MANIERA DISTRICT PREVIEW ISSUE

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FRENCH

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SÈBASTIEN DEL GROSSO

MONICA TRUE’S PHOTOGRAPHY

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FALL 2014 VOL. 1 ISSUE 1

AL PA M AN CA AN T IH FA G GAUKA ER SH O IO O D & GO GEHONES, N, M M TS E O U , Y, RE SIC !

D.C. and the REAL-ID ACT

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welcome to the preview

issue of the new MANIERA DISTRICT magazine!

2014 has been a year of rebirth, rebranding and refocusing for our magazine.

When we first launched MANIERA magazine in 2009 in the virtual game of SecondLifeÂŽ, we knew we had something very special.

That self-belief has taken us to where we are today. It has not always been easy. As a team we faced many challenges. Taking a magazine based in a virtual game and financed by a virtual currency we have worked hard to turn it into a real life magazine, firmly located in the nation’s capital, Washington DC. Recognizing the unique character of the city we aim to take the parochial out of the local magazine and look outwards at the world from a DC perspective.

We trust that our current readers will enjoy the new sleek design and that our new found readers will enjoy our off the beaten path content. MANIERA DISTRICT remains true to our original aesthetic whilst simultaneously reworking and refining it.

Moving an online magazine to a print format may seem to be swimming against the tide when many traditional publications are focusing on a move to digital. However we believe that print is still one of the best mediums for unique and thought provoking content, particularly for a local magazine. MANIERA DISTRICT will of course also be available as a digital publication.

I would like to thank all of our dedicated readers, our amazing international staff, our sponsors and advertisers for all of their support, and to once again welcome our new readers to a local magazine with a difference.

Yours Faithfully,

thelma lay 2 | MANIERA DISTRICT | MYMANIERA.COM

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ART. FASHION. TECHNOLOGY…

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MANIER A district

Formerly known as

MANIERA

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | CEO Thelma Lay

CO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER Juliette Lord

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR

Peter Walsh, Walsh Media Solutions, Inc.

ART DIRECTOR

Lori Beda Butanis

LAYOUT

Heather Gaskamp

WRITERS

Mae Aniceto Cyntia Aranday Gabriel Berger Chris Hurley Makeda John Robert Hensley-King Jon Lamoreaux Juliette Lord

ABOUT US

MANIERA DISTRICT (ISSN 2326-5760) is an art, fashion and technology lifestyle publication owned, operated and published

by MANIERA LLC. Any views, opinions or interpretations expressed in columns are solely those of the author and do not represent those of MANIERA LLC and its subsidiaries.

MANIERA LLC will not accept any responsibility for any views, opinions or interpretations expressed in the pages of MANIERA DISTRICT, MyManiera.com or other communications.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MANIERA DISTRICT 4713 Jay Street NE, Washington, DC 20019. Single-Copy $6.99 Annual Subscriptions (4 issues) $24.95

EDITORIAL INQUIRIES

All editorial inquiries including submissions and feature ideas are to be sent to editorial@mymaniera.com.

BUSINESS & ADVERTISING INQUIRIES All business inquiries are to be sent to our CEO, Thelma Lay, at editorial@mymaniera.com.

All advertising inquiries are to be sent to advertising@mymaniera.com.

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4 | MANIERA DISTRICT | MYMANIERA.COM

CONTENTS

FALL 2014

28 ANTIHEROES

32

20

ON THE COVER Sèbastien Del Grosso

42

MONICA TRUE’S PHOTOGRAPHY

REGULARS WTH? YUM! MANI STYLE MUSIC COOL STUFF HEALTH & BEAUTY MANIERA HISTORY

The REAL-ID Act Food Truck Guide A Fall Proof Wardrobe Go-Go Music Lives Hello to Sleep Manuka Honey A Timeline

6 10 12 14 24 38 48

ALPACA FASHION MYMANIERA.COM | MANIERA DISTRICT | 5

LICENSE

to

Anno y THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL FOR DC RESIDENTS UNDER THE REAL-ID ACT

BY CHRISTOPHER HURLEY

There are some advantages to living in DC; for example, three airports that are relatively accessible. The downside to this is that your excuses for not traveling are greatly diminished. It also means that not having a driving license is out of the question. Every time you go through airport security, you must first pass through the Transport and Security Agency’s (TSA) ID inspection. Generally speaking, the smaller the airport, the less persnickety the agents are. In DC it seems that more eyes are watching, so, if anything looks out of place, you won’t get through security. With that in mind, under the REAL-ID Act, DC is being forced to reissue new driving licenses that contain one important feature that will allow its citizens to get through security: a star.

WTH?

That’s right, all licenses are being reissued exactly the same as they were except for the addition of a small star in the top right hand corner. Without this, you can forget about getting through security unless you have your passport. It’s like some Kafkaesque joke by the DHS on DC: ‘you cannot have statehood or the star on the flag that would come with it ... but we will make you go to the DMV and have that star on a reissued license so you can constantly be reminded that you have no real voice in congress or the senate.’ You can bet that come 2016 when the TSA plans to enforce it, some agents may actually explode with schadenfreude as they point out to DC residents that the absence of this tiny star on their license prevents them from making their flight.

