MAGAZINE
RAINE H O L L Y W O O D
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VOL 15
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GET TO KNOW SOCIAL MEDIA SENSATION AUDREY KITCHING STARLETS ON THE RISE: CARLY ROSE SONENCLAR AND DEBBY RYAN OLYMPIAN GABRIELLE DOUGLAS SHARES THE GUTS AND GLAMOUR OF ELITE GYMNASTICS
DISCOVER HOLLYWOOD'S HIDDEN JEWEL IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
UNCOVER THE BEST WINES IN THE WORLD THE NEW. THE RISING. THE MUST KNOW T H E
F A S H I O N
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L I F E S T Y L E
R E S O U R C E
F O R
C R E A T I V E
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MA GA Z IN E
RAINE FASHION.ENTERTAINMENT.CULTURE.TECHNOLOGY
fashion beauty at the gardens edge
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hippie hannah 16
MEN’S AFTER 5 STYLE 18 22 style in the city
COLOR RULES 24 28 david fierro
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beauty 56 DR SPICER
fitness 57 FRESH FACE 58 TRINITY OF BEAUTY 60
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business NEXT LEVEL 64
fashion industry 68
entertainment 32 carly rose
> grace valerie 36 38 early morning rebels
consuelo vanderbilt 40
42 drita d’avanzo
DEBBY RYAN 44 ROBERT BAKER 46 NICO TORTORELLA 47
BACKSTAGE PASS 49 SPORT: GABRIELLE DOUGLAS 50
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TOYS > 70 TECH
culture
69 OUTSIDE THE BOX ROUND HILL RESORT 72
76 CORSICA
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78 EL ENCANTO 80 WINES 82 FINE ARTS 84 DANCER’S JOURNEY 86 BOLIVIA
Photographer: Joshua Scott; Stylist: Jorge Rubalcava; Hair Stylist: Sydney Bryan; Make up Artist: Michael Chua ; Models: APM Models, Aleksandra, Nicole, & Petra; Asst. Stylist: Angela Denae & Ibithihaj Brooks; Production: Rubalcava Inc.; Central Park Conservatory Garden Aleksandra: Dress: Lie Sang Bong, Metallic leather laser Cut Dress; Shoes: Jimmy Choo, Blue Metallic Sandles
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Beauty at the
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Raine Magazine - Volume 15
Nicole: Headpiece: Bowie, Black Paper; Couture Fan Headpiece; Dress: Lie Sang Bong, Black Silk and Sequin Gown; Jewelry: Sequin Cuffs; Shoes: Gucci
Nicole: Headpiece: Bowie, Black Paper Couture Fan Headpiece; Dress: Lie Sang Bong, Black Silk and Sequin Gown; Jewelry: Sequin Cuffs; Shoes: Gucci Petra: Headpiece: Savannah Wyatt, Black Oversized Mesh Veil; Dress: Lie Sang Bong, Feather dress; Jewelry: RJ Graziano, Geometric Colored Cuff; Shoes: Sam Edelman
Nicole: Dress: Wes Gordon, CHANTILLY LACE AND SILK TULLE EMBROIDERED LAYERED DRESS; Coat: Wes Gordon, OXBLOOD CASHMERE BELLE COAT; Jewelry: RJ Graziano STATUS QUO BROOCHES ; Earrings: RJ Graziano; Shoes: Gucci Petra: Shirt: Wes Gordon, CHAINMAIL EMBROIDERED TANK; Skirt: Wes Gordon, SAFFRON BASKETWEAVE BELLE SKIRT; Earrings: Sequin; Shoes: Nicholas Kirkwood
Aleksandra: Dress: Lie Sang Bong, Light Blue Rosette Dress with Pave inlay; Belt: Lie Sang Bong, Crystal waistband; Jewelry: Sequin, Earrings and Ring; Shoes: Christian Laboutin; Petra: Dress: Lie Sang Bong, Gunmetal Sequin & Rosette Gown; Jewelry: Sequin Earrings, Sequin Ring; Shoes: Nicholas Kirkwood; Nicole: Dress: Lie Sang Bong, Nude Sheer Tulle Gown w/ silk appliqué; Jewelry: Sequin Necklace and Cuff; Shoes: Gucci
EDITOR’S NOTE WELCOME TO RAINE MAGAZINE It’s springtime!! We are off to a great start this year! Since our launch in 2007 as one of the first online glossy publications, we’ve expanded to include print quarterlies, Apps for mobile tablets, quarterly issue release parties and soon to launch, our networking series for creative executives and entrepreneurs. MAGAZINE
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Before we move on, we reminisce on our last issue, which featured international treats, exotic destinations, Rainemakers Isabel and Ruben Toledo, America’s Top Models and Style Network’s Adrienne Bailon and Julissa Bermudez. Now, let’s discuss the present. If you like Hollywood’s glamour and style, then you’ll sure to get a delight in our newest issue. Social media sensation Audrey Kitching shares her newest projects and how the buzz all started, while X-Factor’s Carly Rose opens up about her mentorship with Brittany Spears. We can’t forget Disney’s Debby Ryan, a multi-talented starlet with a love for the screen and the studio.
FASHION + ART = PASSION: MEET THE TOLEDOS! THE REALITY OF AMERICA’S TOP MODELS ALL THINGS WINE THE UNSTOPPABLE ADRIENNE BAILON AND JULISSA BERMUDEZ
THE NEW. THE RISING. THE MUST KNOW F A S H I O N
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L I F E S T Y L E
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Our Mission To provide a multimedia platform for the creative and unconventional entrepreneur and to do it in a way that is both inspiring and empowering. Raine is the go to destination for the must know in fashion, entertainment, culture and technology. We discover the next big names around the world everyday! Raine provides real stories about real people going after their dreams. It also offers the must know products and services that can enhance the lifestyle of our readers. It’s the combination of beautiful imagery, personal journeys and the latest products that attracts new readers to Raine everyday.
RAINE
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So, what are you waiting for? Flip the pages and discover the newest faces in music, film and television while exploring Hollywood Elite’s hidden jewel in the Mediterranean. Before you’re done, you’ll indulge in Oscarworthy red carpet gowns as you read about the best wines in the world.This spring’s Hollywood and Glamour issue will leave you wanting more!
H O L L Y W O O D
Our digital edition is available on Zinio.com and look for Raine Magazine in Itunes and on the Nook, the Nook App, and BarnesandNoble.com real soon. Want more? Visit www.rainemagazine.com or email us at talktous@rainemagazine.com.
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G L A M O U R
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Scan below to join the storm GET TO KNOW SOCIAL MEDIA SENSATION AUDREY KITCHING STARLETS ON THE RISE: CARLY ROSE SONENCLAR AND DEBBY RYAN OLYMPIAN GABRIELLE DOUGLAS SHARES THE GUTS AND GLAMOUR OF ELITE GYMNASTICS
DISCOVER HOLLYWOOD'S HIDDEN JEWEL IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
UNCOVER THE BEST WINES IN THE WORLD THE NEW. THE RISING. THE MUST KNOW T H E
Yours truly,
F A S H I O N
&
L I F E S T Y L E
R E S O U R C E
F O R
C R E A T I V E
E N T R E P R E N E U R S
Cover Credits: Liz Besanson www.lizbesansonphotography.co
Nova Lorraine Founder and Editor
MA GA ZIN E
RAINE FASHION.ENTERTAINMENT.CULTURE.TECHNOLOGY
VOL 15
ED ITORIA L TEA M Nova Lorraine - Founder and Creative Director Marilyn Wilson - Senior Editor Derron Forrest - Business Development
R E S E A R C H E D I TO R Carlotta Harrington
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS David J. Freschman Mariessa Terrell, ESQ. Noelle Frieson Tina Chen Nadirah Jilaan Michelle Winters Liz Belilovskaya Christine Perez
A RT D I R E C T I O N Martina Micko
SPECIAL THANKS Frederique Porter Javier Hernandez Natasha Gabriel Tina Littlejohn Nekisha Slade COVER CREDITS Liz Besanson www.lizbesansonphotography.com
INQUIRIES Press: media@rainemagazine.com Advertising: advertise@rainemagazine.com Submissions: submissions@rainemagazine.com
RAINE MAGAZINE NEW YORK * LA * SAN FRANCISCO * MIAMI CORRESPONDENCE Raine Magazine PO BOX 3021 Windermere, FL 34786 Raine Magazine is a trademark of Raine Creative Holdings LLC and is published quarterly. All contents, logos, and articles are copyrighted materials and all right are reserved. Any reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of Raine Creative Holdings is prohibited. The publisher also reserves the right to refuse any advertising material for any reason deemed inappropriate by publisher. Raine Magazine’s subscription is $50.00. Please make checks payable to Raine Creative Holdings. To distribute Raine at your business, please email editor@rainemagazine.com.
MAGAZINE
RAINE H O L L Y W O O D
&
G L A M O U R
I S S U E
VOL 15
QUARTERLY
GET TO KNOW SOCIAL MEDIA SENSATION AUDREY KITCHING STARLETS ON THE RISE: CARLY ROSE SONENCLAR AND DEBBY RYAN OLYMPIAN GABRIELLE DOUGLAS SHARES THE GUTS AND GLAMOUR OF ELITE GYMNASTICS
DISCOVER HOLLYWOOD'S HIDDEN JEWEL IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
UNCOVER THE BEST WINES IN THE WORLD THE NEW. THE RISING. THE MUST KNOW T H E
F A S H I O N
&
L I F E S T Y L E
R E S O U R C E
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elements of surprise
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Raine Magazine - Volume 15
Model: Luiza Matyba @Avant Models Photo: Koty 2 (www.koty2.com) Stylist: Klaudia Wcisło & Różena Grey Hair: Anatoliy Verbivskyy Make up: Anna Bułkowska-Jastal Place: Crystal Suites, Cracow (Poland) skirt NATALIA DUDA dress-coat ANNA KNAZ necklace FROU FROU shoes STYLIST OWN
plume ANNA KNAZ swimsuit NATALIA DUDA bracelets ANNA KNAZ
veil PAT GUZIK garland PAT GUZIK body KLAUDIA WCISŁO shoes STYLIST OWN
dress PATRYCJA PAGAS rings KLAUDIA WCISŁO shoes STYLIST OWN
FAS H I O N TO LIV E F O R
MEET HIPPIE HANNAH From America's Top Model to Green Advocate Researched by Michelle Winters
Model: Hannah Jones - Industry, LA Models, America's Next Top Model S.16; Photographer: Taylor Kent (http://taylorkenttakesphotos.tumblr. com); Styled by: Lexington Matix (www.swaychic. com); Hair/MakeUp: Meagan Schmitz (www. meaganschmitz.com); Photo Assistant: Nicholas Weber (http://nickweberphotography.blogspot.com); Shot on Location at the Hollywood Farmer's Market and the Melrose Flea Market
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Raine Magazine - Volume 15
Meet Hannah Jones! After working with Equinox Fitness Club and modeling for the past couple of years, Hannah’s got a plethora of effective tricks to make healthy food yummy, fun and effective. She’s an all natural, green advocate, hence the nickname “Hippie” Hannah, first given to her by Tyra Banks when she participated on the reality television show America’s Next Top Model in 2011. Since then, the name has become her anthem and she is proud to represent the new wave of New Age “hippies”, promoting global awareness and sustainable lifestyle habits through food, fitness, and the arts. Currently, she is in the development stages of several projects including a web series that follows trending lifestyles and provides an entertaining way to get your daily dose of what’s happening now. Her goal is to be a spokesmodel for sustainable lifestyles, inspiring others to live their best through health conscious food and fitness. This ambitious young woman’s creative collaborations have already reached around the globe. She has worked with companies based out of Australia, Europe, Asia, New York, LA and of course her initial stomping grounds of Texas. Her clients include MAC Cosmetics, SwayChic, Pitaya, JCPenny’s, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Alberta Ferettie, Tootsies, the list goes on! Hannah aspires to emulate the likes of Lucille Ball, Marilyn Monroe and Heidi Klum. “These women are influential in the entertainment world not only for their talent as performers, but also as business savvy spokesmodels. All three women radiate self-confidence, blind ambition and inspire others to love their own physical and mental power.” Her goal in the entertainment world is quite similar. Hannah’s mother, Kathryn Jost, has always been the most positive influence in her life especially with food and fitness. “Kathryn is an amazing cook, but her niche lies in raw recipes. She is the one who taught me the majority of what I know about nutrition and helped me to decode food into simple equations”, says Hannah. “We believe that food is medicinal, and can be used to heal and strengthen the body.” Known around Houston for her own endeavors in sustainable living and healthy lifestyle, Hannah’s mother has often been showcased in local fitness magazines as a health guru. Her father, Charlie Jones AKA PapparazziChaz, has not only been her personal photographer, documenting every moment of her life, but also her most trusted and beloved hair stylist. “’Some say that I’m a dreamer’ and ‘all you need is love’ are lyrics I live by,” Hannah says. “To believe in your dreams is to manifest them in the physical world. I look towards nature and the metaphysical power of the universe for inspiration and motivation. Once you set your mind to something, it can be accomplished. We are all alchemists for unlimited possibilities of creation”. Hannah strives to be a world wide influence of sustainable lifestyle and an advocate for everyone’s unique artistic expression. Her passion is inspiring others to pursue their own dreams with the knowledge that they can achieve any goal no matter the size.
