June/July 2011

JUNE l JULY 2011

BORN ON HER OWN TERMS BEHIND THE SCENES:

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

LYKKE LI

ERIKA JAYNE GET WIRED:

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3.14 x 4 x 4 =50

a slice l o S a Pizz hes c n i q = 48 s

8 inch pi = 50 s e q inch

es

r a = π r2

So, 3.14 x 11 = 379/8 slic per pie = 48

a = area π = 3.14 r = radius of the circle (½ the diameter)

Pizza Sola sli ce = 48 sq inche s

us of π = 3.14, and r is the radi 4 = 50 the pizza. So, 3.14 x 4 x . sq inches for the 8” pie

r2 a = π 50 sq inches

8” pie

size matters.

pizza. ” 2 2 a m ro f e ad m e ar Slices we solved the equation.

So, 3.14 x 11 x 11 = 379/ in/slice q s 8 4 = ie p er p es c li s 8

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MANIAC

MANIAC

Andrew, Rebecca & April

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

JUNE / JULY 2011 CONTRIBUTORS Publisher/Editor in Chief April Hubal

Hey MANIAC,

MANIAC

APRIL l MAY 2011

Editor Sarah Lolley

TOXIC MAKEUP GOOD LOOKS VS GOOD HEALTH. WHAT WE’RE REALLY PUTTING ON OUR FACE.

EURO BEAUTY SPOTS:

PITTSBURGH’S OLD WORLD INSPIRED SPAS

Jennifer D. Pittsburgh

KAT DELUNA

BEHIND THE SCENES OF FASHION WEEK PHOTOS & MORE!

Art Director/Designer Andrew Tutko

MANIAC,

KRISTINA

CHANEL

Director of Advertising Rebecca Tudi

JET-SET:

AustriAn spAs REBECCA TAYLOR

OH LAND’S

Photography Peter H. Chang Cameron Krone Marie Mashyna Cody Wiegand George Mendel Bill Schmitt Bruce M. Straka Su Min Park Kathy Wolfe Writers Amesh A. Adalja, MD Natalie Bell Ashley Boynes Jared Bundy Adam Castleforte Bridgette Cunningham Chelsea Danley Samantha Dunn Dominic Janidas Sarah Lolley Jennifer K. McGlincy Susie Meister Kelsey Panicco Katherine Reel Chloe Veneneux Cody Wiegand Interns Samantha Dunn Cody Wiegand Ashley Varvaro Matty Schreiber Marie Mashyna Su Min Park 8

NANNA ØLAND FAbrICIus

MANIAC MAGAZINE 219 Fort Pitt Blvd. | Pittsburgh, PA 15222 maniaceditor@maniacmagazine.com | maniacexchange.com 412.325.0052 l advertising inquries 412.325.0052

ON THE COVER Lykke Li shot by Cameron Krone.

I loved that you guys put Oh Land on the cover! I actually saw her perform a couple years ago at SXSW and have been following her ever since! She is an amazing artist and I’m excited that more people will now get a chance to see that.

$2.95

The FAR & AWAY Issue

Send party ideas, compliments, criticisms, and witticisms to: MANIAC Magazine 219 Fort Pitt Blvd.

Pittsburgh, PA 15222 maniaceditor@maniacmagazine.com

I really enjoyed this issue, especially the story on Savoy. I had briefly heard about it around town but did not know much. My husband and I decided to go and it was really good. Not only was the food amazing but the atmosphere was too and the service was top-notch. Thanks for featuring this restaurant because it’s now one of our favorites.

Carly P. Pittsburgh

Lulu the Most MANIAC Mutt Maniac hosted a Facebook contest for the most Maniac Mutt ! There proved to be more than a handful of dog lovers who want to share their favorite companion.

Lauren, our lucky winner gathered a staggering 458 votes for her pooch. With a gift basket of over $500 worth of prizes and a feature in the upcoming issue, the stakes were high.

The contest proved to be a success when Lauren went out and personally recruited people from the Fox Chapel area high school to vote for Lulu while in the computer lab. Her viral marketing paid off! She came to the studio for an exclusive photo shoot with Lulu and walked off with over $500 of toys, treats, training and more. Maniac sends a special thanks to all of our participants and especially our vendors.

Airy Pines Boarding Kennel: a first-rate family owned and operated kennel in Plum. www.airypinesboardingkennel.com Smiley’s Pet Pad: an independent pet shop that has a large supply of products for dogs, cats, birds, reptiles and fish. www.smileyspetpad.com The Dog Stop: a luxury boarding accommodation, an interactive social daycare experience, and spa-like grooming. www.thedogstop.net The Pampered Pet School of Dog Grooming: for over 39 years has been teaching the art of professional pet grooming with hands on training combined with classroom, video and bookwork. www.pamperedpetschool.com Be sure to visit us online maniacexchange.com and Facebook to follow and participate in upcoming contests.

9

MANIAC

MANIAC JUNE l JULY 2011

TAKING A BIGGER BITE OUTTA LIFE

CONTENTS 12/ UNDERCOVER

Born on a Woman’s Terms, the Wounded Rhymes of indie pop star Lykke Li.

dear

20/ PROFILE PAGE 22

Chef Kevin Watson of Savoy shares his story and award winning appetizers.

22/ SHOP

Fruit Punch: Color for the summer!

24/ PROFILE

Naked & Famous: Confessions of a Fabric Nerd, Brandon Svarc.

26/ MUSIC

With Billboard chart hits, Erika Jayne is becoming a dance music sensation.

30/ FEATURE

Rocker turned model, Ian Mellencamp is a jack of many trades.

34/ STYLE

Pittsburgh’s own Alisia Leibel brings us A Fine Line of clothing from LA.

36/ FASHION

Maniac Mermaids: Yearning to get wet, summer styles.

42/ FEATURE PAGE 30

Maniac talks with Outnet.com director Stephanie Phair.

42/ FEATURE

Locally developed app and burgeoning new entrepreneur, LoyalTree.

46/ ART

From clowns to glitzy performers, Cirque du Soleil’s Totem dazzled its audience.

50/ EVENT

MANIAC FORWARD THINKERS,

54/ JET-SET

This issue set out to highlight artists, designers, and companies that are a part of the techno world that has influenced our forward motivating lives. There were times when we got ahead of ourselves with our ambitions for this issue, but that happens in varying degrees in every issue.

This issue we celebrate an artist, who we missed the chance to interview in person because of her vigorous touring schedule, but were able to score the images from her photo shoot with Cameron Krone.

Lykke Li’s prelude to her 2011 release Wounded Rhymes, was Youth Novels album that was instantly infectious in 2008 with its production of interesting beats and clever harmony. She has reached another level of fame with her more sophisticated symphonies that beautifully recognizes her evolution from artist to shooting star.

Everyone shops online and everyone wishes they could afford an entire ensemble from Net-a-porter.

However, now the company is making that a little more realistic with their sister site The Outnet. We have a hard won interview with the new director Stephanie Phair, who gives us tips on shopping and travelling. I would love her to be my new best friend.

Forward thinkers at LoyalTree get a spot in this issue with their new app to help us collect discounts and rewards from local businesses. We talk to fashion forward Corey LeChat from the big Burrito Group, who takes his style to another level with innovative pairings. Alisia Leibel, a Design Feature, is living her dream of creating comfortable chic clothing with her label A Fine Line. Let’s not forget Naked & Famous owner Brandon Svac who is a self-confessed fabric nerd who travels to a far region in Japan to make his denim fabric.

Other sky walkers that we found to grace our pages include the clown and wardrobe goddess of Cirque du Soleil. Some one who is decorating the skies of New York billboards Ian Mellencamp gives a moment to relish in the old fame that is still a part of his new fame as the new face of cK One. The issue also reviews the current Alexander McQueen exhibit at the MET, which celebrates an artist who does truly walk amongst the stars now. For the Jet Set we take on the techno lights of San Fransisco with the amazing skylines from photographer Peter H. Chang.

This is my last issue as editor of magazine. I have discovered once an Accidental Mama, twice, and three times the charm. Wish me luck as my life gets even more complicated. Follow me at AccidentalMama.com

The party at Savoy was a crowd pleaser and a fashion teaser for attendees!

San Francisco, Techno City beats, forward moving.

58/ EVENT

PAGE 12

Violette Couture, local designers create specular pieces for great cause.

60/ FEATURE

frockOn ladies and gentleman! From charities to fashion events, learn how a lifestyle turned into an online business.

62/ HUSBAND UPGRADE

Not ready for mom jeans yet, Susie Meister sets us straight.

64/ FASHION

The art he left behind, a visit to see Alexander McQueen at the MET.

66/ HEALTH

eHealth, there are apps for that now.

68/ BEAUTY

Urban Bohemian, get the look!

70/ GUIDE

Get the skinny on your favorite coffee hangout.

72/ FITNESS

“There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they’re necessary to reach the places we’ve chosen to go.” ~Richard Bach

X Shadyside marathon runners reach the finish line...how far behind are you?

74/ FOOD

Pizza Sola’s owner and entrepreneur Jim Aiello Jr.‘s family legacy.

Sincerely,

Sarah Lolley Sarah Lolley l Editor

PAGE 54

PAGE 70

PAGE 36

11

UNDERCOVER

LYKKE LI

BORN ON HER OWN TERMS BY domi ni c j anid a s P HOTOGRA P HY BY ca me ro n kro n e

12

13

category UNDERCOVER header “Like a shotgun, needs an outcome. I’m your prostitute, you’re gonna get some.”

From Lykke Li’s first hit single “Get Some” off her sophomore album, Wounded Rhymes, epitomizes her seductive, clever delivery.

We are all definitely going to get some from this burgeoning indie pop star.

Captivating audiences with her smart and intimate style, Lykke Li combines her imaginative vision with infectious beats that have turned her little ditties into pop culture hits. This was evident from her first album Youth Novels in 2008, with her second released this year she has turned that “youth” into woman-sized attitude.

If you don’t recognize her name, remove yourself from the rock under which you live…immediately.

Prior to her performance, the room is dim with the lingering of cigarette

A track off Youth Novels goes “I’m Good I’m Gone.” Lykke is definitely good, but she isn’t gone. In fact, she has only just begun.

Born in Sweden in 1986, Lykke Li Zachrissons has always been a little different. One might even say that is a drastic understatement. The roots began creatively with a mother who was a photographer and member of a punk rock band, and a father who was a musician in a reggae band. However, she has said that her influences were far from her parents.

She was listening to Michael Jackson while her parents were raging in their own musical world.

She did get to call many places home in her youth, which may have also influenced her worldly mindset. While she is Swedish she doesn’t categorize herself in the same group of Scandinavian artists to have emerged on world music stages.

Her background alone is something to marvel. Most notable about her childhood

What people love about her is that she just doesn’t give a shit. She doesn’t care about what people think. She isn’t trying to be weird or different because some think that’s “in” right now. No, Lykke Li is just that - different.

Her critically acclaimed Youth Novels changed the game in so many ways. Aside from the fact that she created a record that you don’t have to skip one track, she was instantly taken seriously. The masters behind the magic were her fellow Swedish compatriots Björn Yttling, of Peter Bjorn and John, and Lasse Mårtén.

During her first years touring festivals with Youth Novels, people looked beyond the gorgeous exterior, dark, smoky eyes, long flowing locks, and a fashion forward attitude. People saw something much bigger than all of that. People everywhere saw substance.

For the blog The Vine she said in an interview, “I think it’s so lovely that I managed to surround myself with people

“I think it’s so lovely that I managed to surround myself with people who bring joy to my life. That’s probably one of the best things about travelling for music – that you get to meet all these great people. You get to meet kindred spirits. We’re all indigo spirits waiting to be found. Some people I’ve found on tour have become my absolute best friends and they’re from the other side of the world.” smoke wisping around the air. The quiet anticipation builds as you wait. Then, she sings. Soft, melodic crooning fills the air that was once hazy and is now filled with her voice. It’s an enamoring experience, to say the least.

Then, the tempo kicks up, and a driving drumbeat gets your body pumping through what can only be described as a musical drug- you need more, you have to have more. There is no need to open your eyes, for you know the deliverer of such a sound is as beautiful as the voice creating it. That is Lykke Li. Of course, she is much more than tempting melodies and even electric indie pop music. Lykke Li is a European sensation who is not sneaking her way into the States, but kicking down the door with an amazing sound, a killer fashion sense, and badass blazing shotguns to complete the ensemble. For her tour she created an intimate setting that feels as intimate as your own bathroom, according to Lykke.

In her own words she added “some good looking Swedish boys” on stage and encouraged spontaneity with her audience members. “Throw me a rose and I will give you a rose song if you want,” she said in a tour interview.

14

is all the places she called home: Sweden, New Zealand, a mountain top village in Portugal, India, Nepal, and Morocco. Talk about a Jet-Setter!

In true Maniac-style, her mother was a badass. She gave birth to Lykke in a Swedish hospital standing up - without drugs. The hospital describes this as, “being born on a woman’s terms.”

Let’s just say this concept translates so profoundly in Lykke’s life. Lykke Li controls every aspect of herself; she runs the show, on her very own terms. Having lived in so many astounding places, her style of music has evolved in an eclectic fashion, mixing and fusing that stems from the dynamic culture from where she has lived.

In this way people have compared her to the powerhouse art pop star Lady Gaga, but Lykke Li is more musically driven than shock driven. She has a dark, unapologetic, and sometimes shocking style to her videos, but she possesses a subtle grace with her delivery compared to the loud productions from Gaga.

Her first videos have a unique ambiance that utilizes cinema techniques resembling stop motion animation. “Little Bit” was shot in an apartment with her own pocket money.

who bring joy to my life. That’s probably one of the best things about travelling for music – that you get to meet all these great people. You get to meet kindred spirits. We’re all indigo spirits waiting to be found. Some people I’ve found on tour have become my absolute best friends and they’re from the other side of the world.”

After the release of her first record, and having played major music festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza in 2009 basically announcing her arrival with quirky dance moves and a megaphone, people began to pay even more close attention. Well, not just any people, but people like Kanye West and Kings of Leon.

Then, like everything else in Lykke’s life, subtlety was smothered and an explosion of Lykke-mania commenced.

The breakout indie musician wasn’t singing about kissing girls or wanting to brush her teeth with a bottle of Jack, but she was singing about the truth in life and love, and the truth in discovery, loneliness and worth. That’s what this particular genre is all about. In interviews she is always very vague about the meaning behind each song because they come from a very powerful place inside her.