It will be something like the grief cycle and it will start with DENIAL. The passenger will declare that they were not informed of this change by the city so therefore it does not apply to them [cue silent arousal in the groin of the agent]. The would-be traveler tries to understand why the omission of a stupid fricking star on their

6 | MANIERA DISTRICT | MYMANIERA.COM

MYMANIERA.COM | MANIERA DISTRICT | 7

license should somehow foil their plans for getting on the plane and using the ticket on which they’ve spent hundreds of dollars.

This produces an immediate threat response in the TSA agent as they slowly and deliberately explain how screwed you are. The condescending tone of an agent who may not even have an associate’s degree talking down to someone accustomed to getting their own way such as a lawyer, doctor or, even better a hipster will lead to the second stage: ANGER. The now-apoplectic traveler will raise their voice, demand to see a supervisor or generally cause a scene. This causes a full-on amygdala hijack in the agent who radios colleagues who are waiting eagerly with Tasers and Billy clubs.

Enter stage three: BARGAINING. By thrashing around in a Taserinduced fit, the traveler brushes against a TSA officer and is charged with attempted murder. As is de rigueur in such situations, the battered traveler becomes indignant. This is dangerous because indignant people sue, so the traveler’s self-esteem must be taken down a further peg or two. After the cavity search is conducted by the officer with the fattest hands, the freshly-stretched and beleaguered traveler is begging to be let go and is offered one final chance to leave the building before charges are formally pressed. Dejected, the traveler limps off to the Metro. After waiting half an hour for a blue train on a Sunday evening and enduring further delays at the Metro Center while trying to get on the Red Line, stage four sets in: DEPRESSION. During this time the traveler can’t buy a much-needed bottle of whiskey on the way home due to licensing regulations and seriously contemplates ending it all. Meanwhile, TSA offers at the airport are congratulating themselves on a job well done and laughing mercilessly at the security video before erasing it to cover their asses.

The final stage, ACCEPTANCE, comes the following day when you either find yourself contacting a realtor in Maryland or Virginia or, lining up for the customer service nirvana [irony alert, Americans] that is the local Department of Motor Vehicles to get a REAL ID-compliant license. This time you’ll have done your homework and appeared in person at a DMV office bringing proof of identity, proof of address and proof of social security number. Of course, with the DMV a federal building, you won’t be allowed in because your license is not REAL-ID compliant. See how this works? Welcome to the District.

Taxation without representation and home to a congress that was surveyed as being less popular than hemorrhoids, toenail fungus, dog poop, and cockroaches. Let’s see what competition the TSA can provide in 2016. xz 8 | MANIERA DISTRICT | MYMANIERA.COM

MYMANIERA.COM | MANIERA DISTRICT | 9

TREKKER’S GUIDE TO FOOD TRUCK

YUM!

heaven

BY MAKEDA JOHN

I

f like me you await the day you can get your hands on your favorite food without the tedious wait for a table, and want to enjoy the freedom to eat as you please without being condemned by onlookers judging your table etiquette, then my friend you need to find yourself a ‘Food Truck’. These ingenious mobile restaurants are not your usual EOTNK (end of the night kebab) or burger vans; these are vans owned by passionate food connoisseurs that offer an invigorating new mix for food on the go that would have even the palette of the stiffest restaurant critic tingling.

The Texas ‘Chuckwagon’ is thought to be one of the first of food truck kind, pioneered in 1866

by Charles Goodnight. Originally created to ease the long and tiring trek of cattle herders, he stocked and provided simple foods that were easy to preserve such as dried beans and cornmeal, salted/smoked beef, salt pork and bacon. Along with basic essential medical supplies and tableware utensils these guys had nothing but a barrel of water and a few heavy pots and pans in which to cook the food. These humble beginnings have subsequently evolved and now offer much more than a bit of stodge to fill the hungryman’s hole. Food trucks are now battling fast food restaurants and winning the war with a high standard of style and flavor. More and more people are turning to these rebel restaurateurs for their lunch time and mid-dinner cravings.

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Washington is considered one of the top food truck cities in America, with almost every central street, avenue and parking lot exuding smells good enough to make you ‘wanna slap yo momma’ (I apologize for the Friday quote). DC annually holds a food truck festival dubbed Truckeroo running between April right through to October. This event showcases over 20 of the best food trucks in and around the DC area with everything from fishy delights, to your favorite BBQ meats, to the pièce de résistance of tantalizing cheesecakes, cupcakes and ice creams. Anything your little greedy belly desires you are sure to find it there. The latest food truck event was held on October 28th and included a phantom twist in keeping with the Halloween festivities. Live music and a bar provided both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and there was a fancy dress competition where the winner managed to bag a menacing $500 prize: all this and free admission!

If you missed the event, don’t worry because many of the food trucks can be found dotted around the DC area, and the tech savvy owners are taking to social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to let you eager punters pinpoint their exact location, saving you from trawling the streets for hours looking for your favorite food truck joint. Here are some trucks that had the staff at MANIERA DISTRICT salivating:

Red Hook Lobster Round - Offering authentic Maine style lobster rolls and other tasty fish treats that will have you hooked on first ‘bait’. Follow them on Twitter on @LobstertruckDC or visit their website to keep track of their movements on www.redhooklobsterdc.com DC Pollo - You haven’t had chicken until you’ve had it Peruvian style, spiced freely and cooked on a rotisserie ensuring succulent juiciness every time. You’re sure to get great value for money with their hearty portions and modest prices. Follow them on twitter on @dcpollos BBQ Bus - Everybody loves a bit of BBQ, but when perfected it hits the spot like no other. This bus is bang on, serving favorites such as pulled pork, chicken and America’s favorite succulent brisket, along with a whole heap of sides that will leave your belly thanking you. Visit their website www.bbqbusdc.com to locate them.

