttime

Cream, to TYLENOL 8HR Muscle Aches

and Pain Caplets, Extra Strength TY-

LENOL Rapid Release Gels, and more,

how does TYLENOL provide fast, effective

pain relief to athletes to ensure

they can stay active and competitive?

JG: The brand is continuously innovating

to meet consumer needs when it

comes to pain relief. Most recently,

we launched TYLENOL® PRECISE

Pain Relieving Patches. This innovation

has 12-hour flexible adhesion

technology to stick with you—and

they are transparent so you can place

them wherever pain hits!

AM: What is TYLENOL Proactive Support

for Muscles and Joints and how

does it help overall health and well-being?

How does this move into reactive

and proactive supplements help athletes,

fans and consumers with health

and pain management support?

JG: Proactive Support from the Makers

of TYLENOL® is a new drug-free

supplement powered by a blend of

turmeric and tamarind to deliver

improvement in joint flexibility and

comfort. We made this step into the

supplement space in partnership with

medical professionals to offer an effective

supplement for consumers to

take a proactive approach in improving

their joint comfort.

AM: The TYLENOL® FAN PAIN POINTS

Survey with Wakefield Research indicated

some very interesting results,

including the majority of sports fans

(52%) believe they are more active when

attending a live sporting event than on

a typical day; 43% of fans regularly pack

an OTC pain reliever when attending live

sporting events; and 70% say going to live

sporting events is physically taxing, with

nearly 7 in 10 (69%) stating they would

go to more games if the experience were

less demanding. What are some products,

tools and tips to help reduce painful activities

for fans attending and cheering on

teams in live events?

JG: It’s always a good idea to come prepared

to a game – who knows how many

stairs you may need to climb to get to your

seat or if you’ll be standing longer during

overtime cheering on your team. Keep

TYLENOL® PRECISE in your car for postgame

muscle aches or add a travel-sized

pack of TYLENOL® Extra Strength to your

gameday bag, so you can be prepared

should a minor ache or pain occur.

AM: What activations will TYLENOL have

at Sports Illustrated Stadium to support

athletic trainers, celebrate recovery, and

spotlight resilience of NWSL players? What

is TYLENOL’s “Relief Zone,” and how have

NWSL fans reacted to branded recovery

kit giveaways, misting fans, cool towels

through the season?

JG: Our multi-faceted collaboration with

Gotham FC features comprehensive onsite

activations, including equipping the

trainers with products they need to aid

player recovery and season-long representation

at Gotham FC’s pregame Fan

Fest. Our branded giveaways have been

a huge hit with fans, and the continued

growth of the NWSL alongside the amazing

fandom at Sports Illustrated Stadium

is incredible to see! I took my kiddos a few

weeks ago...my 5 year old loved the ball

pit and my 3 year old held the “Tylenol #1

Doc Recommended” foam finger the entire

game!

AM: Beginning in 2026, what will Gotham

FC match theme nights and community

programs presented by TYLENOL entail?

JG: We’re actively collaborating with

the Gotham FC team to determine

how we can continue to meaningfully

engage with the fans and support the

team in even more ways next season!

AM: How does TYLENOL elevate opportunities

in women’s sports and go

beyond the medicine cabinet?

JG: Through our sponsorships with

the NWSL and Gotham FC, alongside

our commitment to the Women’s

Sports Foundation with our Athlete

Recovery and Care Commitment

Grant, TYLENOL® is going beyond

our product to meet women athletes

with direct support and critical funding

so they can continue the game

they love.

AM: What are some products and

tips for executives and business travelers

to stay productive and at the top

of their work on long days, commutes

and big travel itineraries?

JG: It’s incredibly important to me to

get outside and be active after work.

I have recently embraced the Pickleball

trend and wow, it can cause

some pain! My wife and I both take

a Proactive Support from the Makers

of TYLENOL® supplement every day

and it truly has helped our joint comfort

after exercise.

AM: TYLENOL recognizes that pursuing

greatness hurts. What is The Care

Commitment by TYLENOL? How does

this fund and $1M pledge with the

Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF)

help injured athletes and their painful

physical and financial setbacks on the

road to recovery?

JG: This grant was established by TY-

LENOL® in partnership with the Women’s

Sports Foundation® (WSF®)

to provide a much-needed recovery

fund for injured women athletes who

are on their road to recovery post-injury.

To date, we’ve awarded grants

to 20 deserving athletes, providing financial

support as they rehab to get back into

the game and continue their pursuit of

greatness.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What does it mean for

TYLENOL to have a strategic collaboration

with Gotham FC, after being named Official

Pain Relief multi-year sponsor of the

National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)

earlier this year?

DR. CHANG: After being named the Official

Pain Reliver of the National Women’s

Soccer League this year, TYLENOL®

wanted to expand their support of the

league and engage more directly with a

local team and its fan base. This collaboration

also includes on-site activations at

Gotham FC’s pregame Fan Fest, where

the brand will provide TYLENOL® product

giveaways, merchandise and more to prepare

fans as they head into the game. The

fans have loved it!

AM: How is this collaboration meaningful

for supporting player health and women’s

sports?

DR. C: As a League, our top priority is protecting

the health and well-being of our

athletes. The growth of women’s professional

soccer has brought greater demands

on our Players’ bodies, making

recovery resources and medical support

more important than ever. Collaborations

like this one with Tylenol provide additional

support for our medical teams and athletes,

and we value partners who share

our commitment to Player care.

AM: How can equipping league trainers

with TYLENOL products and tools help aid

performance, recovery and keep athletes

in the game?

DR. C: Athletic trainers are on the front

lines of Player health, and having access

to reliable tools that support their recovery

including safe pain management helps

them do their jobs more effectively. While

no one product can replace the core fundamentals

of injury prevention, training,

and rehabilitation, we appreciate

having a resource like Tylenol available

as part of a broader toolkit for

Player care.

AM: How does the partnership with

TYLENOL help women athletes and

fans embrace the love of the game?

DR. C: Our fan base is the heart of our

league, and TYLENOL® recognizes

that they deserve care just as much

as the players do. By hosting product

giveaways for fans during pre-game

events and offering product discounts,

TYLENOL® is helping ensure

that our tremendous fans can be on

the sidelines to cheer on the team,

without any minor aches and pains

slowing them down.

AM: What are the types and how often

are there injuries in women’s soccer

matches? Are there specific injuries

that occur more frequently for female

soccer players?

DR. C: In women’s professional soccer,

we most often see lower extremity

injuries such as ankle sprains, muscle

strains, and knee joint injuries.

Female soccer players, in particular,

face a higher risk of anterior cruciate

ligament (ACL) tears compared with

their male counterparts, and that remains

an important area of ongoing

research and prevention eborts. We

also recognize that overuse injuries

such as stress fractures, tendinopathies,

and muscle strains can occur

during our season especially with

the competitive balance across our

League. Our focus is always on prevention,

early recognition and optimal

management, and safe return to

play.

AM: What are some tips for soccer

players and fans for injury prevention

in training and playing soccer; promoting

resilience; and optimizing recovery?

DR. C: For elite soccer players, injury prevention

starts with evidence-based programs

that emphasize neuromuscular

control and strength training, especially

of the core/hips and lower extremities.

Monitoring training loads can also help

to prevent overuse injuries. Good sleep,

adequate hydration, and proper nutrition

are essential cornerstones to promote resilience

and optimize recovery. Resilience

also involves building strong support networks,

such as a positive team environment

and dedicated medical teams. Recovery

also means listening to your body

and recognizing early warning signs in

order to seek timely professional medical

care.

aches or soreness do occur, over-thecounter

pain relievers such as Tylenol’s

topical relief or its traditional

oral options can also help.

@tylenol

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 42 - 45,

49, 51 Gotham FC/Megan Santaniello

| PG 46 Getty Images/Tylenol |

For recreational players or even fans inspired

to learn how to play soccer (it’s

never too late!), many of the same principles

apply: warm up before activity, gradually

progress the duration and intensity

of play at the beginning of the season,

and maintain a fitness routine during

the week (especially if you only play one

game a week). Injury prevention and recovery

strategies are not limited to professional

athletes—they can help anyone

stay active and enjoy the game for years

to come.

AM: We’ve now learned fans can exert

themselves too by walking, sitting and

intensely cheering on their favorite team

and players at the game! Go Gotham FC!

How can fans aim to reduce pain themselves

before, during and after the big

game?

DR. C: Attending an NWSL soccer match

can be demanding—standing in lines,

climbing stairs, and sitting and standing

for long periods cheering. Fans can reduce

discomfort by starting adequate hydration

and food intake 24 hours before

the game and getting a good night’s rest,

and then staying hydrated and well fed,

and wearing supportive footwear and appropriate

clothing and headwear for the

weather conditions. Even standing up

and stretching and taking breaks to walk

around the stadium is beneficial. If minor

Dagne Dover launched in 2013 and is a

brand that form, function, and innovation

come together so that you can enjoy rocking

a nice bag that allows you to stay organized.

Jessy Dover is 1 of the 3 Co-Founders

of this brand and we took a moment to

talk about how she got into the industry,

her design/creative approach, and what is

coming up with the brand.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize

that you wanted to be a designer in the

handbag category?

JESSY DOVER: I always knew I wanted to

be a designer because it’s where I light up

the most. I love making things and in particular,

I love making wearables. I didn’t

know that I wanted to be a handbag designer

though until I started seeing my

successes there. I don’t know who made

up this term, but it’s all about greenlights

and I kind of live by that term! So when I

start getting greenlights, I try and follow

that. So the first kick off of that was in my

Senior year of Parsons, I was like, I need

a job. I’m going to apply for every award,

every internship, that I could and I ended

up winning the Coach Design Competition

and that was the first time that I realized

I had fun with that project and I got

to really understand how to create a bag.

For me, as someone who has more of

an athletic body type, I never fit into the

fashion body type world, and when I was

at school there, I felt out of place. I just

fell in love with bags because you didn’t

have to consider the body all that much. It

is just a tool that you can use every day to

make your life work. I was stoked on that!

It kind of led me down this path of eventually

meeting my co-founders and creating

my first few bags. After we started selling,

I would say that after I sold my first 100

bags, I would say “oh, ok other people

want really great bags that have pockets

and actually support them through their

day,” which led me to where I am today,

which is deep in bag world and I love it!

It definitely wasn’t something growing up

where I thought that I would be a bag designer.

AM: I have to say that when I first

started working in the fashion industry,

I started as a model, then went

into design, visual merchandising,

wholesale, and then styling before I

entered publishing – I would always

tell people that I am an Accessory Expert

and they would ask why I liked it

so much. I would tell them whether

you’re bloated or not, the bag is going

to fit – the shoe is reasonably going to

fit for the most part and the jewelry

is generally never going to disappoint

you no matter what is going on with

your body. When you can do that and

enjoy those items, it’s a different level

of confidence you can have when

you’re wearing them.

JD: Totally!

AM: So I love being accessory first!

JD: Yes! Ok, me too! It also just tops

everything off. You can put on your

clothes, but when you put on those

shoes and that bag, it brings everything

together!

AM: What was the first bag ever that

you designed?

JD: I really have to think about this

one! I would say that the first bag that

I ever designed that became an actual

bag that someone would want to

wear, was the design that I did for the

Coach Award. As you can imagine, it

takes a lifetime to be a good craftsman

and to make a luxury bag.

AM: For sure!

JD: Whenever we go to Asia and we’re

with the sample makers, I’m just bowing

down because it’s all them. We

design, but they create it. But I made

this bag with the Coach sample maker

and it was my first leather bag, it

was a work bag, fairly simple, a camel

color, with buckles on the front, computer

sleeve, and I looked at it when

it was finished and that is when it

clicked for me. You need to have a team

of people to create something incredible

and you can’t be the expert at every single

thing. That’s when I realized that I am

a designer and I am not a maker.

Then I would say that the first bag that I

actually sold that was a success was our

Legend – we still sell it and it is still on

the site. There was another bag, but we

don’t sell it anymore as it has been discontinued,

called the Clutch Wallet. But the

Legend was our very first work tote and it

was made out of coated canvas and it was

a solve to the problem that we had originally

pinpointed. The problem was that

there wasn’t a work bag that was also

cute that is a good price point for a working

woman that can keep your things safe

- that has a computer sleeve, has a key

leash, has a spot for your phone and you

know all of that good stuff. So that was a

big moment for me. I think that the confidence

that gave me was that it wasn’t

even me, it was like, people want what

I want and it gave me that push to keep

going. The next bag that I look at as my

biggest most favorite success was the

Dakota Backpack – that or the Landon, I

came out with it at the same time. That

was when things started lighting up for

the brand and that was a whole other different

success than the Legend. Because,

all of a sudden we were talking to a whole

community that were not just those that

were working corporate jobs. They were

living!

AM: That’s right!

JD: That was the time that I was really

coming into my own as a designer and

a person who really prioritizes health

and wellness and bringing my self to the

world, and I feel that that was the moment

for me as a really young designer.

AM: I love when you were talking about

the whole designer and the community

of makers that support it. My mom was a

couture designer for a number of years so

I watched her make gowns, suiting, etc.

JD: Goosebumps!

AM: I loved it and she had another

person who worked with her. But it

wasn’t until I did a collab line with Sebago

for a few seasons where I would

sell it on HSN and we designed it in the

Dominican Republic at the factories

there; when I was there you would

have generations of people that by

hand were sewing and putting the

different leathers on the machines. I

knew what I knew in terms of leathers,

cool colors, and how that should

come together, but then I would talk

with the teams that would talk about

the placements to take my vision to

how it could actually come forward,

and there was so much knowledge

there that I really respected. So when

I would go on air to talk about the

shoes I was always happy to say that

I designed them, but I would always

reference the makers and their knowledge

over so many years that brought

those shoes to life! They would tell me

that they had been doing shoes since

they were 16 and some of them were

in their 80’s.

JD: They knew what they were doing!

AM: They totally did. It’s about the

community and taking that feedback

and knowledge and making people

aware how your favorite items come

to be! I think it’s such a great point

that you highlighted.

JD: For sure. It’s cool that you got to

watch your mom doing that. I didn’t

have that level of transparency into

fashion and garment making and bag

making – but once I did, that’s what

hooked me and I knew that that was

so cool.

AM: You talked a little bit about how

your co-founders came together.

What are each of your roles and what

does Dagne Dover mean?

JD: Great question! I’m the Chief Cre-

ative Officer, I handle all things creative

and design. I spend a third of my time

designing product, a third of it doing creative

marketing, and then a third of my

time doing founder stuff.

AM: There’s always founder stuff.

JD: There’s ALWAYS founder stuff! If I let

it, it could take 100% of the time.

AM: FACTS!

JD: Oh yeah, I’m always stopping and saying

– that can wait until tomorrow.

My Co-Founders, God bless their hearts,

because this company could not run without

them, they are sort of the business

genius behind everything. They do all of

the fundraising, they do a lot of the strategic

planning for our drops and our buys

and our distribution strategy – all of the

stuff that goes into running a business. So

my partner Melissa Shin Mash, she’s our

CEO and my other partner, Deepa Gandhi

are COO/CFO –

AM: When you’re Co-Founder you’re always

wearing multiple hats!

JD: Oh, we’re all wearing multiple hats!

The day that I can just run 1 department is

the day that I just die of happiness!

AM: Oh I hear you!

So the name means …

JD: Oh yeah, so Dagne means new dawn.

So in Nordic indigenous language it means

new dawn and we just love the name

Dagne. I’m so obsessed with Scandinavian

design because I think that the simplicity,

the purposefulness, and the natural

elements – it’s the perfect balance

from my perspective. So we chose that as

our first name, and then Dover is my last

name and we just felt that it was a true

collaboration. I did not want my name on

it to be totally honest. They were like you

should have your name on it because you

are the creative behind it. So we kind of

created this character out of Dagne

Dover and we like to look at it as a

new dawn for handbags and really in

everything that we do, we support

the concept that you should expect

more from your bag and you should –

we’re here to give that to you.

