BELLO mag #107

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Pride

Young Hollywood

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FEBRUARY 2016

Chris Benz Jacopo Manfren John MacConnell

Paul Iacono & Jonny Beauchamp + BAJA EAST Queer As Folk

EXPLORE SWEDEN

the PRIDE ISSUE

Letter from the Editor Fe b r u a r y is a special month for me for so many reasons. It is my birthday month (27th), and it is also the month in which the UK celebrates Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, and Bisexual Pride and History.

Pride was the word I wanted to focus on. It’s vague, broad and full of connotations and meanings.

It evokes different things from different people, which is the beauty of the world. One finds the Pride in themselves and when they truly feel it, there’s no stopping it. This past year, my own self-discovery has been upright priority above all things. Sexual discovery comes with that, too. The Pride of being a minority and different than the person beside you, and being more than okay with that very fact is what my Pride has led me to. In this issue I’ve highlighted a few artists that take their Pride to the next level. What level is that?

The level where it allows them to be so complete and content with themselves that it translates into their art and helps people in the process.

Enjoy this issue and remember—Pride of any kind should stem from love, self-love.

Dio Anthony, Entertainment Editor

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CONTENTS 107 Letter from the Editor Contents Intro Masthead

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BILL BLASS, THE SECOND COMING

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KEEP THE LIGHTS ON

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COVER STORY INTERVIEWS: PAUL IACONO & JONNY BEAUCHAMP

6 Exploring Swedish LaPland With Helly Hansen 14 Get TRILLER! 21 Artist Spotlight: John Macconnell 22 If I Were You 30 Reccoverty Road Series

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38 Out On The Town 40 Baja Boys 62 Queer As Folk 87 Soundbites 88 SO BELLO February 2016 - BELLO

INTRO As I sit down and write this Intro letter, my heart is wantin to jump out of my chest, besides spending a wonderful Valentine’s Day with the love of my life, we just finished watching the mid-season premiereepisode of AMCs The Walking Dead, a show we here at BELLO at huge fans of. In-fact I have to say this episode is hands down the best so far over six seasons. Yes that’s a big statement.

But, let’s get back to The PRIDE Issue. Dio Anthony, our Creative Director editor has had the idea of a “Pride Issue” for quite some time, and finally now in February 2016’s Young Hollywood Issue, here it is. Featuring great articles, concentrating on amazing art, fashion and entertainment, all created and or acted by LGBT talent around the world.

We at bello are proud to be the among a set of diverse creatives and we are making sure that the magazine reflects that reality. That is why we are nto afraid to share with you anything that we deem is great in this world.

Hope you enjoy this issue. We look forward to your comments (@ BELLOmag) in continuing our constant communication with all of our fans.

Ciao Alek Editor in Chief Aleksandar Tomovic

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PUBLISHER IMAGE NATION STUDIO L.L.C. California, USA editorial@bellomag.com

ADVERTISING advertising@bellomag.com

Aleksandar Tomovic (editor in chief) alek@bellomag.com Stephane Marquet (creative director) steph@bellomag.com Leslie Alejandro (executive director) leslie@bellomag.com Dio Anthony (young hollywood editor) dio@bellomag.com Warren Alfie Baker (fashion director) warren@bellomag.com Nicole Walmsley (beauty editor) nicole@bellomag.com Michelle Ganney (Contributing Entertainment Editor) michelle@bellomag.com Dee Trillo (senior lifestyle and travel editor) dee@bellomag.com Fabio Fernandez (fashion news director) fabio@bellomag.com Kimmy Erin Kertes (fashion editor-at-large) kimmy@bellomag.com Hiko Mitsuzuka (entertainment editor-at-large) hiko@bellomag.com Morgan Stewart (lifestyle editor at large) boobsandloubs@bellomag.com Steven Carver (international editor) steven@bellomag.com Brent Lambert (design and technology editor) brent@bellomag.com Jon Norris (european editor) jon@bellomag.com Mark Norris (european editor) mark@bellomag.com Amanda Peixoto-Elkins (creative director, latin america) amanda@bellomag.com Jade Leboeuf Events Director jade@bellomag.com

INTERNS PAULO ACUÑA (editorial assistant) paulo@bellomag.com CELESTE PIRAINO (social media and communications assistant) celeste@bellomag.com

LAYOUT

NEBOJSA DOLOVACKI

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS COVER: JASON RODGERS (NYC) ALEX KING (Los Angeles) JASON LANDIS (Los Angeles) RAMÓM ARANA (Mexico City)

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February 2016 - BELLO

ENTERTAINMENT

ROAD TO

SCREEN YOUNG HOLLYWOOD issue - BELLOmag.com

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D A O R Y R E V RECO Freeform’s new series, Recovery Road is bringing the topic of addiction to light with the sober house-set drama, centering on Maddie Graham a 17-year-old alcoholic and her new friends and recovering addicts at

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The Spring Meadows rehabilitation facility. The series premiered on January 25th and since, it hasn’t shied away from the harsh but sometimes beautiful truth of what it means to be in recovery as well as what it looks

like when you break a sober streak.

The creators and stars of Recovery Road take us behind the scenes of the compelling new drama.— Dio Anthony

February 2016 - BELLO

David Witts, 24 Plays Craig, the kind and understanding sober coach to all of Springtime Meadows’ recovering residents. He’s patient and he’s also the voice of reason.

Daniel Franzese, 37 Plays Vern Testaverde, a recovering cocaine addict and ex-party boy. He’s the first to get through Maddie’s reluctant heart in “Blackout.”

Alexis Carra, Plays Cynthia McDermott, A counselor responsible for sending Maddie to Springtime Meadows. She’s constantly looking out for Maddie and making sure she’s staying in line with her recovery.

Kyla Pratt, 29 Plays Trish Collins a hyper and curious former Meth addict. Trish is hoping to regain custody of her little girl and quickly becomes Maddie’s confidant at Springtime Meadows.

MEET THE CAST YOUNG HOLLYWOOD issue - BELLOmag.com

Sebastian De Souza, 22

Plays Wes Stewart, a my recovering addict trying hard to his sober journey. Wes is also housemate and has more of an her than she’d like to admit.

