Jez Magazine - Seaport & Sydney Tayler

SYDNEY PALMIERI AND TAYLER HOLDER

WEARING CULT OF INDIVIDUALITY

PHOTO, EZEQUIEL DE LA ROSA @EZEQUIELDELAROSA

MAKEUP, VADEE CHHUN @MAKUPBY_VADEE HAIR, ANTOINETTE MASSIAH @ANTOINETTEMASSIAHBEAUTY STYLE, MONTGOMERY FRAZIER @THEIMAGEGURU_HE_HIM

Editor’s Letter

Dear Readers,

It’s my favorite time of year in New York City. The onset of fall ushers in a magical vibe, and as the colors of the leaves change, so does the energy of the city. The autumn chill brings in my favorite fashions, exciting events, and the coziness of pumpkin spice flavored everything. Amidst the many events that take place in the fall, I’ve been spending more time with family recently and have taken it upon myself to practice more mindfulness. This issue is a smaller one, featuring some of my favorite fall fashion pieces and some inspiring young musical talent. I’m truly inspired by how much the younger generation is really shaking things up around here, some with humor, some with music, and all with confidence and a mindset that it’s cool to be kind.

I hope you enjoy this mini issue. We have exciting news about our February issue... but that’ll remain a secret for now.

With love and blessings, , Editor in Chief

A SEAPORT STORY

DRESSES, ZELL JEWELRY, ERICKSON BEAMON

MODELS, JULIAN ACEVEDO @JULIANRENEEE FROM @NEWYORKMODELS AND MAKEDA @MAKEDA FROM @FORDMODELS MAKE UP, SPENCER WELLS @SPENCERWELLSCREATIVE HAIR, MIROSLAV MISIC @HAIRBYMIKE90 STYLIST, SONECA GUADARA @STYLEDBYSONECA

SWEATER, WEEKEND MAX MARA BEANIE, HM

KNIT SWEATER AND TWILL PANTS, FREDERICK ANDERSON GOLD ROSE PIN, ERICKSON BEAMON SHOES, SAM EDELMAN HAT, HM

DRESS, MOLA WALKER BERET, HM GOLD BOOTS, SCHULZ EARRINGS, ERICKSON BEAMON

KNIT SWEATER AND TWILL PANTS, FREDERICK ANDERSON

GOLD ROSE PIN, ERICKSON BEAMON HAT, HM

TURTLENECK AND SKIRT, WEEKEND MAX MARA BOOTS, NINE WEST HAT, FEATHER BAND BOHO

SUNGLASSES, LOUIS VUITTON COAT, WEEKEND MAX MARA DRESS, GIG BELT, HERMES

MESH CATSUIT, CHIDOZIE DRESS, BRIAN ARTEMIS

LEATHER CORSET AND FRINGE SKIRT, LA RANDO EARRINGS, ERICKSON BEAMON BOOTS, SAM EDELMAN

KNIT DRESS, PIERRE ANTONIO GASPERI JEWELRY, ERICKSON BEAMON SHOES, NORDSTROM HAT, ONE FRESH HAT

DRESSES, ZELL SHOES, BEBE AND SAM EDLEMAN JEWELRY, ERICKSON BEAMON

CITY LIFE

If you’re a Tik Tok fan then there’s a chance you’ve seen Tayler Holder on your phone screen, singing popular songs and tantalizing over 20 million social media followers with his dashing looks. But at heart, he’s just a young musician, passionate about creating music and inspiring audiences to pursue their dreams.

How does your passion for storytelling through music influence your everyday life?

It’s the opposite, writing music helps me reflect on what I’m going through. It’s a safe place for me to share my everyday life.

What impact does your faith have on your creativity and musical style?

My faith in Jesus, helps me live in a positive light. With all that goes on in life my faith helps me reflect on the good rather than the bad because God always has my back.

Your latest release “It’s You and Drive” is a very heartfelt and emotionally driven song about love. What went through your mind when you first heard it on the radio?

I didn’t actually hear it, but my friends told me they heard it. I received many texts and DMs from many people saying how much the song really touched them. I was speechless at all the kind words. This feels like an awesome step forward in my music career.

How do you feel about moving to Nashville and being able to collaborate with various well-known songwriters?

I’m super excited to branch out and better myself overall in my craft. I have been able to share the room with some of the greatest writers and artists in country music. I look forward to learning more every day here in Nashville.

Where do you see yourself in the next few years?

I see myself selling out stadiums around the world and performing with my friends in country and pop music.

WRITTEN BY VICTORIA SANABRIA

SLEEVELESS FLANNEL, CITIZENS OF HUMANITY JEANS, HVMAN

FELT FEDORA, ASHAKA GIVENS TURTLENECK, AKNAVAS PANTS, ETRO

PONCHO, A.POTTS

SCARF, CARLTON JONES JEANS, G-STAR RINGS, TAYLER’S OWN BOOTS, MINNETONKA

PONCHO, TURTLENECK AND PANTS, CARLTON JONES HAT, ASHAKA GIVENS BOOTS, TAYLER’S OWN

IGNITE THE RUNWAY

A Night of Fashion, Music and Art.

Last September, JEZ Magazine, in collaboration with SohoMuse, threw the fashion week kick-off party of the year.

IGNITE THE RUNWAY, was a fun-filled night complete with top of the line fashion, stellar music performances and one of a kind art. The venue was located at LIVE ROCKET Studios, an exceptional space in the historic seaport district, founded by former HSN CEO, and former SVP of QVC Mark Bozek.

The dark, grandiose space served as the perfect backdrop for the vibrant shows and performances that lit up the night. Featured designers included, Victor De Souza, In Earnest by Byron Lars and Sheila Gray, Celestino by Sergio Guadarrama & Kade Johnson, Argenis and Manuel Tiscareno. Models included: Sophie Sumner, Alex Lundquist, Ashley Haas, Coco Mitchell, Devon Ramirez and more.