FAS H I O N TO LIV E F O R
AFTER 5 STYLE Photos by Jason T. Jaskot, Photo Assistant: Cameron Rose Stylist: Renessta Olds Model credits: Moses for Top Choice Models, Taylor for Q Models Fashion Editor - Renessta Olds Fashion Assistant - William Shiseer James Wardrobe: Blanc di Chine, Robert Graham, Ninh Nguyen, Raf Simons for Fred Perry.
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STYLINITY
Photos by Jennifer Capriola
PUTTING YOU AND FASHION ON STAGE BY TINA CHEN
Get ready to embrace a new concept in retail. Stylinity founded by Tadd Spering magnifies your offline and online shopping experience through the integration of social media and photography. Edward Spering, best known as Tadd to his friends and colleagues, exhibited an entrepreneurial spirit from a very young age. Starting his first lawn mowing business at the age of twelve, and followed by numerous other ventures, Tadd embarked on a path that would ultimately lead to the development of Stylinity. His love for creative innovation and his business-minded nature evolved over the years. Tadd earned his degree from Dickinson College where he majored in International Business and Management with a focus on Latin America, Finance and Econometrics. The concept for Stylinity began years ago when Tadd realized he wanted to help people use technology to empower informed decision-making. After honing his sales and management skills at a few highly successful organizations, Tadd decided to transform Stylinity into a company. Spering, bitten by the business trade through international management matched his interest in psychology, came up with the brilliant proposal to create a “style stage” for all fashionistas to revel in. The style stage is a platform where a purchaser will stand receiving high-resolution photos taken from four complete necessary angles to help enhance the decision-making process of a purchase. Giving the ultimate boutique feel, it is entirely without charge and will be the most coveted contemporary technology in retail. In just six months, Tadd put together a dynamic team and made Stylinity a reality. The Style Stage, as well, went from a concept to a prototype to a fully functioning patent-pending in-store product in a matter of months. Driven and determined, as he was to start the company, Tadd has furiously moved forward to make Stylinity a thriving business that will offer countless possibilities for consumers and the brick and morter world. Stylinity is here to redefine the affair of an individual trying to craft a great look while incorporating the abstract of social media. Shoppers can share their high-resolution photos through Twitter and Facebook to their peers for opinions before making a purchase choice. Engineered to be as safe as it is efficient, Stylinity’s substantial functionality will draw traffic and feedback towards the suppliers of the clothing brands as well. Thus far, it has appeared in Limelight shops in Manhattan New York, with a near future announcement of a large client department store. Spering invested his life savings into a genius concept that will surely revolutionize the in store shopping experience. Raine Magazine - Volume 15
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glasses : Bless; dress : G.Doyle Boutique
Photographer Anderson Smith; Make Up MaraZ; Model Kianna Drayton; Stylist Gunner Doyle/Tarsha Daniel; Hair By John
STYLE IN THE CIT
FAS H I O N TO LIV E F O R
glasses : Caline by Theo; coat: Nicci Hou Collection Raine Magazine - Volume 15
glasses: Bless; dress: KL Allen
dress: Nicci Hou Collection; belt: BFFStylist Collection; shoes: ASK MODEL
FAS H I O N TO LIV E F O R
COLOR RULES Blazer Stella Mccartney Trousers Maison Martin Margiela Sandals Alexander Wang
Photography - ANDRÉ FERREIRA Photo Assist. - NOEMIE SANTOS Stylist - VIVIANA MAGALHAES Hair Stylist - BRUNO BESSA FOR PÊLOS CABELOS WITH JOYCO PRODUCTS Make up - XANA LOPES Model - TELMA SANTOS (Central Models)
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Dress Issa Cardigan Issa Bracelets Parfois
Top Peter Pilotto Trousers MantĂş Sandals Alexander Wang
Dress Matthew Williamson Bracelets Parfois
FAS H I O N TO LIV E F O R
A VOLKSWAGON, A CAMERA AND 200 ROLLS OF FILM
M E E T
Hair & Make up - Anya Ellis, Represented by - Lizbell; Stylist Leila Bani - Represented by They Rep; Megan - Lizbell and Erin - Next Models
D A V I D
David Fierro was freelancing as a graphic designer when he
F I E R R O by Marilyn R. Wilson
past experience has had a strong effect on the body of work he has
decided to drop everything and head to Europe for several months. It
produced.
began in Amsterdam with the purchase of an old Volkswagen van, a
knapsack, a camera and 200 rolls of film. While on the road, he and his
philosophy has provided the germ from which an editorial story grew.
travelling companion would pause along the way to shoot whenever
His images offer an artistic aesthetic as well as a romantic sensuality.
inspiration struck. One evening in particular stood out. On a remote
Sets are often imbued with a sense of his varied past – from family
peninsula in northern Greece they spotted a decaying, white washed
antiques to European travels. Softness, movement and texture are
home surrounded by pastel sand dunes with the Aegean sea in the
all common elements. Fierro’s best work hands down is when he’s
background. He reminisces, “It was there I really felt motivated to
given full license to explore, from concept to final product. At the
produce something very special and spent that evening in and around
recent Proctor &Gamble awards, two of the three editorials nominated
the home shooting nudes with my friend.” Photography began to take
from his portfolio were from magazine spreads which he produced
on a meaningful and significant tone. The seed was planted.
and directed – a testament to his vision. For a lot of photographers,
There is no limit to where Fierro finds inspiration.
Even
Fierro grew up surrounded by a large extended family. His
there is a distinct line between their personal and commercial work.
earliest memories are of festive gatherings at his grandmother’s house
Fierro melds these two together when shooting commercially, always
where he would spend hours exploring. Her home was a step back in
encouraging those who hired him to take it one step further.
time, full of antiques accumulated over years. It was like having his own
private museum and years later the memories are still vivid. “There was
of his experience while taking their ideas into account. “A lot of time
something rather magical about that place that left a lasting impression
I don’t get the opportunity to shoot exactly what my vision is. I am
on me.” High school offered that first experience in photography - a
working around other people’s constraints or ideas. It’s always great
pinhole camera fashioned from a shoebox. To expose the “film” you
when you get to put your own twist on it though. Good art directors
removed your finger from the pinhole for 1-2 minutes, letting light hit
recognize this and appreciate it.” Then there is the editorial team to
the photographic paper. After graduation he chose to study graphic
consider. Sometimes you have a hand in the selection process and
design at art school and worked in that field for several years, but it was
sometimes it is a part of the contract. The challenge remains the same.
photography that would eventually capture his imagination.
“It is your job as a photographer to direct the team and bring out the
When working with clients, Fierro tries to give them the benefit
On return from Europe, Fierro began to spend more and more
best in them. If everyone feels like they’re contributing and the energy
time immersed in capturing images. “It was interesting to me that you
is right, it will reflect in the final images.” In the end, when shooting
could shoot film one day, take it to the lab and have a contact sheet
commercial work the needs of the client are always front and center.
in your hand the same day.” Then there was the wonder of the dark
room. Understanding lighting and the film process were key to creating
Alexia Fast for Zink Magazine – to his commercial and editorial clients,
beautiful work. “You go into the darkroom and it’s an astonishing
David Fierro is constantly in search of creating new work and he
moment watching the photographs take form. Every aspect is tangible.
wouldn’t have it any other way. “Basically I never thought about doing
You can see it, smell it, touch it and almost taste it. It goes in the
anything else – I’m not capable of doing anything else. The great thing
developing bath and suddenly the image starts to appear before your
is you will always find someone who wants what you do.”
From magazine covers - such as his recent shoot with actress
eyes.” With the onset of digital photography the game changed – you
www.fierrophotography.com
no longer have to lay down money for each shot and the final image is processed on the computer - but the knowledge gained through Raine Magazine - Volume 15
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Hair & make-up - Ellen Pratt; Stylist - Erin Stanley; Both Represented by Judy Inc, Model Dianne - represented by Lizbell
Hair & make-up - Ellen Pratt; Stylist - Erin Stanley; Both represented by - Judy inc. Model Amy G / Liz Bell models
E NT E RTA I N M E N T | MU S IC
A S ta r i s B o r n ! M e e t C a r ly R o s e By Nova Lorraine
PHOTOGRAPHER: Manny Roman; MAKEUP: Jessica Chavarro; STYLIST: Brittany Morales; HAIR: Julius Michael Dress: Marteal & Estrada ; Tights: Jessica Simpson; Rings: TopShop; Shoes: Carly’s Own ; Necklace: Accessories provided by Naika for “The Arte of Style”
At the mere age of thirteen, Carly Rose Sonenclar has achieved more stardom than most artists many years her senior. With pop icon Britney Spears as her mentor, Sonenclar rose to fame as runner-up on the X Factor and is now poised to become America’s next young pop superstar. Sonenclar is bringing soul back into the pop genre: her first audition for the hit series was an incredible rendition of Nina Simone’s, Feeling Good. With her beautifully soulful voice, she has garnered devoted fans from over a dozen countries and achieved worldwide fame on iTunes and YouTube. Even with her humble persona, this talented teen brings every bit of confidence straight to the stage. We take a moment to catch up with Carly at one of her favorite boutiques, Marteal and Estrada, in her hometown area in Westchester, NY. RAINE: How did you get started in the performing arts? SONENCLAR: I started acting and singing in local classes when I was 5 years old. One day, the whole class went to audition for a talent manager in the city. I recited a Welch’s Grape Juice commercial and was signed. I started auditioning for Broadway and got my big break in Les Miserables. That was when I realized this is what I want to do. RAINE: As a child performer, what were some of the sacrifices you have had to make? SONENCLAR: While on the X Factor, I missed a lot of school and am now catching up on everything. Despite not being with my friends for a long time and missing certain events, I wouldn’t change anything for my experiences. RAINE: What made you decide to try out for X Factor? SONENCLAR: I watched the whole first season, but was still too young to audition at that time and had to wait. Watching Rachel Crow and Drew and seeing how they were able to get really far on the show showed me that it could happen and I could potentially be like that. RAINE: On you audition, what did it feel like walking off the stage for the first time after the judges and audience gave you that standing ovation? SONENCLAR: I had been waiting to perform for ten hours and was anxious to get onstage. The anticipation was getting hard to deal with and it was a very nerve-racking setting. When they had me on deck on the side of the stage I could see the judges and the audience. It was so weird to see the judges’ faces for the first time. It was a surreal experience and afterwards I felt like “what just happened?” I knew then that this experience could be amazing and life changing. RAINE: What advice helped you get through
the competition? SONENCLAR: Don’t get too happy in the good times and don’t get too low in the bad times. You can go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. It’s been an emotional roller coaster; but I have taken that advice through everything. RAINE: Who or what has inspired you throughout this journey? SONENCLAR: My drive and love for music as well as my family and friends - also, the people congratulating me after every performance and how much I really want to succeed and do well. And just how much my family sacrificed during the show: we were apart for a while with my brother off at college, my dad home alone, and my mom and I together. RAINE: How did you come into your own style? SONENCLAR: As the show went on, my fashion became more important to me. I want to look good and figure out what my image is. I like the Boho look and I’m inspired by Mary Kate and Ashley. I also like rock and roll inspired pieces like leather jackets. The show helped me realize that I like hats, scarves, and different bracelets – any cool, unique accessories.
want to be respected in both areas. RAINE: What was the most rewarding aspect of being on X Factor? SONENCLAR: There were a lot of obstacles that I had to overcome as an artist. I had to learn so many songs in the last week: including the song of the season, the song with the celebrity, the ensemble, the duet, and the 5 million dollar song. It was a lesson for me to handle pressure and learn quickly and cope with a lot of stuff going on. I had to juggle rehearsing, sound check, sound blocking, and interviews. I was really nervous and stressed and my vocal coach told me the experience was going to prepare me for anything that came after the show. Nothing for me could be as hard as that experience and it has prepared me for anything. It helped me feel confidence in myself that I can be ready for anything that comes at me.