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Sharon Leal, 43 Plays Maddie’s mother Charlotte Graham.

Charlotte is attempting to rebuild herself while rebuilding the relationship between her and her daughter.

Jessica Sula, 21

ysterious o stay on Maddie’s effect on

Plays Maddie Graham, a 17-year-old forced to choose between expulsion or an outpatient rehab facility. Maddie chooses to enter her recovery at Springtime Meadows, all the while keeping it from her friends at school and anyone else outside of the sober house.

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February 2016 - BELLO

ENTERTAINMENT

ROAD TO SCREEN

CREATOR’S corner

Bert V. Royal & Karen DiConcetto

Take me back to the moment you guys were writing the pilot.

BR: It started with the novel that I read and fell in love with. Karen did as well.

When we first started writing it, we decided to depart a little bit from the book, but keep the spirit of the book.

There were a lot of characters that we really loved.

KD: And we loved the voice of the Maddie Character. As well as the Sober Living House. So, that’s where we took it for the beginning of the Pilot.

Book VS. Series BR: Maddie in the Sober Living House was actually not a huge part of the book.

But, it was the part that we thought would make the most interesting television show. So, what ended up being just a few pages in the book, was really kind of our map for the first season of the show.

Tell me more about mapping out the first season?

BR: We certainly had a lot of goals that we wanted to reach by the end of the YOUNG HOLLYWOOD issue - BELLOmag.com

first 10 episodes. We didn’t really know how we were going to get there, and that was sort of the fun part of working on the show. We put all these challenges in people’s ways and how we were going to get these people to overcome them. What I love about this show, or even just the concept is, I think people in recovery do things differently than people who are not. There’s a different mindset that happens in the problem solving department. That’s what was always fun—trying to navigate what

these characters would do in that perspective.

What was it like developing this character of Maddie for Television?

KD: She was an incredibly fun character to develop. She’s very complicated, she’s very frustrating. Sometimes you love her, other times you just want to grovel her over the head. She’s got a very specific take on the world. She’s funny, 10

she’s a very complicated person. So, seeing this world of recovery through her eyes was really fun to explore. Also, she doesn’t know she has a problem.

So in many ways, that’s sort of what she’s trying to figure out throughout the first 10. Is she an addict? So, seeing the way she views the characters, and the world of the Sober Living House is quite different than if she was really at a point where she was on her sobriety journey.

BR: It’s kind of like, she thinks she’s a fish out of water, then realizes she’s actually a fish in the water.

Was it a challenge for you discerning what would be write for TV? BR: We certainly went in trying to be very sensitive. But also not sugarcoating anything. We really wanted it to feel real and raw, and thankful the network did as well. So, there wasn’t a lot of instances where the Network asked us to pull back. Most of the time they asked us to push further, which was really helpful.

In creating this show what was the most important message you felt like you needed to get across about these characters?

BR: For us, we never wanted to force any ideas into people’s heads about their own selves. But we definitely wanted people to be introspective. We’re not saying that everybody that gets drunk at parties is an alcoholic. But sometimes there’s a pattern of behavior that people have to see in themselves. And if you do see in in yourself. We wanted people to know that there are ways out there to get help. A lot of time, Rehab facilities in television seem so dark and horrible and sterile. But there are so many places out there that are actually warm and inviting and have a sense of community. That it’s not something to be afraid of, but something to embrace.

KD: That’s exactly it.

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February 2016 - BELLO

ENTERTAINMENT

There’s nothing like Recovery Road on TV right now. What went through your mind when reading the script?

SDS: I immediately connected with the pilot of Recovery Road at which there had been two actually. We shot a pilot and then Reshot it with Jessie a year later. A lot changed in the material but I was very well acquainted with the concept of the show for a long time, and I likewise felt that this hadn’t really been dealt with on TV. In the sense that it was a show about addiction that dealt with recovery as opposed to fixating on the negative aspect of the disease of addiction. I thought it was a very hopeful story, as well as a story of humanity. I YOUNG HOLLYWOOD issue - BELLOmag.com

felt that I’d be very lucky to be a part of a TV show that was perhaps bigger than itself.

JS: When I finally read the script, it was before going in to screen-test. There are getting to be more stories of women who are flawed, and this was a story about a teenage girl whose just going through what it’s like being a human being, she’s experiencing good and bad. But it was a story about Sobriety, that doesn’t happen very often. It usually just fades to black and you think they’re going to get help, or they’re going to spiral out of control. But this is actually a story of taking steps, and what it takes, the will-power to not turn to alcohol, drugs or any form of addiction.

Did you speak to any alcoholics, addicts prior to filming? Did you sit in on any real AA meetings?

SDS: I did. I went to some open AA meetings. Then I decided that I felt really uncomfortable. I stopped going, because I felt that, regardless of them being open, that I was invading a very personal space. But that was also useful to learn, because we have meetings in Springtime Meadows in the show.

There’s a daily meeting that takes place in various episodes and what my experience with the AA meetings gave me, is that these things are extremely private places, full of trust, and full of safety. That automatically alters how 12

ROAD TO SCREEN

ACTORS corner

Jessica Sula & Sebastian De Souza rehabilitation center but of course I’m not qualified to do work with people in those circumstances. Then I thought, Maddie doesn’t know she’s an addict.

She doesn’t even think she’s doing too much, she just believes this is what kids do, this is how you have fun. Which is normal, it’s a universal thing that a lot of people think. Including adults, you know, you live for the weekend, get super wasted and have a good time.

But when you actually step back and you think about it, is this fun? Or are you trying to escape from something?

The show can go in so many directions given its plot. What do you hope fans of the series will take away from it?

you approach those scenes. I also know quite a lot of recovering addicts and they were all very giving in their counsel, too.

JS: I went to an Al-Anon meeting, which is from a different perspective; how it effects the family. Then afterwards I felt like I was introducing because these people were sharing some dark things that have happened in their life, because they belong to a community that supports that—and I was just there. I didn’t want to be a spectator, I wanted to be respectful.