The MC of the night was Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin and a talented array of entertainers wowed the crowd including,

Indie-pop songstress Sydney Palmieri, Gospel Singer Tarralyn Ramsey, Mari Burelle, and dancers from the Joffrey Ballet School.

The top floor featured exceptional artwork including work by nature-infusing Rotem Reshef, (curated by ArtStager), luminous LED cityscapes by Michael Victor, and funky, modern pieces from emerging artists Remy Rivers and Emma Deegan. Guests hit the dance floor for DJ Griffin’s afterparty, where custom Ghost Tequila drinks were being served.

JEZ Magazine hosted an unforgettable night fueled by artistic collaboration - A special thanks to Gregg Brockington, Ruben Colon, Marcello Costa, Marco Maranghello, Montgomery Frazier, Susan Sidor, Daniel Flores, Evan Elkowitz, Soneca Guadara, Isabella Rios and the team at Makeup Academy New York City.

PHOTO, CAROLINE FISS @CAROLINEFISS

AN INTERVIEW WITH

SUNHE HONG

WRITTEN BY DENISE PEREAU

JEZ is pleased to introduce SunHe Hong, a Korean born American Artist making her mark in the 21st Century art world, currently residing in Manhattan.

When I met SunHe Hong for the first time we had an instant connection. Hong’s work resonated with me because of its focus on the natural progression of growth and change that happens in women’s lives. Acutely aware of the relationship between life and art, Hong’s captivating work encapsulates a panoply of emotions illustrating everything from romantic yearnings to paralyzing emotional turmoil. SunHe’s powerful, abstract images have the capacity to arouse repressed emotion while radiating indomitable energy which lures the viewer into an experiential awareness. It’s easy to get lost in her work.

In her Emotional Abstraction series, these energies seem to whiplash from conception directly into the psyche. This series is authenticated by spontaneous, interactive drawing collaborations created together with friends when they meet. Hong’s personal life experience, a connection to nature and deep regard for humanity place her in the vanguard of Artists cataloging our rapidly evolving, rebellious times. It’s been noted by some art world authorities that her interactional compositions may serve to spur a new art movement. Hong speaks to her challenge to interpret intangible emotion into

her art during our interview. It’s evident her ability to breathe life’s energies into the elusive substantiates our mutual commonality and the resilience of the human spirit.

Note: To fully engage with and understand the concept, please search The process of Emotional Abstractions on SunHe’s website. If enough people begin to create their own style of interactive energy art, it could propel a 21st Century Art Movement forward. To learn about how new art movements evolve read, How Do Art Movements Begin? www. anitalouiseart.com

The Conversation

JEZ: Where were you born?

Hong: I was born in Iksan, South Korea. I came here at the age of 19 and I have three sisters and two brothers who all lived in the US except for my older brother, for a long period of time, but two of them have moved back to South Korea.

JEZ: What was your childhood like?

Hong: It was average, and basically happy. My family wasn’t very religious, but they are mostly Christian. My father was a police officer and strict as you can imagine, but my mother was very caring, and kind and she supported my talent from early on. She really believed in me and my artistic dreams and encouraged me to do my best.

JEZ: When did you discover you had artistic talent?

Hong: My earliest memory of creating artwork was in the 1st grade when I won a prize for drawing a firetruck. From then on, I knew art was going to be an important part of my life. Drawing was always something I was good at and whenever I painted, I was shining, and it filled me with happiness.

JEZ: Tell us about your education in the Arts.

Hong: That’s a continuing journey for an Artist. I’m always learning and chasing inspirations. (Laughing) After high school in South Korea, I moved to the United States. My sister was already there so it was a big help to me. First, I earned a BFA in Fine Arts and Graphic Design from Youngstown State University in Ohio. After graduation I took a job as a graphic designer for a fashion company in New York and was quickly promoted to a position designing children’s clothing. While working, I attended night school at FIT and received an AAS degree in Fashion Design.

In my free time, I was also modeling for the well-respected Photorealist Painter John Kacere, whose work was carried by the O.K. Harris Gallery. I was very focused on learning about every aspect of the arts and design while trying to figure out what I really wanted to do. He was one of my first mentors. Modeling for Kacere was an amazing learning experience as well.

JEZ: Did you have any additional training?

Hong: I also studied at the Art Students League, I am a lifetime member there, where I met another one of my mentors, Ronnie Landfield, a Color Field painter. I’d have to say he’s had a tremendous impact on my life. His work has been exhibited in many museums and in 2022 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the prestigious Hampton’s Fine Art Fair. He was there from the beginning during my earliest stage of development as a professional Artist. We spent many Saturdays together from about 2007 to 2015

and I had access to the best models for reference, learning how to express my inner self in my work. His guidance, mentorship, and inspiration through the dark days of my life were invaluable to me on every level, and I’ll carry it with me forever.

JEZ: Having relationships, or mentorships like these are so important for an Artist. Do you have a particular memory that stands out or people you’d like to acknowledge?

Hong: A memory that stands out was the time Kacere invited me to an after gallery show dinner with Ivan Karp, an iconic gallerist who was known for marketing pop artists like Andy Warhol and other photorealists. It was so exciting! Kacere even included a painting of me in one of his solo shows. I was very much influenced by his work and his depictions of women dressed in lingerie featuring the midsections of their bodies. I’d have to say my association with him is very memorable.

Many people have supported me and pushed me forward and some weren’t so supportive when I thought they should be. That’s okay too. Setbacks help us to grow. I’ll be sure to mention them all someday in my autobiography. But I’d really like to acknowledge people like James Lepore, Alberto Dambruoso, Gabriel Botter, Jeffery Deitch in an indirect way, Dan Giella, and especially Michael Masucci who wrote the forward to my first art book, Metamorphosis. During my solo exhibition he came to NY to moderate Artist Talk. These people are highly respected in the art world and have been instrumental to my success through different stages of my career.

JEZ: Can you give us a condensed version of your recent journey?