AM: I will say, that I love that your

ears are always to the ground, you’re

watching and somewhere along the

line an innovation is birthed and will

fall into a future season. Not everyone

does that.

JD: I really appreciate that and I really

have that to owe to my partners

because I have the space to do it.

I’m still very busy, but because of my

team and my partners, I’m really fortunate.

I have other friends that are

designers and I know that you know

this, they’re running their business

and they are also designing. That is so

much! I am super grateful for that and

our community is super outspoken!

Our community is power women and

they’re so great because they will tell

you what they want, what they don’t

like and they are super honest and I

appreciate that!

AM: They truly care and a number of

us saw the initial assortment and have

had the joy of being along for the ride

of the expanded styles, colorways,

and innovations! For me, I find that

the purpose and intention is there.

Whether I may use a specific style or

not, I can understand why it is there

and who it is servicing.

Many years ago, when I worked in the

wholesale division at Lacoste, there

would be a large number of SKUs for

that particular season and I always

thought about how much that could

be edited. You could look through and

in terms of buyers you knew where a

lot of those items would gravitate towards.

JD: I think that that is the difference

too between running a product led brand

and a brand brand. We’ve all come from

the world of brand led brands where you

just need stuff to sell. We’re really selling

a brand, but we wanted to create something

that is product first. We love the

brand, the brand has value, but it’s really

about the product, because otherwise

you’re selling and idea that people are

buying into, but I really love product.

AM: What’s an average week like for you?

I ask that knowing that there are no average

weeks!

JD: I know! I think it’s so funny that you

asked this because I really want to nail this

down! You’re right! I set a schedule and

then it just gets wiped out every week.

I do try to stay true to my 1/3 design, 1/3

digital marketing – with all of my emails

and photoshoots, and 1/3 founder stuff! I

would say that most of my stuff I try to

split it between the day, but as a leader

of this initiative and how we can be available

and make our schedules work, so

that we can make it happen and push it

forward – what keeps me focused and on

point is that at the beginning of the week

I write down my top 5 things that must

must happen and even if those meetings

don’t happen we use Slack, text, and

voice notes and all of the other modes of

communication to make sure that the ball

keeps rolling. It’s about finishing and completing

those initiatives. I know that you

also know this, but we don’t really have

a big team. I don’t even know what size

brand to call us! We have a small team, we

drive a lot of business, but it is still a hustle

every day! It’s a lot of meticulous planning

ahead of time. I have all of my workouts

slotted in because if I don’t they just

won’t happen.

This Summer was a great one for Athleisure

Media. We traveled, attended a number

of functions, connected with people

and have great projects coming up. The IG

looks great, but behind the scenes while

all that is going on is a lot of controlled

chaos.

JD: For sure! I say that all the time my

IG looks pretty because it shows my

slow paced life, but really it’s not at

all because there are a lot of things

going on.

AM: Impossible. Just looking at your

drops of new products, you do a number

of events outside of NYC and dealing

with communities in other cities,

the planning that goes behind introducing

colorways and new styles –

there is constant movement going on

there and a lot of planning.

I know especially with my wholesale

background that yes your brand is

small, but the amount of output, the

footprint etc – there is a lot of working

going on perpetually.

So how do you get inspired and where

do you go for your inspiration for the

collections and the colorways?

JD: I love this question! I have a lot

of different places where I get inspired

and mainly it comes from my

every day life! For product, I look at

what I am struggling with and where

is there white space? An example of

that is not being able to find my keys

for 10mins in my bag at my front door

– I don’t have 10 extra minutes, that’s

my break time in between meetings!

AM: So true!

JD: Then I designed the key leash and

we put it in every single bag! So now it

is super quick to find them. So things

like that – but then also for seasonal

drops that are a lot more conceptual,

I learned to design with a method

that is very traditional due to going

to Parsons with an inspiration and

everything fitting within that so that

you have the guardrails. For me those

inspirations come from travel. Our SS

drop this year was called Lakehouse

and we had come up with this whole

dream world of a lakehouse and we

pulled colors, textures, color names,

from that theme and so that happens a

lot. I will go on trips and be like, “guys let’s

just dive into this world.” A lot of times, it

becomes place.

AM: Always a good place to start.

JD: Yeah, it’s inspiring. It’s fun and gives

me energy. I love a natural landscape. I

wanted to go to the Scottish Highlands

this Summer, but I didn’t have time. There

was no way that that was going to happen

so I went to Chat GPT an asked if

there was anywhere in the US that was

like the Scottish Highlands. It spit out that

in Virginia, there are areas that look like

that in the Appalachian trail. It’s a small

portion of it, but I flew down and there

were cows and ponies and it was so crazy.

I didn’t know it existed so close to us, but

things like that get me really excited.

Then being outdoors – I love being outdoors

whether it’s hiking, backpacking,

snowboarding. I grew up in Colorado so

being in NY, I don’t really get access to

that so every chance I get, I go. Often

times, I’m inspired by technical gear that

I’m getting or buying because those are

super high functioning and they are not

used in traditional fashion a lot. They are

great and they look professional if they

are done with the right silhouette.

AM: In those early days, I have been a Dark

Moss girl from the start. For me, I feel that

it is one of those new neutrals. I don’t want

to just have black but somehow, that Dark

Moss it just hits different.

How did you guys identify that these were

going to be core colors, what would oscillate

in terms of colorways throughout seasons,

and those that are limited editions?

Even now you have those core colors that

still find their way there.

JD: I kind of shot myself in the foot with

that one if I’m honest. Those colors sell

and I’m like, “please, let’s get new ones.”

But people love them! They have become

iconic to the brand in a way. If I’m totally

honest, I made colors that I totally wanted

to wear.

AM: Which is fair.

JD: I was working a lot, I wanted to

make sure that whatever core colors

we dropped, it would go with my

friends and families existing wardrobe.

They were picked to be complimentary,

but exactly what you said, I

didn’t want them to be plain and dull

and boring and in the exact same colors

that everybody else drops. There

are limitless colors so can we pick a

brownish/purple that other people

don’t do? Really when we look at it,

we want it to feel good – color is such

a powerful tool with the psychology

behind it. This has always been interesting

to me. There are people who

love purple, they only wear purple,

and when I do a purple – I know who

will buy it and it will sell through really

fast, but I can’t make it a core color

because it won’t continuously sell.

Digging into these people’s minds,

there are similarities of how they

think because they will choose purple.

Green, the Dark Moss green is exactly

what you said. They don’t want

to wear black every day. They have

their own flair and they still need to

fit into some kind of societal structure

where maybe they are going to

the office or they don’t want to be super

flashy, but they want to be cool

and fun – a little bit interesting. Then

there is the navy people. So I just tried

to hit on the buckets of those things

and to give the best version of those

things.

AM: Wow!

When I first started getting pieces

from you guys. I came to love the

leather collections and it was the

oxblood. From the tote bags to this

beautiful large clutch/cosmetic base

that I use to hold items I use for wine

when I am traveling ha! That part of

the collection reminded me of 1970’s

Etienne Aigner – that was my jam!

JD: Yes! It was! Fun fact, I worked on that

brand for awhile!

AM: I am not surprised! My parents in the

70s had matching Etienne Aigner oxblood

leather jackets and then my mom gave me

hers and I used to wear it all the time and

I had the bag to match!

Then neoprene came and I was like, this

is not even a fabrication that I would ever

think that I would want for my bags, but I

got the versatility of it immediately. I love

how it is squishy.

JD: Squishy!

AM: Super expandable, and I was there for

it. So how did neoprene make its way in

there? I knew from the first one that every

part of my bag needed this fabrication.

JD: I’m so glad you like it! I love it too! My

life changed. I went from a corporate design

job to being a founder. I’m running

around the city – I’m not seeing people

except for my factory and my teammates.

We were working in basically a closet and

I was in gym clothes every day. I wanted

something that felt like me – sporty,

needs to move with me throughout the

day, but still where I look put together to

be neat and presentable. I was in Vietnam

working to set up another factory and I

was swimming and I had this neoprene

bathing suit. I was like, this is rad! So I

said to Deepa, do you think that we could

make bags out of this? She’s like, “dude, I

don’t know but why don’t you try?” She’s

always like try it and we’ll see what happens.

We did it and it turned out really

cool. Before we dropped it, I didn’t know

if people would like it.

To me, I felt that it might be a world where

people didn’t understand it. In Colorado,

I knew people where I’m from would understand

the fabrication, but they don’t

really need a bag that is tailored as much

as those are. They are wearing Patagonia

and gear – it’s not like they are wearing

something that needs to go into the

boardroom also. So I thought, they will

get it, but they may not buy it.

My people in NY, they might get the

silhouette but this may be too sporty

for them!

It was a passion and a random idea

that we thought could be really cool

and it turned out really great.

AM: The other side of that is the bags

that were made completely out of

mesh! Again, I was like ok now we’re

taking something that is usually inside

of the bag as a pocket or a pouch and

we’re taking that to the next level!

JD: I know! That was said by people

too and they loved it and the fact

that it was so lightweight! We ended

up dropping the Air Mesh. Ultimately,

that one did great, but it was a fun

learning experience because it was so

sporty, people felt that they couldn’t

wear it to the office.

AM: Sustainability has always been

something key and core to the brand.

I love that now the neoprene bags

are made out of x amount of bottles.

You also have other environmental innovations

as well. Why is that so important

to you and being transparent

about it because a lot of times you

don’t know when someone is saying

that something is that – to what end?

JD: Right – what? It could mean anything.

I try to stay away from the

word sustainable because I am afraid

that it doesn’t mean anything anymore.

What I try to do is to infuse as

many conscious materials that I can

find that is trackable. Part of being in

a new wave of something is figuring

out what is legit and what it’s not. The

systems aren’t there, the regulation

isn’t there yet and quite frankly, the

US doesn’t have a lot of rules around

that in the same way that Europe

and other places do. It was a process

of finding out which manufacturers

were making eco-friendly materials.

What do they have that we can already utilize

for the products that we have created

and what do they have that we can use in

the future to make even more sustainably

minded products. It’s important to me

because I love bags, I love making things

and if you saw my apartment – there is

stuff everywhere. I understand that when

you make things, there is a lot of waste.

There is a lot of testing and you’re making

a physical thing so as much as you can be

conscious about wastage and where it is

coming from and where it is going to after,

I think is fantastic and hopefully my

wish and hope is that we live in a world

where there are companies that are offering

sustainable materials that we can use

that are also durable. I think one of the

biggest challenges for us is finding durable

sustainable materials that can also be

produced in a way that is timely and consistent

– a lot of it is experimental!

What people don’t talk in terms of sustainability

is affordability and that is a big

one.

AM: It’s a huge barrier.

In terms of the travel collection. How

long did it take to create that? You know

I love it, for years I had asked members of

your team why you were not adding it to

your assortment and once it came out, I

switched over my travel as well as my styling

kit – including the carry-ons, duffles,

garment bags, cubes to these products

and love how they play well with the other

Dark Moss pieces that I do have from

the eyeglass case, toiletry bags as well.

I will also say the wheels on those bags

work so well. Here in NYC, you know we

have like 80 types of streets/concrete.

JD: Ha! Thank you for noticing. We put a

ton of time into those wheels. I told them

that we were not dropping until we had

nice wheels because that is the key to the

whole thing. I guess it took 3 years, but

I was thinking about it a long time prior

to that. It was a meticulous process. Luggage

is not forgiving! There are a lot of

regulations from any number of airlines

from around the world that you

have to hit so you are boxed into these

being the sizes that you have to do or

else people will not be able to carry

them on the flight – so there’s that. It

has to be incredibly durable because

of course, we don’t know what they

do behind those curtains, but every

time that a bag comes out – you’re

like what happened here? It has to be

durable, dense material – I was really

on my sustainability quick when we

were designing this. They are 100% recycled

and I was not willing to make

any compromises on that. We were

developing into this custom material

and then I really wanted the interior

organizational system to match what

they were expecting from us. So we

designed a ton of pieces, we tested

them for a really long time, ultimately

narrowed it down and the process

took a long time. So we manufacture

in Asia so we get the best products

and it takes time for them to make every

single sample set and we could be

waiting 1 month or 2 between sample

sets while we’re waiting for the next

one to make changes and to evolve

them. So it took about 3 years and to

be totally honest, I was learning on

the fly. Luggage is a whole other category.

AM: It is a whole other beast!

JD: That was very fun, but I am super

happy with where they landed and

I’m so glad you love your Dark Moss! I

need a picture of your set.

AM: I’m constantly taking pictures of

it in every photoshoot when I’m on

set. I mean yes they are great travel

bags but when I am bringing them

to set or we’re sketching out what is

coming as each shoot is a snowflake

with different needs there may be a

series of luggage and related accessories

to support the needs and I’m always

happy how smooth it is or how

the compartments work or how I use

it for a set versus going on a vacation.

I will also say that the long garment bag

which I know is really great for weddings.

It’s awesome for pulls because I can fit

quite quite a few things in there and it’s

still streamlined. When we shot our cover

with Bozoma Saint John back in the

Fall last year, I literally walked into 2 different

bridal showrooms as they had evening

wear and I must have fit 8-10 pieces in

there easily.

JD: So glad you love it because we made

that bag for gowns. My partner Deepa is

Indian and we need an extra extra long

bag for her gowns and people started

loving it for all sorts of things. We have

a bunch of designers that are using it for

Fashion Week. Garment bags are great,

but again, there are not a lot of cute options

that are also lightweight and all the

things that we as people in the industry

need. I am so glad that you love The Capri.

AM: Oh yeah, I use the Carpi bag. I think

that day I had that as well as the Air Mesh

XL tote in Dark Moss that way folded

could go there and everything else was in

the other because I was hopping in and

out of the subway that day for that cover

shoot and I wanted to keep it light and agile

haha!

Each showroom was talking about how

co-ordinated it was and it didn’t matter

if you were in a luxe space or something

more functional the bags never looked

out of place.

JD: I love hearing that and am glad you’re

working those bags!

AM: Without question!

How many drops a year would you say

that you guys have?

JD: It depends. I don’t have a specific numbers

that I have to or feel that I need to

hit. We always have a SS and a FW drop.

Depending on what strategically we are

trying to achieve, I will drop a product

based collection or sometimes just

new products if I feel they are needed

and I’m working on it.

For example, last year in 2024, we had

4 drops. For 2026, I’ll have 7+ drops

planned. So it really depends. I would

say that I like to try and stay on a

schedule. Things are ready when they

are ready. For me, it’s about doing

it and the dropping it the right way.

That’s why some years we’re making

it rain and then in other years it feels

like we’re pulling it back a little.

Sometimes I just want to move on and

create something new so you have to

replace something. Something better

is coming and I want to get ahead of

it. Sometimes it’s also that something

is too expensive to create for what

we can sell it for. Being transparent

is important about that. People will

ask if we can make something and

we can, I want to, but it will not be

affordable!

AM: If someone is new to the brand,

what would be 3 items that they

should have to start their collections?

JD: Love this question! I would say

that they must have the 23.5 Carry

On Luggage that is the larger sized

because there are 2. The Landon in

the Medium Size. I love it because it

goes from duffle to tote and it’s just

the most versatile bag ever. I would

say the Bennie Sling that we just

dropped this past Spring and it’s like

our old Morris Sling, but on steroids.

We know that our slings are awesome,

how can we make it even better

and to address every pain point

that people have? Everyone needs

one. So that is my third pick! Those

three you can rule the world!

AM: You guys always do fun events.

My favorite event you guys threw was

a few years ago and it was a twist on

a Field Day/Olympics day.

JD: Oh yeah!

AM: It was like you literally felt you were

living with the bags and it was fun. It’s

also fun when you have done things with

Sloane Stephens and she did a fun collab

with you guys for Doc + Glo. We’ve had her

as a previous cover, have interviewed her

a few times, and I had lunch with her earlier

this Spring. She’s just a good human.