15

category UNDERCOVER header There is mystery in those piercing eyes.

She has since collaborated with indie sensations Bon Iver and Santogold, just to name a few, and has a killer cover of Lil Wayne’s “A Mili” tucked away in her arsenal of jaw-droppers for live shows.

She contributed a song to the Twilight’s New Moon soundtrack and even covered on Glee. You know you’ve made it when a group of awkward, angsty teen characters sing your songs through braces and speech impediments.

It is true that Americans love their Top 40 radio, more and more tastes and preferences are being altered, as they discover a whole new realm of music; a

the reason why a lot of interesting music is coming from Sweden is because it’s a very harsh place to live. It’s so cold, so dark, people are so closed… There’s nothing. Take New York for example.

People come from all around the world because they have a dream, and if you look at history, there are so many people who came to America with a dream. It’s a place for people with a dream, for stars, for prostitutes, for transvestites… Sweden is like… no emotions. Everyone is the same. If you are a bit different you feel so much like an outcast, so you go into your own world, you lock yourself inside your room and you start learning about the

“I think the reason why a lot of interesting music is coming from Sweden is because it’s a very harsh place to live. It’s so cold, so dark, people are so closed…

There’s nothing.” realm where people like Lykke Li reign while kicking ass and taking names.

Lykke’s music is what young Americans are craving, something abstract and open to interpretation, while still able to be a summer anthem, not just by indie hipsters drinking coffee out of mason jars, but by literally everyone.

Her infectious voice ties every worldly instrument in her songs together. Quite honestly, with a voice like that she could sell anything.

There is an almost eclectic compilation of sounds that take over, showing her transition into the American indie music scene, from the European market where she dominates. She took time off after Youth Novels in New York and Los Angeles stating recently that she has spent less and less time in Sweden. Her place has been on the road on a vigorous tour.

Lykke Li’s success in Europe has seeped into the United States, and now that she has become a staple in the indie music scene, people know she is going to continuously impress us with each release. Her type of European fare marries the new age, progressive music style that both Americans and Europeans agree upon.

Her diverse background can be credited to how her music transcends on to listeners. She has said in an interview with blog It’s Pop that her native country Sweden is monotone when it comes to its creative atmosphere. When someone breaks away from the pact, they become different.

She says in the interview: “I think 16

underground scene, you start listening to that sort of music (like Suicide etc.) and then you start creating your own music.

We want it to be like New York in the 70s!”

And that is the fun part of music in the indie realm, whether it’s Europe or the United States is that there is no real definition of sound and there are no rules. Lykke is all about substance and expression (on her own terms of course) and her approach has translated to success all over the world.

With the release of Wounded Rhymes in March of this year, she has set a new tone for her music. This journey is her own; the music is her own; the life is her own; the substance is her own. However, Lykke Li’s music is for everyone to enjoy on their own terms.

She has said that being heart broken or happy is always better with music. Her music is helping to shape a new wave of style, musical integrity, and progression that sets the listener free in the most moving of ways.

On her first album she was quoted saying she wanted to take a minimalist sound with vocals and hand claps to an extent. The result was more art than revelry. What she didn’t expect was for her minimalist approach to be received so massively. This is becoming the story of her life. Like one of the hits from her first album she gave us a “Little Bit” and we were left wanting more – now we’re gonna to “Get Some.”

17

UNDERCOVER

18

19

PROFILE

A STAR IS BORN, RISING FAST FROM HIS

KITCHEN

Savoy’s Executive Chef Kevin Watson B Y a da m c a st l e t o r t e P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y m a r i e m a s hyna

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The curtain is up and the show is on for Savoy, in the heart of Pittsburgh’s Strip District.

Starring in a lead role is Executive Chef Kevin Watson. A veteran on this stage, Kevin has been in the restaurant industry for over twenty-five years, much of which has been in executive roles.

As with most chef stories, it wasn’t all glitz and glamour in the beginning. He started out at the bottom, bussing tables and washing dishes and worked his way up. He remembers at one point, he was living out of his car and eating popcorn for weeks. He knew how to cook, but needed some polishing.

After graduating from Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, Kevin landed himself an externship position as a pastry chef at the Ritz Carlton on Florida’s Amelia Island. Making it to the Ritz Carlton is just as prestigious as making it to a night at the Oscars, and chef Watson has been walking the red carpet ever since. After three years at the Ritz, he returned to Pittsburgh as Executive Pastry Chef at the Top of the Triangle and then in 1998 moved on as Executive Chef to the Sunny Ledge Hotel. In 2000, Chef Watson returned to his alma mater as a chef instructor at the Culinary Institute of Pittsburgh, “For me, that was tuition reimbursement,” he says with a smile.

Not only does Kevin Watson have hotel,

restaurant and teaching experience, he also works in the catering business and as a private chef for some of Pittsburgh’s most beloved black and yellow stars.

While working for a catering company, Kevin was called up and asked to cook a private dinner for Jerome Bettis and his then girlfriend, now wife, Trameka Bettis. “It was supposed to be a one-time thing,” he admits, but it would lead to a whole other chapter in Kevin’s kitchen script.

Kevin finished the dinner that evening and told his boss if he ever needed a private chef again to give him a call. Not long after, Jerome did call and asked Kevin to do a few more dinners. Jerome was so impressed, he asked him to continue on as his personal chef throughout two football seasons up until Super Bowl XL and Jerome’s retirement. You might say Kevin provided a little of the gas “the Bus” needed on the road to win us our sixth Super Bowl ring. Without a proper diet and proper nutrition, who’s to say otherwise?

The rest of the Steelers must’ve caught on that something good was cooking, because with Watson’s catering company, Pittsburgh Premiere Catering, and his business partner Denise Pierchalski, they cook for the whole line of Pittsburgh Steelers linemen, backs and receivers.

Some other names Pittsburgh Steeler fans will recognize are Hines Ward, Casey Hampton, Alan Faneca, DeShea Townsend, James Farrior, James Harrison, Matt Spaeth, Ryan Clark and more. These are big guys with even bigger appetites. Chef Kevin says that a lot of the food he cooks for these guys is energy recovery food benefiting before games and after practice. It helps he is a certified dietary manager.

Kevin likes the personal attention he is able to give as a private chef, but loves the excitement of the restaurant environment and especially for the electricity and the good vibes happening at Savoy. His menu includes a mix of nostalgic food he grew up with along with west coast favorites and southern specialties.

Some of his favorite experiences in life have been the times when he is surrounded by friends, family and lots of food. Whether it was a picnic, family dinner or a party with friends, the real joy is bringing people together to enjoy eating and drinking, and having a great time, which is exactly the experience Savoy wants you to have.

Another passion Kevin and his culinary costars at Savoy have is the insistence on fresh, premium grade foods on the table. A member of PASA (Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture), Kevin will be plating your food with fresh and local as much as possible. Also a supporter of local shops and wholesalers, chef Kevin buys his seafood right up the street at Penn Ave. Fish Company, and chooses to use Strip District vendors like Penn Mac and Paragon Produce.

There are two full menus at Savoy, a bar menu, consisting of lighter fare and finger foods, and a dinner menu for the dining room that showcases Kevin’s entrees. On the bar menu you can order favorites like chicken wings, cooked in a pressure fryer ensuring a moist inside and perfect breading. The wings are served with the sauce on the side so there is no nasty finger licking necessary. Sauce options include, Siracha Sesame, Cajon Lounge, Chipotle, General Tso, Blue cheese and Buffalo Ranch. Other upstairs bar menu items are fish tacos, burger sliders, stuffed salmon and an award-winning chicken satay.

On the main menu downstairs, chef recommends the pork done three ways. “I like variety,” he says. This dish has pork shoulder with an apricot demi, pork tenderloin with pickled apples and sweet potato puree, and pork ribs with coleslaw. Other main dishes are roast chicken with black-eyed peas, butter poached lobster, shrimp & grits, steaks and more.

Chef Kevin Watson is fixing up star status food so come well dressed. If you want a night out fit for a movie star, they even have their own paparazzi for red carpet nights. For men, wear buttoned shirts and dress shoes and for the ladies, well they always seem to know what to wear.

21

MANIAC SHOPS

FRUIT PUNCH

SHOP

LUCKY BRAND bracelet - Macy’s - $39

Don’t start the summer off on a dull note, it’s no time to be dark and dreary. Get those colors out for summer. There is a fresh wave of bright shades that should be gracing your wardrobe. Jeweled blues, sunny yellows, and bold floral prints are perfect to bring you out of the darkness.

However you choose to wear these bright shades, you will be sure to stand out. From swimsuits to picnic and patio wear; Maniac traveled to Reflect Apparel and one of our favorite destinations in Shadyside, Hiptique, to bring you the summer trends so you’ll be “vibin.”

BETSY JOHNSON fish ring - Macy’s - $45

C L O T H I N G B Y H i p’ t i que & R e f l e ct A ppa r e l

HARAJUKU LOVERS

G of the Sea perfume spray - Sephora - $45

STYLE&CO.

fuschia watch - Macy’s - $29.98

P HOTO GRAPHY BY a pri l hubal S T YLED BY kel s e y pani cco H A I R & M A KEUP BY ka theri ne r e e l M ODEL FROM docherty models

TYLER RODAN

satchel in Flamingo - Macy’s - $79 22

STYLE&CO.

turquoise watch - Macy’s - $29.98

CK ONE

summer perfume - Sephora - $46 23

PROFILE

CONFESSIONS OF A

FABRIC NERD

NAKED & FAMOUS: RARE AND RAW JAPANESE DENIM BY s a r a h lo lle y

24

Brandon. “So we want to be the opposite of that. Instead of offering glamour and sex and celebrity-ism we just want to make a far superior pair of jeans with a cult fabric, and for half the price of all those bullshit brands.”

The label on every pair of jeans says it all “Rare and Raw Japanese Denim.” The each When I meet Brandon Svarc he is sitting impression on the leather patch depicts an with the owner of the Pittsburgh Jeans Company, also a close friend of mine, Lawrence iconic pop image of half-naked, big haired woman.

“Scottie” Scott, at a bar table at the restaurant “Just like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichenstein Ibiza. The empty glasses on the table tell me in the 1950s, who created pop art and took they are ahead of me quite a bit. images from romance comic books to make fun Fast-talking, raven-haired, and selfof society for obsessing with the ideal blonde. confessed fabric nerd Brandon is the owner of the Canadian jeans company Naked & Famous We too take that image and make fun of society Denim. He is in town for a custom jeans making for obsessing with the ideal blonde celebrity, like the Paris Hilton or the Lindsay Lohan. Just event using the raw denim material developed like pop artists, they mass produce their arts from machine from Japan. Patrons of the and sold it right back to the people they’re Pittsburgh Jeans Company got to choose their fabric shades, stitching, and leather patches for making fun of, we intend to do the same. And that is our concept.” a truly unique, tailored pair of jeans.

However, despite his backside to celebrity However, Naked & Famous jeans are he has created one for himself with write-ups in made to tailor to your skin, and much to my Details, Vanity Fair, Nylon and a feature in GQ. husband’s chagrin, not be cleaned for a year.

The focus is always that they push the denim In fact they are made to stand up straight on their own, but feel as soft as cashmere. As I took envelope to make an interesting product. They have made glow-in-the-dark jeans, stainless my place amongst the “Jack and cokes” being steel jeans (containing 10% of real metal passed around, I learned the secret is in the stainless steel yarn), and Kevlar bulletproof construction and fabric. jeans, wool blends, and silk blends. There most Brandon with the help of his brother popular hybrid are the wool, silk and cashmere launched the brand in 2008 after taking a pilgrimage to Japan in search of specialty denim blend denim.

Their exclusivity has indeed attracted looms. “So I got to Japan, I find the craziest, the most rare and the most expensive denim fabric many celebrity fans, many of whom have sent Brandon their images to endorse the brand. He I can get my hands on,” explains Brandon, is very quick to say he will never, ever reveal excitedly. “We bring it back to Canada, where we’re from, we’re crazy Canadian denim nerds. his star-studded fan base because he thinks that societies that obsess over celebrity are Everything that we do is probably made in ridiculous. Despite all of his cheeky defiance he Quebec. But we keep everything raw, and is sold at Barney’s in Beverly Hills. simple and clean, no holes no chains, no “We made a $1,500 jean for Barneys, bullshit, no advertising, no celebrities, just the which is 100% cashmere,” says Brandon. best denim and for reasonable prices. And “The reason that I made that is because I don’t the reason why we called our brand Naked & like the misconception that we are against Famous and why we have this naked pop art lady on our logo is to make fun of all the bullshit expensive jeans. I’m not against expensive jeans; I’m against over-priced jeans. I’m against in the industry. Our brand is supposed to be a jeans that have value built into them only satire of celebrity-obsessed culture.” because it’s fake value, it’s celebrity value. We Naked & Famous embody a fashion don’t sell glamour into our jeans. This wasn’t rebellion that is successful because the $1,500 because some famous person took company has used its exquisite product and a dump on them. The jeans were $1,500 cheeky branding to carve a niche in a celebrity saturated industry. Brandon scoffs at labels that because it’s made with a super rare and expensive fabric that was made from 100% sell clothing by using celebrity endorsements. cashmere, made on 100-year-old machines.”

“People ask me ‘why is a pair of William His goal is to create an even more Rast jeans $3oo retail,’ and it’s not because expensive jean because it will be entirely it’s a better pair of jeans it’s because Justin woven, dyed, and sewn by hand. The ancient Timberlake is associated with the brand,” says

dying method he plans to use uses no machines, no electricity, and takes two years to produce. In the Japanese city Tokushima the method has been passed down from generations since the 1400s to dye kimonos.

Incidentally, since his factories were located in the Western part of the country they were not affected by the recent earthquake.

“People ask us ‘why would you use Japanese denim’ and the reason is that Japanese denim is the best and most expensive denim fabric in the world because they use super vintage machines called SHATALOOMS, which creates a really brilliant and beautiful fabric that is not mass produced, that is made in a difficult way, that is made slowly.”

Despite all the craftsmanship and artistry that goes into his jeans the cost of a pair is relatively low compared with his competition.

He credits his lack of an advertising budget and NAFTA; there is no duty of pay for products from Canada. All of the fabric is made in Japan and all the construction happens in Canada.