RAINE: Do you see yourself getting more into fashion? SONENCLAR: I would love to have my own clothing line. I have always admired celebrities like Selena Gomez: they figure out their style and create a clothing line based on their image. I have always thought that was cool. I’ve really gotten to love fashion and want my style to be unique and relatable. RAINE: Do you plan on continuing to act as well? SONENCLAR: I definitely want to continue acting. I love doing it and never lost interest in it . People are expecting me to go right into music and put out a song, but right now I’m figuring out what my path should be. RAINE: What would your dream role be? SONENCLAR: I would love to be in a movie that is gets a great response from critics and audiences. That would be a good way to establish myself as a respected artist. I would like to act and sing throughout my career and Raine Magazine - Volume 15
RAINE: What was it like to work with Britney? SONENCLAR: Britney was amazing. She’s such a nice person. She was kind of shy and very humble. She’d never talk about herself and I really respected that. Being humble is more important than anything. She showed 33
me that even at her level of fame you can still be humble. That was amazing to me. She always told me to be confident in everything you do and that you never get used to the cameras being in your face. She takes every experience as a new experience. RAINE: What charitable activities have you gotten involved with? SONENCLAR: I’m an ambassador for the Starlight Children’s Foundation. I go to Mt. Sinai Hospital in NYC and volunteer with KidZone TV, a small TV studio in the children’s hospital where they film a show and the patients can watch it live in their rooms. I would go on the show and sing and the host would ask me questions and the children would call in and ask me questions as well. I’ve been getting more involved in the charity and it’s rewarding to see the kids and what they go through and bring them a smile.
PREVIOUS PAGE: Dress and additional matching pieces: Marteal & Estrada ; Tights: Capezione NewYork; Shoes: LILIANA THIS PAGE:Accessories: Top Shop. ; Top: Marteal & Estrada Pants: Bas ; Tights: Jessica Simpson ; Shoes: Carly’s own
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E NT E RTA I N M E N T | MU S IC
A NEW BRITNEY OR LADY GAGA? GRACE VALERIE IS ON A ROLL! By Michelle Winters
Photos Courtesy of Big Machine Agency
After gracing the charts with her first single “When the Lights Go Down”, show-stopping Grace Valerie is back for round two with her new hit single “Don’t Wanna Be Waiting”. With over 1.5 million views of her videos, this Russian native is excited for you to join her journey. Signed onto Dream Merchant 21 by none other than Grammy awardwinning producer Randy Jackson, Valerie is touring the states to promote her melodic tunes. She has been stealing her fans’ hearts with her charming confidence and glamorous performances. We can’t wait for more. RAINE: Being a native of Moscow, what were the biggest challenges you faced as a musician when coming to the US? VALERIE: When I was growing up, I listened to American music all time. I loved everything about pop culture and R&B. America is a completely different country: everything from the style of dress to the food was very different. The hardest part was coming here by myself without my family and friends. The first few weeks were exciting, but hard. I was searching for my own place, trying to find local shops, and trying to get adjusted. RAINE: How would you describe your experience so far working with American Idol’s Randy Jackson? VALERIE: It’s amazing. I love and trust Randy so much. He is a great musician. He will definitely do the best for me and give nothing less than 100%. It’s exciting and I am very happy to be working with him. RAINE: Who are you most compared to in the industry? VALERIE: I am often compared to Britney Spears because of the type of music I do (pop/dance). I also have a series of dancers on stage and I try to put on a good show like her. My style is a little more European dance than American. I am also compared to an early Lady Gaga. RAINE: Your music really makes people want to dance. What makes it unique? VALERIE: I worked with a lot of European DJ’s and musicians and I am really into my craft. I love what I do and I am so passionate about it. Every song I record is really close to my heart and inspired by something either I have felt or my friends have felt. People get it and start dancing it to right away. RAINE: What city has given you the most love? VALERIE: Recently, I had a show in Los Angeles - It was incredible. People were going crazy. Everywhere I go the crowd has been very nice to me. I like to have fun with the audience. Some artists don’t pay attention to the audience, but I always interact with the audience because I want to have fun with them. I want them to jump with me and dance with me. The best place for me was L.A because I live here. I love NYC a lot and Vegas is always fun. RAINE: You seem to have a strong sense of fashion. Will fashion be a big part of your image moving forward? VALERIE: For sure. I love fashion and I love to work with stylists and style myself. My mom also loves fashion and I always get her advice. I will text her or send her pictures of clothes and she will let me know if I should wear them or not. I can tell right away if I like something or I should never ever wear it. Every girl loves to dress up and wear accessories. It’s really fun. I will continue to work on my style and hopefully create something no one has ever seen before and set some trends. RAINE: What are some fun facts about you that we don’t know? VALERIE: I’m just a simple girl. I love to go to the movies and cook. I started cooking when I moved to the US and learned on my own by browsing websites, buying cookbooks, and asking my mom for recipes. Sometimes the food came out really good, sometimes it was really disgusting, but it is always a lot of fun. RAINE: Who was your biggest supporter when you decided you wanted to sing for a living? VALERIE: I always knew that I wanted to be a singer. When I was 6
or 7, I wrote a poem that I wanted to be a singer and be on stage and have fun. At first my family was shocked because they thought I would be a teacher or doctor. As the years went on, they saw how passionate I was about it and allowed me to take singing lessons and piano lessons. When I was on stage, my parents saw how much I loved it and now they are 100% supporting me and know that I am happy. RAINE: What is the most rewarding part about what you do? VALERIE: My fans and their reaction to my music. That’s the best thing I could get from anybody. When I put my heart and soul in a track, I am really interested to see what people think about it. You can not buy happiness and love, so when people are sincerely excited about your craft that is the best feeling in the world.
RAINE: Who has played the biggest role in launching your career? VALERIE: In the beginning, my Mom was very supportive: she was always encouraging my dad and brother and telling them “let’s have her try and see what happens”. Here in the US - Randy Jackson. My whole world changed when I started working with him. I was able to do the music that I listened to growing up and was able to work with the people that created legends like Britney Spears. RAINE: What are your words of wisdom? VALERIE: It’s just a matter of time. You should never give up on your dream nor yourself. Keep moving forward no matter what - no matter if you fail. Everything happens for a reason.
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T he B usiness of M usic :
Early Morning Rebel
By Liz Belilovskaya
Dustin Bath – lead guitar, back up vocals, producer Nathan Blumenfeld – lead singer, writer, producer Joshua Mervin – drummer, keyboard player The members of Early Morning Rebel take the business of music very seriously. We sat down with the California based band on a cold NYC morning for an informal chat about their current success, and plans for the future. RAINE: How did you come up with the name Early Morning Rebel? BLUMENFELD: When I threw the name out, it just felt good when we said it. We are going against the normal music formula. Most bands play shows constantly, we decided that we didn’t want to do that, we would rather play Fashion Week, go to art exhibits, and surround ourselves with stuff that really spoke to us. So in that way, there was kind-of a rebellion, but it was focused and strategic. RAINE: What is involved in running a band? MERVIN: Everyone has strengths in the band, and it’s very nice, but music itself is not enough. You can’t just go to music school and hope that someone will take care of
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you anymore. Go to business school and learn marketing, that’s what you need to be doing. RAINE: What about fashion sparks your creative process? BATH: There’s a very similar relationship, for me at least, in how both of the art forms affect me. There’s nostalgia with fashion and with music. If you listen to a song, it brings up an emotion, a time and a place. I feel that fashion is similar, putting on a jacket that you’ve had for a few years will bring up memories. RAINE: You shoot, direct and edit your videos, how important is the aesthetic for video direction? BATH: The aesthetic is very important to us. When it comes to shooting a video, we do a little research and look at what’s inspiring us at that time, we take from things and create a piece that is our own. MERVIN: Dustin is definitely our art director, and Nate is just brilliant, so we can toss around a million different ideas but until it’s the right one, it’s not getting on there. He’s (Dustin) really into photography too, he’s pretty amazing, and he’s got the eye. BLUMENFELD: By the way, Josh is the best musician in this group; he’s the most proficient on his instrument.
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RAINE: Positioning a band is not dissimilar to building a brand in fashion. How do you use what you see in fashion marketing? BLUMENFELD: I feel like you need to be an entrepreneur and a businessperson too. Yeah, we write music and I’m a singer, but our hands are in every single pot of this process, everything from the budgets, to production, to the flights and hotels that we stay in, to the cars that we rent, we do everything. You learn how to build a brand through running the business, and I think that it’s super important for people to know that this is at least half of what we do. MERVIN: They don’t teach you that crap in music school (laughs). BATH: While we enjoy the business side, it’s easy to get caught up in it and burn out. It’s important for us to have our own studio in Venice, we try to constantly have a new song in the works or something that’s part of the creative process, because the business side, although it could be fun, it’s not why we’re doing this.
RAINE: In the future, are you looking to have people come on board to help you? BATH: We’ll always want to steer the ship, but it would be nice to have people who we can trust in our team to help us push forward. BLUMENFELD: We’re artists and musicians, so if we can do that fulltime and deal less with the business aspect, that would be ideal. RAINE: Are any of you aspiring designers, filmmakers, and/or composers? BATH: I love taking photos. Doing the film thing, I think is really fun. If the opportunity presented itself, it would be nice to explore that. BLUMENFELD: I love doing that stuff with Dustin, but my second favorite thing would be telling stories, maybe through TV or Film. I can see Josh being a megacomposer for film or TV, he’s one of those guys who can put all of this stuff together, he has that capacity. MERVIN: I would love to do that, that’s a dream of mine, to do major motion picture soundtracks.
Photos Courtesy of Big Machine Agency
L to R: Dustin, Nathan, Joshua not shown
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A VANDERBILT LEAVING A LEGACY OF HER OWN By Nova Lorraine
It’s hard to come across an old soul in this modern era. That is, until you meet Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin. This present day romantic, a jewel of an esteemed lineage, is also creating her own legacy as an artist and entrepreneur. Her music has become a club staple (her first single, Naked, spent 16 weeks on the Billboard Dance Charts) and her collaborative style has made her a standout actress and writer. Not only an artist, she is a champion in the fight against ovarian cancer. Getting ready to launch a new dot com as well as two new singles - both in the US and abroad, Vanderbilt Costin is talented and savvy, expertly balancing both the artistic and business sides of her dreams.