Hong: I’ll try but a lot has happened in the last few years and is still happening.” (Laughing) Let’s start in 2015 when I met Gabriel Botter who owned Pepela, an elegant event space and restaurant in New York. He was impressed with my artwork and offered to exhibit over fifty of my paintings which he did for 6 months. It was very exciting. His restaurant was a place that Jeff Koons and various celebrity frequented,

so he hoped I’d be discovered there. Before my solo show at Pepela, I extended an invitation to Jeffrey Deitch to see my work. He’s a world class art dealer and art world icon, former art gallery owner, and the former Museum Director or MOCA in LA. He invited me to his Grand St. gallery to talk and I was excited about the possibility to exhibit there too. At the end of our meeting, he said he only carried “intellectual art.” I was devasted and so crushed I didn’t work for a bit.

I met Michael Masucci, the Santa Monica Arts Commissioner, in 2016 through a professional artist group on LinkedIn. His guidance on how the art world works and what’s considered high art was invaluable. He always encouraged me to keep making art I believe in. Masucci helped me understand what Deitch meant by intellectual art, and it helped me gain my confidence back. In 2007 when I started making a series entitled Enigmatic Void, a black and white abstract series which developed into highly stylized figurative art with a surreal edge inspired by divine femininity. I used the butterfly as a metaphor which is symbolic of my personal metamorphosis.

A decade later, in 2018 I started making metaphysical, interactive energy art entitled Emotional Abstraction. Perhaps unconsciously, my experience of conflict with Deitch, such a revered art world icon led me to push further and grow. I contacted Deitch in 2017 and invited him to visit my studio again and he then told me that my work is very good, but I just need to find the right buyers. It was a big deal to invite him to my studio after our previous meeting went so wrong. I was proud I’d persisted when I was ready to throw in the towel.

And I must mention Dan Giella, one of my biggest supporters in 2022, who is the One Art Space gallery owner, the former Creative Director of Identicus/Veritas Group, LTD., the former Art Director of the Lifestyle Marketing Group, and an Illustration Designer at Saatchi & Saatchi Promotions. (Whew!) He’s got great credentials and pointed out that the new direction of art I’m developing (Emotional Abstraction) could take me into art history books. “With his endorsement, I feel I’m on the right path.

JEZ: What inspires you?

Hong: The answer to that question is endless.” (Laughing) Meeting new people, traveling, creating drawings with others, chasing the light, and avoiding darkness. All forms of beauty. The expression of intangible emotions that people can relate to and resonate with. Emotions that come to life. The intimacy of human emotion, interaction and how my energy vibrates with others. Positive energy. The lightness of being. There are so many things that inspire me. Life is ever-changing and I want to freeze passionate or magical moments in my artwork. Devastating sadness is also an emotion that inspires me. I can take that sad, heavy emotion to my canvas and make it light, melancholy, and beautiful because when we emerge from a state of sadness or loss, we can evolve to a higher level in life.

I believe art can reveal the most intimate emotions in beautiful ways, even in darkness. Being empathetic to human emotion is sometimes overwhelming, but it’s also the driving force

and inspiration for me. I strive to bring a wide spectrum of interactive energy to my work that people can resonate with. I’m inspired by the beauty and energy in all human beings, particularly our emotional abstractions and metaphysical and surreal interactive energy. I carry paper and ink pens with me when I travel, and when I meet interesting people, we create drawings together. It’s a very spontaneous, improvised process designed to reflect shifts in emotional energy. You’ll have to draw with me someday!

JEZ: What motivates you as an Artist to move on to a new project?

Hong: Having new experiences and making unexpected discoveries in spontaneous moments throughout my life motivates me. I love seeing people’s facial expressions when they look at my paintings and how the painting resonates with them. It’s the greatest reward for me and it motivates me to keep creating. I can’t put a price on the joy I feel watching

people I’ve never met finding themselves lost in my work while rooted to the ground. It’s a connection that’s hard to describe. And during the darkest times of my life, I’ve survived by making art. When I’m painting, I’m lost in my work, and I could be painting for ten hours, which is my normal, but it feels like ten minutes.

JEZ: Describe your medium.

Hong: I don’t have just one medium and what I use is guided by the project I’m working on. When I’m using a model for reference and the creativity flows, my imagination comes to life, and I work spontaneously. I like to use pastels in primary colors and mix them to produce other colors. I paint fast, so I need a medium that’s good for that. Typically I stay away from oils, but I do use them for a finishing touch. In the Emotional Abstractions series, the medium is very simple. I use ink pens and that allows me to transpose to acrylics later. There’s no limit to what medium I use.

JEZ: Do you have a common thread in your artwork?

Hong: Since about 2008 on, as my work continues to evolve, I’ve incorporated butterflies into several paintings symbolic of metamorphosis. Sometimes they’re abstract and subtle, and only the antennae appear, but they’re always there because I resonate with them. Butterflies only come out in the sunshine chasing positivity and lightness, something I seek in life. Another common thread in my work is my interpretation of intangible, invisible human emotions which is a challenge for me to make visible on canvas. Whether my paintings are realistic or semi-abstract, I want people to resonate with the visible energies. The butterfly has become my signature.

JEZ: Do you consider yourself a spiritual person?

Hong: I believe I’ve evolved spiritually over the years through my work but I’m not religious, although I do believe God exists.

JEZ: You refuse to tolerate…?

Hong: Energy vampires. I can’t stand shallow, inauthentic people whose lives are just façades. I refuse to tolerate people who drag others down in their darkness and chaos.

JEZ: If you could choose, alive or dead, any artist to work with, who would that be?

Hong: Salvador Dali and Marc Chagall.” Dali had charisma and impeccable style. Some people see me as a female Dali because I’m very independent and have a bold, playful style that’s surreal-beyond reality. Chagall expresses his emotions in fantasy illustrations without words. “Their work really appeals to me.

JEZ: Who’s your celebrity crush?