The art is in the process which still uses old technology that doesn’t rely on computers “It’s made on old machines that are difficult to make that take more hand and human effort,” explains Brandon says of the reasons Japanese denim is superior. “And then it’s also dyed, the yarns are dyed in a special method called rope dying that is much more time consuming, more expensive but creates a much more beautiful fading effect. Like the jeans age much more beautifully than any other denim in the world and that’s very important.”

“The last one is my favorite because it’s the nerdiest reason why Japanese denim is the best,” he says accepting another drink. “When I ask the president of the mill that we buy most of our denim from I ask the same question ‘what makes Japanese denim the best in the world?’ and he didn’t say the machines, he didn’t say the dying methods, he didn’t say the innovation…he said the water.”

The denim is produced using mountain water to clean the fabric and dyes. Even if the machines are copied by cheaper versions in China, they can’t reproduce the effect of the water. So it’s like Kentucky and bourbon?

“Exactly,” he says while another round of drinks magically appears.

In the end, Brandon may love the technicalities and nuances of producing an amazing textile but it’s really all about how they feel and look - damn good.

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MUSIC

PRETTY BIG MESS CLUB B Y je n n if e r k . m c g lin cy

PRINCESS ERIKA JAYNE

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“Fantasy, love, escape, fun, dancing beats, over-the-top, sexy, lots to look at, girly.”

Erika Jayne describes her music in her own words. MANIAC recently caught up with the sultry, chart-topping, club queen and learned that not only is this an accurate depiction of her music, it’s a personal mission statement.

Erika Jayne’s sultry vocals have mesmerized the music industry since the release of her debut album Pretty Mess in 2009. Small hints of her southern Atlanta accent can still be heard in her voice. Now based in Los Angeles she has taken the American Dance Music/Electronica world by storm.

In March 2011 she held the #1 spot for the fifth consecutive time on Billboard’s “Hot Dance Club Play” chart with her scorching

answer. (I imagined she made this statement as she batted her eyelashes coyly, pointing to a map with a black whip.) It’s not hard to let your imagination run wild when talking to Jayne or listening to her music and that’s exactly how she wants it.

Living life how she wants to was the inspiration for Jayne to launch her own record label. “Pretty Mess Records was born out of a way to develop my music without restrictions and make videos the way that I want to. The game of music has changed. “ In an industry heavily saturated with male executives, Jayne says, “You’re going to find challenges in any business that you do. I do not think that my sex helps or prohibits me in any way; nor should it for anyone else.”

apologies attitude shines through her reviews.

The LA Times wrote: “On this debut, Jayne makes no bones about emulating the luxurious, erotic sounds trademarked by Prince. She even covers Apollonia 6’s hit “Sex Shooter” and enlists Sheila E’s quaking drums on “Time to Realize.””

When asked if she could think of a question she’s never been asked before in an interview, she responded, “THAT is a great question. I like the every day questions. I am so happy doing what I do and I make a point of saying that I come from the heart.”

MANIAC loves Erika Jayne for her unapologetic femininity, her sexy style, creative expression, kick-ass dance beats, down to earth relatability, and luxuriously provocative wild child alter ego.

“I am all woman, all the time, very feminine all the time, very sexy, always trying to be as sexy and gorgeous as possible.” hit, “One Hot Pleasure.” Not too shabby for the debut album from her very own music label, aptly named Pretty Mess Records. Not too shabby indeed, considering every single previous release from that album has shot to #1, including: “Roller Coaster,” “Stars,” “Give You Everything,” and “Pretty Mess.”

When asked about her musical development from her early stages at The North Atlanta School Of Performing Arts to bona-fide chart goddess, Jayne modestly explains, “You always hope for the best, but it’s definitely a great feeling.”

The charts don’t lie and Jayne’s chart rankings have placed her in a category that includes Lady Gaga, Pussycat Dolls, and Rihanna. Much like her counterparts, Jayne puts on one hell of a show as crowd-goers rave about her stage presence that often includes thigh-high leather stiletto heels and bustiers along with her signature lit in pink neon, just in case you get dizzy while dancing and forget who is performing.

“I am all woman, all the time, very feminine all the time, very sexy, always trying to be as sexy and gorgeous as possible.” To top it off, her powerful, alluring vocals don’t disappoint.

It’s the type of music that forces you to put down your drink and dance.

Jayne is said to own the stage and transform clubs when she performs, which makes her personality even more endearing as she claims to still get stage fright on occasion.

“Of course I get stage fright sometimes. I started performing when I was young, but as you gain experience and develop as a performer, you gain confidence.”

Jayne has devoured the dance club circuit in the U.S. and says nothing beats a big show in a big city. “It doesn’t matter where it is, as long as the people are in to it, I’m in to it.” Her favorite place to perform is any place they love her the most. This could be a publicist’s dream

Not a surprising assessment as Jayne is recognized for promoting acceptance and tolerance for people of all backgrounds including the LBGT (lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgendered) community. She has appeared in several national Gay Pride events including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Miami, and New York. Jayne explains, “I grew up in a gay and lesbian community from my early days in musical theater to family members – I am so fortunate to have them as my fans!

They inspire me.”

Jayne cites other influences as Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, family, friends, and people she might meet for five minutes and never see again. This appreciation for people that surround her and the people she encounters is evident from her loyal fan base and a pleasant surprise to newer Erika Jayne fans. She keeps in close contact with her fans through her website and on Twitter. “I’ve embraced social media because it has made artists more accessible to the fans. “You can communicate with people that love you.”

(March 3, 2011 Tweet from @erikajayne: Why am I awake?)

We were wondering the same thing, in fact, we were wondering if she ever sleeps. Jayne prides herself on her work ethic and states that if and when she signs other artists to Pretty Mess Records, they will have to have the same strong work ethic that she has.

Erika Jayne is clearly on the fast track to pop stardom and does not appear to be slowing down any time soon. Jayne plans to release two new EP’s in 2011 and take her music to new audiences. When asked about where she sees her career in five years, Jayne chants, “More, more, more. More great records, more great videos, more #1’s.”

Jayne has been talked about, blogged about, praised, criticized, and rewarded for her music and performances. Her make-no-

When asked if she planned on performing in Pittsburgh anytime soon, she said, “Invite me and I’ll come.” Did you hear that Pittsburgh club promoters and booking agents?

You can keep up with her upcoming shows on her website www.prettymessrecords.com or follow her journeys on Twitter @erikajayne.

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FEATURE On a recent sunny afternoon in a coffee shop on the edge of the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bed-Stuy I sat waiting, at a two-top table with mismatched chairs listening to cheery AfroCaribbean beats. A few minutes later I looked up to see someone personally familiar to me, but better known to the rest of the world as the new face of Calvin Klein, stroll in through the open door.

Ian Mellencamp, slid into the chair across from me and apologized for being late with one of his impish yet sincere smiles. “The ‘Ghost Train’ took forever to show up…” he explained, referring to MTA’s G line train which is notorious for keeping commuters waiting for what feels like an eternity between transfers.

Though Mellencamp, 27, has been staying mostly with friends while he spends his time between New York, and his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio for the past six months, he has just recently gotten around to renting his own apartment here.

The permanence of a new home in the big city is a testament to his recent success. The billboards, television commercials and print ads for cK One certainly are proof of how good he looks in jeans, and his incredible talented genes he has inherited from his musically talented family. Ian, who plays guitar and sings in a solo project called the Ian Mellencamp Tribe, is the nephew of legendary heartland rocker, John Mellencamp.

After swearing that he was giving up caffeine “tomorrow,” he ordered a cappuccino and we moved to an antique-looking pink sofa in front of the large street-facing window to talk.

MM: How exactly did the cK One campaign come about?

HEARTTHROB FROM THE HEARTLAND

B Y chl o e v e ne ne ux P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y a pr i l huba l

Maniac chats with Ian Mellencamp, the face of cK One’s new ad campaign and nephew of legendary heartland rocker, John Mellencamp.

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Ian: I’d been doing a little bit of modeling here and there over the past few years back in Cincinnati. I never took it very seriously or anything. Then, one day last fall, my agency had me shoot a short video that they sent to Calvin Klein, casting for the new cK One campaign.

A few weeks later, my agency called to let me know that they were interested in me. I flew to New York, met with them, signed with Click [a modeling agency in New York] and flew back to Cincinnati the next day. A few days later I got a phone call letting me know that I’d gotten the job. It was crazy how quickly it all happened.

MM: The Box (go to www.ckone.com) seems like a pretty interesting concept. What was the shoot like?

Ian: It actually was a lot of fun. Although there were definitely a few posed shots, a lot of the time we were just given a basic scenario and told to improvise. There was a lot of freedom to be ourselves on camera. It was pretty cool because most of the models were chosen because they had some sort of creative or

unique talent. There was a painter, a boxer and a break dancer amongst several others. Part of the reason I was chosen was because I play guitar and sing.

MM: Did you have a chance to play at all during the shoot?

Ian: Not on camera, but when we weren’t filming there were instruments on set that we were able to fool around with. There was one day of the shoot when they did interactive interviews in the Box, I got to sing a little on camera then.

MM: Has modeling opened up any doors in regards to your music career?

Ian: It’s definitely made me more visible. I had the opportunity to go to SXSW in Austin, Texas to do a sort of live version of the cK One Box. It has made it possible for me to live here in New York. I feel like being here offers more

opportunities to play out and to collaborate with other musicians.

MM: How would you compare playing music on stage to being in front of the camera?

Ian: It’s actually pretty similar. Instead of an audience, you’re playing to the camera.

However, they can edit or throw away the pictures that don’t work. On stage, you only get one shot.

MM: How long have you been playing? Were you exposed to music at a young age?

Ian: Yeah, definitely. My dad played in a band before I was born and continued to play when I was young. I started a band in high school called Bluf, we played together then and for a few years afterwards. We toured a little bit.

Eventually, everyone went their separate ways and I started doing the solo thing.

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FASHION MM: What was it like growing up having John Mellencamp for an uncle? Did it play a role in your getting into music?

Ian: I’ve always liked listening to his music and we went to his concerts as a family. I always knew that being related to him was considered “special” but I wasn’t really aware of the magnitude of his fame when I was a kid. It wasn’t until I was a little older that I began to realize the extent of his influence or how much his music meant to so many people.

MM: Has your uncle’s style influenced your own?

Ian: I have a lot of respect for my uncle as a musician. His songs tell stories, not just lyrically, but in the arrangements as well. There is a definite intelligence, an attention to craft and detail that is apparent in all of his songs. I like that he has incorporated instruments not typically associated with his genre: violin, organ, accordion. He’s been around for almost thirty years and he still continues to evolve. I don’t have any desire to emulate his sound or anything like that, but I have learned a lot from him about the art of writing music.

MM: How would you describe your sound?

Ian: I guess you could classify it as “Progressive Folk Rock.” I’m always striving to explore new directions.

MM: A lot of his music revolves around growing up in the Midwest. Do you think that growing up in Cincinnati has influenced your music?

Ian: I think that any environment where you spend a significant amount of time affects the creative process and the resulting material, whether you realize it or not. My dad is a self-made man and I inherited a certain work ethic from him that I apply not just to my music but to everything that I do.

I’ve done construction jobs; I’ve driven a flat-bed truck. Before coming to New York, I had been working a nine to five desk job for the last few years. I don’t write songs about doing those things, but the feelings I had and the people that I encountered while doing them have provided inspiration for a lot of my songs.

MM: How has moving to New York affected your writing?

Ian: The change of pace and scenery has given me a fresh perspective. I’ve experienced things here that I haven’t been exposed to before, giving me a lot of new things to write about. The diversity in this city is amazing. I hope that it will somehow show up in the music I’ve been working on lately.

“Seeing myself on a billboard.

It’s pretty surreal.”

MM: So, between the cK One campaign, moving to New York and continuing your music career it seems like life has been something of a whirlwind for you lately. What has been your most MANIAC moment so far?

Ian: Seeing myself on a billboard. It’s pretty surreal.

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STYLE

TAILORED COMFORT B Y br i dge t t e cunni ngha m

LOCAL DESIGNER GOES WEST Before my conversation with Alisia Leibel on a Thursday afternoon, I’ve heard gossip that she has made guest appearances on daytime television, is a close pal of Hilary Duff’s, and is married to one of the youngest men to own an Enzo Ferrari. I was expecting a Los Angeles diva to answer the phone. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, I thought that this city would have been a forgotten land to Leibel, and I couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Leibel is thrilled to be in MANIAC. This is her first official feature, outside of an article written by a friend, she confides. “My dad has been subscribing to the magazine,” she beams, remembering her last trip to Pittsburgh. She left the city to study Fine Arts and Communication at Loyola Marymount University in LA, and to pursue an acting career. After a few internships with designers, and a final frustration with her closet, the idea for her clothing line, “A Fine Line” emerged.

“While in my closet a few years ago, nothing was fitting right. The fabrics weren’t holding up right. There wasn’t the perfect piece, the perfect t-shirt.” Leibel is all about comfort and clothes being wearable from morning to midnight. “The core of my wardrobe is comfortable casual.

There was a lack, a missing gap.” Leibel wanted to fill the gap and create loungewear that could transform from day to night with a change of shoes and accessories.

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What makes Leibel’s line different is that it’s based and produced right in LA. Producing her merchandise in the United States is important, even if it is more costly. Even better, the clothes are produced a few miles down the road from her, so that she can have her hand in every aspect of the line. A typical day for her includes going to the office, going to the manufacturers, approving different colors and fabrics, going through fits, and a lot of driving. “If I’m lucky,” she says coyly, “Maybe a minute to read a Maniac magazine.”

With hectic days, Leibel isn’t wearing gowns around LA. “My personal style is being comfortable and being able to transition on the go,” she says. “I love designers like Isabel Marant, Alexander Wang, Stella McCartney.

Nothing too trend driven.”

It’s her effortlessness she translates into the line. She doesn’t rely on overt sexuality or a high price tag to convey the supremacy of her line of basics. The prices are range between $40 and $150.

“I really look at the lines on a woman to see where your eye wants to go. I pay attention to the details and the fabrics - they are very conscientious to a woman’s body.”

“Boutiques in LA also include Sharon Segal at Fred Segal, Switch Boutique and soon online at www.afinelineclothing.com “I really look at the lines on a woman to see where your eye wants to go,” she says. “I use Italian fabrics. I pay attention to the details and the fabrics. The fabrics are very conscientious to a woman’s body.”