JD: She really is! I feel like I’m best friends

with her, but I don’t know her like that

that well.

AM: You can sit with her and you just feel

like you’ve known her for awhile.

Are there any partnerships or event collaborations

that you can share?

JD: We have our FW assortment that is

dropping in Oct this year. We’re really excited

and we have some awesome prints

and new colors.

I would say stay tuned for 2026 because

we have a big year planned out! I’m very

excited about it.

JD: I mean, Sloane, we just love her. She is

part of the team at this point so it comes

from things like that – synergistic connections

that we can create something really

cool together.

AM: When you’re not doing all of the

things that you do as a co-founder, how

do you take time for yourself? This work is

consuming and you do love it, but you do

have to take at least half a second.

JD: For me it is very physical. My nervous

system will crash and I always feel it coming.

I will call my mom and I tell her I can

feel it coming. When I get to that and

some people call it burnout mode, I will

take a little trip whether it is 1 night or 5

nights. I was actually able to take a trip

for the month of August to Steamboat

which is where I’m from and I worked

from there for a month. When I tell you

that it changed everything for me, I can’t

suggest enough about taking a beat

and it can be as simple as skipping the

commute. Just that, working from

home for a week can do that. For me,

it’s about working out. I have to get

that in and really think about the fact

that we have a body too! We’re always

up here in our mind and stuff,

but when my body is in motion, it’s

when I feel the best – hiking and biking

– that’s when the ideas come to

me. I have 2 dogs and honestly getting

the dogs was the best because it

forces me to go out and walk them.

AM: They have to do their business!

JD: They have to do their business

and they are not going to wait!

@dagnedover

PHOTOS COURTESY | Dagne Dover

We connected with Tyson Apostol, winner

of Survivor Blood vs. Water; 4X Survivor

competitor. He related to us that a

main reason for winning was maintaining

strength and endurance in life skills and

needs. From endurance swimming in college,

then professionally cycling, and later

finding love in Pickleball, Tyson likes unbounded

sports and activities.

For some sleep and ache and pain issues,

he discovered cannabis gummies, and

partnered with Trulieve as an ambassador.

We ask him about when and how

he integrates gummies into his routines;

if he uses cannabis with training or playing

Pickleballl; touring the Trulieve grow

rooms and facility, and also ask about

what he’s looking forward to seeing, with

the upcoming season of Survivor 49.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So, so what led you to

go to become a pro cyclist?

TYSON APOSTOL: Honestly, you know, I

just was having a conversation recently

about this, because everybody’s like oh

that was your passion - I was like, no, it

wasn’t, my passion was avoiding a cubicle.

After college, I was good at cycling

and enjoyed it but I don’t think it was a

love of my life, but I found a way to avoid

[the office]. I just was never like a work

guy, just the feel and I know that people

are going to read this and be lik, oh he’s

so spoiled. No, I found a way to avoid that

thing I didn’t like, which was going to college,

getting a career afterwards. And so

cycling for me was a way to continue playing,

maybe longer than other adults were

able to.

AM: Sure, but then with all the weather

and the endurance I mean it sounds like

it was brutal each leg of the race is tough

right?

TA: Yeah, and it was brutal because I’m

sitting out there pedaling in the rain convincing

myself that the motivation for

continuing to train in the rain and the

snow and the sleet, the hail, whatever it

is. It’s better than being in a cubicle, but

now that I’m 46 I’m looking back, I’m

like those guys in the cubicle we’re

looking out the window at me riding

my bike in the rain thinking I’m an

idiot. So, we probably all found our

thing.

AM: Yeah it’s a mixed bag now the cubicle

people are riding too!

TA: That’s right even writing in the office

these days right they are writing

in the office with their pedal desk.

AM: And you swam in college?

TA: I swam in college. I swam through

high school into college. And as soon

as I decided that, I didn’t want to be

there. I spent one year at college, so

distance freestyle endurance was my

thing, like that was the thing I was

good at, so that didn’t really matter

the sport as much as endurance, like

I can run forever, I could ride forever,

I could swim forever, you give me

something long slog, and I’ll be able

to do that.

AM: And then at some point you found

and fell in love with pickleball pickleball?

TA: Yes, I’m the same way I saw it.

And then when I went there and got

to enjoy and experience it with just

taking it all in, I was just like, this is,

this is magic. This is a magical combination

of excitement, skill and intensity.

AM: So how was your story with how

you found it?

TA: I moved to Arizona to get away

from the snow from Utah. And I was

just like I’ve been grinding my whole

life for physical activity, like riding a

bike for hours on end, jogging for a

few hours, going and swimming laps

- like all of those are grinds, none of

those are really that exciting.

And I just was like, I only want to do exercise

now that I enjoy, because I’ve done

so much unenjoyable exercise to me.

And when I moved to Arizona in 2017, the

neighborhood I moved into had some

pickleball courts, and I was like I don’t

know what those are, we googled it and

did a little research. I took my 70 year-old

neighbor who wasn’t working, and we

would go over and figure out the game

just by googling the rules in the middle

of the day so we figured out how to play

pickleball. And we both were immediately

hooked.

So, we started, we joined the little neighborhood

meetup on the mornings, and

just kind of went from there. And, and

then when COVID happened, I had to kind

of readjust my business format of what I’d

been doing, because I wasn’t able to go

out and make appearances and this and

that, and I was like I love pickleball. And

now we’re kind of like in this little slow

moment of time, let’s see if we can parlay

my love for pickleball into being present

in the community and in the sport and

just the right timing, like it took off. Like if

I could have had this timing with Bitcoin,

I’d be like a trillionaire right now, maybe,

maybe..

AM: Yeah, maybe.. because people go up,

but they never say what they’d cash out,

or that they lost their USB or keys, maybe

that they sold at a low because they were

desperate or whatever.. there’s lots of examples.

People don’t factor if they’d sell

on the upswings and cashed some out.

How is it working with the Pickleball

leagues?

TA: I like it. The Carvana PPA Tour has had

me do some interviews to get to know

their players as people. Like that’s kind of

been a little bit of a disconnect for them

is getting the fan base to really know the

players, rather than just see people playing

pickleball on screen. So I’ve been fortunate

to run some interviews with some

of their players delving deeper into what

makes them tick, who they are as people,

and where they came from before

pickleball. And so yeah, that has been

fun and interesting.

AM: That’s super important. And so

there’s so many stars and rising stars

in the leagues. You know, what teams

are you looking for? Who are some of

your favorite players?

TA: I mean, I like the fiery ones. I don’t

know if they’re my favorite people,

but I like to watch them on the court

the most because they get people

amped and going and create a little

controversy and stuff. But other than

that, you know, I love, honestly, I’ve

been working with Franklin pickleball

now for six months, and they have

a couple of my favorite players. Paris

Todd. She’s comes from a tennis

background. And and then Hayden

Patrick Quinn, who’s like, yeah, he’s

this young fire kid who’s like kind of

getting under the skin of some of the

older guys, which I love.

AM: Yeah, we just had a recent cover

interview with Tyson McGuffin, who’s

great on and off the court.

TA: Oh, yeah. Yeah, fiery.

AM: Right. But you have to you have

to bring the receipts, at least -

TA: That’s right. You know, I mean,

you don’t have to bring the receipts,

but people respect you more if you

do. Well, I mean, why I say that is like,

if you stay fiery, I mean, you have to

earn being fiery. Yes, I would hope. I

think so. Unless it’s like, all right, we’ll

leave it there. Yeah, no, I like Tyson,

too. I told my daughters I was named

after him, even though I’m probably

15 years older than. That’s good.

AM: Did they believe you?

TA: Just for half a second. Yeah, they

were like, what? No.

AM: How many kids do you have?

TA: Two daughters. Ten and seven.

AM: So when did you first start using cannabis?

Was it was it recreationally, medicinal,

some combination or other?

TA: It was medicinal. I was having a lot

of back pain. This is maybe 2000. Yeah,

then in 2017/2018, kind of when I started

playing pickleball. But it was mostly from

picking up my kids so much, lifting them

out of the crib. Like cribs are designed for

you too, like, to hurt your back. It’s not

like you can bend your legs and lift a kid

out of a crib. You have to, like, hunch over

the bar and then lift up. And so for some

reason, I had this debilitating back pain,

like bedridden. There were days I couldn’t

walk. And I had, you know, taken handfuls

of aspirin or whatever. And also I found

some expired opioids from when my wife

was pregnant going through her stuff after

pregnancy, and tried those and was

like, there’s a better way. I’ve only heard

so many negatives about these medicines

as bad for your liver bad and stomach lining,

all of that stuff. And opioids are super

addictive and terrible for you as well. And

I said, I grew up raised Mormon.

And so it was like, you don’t do anything

that is questionable in any capacity. But at

36/37, I was like, I have to try something

better than what is available to me. And

that’s the first time that I have tried cannabis.

And it, for me, it worked so much

better. It helped me sleep better, which

is like the number one thing I needed was

to be able to sleep well enough to recover

and to heal. And so, yeah, big believer

from there. It worked for me perfectly.

And that’s what I mostly use it for still is

sleep and recovery.

AM: And you’re working with Trulieve

now as an ambassador?

TA: Yes, as an ambassador. They’re in the

Pickleball game too. You know, I actually,

Ethan Zahn, I don’t know if you know who

he is. He won Survivor Africa, and he used

cannabis products for during his fights

with cancer. And so I knew that he

had been working with Trulieve. So I

heard of the name a lot, and they got

into the Pickleball space, and reached

out to me and were like, hey, we’d

love to have you as a VIP, our guest

at one of the Pickleball events. And I

was like, oh, I already am in the pickleball

space, but I would love to get

to know you better because I already

use your products to help me stay

on top of my game in my life. That’s

always the best scenario. Perfect. It

was so cool.

AM: So what products were you using?

TA: I use their Sweet Talk gummies,

and I’m mostly an edibles guy. And so

I use those mostly for sleep. But once

in a while, if I get invited to a real early

game of Pickleball, a lot of these guys

in Arizona, these old guys, they like

to play like five in the morning before

the heat kicks in.

And then I use some of their other

stuff.

AM: So now for sleep, how long do

you allow for when you take it before

your target time to go to bed or do

you look at it that way?

TA: Yeah, I do. I usually do half an

hour to an hour, is when I like to be in

bed after I take it and I’ll usually get

home from Pickleball. I don’t take it

every day. I don’t need it every day.

But when I do, it’s definitely a much

better option for me than anything

else. And so when I do take it, it’s

usually from late Pickleball and I’m

too amped to fall asleep. So I take it

as soon as I walk in the door, I take

it, then I get my hydration, take a

shower, go lay down and have a good

night’s rest. When you take it, do you

take it with the little fatty foods or

substance or do you take it just by itself?

I just take it plain by itself.

A lot of their products already have the

CBD in it and stuff. So that’s terrific. Yeah.

The CBD and seems to be a really nice effect

with some products I’ve had.

AM: Yeah, I use cannabis actually in work

and play and medicinal. So as a Celebrity

Photographer, before every shoot, I smoke

a little, get loose and to be creative. Yeah.

I also have Gout and RA. So I use the products

as I have some pain and imflamation

and have to be very quick, flexible and

steady.

What would you recommend for people

who might not be so open minded towards

cannabis use to think about? Are there

some benefits or ways to think about it

that might make some people reconsider

it?

TA: I think you look at the side effects and

the possible side effects of taking something

else. That’s how I came to terms

with it was when look[ing] at aspirin, all

these over-the-counter medicines taken

every day or multiple times a week, that’s

going to take its toll on me, as well as opioids,

which we know are highly addictive

and very, very dangerous. And so for me, I

was like, I don’t want to even have to deal

with this, whether it’s months down the

road, years down the road. All of that stuff

adds up. And for me, I was like, a cannabis

product that’s all natural for me is a much

better solution.

And I went in and was like, if this works,

this is what my path will be, because I already

know that for me, this is better for

my body.

AM: That’s terrific. And it seems like at least

with edibles or gummies, there’s a way to

take baby steps to see if you might like it

comfortably at home. You could gradually

increase your dose or the different things

you use to maybe decide it without being

overbearing, right?

TA: Yeah, exactly. And it tastes like candy.

So it’s essentially, you know, you get like

a little sweet treat, sweet top gummies,

you get a little bit right before bed.

It’s kind of a nice little taste and flavor.

And yeah, like you said, like my

wife uses them when she needs to

fall asleep. She cuts them in half or in

quarters. I take a whole 10mg gummy.

And then if I go out early to play Pickleball,

like I said, like in the mornings,

my hamstrings or lower back will be

really tight sometimes. And I take the

Chilax. They’re only one milligram of

THC and 20mg of CBD.

AM: Yeah, that’s a low dose. Yeah.

TA: So I’ll take two of those before I

go play pickleball in the morning. And

that kind of helps me loosen up so

that I feel like I can move around normally.

AM: See, that’s great. Because we

talked with some athletes that do incorporate

cannabis use in their training,

while they’re playing or competing,

and then in their recovery. So it’s

interesting to see the different persona

types. You know, I think there’s

some athletes that would not think to

do that and have it just for recovery.

And then other athletes would train

with it and maybe participate with it.

So have you found the game super enjoyable

to or the competition a little

more exciting? Or it’s just it’s such a

low dose. It’s more just for aches and

pains?

TA: It’s a low dose. It’s for aches and

pains. I do notice that I play better

Pickleball when I’m focused on playing

Pickleball. And so I know when I

take some cannabis, I kind of focus

more on what I’m doing rather than

let my mind wander off into like, did

I get these bills paid? Do I have this

meeting coming? And so I do naturally

probably play a little bit better

when I have done that, especially in

the morning, for sure in the morning.

Because I would be too tight and

tired to get going at five or six in the

morning when all these old guys like

to play.

AM: Do you have any favorite strains, do

you lean Indica or Sativa?

TA: I mean indica for sure if I’m sleeping

or need to chill at night, and sativa in the

day and just in low doses. So to sleep, I

take 10mg of Indica and I use mostly I

use this slumber. Okay. You can see that.

And then the Chillax one, which is Sativa,

but it’s only, you know, 1mg. So, and

I have others. They have a whole line of

them, you know, Hybrids, everything

else. I’m not a sensitive person though,

like it doesn’t matter what it is. You give

me racing bikes as a pro cyclist, people be

like, oh, this frame is so stiff. I can’t hardly.

And I was like, I can’t tell the difference.

So if there’s big differences, I can tell. But

if there’s smaller differences..

AM: I’m a super Indica guy. OK, even when

I’m using it when out and socializing, or

being creative and productive, I still would

be Indica. And in the last couple of years,

I’m experimenting with Sativa and kind of

pushing myself, because I feel a little hazy

tension cerebrally at first with Sativa, but

then I get through it and I really like the

energy and the bright buzz aspect of some

strains and Hybrids.

TA: And I was invited and went to their

grow operation here in Phoenix. And they

had you see all of the rooms with all the

different strains lined up.

AM: Yeah, it’s a science. Yeah. Yeah.

TA: It’s always fun to be in those big

rooms.

AM: It’s just ridiculous. And, you know, it

just feels like a Mecca. Right.

So every time everyone talks to you, I

guess Survivor always comes up. So, you

know, our community definitely knows

you from there. And we’d love to hear any

key takeaways you have, or thoughts you

had on the different seasons, or what your

biggest takeaway was overall.

TA: My biggest takeaway overall from

Survivor? I mean, honestly, I think the

thing that is I hear a lot from people,

from fans is, oh, I could never do that.

You know, people are like, oh, I love

Survivor. I love seeing you on there.

I love the show, but I could never do

that. And that’s not true. Anybody, almost

anybody could do it.

Like you get out there, you rely on a

group, you’re put in this stressful situation

that you have to figure out,

you’ll figure it out. And it’s like I didn’t

do any special training to be out there.