Caribbean Cafe - A taste of the Caribbean in the Washington streets offering Caribbean staples such as jerk chicken wings and curry goat to warm the soul, and wash it all down with one of their homemade juices. Check out the pineapple and ginger juice! Find them on Twitter @Caribbean2Go and their website www.caribbeancafetruck.com Sweetz Cheesecake aka ‘Big Blue’ - What more in life could you want other than cheesecake? This truck offers tantalizing flavors including marble fudge, cookies & cream, peanut butter cup and a range of other styles including vegan options. Locate them via their website www.sweetzcheesecake.com or on Twitter @Cheesecaketruck. xz

MYMANIERA.COM | MANIERA DISTRICT | 11

f all proof

YOUR WARDROBE

BY JULIETTE LORD

MANI STYLE

Lord & Taylor 5255 Western Ave, N.W. Washington, DC 20015 202-362-9600 12 | MANIERA DISTRICT | MYMANIERA.COM

Dr Martens Store 3108 M St NW, Washington, DC 20007 201-506-46??

A

s the days start to cool down you may consider replacing those recently purchased summery items in your closet with something a little more autumnal. But before you do, think about fall proofing those items and making them stretch another season or two. It is easier than you think.

The pretty floral print dress that screamed ‘summer!’ can be toned down to be a fall essential. Darker shades work best but by focusing on a single color in the print and taking it down a couple of shades, you can accessorise it to make a perfect autumn outfit. Lord & Taylor stock a fabulous fit and flare floral print dress in black and white

by Gabby Skye. Team it up with a pair of opaque black panty hose, a knit black cardigan such as the Calvin Klein three-quarter sleeve shawl sweater, the Collection 18 crocheted fedora in black and a pair of black ankle boots to complete an up to the minute fall look.

Denim shorts? No problem. Fall them up with jewel colored opaque panty hose. The stocking store do a range of shades: choose kelly green, navy, royal, purple, black, coffee or red and all you need is a sweater in a matching or contrasting shade to make these shorts work their way through to winter. Adding ankle boots or a funky pair of Dr Martens finishes the look perfectly.

Generally speaking most summer outfits can be transformed for fall by choosing the right accessories. Add opaque or patterned panty hose, chunky knitwear, hats and scarves and ankle boots to your shopping list or dust off your classic staples from last fall and combine with your 2014 summer wardrobe to create a whole new look. Color wise red is a great carry over from summer, and green could be the new black. Tartan is always a winner and a small fake fur scarf will go with almost any knitwear.

Monochrome is both timeless and seasonal neutral. It always works. Funk it up with a splash of red.

Always buy clothes that will last more than one season. Think what you have in your closet and how the new piece will work with what you already have. Shop smart and you will have a versatile wardrobe that you can mix and match as the seasons change. xz MYMANIERA.COM | MANIERA DISTRICT | 13

The

Beat

goes on A

Brief

History

of

Go-Go

BY JON LAMOREAUX

MUSIC

B

orn in long-gone D.C. area clubs like the Maverick Room and the Black Hole, the funk sub-genre go-go has endured a prominent, yet largely obscure, history. Always a huge draw in the District, and performed in front of gigantic audiences around the world, go-go has remained a secret to most casual music lovers outside the Chocolate City.

The first reference to stick in most people’s minds was in 1965 when Smokey Robinson and the Miracles scored the million-selling single, “Going to a Go-Go” for Motown Records. The title “go-go” refers to a party or happening where music and dancing just “goes and goes”. The music pulsating out of these

14 | MANIERA DISTRICT | MYMANIERA.COM

Young Senators, photo circa 1973, Motown Studios, Detroit, Michigan

MYMANIERA.COM | MANIERA DISTRICT | 15

clubs also became known as “go-go” and, while the term and style eventually spread across the country, the epicenter of go-go music was always Washington, D.C., where it originated.

“Go-go started in local cabarets”, says James “Drumer” Johnson, formerly of the pioneering go-go band the Young Senators. “There would be a different one every night from eight to twelve and then a party somewhere from midnight to six in the morning.”

Original go-go basically sounded like funk. Listening to songs now, like the Young Senators 1965 hit “Jungle”, you’d be hard pressed to notice a big difference between what many consider early go-go and the historic funk laid down by R&B pioneers like Sly and the Family Stone and Earth Wind and Fire.

It began morphing into its own genre when it took on an original, scenespecific flavor primarily made up of a syncopated drum beat and heavy percussion, especially congas, timbales and cowbells. “You cannot overlook the influence of both Parliament Funkadelic and the Pentecostal church,” says Kip Lornell, music professor at George Washington University and author of the book The Beat: Go-Go Music From Washington, D.C. “The go-gos were structured like a church service where people would stay and celebrate as long as the spirit was strong.”

Big Tony (3rd from the right) with Trouble Funk. Courtesy of Jimi Dougans.

16 | MANIERA DISTRICT | MYMANIERA.COM

Another spark of inspiration came when performers noticed that during breaks between songs, people would leave the dancefloor.

To combat that, the performers drew from the revivals they were familiar with to bring on the traditional call-and-response singing style as a way to keep people dancing and the energy levels high.