“A Fine Line” is based on the California girl spirit, but Leibel doesn’t describe herself as a California girl. She’s definitely laid-back and loves to hit the beach, but seems more comfortable describing herself as a Pittsburgh girl, saying, “I don’t think California has changed me much.”

Already stocked in some of LA’s main boutiques like Arcade and Ron Herman, where’s “A Fine Line” to go next? Leibel would like to become a lifestyle brand, branching into both menswear and childrenswear.

The menswear will be spearheaded by Leibel’s borther and business partner George Geanopulos. She says she wants to be the line that people turn to when they realize, “Comfort doesn’t have to be sloppy.” The LA designer has got major ambitions and a lot of risk goes into producing your own line. When asked what her biggest fear for the line is she answers, “Is it okay to say that I don’t have any fears?”

The line will be available in Pittsburgh by fall 2011 and will be carried at one of our local favorites, Reflect Apparel in Robinson as well as ByLangley and the spa at Nemicolin Resort.

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FASHION

Brown bikini with cream stitching by Lenny Swim, gold cuff with maroon thread by Jensen Conroy, orange and cream leather sandals with orange fringe by LD Tuttle

MANIAC

MERMAIDS CAUGHT UP IN THE NETTING

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y a pr i l hubal S T YL E D B Y ca i t l y n l e a r y H A I R & MA K E U P B Y g i l a l dr i n Black ruffle swimsuit by Kushcush, vintage leather belt and watch stylist’s own.

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FASHION

Burgundy one piece swimsuit by Lenny Swim, bright orange silk blazer by Karen Walker, gold hoops with black chains by Gara Danielle.

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Brown bikini with cream stitching by Lenny Swim, gold cuff with maroon thread by Jensen Conroy, orange and cream leather sandals with orange fringe by LD Tuttle

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FASHION White bikini with chainlink bottom by Lenny Swim, tan cotton knit sweater by 525 America, silver and gold chainlink bracelets with leather detail - Flutter by Jill Golden, vintage brown leather watch stylist’s own

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Forest green bikini by Malia Mills, cream crochet tanktop by Anna Kosturova, silver and gold chainlink bracelets with leather detail - Flutter by Jill Golden

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FEATURE

“We want to give people global access to great value fashion. There’s no membership – anyone can shop The Outnet 24/7. We do this by providing a luxury shopping experience in a discount world.

AT THE HELM OF

AFFORDABLE HIGH COUTURE NET-APORTER’S LITTLE SISTER THE OUTNET. COM

MANIAC BI NYT EnaRtVIa El iWe beB Yl l sarah l ol l e y TALKS WITH DIRECTOR STEPHANIE PHAIR

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Despite being launched in the midst of recession, designer web-shop Net-a-Porter’s little sister The Outnet is hardly a small feat.

Just a few months over two-years-old, the website offering high couture discounts has become 20% of Net-a-Porter’s business.

The new director is the savvy and stylish Brit Stephanie Phair. The Oxford graduate spent three years working in the public relations and marketing departments at Vogue. She proved to be a smart and worldly shopper well before taking on her position as director of the discount site.

With designers from Azzedine Alaiato to Zac Posen on sale, shoppers from all over the globe can snag looks for up to 75% off. By using the site’s mobile app, which launched this spring, one might just snag a pair of Christian Louboutin heels for 50% off before they sell out.

Ms. Phair doesn’t list seasons on her site, acknowledging that sometimes trends take a few seasons to come to their pinnacle. She also cites the age-old fashion convention that classics, like a good blazer, are timeless.

Going beyond just the usual super low prices, the site hosts a bevy of deals for shoppers, including giveaways. Pop-Up Sales last just 72 hours and Going, Going, Gone Sales lower the prices as the hours tick down.

Subsequently, she isn’t afraid to take risks with the upscale online outlet. On their first anniversary, the site hosted a £1 that crashed the servers. Ms. Phair and her team spends time listening directly to shoppers’ praises and complaints always offering special sales for limited guests.

MANIAC had the opportunity to chat with the chic and canny Internet businesswoman about what has made The Outnet the bomb when it comes to making designer fashion dreams come true.

MM: In the past few years I have been writing a lot of “recessionista” stories about new ideas to shopping born from the change in economy.

How did the trend to be thriftier affect the formation of The Outnet?

start to be a little more adventurous.

SP: The Outnet launched during the recession so a lot of people assumed the business was created in response to it when in fact the business was in the making for a year beforehand. While the downturn meant that customers were seeking value which helped make off-price shopping more acceptable we see discount fashion as part of a natural progression: mixing vintage with high and low etc. It’s this mix and match mindset as well as a greater understanding about who our customer is that has shaped our business.

SP: Choose a multi-brand retailer because you might discover a designer you weren’t aware of. At The Outnet you can shop by your size which makes the shopping experience so much quicker so look out for filters and use them.

Use the Most Wanted wishlist to track the items you love. We often have additional promotions so this is a great way to move fast on those pieces!

MM: Net-A-Porter was founded to give people everywhere access to high fashion designers.

What was the impetus behind The Outnet?

MM: I have observed a movement within the industry and designers to accentuate timeless designs and encourage investment in the unique and also classic items that carry seasons. Do you see that as well and do you think that there are now fewer stigmas to wearing last season’s styles?

MM: Favorite Blog? Designer?

SP: There is no longer a stigma attached to wearing last season’s styles. Key trends stick around for a few seasons so I think it’s about educating the consumer so that she knows what to buy now and how to wear it. We stock the classics but we also love trend-driven pieces.

I always recommend covering your bases with classics like a great blazer because they will carry you through the seasons and then you can

MM: How did you connect with Natalie Massenet?

SP: We share the same DNA as Net-A-Porter so part of the impetus behind The Outnet is also about accessibility. We want to give people global access to great value fashion. There’s no membership – anyone can shop The Outnet 24/7. We do this by providing a luxury shopping experience in a discount world. We achieve this through our edited selection of products, our customer service, our dynamic video content and the way we merchandize items so that our customers can shop current trends from past season fashion.

MM: One thing that stands out for The Outnet is its unique relationship with designers like Anna Sui and Alexander Wang who worked with the site to release lines for the site. What was the inspiration behind creating new looks for a discount site and how did you chose the designers? Who do you have coming up?

SP: We partly serve as an outlet for Net-APorter but we have a dedicated buying team just like any other retailer. 75% of our stock is sourced directly from our brands for The Outnet and The Outnet customer. Because of our relationships with our designers we’re able to work closely with them to produce exclusive capsule collections for our customers. These bolster our fashionable offering and allow us to provide even more on-trend pieces that are unique and still at great value. Tara Matthews has designed a range of beachwear that will be unveiled soon and we’ve got more exclusives in the pipeline this year so stay tuned.

MM: What are the best tips you have for shopping online? Is there a method to the madness?

MM: I have read you love vintage. How do you shop for vintage? What pieces do you look for that will carry a modern look?

SP: I think it’s about knowing what silhouette works for you – the dropped waist of the 20s or the nipped waist of the 50s – and mixing them with a sharp blazer or contemporary jewelry to modernize the look.

MM: Do you have pointers for jetsetters looking to find interesting and worthwhile tokens to bring home?

SP: Learn a country’s best-known products and snap them up at the source when you can. For example look out Argan oil from Morocco or leather pieces in Argentina.

MM: What is your favorite fashion splurge?

SP: Probably a Rick Owens motorcycle jacket which I bought at The Outnet.com. I’m surprised it was still on the site. Our customers always shop first so it was really a find.

SP: I follow a lot of blogs so it’s hard to pick just one but I do love Business of Fashion for industry news. I love McQ for denim, Paul & Joe and Alexander Wang for blazers and jackets and Dolce & Gabbana for occasion wear.

SP: I had of course read a lot about her and charted the amazing path of Net-A-Porter but the first time we met was quite simply at my job interview for The Outnet!

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FEATURE

GO AHEAD, REWARD YOURSELF

LOYALTREE BY jared bundy PHOTOGRAP HY BY el l e & a r r e p h o t o g r a p h y Are you tired of the little plastic reward cards cluttering your key ring or wallet?

Everyone wants to save money from our favorite businesses whether from a salon, spa or coffee shop; however, it gets tedious filling out applications. Worst of all, you never know what is going to arrive in your inbox or mailbox after you hand over your information.

Luckily, a local company has created the answer to organizing and benefiting from customer loyalty programs with a simple app.

LoyalTree, is the mobile customer loyalty network that was developed by the locally based company Cardeeo.

“I started hating customer loyalty programs,” said Brock Bergman, CEO of Cardeeo. “Everyone offers me pieces of paper to fill out with all the same information, and it is too lengthy a process.” This line of thinking led Bergman, a Wexford native, to found and develop his truly innovative product, LoyalTree.

The application is available in the Android and iPhone app stores. It eliminates all the erroneous e-mails, pointless paperwork and cluttered key chains. In fact, there is no hardware whatsoever. Instead, it takes the idea of customer loyalty cards and puts them all together on your mobile device.

So what makes Pittsburgh so special as the launching point and test market for LoyalTree?

“I’ve been all over the world,” said Bergman.

“There’s something unique to me about Pittsburgh.” According to Bergman, Pittsburgh businesses are willing to try new ideas and the owners are typically a tight-knit, but competitive community. Consequently, LoyalTree is a great way for a restaurant to distinguish itself from a rival.

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Bergman also credits a lot of Pittsburghbased organizations, such as the Pittsburgh Technology Council, Idea Foundry, and Innovation Works for helping companies like his get started, and grow here in Pittsburgh.

After creating the app he applied to a startup competition with Sequioa Capital, a group that has invested in Google and PayPal. He did not think anything when he didn’t hear back so he was surprised when he received an e-mail asking him to be in Silicon Valley in three days at 8:15 a.m. to present the product. Completely surprised and slightly unprepared, Bergman made it on time with a great presentation.

Bergman walked the MANIAC staff through the process of setting up and using an account.

The user enters their information one time when they set up their account and then it never asks for anything else! From there, one can start adding rewards programs from only the stores and restaurants they want to join. Then the real fun begins.

With an effective built-in barcode scanner, your cell phone becomes the key to saving money and trying new places. The app is run on QR Codes, those black and white boxes seen in magazines, print advertisements, and banners all over the city. By simply scanning a LoyalTree bar code at associated businesses, such as The Sonoma Grille or Crazy Mocha, the user becomes a part of their customer loyalty program.

There are other ways to earns more points and rewards. For example, each time a patron orders a coffee from Crazy Mocha, the barista scans a special QR code. After ten scans, they unlock a free coffee to redeem.

The LoyalTree app tracks the rewards with a small bar icon that lets the user know how close the next goal or reward is coming. It also notifies the user with a featured “Store of the Day” and “Dueling Deals,” when the user gets to pick the business they want to receive more rewards.

The app even reminds the user when a deal will expire, where the locations of the nearest business, and directions.

Businesses also benefit by partnering with LoyalTree because they can use the application

to learn about their customers. The app goes beyond simple check-ins on Foursquare and inspires, “actual participation with the brand” as Bergman explained. If the business has repeat customers, then this loyalty program will work for them.

“Many businesses don’t know how to take their brand mobile,” Bergman said. “But we can run a mobile app on their platform that has their locations, phone number, and times for them.”

For a business to participate there is no programming involved. The deals go directly from proprietor to the customer. LoyalTree is “picking up where GroupOn and Living Social leave off,” said Bergman. The app entices customers to frequent places and helps the company serve their patrons better by giving them real time data on what they want.

LoyalTree are looking to break into the top businesses in the Pittsburgh area, then move across the state, and eventually the entire nation.

So fashionistas, download the hottest app in town and keep an eye out for the LoyalTree logo as you shop, indulge, and dine around the city of Pittsburgh. When LoyalTree is a global phenomenon, you’ll have saved more than anyone.

The LoyalTree app tracks the rewards with a small bar icon that lets the user know how close the next goal or reward is coming.

It also notifies the user with a featured “Store of the Day” and “Dueling Deals,” when the user gets to pick the business they want to receive more rewards.

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ART

GOOFING OFF

UNDER THE BIG TOP and

keeping all that shimmers and shines in place MANIAC TALKS WITH CLOWN, PIPPO CROTTI & HEAD OF WARDROBE, AMANDA BALIUS OF CIRQUE DU SOLeiL B Y a shl e y bo y ne s P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y a pr i l hubal

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I’ve interviewed some people you might call “clowns” but, never an actual clown. I didn’t know what to expect when I went behindthe-scenes at TOTEM by Cirque du Soleil for Maniac Magazine.

Excited like a little kid who was headed to the circus, I marveled with anticipation at the huge, telling blue and yellow tents before heading to interview Pippo Crotti, one of the primary clowns, and Amanda Balius, head of wardrobe.

Pippo is a charming laid-back guy from Italy who is animated when he speaks about his obvious passion for the things he loves - his art and his family.

I began with a question I thought was on the minds of so many: How does one actually get into performing with Cirque du Soleil?

The literary and somewhat melodramatic part of me was really hoping for an answer like, ‘I ran away and joined the circus’, but what I got was much more impressive, to be quite honest.

Pippo, a well-trained actor, was sought out to audition by Cirque du Soleil after they spotted him in a video. He auditioned with a bunch of clowns and comic actors, and won one of two coveted roles as a clown on the TOTEM by Cirque du Soleil show.

Pippo is 32 years of age now, and began his acting career at just 20 years old. He formed himself as a comic actor, studying in Los Angeles, and taking part in a conservatory where in addition to acting he played saxophone and clarinet. He soon learned that, while he enjoyed music, he certainly preferred acting and stand-up. So, he began doing stand-up comedy that led him to where he is today.

The schedule is grueling, but well worth it.

Pippo and his fellow performers are touring the world, and visited Pittsburgh from May 12th through June 5th. They do 8-10 shows a week; each show is two hours long. The artists have a special area where they rehearse, practice, and train. With training, they have access to a gymlike area and the stage, in addition to scheduled training sessions each week.

What does a typical week look like for Pippo? First off, he travels with his wife of two years, whom he met when she was a dancer, and their three-month old son. Between a newborn, his training, and performances, he usually gets about six hours of sleep per night.