But what happened after that was I continued to research. I’m from Wales and there’s a Heroin problem there, so I researched that a bit it being my hometown. I tried volunteering at a 13

JS: I like the fact that on the show, we focus on the fact that she’s still in high school. It’s more about the people that she meets in the sober house and how their lives affect hers. It’s about their stories and the house, and Maddie rebuilding her relationship with her mother. But I think with this show, as long as it starts the conversation about the topic, I’m happy about it. Because, this is an epidemic. No one really wants to talk about it or even that it exists. If the show brings up questions, then I’m happy and I think its done its job.

SDS: Well i’ve always said it would be wonderful if millions and millions of people across the country watch the show—obviously we want that. Getting great reviews is complimentary and very gratifying. But for me receiving e-mails and tweets and communication from people who’ve struggled, either with addition and growing up and finding

who they are, discovering what it means to be this or that. Questions that we carry with us as young people. And for me, what makes this show successful already is that it seems to already be making a difference. It seems to be inspiring people to reach out. The day I get an e-mail saying you guys inspired me to get help, is the day I can hang up my hat and say, we did our job.

What’s your advice for teenagers possibly struggling with Addiction?

JS: I would say—there are so many brilliant organizations out there that one can reach out to. I recently found out about a really cool one. It’s for people who are sober and are going to college.

It’s called Safe Haven. A lot of people see college as the time where you go crazy and drink, but there’s groups like that around now. I think because it gives you that camaraderie without actually having to go through the peer pressure, the drinking and the drugs.

Those experimentations, and going crazy because you’re young, it’s college, but there are so many organizations out there for you to call in and discuss.

I’d say—explore those options and see if that works for you. Talk to someone and be honest about it. And not to feel ashamed, that’s what shuts people down, if they feel they’re in the wrong.

Because this is something that can be wrong or right. This is just how you’re feeling, and that’s valid.

SDS: My advice would be that, however big a problem seems, however truly awful and painful and difficult it is to deal with, everything is so much easier when you talk to other people about it. When you communicate with the people around you, with the people who care about you. We don’t like to share our issues and problems. But, when we share our issues and our problems and our thoughts and our feelings, life ain’t so lonely. It ain’t so hard anymore. I’d enoucrage people to always be vocal and honest. When you’re vocal and honest, no one can ever turn around and say to you—you should’ve sought help. You tried. Communicating is the first step.

February 2016 - BELLO

LIFESTYLE

EXPLORING SWEDISH WRITTEN AND CREATED BY MARK & JON NORRIS

A TRIP OF A LIFETIME, ACCOMPANIED BY THE MOST STABLE AND HEARTY COMPANION THAT ONE COULD WISH FOR; HELLY HANSEN. AN EXPEDITION THAT WAS SURE TO BRING ULTRA FREEZING TEMPERATURES WITH HIGH HUMIDITY, MEANT A NEED FOR THE MOST SERIOUS EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING THAT AN EXPLORER COULD WISH FOR, WE TURNED TO HELLY HANSEN. YOUNG HOLLYWOOD issue - BELLOmag.com

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LAPLAND WITH

We started the trip from Kiruna, northern Sweden, where we were greeted from the aircraft by a -17 temperature, which quickly dropped to -30 on the eve of our first night. We became very thankful for the Pete jacket, which was beautifully insulated with duck-down, and100% waterproof, too.

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After an initial night, frequenting the local village restaurant, and my first taste of the local reindeer, which was delicious, we started out the next morning at 7am on a snowmobile across the River Torne. The exposed ice-plain behind the ICE Hotel itself is well accustomed to temperatures 5-10

degrees below that which surround the hotel itself. Out on the open expanses, the cold air is very dangerous, skin exposure quickly becomes frostbite.

That said, as we started out from the hotel, our speed picking up, I looked over across the river, to the horizon, February 2016 - BELLO

where I could see the sun trying all too hard to break the blue-lit horizon; it was a majestic and awe-inspiring sight. We arrived at a dimly lit cabin in the wilderness, where we put on our cross-country skis, and headed out amongst the snow-covered trees and animal tracks that lay from the night before us.

After a warm Swedish coffee by the campfire, we skied back across the River Torne, which was, admittedly, a little ambitious, considering the extreme -35 degree temperature that day. We really were amazed by the quality of the clothing we wore, in those environments, nothing less would be appropriate.

That night, we ventured out on snowmobiles to catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis, the magical greenlit sky that so many come here to see.

Ironically, it didn’t take us having to leave the ICE Hotel village to see the lights for the first time, as they rose above the hotel like glittering fireworks against a black-lit, starry sky. Our desire to get out amongst the dark wilderness was now at an all-time high.

If there was ever a time when you needed the highest quality expedition kit, now was it. A clear sky was the The ICE BAR at dawn

Kiruna Ski Mountain

perfect setting for the Aurora Borealis sightings, but it meant temperatures dropping to -35 degrees, with windchill making this feel even colder.

Our night was spent at Camp Alta, in the wilderness, where we ate reindeer soup, hot Lingonberry juice and sat around a large campfire inside a wooden hut, talking about all that inspires us about nature. It was the perfect setting for a midnight stargaze.

We ended our trip with the most amazing experience of my life, a day with the huskies. We managed to find the only Swedish Husky Racer in the world, and took a tour around his land.

Set at the foot of the Kiruna Mountain, you can hear the dogs howling as you drive through the wilderness track and into the compound. If you are a lover of animals, this is the day you have been waiting for.

We were introduced to the puppies, and spent two hours riding our own dog sled, stopping along the way to spend time with the dogs, and take in the pastel colored skies that blessed our trip. A sight I will always remember, riding off into the sunset, pulled by the most gorgeous set of huskies you can ever imagine, followed by a mug of hot Lingonberry juice around the fire, besides the dog huts. Truly special.