A lot of these people didn’t. You see

a lot of people that are kind of incompetent

out there. Like if you truly

want to be on Survivor and are thinking

you can’t do it because it’s too

difficult, that’s absolutely not true.

You can get out there and do it. But

is there something, training or skills

you could build up before getting on

there? Yeah, there is. I mean, the part

that’s hardest to train for is the lack

of sleep, the lack of food, the discomfort.

Like you can’t train for that.

Otherwise, the game is primarily a

social game. And if you can operate

civilly while under the stresses of no

sleep, no food, no cleanliness, extreme

conditions, then you’ve got it.

That’s the name of the game is keeping

your wits when you have nothing

else around you. But it’s also why the

show’s been on so long because so

many people can’t do that.

Like you get out there, you rely on

a group, you’re put in this stressful

situation that you have to figure

out, you’ll figure it out. And it’s like,

I didn’t do any special training to

be out there. A lot of these people

didn’t. You see a lot of people that are

kind of incompetent out there. Like if

you truly want to be on Survivor and

are thinking you can’t do it because

it’s too difficult, that’s absolutely not

true. You can get out there and do it.

But is there something, training or

skills you could build up before getting

on there? Yeah, there is. I mean, the part

that’s hardest to train for is the lack of

sleep, the lack of food, the discomfort.

Like you can’t train for that.

Otherwise, the game is primarily a social

game. And if you can operate civilly, while

under the stresses of no sleep, no food,

no cleanliness, extreme conditions, then

you’ve got it. That’s the name of the game

- keeping your wits when you have nothing

else around you. But it’s also why the

show’s been on so long because so many

people can’t do that. So they lose their

minds. Like you watch the show and

you’re like, that wasn’t very smart gameplay.

And you’re like, yeah, that person’s

not thinking clearly. They haven’t eaten

in two weeks. So, yeah, preparation-wise,

I think the best thing you can do is steer

away from anything like real people, and

quitting coffee because it’s like they want

their coffee every single morning. You

don’t get coffee every morning on Survivor.

So something like that. And then

building up your endurance and grip

strength, work on puzzles, that type of

thing. But in the end, it’s social and political.

So whatever you can do to get in the

right headspace to be chill, even when everything

around you is maybe not, that’s

where you got to be.

AM: What should we look for in the upcoming

season? Are there things you’re

looking out for?

TA: The things I’m looking out for most

are there’s two players on season 49 that

will be on season 50, the major all-star

season after 2020. And so I’m watching

those two players. Why did they get selected

for 50? Why are they playing two

times in a row? What did they do on season

49 that’s so impressive that they’re

back again for another season without

any of the fans’ reaction to them? The

production just figured that those two

would be good enough to come back for

another season.

TA: The things I’m looking out for most

are there’s two players on season 49

that will be on season 50, the major

all-star season after 2020. And so I’m

watching those two players. Why

did they get selected for 50? Why

are they playing two times in a row?

What did they do on season 49 that’s

so impressive that they’re back again

for another season without any of

the fans’ reaction to them? The production

just figured that those two

would be good enough to come back

for another season.

AM: So this time we’ll both be watching

and maybe having a gummy and

enjoying how it unfolds, huh?

TA: That’s right. I love it. Every season,

it’s always different. That’s the beauty

of it. I like to watch it for the strategy.

Everyone has their own thing.

My kids like to watch the challenges.

They love the little games and stuff

like that. I like how the strategy unfolds,

thinking what I would do in that

situation. If there’s something out of

the box you could do that might be

even stronger, that type of thing.

@tysonapostol

PHOTOGRAHY COURTESY | Tyson

Apostol

We caught up with The Daily Pour (formerly

Bottle Raiders) Founder/Publisher,

Dan Abrams, and VP Marketing, Amanda

Paul-Garnier, to chat about the exciting

Drinks With Benefits, the first Zero Proof

Festival, coming to New York (Altman

Building, September 27, 2025).

At Drinks With Benefits Festival guests

discovered 50+ Non-Alc brands to sip and

savor. They tasted innovative and sophisticated

non-alcoholic beverages, botanical

spirits and functional elixirs in the Tasting

Gallery, and met and connected with

industry innovators. Attendees strolled

through the Non-Alcoholic Beer Garden

and Hemp Beverages with music. They

experimented in the interactive Mixology

Lab, with non-alcoholic cocktail mixing

demos. Guests took in the immersive

experience in the Drink Rhythms Lounge

DJ Sets, Podcasting Lounge, and mindful

experiences in the Meditation Tent.

They paired their drinking journey with 3

Omakase-style courses by top chefs for VIP

Ticket-holders. In the Cipriani Cafe, their

Chef served up complimentary pasta tastings.

Reknowned for pioneering the Bellini,

Cipriani paired these dishes with their

Bellini Zero Cipriani! The Drinks With Benefits

Festival also featured the Zero Proof

Choice Awards, crowning the best winners

in Non-Alc and Functional beverages. Prior

to the event, we sat down with them to

talk about this inaugural event.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So what led you to

start the first Zero Proof Festival in NYC?

DAN ABRAMS: We had started a spirits

media company that was initially focused

on whiskey. And we were planning on expanding,

and we did, to gin and rum and

tequila. And as we were building out the

business, we realized that functional beverages

are becoming just an enormous

part of spirits. And we can’t really create a

forward-thinking spirits business without

making functional beverages a serious

part of what we’re doing.

And so as we came to that realization, we

started talking about an thinking about

events, in addition to doing content.

Because we had acquired a company

that was doing at the time 12 events

around the country for whiskey and

tequila. We’ve now expanded that to

15, so events were in the DNA of the

business.

But now we were thinking, let’s go

big! We were stunned considering

how significant a business non-alcohol

and functional beverages have

become, that there hasn’t been a major

awards in New York. There hasn’t

been a major event in conjunction

with wellness in New York, almost

anywhere. And so we thought, what

a great opportunity to be on the forefront

of this. And those were the

seeds behind Drinks With Benefits.

AM: So what types of non-alcoholic or

functional beverages would be showcased

at this specific event?

AMANDA PAUL-GARNIER: So we

have over 60 brands covering non-alcoholic

wines, non-alcoholic beers,

functional hemp and functional nonhemp

products. Brands, probably,

you know, like Ghia, Kin Euphorics,

Athletic Brewing Company, Bero,

But also brands you probably don’t

know that are very high quality, like

Opius Elixirs, which is probably one

of the best brands out there.

AM: Yeah, I would say on a personal

note, I was diagnosed with gout in

the middle of college. Beer is my kryptonite.

So I’ve had to drink clear alcohol

spirits or non-alcoholic beverages

personally. So when I tried Ghia, for

example, I couldn’t believe the complexities

that they put into a beverage

like that.

So the space is growing. But in addition

to growing, the formulations are

getting better and better. Isn’t that

true?

APG: Yeah, I would definitely agree

with that. We actually just talked with

Melanie Masarin, from Ghia. And she was

talking about her inspiration for starting

the product. But just her integrity in terms

of the quality of the ingredients she uses,

she’s very inspired from the Mediterranean,

but she’s also French and Italian. So

nothing in Ghia is fake or superficial. But

she also teases the whole concept that,

you know, of like fake ingredients or say,

people concerned about the sugar content

with non-alcoholic beverages. But

she was like, there’s a difference between

synthetic sugar and actual real sugar. And,

you know, what she’s trying to create and

she believes the next forefront of the

frontier for non-alcoholic beverage will

be with people seeing those quality ingredients,

real ingredients over anything processed.

And I think that’s one of the driving

forces behind this, is that we’re seeing

in the non-alcoholic spirits industry that

people are clamoring for an evaluation of

quality. And they’re basically the industry

folks are saying we care about quality.

DA: This isn’t just non-alcoholic wine. We

want people to be thinking about what

are our ingredients? How are we doing

this? How are we distilling this? The same

way people do with spirits. And I think

that’s why both our awards and Drinks

With Benefits are really resonating.

AM: And, you know, in preparing for discussing

the event, so I came up with the

notion of things need to be tasty, but also

things need to be useful or new and exciting

also. So what kind of categories or different

types of vendors or drinks are there

available at this Drinks With Benefits Festival

as this is new to a lot of communities.

APG: The festival is tiered as far as different

categories with the space laid out

exactly to respond to that, as for a lot of

consumers, this is new and we wanted to

kind of guide them through the experience.

So upon arrival, they’ll get a consumer

discovery map where all the non-alcoholic

wines are in one area, all the non-alcoholic

spirits and bitters are in one area. And

then as you go downstairs, you will

find the alcohol-free beer garden and

then the hemp and functional space.

So we’ve set this up so that they can

discover it by category.

AM: That’s great. And then there’s

also immersive wellness experiences

as well, right?

APG: Yes. So we partnered with Sage

and Sound, whose Upper East Side

wellness studio has a meditation experience.

And that will be led by Dara

Hart, who’s a Reiki master and spiritual

guide. So we wanted to have,

you know, something wellness adjacent

within the experience to really

bring to life that, you know, drinking

less but better is about overall wellness.

It’s not just about drinks, even

though they’re a huge part. It’s an

overarching thing.

And additionally, we will have live

podcasting with Samantha Feher

from the podcast Caps Lock, who will

be covering different topics on wellness;

helping educate the consumer

on different aspects of wellness; and

transparency and ingredients.

AM: And what types of attendees do

you foresee coming?

DA: You know, we see it being a mix.

This is not an industry event, but we

certainly expect some industry folks

will be there. But this is primarily a

consumer event. We’re targeting

a bit of a younger demographic. I

mean, that’s part of it. We just did a

big redesign for our website and our

app, now called The Daily Pour. And

part of the reason for that is our doubling

down in the Non-Alc space, but

also the fact that we really are trying

to target the 25 to 40 year old demo

of people, who have expendable income

but who care about health and

wellness.

also the fact that we really are trying to

target the 25 to 40 year old demo of people,

who have expendable income but

who care about health and wellness.

And by the way, it doesn’t mean that they

don’t drink alcohol. Right. It just means

that for a lot of them, they do drink alcohol.

They just are trying to drink less.

AM: That actually leads me into my next

question about Gen Z and millennials in

particular and whether they’re seeing

this as a specific intentional choice versus

a substitute. So as people are looking to

what to imbibe or include in their lifestyle

routines, how do you see the difference if

there are between different types of consumers

that some are just looking for this

and others maybe are moderating alcohol

consumption?

DA: So we think the targeting is the same.

Which is, it’s about quality beverages.

Whether you are trying to drink less;

whether you don’t drink at all; whether

you are moving from alcohol to hemp;

whatever the case may be - we think that

the piece that’s been missing is focusing

on the quality. And that’s how we started

this business.

We started this as a consumer facing

business to say to people, we’re going to

help you drink whiskey and tequila and

rum smarter and better. All we’re doing

is applying that same philosophy to

non-alcohol and functional beverages.

So it applies to all of them with regard

to and again, that’s why I think it’s so

important that I keep emphasizing that

we’re doing these awards in conjunction

with the event. Because it’s the same focus,

which is quality. What is the quality?

What are the ingredients? Because that’s

what drinking fine spirits is all about.

AM: And you guys are having a Omakase

Food Hall at the event, which I think

would get us to go to most events. What’s

involved with that?

APG: So we wanted to recreate exeriences

for consumers where they would

normally have alcohol, but really

show them they could have fun with

non-alcoholic and alternative beverages.

So we created a pairing experience

with well-known restaurants

in New York, including the Butcher’s

Daughter, Ado Lei, and Seatopia. Basically

with that VIP ticket, consumers

will get to go to two different counters

and have a pairing experience

where they have a light bite paired

with an alternative beverage.

AM: There’s also a mixology area for

the Drinks With Benefit Festival. What

kinds of things would guests be able

to mix?

APG: So yes, we have the mixology

lab. And we really wanted to bring

to life, have a space within the event

that made education fun. So The Pathfinder,

For Bitter For Worse, FLUÈRE,

those are some of the brands that

have taken over the space. And they’ll

be doing education, cocktail making

sessions, guided tastings.

The Alchemist Kitchen, which is in

Soho, they will do a lot of elixirs, and

a guided education with how to make

cocktails with different plants and

herbs and things like that. It’ll be a really

fun space for consumers to have

a hands-on education or edutainment

experience.

AM: For non-alcoholic consumers,

are they generally narrow-minded towards

the areas they’re focused on?

Or are they very open-minded, where

they would like to try the different categories

from beer, to a CBD, to maybe

a sparkling spritz or something?

DA: So look, yeah, obviously, it completely

depends on the person. There

are some people who simply don’t

want anything that is in any way

mind-altering, right? So they don’t

want functional alternatives.

They don’t want alcohol. That’s one. And

that’s probably a much smaller base of

consumers. There’s still people we’re

appealing to, but they are a much smaller

group. The much larger group are the

people who drink a little.

They also try functional beverages. They

try non-alcohol. They’re interested in different

areas. There are some folks who

only want functional beverages and not

alcohol. So it really depends. But what

we’re finding, based on the studies, is

that most of the people who drink these

non-alcohol and functional beverages

also drink alcohol.

AM: That’s super interesting. The space is

definitely booming as consumers are finding

multiple winners, in multiple categories,

as open-minded in trying new things.

And there might even be new categories

that come out in the future. What are

some untapped areas you could see now?

Or do you think pretty much we’re hitting

where we would be for several years to

come?

DA: I’d say the untapped is really the increase

in the quality and the focus on

ingredients. In a way that’s 10 years, 15

years ago, it was, ‘oh it’s just a non-alcoholic

wine.’ Or hey, I mean, ‘you probably

know this from it as a non-alcoholic beer

or whatever it is.’ And it’s like, ‘OK, is it

good? What is it made from?’ So that’s the

difference.

And I think that’s the future in terms of

where people are going, which is why

we’re trying to ride that wave of particularly

younger people who have been

brought up, focused on quality in a world

where the evaluation of quality hasn’t

been so focused on non-alcoholic spirits.

AM: Sure. And do you see that a lot of

these consumers are somewhat sophisticated

where the benefits will be worth the

price points?

DA: They’re becoming more sophisricated.

And I think that this is the whole phiosophy

behind what we’re doing, is

that we’re trying to help them become

more sophisticated. We’re the

place that can say to them, we know

you want to be more sophisticated.

Now let us help you get there in a really

accessible way.

AM: Yeah. Master edutainer, Dan. I

see that totally. I learn stuff from all

your other groundbreaking shows, I

just know a couple of things what to

do, not to do now because of you.

DA: My strengths are condensing

complicated information into a pretty

simple and accessible way to say it.

We’re kind of doing the same thing

here with drinks. We are taking a confusing

world of drinks and trying to

make it a lot more understandable

and to help them make choices.

And that’s not completely dissimilar

from what I do in my TV world. Sure.

And then also some humor here and

there.

AM: Totally. So and then after New

York, are there other cities you’re

looking to take this festival to?

DA: Yeah, we haven’t figured it out.

I mean, we definitely are thinking

about doing more. We want to first

get this one under our belts before

we start actively planning the next

one. We want to see what went right,

what went wrong, where could we

improve? And that will help us determine,

should we do another one

in New York? Should we think about

one in a different city? Our whiskey

and tequila events, we’re seeing

great success recently in launches in

some smaller cities like Scottsdale,

Arizona or Austin, Texas and places

like that. And so would that be our

next? I don’t know yet.

New York is a big swing. You know,

and honestly, if we weren’t kind of

first to market on this, we probably

wouldn’t have started in New York. But

I think that’s why we felt comfortable

starting in New York, because we were

stunned that this hasn’t existed yet.

AM: Tell us more about The Daily Pour, the

organizers of the Drinks With Benefits Festival.

DA: Yeah, it’s a consumer guide to drinking

better. And so it has what we do - we

have an app that aggregates reviews and

ratings, some of which we do, some of

which is from other places. But it allows it

to be a kind of one stop shop to tell you, is

this any good? I mean, I use it all the time

when I’m thinking about buying a whiskey

or something, because it allows me to see

numerous aggregated reviews. And a lot

of these are enthusiasts who’ve done reviews

who might not have put a number

on it. And we translate it into a number.