Photo by Julian Le Ballister
RAINE: What inspired your parents to name you after your great, great, great aunt, Consuelo Vanderbilt? VANDERBILT COSTIN: I’m actually named after my great grandmother who passed in 2011 at 107 years old. I only met her four times at The Plaza; she was this very beautiful, dainty, elegant woman. My mom and her were very close. They loved the name and they wanted to honor my great grandmother. I have read so much about her and she seems like the most extraordinary woman. RAINE: Your great, great, great aunt has a fascinating life story. Do you feel any connection between your life story and hers? VANDERBILT COSTIN: I think I am living on my own terms and paving my own way, which is similar to what she represented. She was a pioneer in fashion and a pioneer when traveling to Europe. My great-grandmother’s fashion spirit is just spectacular and the clothes make you want to live back in that time. She also wanted to marry for love and she wanted to live by her own spirit and not have her life dictated to her. My mom also chose her own way. For me, choosing to be an actress, singer, and entrepreneur is very different from the path the women before me have taken. I’m very blessed that I have taken this road and am living my life my own way. It’s parallel to being a pioneer of women. My father once told me that if you want to be an authentic artist, you have to find your own way, live your life as an artist and write your own songs. RAINE: What was it that made you decide to go into business? VANDERBILT COSTIN: It was a connected need. I would come home from the studio at night looking for a way to be inspired and interact with other like-minded individuals. I couldn’t find that, so I decided to create it by procuring opportunities,
bridging networks, and positioning myself in a community where I could represent myself and collaborate with other creative individuals - dancers, choreographers, and musicians. My membership-based site is a hub for the creative community. I also started my own record label. I’ve discovered I am my best selling point and it’s not enough to be an artist when you’re fighting in a market with very few positions to getting radio play. My quest in life is to make my own mark. RAINE: Who inspired your entrepreneurial spirit? VANDERBILT COSTIN: My stepfather - he’s a brilliant visionary and has definitely empowered me. RAINE: What has been your biggest challenge in balancing entrepreneurial pursuits and artistic pursuits? VANDERBILT COSTIN: Time. It’s a balancing act. Most days I want to write, be on tour, and just be totally engulfed in my music. But I also need to be on conference calls with producers, dissecting songs - it’s hard to wear these different hats and then have to go and write that song. RAINE: What is your goal as an artistic entrepreneur? VANDERBILT COSTIN: I think my ultimate goal would be becoming the next Madonna. I want to be able to show that you can be an entrepreneur and pioneer in your business and be a part of the music industry and where it’s going - that would be an incredible legacy. I also want to give back to my charities. RAINE: What are you currently working on? VANDERBILT COSTIN: I just confirmed a very exciting Fashion Presentation for New York Fashion Week. I’m releasing my next single “Lose My Mind” in Germany in March and then in the US. The full album will release in the US in October. I’ve been on tour in Europe and built an audience in Germany. It’s been a really wonderful blessing. This third single is a pop ballad. I’m hoping to get a major mainstream ballad. I’m showing my more sensual side as an artist. RAINE: How do you stay current? VANDERBILT COSTIN: I believe in myself, I believe in my writing, and I believe in my music. The team that I have around me, from the DJ’s to my producers, Jorgen-Elofsson Peter Collins, Annie Roboff, to my manager, Cyrille Totozafy; there’s never just one person. I think it’s important to acknowledge the people you have around you. A song is like a child: it takes a village. RAINE: What do you love most about being an artist? VANDERBILT COSTIN: Expressing myself. I’ve never been a collector of possessions; instead, I tell the chapters of my life through my music. I love being in writing sessions. I love collaborating. RAINE: Where to do you see yourself in 5 years? VANDERBILT COSTIN: I would have been on the road for the last two and a half years and have had multiple singles out of this record. I want to be starring in the right independent roles, writing a brilliant book, documenting this fantastic journey, and building my business while still being creative.
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DISCOVER THE REAL D R I TA D ’AVA N Z O By L. Forrest
Most people know Drita D’Avanzo as one of the fiery stars of VH1’s hit reality series Mob Wives. This year viewers will see a different side to D’Avanzo, both on and off screen. Behind the scenes, D’Avanzo is a savvy businesswoman who recently launched Just Me Cosmetics - her own cosmetics line, a loving mother, and a humanitarian. With a strong desire to give back, as a freelance make-up artist, D’ Avanzo has hosted various fundraisers for victims of Hurricane Sandy to raise awareness for her Staten Island community. She also has her own charity organization, Single but Not Alone, which helps provide funding for single-parent households. Raine uncovers what you don’t know about this rising reality star. RAINE: You stated in a previous interview that we’re going to see a new Drita this year. Can you tell us more about that? D’AVANZO: People aren’t going to see a new me. They are going to see the real me. I am going to try to stay away from drama. It’s hard to do on a reality show. I made amends with my co-stars and it’s nice because now I’m not aggravated and 42
I’m not fighting all the time. I like to crack jokes and fun. My focus is the kids and I am not turning a new leaf – now you’re just seeing me. Now that everything is cool, I’m just focusing on building an empire for my daughters. RAINE: What inspired you to make this change? D’AVANZO: My daughters. I don’t allow my kids to watch much TV. If they do, it’s educational or a kids’ channel - that’s the rule in my house. When I’m watching the show - it makes me sick that they will watch it one day. I saw myself getting physical and fighting and I was sick. I don’t want my daughters doing that. Hopefully, I won’t be getting attacked or abused by these girls anymore and if I do, I will take a different direction in settling things. My girls gave me the drive to do that. It’s funny, I am very different with my kids. My kids tell me to stick up for myself. They think I am a wimp. RAINE: What legacy do you want to leave behind? D’AVANZO: I would like people to remember me for doing
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everything and anything for my kids. Being a good mom. Seeing myself change for my kids. They have to come first. I want to build an empire for them. All my drive and hard work is for them. I want to help single moms - I want to financially help them. I realized that stress can kill you - it can get you that sick. I want to be an inspiration and role model for other single women. That’s what makes the show worth it in a way. I don’t want people to be like me in terms of being tough; I want to be remembered for my help to single women and being a role model to my children.
for everyday women. When Lee went to jail I had to go work at a high-end cosmetics store and that was the best thing that happened to me because I got to work with everyday women. I learned so much. I tried to give women what they want: high end products that are affordable. I love Chanel and Armani, but their products are expensive. I took my favorites and put the things I like about them into my own line. RAINE: What is the most challenging aspect of running your own company?
RAINE: What has been the most difficult thing about being a reality star? D’AVANZO: The most difficult thing is to see the things I don’t like about myself on TV, things I did growing up, seeing myself get angry - being famous is hard. I’m more reserved. It’s a little scary sometimes; everyone knows you but you don’t know them. And they know everything about me. One day a complete stranger came up to me and asked how my daughter was. I’ve had fans show up to my house. However, I appreciate the support and love I get from my fans.
Photos Courtesy Mob Wives
RAINE: What has been your biggest accomplishment as a businesswoman? D’AVANZO: My cosmetic line. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and I launched it myself. I used to be a makeup artist and now I’m opening a store. I put my heart, mind and soul into it. I want to have stores everywhere. I want to show my kids, “look what mommy did as a single mom”. I want them to understand not to rely on anybody. What do you do if you don’t have a career? You have to go to college and get a career. My eldest daughter gets it. My kids are amazing. RAINE: What inspired you to launch a cosmetics line? D’AVANZO: I want the girls to love themselves. It’s not about everyone else - it’s about loving yourself. The shoot was about strong women. I was such an outgoing child: I was at the soccer camp at 5 years old with 400 other kids and said, “anything boys can do, girls can do and can do better”. I’ve always looked up to women business owners, police officers, and strong independent women. RAINE: What makes your cosmetics line unique? D’AVANZO: Most cosmetic lines start from a professional makeup artist or a big company and most of them didn’t work
D’AVANZO: I like everything to be perfect and I do everything myself. It’s hard to do the reality show, launch cosmetics, hire people, and be on top of feedback. I’m always taping during the day and running the business at night. It’s tiring. It’s tough. A lot of people throw their name on their product and just sell it - I went hands on. I apply makeup sometimes; I sell the product and ring them up at the register - that’s how important it is to me. I launched my company 6 months ago as an online store and I did the site myself. I wrote the details about the descriptions of each color. RAINE: What made you decide to start your charity? D’AVANZO: If you have the capability to help someone, how could you not? I have struggled as a single mom and wanted to create something for other single moms.
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DEBBY RYAN: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE By Nova Lorraine
Most Disney princesses are perfectly content settling in to
roles because I don’t like what the role will be. Many people
their happily-ever-afters. Not Debby Ryan. At only 19, Ryan is
see Hollywood as just a currency – to Hollywood I’ve given my
an accomplished actress, producer, musician, and writer and
childhood and some of my innocence.
she still has her sights set high. She has won hearts with her impeccable comedic timing and has developed a talent well
RAINE: Whom would you like the opportunity to work with?
beyond her years. Currently starring in Disney’s Jessie, Ryan has
RYAN: Someone who can roll with the punches and knows the
also started to spread her wings as she transitions into more
business. People like Tina Fey or Will Farrell. I think it’d be great
complex roles. Despite her burgeoning fame, Ryan is incredibly
to work with Jonah Hill as a writer to co-write and do improv
down to earth and remains grounded even in the limelight. With
with - he’s really in touch with our generation. I’d also like to
this bright of a future, Debby Ryan is more like a queen. Debby
collaborate with Emma Stone or AnnaSophia Robb.
takes a break to share some insight on her multifaceted career. RAINE: When did you realize you wanted to be a producer? RAINE: As an actress what inspires you to bring the best of
RYAN: I had more creative control with Sixteen Wishes. I went
yourself each day?
to the production company and said the movie needed a
RYAN: As an actress to bring the best is to fight for a character.
strong social media push. They took a gamble and trusted a
You see their flaws and imperfections and you work to show
kid. I believed in the movie and they listened. I had the right
people what’s so great about them. I want to give every
alchemy of desire and vision to make it happen and I did it in a
character a fighting chance to be well rounded and be human
low-key way. After that, Disney saw that I had this whole thing
- no matter who the character is. You have to desire to tell
happening and asked me to bring ideas to them as an actor and
this girl’s story and have a continuity of that. I love putting on
a producer. I said, “I already have three script treatments for
someone’s clothes and getting into their head and telling their
you: two films and a pilot. Let’s go.” In terms of Jesse, I didn’t
story.
want my name on the first season as a producer. That’s a role I took on in the second season.
RAINE: What is your most memorable onscreen moment? RYAN: I guest-starred on Private Practice. I played a young girl
RAINE: Who are your favorite producers?
who was withdrawing from cocaine. I really had to let myself get
RYAN: I work with some great people and draw inspiration from
my head in that role – I had to feel what she was feeling. I was
all around. I love when a director or writer can produce their
seeing at first hand, life imitating art - imitating life. To be able
own work because it shows connectivity on the character or
to perform that kind of role you have to knock down your wall
script side. I love Tina Fey – she can come with her own thing
a little bit and allow that character to knock on your door. You
and do it. That is really smart and impressive. I would like to be
then have to take a moment to get the character out of your
going in that direction.
system at the end of the day. I did a lot of research on addiction to play the character. It was heartbreaking to find out what a
RAINE: What would be your dream project?
human being is willing to sell for their addiction. They’ll put at
RYAN: I would love to action hero and star in a redemptive
the alter everything that matters to them: family, time, sense of
action movie. I’d like to do a lot of kickboxing and stunts.
reality, work, money. This role was a very important moment for me spiritually and mentally. Being an actress is like living in
RAINE: Who are your favorite musicians?
a foreign country: you have to grow and shift after each role or
RYAN: I love April Smith and the Great Picture Show. Tom Petty,
your doing it wrong.
the Beatles, the Rolling Stones. I love Fiona Apple, Greg Potter,
PHOTOS BY Davis Factor
and Twenty One Pilots, this weird non-genre band from Ohio. RAINE: How do you stay grounded?
I’m a big lyrics person. A Rocket to the Moon – they have an
RYAN: It’s important not to get lost in your head and your world. I
album coming out in March. Their singer, Nick Santino, is one of
feel like people are more likely to lose a sense of themselves in
my best friends. I’ll text him a paragraph of lyrics and by the end
the business side of the art, when they’re trying to be an icon. I
of the day we have written a whole song. I love talented people
have a great family and surround myself with great people.
that I can jam with.
RAINE: What are some sacrifices you’ve made along the way?
RAINE: How would you describe yourself as a businesswoman?
RYAN: My best friend’s mom was diagnosed with cancer a year
RYAN: Within every successful artist, you have to have a
or two after I moved to LA. and not being able to be with her as
successful businessperson steering your ship and pushing it
she was watching her mom die. I promised her that we would
a little bit. I have a lot of vision and want to learn as much
go to prom together in the 8th grade and I did - we had an
as possible, I can’t learn enough. I’m all about education and
amazing time. I sacrificed my high school years and being on
exploration. Also, a good leader employs the best people whom
dance team. I went from being one member in a family of four
they also trust. I think it’s important to be fair and want to hear
to being a head of a household on Jesse and it was very, very
what people bring to the table. Some people might say I’m an
strange. My mom and I moved out to LA and left my brother
actress and not really a producer, but I believe good, solid work
and my dog behind: it was very weird because I was the one
will speak for itself.
separating us. Also, at times, I pass on doing some really big
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TAKING HOLLYWOOD BY STORM GET TO KNOW ROBERT BAKER By Nova Lorraine
From Tennessee to the big Screen, Robert Baker, is one of Hollywood’s feverishly rising stars. He is featured in the highly anticipated upcoming films Devil’s Knot alongside Reese Witherspoon as well as Lone Ranger starring Johnny Depp. Robert has also had reoccurring roles in the hit series Grey’s Anatomy and Justified. After high school, Robert took a leap of faith to pursue his dream in film and television. While still a college student, he got his first role and hasn’t looked back ever since. He’s worked with incredible directors like Steven Spielberg on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. No stranger to the small screen, Baker has appeared on a myriad of popular shows such as Law & Order: LA, CSI, Six Feet Under, and Cold Case. Keep your eyes on
BAKER: It was a movie I did called Out of Time. The casting director, the late Mali Finn, wanted me to get this part. Denzel Washington was the star and all my scenes were with him. It gave me the confidence to know that I had made the right decision to go into acting. I had just graduated college three weeks earlier and literally got the call that I got the job when I was at Kinko’s printing resumes to get a bartending job. I walked past the dumpster and threw all the copies in and haven’t looked back since. RAINE: What three people would you love to co-star with in future films? BAKER: Julianne Moore, she is so incredible. Everything she does is so different and so good; I have always been a huge fan of hers. Meryl Streep: I feel like I could learn a lot from her. John Goodman because he seems like he would be a blast to work with and I could learn so much from him. I’ve been lucky to already work with so many great people. RAINE: Who are you compared to in the business? BAKER: People use to say I was a young Vincent D’Onofrio. RAINE: Do you see yourself working on any entrepreneurial projects outside of film and television? BAKER: Not so much. Although, I would like to do writing of some kind. I have written a script with friends that we are currently getting produced. I would love to write short stories and a novel would be amazing.