“The term ‘go-go’ would not have been in common currency until around 1977 or ‘78” says Lornell. “You have Chuck Brown to thank for that.”

Chuck Brown is widely considered the undisputed “Godfather of Go-Go”. Brown moved to D.C. when he was seven and began his love for music while in prison where, legend has it, he traded cigarettes for a guitar. He found success when he hit on the funk with latin-flavored percussion angle during his time in a local Latin band called Los Latinos. He went on to form the Soul Searchers, took to the go-go clubs of D.C., and a genre was born.

“Chuck was trying to originate a sound like James Brown had done” says Tom Goldfogle, Brown’s manager since the late-nineties and President of Full Circle Entertainment, the company that distributed and released Legendary Godfather of Go-Go, Chuck Brown.

almost all of the go-go albums in the nineties. “It wasn’t until ‘Bustin’ Loose’ came out in 1978 that go-go found its groove and became a huge record nationally and internationally.”

“Bustin’ Loose” is probably the biggest and most recognizable go-go hit of all time and was heavily sampled for the 2002 #1 hit single “Hot in Herre” by rapper Nelly. All the hallmarks of go-go are on full display in “Bustin’ Loose” (the percussion, the horns, the lengthy jams) and the track hasn’t aged a day. Brown remained the key go-go figure until his death in 2012, inspiring many other local legends like Experience Unlimited (E.U.), Rare Essence, and Trouble Funk along the way.

But, if “Bustin’ Loose” is such a dancefloor classic, why weren’t there a dozen more just like it?

“Ah, the biggest question of all - why didn’t go-go break out,” continues Lornell. “I’ve narrowed it down to three main reasons. First, go-go never developed a broad repertoire. There was not a lot of songwriting happening that would have transported it to other areas. Second, it has to be experienced live. It just doesn’t translate to record. And third, musicians could have steady gigs locally. If they went on tour they’d have to pay for the travel and miss work. It was better for them to keep playing the local scene.”

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Mural of Chuck Brown at Ben’s Chili in Washington, DC

“Marketing go-go to a wider audience never really paid off. Black Heat was the first go-go band signed to a major label, but after four under-performing albums, Atlantic Records dropped them. Additionally, Trouble Funk, who were riding the wave of their biggest hits “Hey Fellas” and “Drop the Bomb” were signed to pioneering hip-hop label Sugar Hill before being taken under the wings of Island Records, but after two watered-down albums, further releases by the band were shelved.

“It was bittersweet being signed to a label” says Trouble Funk leader “Big” Tony Fisher. “The world got to know Trouble Funk, but we were still broke. Everyone was getting paid but us.”

Sadly, this is a variation of a story told over and over again in the music business.

The Young Senators, for example, were the first local band hired to back up a major artist when they played on former Temptation Eddie Kendricks’ second solo album, 1972’s fabulous “People… Hold On”. They supported Kendricks for twelve years, which led to the band being signed by Epic Records (home of Michael Jackson and Luther Vandross …among others.) But, when they delivered the music, the label also left them on the shelf. Epic would have seemed to be the perfect home for a band like the Young Senators, especially given the band’s bona fides with Kendricks. But, it was not to be.

“An associate of ours asked if we’d want to play with Eddie Kendricks. She gave me a number to call and when I did Eddie answered the phone! I wasn’t expecting that. I stuttered a while before I settled down and could talk,” says former Young

18 | MANIERA DISTRICT | MYMANIERA.COM

Senators percussionist Jimi Dougans. “Playing with Eddie gave us more money and more exposure than if we’d stayed in D.C. playing the local club scene. But after Epic didn’t work out, we all went our separate ways.”

In another weak attempt at gaining mainstream success, Island

e ss e n t i a l Go-Go Songs

Records produced a “go-go movie” in 1986 called “Good to Go”

1

starring, in another obvious miscalculation, Art Garfunkel. What was meant to be a slice of life inside the go-go club culture of D.C. turned into a basic dark, murder mystery movie about racism, drugs and corruption. It was also racked with internal drama that nearly sunk the film. Not surprisingly, the movie was not a hit and is extremely obscure to this day. The film does contain some historic performances by Chuck Brown, Trouble Funk and Redds and The Boys that most people will never see.

The drama that consumed “Good To Go”, both on the screen and behind it, touches on another possible detriment to the go-go scene which is its association with the drugs and violence that enveloped the District during the 70s and 80s. Unfortunately, that practice of violence overtaking a good time has plagued the scene for years and continues to do so.

“The violence and drugs have nothing to do with go-go, they just both happened to be blossoming at the same time” says Lornell.

“City Councilman Frank Smith tried to ban go-go in 1988 and 1989 because of the violence which is bullshit. The clubs were some of the safest places to be because you often got scanned before going in.”

Over the years go-go has evolved much the same way as mainstream

Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers Bustin’ Loose

34

Trouble Funk Drop The Bomb

5

Mambo Sauce’s “Welcome to D.C.” bear little resemblance to Chuck Brown’s template, although, some retro go-gos are beginning to sprout up around D.C. It seems clear that as long as there are

DJ Flexx The Water Dance

7

Go-go’s continued relevance may be summed up best by Trouble Funk’s “Big” Tony Fisher. “Dave Grohl played my birthday this past May,” says Fisher. “He’s a big Trouble Funk fan and wanted to sit in and play drums at my party.”