So the app is very useful. The website covers

different issues in the spirits industry.

We’ve recently been focusing on one particular

beverage in a particular week or a

particular month, which is another new

thing we’ve done.

But, you know, the Daily Pour literally

went live two days ago (formerly Bottle

Raiders). And it’s just a fundamentally

different vibe. Bottle Raiders was initially

designed based on a whiskey drinker..

And now you’re in a much brighter, more

vibrant place because we want it to be

more inclusive of the non-alcoholic and

wellness community as well.

APG: I think The Daily Pour is meeting the

consumer where they are today, covering

cross categories. So it’s covering ‘I do still

want to drink, but I want to drink better.’

So it’s covering spirits. Also, it’s ‘I want

to have that great margarita, but I don’t

want to have that during the week.’ Additionally

it’s covering functional beverages,

‘and I want to learn about Non-Alc.”

So I think that a lot of the other websites

treat Non-Alc and alternative beverages

like a footnote. Like it’s really hard to find

them. If you go to certain websites, they

have it hidden under culture. I’m like,

I don’t know how anyone would find

that. So we don’t want to treat it like

that.

I think about the scoring. I think that’s

extremely helpful to have this kind of

meta score, our signature rating system

that aggregates everyone’s point

of view and just gives space that is

sometimes hard to understand.

AM: And the app is free. Are there premium

plans to it or features?

APG: Yes, and then if you get the

premium subscription, that’s like $5

a month. And what are the benefits

of that, so it saves your taste list. You

get access to certain events and kind

of discounts on certain things that

we offer, exclusive content, things

like that.

AM: That’s terrific. And I also wanted

to ask about Ev & Em Vineyards, Dan.

DA: So Ev & Em is a winery that I acquired

in early 2021. It was right in the

heart of COVID and the winery owners

had kind of given up in COVID.

And I had a friend who is one of the

pioneers of the North Fork wine

scene who called me and said, hey,

you mentioned that you were interested

in buying a winery. Were you

serious? And I said, yeah, I was serious.

Because I told you if I ever saw

something really interesting that I

would let you know.

And this is really interesting. It has

one of the oldest planted vineyards

on the North Fork. It has a beautiful

location. It just needs some love.

It needs some new thoughts about

how to do the winemaking. And you

could have an A-list vineyard.

And he was right. Even by the ‘22 Vintage,

which was released in some of

it in ‘23, some of it only now for the

Reds, we’re creating luxury wines in

Long Island. So these are wines that

we think can compete with California,

Oregon, Washington, et cetera, in really

all varietals. And so that’s been

super exciting!

AM: And there are multiple offerings.

There’s a Reserve, correct?

DA: There is. Yeah, we’re making everything

from Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot

Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon

Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris. I

mean, we’ve got a whole range of offerings.

And in some of those, we have a Reserve.

So depending on the year, for

example in ‘22, we had a number of

Reserve wines on the Reds, some of

which actually haven’t even been released

yet. But our Reserve Red ‘22,

super proud of that.

‘23 was a tougher year for us, but ‘24

was amazing. So we’re very confident

about that ‘24 Vintage that’s coming

out. And ‘25 looks great as well.

Stay tuned for an upcoming THE 9LIST

of some of our (new) faves. We especially

enjoyed Non-Alc Mixed Mocktails

from The Pathfinder, Mad Flora,

Junglee; Non-Alc Sparkling Wines

from Society De La Rassi and Wölffer

Estate; THC/CBD Gummies and Drinks

from Studio TBD, Ayrloom, and Wynk;

and Alice Functional Mushrooms Functional

Mushroom Chocolates.

Please use responsibly. Follow the

age, laws, and other restrictions in

your state. Do not drink and drive

while empaired.

@drinkswithbenefits

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Paul Farkas

Last year, we got hooked to a twisty romantic

thriller The Couple Next Door on

STARZ. Each week we were hooked on

couples who lived in a cul-de-sac who had

so much going on in and between their

homes. As we don’t want to share any

spoliers, if you have yet to check this out,

you need to. With S2 of this show currently

airing their latest season, you hear more

about what took place in S1 as well as getting

connected with new characters that

will leave us open mouthed on what takes

place!

We sat down with Sam Palladio (Nashville,

The Princess Switch franchise, Catherine

the Great) as well as his co-star,

Sendhill Ramamurthy (Never Have I Ever,

Heroes, New Amsterdam). We wanted to

know how they came to this franchise, approached

playing their characters, as well

as preparing to bring them to life, and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Well we have been

fans of both of your work, so it’s good that

you guys are here! What drew you to The

Couple Next Door?

SENDHILL RAMAMURTHY: It was just

very different! I was doing a show for Netflix

that was a real kind of fantasy show

where there were a lot of special effects,

and it’s very kind of heightened where

people have powers and all of that. This

was just more of a grounded scenario and

it really appealed to me, because I’ve been

talking to a tennis ball stuck on a stick for

weeks and weeks! So to be able to actually

speak to Sam and to Bel was really nice

to speak to human beings! That was the

draw for me!

SAM PALLADIO: Yeah, for me. I think you

know I grew up in the UK. I’ve been in

Nashville and in the states for over a decade,

but I really felt a draw to go back

and do some, um, great, you know, British

television, even though we shot it in

Belgium!

Finding a role that was something different.

This is my first time sort of playing

that character that’s not just the sort of

charming singer/songwriter, you

know? Jacob obviously, given a huge

arc to the show and becomes our

villain, you know, and that was really

exciting for me to lean into that

as a sort of? As I sort of age into my

late 30s and finding a bit more gravitas

and having lived a lot more life, it

was a really exciting challenge to a bit

like Sendhill says. Play something real

and grounded, but a character that

that does some dark things you know

and explore that world with a British

production behind it.

AM: Wow!

What is that creative process like

when you’re bringing these kinds of

characters to life? Are there certain

things that you do and how do you

connect with each of the people you

play with?

SR: We were really lucky in that we actually

got to sit down for a few days,

just kind of like the 4 of us around the

table with our director, Dries Vos and

just read through the scripts. I mean,

it wasn’t quite a rehearsal –

AM: Right.

SR: Bit, it was as close as you get on

television to a rehearsal. I don’t know

about you Sam, but for me, that that’s

never really happened. We’ve never

had the opportunity to kind of like,

sit there, and you know, you get the

table. You get a table read every once

in a while, but we, you know, you never

get to sit around for hours, talking

about scenes, and like, “hey, I’m not

sure this works or I don’t understand

this –“

SP: Yeah!

SR: This was all before we guys came

on set, that was like it was a huge

blessing really. I’m grateful that they

made sure that we were able to have

that because I think that it was huge-

that because I think that it was hugely

helpful for all of us!

SP: I think that’s it. The production team

were really collaborative, and I haven’t

been part of a show where I felt like we

were all equal, you know, and had a say

and and they really valued our opinions.

You know, there’s a lot of jobs you do

where you’re a number on a call sheet,

and you turn up on the day, you learn the

lines, you’re in and out, and nice to meet

you guys bye! This felt from the ground

up, like a like a big collaboration. For me,

sort of preparing, well, one thing we got

to do, which was amazing, was, you know,

I? I play an anesthetist and Bel is my wife

and an incredible heart surgeon. Ahead of

filming, we got to go and observe, a real

open heart surgery.

AM: Oh, wow!

SP: We were able to be in the room and

be a fly on the wall. Well, kind of more

than a fly on the wall, actually, because

the surgeons were really excited to meet

us, even though they were in the middle

of the bowel replacement! We were really

chatty, and myself and Aggy (Oh Ramona,

Eden Lodge, The Perfect Escape) went

along that that morning and was just trying

to like, be quiet, and they were just

asking questions and they were really excited.

But for me to observe the anesthetist

and his world, it was just invaluable,

you know? Because a lot of that hospital

drama and the medical drama, you know,

we didn’t want to just be actors.

AM: Right.

SP: You know? So that was a really great

grounding for all that medical side of the

show. And then, for, you know, the sort

of emotional side, I just had lots of threesomes!

AM: As you do, apparently!

SP: Haha no – no!

AM: Right, exactly?

Well, we were huge fans of S1. This

show is all about the intricacies and

dynamics that take place over the

season, and if S1 was any indication, it

will be exciting to see how it plays out

here as well!

What can you tell us about Jacob and

Leo that we should be prepared to

know in watching S2?

SP: What you need to be prepared

to know is that, I think what was so

great about series 1, and that we’ve

sort of expanded on in series 2, is

this relationship drama. This sort of,

you know – coming from episode 1,

there’s this kind of tension, and this

this thriller aspect to it, which I think

is really watchable and really enjoyable

for a viewer. It’s nicely paced. It

doesn’t sort of jump straight in and

throw these characters into crazy situations.

It’s like a slow burn, which I

really like, because that allows you to

sort of get to know the characters.

You know, Jacob, is this sort of high

flyer? Got it, got it. All you know,

seemingly has a great relationship,

but they are also at a stage in their life

where they don’t have kids, they’re

sort of like they’ve reached the kind

of peak of, like, we’re great at what

we do. We’ve got the house we’ve

got all you know, what’s missed in

and there is something missing from

their relationship, and it turns out that

Mia is quite a catalyst for bringing out

this darker side and these darker fantasies,

and I think it’s just interesting

watching a couple explore that. Obviously,

Jacob’s jealousy, professional

jealousy, and personal jealousy really

starts to amp up and progresses as

things start to unravel. So for me, it’s

a really great opportunity and challenge

to show some of those darker

colors, and you know, and not giving

too much away - it’s quite a journey.

AM: It’s exciting!

SR: From Leo, the thing that I guess the

audience should know about and the

thing, though I really enjoyed about him,

was also very hard to kind of, you know,

to convey. He was an insider in this group,

but he was a very different person. He

wasn’t a fully formed human being. He

came from an extremely wealthy family.

He was very spoiled, very self-involved,

and he has his heart broken, you know, by

Bel’s character, Charlotte and he leaves.

This is him coming back as a much more

involved person and somebody who’s

learned from life. He’s kind of like an observer

a lot of the time, you know?

He’s able to see Charlotte, for who she

was and who she is now, and what may be

lacking and saying to Jacob, like they’ve

never had a great relationship. They’ve

always kind of been like in opposition to

each other, and those were, you know,

some of my favorite things to play actually

were with Sam when we got to, you

know, kind of, because we get along really

well off camera.

AM: Right!

SR: We’re living above each other in the

same facility, and we were hanging out all

the time, but we got to have this very different

relationship on camera. That was

something that was a lot of fun to play,

but I think it’ll be fun for the audience also

to just kind of watch. Like, it’s always fun

watching, like two kind of alphas going

for the same girl.

AM: Love it.

SR: Yeah, it’s fun. I think that people can

expect a thrilling kind of ride, and it goes

in places that I never thought it was gonna

go! As I was reading it, I was like, “we’re

gonna do that?”

Okay! I think there’s a little something in

there for everyone.

@sampalladio

@sendhill_rama

After chatting with both of the male

leads in this series, we took a few moments

to chat with another co-star,

Annabel Scholey (Apollo Has Fallen,

The Split, Dead and Burried) who

plays Charlotte, a surgeon that is married

to Jacob. We wanted to find out

more about how she came to this series

and what we should expect when

we’re about to watch this thriller.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What drew you

to want to be part of The Couple Next

Door?

ANNABEL SCHOLEY: Well, I saw series

1 actually and really loved it, and

I’m from that part of England. I’m

from Yorkshire.

So that was a big draw because I haven’t

- I don’t always get to play that

region!

AM: Right.

AS: Because I went to drama school,

and I have a pretty RP accent (Editor’s

Note: An RP accent or Received Pronunciation,

is a non-regional, educated

accent of English associated with

the upper classes and public schools

of southern England, rather than a

specific geographic region.) So, it was

really nice to go back to my route, and

I’ve always wanted to play a surgeon

because I’m a big Grey’s Anatomy fan

–

AM: Same.

AS: Oh yeah! Christina Yang (Sandra

Oh) has always been my favorite, so I

was, like, oh my God, this is amazing!

I get to be Christina Yang! It’s kind of

the initial attraction and it is just a really

brilliant part - very complicated

and quite challenging, physically as

well. I like a good challenge normally.

AM: And what was that creative process

like, for you and being able to

bring Charlotte to life?

AS: I had to work pretty hard on particularly

the medical stuff, because obviously

you can’t really - you have to fake it so

well, right? It just looks, shit, basically if

you don’t do it right.

We did do a lot of research. We went into

an open heart surgery.

AM: That’s what Sam was seeing this

morning!

AS: Yeah, it was incredible. It really was it.

I thought I might faint because I can be

a bit fainty, but I just thought it was the

most incredible thing I’ve ever seen and

really empowering. And I just thought,

thank God, there are humans who can do

this!

AM: Exactly.

AS: Sam and I had quite physical things to

do together with the big scene towards

the end. It’s very physical, very difficult.

Obviously, the sex element of it was quite

a big challenge as well. Sam and I got on so

well, right from the start from our chemistry

test so we’d be comfortable with each

other, which really helped obviously.

AM: Well, what can you tell us about Charlotte?

Like you, we love S1, so it will be exciting

to see what the dynamics will be for

these characters.

AS: Yes, I think, because she’s 40 and

so am I, that is an interesting point in a

woman’s life, I think, you know? Charlotte

hasn’t got any children, I do, but she’s at

the top of her game. She’s worked really

hard on her career. But she doesn’t know

what’s next.

I think it’s an interesting moment turning

40. It doesn’t mean what it used to mean

like, that’s it, you’re done. And it certainly

doesn’t mean that anymore. It’s more like

a rebirth, and I think that that’s what she

goes through during this. She has a rebirth

and that was really attractive to me

to explore.

AM: o, what do you want fans to walk

away from as we watch S2 and seeing

this cast of characters together?

AS: I really hope the fans, I mean I

know the fans are HUGE fans of Sam

Heughan (Outlander, The Couple

Next Door, Love Again), so I, I hope

they come back!

AM: Right!

AS: We have the wonderful Sam! I

feel like, because it was loved and the

momentum of the show, it is shocking.

It has a lot of twists and turns. It’s

gripping. I’ve been told by everyone

over here who watched it that they

couldn’t stop. They binged it. I really

want people, though, to, to get

the sense that, you know, it’s okay

to keep exploring yourself sexually.

When you’re married, don’t just settle

out of a habit, you know? I do think

it explores those themes and that has

happened in the UK. I think the audience

did. That was the topic, the conversation.

Like, I think that’s great.

What it is to be a woman and to feel

sexy also professional, and not necessarily

a mother. And so, yeah, I really

hope the audience obviously, enjoy

watching, the sexy and the thriller

side of it this time; more so than in

series 1 I think. But yeah, I think that

that’s what I wanted to take.

@bel_scholey

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | STARZ/

The Couple Next Door

As we look to other cities around the

globe that will continue to showcase SS26

fashion in menswear and womenswear,

this month, we’re sharing a recap of some

of the shows that we attended and what

stood out during this season’s NYFW.

JANET MANDELL NYFW SS26

We kicked off our first day of NYFW at the

Janet Mandell show which took place in

the LES at The DL. Her show was A Tribute

to Vintage: Janet Mandell’s Archival Runway.

Earlier this year, we had the pleasure

of attending her showroom here in NY

(she also has them in Chicago and Los Angeles)

which is home to rare vintage who

has dresses the Kardashians, Rachel Zoe,

Mindy Kaling, and more.

To see these pieces on the runway with a

candlelit backdrop on a rooftop, we loved

seeing some of the most coveted looks

in luxury rental fashion! This show showcased

rare looks from the 90s and early

2000s with designs by Roberto Cavalli,

Christian Dior by John Galliano, Gucci by

Tom Ford and Gianni Versace.