RAINE: Why did you choose acting as a career choice? BAKER: Honestly, I just had so much fun doing it. I started professional theater in Memphis when I was 15 years old and my parents were so supportive from the beginning. When I was eighteen, I went to college in California and when I became a junior, I went into television. I didn’t have an agent or anything. It was a cool thing that happened. A casting director wanted someone that could play a high school bully. I went to so many auditions for this role because I didn’t have an agent or anyone in my corner. I stuck it out and finally got the role. The pilot didn’t get picked up, but it was a great experience and I met my manager while I was shooting it. RAINE: What was your biggest challenge breaking into the acting industry? BAKER: Frustration. Still is. Being able to keep a positive mindset and keeping the faith. I’ve gotten better as the years have gone on. RAINE: What would you consider the turning point in your career?
RAINE: What are some fun facts about you that most people don’t know? BAKER: If I hear the first four or five measures of a song, I usually know what song it is. I love backpacking and hiking and I have been the head of a semi-regular Ultimate Frisbee team for years. I spend a lot of time taking care of my dog, Dublin. RAINE: What words of wisdom would you share with a budding actor? BAKER: Be flexible. Don’t be set in stone with how things are going to go and how people are going to react and what they are going to do. If you can remain calm and stay flexible, what you end up doing may make you just as happy or happier than what you already had planned. RAINE: No regrets? BAKER: Not yet (laughs). I don’t. I am very happy to say that I don’t. I have had a lot of things that were not so easy to get through, so this has been cake so far and I am pretty excited.
Photo by Odessy Barbu
Robert Baker; he’s taking Hollywood by storm.
RAINE: Who or what do you draw inspiration from? BAKER: People in everyday life. People who I grew up with: they are inspiring to me in the way they live so simply and directly. To see a simpler kind of life spurs me to be happy in what I’m doing and to know there are more important things out there.
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NICO TORTORELLA AND HIS RISE TO FAME Nico Tortorella has the looks of an all-American, but don’t mistake him only for his modeling career. Hollywood welcomed Tortorella with open arms when he starred in The Beautiful Life. Beyond ABC’s Make it or Break It and starring in Wes Craven’s SCRE4M with Emma Roberts and the dramatic thriller Trespass, Tortorella was also a favorite in the Sundance hit Twelve. He is currently suiting up in the new crime drama series The Following, working alongside Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy and will be starring in the upcoming Thriller, Odd Thomas appearing opposite Anton Yelchin and William Dafoe. Join us as we follow him on his rise to fame.
By Michelle Winters
TORTORELLA: There honestly was no other option for me. It’s been in my blood forever. Rather than myself choosing to act, I suppose you could say it chose me. RAINE: What’s your most memorable acting moment? TORTORELLA: Most memorable moment is currently working on The Following. It’s been my most challenging, exhilarating work yet. I wake up every morning excited to “play” with my co-stars. That’s the biggest dream there is. RAINE: What was your biggest challenge breaking into the acting industry? TORTORELLA: The breaks in between jobs. You can get off a job and not work for another six months. Hopefully that won’t happen in the near future, but you never know. RAINE: What would you consider the turning point in your career? TORTORELLA: This moment. RAINE: What three people would you love to co-star with in future films? TORTORELLA: Woody Allen, Daniel Day Lewis, and Meryl Streep. RAINE: Who are you compared to in the business? TORTORELLA: I mean, I ve gotten a young Paul Newman, but other than that I never really get anyone. I’m kind of my own category. RAINE: Do you see yourself working on any entrepreneurial projects outside of film or television? TORTORELLA: Fashion, antiques, real estate, the list is endless. RAINE: What or who do you draw inspiration from? TORTORELLA: People, art, health, nature, animals. Everything really - whether good or bad.
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RAINE: What is something most people don’t know about you? TORTORELLA: I once owned a 1965 Dodge Travco, candy apple red, and lived in it for a year with my two pups. RAINE: What words of wisdom would you share to a budding actor? TORTORELLA: If you absolutely have to do it, you must, and never give up. If you have the slightest inclination to do anything else, do something else. Photo Credit: Fox Network
RAINE: Why did you choose acting as a career choice?
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SP O RT
FROM GUTS TO GLAMOUR: INSIDE ELITE GYMNASTICS Meet Olympic Gold Medalist Gabrielle Douglas and Elite Coach Jeff Woods By Nova Lorraine and Christine Perez
Imagine dangling perilously in mid-air as you soar between two thin fiberglass bars, stretching your fingertips to close the nearly six-foot distance. Now imagine doing it in your own signature designer apparel with millions cheering you on. Gymnastics requires an incredible amount of blood, sweat, and tears and only a few very talented athletes ever obtain an elite status. For those who master the sport, their high -flying routines not only earn them gold medals and international fame, they also become privy to lifestyles even celebrities envy. This is the world of elite gymnastics. Raine sits down with two-time Olympic gold medalist Gabrielle Douglas and leading Elite Coach Jeff Woods to navigate this journey from Guts to Glamour. The Guts - A balance beam is less than four inches wide. -
Maintaining status as an elite gymnast requires a minimum of 30 hours of training per week, plus coaching, stretching, exercising, and eating a healthy diet.
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The time and physical requirements often mean missing out. Elite gymnasts are often home-schooled or tutored and almost all of their time is dedicated to perfecting their skills.
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The odds of becoming an Olympic gymnast are 1 in 149,030
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Fearlessness is a requirement.
The Glamour - Gymnasts make a fashion statement with their eye-catching leotards while showcasing their incredible talent. Each athlete must strike the perfect balance between standing out from the crowd and not distracting from their performance. Their ensemble must add something to the performance and show off their moves. -
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Instant celebrity status: the Fierce Five skyrocketed to international fame after their 2012 Olympics success. Star gymnasts end up touring the country, appearing on television, and showcasing their talent for huge crowds. Successful gymnasts are entrepreneurs who must work on the business side of their brand while maintaining an expert level of skill requiring hours of daily practice.
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These talented athletes defy the limits of the human body.
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Not only do Gymnasts develop physical strength, but also courage, determination, and self-confidence.
GABRIELLE DOUGLAS -
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At 16-years old, captivated the country at the 2012 London Olympics as she flew high as the All-Around Gold Medal winner.
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The youngest of four siblings.
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Began training at age 6 and at the age of eight, Douglas won the Level 4 all-around gymnastics title at the 2004 Virginia State Championships
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At 14, Douglas moved from her family in Virginia Beach to train in Des Moines, Iowa. Coach Liang Chow also coached Shawn Johnson, the 2008 Olympic silver medalist
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High-Profile Female Christian Athlete and Role Model
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First African-American All-Around Olympic Gold Medalist
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First Female to Win Both All-Around and Team Gold Medals in the Same Olympics
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Awarded Women’s Sports Foundation’s Sportswoman of the Year in 2012
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Featured on the 2012 Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions
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She has appeared magazine covers including Essence, Time, People, Jet, and Sports Illustrated
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Nearly 1.4 million people follow Douglas through her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts
RAINE: How did you overcome some of the challenges you faced both in and out of the gym while growing up? DOUGLAS: Faith is definitely a product of my life. My mom had always exposed my siblings and I to the Word. Right before a competition, I pray before I go out on the floor. Even at the Olympics you will see my mouth moving – I was praying.
Raine Magazine - Volume 15
RAINE: You faced many obstacles as a child and family. What was the most difficult time that you remember as a child? DOUGLAS: Moving around was the most difficult time. Having heard about the tribulations we had to overcome from my siblings, including my blood disease – that was my motivation to accomplish my dreams. RAINE: What were some of the challenges you faced as an elite gymnast? DOUGLAS: Being an elite gymnast is a little different from the other levels. You have only one standard setting on the equipment, for examples with the bars and for the other levels you can make adjustments. Also, for me, it was being consistent. I would fall and have one on routine and one off or two on and one off. It was hard to be consistent. However, that’s what training is for – you have to do it over and over again to get that muscle memory; until you get it. US gymnast and two-time Olympic gold medalist Gabrielle Douglas believes that her own success is directly proportional to the immense support of her family, friends, and faith in God. This theme is at the heart of her debut memoir, Grace, Gold & Glory: My Leap of Faith, in bookstores nationwide through the Zondervan division of HarperCollins and is written in collaboration with Michelle Burford. JEFF WOOD - Founded Elite Gymnastics of Orlando Inc., d/b/a Orlando Metro Gymnastics which opened its doors on November 14, 1992 originally under the name d/b/a Brown’s Gymnastics Metro. -
Orlando Metro Gymnastics is a private gymnastics club with three locations in Orlando, Florida that features a full scale of competitive team gymnastics, recreational gymnastics, and cheer instruction for children ages 18 months to 18 years. The original southwest Orlando location serves as the main headquarters, is a 23,000 square foot facility that trains both women’s and men’s gymnastics.
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Shortly after opening in 1992, Orlando Metro had immediate success with several gymnasts who qualified to Regional and National Championships and soon to National Team status at Level 10.
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Orlando Metro’s boys and girls programs have developed into two of the premier training programs available today.
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Close to 60 college scholarships have been awarded to both male and female Orlando Metro gymnasts
RAINE: When did the entrepreneurial bug bite you and why gymnastics? WOOD: I was meant to do this. When I was a kid, I had lemonade stand and paper route and have always wanted to work for myself. Being a former gymnast, my passion for gymnastics has never changed. It’s always exciting; the possibility of what you can make these athletes into. It’s a great responsibility because they trust you with taking them where they want to be. A lot of coaches put the business first before the gymnast, however if you don’t have a passion for it, you can’t have good gymnasts and a successful business. I want the kids to learn it right, to learn more than just gymnastics. They also develop a lot of character and learn how to push past their fears. RAINE: As an Elite coach what do you look for when spotting future Olympian? WOOD: A work ethic and an understanding of the process of work. Kids who show that they have the nature to work -- those are the ones that will be good. They also need to enjoy the process; they are born with the talent and then you have to teach them. Besides the understanding of the process of work, their body type is heavily involved in becoming an elite gymnast. Finally, good students also make good elites. RAINE: How does your gym differ from the other top gyms in the country? WOOD: Some gyms are very similar, however, we hold dearer the harder worker than the more successful – often, they are one in the same. We also maintain state of the art equipment - rotating the equipment every 2 years. Finally, having some of the most talented coaches in the country, we are one of the few that have both a successful boys and girls program with a history of male and female gymnasts making the National Team. From gymnast to college football player, Jeff Wood brings a unique approach to Elite gymnastics. He is also one of the few in the world to carry the very specialized title of Breve Coach while also holding a Masters’ Certificate by USAG. Jeff proudly manages a successful program and some of the best coaches in the country. Having brought premier athletes to the National stage many times over, the World championships and even the Olympic Trials – Jeff Wood continues to train some of the leading gymnasts in the country. << A younger Jeff Wood and World Champion Team Member Shayla Worley at 11years old. Photo Courtesy Jeff Wood
R AI N E M A K E R S
Photography/Editing: Liz Besanson MUA: Lisa Noceraa Hair: Ashley Miller Wig provided byL J Chan Designs Styling: David Wayne www.lizbesansonphotography.com
FROM HOLLYWOOD TO MILAN… T H E R I S E O F B L O G G E R S E N S AT I O N
Audrey Kitching By Nova Lorraine
Who would think that sharing their thoughts with the world would a few years later, lead to a creative empire? Certainly, Audrey Kitching didn’t – once a teen blogger, now, an Internet and style sensation. It’s impossible not to notice her. Audrey’s signature pink locks may draw you in, but it’s her entrepreneurial spirit that makes her a standout. Kitching found herself in the spotlight as Buzznet’s Style Editor-at-Large, but that’s not her only claim to fame. She also displays her incredible talents as a model, designer, fashion journalist, jetsetter, and stylist. Between collaborating on designer lines, writing a cookbook inspired by her vegan lifestyle, and being featured in Italian Vogue, Kitching has her many fans waiting on the edge of their seats to see what amazing project she’ll deliver next. How does this Rainemaker do it all and make it look so good? RAINE: How did you get started in fashion and blogging? KITCHING: I’m from Philadelphia and I was brought up where being creative was normal. My mom is very creative and made my clothes as a child. As I got older, I started designing my own clothing. When I was 16, blogging platforms started popping up. It was great to have a virtual diary to let off some steam. After leaving high school to work for AVEDA, my musician friends invited me to tour with them as their stylist. I moved to Los Angeles and I blogged about my experiences and gained a lot of popularity from fans interested in a behind-the-scenes glance at their favorite bands. RAINE: When did you break into modeling? KITCHING: My hair was originally long, curly, and reddish brown and my hair salon was always asking me to model for them. I went to modeling school in the city for two years and got to spend my Saturday mornings playing with make-up and taking pictures. I went to my first convention and it was horrifying: there were thousands of other girls. I ended up winning petite runway, most photogenic, and best portfolio, but I remember thinking I shouldn’t have won anything. Hot Topic contacted me to model for them. I transitioned into art directing shoots with myself as the model. I decided to be independent and see what would come and people started hiring me for my persona. I was recently in Italian Vogue. I consider myself an unconventional model and I feel I am so lucky I get to do what I love for a living.