We were extremely lucky to be accompanied by some of the best technical equipment we could have hoped for…

Jukkasjärvi village church

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Editors Kit-List

Pete Jacket (£550)

Elevate Shell Pant (£320)

Backbowl Cargo Pant (£200)

This luxurious biker inspired insulated ski jacket, calls on the style of our old heroes. While being true to the look, the design delivers uncompromised ski jacket performance. The Pete Jacket features Helly Tech® Professional waterproof and breathable main fabric, waterproof zippers, PrimaLoft Gold down blend insulation, and our innovative H2Flow system for turbocharged mechanical for ultimate temperature regulation.

Designed for action filled days on the snow, the Elevate Shell Pant has a relaxed freeride cut built with Helly Tech® Professional 3L fabric.

Featuring a new FLOW membrane enabling unparalleled breathability, these are guaranteed to keep you dry, warm, and comfortable. Built with premium freeride specific features throughout including jacket-pant integration buttons, lowered pockets for easy access, large reinforcement and Recco® advanced rescue system.

The Backbowl Pant is a new iconic freeride pant built for deep days on big mountains in the hardest conditions.

New Helly Tech® Professional 2L fabric featuring our new FLOW membrane provides unparalleled breathability.

PrimaLoft® insulation and a relaxed fit keeps you dry, warm, and comfortable while you charge. Hi-viz details provide added safety for deep-snow skiing.

Premium freeride specific details are featured throughout including jacket-pant integration buttons, lowered pockets for easy access, large reinforcements, and Recco® advanced rescue system.

Urban Parka (£220)

HH Duffell Bag 2 70L (£80)

A STYLISH PRIMALOFT® INSULATED WINTER PARKA.

HIS SPORTY 70-LITER DUFFEL OFFERS GREAT VERSATILITY AND CONVERSION BETWEEN BAG AND BACKPACK.

The Urban Parka features Helly Tech® construction and PrimaLoft® silver insulation making it a great choice for cold days.

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The sporty-looking 70-liter duffel bag is constructed with a packable solution and a waterproof soft main fabric. The bag offers great versatility with multiple compartments and conversion between bag and backpack.

For all the kit, and more, please visit www.hellyhansen.com or their social media channels, below: Facebook: HellyHansen Twitter: @HellyHansen Instagram: @HellyHansen February 2016 - BELLO

INTERVIEW

Bill Blass The Second Coming

For Fashion Designer Chris Benz, being inducted into the Council Of Fashion Designers of America in 2009 was just the beginning.

In 2014, the Seattle Washington Native and graduate of Parson’s School of Design was appointed Creative Director of Bill Blass a company created in 1970 and that by the late 90s had reached tremendous success. Just three years short of his death, Bill Blass himself unveiled his last original collection at New York City fashion week in the spring of 1999 before succumbing to Cancer in the summer of 2002.

In the years following his death, the brand would make a string of attempts at reviving the great name to its heyday’s status, but it would have to wait for the arrival of Benz in the fall of 2014 for it to see a success.

Photo by Jason Landis YOUNG HOLLYWOOD issue - BELLOmag.com

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Benz as creative director has not only relaunched the brand but also remodeled it for the digital age, bringing an innovative and forward thinking eye to the fashion game. Honing in on the key element of success in design— knowing your customer. -- Dio Anthony Parsons has boomed as Thee school to attend for any serious fashion designers. What was your time there like?

It was a different era at Parson’s when I was there, VS. What it is now. From what I understand, by design, they’ve adapted everything in a very digital way. Whereas when I was there it was sort of the last bit of Pen to Paper, painting, matching, things like that. So, when I think back I think of how much work there was to do. Especially during foundation year, where they would give you assignments like—take this box of toothpicks with Elmer’s glue and make a life-sized model of a bicycle or something—-overnight. Those types of assignments were always really crazy.

I also have a lot of fond memories of going out every single night in New York as a teenager, and that was great, and a good balance for how rigorous Parson’s is.

You also had the privilege to intern for Marc Jacobs while at Parson’s. What was life like for Marc Jacobs Intern?

That was really great because Parson’s was kind of boring, as you’re learning all of these dry skills, so you can communicate well when designing.

Marc Jacobs was so fantastic because I was working with the most beautiful of fabrics. The most expensive buttons.

It really was sort of dreamy, with the juxtaposition and with the prior notion of what It meant to be an intern in fashion. I don’t think that really exists anymore. Now there’s just a bunch of brats that were ruined by the hills.

Everyone wants to be a fashion intern now [laughs]. When I was there the company was also very small. That sort of complimented my work experience,

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like having my own line, and working with Bill Blass now with a small team.

It’s been kind of like a recurring theme in my career.

As a designer, what was your transition like into Creative Director?

Well, it’s been really really nice to transition from a entrepreneur business owner/designer to Creative Director as more of an employee role.

The benefit that I had was that there were no employees when I started, so we had this fantastic opportunity to build the team from scratch, and that was really cool. Also, I got to spend a lot of time really thinking about design and that type of thing. When you’re running a company you spend 90% of your time paying bills, setting up UPS accounts, and all those crazy things. I really like the role that I’m in now, because I can do the title of what the position is, which is creative direction over lots of different departments. It was a clean slate to work off of. All that we had was the name, and we have a great archive that we use as inspiration. But it was really about what Bill Blass could and should mean to customers today, as opposed to remaking old things from the Archives.

What exactly does that mean for you?

Making it a digital brand?

It was really important to us to launch and operate in as digital a place as possible. Only because it’s the platform now. The best magazine is instagram.

Why should we advertise in a print magazine when we could just have a powerful social media presence?

Something that was always part of Bill Blass, the brand in the past, was having the design process emanate from a dialogue with the consumer.

Filling their needs and the things that she does, and the types of things that she needs. Which Mr. Blass would have to go on Trunk shows and do events all over the country in order to get that information. Whereas we can close the loop efficiently when being a digital presence. For us, it was the best

strategy to launch everything purely digital.

What are some examples of this new strategy in place?

We’ve developed a little bit of product across all the different categories, just to be able to see the things that she’s most receptive too, that are exciting, and the things that she’s finding special.

My mission from the very beginning was not to do fashion shows, not to do big collections, but to really just make special pieces that she could wear back to everything that she already has in her closet. Everybody has enough already. I didn’t want to make a black leather jacket or a navy blue crew neck sweater. We didn’t need any of that filler.