At the conclusion of this show, which left

a number of the guests in a dream to see

these pieces all in one place, we enjoyed

champagne after the event as a means to

get ready for a busy season ahead!

@janetmandell

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 122 - 123

Janet Mandell |

MORPHEW FLAGSHIP LAUNCH

Interestingly enough, upon leaving The

DL, we made our way around the block to

Morphew who had a lovely get together to

launch their new location of their vintage

luxury fashion and art. Their collection includes

ready-to-wear, rare luxury vintage,

and atelier pieces.

@morphew_world

NEW YORK MEN’S DAY MORNING SES-

SION NYFW SS26

Although we had attended functions

the night before, NYMD took place

on the first official day of NYFW. This

event is one that we enjoy due to the

fact that over the course of the morning

and the afternoon, you see a curated

group of designers.

Both sessions took place at the Mercedes-Benz

of Manhattan, which is a

large showroom. This season’s presenting

sponsors were PROJECT (represents

what’s new, now, and next in

men’s contemporary apparel, footwearm

and accessories) and COTERIE

(is the premier women’s contemporary

to advanced apparel, footwear,

and accessories platform).

The venue host was at the Mercedes-Benz

of Manhattan showroom,

which allowed attendees to see all the

shows, while also being immersed in

a luxury space showcasing this brand

and partnerships.

In this first group of shows, 4 brands

presented their collection to attendees.

archie was part of NYMD for the

first time. They shared their line with

their models rotating on a playground

spinner with neutral tones. It was a

great way to see the movement of the

collection as well as to see everything

together.

Peak Lapel was back for another season

and had a number of tipped blazers

in primary colors with a nod to

preppy style. As opposed to being in

motion, this presentation of this collection

allowed attendees to see them

playing chess and had a feeling of sitting

in the park as opposed to being

in a luxury showroom with G Wagons

nearby.

Clara Son is a menswear brand that

was back for another season. This

collection had a playful take on menswear

while incorporating suiting and

great separates. There were pops of colors

as well as neutrals. It’s always a line that

has a distinct point of view.

The last designer to be part of NYMD for

the morning session was Oxblood Zebra

that returned for another season. This collection

has signature pieces that reminded

us of items that your favorite artist or athlete

would wear.

@newyorkmensday

@coterie_show

@archie__usa

@peaklapelnyc

@clarasonstudio

@theoxbloodzebra

@mercedesbenzmanhattan

PHOTO CREDITS | PG 124 Oxblood Zebra/

Angel Flores | PG 125 Max Esmail |

RYNSHU NYFW SS26

Rynshu’s box style show allowed every attendee

to see the looks that hit the runway

at all angles. Although this brand was new

to us, we loved the flowing silhouettes, sequins,

and a clean palette.

@rynshu

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 127 Rynshu

|

NEW YORK MEN’S DAY AFTERNOON SES-

SION NYFW SS26

We made our way back to the Mercedes-Benz

of Manhattan showroom to

see the afternoon shows, which included

4 additional designers.

For the first time, FIT MW25 Collective

shared a curated group of designs! It’s always

nice to see what the next generation

of creatives and designers are looking to

do to put their fingerprint on this industry!

Bryan Jimenez introduced their menswear

collection for the first time at NYMD this

season! We found that this collection has

great core essentials that could be worn

dressed up or even casually. It also had

such an easy sensability that we can’t

wait to continue to see more from this

designer and how it will evolve from

season to season.

The first time that we had seen Joseph

McRae, it was at another season

of NYMD. If you have been watching

the current season of Freeform’s Project

Runway, you know that he was a

contestant and he brought the drama

in a number of the challenges. We’re

not doing a spoiler alert in case you

have yet to see it. As usual, he likes to

play with proportion, he’s phenomenal

when it comes to dramatic pieces

that make a statement.

Max Esmail returned with suiting and

outerwear in menswear. The fact that

we were at the Mercedes-Benz showroom,

it was a great backdrop for this

Miami Vice gotham style look.

@fitnyc

@bryanjimeneznyc

@joseph_mcrae

@max.esmail

PHOTO CREDITS | PG 125 Max Esmail |

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO, MACY’S I.N.C

X CHRISTIAN SIRIANO + RECEPTION

NYFW SS26

A Christian Siriano is an event not to

be missed, from star studded attendees,

to fashion that is always next level,

we were excited to see his NYFW

SS26 runway show that took place at

Macy’s. Transformed into a golden

draped space his muse, Coco Rocha

opened and closed this phenomenal

show which was filled with dramatic

pieces.

Once this show completed, we made

our way to the executive floor of this

iconic heritage department store,

where they had a gallery of curated

looks by the designer who also serves

as Creative Director of Macy’s I.N.C.

The selection of blazers that were embellished

with details was nice to see as we

made our way to the roofdeck to enjoy a

cocktail reception. In addition to Christian

coming to celebrate the 40th year of Macy’s

I.N.C. he mingled with guests along

with Coco Rocha herself.

@csiriano

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 128 - 132

Christian Siriano |

NATALIA FEDNER NYFW SS26

We have been fans of Natalia Fedner ever

since we saw her S1 on Project Runway. She

is known for creating Stretch Metal which

has been created for dresses, tops, skirts,

and swimwear. A number of celebs from

Lenny Kravitz, Beyonce, Shakira, Jennifer

Lopez, and more have worn her pieces. In

addition, we have even styled her pieces

in our cover photoshoot of an NFL Super

Bowl Champion winner as well.

We enjoyed seeing her show on Sun night

during NYFW for her SS26 collection

which had a number of fun pieces in Metal

Couture from solids to prints in her iconic

6-way Stretch Metal style.

@nataliafedner

PHOTO CREDITS | PG 134 + 135 Natalia

Fedner |

FREDERICK ANDERSON NYFW SS26

For the past few seasons, we have enjoyed

attending Frederick Anderson’s NYFW

shows, and for his SS26 season, he focused

on the concept of joy. There were definite

beach vibes in his collection that made you

think of booking a trip to Bali, Sao Paulo,

and Miami. Of course they are perfect for

warm nights right here in NYC!

@frederickanderson_designer

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 136 + 137

Frederick Anderson |

MOTT50 EDITION + COOLIBAR NYFW

SS26

We ended our NYFW shows at 230

Fifth Rooftop Bar where Coolibar,

a suncare brand for apparel showcased

elements of their collection as

a standing presentation, a runway

show for Coolibar, and another runway

show for their luxury portion of

the line known as Mott50. Before and

after the show, we enjoyed a sunny

warm summer night in the golden

hour which was paired with cocktails

and light bites.

Protecting our skin and wearing products

that have UPF 50+ built in is a

great way to make sure that you are

taking care of yourself. We had the

pleasure of interviewing Supermodel

and 90s icon, Niki Taylor moments before

she made her return to the runway

in this show as she opened and

closed it!

ATHLEISURE MAG: It is so great to sit

with you before you hit the runway!

I remember when your first cover for

Seventeen Magazine came out and it’s

great to see how you have navigated

your career. It’s so great to meet you.

When did you realize that you wanted

to be a model?

NIKI TAYLOR: Oh my gosh! My mom

was a model, she had done a couple

magazine covers for Gold Coast back

in the early 70s, and then she became

a photographer. I think just growing

up, I was always taller than everybody

else. I think that’s when people

were like, “oh, she should get into

modeling.”

AM: Exactly!

NT: There were some teen things going

on in South Florida, so we looked

up modeling agencies in Fort Lauderdale

and Irene Marie and Michele

Pommier came up and I went to both

of them. So my mom and I, we made a little

black and white comp card and went

to a photographer that took black and

white photos. I just remember, that I had

the hat and the bob and a couple at my

mom’s photos we put on this comp card

and we sent it into Irene Marie and they

said no. They’re like, “nope, she needs

braces - come back when her braces are

off.” At that time, I was getting ready to

get them. I did. I came back and there was

a guy named JJ Cortez at Irene Marie. He

was a modeling scout, and he said, “hey,

we’re gonna sign you,” and the rest is history!

AM: You’ve had a phenomenal career from

covers, hosting, and just so many different

things. What do you love about what it is

that you do, and did you envision that it

would be all of this?

NT: I was a fan first. I would spend my allowance.

I would ride my bike to the drugstore,

buy a Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue,

and then put Christy, Naomi, and Linda

on my wall!

AM: Exactly.

NT: I would look at that and say, I’m going

to do that! I think that the drugstore

had Italian Vogue one time – I don’t know

how it got there!

AM: But it was like destiny!

NT: It was. It was all of the girls doing fashion

shows. I remember I was, like, oh my,

gosh, there’s Helena Christensen. There is

Christy Turlington, she’s my favorite. Anything

that I could find with Steven Meisel

that he shot was on my wall.

Irene Marie brought me to New York. I

did a modeling competition for Spectrum,

and I won that. And then, from there, I

signed with them and then I went to, um,

my first show which was Thierry Mugler

when when I was 14. I just remember being

the first model there. So I got to watch

them all come in, and all the personalities

that arrived! My dad had one of those little

throwaway cameras. I remember

my dad coming with me.

I sat down and Danilo was doing my

hair, and I could see Helena Christensen

behind me and smiling at each

other. I just feel like I was more a fan

and the fact that I am still doing this

and I get to do this, I’m very lucky.

AM: Well, we love hearing about people’s

fitness routines. So, what are 3

that you do that we should consider

incorporate into ours?

NT: Well, this is my husband, Burney.

AM: Hello!

NT: We weight train and see a trainer

twice a week. We do a lot of walking.

We love riding bikes. Anywhere we

go on vacation or from work, we try

to find somewhere that has bikes.

AM: That’s so cute!

BURNEY LAMAR: Have you done the

Citi Bikes?

AM: No, I have not done the Citi Bikes.

NT: Oh my gosh, you have to!

BL: They’re amazing.

AM: I don’t know, you have the crazy

drivers and then you have you on

the Citi Bike. Yeah, I don’t know about

that.

BL: They have a dedicated lane for

them!

NT: Oh yeah they have they green

lane.

AM: Oh yes – as long as they adhere

to that!!

NT: They definitely look out for that

bike lane! Talk about getting around

fast!

AM: That part is true!

NT: Especially if you are late for something.

It does help having somebody with

you.

BL: We were ripping around last night.

NT: We did! We went downtown to the

Oculus on our Citibikes. Then he said, “alright,

let’s take the train,” so we’ll took it

back uptown. Then we took another bike

so we’re always moving.

We also do a lot of cardio as well, in addition

to trying to lift heavyweight 2X a

week. It’s because of him that I do that,

because if it’s just me, then I’m going to

just want to stretch.

AM: Right, I thought that you were going

to say pilates, but you have such a great

mix.

NT: I just turned 50 and I’m a grandma, so

I have a 9 month old grandbaby. His name

is Nico. So, we just have to keep moving

and that’s our workout routine pretty

much!

AM: Are there things that you do when

you’re about to do a photoshoot, campaign,

walk the runway etc to get into

that mindset?

NT: I just feel like we do something every

day. I love food. I’m a good eater and I always

have been. You can ask my husband,

I go up and I go down. I can tell when

things are getting a little tight, right?

AM: Yup!

NT: It’s just portion control and a little bit

more cardio! I’ve always been like that,

and I have a sweet tooth. I can probably

put down dessert more than anybody

here. I love my sugar. So I have to workout.

To get ready for this, I just try to do

something every day, and I’m just trying

to bring up my heart rate and sweat a little

bit.

AM: How did you get connected to

this brand? And you know, how excited

are you going to be to be able to be

a part of the show today?

NT: I’m not sure you’ve met Luis.

AM: Not yet.

NT: Not yet, okay so he will be speaking

a little bit tonight. Him and I, we

worked together in Miami, before

this company for another clothing

company. I just grew up in South

Florida. I’ve always been in the sun.

I know the importance of protecting

your skin, and I just wish I had this

clothing back then. We love being

outside. I could have used their sun

sleeves. They have an amazing bandana.

I love their sun hats, too. My

daughter, Ciel and I, we got to do this

shoot together, which was fun. And

she’s very good about protecting her

skin. She doesn’t go in the sun at all.

My dad struggled a little bit towards

the end of his life and had squamous

(Editor’s Note: A common type of skin

cancer that develops in the flat, thin

cells – squamous cells – of the skin’s

outer layer). So they were cutting

off little pieces of his shoulders – he

would mow the lawn without his shirt

on. He would run and he had no sunscreen

and back then, we didn’t wear

sunscreen!

AM: Back then it wasn’t something

that we think about as much as we

do not. And sunscreen is for everyone

across skin tones, hues, shades and

whether the sun is out or not – regardless

of the time of year!

NT: Yes!

AM: If you are breathing, you need to

wear and use it!

NT: Oh yeah and think about the areas

you don’t think about like your

ears and there are so many areas that

just get avoided.

AM: Especially your neck when you’re

hair is pulled up and you’re not thinking

about it.

NT: I wish this clothing brand was out

there back in the 90s, it would have

been nice. But this brand is UPF 50+

protection from UVA, UVB, and It’s

98 protection. It was founded in 2001

it’s the first brand that earned the

Skin Cancer Foundation recommendation.

AM: That’s huge.

NT: I just love that you’re protected

and it does not wash out. It’s in the

clothing.

AM: The lookbook was amazing and it

will be nice to see the collection when

it hits the runway! The pieces are just

so modern, very stylish and flowy, and

I just appreciate you taking the time.

@nikilovesu

@coolibar

@mott50

PHOTO CREDITS | PG 138 - 143 Coolibar

|

We’ve covered a number of top surfers as

well as competitions. In this month’s issue,

we wanted to find out more about A

Great Day in the Stoke which focuses on

championing Black surfers to ensure that

they are recognized at an elite level. For

the last 5 years this competition has done

exactly that with partnerships by Lexus

and Complex. Because of this event and

those partnerships, it assisted Julian Williams

the wild card at US Open of Surfing!

We wanted to take some time ahead

of this year’s event to talk with AGDITS

founder, Nate Fluellen who is also a surfer

and traveler. We wanted to know more

about his passion for surfing, why he loves

it, and creating this event!

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in

love with Surfing?

NATE FLUELLEN: While I was preparing

for my award-winning adventure travel

TV show, World Wide Nate: African Adventures,

is when I fell in love with surfing.

That show was all about demystifying

travel to Africa to the average American

millennial. I started taking lessons at Venice

Beach Pier on a wave storm and loved

being in the water, finally learning how to

surf. I always wanted to learn since I was

a pre-teen.

But the moment I truly fell in love with

surfing happened in Durban, South Africa,

when I surfed with the Zulu boys &

girls from the youth organization called

Surfers Not Street Children while filming

my TV show. That experience added so

much depth because the joy those kids

had was contagious; it was euphoric, like

I was in utopia. I marveled at their surf

vibes mixed with African culture, and

hearing them speak Zulu or Xhosa while

being free of any worry in the world is the

spirit I live to be in daily.

AM: What is it that you love about this

sport?

NF: When I’m in the ocean, I feel I’m closest

to God. It is my saltwater therapy, and

the days I see a pod of dolphins, which

is often, the day is always magical. I

love how each wave is different, and

in a split second, you have to make a

decision on how to catch the wave,

put yourself in position, battle the

next surfer for position, and pop up.

It keeps the mind sharp and the body

active.

AM: Why did you want to launch AG-

DITS and why is it held in Surf City

USA?

NF: During the pandemic, the surf

community came together in solidarity

in response to the murders of

George Floyd, Breonna Tayler, and

Ahmaud Aubrey. After the 3rd paddle

out, I was exhausted from reacting to

a tragedy and believed it shouldn’t

be the continuous reason we come

together. I’m an HBCU graduate of

Tennessee State University, and we

come together during homecoming

to celebrate our love for higher education

and each other. I wanted to

take inspiration from that joy and just

celebrate our lives, love for the ocean,

and surfing. And to meet each other,

we discovered each other through social

media, but didn’t have the chance

to connect in real life.