Who knew?

xz

6

Little Benny Cat in the Hat

musicians who care and a place to play, go-go will continue to maintain its legacy as D.C.’s hottest, homemade musical export.

Rare Essence Lock It

Junkyard Band Sardines

black music. Today hip-hop is a much stronger influence on go-go than the organic funk of the seventies. More current singles like

2

E.U. Da Butt

9

Northeast Groovers Booty Call UCB Sexy Lady

Mambo Sauce Welcome To D.C

8

10

DISTRICT STAR

t rue TALENT A

M

eet Monica True, a fashion and commercial photographer who is making a big impact in the District. True’s photography captures the essence of fashion and beauty; her style exudes an effortless simplicity that draws the eye to her use of interesting vantage points. These angles allow a great deal of depth, and the use of bold colours amplify the beautifully clear composition of each image.

Born in Brazil, 46 year old True talks of her memories as a child. She recalls how 30 years ago photography was deemed little more than a ‘hobby’ and was not really seen as a real profession or something particularly to aspire to; certainly not a career path her parents would encourage her to pursue. Nevertheless True was inspired and recalls one of her earliest photographic experiences: ‘It was a very stormy day, cloudy, dark grey skies, and suddenly one of the clouds opened up allowing streams of the sun over the fields. I grabbed the camera out of my mother’s hands and captured it, a gorgeous image. I admired it for many years. Fascinated by the light, I knew photography entered my life to stay’.

True took a conventional educational path, studying Language and Literature, and it took 23 more years to

MYMANIERA.COM | MANIERA DISTRICT | 21

rekindle her early found flirtation with photography and to finally find her way back to an art form that, she believes, defines herself.

Now a graduate in Professional Photography and with a blossoming career in advertising she also manages to lecture at Boston College at Georgetown inspiring and educating young hopefuls. True has a hands on approach with her art, and is involved throughout the entire photographic procedure, from the image’s early conception, right down to the mastering process, she states: ‘It simply ticks me off to hear from students, while giving photography classes at the college, how many young people think that they must give their images away to others to retouch without even knowing what good retouch is. If you haven’t done it, you cannot possibly know how it is done correctly. You may opt later to leave it up to others, but as far as I have experienced, you can’t always rely on others to ensure a true representation of your vision.’

True stresses the importance of sourcing a good team when working in such a competitive industry: ‘I am a firm believer that a photographer is as strong as the weakest link on his team. Without the input and 100% commitment of all talents involved, there is no excellence!’

“I am a firm believer that a photographer is as strong as the weakest link on his team.”

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She is obsessed by the detail and this is reflected in the high quality of both her product and her professional service. She tells MANIERA DISTRICT that: ‘It is important to keep in mind that no matter how much of this is our passion, we are service providers. We deliver images: quality, consistency, service, hopefully not fully strange sounding words in this business.’

True still looks at photography with a fresh and enthusiastic approach, excited to try new things and eager to discover the results of what each new shoot brings.

I ask her about her preference between fashion and commercial shoots, two genres in which she excels. She tells me that: ‘Honestly I think both go hand in hand. Everyone needs fashion… it’s not only what you see on the catwalk, but also the suit you wear at the office, or the sportswear you have on whilst jogging in the park. Commercial photography is what sells it, it’s just as important.’

The passion and high professional standard True has for her craft is clearly evident in the way she speaks about her work, the ethics and moral code she adheres to, and the standard of photography she produces. True leaves me with a few words of wisdom for those aspiring to go into photography: ‘...to shoot, to go out and do it over and over again, and not to be scared of making mistakes. We all make them… Don’t be afraid!’ xz

Official website: http://www.monicatrue.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monicatruephotography Tel: +1 703-899-1174

All images courtesy of Monica True.

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sense

IT MAKES TO HAVE A GOOD

NIGHT’S SLEEP

We all do it, we all need it, none of us can function without it and many of us underestimate the importance of getting a good night’s sleep. What’s more we really don’t know much about what sort of a night’s sleep we just experienced and, more importantly, because we don’t know why our sleep may be being disturbed, we have no idea how to fix it.

The people at San Francisco based company ‘Hello’ may have come up with a solution, all tightly packed inside an unobtrusive orb that takes up no more shelf space than an air freshener. It comes with a matching ‘sleeping pill’, a small disc that attaches to your pillow. The ‘pill’ contains a 6-axis accelerometer and gyroscope, capable of picking up the tiniest of your movements throughout the night. The whole system comes together using a smartphone app.

COOL STUFF

Unlike most wearable sleep monitors, which, lets face it probably make your night’s sleep more uncomfortable, ‘Sense’ not only monitors the depth and length of time you sleep via the pillow attachment, it also, via the orb, records the environment around you.

24 | MANIERA DISTRICT | MYMANIERA.COM

MYMANIERA.COM | MANIERA DISTRICT | 25

The orb measures variables such as noise, light, humidity and temperature and then over a cumulative period you accumulate vital information about how the environment is affecting your sleep patterns.

Using the nightly sleep score on the phone app, you can correlate your sleep interruptions with changes in your environment. Any noises made during the night are recorded so that you can identify whether it is the neighbour’s dog or your partner’s snoring that is disturbing your sleep.

The system also has a built in smart alarm which can sense if you are starting to stir before your alarm is due to go off.