Why did you see this new move into digital space essential in relaunching the brand?

I think the shift in where the industry is going and certainly with Bill Blass as well is just refocusing on the customer VS. for the press. Fashion shows area all about the press and celebrity element.

Something that has happened is that by the time these items are able to be sold they’ve sort of lost their freshness, in the the lag period between the show and having it in your hand. I think Fashion shows and Fashion week still have a place, but the push now is to tailor it so it’s more directed to the consumer VS. a trade sort of platform.

What are your influences when it comes to your Bill Blass collections?

What do you draw from?

The archives are obviously very influential, but not piece per piece. The archive is influential in the way that there is a spirit. There’s also a vintage appeal which I also enjoy, so that’s been a natural in terms of incorporating that.

But, really you start out thinking about who are customer is, and where she’s going, and how many bags she’s carrying, and what kind of technology

February 2016 - BELLO

she has, and you begin tailoring to that. Those are the “design problems” we deal with, and mapping out the products that fit into that world. We’re really learning from her that the more novelty, the more special, the more unique the pieces are, the more that the customer likes it. So we’re doing more and more in that direction.

Anyone who follows you on Instagram, can see your process of renovating your Brooklyn home, just as they can see the process of the company’s revival. You seem to be renovating left and right!

That’s right. I actually use it as kind of an allegory that we’re renovating the House of Blass and I’m also renovating an old house. There’s different directions that you can go in renovation. We could recreate Bill Blass exactly how it was, and it would be period specific and everything would be 70s. I’m sure that would be quite nice, in the same way that you could do that with a house and get perfectly period turn-of-thecentury furniture and wallpaper. But, I don’t think people would really want to live in a time capsule like that. With both my new home and the company the reference points are all a big mix of all different time periods. I think that’s what creates excitement not only in residential decorating but also as it pertains to Bill Blass.

YOUNG HOLLYWOOD issue - BELLOmag.com

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ENTERTAINMENT

Get WHAT: Created by New Yorkers, David

WHERE:

Triller is available for free on the App Store, Google Play, and the Amazon Appstore. For more information, please visit www.triller.co.

Leiberman & Sammy Rubin, Triller is the newest music video making app sensation that was just released last July 2015 and within 6 months reached up to 25 million music videos that were made with the Triller app.

TRILLER 101:

Triller’s autoediting technology, sleek interface, and simple user experience make it quick and fun to create music videos with your smartphone. Pick a song, select the portion of the song you want to use, snap a few takes, and with the tap of a button you have a celebrity-quality music video starring you and your friends.

WHY: Triller is a great ‘selfies’ video

tool phone app for supporting, sharing, and initiating all sorts of different awareness for charities and activations, workouts, dance routines, music trends, tutorials, ‘DIY tutorials, cooking, baking, beauty routines, etc., within making

your own music videos, pairing up with your favorite artists and soundtracks!

HOW: The Triller team built the app

from scratch for Android. Its stylish filters, zooming capability, and manual edit feature offer unlimited creative possibilities. For iPhone, the updated version of the Triller iOS app features Triller’s first-ever filter packs, “Colors” and “Classic.” In addition, the new version has gorgeous design tweaks that further enhance Triller’s beautiful look and feel. The app is also now optimized for iPad as well as iPad Pro.

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ART

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

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NEW YORK CITY ARTIST JOHN MACCONNELL BRINGS TO LIFE THE MALE FIGURE ON PAPER WITH HIS EXQUISITE INTIMATE ILLUSTRATIONS. HE’S AMONG THE MANY ARTISTS USING INSTAGRAM TO CONNECT WITH BOTH CLIENTS & LIKE-MINDED MAESTROS OF CREATION.

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Tell me a bit about your background as an artist?

I found an interest in art very early. I have sketchbooks from as far back as elementary school. I have my Masters in Fine Art. I worked professionally doing illustration for a few years, but now I’m mainly an Art Director for a branding, advertising, and design agency. I’ve alway created a personal body of fine art work, though. It’s been very exciting for me to have that body of work start to get some attention.

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Would you describe your art in any special way?

Classic, minimal, intimate — I have a very classical style of drawing but I strive to keep the images looking modern.

Through minimal imagery, I work to tell stories, or rather, evoke sensations.

For example, my last series, “Instant Gratification”, was meant to strike up curiosity, desire, and a little bit of melancholy. These were sensations I found from my interaction with social media. I know not everyone will catch that from my drawings but hopefully they’ll sense something.

What’s your philosophy as an artist?

“Art without meaning is decoration.”

I wish I knew where this quote was from! As I was describing before, I want to make work that is more than just beautiful.

What would you say to those who consider your work to be crude or offensive?

Generally, I don’t get such reactions to my work. (Thank goodness!) I don’t make erotic work. My work is sexy but not sexual. Most people are able to see that. It shocks me that in 2016 people are still unable to separate nudity from sex.

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How is your experience with every model you draw different than the last or the next?

I really love the way my work allows me to meet so many people. In a strange way, a session feels like a first date.

Sometimes it’s completely awkward and other times I feel like I’ve made a new best friend. It’s my favorite part of doing this work.

What has a platform like Instagram done for your work?

Instagram is amazing! I post images of my life, sketchbook, or works in progress nearly everyday. It is a constant stream of inspiration. It has allowed me to connect with innumerable other artists and, also, given me a platform to connect with collectors. I’m amazed every day by its usefulness and my mind is blown away that so many people are interested in what I am doing. Follow me! @johnmacconnell 27

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Why’d you start drawing the male figure?

The male figure has always been a theme in my work. At a very young age I started reading comic books and desperately wanted to recreate the images I saw. That was really my introduction into figure drawing. When working as an illustrator, I focused on health and fitness. I grew up as an athlete (running, swimming, wrestling, soccer). It was the subject with which I was most familiar and interested.

Today, I pull from my personal life experiences for inspiration, which in many ways dictates my use of the male form. Many of my models are friends or a friend-of-a-friend. The male form isn’t always integral to the subject of my series, but it’s certainly my favorite thing to draw!