AM: Now that you are in the 4th year

of this event, what can we keep our

eyes out for?

NF: During the 4th year, you can keep

your eyes out for great competitors

with Julian Williams defending his

title, Cherif Fall and Brandon Benjamin

are back, and a lot of new talented

faces. The ladies are showing up

strong! We have Monik Santos back

to defend her title from Brazil, and ladies

from Senegal.

AM: Tell us about the kinds of events

that will take place during AGDITS?

NF: We’re excited and proud to have

Lexus as our presenting sponsor, and

they will have their Surf LX on display.

Lululemon is powering a 5k fun run/walk,

which starts at their store at Pacific City

Mall to the beach. They’re also hosting our

beach yoga sessions and wellness zone.

The Nickelodeon Kids Zone will be packed

with kid activities, and Bones Loves Milk

will have an arts & craft surfboard station.

Yeti will have water stations to keep everyone

hydrated, and Red Bull will keep

everyone’s energy high. Melanated Jump

Squad will lead our Double-Dutch competition,

Organic Gorilla will showcase their

products, Eco by Ry will glass two surfboards

and donate them to our drawing

and Black Surfers Association, founded

by Tony Corely, will celebrate their 50th

anniversary.

AM: You have great partners involved in

this year’s event from Lexus to Lululemon

- what does that mean to you to have them

involved?

NF: Having them on board makes me

proud of the event that has been built

and honored how they’re showing up to

support diversity in the line-up. We say it

takes a village to raise a child, and we are

a human community, and when we focus

on a common goal, nothing is impossible.

I’m thankful for all the partners involved.

AM: Will you have AGDITS in other cities?

NF: Of course, the Chocolate Tide is Rising

around the world, and pretty soon I

will make an announcement, but for now

I will keep that information classified.

AM: Are there any other events that we

can keep our eye out for?

NF: You can keep a lookout for the 5th annual

AGDITS. However, if some announcements

pop up before next September you

will be the first to know!

@agreatdayinthestoke

@worldwidenate

In addition, we connected with another

surfer who not only participates in AGDITS,

but also runs events for this organization

here in NYC! Farmy Dia enjoys

surfing in Far Rockaway and getting

her perspective on this event and why

she loves this sport allows us to see it

from the competing athletes perspective

as well.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall

in love with surfing?

FARMY DIA: I first fell in love with

surfing from the moment that I tried

it. But, I really started to fall in love

with it when I was able to share that

passion and love for the water with

the community around me. And for

me, surfing expanded my life in so

many ways that I could never imagine.

I continued to grow as a person

and my capacity to love also grew.

AM: What made you realize that you

wanted this sport into your life and

what do you love about it?

FD: Honestly, I knew that I wanted to

keep surfing that very first summer.

Just because it was so much fun. I

was a junior in high school and it’s the

first thing that really excited me and

was so different from what I’m used

to. So I knew I wanted to keep doing

it. Then I think when I realized I could

actually make a career out of this and

build off of this and do more than just

enjoy surfing, it was kind of a wrap

from there.

AM: You were born and raised in Rockaway

NY which is a surf town! What

do you love about being able to surf in

this community?

FD: My surf community in Rockaway

is in my opinion one of the most special

in the world. It is super diverse,

it’s a reflection of what the city is. But

in the water, you get to meet people

from all different walks of life, you get

to learn so many different personal

stories and it’s cool because you also

get so many opportunities from it. In

New York, they always say “this is where

you come to chase your dreams” and the

last thing you expect us to do is surfing

also, but it just makes anything possible

really. The world is your oyster when

you’re out here. I’ve met so many Black

people in the water, people that are from

different parts of Asia, people that you

just wouldn’t expect or even think about

meeting in the water. So that for me is the

coolest part of this community.

AM: Why are you excited to be participating

in AGDITS?

FD: I love AGDITS. I think that what Nate

is doing with this is so amazing and honestly

really inspiring for me personally.

He’s created a space for us in the surfing

world that is just that next step. We have

Black surfers on tour, but we didn’t have

our own competition, our own platform

and that’s what Nate created for us. It’s

so exciting to meet different surfers and

Black surfers from all over the world, hear

their stories, see how they surf, because

all the styles are different depending on

where you come from also depending on

the waves you ride and so, yeah I’m just

really excited to be a part of this. Even if

I win or I don’t win, it’s always just like a

blessing to take part in AGDITS.

AM: You were the Champion and runner

up in the last 2 years of AGDITS, what does

that mean to you?

FD: The year that I won the competition

was insane for me. I couldn’t believe it

and then, it was kind of a happy and a sad

thing. It made me really happy because I

couldn’t believe I won, but it made me a

little sad because I had so little like --- I just

didn’t believe in myself to even imagine

myself winning. The fact that I was able to

do it anyways even though I didn’t think

I could was awesome, but it was like a

wakeup call for me. And so it is just is really

empowering. I come to our office and

I’ll look at the trophy and I’m reminded

of what I was able to do and how I was

able to achieve something even though I

didn’t think I could. And, for me, I’m just a

stepping stone in the journey of Black

surfing and so if this is one stone that

I can step on, this means there will be

so many more steps for future generations

and future surfers to climb.

AM: Do you run events from this event

here in NY and if so, tell us about them!

FD: I do run some events out here

in New York. I do Salty Sisters with

my best friend Autumn and I also

am an organizer at Laru Beya Collective.

Salty Sisters is pretty much our

monthly surf and wellness meetups

that we open to POC women all over

the state. We actually have people

coming from Connecticut and people

coming from Jersey and so, it’s been

really cool to just be able to build this

community. The collective is based

on our friendship and our sisterhood

that we developed over the last few

years, and seeing it happen in real

time for other people is a dream come

true. And then we have Laru Beya Collective

which is a 501 (c)(3) non profit

and our mission is to empower the

youth of New York through surfing.

So, I always like to say sometimes I’m

just a result of what’s important to

me, and I’m seeing more and more results

as we continue to take in more

and more generations of kids.

AM: When you’re not surfing, what

can we fInd you doing?

FD: When I’m not surfing, I’m usually

working, spending time with friends,

going on an adventure. Recently I really

got into dancing a lot more, and

so that’s been really fun. Also, a lot of

community organizing and partnerships.

I’m all about bonding with other

people even if I’m not in the water.

AM: Are there any upcoming projects

that we can keep our eye out for?

FD: I do have a few fun projects coming

up actually. We did our Africa project

where we sent a container with

two barrels and 20 surfboards and so

our recap will be coming out soon -

keep an eye out for that. And then,

I’ll be heading to Portugal a few days

after AGDITS to take part in the Gliding

Barnacles, which is a surf festival

taking place out there. I’m really excited.

It’s surfing, art, photography

and shaping. It kind of again redefines

what surfing is, because it’s not

a competition, it’s a place for many

professionals to gather.

@farmydia_

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | A Good

Day in the Stoke

We’re excited that next month we’ll

be attending and covering this year’s

Food Network New York City Wine &

Food Festival presented by Invesco

QQQ from Oct 15 - 19th which will be

held in their brand new home at The

Seaport! It’s an event we enjoy covering

as we connect with a number of

our favorite chefs who have been previous

covers, inbooks, etc. over the

past few years. We love being abl to

enjoy a number of restaurants that

are local to this city as well as giving

us tastes from other eateries as well.

It’s about the love of the community

coming together from TV personalities,

cookbook authors, and more.

To get an idea of what it’s liking being

at the NYCWFF, you can see our coverage

from last year (we’ve included a

few of our favorite moments from last

year here). We’re looking forward to

tasting a number of great dishes, connecting

with our favorite chefs, and a

number of surprised along the way.

There are a number of events throughout

the 5 days of this food festival!

We’re excited that we will be attending

A Taste of the Tin Building: A Culinary

Journey hosted by Jean-Georges

Vongerichten and Gregory Gourdet,

Asian Night Market hosted by

Padma Lakshmi and Jean-Georges

Vongerichten, The Agave Experience:

Fine Tequila, Mezcals and Mexican

Flavors hosted by Brie Larson and

Courney McBroom, FoodieCon, and

Sunday Supper presented by Peroni

hosted by “The Pasta Queen” Nadia

Caterina Munno and Lil Mo Mozzarella.

Next month, in our OCT ISSUE #118,

we will recap this event as well as

share interviews that we did during

this time as well!

@nycwff

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Paul Farkas

We enjoyed attending Orange Glou Fair,

which is founded by Doreen Winkler who

owns Orange Glou, which connects you to

phenomenal Orange Wines from natural

wine producers from around the world!

Her expertise in the industry whether she

is consulting as a somm or simply sharing

wines with her community of enthusiasts,

is what we have enjoyed! We always enjoy

hearing from her!

At this year’s Orange Glou Fair, over 200 Orange

Wines are available to taste whether

you purchase a ticket for their first or second

session! We wanted to know what to

expect from this year’s event taking place

on Oct 26th!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We enjoyed attending

the Orange Glou Fair a few years ago and

are looking forward to the next one! For

those that have yet to attend what is Orange

Glou Wine Fair?

DOREEN WINKLER: Our Wine Fair celebrates

top orange and amber wines from

around the world, with a special focus on

the Republic of Georgia and Europe this

year. It’s a relaxed walk-around tasting

where winemakers share the stories behind

their wines. Only top orange wines

from the best producers will be tasted, so

it’s super selective. Guests can expect to

taste over 150 wines this year.

AM: What can we expect for this year’s

event and is there anything new that is

taking place that we should know about?

DW: This year, the fair will be held over

two floors at Home Studios in Flatiron.

One room will host producers primarily

from Austria and Germany, while another

will feature Hungarian, Italian, and American

wines. The third room will showcase

Georgian wines. Georgian restaurant Chito

Gvrito will provide warm Georgian bites

available for purchase, and we will offer

cheese plates for purchase again this year.

Also, we will host a panel about Georgian

wines with producers and a wine journalist

in the first session.

AM: Are tickets still available and is

there a difference between the two

sessions?

DW: Yes, tickets are live now! Our first

session is from 11am to 2:30pm and everyone

who attends it will also have

the opportunity to join our Georgian

Wine Panel from 1:45-2:45pm. The

first session tickets are only $49. The

second session is from 3pm-6:30pm

for $59. All tickets also include an Orange

Glou Fair glass to keep!

AM: For those who are unable to attend

this year, is there a way that they

can purchase wines that were available

at the event?

DW: Fair attendees will receive a

booklet with the wines being tasted

and it will be noted where to purchase

them. We will email this information

after the event to attendees as well

so those who cannot attend this year,

can email us at info@orangegloufair.

com.

AM: Tell us more about the Orange

Glou Wine Club.

DW: Orange Glou launched in 2019

as the world’s first subscription dedicated

solely to orange wines. We

offer a range of exceptional orange

wines spanning the entire spectrum

from sparkling to light to fuller-bodied

still wines, featuring mineral, floral,

and tropical notes, from young

and ready to drink to older vintages.

Every month, a special curated box

will arrive at your home. 3 bottles are

$105, 6 bottles are $195, and 12 bottles

are $385. We work with many up and

coming natural wine producers as

well as established superstars. Each

subscription comes with notes about

all the wines and club members get

access to special events for free. The

club is highly curated and planned

months in advance - our members

get access to the best orange wines

in the world.

AM: Are there any upcoming events

coming up that we should know

about?

DW: We’re currently focusing on the

Orange Glou Fair as it is our biggest

annual edition yet! However, we are

planning some smaller events and

tastings at wine bars and wine shops.

They will be announced closer to the

Fair on our Instagram @orangeglou_

fair.

AM: Are there 3 Orange Wines that we

should have in mind as we begin to enjoy

our favorite Fall dishes?

DW: We just had a sparkling wine

called Cotar Bela in the club, the wine

is made in Karst, Slovenia from Malvasia

and Vitovska grapes and has

some real density. It is medium-bodied

with notes like ripe apricot, pineapple,

and white flowers and pairs

perfectly with fried chicken with autumn

spices like smoked paprika, ginger,

and thyme and some fall vegetables

and gravy. Markus Altenburger

from Burgenland in Austria makes a

blend from Grüner Veltliner, Gewürztraminer,

Welschriesling, Sauvignon

Blanc, and Neuburger, which he calls

Skins and Stones. The wine has juicy

stone fruit, zesty citrus, nutty tones,

and herbal complexity, it pairs well

with a warm butternut squash salad.

And then there is a wine from Ruth

Lewandowski called Chilion - a very

aromatic blend with notes of baking

spice, oregano, and ripe apricot. This

pairs perfectly with a whole chicken

with roasted root vegetables. All of

these producers will be at our fair!

@orangeglou_fair

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Nino Scholl

THE ART OF

THE SNACK:

LEONETTA

When we want to tuck into a nice Mediterranean

meal without having to hop a

flight to our favorite destinations, we suggest

that you need to make a reservation

to Leonetta for a savory experience that

is accented with fabulous cocktails and

wines! Every dish that we enjoyed hit the

spot and made us think about the next

time that we planned on swinging by!

As this month’s The Art of the Snack, we

sat down with Leonetta’s founder and

Chef Ed Cotton, their Wine Program Director

Torrey Grant, and Beverage Program

Director Mark Rancourt. Together they

provided more insight on this eatery that

is a total vibe that you can enjoy on date

night, with friends, family, and colleagues!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into

Leonetta, we’d love to know more about

your background, Chef Ed Cotton, in terms

of where you went to culinary school, as

well as kitchens you trained in prior to

opening this restaurant.

CHEF ED COTTON: I grew up in Massachusetts

and attended the Culinary Institute

of America. After graduating, I was

fortunate to train under chefs like Daniel

Boulud and David Burke, and served as

the Corporate Executive Chef for Tourondel’s

Hospitality Group, where I oversaw

the culinary programs for 12 restaurants

globally.

AM: We enjoyed seeing you in S7 of Bravo’s

Top Chef. Why did you want to be on

this show and what did you learn from

participating in this cooking competition

show?

CHEF EC: At first, the prize money and exposure

were definitely enticing, but beyond

that I’ve always been competitive

and I genuinely enjoy cooking under pressure.

Top Chef felt like the perfect arena

to challenge myself, have some fun, and

see how I stacked up against other talented

chefs.

AM: Why did you want to open Leonetta?

CHEF EC: Leonetta is a very personal

project for me. One of my first jobs

was in Charlestown, Massachusetts,

working under Todd English at Olives,

a Mediterranean restaurant I absolutely

loved. Opening Leonetta has

given me the chance to return to that

style of cooking — creating a menu

rooted in those fun, bold flavors,

while reconnecting with my own culinary

beginnings.

AM: When did Leonetta open and

what is the cuisine that can be enjoyed

here?

CHEF EC: We opened Leonetta in the

fall of 2024, and the cuisine is Mediterranean.

AM: What are the ingredients and

spices that are indicative of this cuisine?

CHEF EC: There are so many different

types of flavor profiles and ingredients

when creating a Mediterranean

menu. Some standouts are Zaatar,

Sumac, Ras el hanout, Aleppo pepper,

Black Persian limes, and spice

blends that are both created inhouse

and sourced from La Boite.

AM: For Lunch, what are 3 appetizers

that you suggest that we should have

in mind when coming in?

CHEF EC: LAMB TARTARE - Harissa

Aioli, Mint, Sumac-Lavash Crisp,

CHOPPED TUNA “PUTTANESCA”

- Tomato, Olive, Capers, Anchovy,

Sesame Grissini, and BLACK GARLIC

HUMMUS - Toasted Everything Spice,

Marinated Chickpeas.

AM: What are 3 mains for Lunch that

we should consider when coming in

with friends, family, and colleagues?