Rather than allow you to fall back into a deeper sleep it will wake you up. And if you like to go to sleep listening to white noise or falling rain the ‘Sense’ can do that too.

The sleep pill lasts a year and if you forget to remove it and throw it in the washing machine... no problem... it is completely waterproof. And if you have a partner they can attach an extra ‘sleeping pill’ to their pillow and you will both be monitored separately. Be careful though.. you may get the blame for their lack of sleep! xz www.hello.is

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All images courtesy of Hello.

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TV AND THE

existentialist antihero

BY ROBERT HENSLEY-KING

FILM

28 | MANIERA DISTRICT | MYMANIERA.COM

Home Box Office, Inc. All Rights Reserved

W

ould you invite a gangster into your home? The popularity of dark TV dramas with liminal and complex protagonists suggests that many of us regularly do. Antiheroes have become familiar and even muchloved characters in many homes. This fascination with antiheroes interests me. Or to be more precise, I’m intrigued in the renaissance of existentialist antiheroes such as Breaking Bad’s Walter White and Mad Men’s Don Draper. Personally, I believe The Sopranos is an important turning point in this new “golden age” of TV antiheroes.

This article presents the case that James Gandolfini’s performance as Tony Soprano resurrected the angstridden existentialist antihero of 1970s cinema for the small screen. Before developing this argument, however, some reflection on how to define antiheroes and why morally ambiguous characters are so interesting is necessary.

An antihero is classically defined as a protagonist who lacks the traits of a typical hero. Rather than saving the world in an act of altruism, an antihero is more likely to be conflicted with a questionable moral compass. Such a character might just be pushed to find enough inner strength to step up to something new by overcoming his or her weaknesses, but will inevitably be motivated by personal gain. Given that most of us defy being defined in terms of the dichotic absolutes of good and bad, and are in fact often torn or confused, it’s little wonder that such characters have appeal.

I’m not suggesting that many people fighting cancer are likely to follow the chemistry teacher Walter White’s example and set up a crystal meth lab. Nonetheless, we can all appreciate that life is complex and that unexpected circumstances affect our decisions. Such basic human empathy means that the antiheroic protagonists become even more likeable when we can perceive their sympathetic and vulnerable qualities. These likeable antiheroes respond to the situations they find themselves in. An existentialist antihero is someone who rejects the expectations of others to develop and follow his or her own set of values. This process can be both conscious and subconscious.

My favorite example is the aforementioned tough but caring Tony Soprano. Much has been written about Tony’s ability to make us like the unlikeable; however, I want to single him out as an important development in how the antihero of cinema found a new home on TV. As a show, The Sopranos pushed broadcasting boundaries to merge gangster and melodramatic genres. Tony quickly became a much-loved antihero who struggles to be both a family guy and a mafia boss.

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David Chase, the creative genius behind The Sopranos, clearly loves what many film historians call New Hollywood Cinema. This term refers to a filmmaking revolution that developed between the midto late-1960s and the mid-1970s, in which directors rejected the classical Hollywood style of coherent and resolved narratives in favor of more personal films. Directors such as Mike Nichols and Bob Rafelson worked with actors such as Dustin Hoffman and Jack Nicholson to create existentialist antiheroes. In the resultant films, the protagonists appear at odds with the worlds constructed for them.

Such concerns are common to us all, but the idea of making films about such characters was a new practice for Hollywood. Some argue that the practice was short-lived, and certainly it’s difficult to discern the existentialist antihero in much of contemporary Hollywood film, which favors buff male heroes. However, actors such as Bill Murray and Kevin Spacey have enabled the angst-ridden existentialist antihero to evolve into midlife crisis in post-New Hollywood era films such as Broken Flowers and American Beauty. TV savvy readers might rush to point out that Kevin Spacey is also intriguing as Frank Underwood in Netflix’s House of Cards as well as Lester Burnham in American Beauty. As well as reflecting Spacey’s conviction of TV as an effective medium for dark dramas, House of Cards also resists the dominance of male antiheroes to couple him with his equally antiheroic wife Claire. This TV adaptation of a complex middle-aged antihero is no longer unusual. Instead, it reflects a trend, which brings us back to my theory that Tony Soprano is the character who began the trend of bringing New Hollywood angst to the small screen.

Like New Hollywood Cinema, The Sopranos situated convincing characters within narratives that drew on traditional genres while giving them a bit of twist. This is best demonstrated through a brief analysis of how Tony is constructed as a likeable antihero. The show’s opening sequence reflects this by reversing classical gangster iconography to show Tony returning from his mob family to his domestic one. Drawing on Freudian ideas about cigars and power, Tony’s smoke of choice burns down as he wends his way home.

This clever play on genre convention prepares the audience for Tony’s vulnerability as a husband and a father while enabling the guilty pleasure of watching him extort money and sanction violence.

The show’s greatest moments occur when Tony’s tensions in his different roles are laid bare. At home, he has to contend with mundane realities such as teenage children and a pretentious mother-in-law, who is adamant that her daughter could have done better. At work, Tony is at odds with a set of values that ultimately “force” him to kill those he loves. His conflicts are explored in his sessions with psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi, which further develops him as a liminal character. His angst comes from being both a “wise” and a “family” guy in a changing world. He struggles to reconcile his traditional ideas about family in his relationship with his wife Carmella and their children Meadow and A.J. Likewise, he struggles to be a modern man running a mob family with a set of codes that seem archaic.