Hong: I never really crushed on celebrity even as a teenager, but the woman I most resonate with as an Artist was Elizabeth Le Brun, a painter from the 18th Century who was the first woman to be invited to join the Paris Royal Academy. She accentuated Marie Antoinette’s beauty in portraits which generated acclaim for her. Strong women throughout history are inspiring to me as they were to Le Brun. I’ve painted many Egyptian queens including Hatshepsut, the first Queen of Egypt using a butterfly as her crown.

JEZ: If you had one wish what would it be?

Hong: I’d wish to see my whole body of work in one reputable museum in New York representing my lifetime achievement. Being recognized for innovative work, something unique and different, is something I strive for. I’ve dreamed of that since March 2020 when the One Art Space Gallery owner mentioned my work has the potential to take me into the art history books. During Artist Talk, Michael Mascucci pointed out that my collaborative abstract energy art was a new kind of art in October 2021. And at Art Expo 2022 the Director of Superb Gallery, Shirong Gu said that I was an X-Factor Artist, and that my new works of art aligned with a unique character. With all this support, I’d wish to be known as a female version of Dali eventually.

JEZ: Who are or what has been your greatest influence?

Hong: I’m inspired by and identify with strong, intelligent, accomplished women from every era who overcame obstacles hindering success in their lives while following their passions.

I relate to women Elizabeth Le Brun, who I mentioned before, because she was an authentic, uncompromising, skilled Artist with a very determined will who did it all in elegant style.

But I’m also greatly influenced by the work of past masters who deftly express human emotion. For me, that includes German and Austrian expressionists like Egon Schiele with his distinct, unique style, Gustav Klimt’s use of gold metallic and flowers, Edvard Munch’s depiction of the human emotional state, Salvador Dali’s surrealistic mind where his persona aligns with his art, Gauguin’s use of rich bright colors, Georgia O’Keeffe’s sensuous flowers, Marc Chagall’s story telling narratives done in soft pastel colors, and lastly the Art Deco’s highly stylized lines.

JEZ: Give us your take on the New York City/ Manhattan art scene?

Hong: The art world is straddling the line between the digital and physical world. The paintings we used to hang on our walls now live inside computers as jpegs. Leading art world auction houses like Christie’s, Sotheby’s and online galleries and art fairs are focusing on NFT digital art sales. As of Spring 2021, Christie’s sold $69ML worth of NFT’s in an auction that shocked the art world. The pandemic has pushed us forward into the digital world faster than expected and the art world is no exception.

Since I started making these collaborative paintings, I’ve realized we not only need art that makes us think outside the box, we need art that puts us back in touch with each other, but perhaps most importantly, to get in touch with ourselves. We need the kind of art that encourages us to connect with each other more than ever today.

JEZ: What’s the most important aspect of your work?

Hong: Working on my latest series of collaborative, interactive, abstract energy art to make sure it becomes a new 21st Century art movement is the biggest, most important challenge for me right now. My website has the following description on this project which I’ll share with you.

Emotional Abstractions: Metaphysical & Surreal Energy Interplays: is an improvisational, collaborative art process that originates in social settings when my energy vibrates with others. These ink drawings that I let others initiate on blank paper freeze life’s fleeting moments in a time capsule. When I transfer the sketches to canvas, these intangible energies are then choreographed into surreal emotional abstractions. This project is especially valid right now as an open invitation to others to share the emotions they’re feeling together with me. It’s totally inspiring and rejuvenating.

JEZ: What triggered the idea for this project?

Hong: As human beings we’re naturally social creatures so with the mandated isolation of the pandemic, socializing was shut down. This new way of making interactive art was accidentally discovered when I was socializing with friends in my studio in 2018. I realized I could freeze life’s everchanging moments together with them in the form of abstract energy art. It was a life altering moment for me.

I debuted this art new style of art in November 2018 at East Village Pop Art show, then at Art Basel Miami 2018 at the Spectrum International Art Fair, followed by the 2020 One Art Space International Women’s Day art show. With larger scale works. It made quite a sensation drawing tremendous response from the attendees.

We were planning to promote the project further and then the pandemic happened. When restrictions eased in October 2021, I exhibited in a solo show, 64 works highlighting the evolution of my development. It became evident that viewers were resonating with and affected by my ability to express intangible inner emotions, in representational and abstract art.

Soon after, I did an Artist talk with Michael Masucci which is available on One Art Space’s YouTube (Part 1, Part 2). Masucci concluded that this was a new kind of art that needed its own name. In April 2022, before ArtExpo New York, we finally had one: Emotional Abstractions which is the series we’ve been talking about.

JEZ: Where do you see yourself in five years?

Hong: I have so many projects and ideas I want to see through to completion in that time frame. A solo exhibition in NYC and expansion into the international art market is already in the works. An expanded edition of my art book in conjunction with a solo show in 2023, including new works from the Emotional Abstractions series, is being produced by One Art Space. I will also be showing in She is 2023, an all-female group show during International Women’s Month. And I’ll also be showing at the ArtExpo in New York, an international art fair. And I’m honored to be invited to show at the New National Gallery/Kulturforum in Berlin in May 2023. It would also be great to see Emotional Abstractions “officially” recognized as a new 21st Century art movement and to have an exhibit at on one of the contemporary art museums in NYC.

To connect with SunHe Hong: email: sunhehong@icloud.com

Phone/WhatsApp: +1 917-710-8018 Address: Studio: 95 Horatio St, #508 New York, NY 10014 social media: FB: SunHe Hong, Instagram: @sunhehong website: www.sunhehong.com

HAIR GURU, ALEXANDRA ARRIAGA @ALEXANDRARRIAGA HAIR, ANDREA E WILSON @ANDREAWILSON_HAIR MAKE UP, EDUARDO JIMENEZ @EDUARDOJIMENEZ_MAKEUP PHOTO, EZEQUIEL DE LA ROSA @EZEQUIELDELAROSA

ALEXANDRA'S HAIR TIPS

ANTI-FRIZZ SERUM

A good serum is a must in my routine!