On stage, he’s Pippo, the “stereotypical Italian tourist” a flirty, boisterous, over-thetop caricature that pokes fun at typical Italian stereotypes. He’s in 3 acts, and cannot choose a favorite, as they’re all very funny. Pippo says that his act includes, “flirting, talking about my mama, and talking about food,” all while wearing the production’s smallest costume: an itsy-bitsy teeny weeny yellow Speedo-type getup.

During his performance, Pippo will give out his business card, egging on ladies to “give him a call.” This audience interaction is what he really likes about his part. He has to stay on

his toes and, occasionally, improvise, which he acknowledges can get pretty funny. When asked if there were ever any bloopers, Pippo just laughed. I take that as a yes!

Off stage, Pippo likes to enjoy whatever city he’s visiting at the time. He says that Pittsburgh is beautiful and that he really likes it. One tradition that he keeps is to try and get pizza from every city, whether it is Amsterdam, Montreal, or Pittsburgh. He and his colleagues also like to go to the park, or different restaurants during their time off.

“The cast becomes like a family. We’re here together all day to work, but then we all go and hang out at night. It’s a different setting,” he says, reiterating that they enjoy one another’s company in their free time.

In Pippo’s case sometimes that means making home videos on YouTube around the lot, and goofing off with his Cirque friends and family. “It’s a hard business,” he says.

“Everyone in every country has a different sense of humor, and you really have to learn to adapt, and act to the unique audience. What’s funny in England may not be funny in the U.S. You have to adapt. It’s a challenge, but, it keeps you growing!”

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In addition to Pippo Crotti, I also got to talk with the head of wardrobe at the TOTEM show, Amanda Balius. Her main focus is to see that the costumes look as the designer intended them to look. In addition to preserving this vision, she monitors the costumes, handles alterations and repairs, and is responsible for 700 individual pieces that travel with the show from city to city. In addition, each of these 700 pieces has a backup counterpart. That’s a lot of clothes and headpieces!

I asked Ms. Balius about the inspiration behind the costumes, so that I could get a feel for what the style of the wardrobe would be. “A lot of our costumes come from ‘first nations’ and indigenous populations... but we also have animals: fish, frogs, monkeys,” she said. “We have Neanderthals too, whose outfits are made of silicone, and despite the caveman looks are embellished with nuts, washers, and bolts, to kind of show what people will dig up of us… symbolic of what our people will leave behind, as our mark on the history of mankind.”

I found it remarkable how much thought went into each piece. Aside from the look above - which has a deeper meaning than most 48

would ever even notice - the frog and fish suits were specifically crafted to not only look wet and scaly, but also to reflect exact colors and patterns found in nature. “A lot of research went into the frog and fish costumes,” said Amanda. “The iridescent foiling gives it the shine, and the designer researched actual patterns of these types of fish and frogs as they appear out in the wild.”

When asked if they ever had a “wardrobe malfunction,” Amanda laughed and said the only real issue is that sometimes the monkeys and other characters need to be physically sewn into their skintight costumes. She also has to be on alert that the hair and makeup, applied by the performers themselves, stay true to the designer’s vision, just like the costumes.

“The exactness of it all, especially down to the fit of the costumes, is excellent. Cirque has definitely excelled at that.”

That, and much more! If you missed it this go round be sure to catch the Cirque du Soleil’s thrilling, visually pleasing, and simply amazing experience next time.

EVENT

MANIAC EVENTS

MANIAC ISSUE LAUNCH PARTY: SAVORING SAVOY BY domi ni c j ani d a s PHOTOGRAPHY B Y b ill s c h m it t bruce m. s traka, s u m in p a r k

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What do red carpets, Bentleys, Maseratis, sick Mini-Coopers, paparazzi, beautiful guests and amazing drinks all have in common? Well, they were all present at Pittsburgh’s newest hotspot, Savoy, for the April/May issue launch of MANIAC on May 7th. Located in the Strip District, Savoy is a little taste of the nightlife found in Los Angeles and New York City proper.

They were kind enough to open their doors for our loyal readers, and show us one hell of a time.

Pittsburgh’s crème de la crème of the style and fashion worlds came out to enjoy an evening of cocktails and award-winning appetizers.

Special thanks goes out to Jeffrey Smith Studio of Lawrenceville/Strip District for lending their styling expertise to a photo shoot for the upcoming Savoy campaign.

Of course it’s not a MANIAC party unless the room was packed with VIPs who double as devoted followers of the magazine- 350 of our die-hard little MANIACs to be exact. If you were able to see past the flashing lights from all the cameras, you would have seen models, actors, musicians like Bryan Humphreys of These Lions, and a room full of Pittsburgh’s young business professionals. One of the

notable attendees was Josh Cotherman of the Cotherman Group, LLC., who is one of Pittsburgh’s leading young businessmen.

We couldn’t be happier to see more young professionals attending the events, doing their thing, and really helping to shape the future of what we like to call, “New Pittsburgh.” Kudos!

If that didn’t sell you on Savoy being the place to be, just the week prior, Tyson Beckford and supermodel Jessica White attended the grand opening with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.

Also spotted at the launch party were the storeowners of one of our favorite shops, Reflect Apparel in Settlers Ridge, and the owners of Hip’tique in Shadyside.

While the guest list was on fire, so were the drinks, literally. One of my favorite things about Savoy, aside from the rooftop deck, is their signature drink called “The Savoy.” It is a martini that is lit on fire, thanks to our friend 151, which really heats things up. Overall, the event was unbelievable and thanks to all the MANIACs out there that follow us to the best places to see and be seen.

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STYLE

MANIAC EVENTS

big Burrito,

BIG ST YLE

BY c ody wi egand P HOTOGRA P HY BY k a thy wol fe photog ra phy

Corey LeChat is the fashion-forward Brand Strategist for the big Burrito Group, the company who owns and operates twelve contemporary restaurants in Pittsburgh. Corey works on everything related to marketing, design and promotional work for restaurants such as Mad Mex, Casbah, Eleven, Kaya, Soba and Umi. He is one of three creative minds that have their hands in just about everything! From designing menu covers, to print ads, website design, radio commercials and even YouTube animations, Corey LeChat is part of a very busy team. However, that doesn’t stop him from being one of the city’s most stylish men.

As a teen, Corey’s earliest style inspiration came from music, but nowadays he prefers vintage design. A fan of 60s mod and 70s punk, he considers his personal style “swank-tastic” and likes to think of his look as “retro-future foppishness with a twist of Dandyism.”

“I’ve always loved Pucci prints and some of the usual 60s suspects such as Pierre Cardin and Ossie Clark, but also the punk kitsch sensibilities of Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren in the 70s. In a word, my wardrobe is heterogeneous,” says Corey.

With a wide range of vintage stores in Pittsburgh, Corey has a variety of favorite places to shop and add to his eclectic wardrobe. Shops at the top of that list include Eons Fashion Antique and the Red, White, and Blue Thrift Store among others.

“I did find the most amazing Monte Napoleone [from Milan] wool jacket at Luxx in Southside a few seasons back and more recently found an amazing pair of trousers at Moda,” says Corey.

As a local “graphic guru,” he also loves his recently purchased designer attire. Other than vintage garments, Corey can be found wearing Juicy Couture, Vanishing Elephant, Native Son, Doppelgänger, and other designer clothing.

Aside from working for the big Burrito Group, Corey is also a freelance designer, photographer and DJ. This summer, he will be busy balancing several bi-costal DJ gigs and setting up a new art and music studio as well.

His primary fashion advice he can dish out?

“If you’re unsure, buy it anyway. You’ll have a lot more regret if you go back for it and it’s gone. Trust me on this.”

He also highly recommends finding a seamstress or great tailor because he says they can work miracles.

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53

MANIAC

JET-SET

JET-SET

SAN FRANCISCO

CONTRIBUTIONS BY j os hua gol tz, c ody wi egand, s arah l ol l e y P HOTOGRA P HY BY peter h. c hang

KEEPING IT REAL IN THE TECHNO CITY

Internet companies sprang from the loins of San Francisco’s unfettered creativity and culture. It is true that this European influenced West Coast city feels like its own country, far away from uniformity. Every part of this town from morning until night has its own flavor and expression.

We contacted a few Pittsburgh transplants to discover where to venture for the hottest and most tasty places to dance, dine, and sleep a little.

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JET-SET

56

Dance

FINE ART & FASHION

The club scene in San Francisco has pioneered the vast reach of House music, known as “Deep West Coast House.” Other genres like Dub-Step and more commercialized house are widely popular, however, there is an underground culture that congregates for ‘Sunset Parties’ by the Pacific Sounds AKA Sunset Crew and monthly techno nights called Kontrol, whose DJs came to Pittsburgh this past year. (pacificsounds.net) (kontrolsf.com) Josh Goltz moved to San Fran three years ago, and has over ten years of experience of promoting electronic music-based events and artist management. Most recently he was working with INgrooves, a technologyentertainment company, and now is involved with a new digital music startup.

“There is a resurgence of the earlier 90’s house sound and nu disco, which has been becoming increasingly popular again,” says Josh. “The slower BPM, more disco influenced sounds are definitely making a comeback and driving the acts being booked today such as Wolf + Lamb, Soul Clap, Woolfy, Maurice Fulton and Greg Wilson.”

Then there’s the bass-heavy sound of the Dirtybird crew. Local DJs to catch while in town include Dirtybird artists Claude VonStroke, Worthy, and 21-year-old ingénue Ardalan K, who recently produced Mr. Spock with fellow Dirtybirder, Justin Martin. (dirtybirdsrecords. com) The best way to map out your evening’s entertainment is to pinpoint the talent. Many of the hottest places to be on a given night are dictated by the artist and not necessarily the venue. “While the environment of an event still plays an important role, venues vary from underground warehouse spaces and lofts to popular, larger music purpose built spaces such as Public Works, a mid-size two level venue with a permanent Funktion One sound system installation and very sophisticated, not cheesyover-the-top lighting systems.” (publicsf.com) Exhibiting a truly European feel and catering to the urban hip is Lazlo, located in the Mission District. Lazlo is a bare bronzed walled bar and lounge that features DJs nightly. With multiple projection screens throughout the open and airy environment, old-skool indie films and nostalgic films, such as the original Ghostbusters play in the background. (www.laszlobar.com) Wish manages to be intimate in a concrete 1920s building that use to be an iron forge. It includes a “sexy den” decorated with wood, leather, red velvet, and glowing candles. It is located on the western edge of the Soma District and touts some of the best local House music. (www.wishsf.com)

If you are in San Francisco it is hard to miss the Spanish influence on the city. A current exhibit running this summer epitomizes the influence the Spanish culture has had on fashion.

Cristóbal Balenciaga’s perfected tailoring and artistic details for decades beginning in the 1930s. Despite being renown all over the world, his muse was always the Spanish culture. It is now being celebrated through an exhibit at San Francisco’s de Young Museum. Balenciaga and Spain runs until July 4th and gives visitors an inside look at how the designer recreated his heritage through haute couture designs.

The exhibit originated in 2010 in New York City entitled Balenciaga: Spanish Master.

That collection was first created by Oscar de la Renta, who began his fashion career in the 1950s working in Madrid at Balenciaga’s couture house. De le Renta then invited Hamish Bowles, European Editor at Large for Vogue, to curate the exhibit for the de Young Museum, which now holds twice as many objects. In all, the exhibit contains 120 garments designed by Cristobal Balenciaga.

Some of the attire came from museums and private collections around the world and even includes 30 pieces from the House of

Balenciaga in Paris that opened in 1937.

Balenciaga and Spain starts with an introductory gallery and then breaks down into six sections; Spanish Art, Regional Dress, the Spanish Court, Religious Life and Ceremony, the Bullfight, and Dance. Balenciaga’s work is displayed throughout these six sections and each examines how they inspired Balenciaga’s design.

For instance, when it came to bullfighting and dance, Balenciaga was drawn towards the traditional Spanish costumes of matadors and flamenco dancers. The haute couture master used fabrics, prints and elements, including ruffles, which would accentuate movement like flamenco dancers. He recreated the traditional matador costume to be more feminine, incorporating lavish embroidery, braid trimming and tassels.

Although Cristóbal Balenciaga passed away in 1972, his legend lives on. Nowadays, Balenciaga’s work is carried out through the eyes of Nicolas Ghesquiere, who was appointed as the creative designer for Balenciaga in 1997.

While Ghesquiere is a French designer, Spanish inspiration is still found in today’s Balenciaga designs many taken from the dynamic architecture that has been built amongst the majesty of the traditional relics. (deyoung.famsf.org)

Hotels While some of the typical hotel bars have hip environments and are fun to drop by on occasion, the inconsistent tourist crowd and overpriced sub-bar drinks keeps many locals from frequenting them. One of the more interesting hotel bars is the Redwood inside the Clift Hotel. It features Phillipe Starck designed lounge furniture and digital artwork such as paintings that have eyes that move very subtly. (www.clifthotel.com) Located in the Theatre District, Hotel Monaco is a European influenced hotel dating back from the 1920s. Its interior is a mix of stripes, patterns and colors and offers austere accommodations. (www.kimptonhotels.com) Hotel des Arts is located it the city’s French Quarter and offers painted rooms that were given to local artists to completely encapsulate with their signature artistic expression.

Therefore, every room is different and promises an immersive experience in every room. (www.sfhoteldesarts.com) On the Embarcadero Waterfront, a peaceful place is waiting at Hotel Vitale where little springs of lavender are placed on your door and lighted river stones sit beside your bed. Across the street is the Ferry Building with beautiful water views and a farmer’s market. (www.hotelvitale.com)

Restaurants Restaurants have been revamping their ambiance and menus to suit today’s dining tastes. Renovating is a way to stay fresh in a city where the restaurant business is blood sport, especially in light of the dozens of high-profile new restaurants that have opened in the past 18 months. Another trend is exhibition kitchens, which is redefining fine dining.