CHEF EC: GRILLED TUNA CLUB - Bacon,

Pickles, Egg, Spicy Club Sauce,

Herb Mayo & Potato Chips, LAMB

PANINI - Fontina, Arugula, Caramel-

ized Onion, Rosemary-Lamb Jus, and

ROCK SHRIMP COUS COUS - Israeli Cous

Cous, Zucchini, Arugula, Basil, Sun-Dried

Tomato.

AM: To enhance our Lunch, what are 3

sides that we should share for the table?

CHEF EC: ZA’ATAR STEAK FRIES - Feta,

Harissa Ketchup, Roasted mushrooms,

Crispy Basmati rice, BAHARAT ROASTED

MUSHROOMS - Sour Cherries, Cipollini Onions,

and CRISPY BASMATI RICE - Medjool

Dates, Black Mission Figs

AM: In terms of dessert, what are 3 options

that we should be thinking about?

CHEF EC: CHOCOLATE PUDDING - Orange-Saffron

Marmalade, Vanilla Chantilly,

TIRAMISU - Coffee-Soaked Lady

Fingers, Mascarpone, and OLIVE OIL SEM-

OLINA CAKE - Fior di Latte Gelato, Pine

Nut-Rosemary Crumble.

AM: We had the pleasure of coming in for

Dinner which was such a vibe. What are 3

appetizers that we should keep in mind?

CHEF EC: HAMACHI CRUDO “ACQUA PAZ-

ZO” - Pickled Watermelon, Lemon Mostarda,

Calabrian Chili Ponzu, BEETROOT

TZATZIKI - Dill, Garlic, Lemon, and JUMBO

LUMP CRAB CEVICHE - Avocado, Cilantro,

Radish, Sofrito Vinaigrette.

AM: To complete our meal, what are 3

mains that we should think about?

CHEF EC: ROCK SHRIMP COUS COUS - Israeli

Cous Cous, Zucchini, Arugula, Basil,

Sun-Dried Tomato, BRICK CHICKEN “PEP-

ERONATA” - Esposito Pork Sausage, Peppers

& Onions, and PORK SHANK SHA-

WARMA - Pita Bread, Tumeric Pickles, 6th

Ave White & Red Sauce.

AM: To complete this culinary spread for

Dinner what are 3 sides that we should

have in mind?

CHEF EC: Our dinner menu shares the

same sides as the lunch menu, and you

can add in the CHARRED BROCCOLINI

- Lemon, Anchovy, Ricotta Salata.

AM: Dessert is always a great way to

end a meal - what are 3 desserts that

we should think about?

CHEF EC: Our dinner menu shares the

same desserts as the lunch menu,

and you can add in the GELATO &

ALMOND BISCOTTI (Choice of Three

Scoops) and YOGURT PANNA COTTA -

Blood Orange Caramel, Pistachio.

AM: We love a signature cocktail.

What are 3 that we should enjoy?

CHEF EC: ITALO DISCO - redacted

mediterranean lemon gin, aperol,

bitter bianco, yuzu sake, sicilian lemonade,

PALOMA PICASSO blanco tequila,

grapefruit, cartron bergamote,

combier pamplemousse, fevertree

grapefruit soda, and PEPINO FIZZ -

japanese whisky, rockey’s botanical,

antica torino genziana, dolin dry vermouth,

matsui umeshu, lemon, cucumber

soda.

AM: Torrey, you are Leonetta’s Wine

Program Director, tell us about your

flight program, which we had the

pleasure of enjoying.

TORREY GRANT: We offer 3 separate

wine flights now, which consist of 3

wines each served in 3 ounce pours.

Each flight is themed with a different

destination: Greece, Italy, and the

Islands. Guests receive a “boarding

pass” that explains the wines and

sets the tone for the experience. It’s

a cool way for guests to try several

wines at once and not commit to one

glass or a bottle.

AM: Mark, you’re Leonetta’s Beverage

Program Director and Brunch is

our favorite meal of the week. Tell us

about 3 dishes that we should consider

and what cocktail would you pair

with it?

MARK RANCOURT: BABKA FRENCH TOAST

- Whipped Cheesecake, Wild Berries, Orange

Blossom Syrup - If you’re going the

“dessert-for-breakfast” route, let’s go all

in. Replace your morning coffee with an

Espress-O’Tini. A fresh shot of premium

espresso paired Teeling Small Batch Irish

Whiskey, Madagascar Vanilla, Banana

Liqueur, and Cafeto, Mexican Coffee Liqueur

WILD MUSHROOM SCRAMBLE - Farm

Eggs, Black Truffle, Sesame Crostino -

Let’s stay light and bright by pairing with

our Cardoon Spritz. Crisp cava bubbles

along with tangy, tropical passion fruit

counter-balanced by Cardamaro, a slightly

bitter Italian wine and artichoke-based

amaro from the Piedmont region.

SHAWARMA SPICED BACON - All that savory,

spicy flavor needs one thing... more

savory spice! Order the Leonetta Bloody

Mary. The garden-fresh flavor of St.

George Green Chile Vodka paired with

pureed tomato, char-roasted red pepper,

capers, lemons, horseradish, and North

African harissa to deliver a most delicious

version of the brunch staple.

AM: Tell us about your Aperitivo Hour as

this is always a great way to end the day

or to be a gateway to a fun night out.

CHEF EC: Our Aperitivo Hour is something

we offer during the summer months that

is all about that Italian tradition of winding

down the day with a spritz, small bites,

and friends. We offer shareable snacks —

cured meats, cheeses, olives and country

bread — alongside a select menu of Negronis,

Spirits, and wine. It sets the stage

whether you’re heading into dinner or

just enjoying a relaxed evening.

AM: As we navigate from the Summer into

the Fall, will there be new additions to the

menu that we should know about?

CHEF EC: Yes, we’re really excited about

some new fall additions. We’ll be introducing

a Vegan Bolognese that’s hearty

and comforting, perfect for the season.

Our Hamachi Crudo will get a fresh

update with new fall flavors, and we’ll

be expanding both the Raw Bar and

pasta selections to highlight what’s

best right now.

AM: Are there upcoming events that

we should keep in mind as we look

ahead to the Fall and Holiday season?

CHEF EC: Absolutely — we have a

really fun lineup ahead. Our cocktail

lounge, Leo’s Famous, is kicking

things off with a Halloween party

where guests are encouraged to

dress as a ‘famous Leo’ — whether

it’s Leonardo DiCaprio or your favorite

celebrity born under the Leo sign.

For Thanksgiving, we’ll be offering a

special menu that celebrates the holiday

with Italian flair. In December,

we’re rolling out festive Christmas

cocktails that are perfect for celebrating

with friends and family. And of

course, we’ll be closing out the year

with a big New Year’s Eve party here

at Leonetta — a lively way to ring in

2026 with great food, drinks, and energy.

@leonettanyc

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Leonetta

ATHLEISURE LIST: NY, NY

AESCAPE

Aescape officially launched in 2024 after

7 years in stealth. People choose Aescape

because it delivers intelligent massage for

every body—giving you total control over

pressure, duration, music, and focus areas,

all personalized in real time. It’s consistent,

private, convenient, and designed

to fit seamlessly into your lifestyle.

Aescape is a nod to everyone’s need for

time away from the grind of daily life, a

personal moment to recharge, and restore.

“Aes” carries deeper inspiration:

It’s drawn from Aesculapius, the Roman

name for Asclepius—the Greek god of

medicine and healing. His mastery of restoring

health and balance has long symbolized

the power of care and recovery.

That lineage connects directly to their focus

on intelligent and restorative massage

experiences designed for every body.

You can experience Aescape at more

than 100 partner locations across

the U.S.—from fitness clubs to spas,

hotels, and wellness studios. This includes

Equinox clubs, select Hand &

Stone and Life Time Fitness locations,

Ritz-Carlton resorts, and more. You

don’t need to be a member to book,

and the full list of locations with booking

links is available on the site.

The Aescape experience starts with

light compression apparel that helps

the system deliver precision and consistency.

Once you’re set, the table

begins with a full-body scan, capturing

over 1.2 million data points to map

your body in detail, and tailor every

stroke to you.

Their award-winning massage table

has been engineered from the ground up

for comfort and performance. Integrated

into the table are advanced robotic arms

that move in sync—delivering consistent

pressure, heated touch points, and thorough

body area coverage.

Before your session begins, you’ll use

their app or website to choose your desired

massage length and areas of focus.

Once you’re on the table, control stays

with you through an tablet, designed to

fit seamlessly below the face cradle. From

there you can adjust pressure in real time,

skip to another region or pause entirely,

select music or immersive visual environments,

and favorite parts of the massage

for the next time.

Aescape offers a full range of sessions—15,

30, 45, and 60 minutes. You can choose

to focus on specific areas like shoulders,

glutes, hamstrings, or calves, or opt for

a complete full-body experience. Some

massages are designed to deeply relax

you, while others are built to energize and

power you up.

Aescape One, is their first-ever home

model available for pre-order. It’s the

same advanced table you’ll find at

their partner locations, designed for

in-home use with an evolving massage

library, regular software updates,

and dedicated concierge support.

A refundable deposit secures

your spot for the Founder’s Edition,

with delivery targeted for 2026.

AESCAPE

aescape.com

@letsaescape

PHOTO CREDITS | Aescape

ATHLEISURE LIST: San Francisco, CA + NY, NY

BIOGRAPH

We sat down with Dr. Michael Doney, Executive

Medical Director of Biograph, the

world’s most advanced preventive health

and diagnostic clinic that is on a mission

to drive meaningful advances in human

healthspan and lifespan.

The flagship Biograph San Francisco Bay

Area clinic opened to a small cohort of patients

in 2020. The brand emerged from

stealth this year, opening its second clinic

location in New York City in early 2025.

This preventative health clinic was founded

by John Hering and Dr. Peter Attia. It

was founded after a cancer diagnosis of

Hering’s best friend which sparked his

deep belief that there should be an emphasis

on preventative healthcare and

with the proper application of advanced

medical technology and early detection,

more lives can be saved. With Dr. Attia

and a team of experts aiming to

address the gaps in traditional healthcare,

the main goal was to create a

clinic that focuses on prevention, precision,

and performance rather than

reactive care so you can live longer

and better.

Their data driven approach provides

a complete picture of your health

across the 5 pillars most critical to

long term health: cardiovascular,

metabolic, neurodegenerative, cancer,

and quality of life.

In a single day they deliver over 30

assessments and collect and collate

1,000+ data points. By curating the

most advanced technologies, they

provide a complete health picture.

Ultimately, a preventive health clinic is

about partnership. It’s not just a single

appointment but a continuous journey

where they help you translate data into

meaningful, actionable insights and create

a personalized plan designed to maximize

your healthspan and vitality.

Biograph offers up to 30+ advanced assessments,

providing a comprehensive picture

of your health through cutting-edge

diagnostics. The specific assessments included

depend on your membership tier.

Core Membership includes essential diagnostics

such as Whole-Body MRI, VO2 Max

testing, Genetic Testing, and DEXA Body

Composition Analysis. The Black Membership

adds advanced screenings like

CT Coronary Angiography, Multi-Cancer

Early Detection Testing, and Multi-Modal

Brain Health Assessments.”

They have private stuites to serve as sanctuaries

where members can disconnect

from external pressures and immerse fully

in their personalized health experience.

Each suite is thoughtfully appointed

to create a restorative, stress-free

environment tailored to the needs of

high-performing individuals who often

arrive with very little downtime.

BIOGRAPH

NYC

27 Park Row

NY, NY 10038

San Francisco Bay Area

2850 S Delaware St Ste 100

San Mateo, CA 94403

biograph.com

PHOTO CREDITS | Adam Rouse

techniques and travel destinations.

Whether you run to lose or keep

your weight where you like it, to

be healthy, or simply to declutter

your mind - doing this can assist

those areas and a lot more! Even

though it has many benefits,

some can get stuck in monotony.

The book has a list of things you

can check off your bucket list,

whether it’s joining races, or

ticking off things that may seem

more mundane.

THE RUNNING BUCKET LIST

VeloPress

Jeff Horowitz

In The Running Bucket List: 106 Ideas to

Inspire Every Runner, if you weren’t sure

where to start in your journey as a runner,

this book lets you know about little-known

races and international competitions.

It also looks at new training

As you check off the list, you can

assess your relationship with

running and find a deeper meaning

as you go along or to share it

with others that you run with.

ULTRA PROTEIN

VeloPress

Melanie en Veganie

In Ultra Protein: 55 Plant-Based

Recipes to Maximize Body and

Brain Health, if you’ve ever wondered

how much protein your

should consume or how you can

shake up what it is you are eating

so that you have variety - this

cookbook aims to help you with

that and more!

In addition to recipes for those

that are looking for plant-based

options, you’ll find that you’ll

understand more about sources

that can provide this, nutritional

structure, and how they work in

your body. Knowing this will let

you have a better view of why

who is a prominent noetic scientist

with whom he has recently begun a relationship

with! She is about to release

a book that will disrupt various beliefs.

A murder takes place and she disappears

along with her manuscript.

In the chaos, he finds that he is also being

targeted and that the plot is across

various cities. While he is trying to find

Kathering and getting answers he is

toggling between future science, mystical

lore, and finds surprising truths

that will change the way we see the

human mind.

this is important to know as you navigate

your own dietary needs.

We have our eye on making their Spinach

and Spirulina Green Smoothie, Spicy

Black Bean Quesadillas, and One-Pot Lasagna.

We also like that they have the Protein

Kit which will help with our shopping

lists as well as making sure we have

what we need to make our dishes!

THE SECRET OF SECRETS

Clarkson Potter

Dan Brown

We have been long time fans of Dan

Brown’s series that involves Robert

Langdon, who we met in The Davinci

Code. He’s back in The Secret of Secrets.

We catch him on his way to Prague to

attend a lecture by Katherine Solomon

Friedken (Jude Law), we know

that he is a rising restaurateur

with a successful restaurant,

plans to take on NYC’s dining

scene and he knows all the right

people. As the series continues,

his need to help his brother Vince

Friedken (Jason Bateman) we

learn that he lives a completely

different life that is not only dangerous

but continues to generate

more complications!

As they continue to work together,

we learn about why they

were estranged from one another

and how far one will go to protect

their family!

ONLY MURDERS IN THE

BUILDING

Hulu Original

Hulu

BLACK RABBIT

Netflix Originals

Netflix

After NYFW, our team was ready to binge

a few shows just to get back to our normally

scheduled program of sorts! We

found ourselves enthralled in Black Rabbit

which dropped this month! The brother

duo we didn’t know we needed, drew

us into restaurateurs, crime, and a dark

and gritty series. When we meet Jake

If you’re not currently watching

S5 of Hulu’s Only Murder’s in the

Building, we don’t know what

to say! We return to the Arconia

where murders continue to happen

and we pick up right where

S4 left off. We don’t want to give

any spoilers away, but suffice it to

say that a beloved character was

killed last season. Our lovel true

crime podcasters once again

come together in order to find

out who did it, why and how it

is all connected. Of course, along

the way, they find out more secrets

of what has been taking

place in the building practically

in plain sight!

As they also increase their pre-

sence for their podcast, Mabel (Selena

Gomez), Oliver (Martin Short), and

Charles (Steve Martin) continues to

find out how they can maintain their

friendship as things continue to change

around them! Make sure to also listen/

watch the companion podcast as well.

THE CHINATOWN STING

Pushkin Industries

Spotify

We’ve been enjoying The Chinatown

Sting where we are introduced to a

group of women during the late 1980’s

that enjoy playing mahjong in NYC’s Chinatown.

Who knew this game amongst

the community would lead to a massive

undercover drug bust?

But this drug bust was not an isolated

event. Host Lidia Jean Kott and co-reporter

Shuyu Wang investigate the

events that led to this as well as the repercussions

that still exist to this day.

The episodes have interview sources

who have never talked before, but now

are sharing on the record from witnesses,

defendants, and federal prosecu-

tors. This is definitely a true crime case

that will have you putting the pieces

together while you listen.

AM SEP ISSUE #117

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