Adding a little bit to the length of your hair before brushing it will protect your hair from mechanical damage.

Favorite serum: Brilliant Gloss Glass Hair Anti-frizz oil serum by Fekkai.

SILK PILLOWCASES

Switching your cotton pillowcase for a silk one is one of the easiest ways to protect your hair.

Silk is a super soft material that reduces friction as you sleep, helping you prevent breakage.

My favorite brand is Strobe Silk, they make pillowcases with hidden zippers and the softest, most luxurious silk available.

HEAT PROTECTANT

This is a must if you use any heat at all. Make sure you apply it generously before using hot tools. Also, ensure you use your hot tools in a medium heat setting, never the hottest option.

My favorite heat protectant is the one united leave-in conditioner by Redken.

Alexandra Arriaga is a Venezuelan-born, New York based haircare guru with some golden tips on how to have healthy locks.

Follow her for all things hair at @alexandraarriaga

GOWN, MANUELL TISCARENO

PHOTO, EZEQUIEL DE LA ROSA @EZEQUIELDELAROSA MAKEUP, VADEE CHHUN @MAKUPBY_VADEE HAIR, ANTOINETTE MASSIAH @ANTOINETTEMASSIAHBEAUTY STYLE, MONTGOMERY FRAZIER @THEIMAGEGURU_HE_HIM ASSISTANT STYLE, EVAN ELKOWITZ @STYLEBYEVAN

Sydney Songstress the

You’ve said that your love of songwriting initially came from a passion for poetry. You would write poems about random topics and hide them. What made you decide to start telling stories based on your personal life experiences?

Once I realized that I could create these stories, I decided to pull from my own life experiences just to have more topics to write about, but I ended up realizing that it was deeper than just writing poems, it was therapy for me. Being able to put my thoughts into words helped me process those experiences.

How do you think you have grown as an artist and as a person since the debut of your first single, “Angel” in May of 2021?

Stylistically, I have grown a lot. I understand what sounds I like more and what vibe is better fitting for the music I write.

How does your upbringing in Austin, Texas influence your musical sound?

Austin, Texas has a heavy country music scene. Although I am not a country artist, I recognize the country influence in my storylines because most country songs have deeper meanings. Stories that are set to music.

You have said that songwriting is like personal therapy for you and that it helps you cope with hardships. Do you hope your fans experience something similar when they listen to your music? Absolutely! Even as an artist, I love listening to other people’s music because of how relatable and inspiring it is. I would love for my fans to find comfort in my music the same way I do with my musical inspirations.

Tell us about your upcoming new single, “Insane.”

I wrote “Insane” a little bit differently than how I’ve written my other songs. A lot of times I pull from my own hardships but in this case, I pulled from an experience of someone else, even though it’s written in my perspective. It’s toxic, it’s intense, and its electric guitar solo is INSANE!

Where do you see yourself in the next few years?

I see myself releasing at least 10 more songs and hopefully putting together a tour. I connect with tons of my listeners on social media, and I would love to have the opportunity to meet and perform for them in person.

WRITTEN BY VICTORIA SANABRIA

GOWN, MANUELL TISCARENO

BUSTIER LACE DRESS, SHOES AND COAT, VICTOR DE SOUZA GLOVES, EVAN ELKOWITZ

DRESS AND BOOTS, VICTOR DE SOUZA

FINGERLESS GLOVES, EVAN ELKOWITZ

DRESS, WHITE YELLOW @THECONFESSIONALSHOWROOM THIGH-HIGH BOOTS & OPERA-LENGTH GLOVES, VICTOR DE SOUZA PEARL DROP EARRINGS, CROWN AND MAIDEN @THECONFESSIONALSHOWROOM

MOM AND POP SHOPS

BY GREGG BROCKINGTON @GREGGBROCKINGTONBEAUTY

I love the change of seasons. I embrace the color change, and pulling out my cozy cashmere sweaters. I love taking a drive to see the foliage. I always feel nostalgic in the Fall.

Fall evokes memories of our first days back to school, seeing friends, recounting summer adventures, and getting ready for the winter ahead. After school, I would go to the corner “Mom and Pop” shop. These stores were neighborhood staples. We could get a variety of things curated for our neighborhood by the owners whom we knew by name and we went to school with their kids.

Whatever happened to the “Mom and Pop” shops?

I guess like everything else, they've been gobbled-up and homogenized by big corporations. Now we shop online and we rarely know the owners.

Two-plus years at home, gave us time to think. We missed people. We missed connections. We missed “Mom and Pop” shops. We had time to focus on the bigger picture, our health, and our well-being. We saw the shift our planet made and started stepping up to keep up with its needs. We did all this while making sourdough bread and getting the lighting right for the endless Zoom meetings.

We navigated the newness of our situation. Holistic approaches to all things started to pop up. Self-care became radical care. We gravitated towards brands that took into consideration how their production impacts our world and beauty brands rose to the occasion.

Our selection for you in this issue includes small-batch, meticulously curated, and sustainable brands.

These brands are today's “Mom and Pop” shops. We get to “know” the owners through their various social media platforms Instagram, YouTube, etc.

While doing my research for this column I sought out brands that give back. Whether that giving comes in the form of totally organic ingredients, ancient Ayurvedic remedies, or recyclable packaging, Some of these brands make sure the people in the places their materials are sourced receive adequate compensation and can build an equitable industry that they own.

Importantly, this column considers how these brand owners themselves represent various aspects of our society.

I have included companies whose owners are female, male, gay, straight, non-binary, and BIPOC.

Angela Davis sums it up in a speech about radical self-care,

"Anyone interested in making change in the world, also has to learn how to take care of herself, himself, theirselves...it means that we are able to bring our entire selves into the movement...it means a holistic approach.” (Afropunk Festival 2018 )

Being a makeup artist I am thrilled that almost all of these brand creators are or were makeup artists with the lone standout being a supermodel.