The best example of a restaurant that has incorporated these features is Saison. Having opened as a popup restaurant in temporary spaces in late 2009, it finally has a permanent location in SF’s Mission district. Housed in a former barn, Saison has converted the space into an eight table dining room incorporating an open and airy exhibition kitchen. Only one eight course menu is offered. Always changing, menu items range from golden trout roe to hibiscus & bone marrow with ultra-fresh vegetables foraged from its private garden. (www.saisonsf.com) Infusing every dish with inspirations from the European Iberian Peninsula, Gitane incorporates flavors from Spain, Portugal, Southern France, and Morocco into their cuisine. The interior design captures three iconic eras: the Euro-themed 50s, Hippie-Driven 60’s and the Big Bling 70s. (www.gitanerestaurant.com) Modcloth’s transplant team that moved their online retail company from Pittsburgh to

San Fran loves the likes of Bourbon & Branch for a drink and for authentic West Coast vittles they recommend meat-free Gracias Madre, whose owner also opened one of Pittsburgh’s first Mexican restaurants in 1980. Other great places they are writing home about include the street food trucks Off the Grid and the patio bar at Zeitgeist. (www.bourbonandbranch.com) (offthegridsf.com) (www.zeitgeistsf.com)

Technology Some of the world’s most modern tools of communication and cutting edge technology have been born in the San Francisco bay area including the likes of Facebook, powerhouse social gaming company Zynga, and the electronic car maker Tesla. The city has even developed a parking app to help people locate a space.

Technology has always played an integral part in electronic music scene as well.

According to Josh, in the early days electronic music was mainly produced with sound hardware and synthesizers. Today, there has been a large shift to software based electronic music with applications such as Logic Studio, Ableton Live, and Reason.

Additionally, technology has changed the marketing landscape of the scene with more

social media and electronic messaging. The old school way of passing out flyers is thing of the past. “The paper flyer as we know it still exists today and is still considered an art form,” explains Josh. “However, promoters are printing smaller runs of flyers and placing more emphasis on the digital marketing world.”

Neighborhoods The Haight-Ashbury area is rooted in the hippie era of the 1960s. Just walking around the streets of this area one is reminded of the free-spirited thinkers of the past. “Don’t be surprised if someone approaches you on the street to purchase some of California’s finest, or not so fine, green herbs,” says Josh.

On the rise over the past several years is the Dogpatch neighborhood. Urban residential lofts, original restaurants, and small-friendly bars are emerging in the once industrial neighborhood that resembles Pittsburgh’s Strip District.

San Francisco remains a forward minded city with a rich mix of cultural influences that are evident in its pumping nightlife, ferociously innovative dining, and artistic hotels. It is no wonder why it is a sublime destination for enrichment and play.

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EVENT

MANIAC EVENTS

COUTURE

VIOLETTE

FASHION SHOW

TO BENEFIT GWEN’S GIRLS

BY s arah l ol l e y P HOTOGRAP HY BY g e o r g e m e n d e l

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The rain held out long enough for attendees to tour the mansion and gallery at the Frick Art & Historical Center, and for the models to make it to the red carpet for their entrance. Tents kept everyone dry as the rain played its symphony of water. For this night in May belonged to Gwen’s Girls, a foundation established to empower and strengthen girls in environments marred with poverty, drugs, and violence. It was founded by the late Gwendolyn Elliott, who was a commander of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and who was moved by the many girls she saw in abusive and negligent homes. Since the service began it has helped 1,600 girls. In 2006 they opened a home that helps some of those girls learn to care for their babies.

Tara Rieland, who has hosted Pittsburgh’s Fashion Story to benefit Partners for Quality, found the cause and knew she could pull together a spectacular event by enlisting the help from a group of the best designers from Pittsburgh. The theme was purple, Gwen’s favorite color.

Perfect for the warm, wet evening, JenaAnne Sabom’s flirty tutu dress came with custom made detachable rain slickers. Nami

Ogawa Holderman’s gown was feminine with layers of the faintest lilac tulle; a layer of which could detach for a shawl. Woven deep purple leather gave Roberta Weissburg’s design a truly unique twist. Perfectly coiffed for a cocktail event, Linda Lacek’s adjustable dress in lavender was an easy fit for someone looking to score a dress. Tori Mistick took a cue from recent trends and used abstract, tribal pattern as a detail to her halter floor-length dress.

Classic and sophisticated was the signature of Kiya Tomlin’s dress that incited a bidding war at the end of the show. The finale was the regal gown by Stephanie Keremes Hartnoll that was detailed in golden lace fit for a queen.

The Brett James Salon did an amazing job creating high, feathery fairy-like hair adorned with butterflies. The tent became a party before too long and the likes of Racheallee Lacek, Cindy Casteel, Stephanie McCracken, and Tom Watson were flittering like dancing fairies themselves.

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FEATURE

K8 Magoc SHOT BY Benny Pinto of BENNYPINTO.com

of Pittsburgh’s Runway and personal style for frockOn. We demanded some Q&A time out of her busy blogging schedule to find out the secret balance of her life and the digi-world of fashion blogs.

frockOn.com

F A S H I O N AT T E N T I O N S P A N BY j aneg i l a wri ght & m e la n ie p a g a n i c la r k e

Just thinking about the word “blog” alone can send anyone into a digi-frenzied tizzy. Your palms start sweating as one hand guides the mouse toward the Google search bar, while the other hovers over the keyboard waiting for your brain to decide what you are going to be looking at for the next 7 seconds…providing the page downloads fast enough.

Have I lost any of you yet? There is so much easy access to information and ways to create our very own special home base of information.

To command the attention of others already caught up in other worlds, and draw them into yours, that is a daunting task that takes talent, dedication, and maybe a splash of healthy ego.

It’s intimidating to start out on your own, especially with so many established blogs out there. There’s also the occasional “socialnetworking for everything” site that everyone gets caught up in, because we now have the power to let everyone know exactly which café we are taking our morning double espresso with soy at. We are all guilty of the occasional location announcement and daily life update, and many of us have been able to make a living out of clever 140 character statements. Take the time to find an audience, contribute full 60

paragraphs, visuals and stimulating content, and you may find this consuming to the point of cutting into the workweek. Melanie Pagani Clarke and Jacqueline Massacci, owners of www.frockon.com, decided to join the bandwidth vs. attention span battle in 2008, and have managed to create and build something unique and personal for the “fashion lovers” niche. frockOn started out in Pittsburgh, PA and is now based out of New York City. Melanie and Jacqueline garnered a following for the website through making personal connections in the surrounding community of Pittsburgh.

They provided a web presence for independent store-owners with on-location video interviews and highlights of the store. They also partnered with local charities, donations from community business owners, and entertainment from Pittsburgh local musical artists, photographers, and DJs to create an alternative to a “night out on the town,” with proceeds benefiting the charity’s cause. frockOn followers were able to meet outside of their digital interactive world, and step into real-world networking, fashionloving, and good-deeding events. It was through actual human and interpersonal connections

that they found initial success. Melanie moved to New York City in 2009 ,and decided that it was time to kick things up to a global notch with the content of the site. She worked tirelessly to find writers in New York, London, Vancouver, LA, and yes Pittsburgh that fit into frockOn’s mold of personal style and ideals. Jacqueline held down the local market by continuing to represent their flagship local.

Melanie and Jacqueline were both looking to provide distinctive insight and a refreshing perspective in the world of fashion. They wanted frockOn to be much more than a typical fashion/lifestyle website. It is made up of an incredible writing team of fashion conscious professionals spread in various locations throughout the world now. frockOn conducts in depth interviews with up and coming designers in New York City, established stores and boutiques, and even business owners that are not of the fashion world. Kate Magoc, blogger of http://fashionxk8.blogspot.com, was one of the writer’s out there that caught Mel & Jackie’s attention with her dark witty humor, model looks, story telling writing style, and her exceptional sense of style.

Now, Kate, aka ‘K8’ Magoc, is the face

fashion always been your choice of subject?

K8: Ha, I guess I could claim that I’ve been a writer since I was in the third grade. I had always loved reading books but third grade was when I discovered the power of language and was sparked by how I could shape things with MM: What made you decide to start your own words. style blog?

Fashion was certainly not my first choice of subject matter to write about. I actually used K8: I’ve always loved clothes and fashion but I to want to be a sports writer, no joke. I was did so secretly as my mom raised my sisters and dead serious about it and my dad, as you can I to read books, not Vogue. It wasn’t that I was imagine, was super stoked and brought home discouraged from dressing up or dressing nice all kinds of biographies from Leonard Koppett as a youngster, it was just never emphasized. In to Myron Cope, I devoured all of them. Then I fact, my sisters and I were encouraged to play saw “Almost Famous” when I was about 14 and sports and were generally discouraged in all decided that Rolling Stone was where I wanted areas deemed “girly.” While I was a little bit of to be. I’ve claimed I would write for anything a nerdy jock growing up, I always loved getting from The Atlantic Monthly to Sports Illustrated dressed. I’ve never exactly been the biggest to Vogue. None of those have happened but I’m fan of shopping, but getting dressed whether just that intellectually restless. My head can’t to play “dress up” or just as general routine sit still. has always been a blast for me. It has a sort of costuming and empowering effect. I started MM: What can we expect from you and frockOn my blog mostly to keep myself writing but I in Summer 2011? chose to focus on fashion because I began to see the fashion blogging trend as a new form K8: This summer should be pretty epic. I’ve of feminism. While yes, it is seemingly vain and declared it to be the summer of festivals one of superficial to a degree, I mean who posts all which, The Fort Greene Festival, will have me kinds of pictures of themselves on the internet heading up to NY to help out with some video more than fashion bloggers? It’s also incredibly production. And I’ll write stuff, no doubt. We’ve powerful to be able to vent particulars about why also partnered up with an online independent you wear what you wear and to share in some jewlery boutique called ICU in Paris. Myself and collective conversation that can end up taking Maisie will be rocking some of the designs on the meaning of clothes far beyond simply items frockOn and there are some incredibly talented that cover your body. I could go on forever about designers showcased on the site. the intersection between fashion and feminism.

MM: How do you think fashion-focused MM: What was it about frockOn that made Pittsburgers can relate to Fashion X K8 & you so enthusiastic about joining the team for frockOn? Pittsburgh?

K8: I like to think that my blog isn’t necessarily K8: I loved the idea of being part of a team. I just for the fashion focused. I actually have definitely function better when I have others several followers who have very little fashion simultaneously pushing towards a larger goal. focus in their life and they’ve told me that As a writer, I often have to stay locked into a they love the blog because it treats fashion solitary mindset. Reading, researching and as just another form of creativity and their writing all require a certain quietude that can interest stems from a similar drive to just drive my extroverted self nuts, so being part of create. While frockOn has a lot more proper a team where conversation becomes part of fashion stuff going on a la news coverage from the writing process was kind of a dream for me. the industry, it too has a lot of content for the When I first spoke to Melanie on the phone I generally creative. We’re all just really into could tell that this organization was one of hard creating things and that’s certainly a relateable ass working people and it was pretty instantly element for Pittsburghers. This city’s populous something I wanted to be a part of. I also love is dynamically creative, definitely why I love it my city, I’m a Pittsburgh girl thru and thru here and very much why I think the content we and being able to represent the 412 alongside bring is relateable to Pittsburghers. a Londoner, some Vancouverites and a New Yorker has been really awesome. Pittsburgh may be a little city but I’ve realized, through conversation with bloggers from bigger cities, that our creative subculture here is just as exciting as anywhere else in the world. @frockOnsociety, @frockonfashion, @K8Magic, MM: How long have you been a writer, and has fashionxk8.blogspot.com, www.frokon.com

Jacqueline Massacci (ABOVE) & Melanie Pagani Clarke (Below) SHOT BY Andreas Serna of sernastudios.com

FOLLOW THEM:

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HUSBAND UPGRADE

HUSBAND UPGRADE DON’T BABY TALK ME

B Y susi e m e i st e r P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y m a r i e m a shy na

Children, Lyra and Luca, courtesy of Accidental Mama

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The wedding was perfect. We were lucky the alleged magic. For the record, I’m nearly enough to get one of what seems like ten 32 (gasp!) and am well aware of the conception sunny days in Pittsburgh and we danced the statistics for women of and above my age. night away with our family and friends. Our I’ve tried all the tactful responses such honeymoon bliss had barely set in before I heard as, “I have plenty of time for that,” “I’m not those dreaded words. “So, when are you gonna ready,” and “I’m not sure if I want children.” I have a baby?” think when you become a mommy; however, Being married previously for seven years, I you get some sort of response script for these was all too familiar with this inevitable question, occasions, because they are well-prepared for but so soon? Small talk tends to create a these apparently pathetic excuses. “You’re not predictable conversation of platitudes, and while getting any younger,” “You’ll never be ready,” I certainly see the virtue in killing dead air with and “Surely you want to create a family with the idle chitchat, I wasn’t quite ready to plan my man you love!” I’ve even tried telling them I’m procreation schedule yet. Especially, if it was barren, but that does more harm than good. merely to acquiesce to some unspoken rule People recoil upon the realization that you’ve about the rate at which one’s life is supposed to lied about your reproductive health. evolve. The inquisition about my reproductive Regardless of their motivations, these plans got me thinking about why it is that women seem genuinely disturbed that I might women, in particular, are so concerned with “the end up childless. The idea of a woman without next thing” both for their own lives and in the a family seems inconceivable, and certainly lives of their peers. less than ideal. But why does it matter so I remember towards the end of high school much? The standard for female success seems when the PTA moms would be at the football determined almost exclusively on whether one games and ask where all of us seniors were has successfully fertilized an egg, or at least put going to go to college. I was one of five kids in in a good effort. my family and because I would be paying for my I hope to someday be blessed with a higher education, I was going to a community child. I recognize the virtue and selflessness of college for my prerequisites before transferring to a state school. I just hoped they wouldn’t ask me, but they always did. Their polite nods revealed the inadequacy of my answer. Going to a low-tier school to save money wasn’t the dream, and I felt like I was letting them down.

Your twenties usually lead you down the path of a career and a serious relationship, or two that beg the question of when you’re going to get a promotion, and/or get engaged. If only those answers would end the annoying interrogations...

You’ve got a rock on your finger? Well, when’s the wedding? And before your drunken aunt is finished doing the chicken dance at your reception people are asking when you’re going to bring life into the world.

This line of questioning would make far more sense if the people that had these things (i.e. marriage, children, and careers) seemed happy, but they usually don’t. It’s hard to be tempted to undertake a particular lifestyle when the people that have them won’t quit yapping about what long hours they work or how hard it is to keep their marriage afloat. And the pressure for pregnancy is by far the most severe.

At first I thought it was a misery-lovescompany campaign. They hate their lives, so they want me to hate mine too. But mommies swear up and down that childbearing is the most precious gift God ever gave them. Could they all be lying just so that I, too, must experience months of sleeplessness and mom-jeans with jelly stains on them?