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MODEL BEHAVIOR

I Were You If

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SHIRT & PANTS CALVIN KLEIN SHOES ZARA RIBBON TIE TOMMY HILFIGER SUSPENDERS H&M

Model MARGOT CORVALAN • Photography by RAMÓN ARANA (@ramonesmoncho) Makeup & Hair SIMRI ABNER • Stylying ANDREA PANDA 37

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LIFESTYLE

THEATER REVIEW:

The Dodgers WRITTEN BY DIANA AMSTERDAM

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IT WAS DECEMBER 1969 AND CBS-TV WAS BROADCASTING A LOTTERY. THE VIETNAM WAR LOTTERY. JUST LIKE THAT, HUNDREDS OF INNOCENT, UNDERSERVING YOUNG AMERICAN MEN WERE ABOUT TO BE DRAFTED INTO WAR. SOME WOULD NEVER RETURN ALIVE, SOME WOULDN’T RETURN AT ALL.

Cast of The Dodgers, HOLLYWOOD 2016.

That was the state of our country back then. Right there with the hippie meadows and endless haze of grass.

The Dodgers showing at the Hudson Theater in Hollywood does an exquisite job at showcasing just how freeing that era was and how tumultuous it became with the sudden news of a war.

“We Don’t Want your stinkin’ war!” is just one of chants the cast of seven repeatedly chants in unison, taking you to the very moment and feeling that must have soared through the young men of this time and their loved ones, fearing for their lives. It’s just one of many moments throughout the roughly two hour-play that instills the conflicting emotions of love & fear occurring towards the dark end to the Age of Aquarius. Once the lottery has completed and assignments and dates have been made, you either showed up on your specified date to your specified location or were subject to arrest from the FBI. Things were serious and 39

the war was not decided upon with the Children of the Summer of Love in mind. It is this inciting action that propels the plot forward as we follow ‘Mick’ Brilliantly played by Asher Grodman, Sidowsky, played by Jared Gertner and their friends on a difficult mission to find a “dodge” in order to be excluded from what would become one of our Nation’s biggest battles— the Vietnam war.

The Dodgers is full of twists and turns so engrossing it’s a bit difficult to let go of the world once you’ve been in it for two hours. It’s the type of production that you don’t know if they will break out into song on occasion, but it doesn’t really mater, because the backbone of talent stands and when the vocals are done with, it’s human emotion we’re dealing with. Seeking inspiration from one of craziest and culturally packed times in our country’s history, The Dodgers leaves you wanting to live through the times—the hardships included.

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FASHION

Baja Boys Meet Fashion’s new gift–The boys of BAJA EAST.

BY DIO ANTHONY PHOTOGRAPHED BY JASON RODGERS

INNOVATIVE FASHION DESIGNERS SCOTT STUDENBERG & JOHN TARGON ARE THE FIRST TO CLAIM THE THRONE IN OUR EVERCHANGING WORLD OF GENDER-NATURAL EVERYTHING. The Fashion Buddies, Targon 32, and Studenberg 31 are founders of BAJA EAST, an “ambisexual” designer line catering to those who feel unrestricted to gender roles in their clothing choices.

Baja East is comfy, it’s cashmere, it’s oversized knits—it’s the answer to fashion in the 21st century. It doesn’t hurt that both the Baja Boys are quite the lookers, but it was the designs at their recent runway show during Last 41

week’s New York Fashion week (SS16) that re-grabbed the attention of anyone whose been straying since their last collection. This show saw the arrival of a couple different shades unseen in Baja East before, along with a booming sense for modern day fashion that is both stylish, fashion forward and most of all, loose. Get ahead of the trend and on the next train to Baja East before everyone knows their name.

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ART

Keep The Lights On PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEX KING

JASE GRIMM

Los Angeles photographer Alex King uses his film camera to capture the Golden Years of who he likes to refer to as his “Diamond Dudes.” In an age where retouching is the norm, King defies expectations and catches the raw beauty of his subjects all around the city of Los Angeles without the slightest use of Photoshop, VSCO or any of the growing apps on the digital market. - Dio Anthony, Entertainment Editor

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WILLIAM ROOTPETER

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JASE GRIMM

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SEAN STAHLNECKER FOR WILHELMINA.

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ERIC ANGELO

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AARON GORDON

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CHRIS MEARS

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SEAN STAHLNECKER FOR WILHELMINA.

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AARON GORDON

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WILLIAM ROOTPETER

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SEAN STAHLNECKER FOR WILHELMINA.

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JOE GAMPER

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ENTERTAINMENT

IT’S BEEN 10 YEARS SINCE SHOWTIME’S ICONIC GROUNDBREAKING SERIES QUEER AS FOLK AN ADAPTATION OF THE UK SERIES WENT OFF THE AIR ON AUGUST 7TH, 2005.

It’s been 10 years of reruns and 10 years of new audiences discovering the world of folk and their own gay utopia in the process. I discovered Queer As Folk as a teenager and its American counterpart at 24. Both were refreshing, both were illuminating.

They presented the LGBT community in a time most would hush on all topics

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gay. In homage to the series that made household name out of Gale Harold, Randy Harrison, Hal Sparks, Peter Paige, Scott Lowell, and their trusty lesbian friends played by Thea Gill and Michelle Clunie; Illustrator Jacopo Manfren has immortalized each iconic gay character in these classic portrait sketches. -- Dio Anthony.

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Lindsay Peterson & Melanie Marcus

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INTERVIEW

Jonny The Lion

BY DIO ANTHONY PHOTOGRAPHED BY JASON RODGERS

SCENE STEALER JONNY BEAUCHAMP COULDN’T DESERVE THE MENTIONED TITLE MORE IF HE TRIED. WITH THE RELEASE OF 2015’S CONTROVERSIAL STONEWALL, BEAUCHAMP SHOULD (IF HE ISN’T ALREADY) BE REGARDED AS ONE OF HOLLYWOOD’S LATEST BREAKOUT STARS. HE’S LOUD, HE’S FUN, HE HAS THE ENERGY OF A PACK OF RED BULLS AND HE’S UNAPOLOGETIC ABOUT EACH AND EVERYONE OF THOSE THINGS.