Lana Ogilvie Cosmetics, @lanaolgilviecosmetics Lana has been a supermodel for almost three decades.

Her skincare journey started when she was on the receiving end of daily makeup artists’ skincare routines.

She says, "As someone who suffers from eczema and has allergic reactions to many synthetic dyes

and fragrances, it was imperative for me to use products that did not create trauma for my skin.

I have also noticed that my skin always feels cleaner, less weighted, more able to breathe, more like skin, when I use natural products."

Gentle and effective, Lana Ogilvie Cosmetics are packed with organic and natural ingredients to replenish and nourish skin as it helps protect from environmental stresses.

We love her REWIND FACIAL SERUM $22  www.lanaolgilviecosmetics.com

which is like 3 serums in one, with vitamin c, hyaluronic acid, and tri-Peptides as well as shea butter, aloe, and chamomile.

The other stand-out for me is her RENEW FACIAL OIL $45, it offers a treasure trove of natural ingredients such as sea buckthorn, argan, and rosehip oils. It is rich in Palmitoleic acid, which is very similar to the oils naturally found in human skin. Its travel-friendly size is a bonus.

HALO42 founders, beauty expert Tim Quinn, the man behind Armani Beauty, and Mark Turnipseed a fitness and wellness expert, were on slightly different paths when the pandemic hit and they discovered each other and their shared passion for beauty from the inside out.

Together they created HALO42 @halo42 a “skincare meets wellness” brand named to represent what one sees when viewing a rainbow at the precise angle when all the colors become visible. The beauty is there but one has to see it the right way. A beauty of perspective.

HALO42 which launched summer of '22 starts out as a small batch 4-piece line ranging from OIL OVER ME Body Elixir $72 www.halo42.com an all-over body oil chock full of body soothing ingredients like Jojoba, Vitamins C and E, copaiba, and frankincense that moisturize the skin. Its aromatherapy properties exemplify the brand's message of working from the inside out. Speaking of which, their range includes Edible Collagen Gummies to plumb the skin.

One of Halo42’s hero products is the POUT IT OUT Lip Rejuvenating Mask $42, which is packed with Vitamins E and C, as well as shea butter and coconut oil. This luscious balm can be used during the day or at night as a reparative mask. It leaves your lips ready for any of the rich fall and winter lip colors you want.

And colors you will want are to be found in the luxury lipsticks from world-renowned makeup artist to the stars, Lisa Eldridge @lisaeldridge. We all know Lisa from her eponymous YouTube channel where she sprinkles her love of makeup and her love for teaching.

Lisa launched her makeup brand pre-pandemic, with lipsticks in a range called TRUE VELVETS. As the name suggests, they have a sensual velvety finish and an amazing color payoff. They quickly became cult favorites. One of my go-to's has to be “VELVET CARNIVAL” $36 www.lisaeldridge.com a "Pop art pink” that looks great on so many skin tones.

Since its launch, the brand has expanded to include Elevated Glow Highlighters, liquid eyeshadows, brushes, jewelry, varied textures of lipstick, and foundations.

SEAMLESS SKIN FOUNDATION, $61 is worth every penny. Its 40 shades are packed with skincare ingredients that hydrate, elasticize, and tighten skin. Natural plant-derived biotech from Nasturtium flowers, Uji green tea, and a biopolymer called Filmexel work together to lift and tighten the skin in around three minutes. This is one of the best new foundation formulations I’ve tried in a while.

Early in her career as a makeup artist based in Milano, Italy, Aliesh Pierce @askaliesh became known for her almost meditative attention to skin prep before makeup. Her roster has been extensive, including notable personalities India Arie, Yolanda Adams, Ming Na Wen, and Michelle Obama. Aliesh’s philosophy is that everyone should have access to professional skincare “regardless of their ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or the severity of their skin issues.” Now

with a booming esthetician practice here in the USA, she has made it her life's work to help people obtain better skin. She is a certified Yoga instructor and has incorporated Ayurvedic medicine into her practice. This ancient healing system seeks to restore natural balance, draw together body, mind, and spirit Ancient Ayurvedic ideas meet modern-day needs in her Aliesh Skincare range.

ĀYURETINOL FACIAL OIL $48 www.askaliesh. com helps the skin appear visibly brighter overnight. Formulated with the Ayurvedic herb Bakuchi, for skin cell rejuvenation and retinyl palmitate a collagen booster, It helps with fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, lax skin. It also helps regulate your facial skin’s oil production over time.

Soon to become a cult favorite is her TURMERIC GLOW MASK $38, Turmeric prevents skin cells from clumping together and clogging the pores. It has antiseptic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties to promote quicker healing by calming areas that are already inflamed. It can be used as

a mask during the day or applied as a restorative layer to babysit your skin while you sleep which is when our skin does the bulk of its Cellular turnover. You will see and feel the glow immediately.

My final recommendation for this issue is a company that has not only put its work into creating beautiful natural organic skincare and cosmetics, but has also put its work into walking the walk of being inclusive.

NOTO BOTANICS @notobotanics was started by Gloria Noto after a life-changing trip to Thailand. There she realized she needed to contemplate her life’s mission. How does one change the course of their life, utilizing all they’ve learned after years of working as a makeup artist in California?

She says, ”I created a line that celebrated the spectrum of authentic identities I felt I wasn't seeing in the clean beauty industry at that time. I wanted to hear their stories and celebrate their lives through how we all connect with self-care”.

Noto Botanics was born in her kitchen and is a radical skincare cosmetic brand that is clean, multi-use, and gender-inclusive.

Its products are packed with uncomplicated yet high-performing ingredients like coconut oil, jojoba oil, shea butter, and rosehip oil, and those are only the first four ingredients, the list goes on and on. With its chic naturist hippie vibe, Gloria has put together a simple and totally must-have-able range.