In reconciling his different worries Tony embodies many of the concerns of New Hollywood Cinema, while at the same time paving the way for a well-developed exploration of the existentialist antihero through the family friendly medium of TV. As a welcome guest on the small screen, Tony is as appealing as he is repugnant. xz 30 | MANIERA DISTRICT | MYMANIERA.COM

Netflix Original Series HOUSE OF CARDS.

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HERE: Self Sketch FAR RIGHT: Angry Sketch

COVER STORY

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BY CYNTHIA ARANDAY

Sèbastien Del Grosso

A SKETCHED LIFE

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ometimes we find ourselves plunged into a new and exciting world that we never expected to be a part of. Our curiosity takes us places that we never even dreamt of and it drives us to do new and innovative things with the things that we already know. A case in point is Paris-based artist Sèbastien Del Grosso, a Parisian who has been gaining recognition with his experimental works that combine pencil sketching and real-life photography. MANIERA DISTRICT caught up with him to ask about his work and inspirations.

Del Grosso has studied in several schools in Paris focusing on graphics, visuals and communication and he has been a freelance graphic designer for 8 years now, working from home through video conference and text-chat with several of his clients. His sketch series is a labor of love.

He has always loved sketching, being taught by his grandmother as a child but he enjoys all forms of art, including photography and the digital art and web design that he does as a day job. He recently won the Prix de la Photographie Paris 2014 (PX3) for three images he submitted to the panel, two of which were conventional photographs, while the other was part of the stunning self-sketch series we feature here. Although by trade he is a graphic artist Del Grosso tells me that

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HERE: Sketch the Life FAR RIGHT: The Power of the Sketch

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he actually learned his photography via various photography focused blogs and websites and forums. His curiosity for the craft led him to find out more and it evolved into a passion.

The “self-sketch” series is the fruit of his combined skills as a sketch artist and his new love for photography. However it was never really planned to be a series. “I was originally planning to do just one self portrait (“self-sketch”, the first of my series). But after some reflection, I thought I could make a small series, and I could illustrate my life” says Del Grosso when explaining how the idea started.

He tells me that “drawing has always been a passion, but when I discovered photography, I thought that the combination of these two passions would allow me to do something a little out of the ordinary, very personal, and give free rein to my imagination.”

Subsequently his idea grew and now he is expanding into territory far wider than his own lifeevents and inspirations. He has just embarked on a new sketch series with a friend and begun another new series entitled Desire d’Existance (Desire of Existence): a short story told in five images. That does not mean he has abandoned the self-portrait sketch series that started it all.

He continues to add new works and fresh ideas to that, too.

Not only does Del Grosso find personal inspiration from his own life events, such as the recent birth of his daughter Cataleya but also from other artists, photographers and designers that he

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HERE: The Sketches Inside Me FAR RIGHT: Killer Sketch

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follows avidly, and photo-based communities like Flickr, Behance, IX or 500px. “When I go to bed, and when I try to sleep, I think about all images I have seen the days before, and it’s generally when I found my own ideas.”

Del Grosso is not only a truly unique artist, he is a firm believer that every artist should find their own voice. When asked about his advice for new upcoming artists, Del Grosso said: “You must find your style, and not to seek to be like someone else. If your work is not perfect, you will be able to return to your image later, in some time, having acquired new method. It may not happen right away was an excellent result, we must have patience and accept to spend time to read, understand and interact with other photographers.”

And even though he has shown a lot of his own personal life and ideas through his series, Del Grosso continues to be prolific in his production of artwork. He has more projects waiting in the wings, new ideas for all his series and hopefully much more. “In the future, maybe an exhibition and maybe a complete book with all this series with detailed text explaining every image.” Says Del Grosso. We look forward to it. xz

Flickr > https://www.flickr.com/photos/s-d-g/ Facebook Page > https://www.facebook.com/SdgPhotographie 500pix > http://500px.com/s_d_g 1X website > http://1x.com/member/sebastiendelgrosso

All images courtesy of Sèbastien Del Grosso.

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

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magic THE OF

MANUKA The medicinal properties of honey have been harnessed across various cultures since ancient times. The natural antibacterial quality of honey was discovered in the 19th century; not only does honey protect against damage caused by bacteria but certain types of honey can also stimulate the cells that repair tissue damaged by infection, and reduce pain and inflammation.

Not all honey is created equal however, and the honey made from the bees that pollinate the manuka bush (Leptospermum Scoparium), native to New Zealand, has its own verym special properties. Let’s take a look at the science behind this. Most honey contains methylglyoxal (MG), the component that packs the major antibacterial punch. But while most types of honey contain MG in small quantities, manuka honey contains considerably more due to the presence of another compound - dihydroxyacetone - which is found in high concentrations in the nectar of the manuka flower.

Manuka honey is now used to treat skin diseases, burns, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and various other wounds that do not respond well to other therapies. However, not all manuka honey is the same, and not everything labelled mauka is the real deal. Manuka isn’t cheap and this has led to unscrupulous people selling a product which is not quite what it says on the tin. Worryingly, there is significantly more manuka on sale than is actually being produced!

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This is clearly a case of caveat emptor (buyer beware), and when purchasing manuka honey you should look out for labels which carry the UMF mark. UMF stands for Unique Manuka Factor (an indication of the non-peroxide antibacterial property of the honey unique to manuka). It can be used only by those producers of manuka honey that meet the strictest criteria of quality and excellence. UMF labelled manuka is a guarantee that the honey has been subjected to scientific research and measurements.