I called Jonny for a scheduled interview during an afternoon in February. He in New York, I in LA, but the camaraderie that occurred on the phone was that of two friends having coffee. Which he was in fact doing, denying all my offers to call him back at a later time.

He was ready and willing. Something told me this was an outlook he carried always. Having him break out into song twice during our call was a treat.

I realized that then that there are certain people in life whose spark never dims or breaks. Their light is always on—Jonny Beauchamp is one of those people.

DA: Now that you have had time to process. Describe to me your experience working on Stonewall.

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JB: I can’t stress enough that Stonewall was the most incredible experience of my life thus far, and I will never forget it actually. It’s sad that in the press the film didn’t really do well. At-least not yet is what I like to say! But ultimately I have the fondest memories. I’m still super close with all the boys. We text and whatsapp each-other because a few of the boys are from different countries.

those who said the representation wasn’t accurate?

You know, I owe everything to Roland Emmerich. He’s the reason why I got to quote my day job. This is what I do now.

That’s the biggest gift anyone could’ve really given me, besides life.

The first thing I’d say is, did you actually see the film. Because I think the most heated discussions about it and the ones that have the strongest negative opirnions, that I’ve come into contact with has been with those who actually haven’t seen the movie. And I’m not mad and I totally respect people’s opinions on it because I think they mean well.

They want to protect the community and they want to make sure that it has adequate representation in Hollywood and in storytelling, and I completely respect that 100%.

DA: The film came out to mixed reviews, what did you have to say to

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of representation of various different walks of life. I’m always interested in talking to people who have strong opinions on the film. The ones who have seen it aren’t as negative about it. People have been really kind to me actually, and I’ve heard wonderful things from people. I think I got to be the luckiest one in the film because, pretty unanimously everyone said kind things about me.

DA: I saw on Instagram that you were a fan of David Bowie. Given his recent death, what was it about his music, and persona that resonated with you?

JB: My first chorus teacher in school, his name was Mark, and he saw that I had a little bit of soul in me. He was the first chorus teacher that let us sing R&B and Rock & Roll. We definitely did school appropriate stuff, but one year Wayne Wonder’s No Holding Back came out and he totally let us do sing that in the chorus.

At the end of the year he asked me to be in a musical he had written in. At the end of the run, he bought me David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars. It was my first rock & roll album. He told me, this album changed my life at your age [13] and I think it’s going to do the same for you. Of course, I ran him and listened to it cover to cover and I had just never heard music like this before. I grew up very Puerto Rican, with latin music and Whitney Houston, and Disco. So when I heard songs like “Five Years” or “Moonage daydream.”

I didn’t know what Glam Rock was and I just saw this man standing in between masculinity and femininity. He was pretty and wasn’t afraid to be sassy or glamorous. It was very confusing to me. I just knew that we had something in common—I just didn’t know what it was. Now I own every David Bowie record he’s ever put out, including some of the ones you can’t even get in this country. I’m really inspired by him, I think he plays by his own rules and that’s a privilege.

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Because that stuff comes from within but not everybody takes that chance to be unapologetically yourself and create art for arts sake. I think he’s brilliant and there’s unending inspiration in his music.

about being your best self, especially if that self is an artist. So whenever I feel like I’m losing inspiration that was a big one. It’s the type of book you can spend hours one or you can read in the night. It’s really special.

DG: I could’t agree more actually.

DA: Now you were born in the bronx.

Did you stay in New York city growing up?

JB: I was at his show in new York just before he passed.

DA: Oh wow.

JB: Yeah. I remember going home and he had just dropped his track Lazarus off of the Blackstar album and listening to it and thinking, this sounds super deathy. And then he died.

DA: I feel like that was a little meant to be for you then. To be at that show, no?

JB: Oh it was.

DA: Now besides David Bowie, growing up who else did you look up to? Who else were you inspired by?

JB: Well for sure, for sure Maddonna.

I had never seen a woman sit with her legs open like that. I have this image of her of me watching a video of hers as a kid and she sat “like a man” because in my head back then men sat a certain way and woman sat another. She basically proved that men and women don’t sit like men and women, they just sit however they sit. I thought she had this really powerful energy. I feel like Maddona’s music is always a “Fuck You” to somebody, right? [laughs].

Prince was another really big inspiration.

I gain a lot of my inspiration from music.

So a lot of the characters I take on I find that out what their playlist would be, and that’s how I come to everything. I guess you could say I’m very musically inclined.

I also really enjoyed the french Poet Rainer Maria Rilke. He wrote a book called Letters To A Young Poet. I find myself returning to the book a lot. It’s

JB: Of course. New York City is the biggest playground in the country.

What really went down was we moved out of the Bronx because the education there was really lacking. So we moved a little bit upstate and out of the city. We moved to one of the best public school counties and I returned to manhattan at 15-years-old. Already having an that I had created. For me, it was really just a playground. There was all this theater, all this music, all you have to do is get on a subway, which costs 2.50 and you can go anywhere. And I went everywhere. I was exposed to so much stuff that most teens aren’t. Especially the theater scene, the public theater downtown that held these Avantgarde, experimental productions. And that’s a vocabulary that I have now only because I was able to get into these shows with a student ID. DA: What does Pride mean to you?

JB: The world pride to me means complete love, if not complete understanding, but the want to continue understanding your love of self. I know that I’m impeccably proud. I’m so proud to be Puerto Rican. My mother raised me to be immensely proud of our heritage. It wasn’t always cool to be Puerto Rican where I grew up but it was always at the forefront. Totally trying to love yourself while loving everyone around you, wether they’re like you or not.

Not apologizing, not hiding. You don’t need to shout things from the rooftops necessarily—-but you can. Overall I think it’s a comfortability in your own skin.