The RESURFACE ALL OVER SCRUB, $38 www. notobotanics.com for both face and body is on my list. Made with blood orange, lavender, and aloe vera, it leaves skin smooth and soft but most of all it smells like a dream.

AGENDER, the all-over face, body, and hair oil for $44, is a luxuriously rich, and great-smelling treat. It not only works on your skin’s surface, it also adds a touch of aromatherapy to your self-care rituals.

The Multi-Bene Cheek And Lip Tint Sticks $26, are the cherries on top. These gender-neutral, oil-based, multi-use sticks bring color in a soft glowing way. Using organic olive fruit oil, shea butter, and jojoba oil, Gloria has created colors like GENET, $26, a berry hue inspired by French poet Jean Genet or TOUCH $26, a sultry and earthy natural pink color that’s a modern take on what pink usually looks and feels like. Tinted with fair trade colors, cruelty-free in practice, and, in recyclable packaging, Noto has hit the trifecta.

These entrepreneurs have opened a dialogue with the communities they’ve created. I hope you’ll drop by the shops albeit virtually. Say hello to the owners. Join their communities. Participate in the conversations. The Moms and Pops will appreciate it.

An Interview with Rotem Reshef

Rotem Reshef is a painter and installation artist based in New York and Tel Aviv. She is especially passionate about creating immersive installations and paintings that relate to a society’s extreme effect on climate change.

Rotem uses branches, petals, ferns, leaves and more waste vegetation collected in the streets and elsewhere in the urban surroundings, and imprints them onto her canvases. We caught up with the talented artist, and asked her a few questions about her stunning work.

You describe yourself as an Action painter. What does that mean and how does it come through in your work?

“Action Painting” is almost synonymous with Jackson Pollock and his dripping technique. Thinking about Pollock, we don’t think of a painter by an easel, but of a painter that is standing around a canvas on the floor, that expressively drips paint from a distance, creating a composition that is as energetic as his own body movements. The gestures in my work emerge from my technique of “Control and Release.” I use diluted acrylic paint on canvases that are stretched on the floor, at times I tilt the canvas, and at times I move with my whole body on it to spread the paint and create various compositions. In recent years as I started to imprint source materials, the entire process of collecting became inherent to the artwork itself, and the landscape I travel in became a part of the actions that transform the canvas into a painting.

At the beginning of your career you painted with brushes, and you’ve stopped using them now. Why did this shift happen?

I was always fascinated by what I call the “Control and Release” relationship with the paint on the canvas. How much do I control the paint and how much do I let it lead the way? By working with different techniques, I explored the boundaries of my painting and the different possibilities that it offers or that it can manifest. The brushes that are a basic tool in creating a painting and that were helpful for many years, became a burden as I leaned more and more towards the “release” part of the process, and even more so, once I introduced plastics and plants as a means of creating the artworks.

What inspires you to begin a painting?

Not to turn into a Cliché, but nature is a big source of inspiration to me, and often its context is really what makes the painting even more interesting. Sometimes I work towards a specific exhibition and sometimes I just have the urge to paint. In both cases, the place where the art is going to be exhibited or the place and context where its additional materials weregathered, has an important role. The artwork is reflecting and inspired by the neighborhood I live in, by the surroundings of my studio or by traveling to different places. Colors and tones are projected from the surroundings, and being attentive to them helps create an atmosphere that will be unraveled in my art. Saying that, eventually I think that art is a mirror, to those who look at it and to me, as the creator.

Your work ranges from paintings on stretched canvases, to very large scrolls of unstretched canvas that wrap up entire rooms. What does scale mean to you?

I always found myself more “at home” working on large scale formats. As a very energetic person, the large canvas allows me to express myself freely, while I need to approach the smaller formats with a more restrained attitude. Throughout my career I have painted on small canvases and large ones, but in recent years I started creating immersive installations, in order for the audience not only to look at a painting, but to also enter a painterly environment. Historically, women artists had been excluded from large scale artworks, they hadn’t been commissioned to create large murals or sculptures or paintings, and they were usually painting in a small scale, that is “suitable” for a woman that “stays at home”, almost to restrain any ambitions for a professional career or to break

the boundaries of the norm. I am interested in specifically and directly opposing these restrictions, and want to create ambitious large scale paintings that take up room and space and not only express myself this way and have the satisfaction of creating these large scale installations, but also turn them into a statement.

You are a socially engaged person and an activist. Explain more about the causes you care about. For many years, my activism stopped at the studio door, I didn’t want to mix between that and my art practice. Once I started to exhibit painting installations, a new chapter opened up for me, and I found it very appealing to add another layer to my art and express social, political and personal comenteries through it. Thus, in 2017 for my first commissioned installation, “Time Traveler” at the University of La Verne, CA, I reflected on global warming and climate

change. In 2019 biographical histories started entering my work. I created “Eden in Two Acts” - a two part wall mural referencing the political and social shifts in Israel. During the Covid-19 pandemic, there was so much political turmoil all over the world, that it didn’t make sense not to deal directly with politics. Since then, my work references social injustice and radicalism, nationalism, feminism and climate change, but all in an abstract way, at times via sound pieces that bring real protests into the exhibition space.

work. Recently I have been working in Bakersfield, California and preparing my upcoming solo exhibition at the Art Museum there. It was fascinating to explore that area - the industrial elements in it, the oil pumps that dot the landscape, and of the ecological reservations that maintain the landscape and local flora.

I work mainly in New York and Tel Aviv, two of my favorite cities in the world, where I also live. I look for local flora in each place and each season, and it is being reflected in my

Well, the main obstacle was a very destructive criticism by one of my teachers in art school. He didn’t like my final project and dismissed it in a brutal public way that killed my desire to be active in the art world for many years. Only years later, after my paintings got stolen in a burglary, I practically returned full force to my artistic career.

Which cities have you worked in? Do you find that the city you are in influences your work?