RAINE: How did your partnership with Buzznet start? KITCHING: Buzznet reached out to me when they were just starting out after coming across my blog. I started writing and producing videos for them. RAINE: What new projects do you have in the works? KITCHING: I’m re-launching a limited edition clothing line this Spring. I’m only making fifty of each piece, so they will become collectibles. My first line grew so fast and got so crazy, so I decided to start fresh this time. The style is comfy casual wear: girly, edgy, and fun. I’m transitioning into writing something people can take away from. One of my current writing projects is a fashionista budget bible which will show people fun things you can do without a lot of money: how to take an old pair of shoes and make them look new, how to travel on a budget, at-home spa treatments and a lot of other really cool stuff. I am also working on a cookbook with vegan recipes and hope to finish it in the next year. I’m also doing a lot of collaborations. I designed a pair of sunglasses with a company called Bon Look. I’m working with a shoe company called Carol D and I’m going to Milan to shoot their campaign in the Spring and will design a couple of shoes in the collection that I am modeling. There are a million different branches of Audrey Kitching, for example, I just launched my metaphysical shop in Feb. 2013 and sold out of inventory in just 24 hours. I feel like my followers are very creative people and I want to give them more then just modeling photos and celebrity blogs: I see Audrey Kitching as a Lifestyle Brand. RAINE: What do you want your fans to know about you? KITCHING: I am a crazy organized neat freak. I am a hard person to live with so, my boyfriend deserves a medal for dealing with me. I don’t really like trains or buses or flying and I’ve never been outside the US. It’s a struggle for me to travel a lot. I love to travel but absolutely hate the process of getting there. I consider myself a fashion writer and stylist, but I’m trying to learn to allow myself to also embrace my role as a model. RAINE: What do you love about being an entrepreneur? KITCHING: I can do everything from a cookbook to a blog; I’m even in training to be a Reiki Master. I’m very lucky: whatever I do, my followers embrace.
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BE AU T Y
SECRETS FROM THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH By Dr. Michael Spicer
RAINE: What are three daily must do’s in order to achieve healthy, youthful skin? SPICER: Even though youthful skin forever is impossible, there are definitely a few skin care pearls to be shared. First and foremost, use a facial sunscreen DAILY. It is estimated that 80% of looking aged is from the effects of sun exposure. Secondly: moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Thirdly, cleanse at least once daily. It may come as a surprise that it was once advised not to cleanse but just to wet the face as soaps can irritate and damage the skin. With new technology and natural ingredients there are cleansers that are gentle and effective at removing harmful toxins from the skin.
in all forms. I personally do not like petrolatum, petroleum based ingredients, or mineral oil. RAINE: What are the top five fruits or vegetables that will help keep wrinkles away? SPICER: Fruits high in Vitamins A, C, and E are excellent for the skin. The antioxidant properties of Vitamin C help keep the skin healthy. Oranges, papaya, kiwi, and guavas are some fruits high in Vitamin C. And don’t forget green leafy vegetables such as kale and mustard green. Broccoli, bell peppers, and chili peppers are also foods high Vitamin C. RAINE: Oh no! Crows feet have made their presence known. What would you recommend to diminish these tiny nuisances? SPICER: By crow’s feet, you mean the lines that appear at the outer part of the eyes when smiling or squinting. So there are two ways to look at crow’s feet. The first is to see what the skin looks like at rest and
RAINE: How much does Fish Oil help maintain wrinklefree skin? SPICER: Fish Oil is a good source of Omega 3 fatty acid, which is reported to be good for the skin, especially acne-prone skin. There are other studies that report no effect, but considering all the other benefits of Fish Oil it certainly doesn’t hurt. RAINE: What are the best treatments to eliminate or minimize laugh lines on the forehead? SPICER: Forehead lines, frown lines, and laugh lines are all lines of movement. These lines are created by movement of the underlying muscles that cause the skin to crease. Persistent creasing can result in lines even when the muscles are not contracting. The only way to address these types of lines is by relaxing them. The best way to improve these lines is by injecting small amounts of Botox into the specific muscles that cause the wrinkles. The lines between the eyebrows “the elevens” and the most often forehead lines treated with Botox. The results are usually quite dramatic, but temporary. RAINE: What is the single most important ingredient men and women should look for in their facial washes that will help retain moisture? SPICER: There are several “moisturizing” cleansers on the market, but they can be misleading. Cleansers and soaps are technically detergents that remove oil and dirt from the skin so adding a “moisturizer” to a cleanser can be a contradiction. A humectant such as glycerin, my personal favorite, can be added to a cleanser so that it is absorbed by the skin. The glycerin then attracts water into the skin, hydrating it to keep it healthy. Glycerin is also a skin-identical ingredient so it is found naturally in the skin. RAINE: What additive is present in most moisturizers that causes more harm than good? SPICER: Most moisturizers are good in what they do. Persons who are allergic to additives like proylene glycol and methylisothiazalinone should read the ingredients before using. Women who have had breast cancer or are at high risk should avoid parabens
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aging properties. RAINE: What about keeping supple, youthful looking lips? What are some key pointers to remember? SPICER: Hydration is the most important part of youthful looking lips. One of the first signs of dehydration is dry lips. I am not a big fan of petroleum based lip balms, which are very common. I prefer a dimethicone based lip balm, which keeps the moisture of the lips intact preserving the youthful appearance. RAINE: Water plays a big part in our health - how many glasses do you recommend a day for smooth looking skin? SPICER: Hydration is one of the most important keys to good health. . The skin gets much of its hydration from the atmosphere and during a shower or bath. It is very important to moisturize with a dimethicone based moisturizer within 2 minutes after a shower or bath to seal that moisture in the skin. It will make a huge Photographer- Aris Jerome; Makeup- Catherine Tann; Stylist- Jordan Grossman; Model- Destiny Pinkerton Agency- Agent Louis- trickymaus@gmail.com
Everyone dreams of having youthful skin, no matter what their age. With the stresses of daily life and the exposure to nature’s elements, it’s hard to maintain this feat. Raine asked skin guru Dr. Michael Spicer, a leading Dermatologist, to share his secrets for maintaining smooth and radiant skin.
then when smiling and squinting. If there is significant movement and severe lines and creases formed then Botox is the answer. If there is little movement and we are focusing on the eyelid lines that form in the same vicinity then I recommend a retinol based eye cream which contains both retinol and other peptides designed to work synergistically to improve fine lines and wrinkles. RAINE:Supplements are a big part of many people’s diets now. What supplements do you feel are helpful in preventing wrinkles? SPICER: Vitamin A is one of the better supplements for skin wrinkles. Vitamins C and E are also important as are Omega 3 fatty acids. Minerals such as selenium, zinc and magnesium also benefit the skin. RAINE: Does shea butter really help maintain youthful skin? SPICER: Shea butter is an excellent emollient, which I do like and recommend. It will keep the skin well hydrated and more youthful looking, but it has no anti-
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difference in your skin’s overall health. The standard recommended water intake is 64 ounces, or 8 eightounce glasses, daily. But that does not take into consideration your body weight, daily exercise, and environment. People who are very active and live in a dry climate would need to drink more water than those with a sedentary lifestyle living in a humid climate. There are several online hydration calculators to find the right amount of daily water intake for a particular person. RAINE: If there was only one thing that someone could do on a daily basis to help retain youthful skin, what would you advise them to do? SPICER: Daily Facial Sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Did I mention daily? Everyday. Even if indoors in the middle of winter. Daily. Dual trained in both dermatology and dermapathology, Dr. Michael Spicer is the founder of Epicé International, a global beauty brand. To learn more about Dr. Spicer and how to achieve healthy skin, visit www. epiceinternational.com.
BE AU T Y | F I T N E S S 1 0 1
4 HOL LY W O OD DI ET S D I S S ECTED!
Advice from Fitness Guru Maik Wiedenbach
Hollywood is full of beautiful stars with enviable bodies. Celebrities often follow crazy diets and intense exercise routines to stay fit. This month I will dissect four of the most popular Hollywood diets.
and some fiber in phase one (the attack phase). During phase two, the cruise phase, you’ll include vegetables, and then in phase 3 (the consolidation phase) you may eat grains, legumes, and fruit.
HCG DIET Let’s dive right in with the hCG diet. This diet has been very popular lately and lots of celebrities have dropped substantial weight while on it. It consists of daily injections of hCG (a fertility hormone) and not much else. Your daily food consumption would be an apple and a chicken breast, which comes to about 500 calories a day. Weight loss can be rather dramatic, which is to be expected since your calories are around starvation levels. Fast weight loss sounds great, right? I consider this diet to be outright dangerous. First off all, injecting any type of hormone shouldn’t be taken lightly (aside from the fact that this is a medical grey area, to say the least.) Secondly, hCG does not have any proven fat-burning properties, so you are taking on the side effects without any real benefits.
In short, this diet will take weight off, but it is rather miserable and unsustainable. Like all low carb diets, the water loss you experience when your body is deprived of glycogen sets you off to a fast start. Each gram of glycogen binds four grams of water. You may lose 10 pounds very fast considering we store up to 2 pounds of glycogen in our bodies.
Lastly, dropping your calories to 500 a day will almost certainly ensure metabolic shutdown. This sets you up for the dreaded yo-yo effect once you start eating regularly again. If you can reasonably foresee yourself living off a chicken breast and an apple a day until the end of time, then you might be okay. The hCG diet gets zero stars from me and should be avoided at all costs, no matter what celebrity X tells you. GRAPEFRUIT DIET The Grapefruit Diet is rather straightforward: eat only grapefruit and lose 20 pounds in a few days. The hype surrounding this diet has dwindled, and for good reason since no diet should consist of one food only (hello cabbage soup diet), but the myth still lingers. Do grapefruits really burn fat? The answer is not so clear-cut. First of all, grapefruits are truly a great food. They contain a variety of antioxidants, vitamin C, and they control insulin levels. Studies have shown that grapefruit aides in DNA repair, can control the growth of cancer cells in vitro, and fights Hepatitis C. This is certainly a very impressive resume overall. Yet there is no direct correlation between the intake of grapefruit and speed of fat loss.