Then I thought they must genuinely be concerned that I’m going to forget to have a baby, and, when I suddenly realize I’m ready, my uterus will be a shrivelled up, egg-less, pebble.

Maybe they just don’t want me to miss out on

parenting. I also realize (primarily because every parent in the world feels compelled to remind me) that I “have no idea” how magical it is to create and foster life. I just want, however, to enjoy the moment I am in, and preferably not feel guilty about it. I want to savour the beauty of being blissfully married to the man of my dreams, after experiencing the horror of divorce the first time around. I want to sleep eight hours a night and watch “Friends” reruns and go to Italy and be selfish (I just heard the moms out there collectively dry heave) for just a minute without someone asking me what’s next.

Whether you’re single, married, divorced, parenting, or retired, I challenge you to take a breath and cherish that stage. My friend has a tattoo that says “This too shall pass,” and when I asked her why she chose it she said that it is a good reminder that whether we are in the pit of despair or over-the-moon happy, it will pass. Or as my Grandma Rita says, “Different stages for different ages.” I think it might do us all a world of good to be okay with whatever stage we’re in without having a panic attack about making sure we get to the next stage as quickly as possible.

So when I’m ready for my mom jeans I’ll let you know.

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FASHION

“For me, what I do is an artistic expression which is channeled through me. Fashion is just the medium.”

– Alexander McQueen

SAVAGE BEAUTY:

McQueen HOUSE

OF MYSTERY & FANTASY UNAPOLOGETICALLY, THE ARTISTIC WORLD OF MCQUEEN B Y c hl o e v e ne ne ux

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Currently housed at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, it would be impossible, after viewing the exhibit Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, to describe the retrospective collection as anything other than art.

In some respects, McQueen’s pieces seem to capture aspects of many of the artifacts and eras displayed in the museum’s vast and varied collections along with influences beyond the scope of the most imaginative celebrated artists.

The scope and magnitude of his creations are even more impressive considering the relatively brief creation timeframe, consisting of a period less than two decades.

The exhibit encompasses a comprehensive compilation culled from the designer’s body of work, including rarely seen examples from McQueen’s graduation collection from the Fashion Design MA course at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London (circa 1992) as well as pieces from the last fullyrealized collection before his untimely death in February 2010.

Once describing himself as “a romantic schizophrenic,” upon first entering the exhibit, one does indeed feel as though they have drifted into a disturbing, yet oddly seductive, nightmare of a mentally unhinged individual. Sinister and unsettling ensembles inspired by Jack the Ripper, Tim Burton and mad scientists are accompanied by eerie music and forlorn howls.

Though a bit unnerving, they still exude a sort of sexiness that elicits an involuntary shiver. A faceless mannequin in a matador inspired hat and a billowing cape blown by an unseen fan evoke a sense of nameless dread.

And yet, stepping into another room, one is transported instantly to an exquisite, languid dream. Ethereal gowns of innumerable yards of ivory silk organza and tulle, one of which is showcased in a holographic video of a hypnotically twirling model, are positively angelic.

An entire section of the exhibit is dedicated exclusively to accessories. Described as a “Cabinet of Curiosities,” some are whimsical; a hat fashioned from a bird’s nest and iridescent feathers, a handbag resembling a Faberge egg.

Others are futuristic, sadistic and, at times, frightening; metal unicorn-like horns and a back-piece resembling a human spine with tails, fetishistic masks and tortuous, impossible looking high-heeled shoes.

Alongside the more bizarre and unworldly creations, there are an equal number of works on display that, although no less imaginative, are decidedly more down-to-earth. Dresses constructed entirely from silk flowers, seashells, or human hair (albeit synthetic). There is even

one featuring a taxidermy crocodile head at the shoulder. These name only a few of the scores of pieces that exemplify McQueen’s use of Mother Nature herself as his muse.

Numerous designs reflect the designer’s interest in things that are expressly human. Fine art, cultures, and histories of various countries have all left their fingerprints within his work. A jacket printed with a painting by Robert Campin and a dress, the bodice of which is printed with one by Hieronymus Bosch, pay homage to the fifteenth century Flemish Primitives. Garments comprised of embroidered silks reminiscent of the kimonos of the Gion District of Kyoto, Japan lay only a few paces from others that incorporate elements borrowed from an array of African tribes.

Many places and periods of history clearly shaped his work; however, one country and its history were especially close to the designer’s heart. Though he was born in London and spent most of his life there, McQueen was intensely proud of his Scottish heritage. Both his “Highland Rape” and “Widows of Culloden” collections were inspired by the country’s violent and bloody past.

Despite the dark and moody nature of more than a few of his pieces, there is no question that he also possessed a delightful, though subtle, sense of humor. An ensemble on display from his 2005 Spring Collection consists of a silver embroidered, lilac satin romper-like garment accompanied by a colorfully painted football helmet and matching shoulder pads.

His “bumster” trousers cheekily display more crack than the lowest of low-rise jeans. It is not for nothing that he earned himself the title of “the hooligan of English fashion.”

His last collection, entitled “Plato’s Atlantis” conjures watery images of the vast and mysterious sea. In his net woven from nature and artifice, past and future, beauty and the grotesque, life and death he seemingly captured inspiration from nearly everything, everywhere and every time.

Quoted as having once said, “There is no way back for me now. I am going to take you on journeys you’ve never dreamed were possible.”

After viewing the incredible body of work that he left behind, one can’t help feel as though they’ve traveled to the outer edges and, perhaps, even beyond the realm of what is possible.

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Health

eELECTRONIC HEALTH

EMPOWERING OF PATIENTS

B Y am es h a. ad al j a, m d

Managing your life with electronic devices has become commonplace. Managing your health and tracking records is not far off.

The applications developed for doctors are being developed for patients to use on their Blackberries, iPhones, iPads, Kindles, and Nooks.

As a physician, I welcome this trend because I often treat patients who are unable to completely and accurately articulate their medical history, which medications they are prescribed, and the prior investigations that have been performed on them. I am frequently left in the position of having to query various other healthcare providers and hospitals—not a straightforward task given today’s privacy laws and standards.

Various companies are developing applications designed to address such problems.

Moreover, these applications empower patients to track their own health status, much like they track their progress with weight management and fitness.

One such free application that I am familiar with is Quest Diagnostics’ Gazelle. Quest Diagnostics is the largest lab company in the US and performs millions of lab tests daily for hospitals and physicians. This application, designed for use with smartphones, allows patients to have their lab results delivered to their smartphone enabling patients to have access to their medical data with a touch of a button. Along with lab results, the medications a person is prescribed, their drug allergies, their immunization history, and emergency contacts are included. The information can also be shared 66

by fax and/or email with healthcare providers, family members, friends, or whomever the user designates. Additionally, there is the ability to schedule appointments (although currently only for laboratory appointments) that will boost compliance and ease scheduling with needed visits.

A few other personal electronic health applications include the San Francisco start-up company Keas. The basic design is simple, enter your health data and get a plan to stay healthy. The plan changes as your health changes. The company has partnered with Google and Microsoft because it does something different than just record keeping; it applies the health info to a game that engages its users to improve their performance.

Microsoft’s Health Vault lets users upload records to manage them and help create fitness goals or manage a chronic condition. For instance, by uploading your heart rate and blood pressure information the online health tool will examine trends and give you advice on keeping your heart healthy.

Google Health has created a way of managing your records and sync with providers to gather medical tests and records, or communications between care providers. The information becomes part of your Gmail profile and can be used with other apps created to manage things like heart care, diabetes, weight loss, epilepsy, and preventative care plans.

Download a new app for fitness and it will automatically access what is already plugged into the profile to give you a regime to use.

The overarching theme in the development

of these applications is placing more power with the patient, enabling them to take charge of their healthcare because they have the information they need to guide their healthcare choices. If a patient is able to track their blood cholesterol levels the way they track the miles they run per day, it will likely facilitate the setting of goals and achievement of those goals. This type of patient empowerment makes a physician’s work much easier. Moreover, when patients see many different providers (including emergency department physicians) it will ensure that the most correct and recent information is available to each of the providers.

Additionally, other realms in which technology has changed the way patients and physicians communicate include: email consultations with physicians and virtual examinations with teleconferencing equipment.

Harnessing the efficiency of these tools, physicians can trim time from the delays inherent in scheduling an in-person visit.

The technology boom has improved the standard of living immeasurably. Its adoption in the personal health care arena has lagged, somewhat, compared to its introduction into other fields. With widespread adoption of smartphones and the desire to have everything accessible in the palm of your hand, the medical field will undergo a revolution that will, hopefully, leave patients empowered, physicians augmented, and overall health improved.

Dr. Adalja, board certified in Internal Medicine; Emergency Medicine; Infectious Disease; and Critical Care Medicine, can be reached via email at: AmeshAA@aol.com.

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MANIAC BEAUT Y

EYES

Smudgy raccoon eyes got you down? Fluidline in Blacktrack by MAC is budget conscience gel eyeliner with serious staying power. It’s wellsuited for oily skin, and works overtime during all-nighters. Use with a small angle brush for sharply lined cat eyes, as seen here, or dot and blend for a smokier look. Top with 6. Rimmel London Glam’Eyes Day 2 Night Mascara in Extreme Black for serious drama. This 2-inone mascara comes with two wands, pink for daytime length and definition, black for night time fat lashes up to 12x the volume.

A very special OCCASION

MAKE IT UNFORGETTABLE...

LIPS

Balance bold eyes with a subtle lip. Recreate the look shown here by blending 7. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Interlace and Complex. Peppermint oil provides a cooling sensation while the all natural, heavilypigmented formula ensures long-lasting color.

FRAGRANCE

It’s best to switch to a lighter scent as summer heats up. The softly feminine, powdery floral scent of 8. Love, Chloe features notes such as pink pepper, talc, rice powder, lilac, iris, and wisteria blossom. It’s as delicate as a summer breeze yet bold enough for a MANIAC.

CHANGE TEXT TO MATCH PRODUCTS SHOWN

URBAN BOHEMIAN

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5 B Y k a t he r i ne r e e l

With the return of the jumpsuit and the wide-leg trouser, fashion’s 70’s revival is undeniable.

Stay on-trend and celebrate summer with free-spirited, boho beauty. From feather hair extensions and mega volume, to pale lips and sun-kissed cheeks, warm-weather glamour is all about peace and love.

popping up everywhere, and according to retailers, flying off the shelves. Apply as desired amidst tousled strands and a few random baby braids for instant indie chic. Feather extensions are available at Pageboy Salon and Boutique in Lawrenceville.

HAIR

Chemical sunscreens contain nasty endocrinedisrupting ingredients such as oxybenzone.

Protect your skin from sun and aging safely with the 100% natural, titanium dioxide-based 3.

Burt’s Bees Chemical-Free Sunscreen SPF 30.

Suffering from tan-envy? Fake it til you make it by mixing a few shimmery drops of 4. Napoleon Perdis Set Liquid Veil Buenos Aires into foundation. It contains pomegranate extract and vitamins A, C and E for free radical-fighting power.

For an instant, moisturizing kiss of color, try 5. Revolution Organics Freedom Glow Beauty Balm in Bronzed on eyes, cheeks or lips. It’s a purse-friendly multi-tasker for the healthconscious girl on the go.

Summer sun and over-styling take a toll on your tresses. Start out with 1. Regis Design Line Ultimate Radiance Leave-In Conditioning Styler to detangle, protect from UV rays, and add silky softness, shine and a yummy tropical scent.

Dying for that sexy, matte, messy, “undoneyet-done” look that’s all over the runways? 2.

Bumble and Bumble Texture Hair (Un)Dressing Crème is the styling necessity for you. Apply to wet hair, give it a minute, then mess it up! For added volume, apply to roots and blow dry on medium or diffuse.

Leave it to rock legend Steven Tyler to start a hot new hair sensation. As seen on the American Idol personality, feather hair extensions are

3

1

SKIN

7 2

Sterling Silver charms from $25

6

8

4

Ross Park Mall Pittsburgh 412.366.5695

guide

MANIAC GUIDE BY chelsea dan ley

PH O T O G R APH Y B Y c o d y w ie g a n d

THE BEST SPOTS TO SIP A COFFEE AND SURF THE WEB.

In this high-paced world, technology keeps us ahead and the thing that keeps us going is our coffee. We found our favorite local gems that bring the high speed of the internet together with the high speed of caffeine. Whether you’re looking for a quick morning fix or a nice relaxing moment, these Pittsburgh coffee shops have exactly what you need in the hippest parts of town. Offering fabulous atmosphere, delicious treats, rich coffee blends, and a cozy seat with free Wi-Fi access, these hang outs have it all. So next time you MANIACs are on the run or looking for a place to catch a breath, check out any of these four local cafes.

BIG DOG COFFEE

COFFEE TREE ROASTERS

CRAZY MOCHA

beehive

Big Dog Coffee provides a peaceful escape from the bustling streets of the South Side. Husband and wife owners Nikolay and Cortney Ivanoc truly have a sense of community and bring that to their family business. Cortney is truly proud of their patrons and their community, and Big Dog takes initiatives to help the neighborhood. In 2008, these two espresso addicts purchased Kohler’s bakery (opened since 1889) and turned it into Big Dog. They wanted the coffee shop to be as cozy as a living room, and in a way it literally is for them as they live above the shop. The old fashioned cabinets were central to the décor as they added bright cheery colors to the walls with some local artwork. A fire place for those rainy Pittsburgh days and cozy rocking chairs along with an outdoor patio area add to the relaxing and homey ambiance.

Cortney emphasizes how the neighborhood really dictated the style and atmosphere of Big Dog. Their goal is a quality product, and they find that in Inteligentsia’s seasonal blends and single origin coffee beans that are delivered fresh each week. They also provide quality local food including an organic oatmeal bar in the mornings complete with fresh fruit and granola. Along with local pastries, they serve Gelato from Mulberry Street. The café is typically a quiet place where people can come to relax, work on their laptops, have meetings, and socialize. They make an effort to know their regulars and get to know new guests by adapting to their coffee drinking needs while incorporating Big Dog’s style. At Big Dog, they treat coffee making like an art.