UMF is not affected by other enzymes, unlike the peroxide based antibacterial properties of other honeys and is much more stable and active in a variety of conditions. The UMF rating ranges from 5% to 20% and the higher the UMF rating, the more effective the honey is. If you aren’t sure if your manuka honey is a real deal, you can check the following reputable websites: UMF Honey Association: www.umf.org.nz/licensees Comvita: http://www.comvita.com/products NZ Health Naturally: nzhealthnaturally.com Scientific Studies supporting the healing properties of manuka honey can be found at: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21394213 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23418472 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1687577

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LEFT: Flowering Leptospermum scoparium also known as Manuka or tea flower.

RIGHT: Honey Spa Facial

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FASHION

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ALPACA COUTURE

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BY JULIETTE LORD

hat do a small South American Llama lookalike and high fashion have in common? The answer is Alpaca Couture, an exceptional partnership between Fashion Designer Antonella Commatteo, (Welsh Designer Winner 2012), and Alpaca Ranch Owner, Wade Von Giessen (International Alpaca Judge and Consultant). The odds against the two meeting were highly unlikely as Commatteo is from Wales, while Von Giessen raises alpacas in the small village of Mishicot, Manitowoc County, in East Central Wisconsin. However they met up at an alpaca conference in spring 2012 and Commatteo took the enormous step of moving out to Mishicot to work with Von Giessen, with enormous success.

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a

lpaca is an amazing fiber that has been used by the indigenous people of Peru for hundreds of years. Anyone familiar with alpaca will know that not only is it extremely fine and comfortable to wear but it is exceptionally hard wearing and, because it does not contain lanolin (or other oils) in the fleece, it is hypoallergenic and incredibly soft with absolutely no prickly scratch. But if you are expecting baggy jumpers and woolly hats, think again. Alpaca Couture is a high end fashion design company with clothes that would not look out of place on the runways of Paris, London and Milan. The beauty of these designs is the complex blend of traditional and avant garde. It is easy to fall into the trap of mimicking traditional designs when using such a distinctive product, but Alpaca Couture takes the traditional and turns it into something cutting edge.

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For more information on ‘Alpaca Couture’ visit http://alpacacouture.com.

All images courtesy of Alpaca Couture.

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lpaca is versatile to work with, as it can be sewn, felted or knitted and has a natural lustrous quality. One of the aims of this unique company is to raise the profile of the alpaca fiber and make it as desirable as other luxury fabrics such as cashmere. Much of the alpaca used in the designs is sourced from their local ‘London Dairy Alpaca’ farm co-owned by Von Giessen, with additional alpaca fiber brought in from New York and Peru. Commatteo’s designs also incorporate other fabrics such as chiffon, taffeta and silk, all of which blend wonderfully with the alpaca.

Alpaca Couture recently showed their latest couture collection at Fashion Week San Diego, on October 3, 2014, where their designs were modeled by guest models R&B Legend Shelly Clark-White of The Honey Cones and Celebrity Artist Nicolosi (dubbed by Entertainment Tonight, to be the Celebrity Artist to The Stars). xz MYMANIERA.COM | MANIERA DISTRICT | 47

welcome

to MANIERA DISTRICT, DC’s newest quarterly lifestyle magazine, available both in print and online at MYMANIERA.COM. MANIERA DISTRICT is a local magazine focusing on Washington DC and surrounding areas, but because of the unique personality of the capital city and its global significance this is no parochial newssheet. We will be sourcing stories that impact on the residents of DC from around the globe, looking at the new, the innovative, the quirky, and the outrageous from the worlds of fashion, art and technology.

MANIERA HISTORY

my capital. my Although new to DC and to print, MANIERA has been publishing, in one form or another, since 2009.

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M M ANI AN ER IER A O A L FFIC LC IA LLY BE CO ME S M A OF NI ON OU ERA LIN R D RE E P IGI LEA UB TAL SE LIC “R S P AT EA REV IO L L IE N IFE W ”

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MANIERA was conceived in the virtual world of Second Life®, and was run by a bunch of virtual avatars. Behind these virtual people were a group of individuals from almost every

corner of the globe, who had never met. Headed by CEO and editor, Thelma Lay, we continued to publish exclusively in Second Life® for three years until we decided to move MANIERA to the next level. Taking a pioneering step to move a Second Life® magazine to a real life platform, we published our preview issue in June 2012 and our first full length issue in September 2012, featuring Russian designer Dmitry Loginov on the cover. In that year we were nominated for the prestigious Digital Magazine Award in the “Magazine Launch of the Year (New Format)” category. We were there among the big boys of publishing and, although we didn’t win, it was incredible for us to be on the same stage as magazines such as Men’s Health (who won our category), British Vogue and National Geographic.

style. my world.

Not ones to stand still, we have now decided to take the next step and produce a print magazine, focusing on our CEO’s home town of Washington DC. We gave ourselves the new name MANIERA DISTRICT to emphasise where our focus is, yet we remain true to the magazine’s original identity of bringing the best and most innovative stories relating to fashion, art and technology from all over the world.

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We are a very small independent company with our own identity. We are looking forward to working with and for the citizens of DC and hope that you will join us on the latest leg of our journey.

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D.C. and the REAL-ID ACT