However, it is just water, not fat. Your body will look the same or maybe a little smaller since your body fat hasn’t dropped. This will lead to the very unpleasant “skinny fat” look with hanging skin and a bad skin tone. In addition, there is the potential of thyroid slowdown after phase one, which will cause rapid weight gain as soon as you are off the diet. The Duncan diet gets 2 out of 5 stars because it promotes lean protein and daily exercise. PALEO DIET The Paleo diet is more of a lifestyle than a diet, which is what makes it so appealing. Basically, you are allowed all the foods a caveman had access to: lean protein, leafy greens, fruit, and nuts. While the comparison to a Cro-Magnon might not be very flattering, consider this: the Stone Age men had more muscle and less fat than current humans. In addition, heart disease and diabetes were unknown back then. When we take a closer look, we will find that the diet itself actually does make nutritional sense. First of all, you are eliminating all processed foods, refined sugars, and trans fats and this will earn you points with your arteries, heart, and liver. You are getting all your macro and micronutrients, since you are eating a wide array of unprocessed foods. Secondly, you are automatically foregoing all the foods that are easy to overeat such as starches and junk food. This ensures a caloric reduction without actually being hungry since the foods you are allowed to eat are very filling. Protein keeps you from getting hungry, especially when combined with leafy greens. It is also pretty easy to travel and still stick to the diet since most restaurants offer some type of grilled meat or fish with broccoli or spinach on the side. If you are a very active person, I would recommend to add some grains such as amaranth, millet, or steel cut oats on your training days in order to have the extra energy for a workout.
DUNCAN DIET The Duncan diet is basically the French version of Atkins. Hereby, you are only allowed lean proteins
Photo by Dorothy Shi
However, grapefruits are full of naringin, which among other things inhibits activity of the enzyme CYP34A in the human liver. What does that have to do with fat loss? Caffeine, one of the most potent fat burners, is metabolized by CYP34A. So, the intake of naringin could lengthen The Paleo diet gets five stars for two reasons: it is nutritionally sound the half-life and increase the activity of your fat burner therefore making and it can actually be a lifestyle, which should be the goal of every it more effective. For best results you should eat the fruit with all its fiber. nutrition program. If you can only follow a diet for a predetermined Grapefruit juice has shown to be less effective. A good dose would be 6 period of time, you will soon find yourself on the yo-yo roller coaster. ounces of grapefruit for breakfast (no sugar!) with your black coffee. The About Maik: grapefruit diet gets one star because Maik (pronounced Mike) Wiedenbach is a fitness coach and physique architect based in New York of grapefruit’s nutritional value, but it City and East Hampton. He is an NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) certified personal trainer and AFPA (American Fitness Professionals Association), certified nutrition and wellness still needs to be supplemented with a consultant and weight management consultant. healthy variety of foods. A two-time World Cup and Olympic trial swimmer in his native Germany, Maik arrived in the US on a swimming scholarship at Fordham University, where he was introduced into the Hall of Fame in 2012. After a stint as a Wall Street stockbroker, Maik founded his company Adler Training in 2006 and quickly became one of the most sought after trainers in Manhattan. As a medalist athlete and scholar, he uniquely combines professional dedication, empathy, and intellectual rigor in keeping up with the latest fitness and health study findings in medical journals.
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PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE MATTHEWS
FRE S H FAC E
NAME: GIFT HEIGHT: 5'11" HOMETOWN: Thailand AGENCY: RED Agency Fun Facts: 1. Loves the "Harlem Shake" 2. Recently seen snow for the first time 3. Doesn't like to wear skirts
NAME: GEORGE HEIGHT: 6'2" HOMETOWN: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND AGENCY: KB1111 MODELING MANAGEMENT FUN FACTS: 1. When I am home, I compose music 2. When homesick, I make fondue 3. I found a love for the Italian Language
BE AU T Y
H ollywood ’ s Trinity of Beauty By Kia Rodriguez
Photographed by VITAL AGIBALOW for HENSEL MakeUp by Kate Romanoff using OCC makeup Manicurist - Myrdith Leon-McCormack using Tom Ford Model - Valentyna Oleynikova - MUSE (NYC) OCC LIP TAR™ in PSYCHO, OCC Nail Lacquers in PSYCHO
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Raine Magazine - Volume 15
When it comes to beauty and style it is to Hollywood that we have turned for inspiration and imitation. Decades ago the term Hollywood glamour was born and it epitomized the thrill and extravagance of being beautiful in a world where a well maintained look may just be the key to your destiny. Hollywood glamour is now a form all onto its own with the integration of definitive beauty and exposition. Everyone from Hollywood’s elite to the rising stars of today adhere to a regimented devotion to the minutiae of daily maintenance with artful skill as even the most unassuming features are paid attention to with the same scrutiny as memorizing lines. From having a full time beauty team for hair and nails to expert estheticians that fly around the world for their clients, it is no wonder that glamour has been defined by a world of the professionally well-coiffed. However, underneath it all are some underlying aspects where elemental principles are laid out in a triumvirate of foundational beauty. Clean Brows. This feature defines the eyes and accentuates their prominence for each and every photo opportunity whether it be on the runway or leaving the shops. Brows should be clean but not overdone. A good, subtle pencil highlight is good for day and by night you can play it up with dramatic lines. Brow maintenance is easy once the desired shape is created and these Tweezerman tools seen here ($10-$20 USD) are top tools of the trade to keep strays from taking over.
OCC LIP TAR™ in PSYCHO
OCC LIP TAR™ in TARRED, LOOSE COLOUR CONCENTRATES in IRONIC , PURE COSMETIC PIGMENTS in BLACK
Maintained nails Ever hear that a person’s hands can tell a lot about their life? A well groomed set of hands are pleasing to the eye and warm to the touch. A mani/pedi will leave you cleansed, relaxed and polished with weekly standing appointments at top salons across the world becoming more readily booked as self-devotion is a pleasure that few devotees are apt to sacrifice these days. Using textures and experimenting with dark colors are notable trends well worth trying. Even playing it safe with neutral tones to coordinate with a hectic schedule shows beauty devotion.
Perfect Pout When it comes to the face, a smile can be priceless. Pearly white teeth paired with the latest lip color, like the very on trend red seen here, will help anyone to stand out in the crowd. Seeking the advice of professionals and specialists in the dental arena is a safe and although oftentimes an uncomfortable route to go - in order to correct, color and clean the inside but with healthy results that last a lifetime we see why the perfect pout rounds off the trio.
LOOSE COLOUR CONCENTRATES in IRONIC , PURE COSMETIC PIGMENTS in BLACK
1.877.374.2314 www.epiceinternational.com WHEN PLACING YOUR ORDER ON-LINE USE CODE RAINE25
Èpicé is sold in fine Spas and Retail Establishments throughout the
United States • Caribbean • United Kingdom • Europe
B US I N E S S
THE
NEXT LEVEL
M arketing . F inance . M anagement
Michael Pilla Photography; www.michaelpilla.com
by David Freschman
FINANCE
To Accelerate or Not to Accelerate? Part I
Accelerators seem to be the rage across the country and even the globe. As one means of capitalizing a business, accelerators have now launched in the fashiontech space and more broadly, in the fashion world - where young startups can gather together to develop their ideas and work with like minded entrepreneurs in their launch. Whether “physical” or “virtual”, accelerators seem to be emerging everywhere. So that made me think … is the growth of entrepreneurship driving these accelerators or the accelerators driving the growth in entrepreneurship? Not being able to find definitive data, I believe that each is attributing to each other’s growth. So what is an Accelerator? Briefly, an Accelerator provides an entrepreneurial team an environment and program where their business ideas, concepts or technologies can develop in a short period (typically three months) into what may be a viable business opportunity. The companies are usually focused in the tech sectors: around apps, software, and internet technology, where an idea can become a disruptive business. The companies are typically very capital efficient - where a small amount of capital goes a long way. An accelerator is extraordinarily selective in inviting companies into their programs. They receive hundreds of applications for a few spots perhaps up to 20 in their program. So before deciding to apply for an accelerator, here’s what they offer: Facility: Accelerators typically provide a work area for the startup for no charge. With it comes internet access, communication services and most importantly an environment where a company can collaborate with other startups in its “class”. I have always said entrepreneurship can lead to “professional loneliness” as startups typically are hidden in basements, back offices or homes. An Accelerator fosters a creative, team-oriented and success driven environment. Funding: Accelerators may provide each company with modest startup capital somewhere from $15,000
to $25,000. Not a ton of money, but enough to pay some bills as the business gels together. Access: Accelerators provide access to some of the top investors, service providers and entrepreneurs in the region who work directly with the accelerator companies during their program. These individuals typically are committed and active as they know the companies they are working with have been vetted. Program: Accelerators provide the companies a “program” where their ideas are reviewed, developed and critiqued by experts; education in the entrepreneurial process; and their investor “pitches” are honed for impact. Launch: Accelerators provide the companies upon their “graduation” with a high-profile launch … the “Demo Day”! This is the company’s coming out party where investors, high-profile execs, entrepreneurs and others are invited to see the results of three months of the intensive program with each company. It is the opportunity for the companies to present their technology and business models. Although many believe accelerators have become formulaic in the way they approach the programs, they have not in terms of what they provide each company. Each accelerator has its own flavor, its own resources, and its own contacts. So if you’re an entrepreneur, how do you decide which to pursue and apply for? Are they the answer to launching an entrepreneur’s dream? Not necessarily. Accelerators are only one tool in the box to launch a company. They are not the guarantee for success, competitive advantage or even funding. Stay tuned for Part 2 of “To Accelerate or Not to Accelerate” where I’ll share some tips on how to choose the right accelerator for your company or why not to go that route.
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MANAGEMENT
With the need to wear somes so many hats in starting or running one’s own company, how should Entrepreneurs and CEO’s best utilize their time?
New ventures are typically are launched by a single individual or at times a small team of two or three.
•
Prioritize! Get essential things done first and minimize
Entrepreneurs find a need in the marketplace which is
interruptions.
not being metmarketplace, which is not being met, and
taskers and creative types.
develop a solution by launching an enterprise.
and opportunities constantly arise.
Today,
Entrepreneurs are by nature multiNew ideas, directions, These can be
entrepreneurs are launchingstarting businesses at pace
extremely valuable, but can also distract you from
never seen before in history.
accomplishing priorities.
Don’t let daily activities
distract you from goals. Try to block out a certain Why is that?
There areis a number of developments
time during the day where you can return phone calls
fostering the creation and launch of er or reasons that
and meet with people. This may seem extreme, but
have fostered new companies. Thesey launches includeing
it is effective.
readily available and relatively inexpensive technology, connectivity via social media sites, tough career and
•
Don’t play “small ball”! Time is of the essence when
job environments, and rapidly evolving consumer and
launching a successful businesses. Too many times
business demands, among others. As such, businesses
entrepreneurs take on tasks that deliver little to the
are being launched, pivoted, and re-launched by newly
financial and operating results of the company when
minted CEOs on a daily basis. Until the company reaches
really measured for value and impact.. Entrepreneurs
traction, the CEOs are usually working alone or with small
must make sure the things they are getting done
teams and have to assume many roles. typically delegated
have a financial or strategic metric that is meaningful.
man. This can be overwhelming: time is a scare resource
Don’t let the small items interfere with the high dollar
for a startup CEO. as the resource that is most scarce to
value items. Push them off to the side.
the startup CEO is time. Regular tasks are addressed, but constantly interrupted by customer demands, technology
•
Outsource and delegate! Entrepreneurs are typically
snafus, unanticipated product/service inquiries, and hosts
“doers”. In order to get things done, you often need
of other reasons. So how should you as an entrepreneur
help from others. However, if a startup has limited
and startup CEO best organize and utilize your time?
resources and personnel, how do you delegate? There are a number of ways to bring in assistance in
Here are a couple of tips:
a cost effective and efficient manner such as hiring part-time staff, creating an internship program with
•
Organize, Organize, Organize!
Planning is the key
your local college or university, or using the new wave
to establishing goals and then getting them done.
of online concierge communities where you can hire
Startup CEOs should establish long-term and short-
people to do specific tasks.
term goals and boil them down to daily, weekly, and monthly tasks. Set the goals, assign due dates, revisit
Once organized and planned, you can then set out to
them on a regular basis to ensure completion, and
accomplish key goals in your launch.
stick with your plan. Do not make the list too big or overwhelming: this may seem helpful, but in reality you are just creating clutter and stress.
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•
Proof your business model! Too many businesses are launched with no business model.
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Investors invest
in businesses. Don’t let the “cool” app or product
•
Sales! Too many entrepreneurs focus on issues other
distract you from core business factors. Make sure
than generating revenues.
your company has a business model in place so
barometer of success and prove that the market
that your investors, customers, and employees all
assigns value to your product or service. Startup
understand what the business does and how it will
CEOs should have an innate focus on driving sales.
make money and survive.
Remember, sales are the best form of capital and are
Sales are the ultimate
non-dilutive to your ownership. •
Fundraise!