Coffee Tree shops have many unique qualities, and perhaps the most recognizable is their garage door window that opens the entire store to the outdoors. The Coffee Tree Roasters have five locations and the father-son company has been around for 18 years. The addition of Coffee Tree to Shadyside’s Walnut Street almost a decade ago was perfect for their patrons and Shadyside itself. Open every day from 6am ‘til midnight, there is enough space from one brick wall to the other to accommodate all of the people that frequently populate the Coffee Tree day and night including students working on their laptops, residential customers, families, and business people meeting in the private meeting room. Shadyside Store Manager Jennifer Heiskell loves their mochas topped with Ghirardelli cocoa powder.

Coffee Tree roasts their own coffee beans by hand here in Pittsburgh and sends them fresh to their shops three times a week, and Heiskell says that they are so fresh, they’re even hot when delivered. Their Iron Star Roasting Company provides coffee for local restaurants, businesses, schools, and more. Delicious drinks aren’t all that you’ll find at the Coffee Tree. They also offer sandwiches and wraps along with pastries from Paddy Cake Bakery delivered fresh daily. So stop by one of the Coffee Tree shops and sip some home roasted coffee while enjoying the view, or take some Coffee Tree coffee beans home to enjoy it on your own.

It might seem like no matter where you are, there is a Crazy Mocha. Well that might be because there are 28 different store locations around Pittsburgh!

Owner Ken Zeff started the Crazy Mocha coffee shops eleven years ago because of his new found love of the coffee shop environment. He originally opened his first shop to capture that happy social atmosphere. Since then he has expanded, creating each shop individually in order to fit the neighborhood while keeping things sleek, fun, and bright. The Lawrenceville location brought a brighter more colorful vibe to the historical area, featuring murals painted by local artists and an outdoor patio area. Zeff emphasizes that his shops aren’t a prototype, each is unique, but the coffee and branding remain the same throughout. You’ll still see the famous Crazy Mocha goat; he just might be dressed up differently based on where he is. The atmosphere is always comfortable and accommodating. You’ll often find customers sipping and surfing. Crazy Mocha features larger tables to accommodate those hard at work along with an outlet to plug in almost every four feet. Fresh coffee and food is always promised, some coffee beans are grown locally. The pastries, sandwiches, and chocolate chip cookies are also from local shops. There is a diverse crowd at the shops, where anyone can count on the consistency of Crazy Mocha to relax or study in the comfy seats seven days a week. No matter the neighborhood you’re in, get the Crazy Mocha experience.

The Beehive is one of the most iconic places on the South Side’s East Carson Street. All are welcomed, anyone from a businessman to a young hipster.

Named after a place in France for artists to get ideas flowing, the Beehive embraces all sorts of creativity and culture here in Pittsburgh. Owners Scott Kramer & Steve Zumoff opened the shop in 1991 as the first place to serve espresso in the ‘burgh, and some of their first customers still frequent the joint. Here, baristas like Ernesto Barbibri get to know the customers. Barbibri explains the vision of the coffee shop as unique, offbeat, and eclectic. “It’s an accepting place where all walks of life can be themselves,” he says. There is a sense of community brought together by their caffeine, featuring award winning coffee and teas. As of this year, the Beehive now serves alcohol! So anytime of the day or night you could order a latte, draft, or Irish coffee- you name it. The Beehive also serves milkshakes, paninis, grape leaves, soups, desserts and offbeat snacks like waffles, PB&J sandwiches, and pizza bagels. They encourage graffiti in the bathrooms, commission local artists, and hold art shows, making the décor completely original. There’s always something going on at the Beehive whether it’s Tuesday’s Open Mic Nights, Friday night Karaoke, a Rolling Stones cover band on Saturdays, or classical music Sundays along with patron organized meetings and activities. The melting pot of The Beehive offers an alternative for the late night South Side scene.

2717 Sarah Street l Pittsburgh, PA 15203 412.586.7306 l www.bigdogcoffee.net

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Wi-FI COFFEE SHOPS

5524 Walnut Street l Pittsburgh, PA 15232 412.621.6880 l www.coffeetree.com

4032 Butler Street l Pittsburgh, PA 15201 412.687.1445 l www.crazymocha.com

1327 East Carson Street l Pittsburgh, PA 15203 412.488.4483 l www.beehivebuzz.com

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FItness

ANYONE CAN RUN A MARATHON B Y sam an t h a d u n n

X SHADYSIDE TRAINER ERIN STEMMLER’S ADVICE ON HOW TO TRAIN SUCCESSFULLY

A year ago, if someone had told me I would cross the finish of the Pittsburgh Half Marathon on May 15th this year, I would have considered them to be completely out of their mind. The thought of running 13.1 miles, let alone anything over one mile, seemed unfathomable. But with a little motivation, proper training, a ton of sweat and a great playlist, it finally became a reality.

I caught up with Erin Stemmler, X Shadyside’s personal trainer and participant in both the 2009 and 2010 Pittsburgh Marathon, where she was able to give some helpful advice to those thinking about becoming a first-time marathoner.

“Both strength and endurance are important,” she says. “But, ultimately, you must have the endurance. You must train your body to run 26 miles.” Erin emphasizes that training 72

is really all about the break-down and the buildup. “Anyone can run a marathon, it just takes proper training and discipline.”

A full marathon, being 26.2 miles, is something that requires some mental training along with the physical endurance. With 26.2 looming in one’s thoughts, it may seem impossible to overcome the notorious ‘mind over matter’ issue that so many runners face.

“What really helped me was not thinking about the mileage, but breaking my long runs into time frames. So instead of thinking, ‘Oh God, I have eight more miles to go.’ I thought of it as just an hour run,” Erin explains.

It’s recommended to give yourself at least 18 weeks before the big race to begin the training process, with 3-4 days a week dedicated to cross training and strength workouts. Time is

extremely crucial; therefore, it’s definitely not a good idea to begin training a week before any kind of race. Erin even recommends one to have a base of running at least 15 miles before the 18-week training period.

However, it’s not all about the running, because let’s be honest, it can become somewhat monotonous. X Shadyside offers classes to break up the monotony.

Erin recommends yoga and spinning as a supplement to marathon training. Programs such as these help to build up the strength needed to avoid injury. “Spinning is a great cross training workout when you are a runner,” she explains “and yoga helps with flexibility, breathing and reducing stress.”

Along with yoga and spinning, rest and nutrition are immensely important and many

X SHADYSIDE 5608 Walnut St | Pittsburgh, PA 15232 412.363.9999 | xshadyside.com times forgotten with a marathon on one’s mind.

Sufficient sleep and calories are needed to recover from vigorous activity and should not be overlooked. Without balancing out the hard work with lots of rest, it’s easy to go overboard.

“Listening to your body and not pushing what doesn’t feels right” is extremely important to stay healthy while training, Erin explains.

Every runner is different, that is why working with a personal trainer at X Shadyside is something else that Erin believes is the key to success. “Our trainers can provide each person with an individualized running, cross training, strength training and nutrition program to help prepare for a successful marathon!”

When the buzzer goes off and the crowd starts to cheer, I know from personal experience it’s easy to get flustered and filled with

adrenaline, especially when surrounded by over 18,000 other runners. Erin suggests that when it comes to the day of the marathon it’s important to “run the race just as you trained” and not to “change anything on race day.”

Although my 13.1mile achievement is no 26.2, it is still extremely rewarding. And who knows, maybe next year I’ll cross the finish after having run the full marathon. With the proper knowledge and discipline anyone can build up the strength and endurance to do what they set our minds to do.

Remember what Erin said, “Anyone can run a marathon!” I wish you all good luck training and I’ll see you at the 2012 Pittsburgh Marathon!

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Jim Aiello Jr., founder of Pizza Sola.

THE SECRET INGREDIENT:

generations of maverick men: behind the scenes of pizza sola BY sar ah lolle y CONTRIBUTION S B Y ja mie be c k P HOTOGRAP HY O F J IM B Y mar ie mash yna

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Although it hails from Italy, pizza is and has been an American staple and favorite for decades. Pittsburgh is home to many and varied pizza shops, but Pizza Sola stands out as a top shelf pizzeria serving authentic New York style pizza with fresh, homemade ingredients.

The original shop opened in the South Side as Pizza Vesuvio in 2002, and after a name change has grown to include three additional locations (Oakland, East End, and Cranberry) with plans for further expansion.

Some may credit the success of this chain to its excellent food or its hip interiors, but those more familiar with the operation know that the credit belongs to its founder Jim Aiello, Jr. and of course his heralded staff. What made this former tax accountant turned real estate developer decide to enter the restaurant business? Well, that is a long and interesting story that dates back almost a century to his great grandparents, Pete and Sarafina Locante, and his grandfather Ross Aiello’s entrepreneurial choices.

Ross Aiello was born to Italian immigrant parents who arrived in America from Calabria,

Italy. Beginning at a young age, Ross struck out on his own in small ventures rather than work in the local factories like his peers. During his lifetime he hauled coal to the Hill District, then invested in and ran saloons with his father-inlaw, a prominent restauranteur in the 1960s. He then founded and operated a large warehouse in the Strip District as a Master Distributor of Pabst Blue Ribbon, which was at one time Pennsylvania Railroad’s largest customer. This business just celebrated its 65th anniversary in business. He was also a commercial real estate owner to top off the list.

Ross’s son Jim Aiello Sr., a commercial real estate developer with an affinity for the restaurant business, bought Locante’s restaurant, which later became Rico’s on West Liberty Avenue, from his grandfather in the 1970’s. He also opened Jamie’s Upper Crust next door, one of the first local restaurants to serve Chicago-style deep dish pizza as well as frozen prepared foods.

At the age of 11, Jim Jr. decided to live with his father after his parents divorced. As such, he was constantly spending time with his dad and

Food grandfather at their businesses and watching them work. Both men were driven, assertive and unafraid of failure. These years of observation influenced Jim Jr.’s perspective and approach to his own future and career. He watched his father and grandfather juggle multiple business interests simultaneously and forge their own paths, for better and worse. At home, the best times between father and son were when they were cooking in the kitchen. The bond between men in this family was in the maverick spirit, like a secret ingredient in the sauce, they had a special kick to them.

“Every summer my dad made me work in construction. Starting in my early teens, I either worked in landscaping, concrete, or building.

I would work two months and play one when most kids got three months off,” says Jim Jr. as he surveyed the remodeling work in his new home. When talking with Jim about his life, it is easy to see that many events and hardships dating back to his teens helped train him for the hurdles and battles any businessman must overcome in order to succeed.

The Aiello men love all physical activity, most of all football, and like his father before him, Jim Jr. began playing the game in grade school. During a football game in college his father, who never missed a game, said, “How could you have dropped that ball?” That would have been Jim Jr.’s third interception of the game. “My friend told me after the game, ‘I love your dad, but he is tough!’ I wouldn’t want it any other way then the way it went down. You can never push yourself too much in life. It’s the challenges that make life interesting.”

Also like his father, in high school Jim Jr. suffered a severe spinal cord trauma from the game that required a spinal fusion surgery in his teens to stabilize his vertebrae. Years later, a shoulder injury took him out of Lake Forest College and put Jim Jr. behind a desk at his dad’s development company. By then Jim Sr. was developing shopping malls and sent his son to the Carolinas to oversee construction on a K-Mart project.

“I found out that I loved developing,” says Jim. “I started buying homes and making them into duplexes in the Mon Valley. I bought old buildings to refinish and sold all the ones there.”

He eventually finished his degree in Accounting with honors, and acquired a minor in Finance.

He then went to work with Arthur Anderson to work on tax strategies and family wealth planning

after graduating.

“That’s the irony of life, taking the bitter and making it sweet. I never get bogged down with struggle or strife. I expect it.” he says.

Incidentally, he recently met his fiancée, Judith, in Arizona when he was recovering from the effect of extensive arthritis from his 13 surgeries.

He says he will never complain about the pain again because it brought him to her.

Jim had only cooked in his father’s restaurant when he and Ron Molinaro, owner of Il Pizzaiolo in Mt Lebanon, decided to bring an authentic New York slice of pie to Pittsburgh.

“Ron is a culinary artisan of epic proportions,” says Jim Jr. as he explains that he agreed to open the first store with Ron. He and Ron parted ways after a year and Jim renamed the store Pizza Sola, which translates to ‘only pizza,’

to track and adjust sales, and control expenses.

However, wearing too many hats didn’t allow him to focus on Pizza Sola until he decided to devote 99 percent of his time on the chain. “It was obvious to me that I wasn’t involved enough.

To warrant my time, I wanted the business to be bigger.” Thus, he worked hard to expand the chain he started to its current size and is working harder to further expand and diversify the brand.

“My family did well. They take bad situations, make quick decisions, that helped make us stronger going back,” he reflects.

“Some people get rattled by failure, I don’t like that word, and neither does my father. The only failure in my father’s house was a ‘fear of failure’ that would prevent you from trying something challenging and new…Sometimes you just don’t

the one menu item that started the business.

Despite the name, the restaurants now offer salads, sandwiches, and chicken wings, as well as beer sales at their Oakland location.

“When we made the change from one to two stores and on, we made significant investments in technology,” says Jim. “From surveillance systems accessed from a laptop to a point of sale system so we can access real time sales and spending with labor versus sales reports.” Using innovation to build a better business is part of the Aiello family tradition.

Another part of it is figuring out how to use your failures and come back stronger.

“You can always count on the pitfalls in life; that makes me appreciate the good things when they come,” he says of how life and his role models have shaped him. “Failures are better opportunities for success. You break down the problem into all of its working parts, and then stand back and access how to rebuild the model using the conflict and problems to come back stronger.”

“I exhaust people. Everybody needs a rainmaker,” says Jim Jr. noting that he would take command of meetings and introduce ways

get your desired result when you push yourself to excel in uncharted territory. I would describe myself as more wise than possessing sheer intelligence, wisdom comes through experience and I am proud to say I have had many.” He concludes by quoting his favorite person, his father, “There are no dress rehearsals for life.

Regret is usually over the things we never try in life. In our house, lessons were learned but few were with regret.”

With that spirit, Jim welcomes feedback from the patrons of the store as additional opportunities to improve and perfect his stores and pizza.

Stop in for a slice or visit the website at www.pizzasola.com for more information about the restaurants and employment opportunities.

(Above) Jim Aiello Jr. with his grandfather Ross Aiello.

(Above left) Jim Aiello Jr.’s father, Jim Aiello Sr.

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