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INTERVIEW

iconic

BY DIO ANTHONY PHOTOGRAPHED BY JASON RODGERS

PAUL IACONO IS THE QUINTESSENTIAL NEW YORK KID. BORN IN NEW JERSEY BUT RAISED A CITY KID ,HE ATTENDED NEW YORK CITY’S SOUGHT OUT PROFESSIONAL PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL. ONE MINUTE WITH THE VILLAGE BOY AND HE SEEMS TO BE A REMAINING MEMBER OF ANDY WARHOL’S SILVER FACTORY POSEE, FROM NEW YORK’S UNDERGROUND CINEMA DAYS— IF NOT THE STRIPE-WEARING ICON HIMSELF. 2013’S G.B.F. ELEVATED HIM TO CULT CLASSIC STAR WITH A FILM SURE TO RE-ELECTRIFY THE TEEN GENRE. THIS YEAR HE RETURNS TO TELEVISION IN THE 5TH SEASON OF HBOS GIRLS IN A ROLE HE CAN’T SAY MUCH ABOUT, BUT IS SURE YOU’LL REMEMBER AFTER GIRLS ENDS ITS SEVEN SEASON RUN IN 2017.

COMING THIS SUMMER, THE 27-YEAR-OLD WILL BE STARRING IN A WEB SERIES CENTERED ON THE NEW YORK CITY FASHION SCENE TITLED FRONT ROW, RELEASING EVERYWHERE EARLY SUMMER.

I feel like you’re a New Yorker at heart despite being born elsewhere. How’s that affected your development?

I was born in New Jersey, just outside of Manhattan, but I spent most of my adolescence, working and auditioning in the city. I escaped New Jersey for high-school, which is when I attended PPAS. That’s where I came into myself and found my people, and my voice, and Jonny [Beauchamp].

Becoming a city kid was very important to me. I don’t have a driver’s license. I never learned how to drive. Once I left New Jersey I didn’t want anything to do with that lifestyle and that was one way of cementing that.

Growing up, who inspired you?

I tend to obsess over things or people that I really like, and the same goes 77

for people that inspire me. l draw a lot from multi-hyphenate figures. People who write and direct for example.

Someone like Stephen Sondheim or Noel Coward, and Andy Warhol of course.

What does Pride mean to you?

I think for a very long time, and this was part of growing up in New Jersey, but I wasn’t really allowed to be who I am and live my truth. So, for me Pride is important because for so long I not was able to embrace that and I think that you aren’t a complete person if you can’t fully embrace who you are. I certainly culturally identify supremely as being a gay person. But not necessarily sexually because I’m still in the middle, with a definite preference. Aside from the importance of Pride, it’s a great party every year [laughs].

The late actress Elaine Stricth is a constant reference point for you.

Why is that?

She was just the personification of everything wonderful, everything that I wanted to be as a performer, as a human being. She was absolutely fabulous. She lived at the Carlyle Hotel, Noel Coward wrote her musicals.

She was the last of that golden age.

The last great dame of broadway is how I saw her. But, more importantly than all of that was that she was a survivor. She went through a lot in her life—alcoholism, horrible romances, dead husbands, and she had career slumps, too. For me, I really resonated with the survivor element she had.

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me that the show must go on. I feel that’s been a part of me ever since.

In 2012 you came out during an interview with Michael Musto, from The Village Voice. Had you planned to do so before the interview, or was it something that just kind of happened?

No, I definitely wasn’t planning on coming out, [laughs]. I wanted to, very much so, but someone had told me years before that you don’t need to come out until you're on the cover of a magazine. But, I think that’s old hat nowadays. I think coming out in itself is now old hat, too. It’s just not what it was six or seven years ago. Coming out to Michael just sort of happened.

But I was giddy about it. It was another moment of me embracing my truth, but on a very public scale, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Tell me about HUMP Wednesdays at ROMPUS room which you host every week. It’s very reminiscent to the Pop-up Parties The Club Kidz would put together in the 90s.

The party is really sort of an amalgamation of all of these cool and creative kids in the city. Downtown kids, tastemakers, influencers in both fashion and music and even porn—quite literally everything.

Every week we have different hosts and they’re usually very cool unique interesting people. Not to mention we have two of the best DJs in New York Michael Cavadias and Alex Chapman.

I produce the party with my partner Shoshana Fisher, who I met during my first stint in nightlife hosting Pretty/ Ugly at the Diamond Horseshoe. She was the director of affairs there and we’ve been collaborating ever since.

It’s definitely the best party that’s happening on a Wednesday night in New York, that’s for sure.

At 27 you’ve shared the stage with quite a few names. Do any experiences stand out?

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Definitely being discovered on the Rosie O’Donnell show at age eight for doing Frank Sinatra and Ethel Merman expressions, [laughs]. That kind of started it all really. Recently though, I did this play this summer called Mercury Fur by Philip Ridley.

It was dark,about a group of kids in a gang in post apocalyptic New York who put on snuff, murder, rape parties for a wealthy clients. It was the most intense play, but so beautifully written, directed and acted. Undoubtedly one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.

What can you tease about your upcoming roles on GIRLS? It’s really funny and really memorable.

I had the best time working with each and every one of the GIRLS. Jemima Kirke, within minutes of meeting seizes me up and and figures I’m this downtown New York gay. She grabbed me to the side and we eventually ended up having dinner together.

Lena Dunham on the other hand is one of my absolute role models—I just love her mind and everything she’s creating with it.

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Sound Bites

"I dare you to kiss the prettiest girl in the room on the lips.

And notice I charitably said girl and not person because let's face it, I'd smoke all you bitches." -- Patrick, Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012)

"Bottom line is, we're around each other and this thing, it grabs hold of us again, at the wrong place, at the wrong time, and we're dead" -- Ennis Del Mar, Brokeback Moutain (2005)

"I'm a homosexual! I'm a homosexual! I'm a homosexual! Oh my god, they were right. I'm a homo."-- Megan, But I'm A Cheerleader (1999)

"I am trying to understand why nobody gives a shit THAT WE'RE DYING!" -- Ned Weeks, The Normal Heart (2014)

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"You know at 40, Grindr e-mails you a Death Certificate.." -Dom, LOOKING (2014)

"I wish you were gay. You'd be much more sensitive." -- Jules, The Kids Are Alright (2010)

"I've been rejected by someone I wasn't interested in." -Stanford, SATC (1998--2004)

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