What is the greatest obstacle you faced when you began your career?

Is there something you haven’t accomplished yet that is still on your to-do list?

I have so many dreams and desires to fulfill. To name only a few, I would love to participate in the Whitney Biennial, and in the New Museum Triennial. My scroll paintings would be perfect on the walls of the Guggenheim. I would love to reach more audiences and to be represented in the world’s leading collections.

What is one thing everyone can do to show more consideration for nature?

The one thing is to understand that there is no one else who will clean up the mess and that unless we all work together to heal and protect, the world will not recover from how much humanity has damaged it. Use less plastics, and recycle

those you do. Eat less meat, be kind to nature and to your surroundings. Don’t leave the work to someone else, take part in it yourself.

One motto that you live by: If you do the things you love, the rest will follow, and even if it doesn’t, you still do the things you love.

MODEL, KATE @LOLIGOPS FROM @FENTONMODELS MAKEUP, VADEE CHHUN @MAKUPBY_VADEE

DAY TO NIGHT

NUDE LIP, CHANEL LE ROUGE DUO ULTRA TENUE IN CHIC BEIGE #164 DARK LIP, NARS VELVET MATTE PENCIL IN TRAIN BLEU

MARK BOZEK’S LIVE ROCKET

BY DENISE PEREAU

LIVE ROCKET. When I first heard the name, I immediately thought of a rocket launch in progress. Of an explosive happening. Of fireworks and fantasy. The name propels the promise of excitement forward at light speed and I wanted to know more about it. I found out it’s more than a concept. It’s an action plan for creatives ready to launch.

LIVE ROCKET is bringing the future of live-shopping front and center to a new generation of consumers. Founder Mark Bozek explains, “Live Rocket was created to form a full blown, global, live-shopping experience, targeting Generation Z along with those eschewing traditional live TV Shopping Networks. It’s a not just a website with clever merchandise for sale. It’s a daily destination and experiential event venue delivering the latest in the arts, music, fashion, and related content while supporting the purchase of goods in person. It’s really the future.”

Launched in September 2022, post pandemic, Bozek has built a team of visionaries working to meld the live shopping platform into a mix of promotional events which includes Chief Operating

Officer, Chris Smart. “Chris has been an amazing partner in helping to move the vision forward, especially now that people are seeking live experiences following the pandemic.” Further enumerating, Bozek shares his philosophy about naming the venue, “When I came up with the name it was because I believe 100% in all things live and the notion of live impulse. Rocket was the perfect action verb to describe the mission of Live Rocket launches. It just fit.”

Mark’s impressive credentials as an industry disruptor are well documented in his LinkedIn profile, his talents and expertise highly sought throughout his career. As a brand creator he’s credited with the launch and development of over $1B in proprietary brands, including Wolfgang Puck Cookware, Adrian Arpel’s Signature Club A Cosmetics, Andrew Lessman Vitamins, Jennifer Stallone’s Serious Skin Care, Beekman 1802 and Consult Beaute. As CEO of HSN he noticed competitor QVC’s Miracle Mops creator Joy Mangano and parleyed her company’s purchase for $10M into a company with assets worth $100M. The list of his credits seem endless, but there’s one in particular that caught my eye. Bradley

WRITTEN

Cooper was cast to play Bozek in David O. Russel’s 2015 movie JOY. Can’t believe I missed that one!

Bozek’s latest venture is proving to be more than just a brick and mortar shopping destination. What sets Live Rocket apart is the role it plays as a platform to launch exclusive brands and designers unavailable anywhere else on the planet via in-studio shopping, live digital shopping and select live TV shopping promotions. Events hosted there include the commercial launch of goods and content through events designed to enhance the sale of the merchandise. Bozek stresses, “We also believe our experiential retail studios located at The Seaport in NYC, enable a wide variety of events from fashion shows to studios shoots, and cool corporate events to take place aside from the main staging area. It’s exciting to see everything come together under one roof.”

Co-Executive Producer Montgomery Frazier, @theimageguru, @sohomuse who recently coproduced Ignite the Runway at Live Rocket, JEZMagazine and SoHoMuse’s recent successful fashion production enthuses, “The Live Rocket event space is a great raw space proffering endless possibilities for transformation when staging an event!” Monty continues, “The dramatic characteristics of this venue include a deconstructed 2 story facility featuring 2 winding staircases, ala Tara in Gone with the Wind, or the set of the Phantom of the Opera, staged with a neutral black background throughout. As a Producer, I was immediately drawn into the space. I love a great entrance and departure! The space is an enormous black canvas where clients can easily envision and design their statements or aesthetics to huge advantage! The back of the house where the magic of production is born is great to work in too.”

Frazier further relates, “Our guests excitedly expressed their awe and amazement at the curation of the multiple verticals we were able to integrate into our production. I truly believe this type of event couldn’t have been hosted as successfully in any other venue. And speaking of location, the revived, rebuilt, and rejuvenated location, currently referred to as The Seaport at 26 Fulton Street, is an easy destination to reach from anywhere in the city.”

If you’d like to book an event, Bozek advises, “As a new company we do not yet have a set time of how far in advance to book.” Checking out the website showed events lined up well into 2023, the concept fast attracting bookings from a wide array of global creatives. Mark is also in tune with promoting charitable entities tied to bookings. “All of our charities are mostly attached to the brands that we launch, including just recently, the live auction of Red Carpet Gowns with JULIANNE MOORE benefitting the Entertainment Fund, formerly known as The Actors Fund.”

Bozek closes with a gratified observation, “Working with celebrity definitely brings cache to Live Rocket and Ms. Moores’s event was amazing, but like all new start-ups, we look to have a certain clientele we like to refer to rather as “personalities” than celebrities. Our mantra, We launch things, is especially relevant to talented creatives ready to take their platforms to the next level. Helping people achieve their goals is especially rewarding to our entire team.”

To learn more please go to www.liverocket.com Or connect with: chris@liverocket.com

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