Raising capital can be a full-time job.
Always be prepared to give the investor pitch. Set
•
Hiring! Be prepared to always hire people. As a
out with targeted lists and use your network to get
startup CEO, you will constantly meet talented
appointments. Cold calls rarely work, and remember;
people.
you never know who you will meet so always be
will keep your company growing quickly and limit
prepared. Fundraising is a permanent effort. Once
headhunting fees.
Keeping the pipeline full of candidates
you raise an investment round, you should move on to raising the next. It doesn’t mean you have to take
The above items may seem obvious, but keeping these
the investment, but it’s always good to have irons in
thoughts in front of you as you launch will help in your
the fire.
ultimate drive to accomplishment and success.
MARKETING
How can a company best position its website so it doesn’t die a slow death to social media sites and mobile apps? Mobile phone technology and apps are changing how
accolades, product offerings, history, and customers
we live and interact with each other and the businesses
accounts, among others.
we frequent. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Groupon and Foursquare have also changed
Websites should include social media tools in its
how we as consumers shop and purchase goods
construction and offerings. Social media and apps
and services on a daily basis. If you are a business,
can drive customers to the website where a greater
these are all great tools to evaluate to see if they fit
level of interactivity can take place and information
in your strategy. They serve a purpose – to inform,
can be conveyed. Another critical thing to remember
affect actions, and to create a feeling of scarcity
is that you own your website and can manage it how
forcing action.
you wish.
They also deliver specific news or
A company can create and control its
information that the sender wishes to communicate to
own branding and interaction with customers and
its community or followers. So are traditional websites
subscribers.
being forced to the “rust pile” because of these new
sites, you and your company are “guests”. You must
technologies? Absolutely not!
conform to their regulations and rules. Also they can
However with respect to social media
make changes when and how they wish which may These tools should be used in conjunction with your
affect interaction with your fan base or customers.
website strategy. Websites still serve a critical purpose for companies. They deliver comprehensive offerings
Websites are not heading to distinction.
and corporate information that may be difficult to
they should be constantly freshened up and integrate
convey on apps or social media sites. I tend to refer
social media tools to remain relevant to today’s mobile
to websites as the “catcher’s mitt” of business where
and fast moving consumer and business environments.
it is a catchall of all critical data that a company puts out there, from corporate philosophy, branding, press,
However,
B US I N E S S
D O E S T H E FA S H I O N I N D U S T R Y ENCOURAGE COPYING? By Mariessa Terrel
In the fifth episode of season one of the 2008 NBC television
to seek trademark protection early.
Victoria Ford’s fashion designs and sells them under his brand
trademark application with the US Patent and Trademark Office.
series Lipstick Jungle – a rival designer Ricardo Bragini copies name? Although Victoria is furious, she does not sue. Why?
Well under current copyright law, apparel, footwear and even handbag designs can be copied for the most part because they are considered “useful articles” as distinct from works of art. In
So how do you protect
your trademark? By retaining a trademark attorney and filing a For as little as $275-$375, even an emerging designer can afford
to protect his or her brand. It’s your creativity: protect it, promote it, and preserve it!
fact, many designers readily admit to researching the fashion
Please note that the information provided in this article is
Laurent got his first design job at Christian Dior because he was
the advice of a licensed attorney in your state before making
archives of others for “inspiration.” It is no secret that Yves Saint able to copy Dior’s sketches to perfection.
Many contend that without strong copyright laws,
innovation in the fashion arena will wither and die. Why would
for general purposes only. It is recommended that you seek
decisions or executing anything related to your legal issue or base any decision off of the content from this article.
New York designers like Nicole Dreyfuss continue to spend thousands of dollars creating preppy cable-knit clutches held
together with “wooden dowels” if another retailer like Abercrombie and Fitch can sell a similar bag at a much lower price?
Interestingly, Johanna Blakley, a Managing Director and
Director of Research at the Norman Lear research and public
policy institute argues that fashion has actually benefitted from not having strong copyright protection. She claims that because
designers can borrow from each other, there is actually more innovation. According to Blakley, shoe designer Stuart Weizmann
is a good example of this phenomenon. He developed a more innovative “bowden wedge heel design” that utilizes unusual materials like steel and titanium in an effort to make it difficult for
other designers to copy his footwear. In addition to encouraging more innovation, Blakley credits the lack of copyright protection with propelling global trends forward.
When trends change
quickly, the demand for new designs swells and more products are sold.
Believe it or not, fashion is actually not the only creative
art form that thrives in a nominally protected atmosphere. Did you know that you cannot copyright recipes for food, jokes, magic
tricks or automobile designs? Yet, chefs, comics, magicians and engineers continue to innovate despite the lack of protection.
Perhaps in time, the fashion industry will adopt stronger
copyright protection similar to the regulations that prohibit the copying of songs, books and films. However, until then, the use,
selection and enforcement of strong trademarks remain the most cost effective way to protect the brand names and logos
identifying fashion products. Since, it is still unlawful to copy the trademark (or brand name/logo) of another, it makes sense
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Mariessa Terrell is President of the Board of Directors of the Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts (www.waladc.org). She is an intellectual property attorney, brander and founder of SBC Law Group with over 10 years experience providing intellectual property law services to fashion designers, defense contractors, non profits and start ups. Mariessa endeavors to make the trademark registration process simple and affordable by helping clients select marks that will be afforded the most protection, conducting comprehensive searches of potential trademarks and filing trademark applications with the US Patent and Trademark Office. Prior to starting her own firm, Mariessa worked as Trademark Examining Attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and helped to register thousands of fashion brands including, Revlon, L’oreal, Estee Lauder, Balenciaga, Chanel, Dooney and Burke, Avon and countless others. www.sbclawgroup.com and www.fashiontrademarks.biz
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THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX Laura Adamson is the founder of www.styleoutsidethebox.com, a new exciting shopping site and marketing platform for independent designers and small creative businesses from around the world. Only launching a year ago, her team has already cultivated over 300 juried designers and offers custom orders for more personalized gifts. Originally from the UK, Laura moved to Pennsylvania as a young child and later attended Penn State University. After sending hundreds of emails a day seeking a fashion internship, Laura was able to land a website management position in NYC for a clothing company which led to her managing several pop-up shops for the same company. While seeing the hidden talent in these many young designers featured in the shops, Laura was inspired to create Style Outside the Box, which carries a plethora of one of a kind gifts for him
PHOTOS COURTESY OUT OF THE BOX
and her and statement pieces for your home.
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B US I N E S S
T E CH TOYS BY NOELLE FRIESON
Muse, InteraXon’s Brainwave-Sensing Headband Muse, InteraXon’s brainwave-sensing headband, is the future. It’s a Brainwave Controlled Interface and it’s not science fiction, it’s our reality. Basically, it measures EEG signals from four forehead sensors and two behind the ears, then sends those brain measurements to compatible electronics via Bluetooth. The company is actively developing technologies and applications that will enable users to play games with their minds, improve brain function, and eventually, control devices. Pre-orders will start shipping late 2013. And at only $199 everyone can pretend to be Mr. Spock. Next you’ll be saying “Beam Me Up Scotty”. (www.interaxon.ca/muse)
Livescribe Sky Smart Pen The Livescribe Sky Smartpen makes old school style notes high tech and mobile. The smartpen sports a built-in mic and speaker for recording and playing back the audio that accompanies your notes. And thanks to built-in Wi-Fi, it automatically sends both your notes and audio to Evernote for easy access on almost any device. Crossing off your To-dos? The smartpen tracks each page and updates your notes electronically when you make changes. Can’t remember why you wrote a certain note? The Livescribe Sky Smartpen can replay the exact audio being said at the time you were writing with one swipe. Retailing for $199 this pen is the perfect gift for college students or for a busy entrepreneur who is on the go and needs their notes to be accessible from any smartphone, tablet or computer. (www.livescribe.com)
Memoto Lifelogging Camera Does taking pictures of your life get in the way of living it? The answer to that problem lies in the Memoto Lifelogging Camera ($279 including a one year subscription to the cloud service). Just clip the weather protected, 1 ½ inch, 5 megapixel camera onto your clothes and it automatically takes 2 geo-tagged photos every minute. The camera has 8 GB of flash memory and automatically uploads your pics to Memoto’s cloud service via USB. The handy Android/iOS app allows you to see all your pictures, where they were taken and even load them to Facebook. Memoto Lifelogging Cameras will be begin shipping pre-orders in April 2013. (www.memoto.com)
The YotaPhone A Dual Screen Phone? You heard it here at Raine first! The YotaPhone is a powerful Android-based phone that is half e-reader and half smart phone. The e-reader side will provide an easy-on-the-eyes interface for reading, while the backside color screen is perfect for browsing photos and videos. With an electronic paper display writing texts and checking emails should dramatically increase the phone’s battery life. And it has a 12MP main camera and an HD front camera – eat that iPhone 5’s 8MP. When will the YotaPhone be available and how much will it set you back? The price has not yet been released and YotaPhone’s won’t be on the market until the 2nd half of 2013. (www.yotaphone.com)
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HapiFork HAPIfork, the world’s first smart fork, knows how fast you’re eating and helps you slow down, enhance your digestion and reduce your weight. HAPIfork monitors the time you start and end time of your meal, the amount of “fork servings” taken per minute and per meal, the duration of each “fork serving” interval and your overall meal duration. And when you are eating too fast, HAPIfork sends you gentle vibrations and indicator lights so you can slow down and enjoy your meal. All of your HAPIFork information is sent to an online account (via USB), that can be shared with friends or kept private for those unhappyHAPIfork belly binges. At $99 a fork you may not order a full table setting worth, but for those that want savor each bite it’s a steal. HapiFork will be available online and through retailers in early 2014. (www.hapilabs.com)
Personify Live Want to liven up your boring presentations or impress perspective investors with a live show of your product behind your graphs and charts? Personify Live is a tool that uses Microsoft Kinect, or other depth-sensing cameras to overlay real time video over any PowerPoint presentation or webinar. Live video can be superimposed onto any background creating a virtual green screen experience. All presentations can be recorded, stored and shared. The $20 subscription service comes with an accompanying mobile app for iPhone and Android that serves as a remote control for the presentation. This is perfect for creative entrepreneurs who want to give an artistic flare their lackluster corporate presentation. (www. personifyinc. com)
Blue Microphones Tiki USB Microphone with Noise Cancelation Online meetings can be hard enough without having to explain the noise of passing cars, noisy children, or barking dogs in the background. Meet the Tiki USB Microphone by Blue Microphones. The Tiki brings clarity to conversations by focusing on desired sounds and reducing background noise. The Tiki allows users to switch between two modes: Intelligent Speech Mode for communication and Natural Recording Mode for CD-quality recording of podcasts, vocals or instruments. Similar in size to a standard USB flash drive, the Tiki plugs directly into your laptop’s USB port. The Tiki is $59.99 and is available online and at Best Buy. (www.bluemic.com/tiki)
aFrame Audio Gone are the days of huge black or brown speakers taking up half the room to give you theater perfect sound. The entrepreneur of 2013 is stylish and subtle. Now you can connect your Bluetooth-enabled device to a TruAudio high fidelity speaker system that is cleverly housed in your favorite piece of art. You can choose from the aFrame gallery of graphic art, limited edition artwork, oil paintings, watercolors, drawings or photography. Or, submit your own image artwork to create a personalized aFrame speaker. (www.aframeaudio.com)
W HE R E TO EAT.S TAY.C H ILL
RELAX IN PARADISE AT ROUND HILL RESORT Researched by L. Forrest Photo by round hill resort & villas
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Round Hill Hotel and Villas is situated on a lush 110acre peninsula just west of Montego Bay, Jamaica. Boasting a guest list of world leaders and cultural icons, this classic resort continues to attract a jet-set crowd. Accommodations include 36 Ralph Laurendesigned oceanfront guest rooms, 90 luxurious villa rooms and suites or a selection of 27 private 2-6 bedroom Signature Villasâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;most with private pools. Other highlights include open-air terrace dining, an infinity pool, tennis courts, and an Elemis spa. www. roundhill.com Â
A partial list of hollywood celebrities and notable guests include that have visited Round Hill include: Al Roker, Angela Bassett, Anita Baker, Anna Wintour, Boris Kodgoe, Fred Astaire, Gabrielle Union, John F. Kennedy, Kenny Rogers, Kim Porter, Lance Armstrong, Michael Kors, Michael Smith, Michelle Williams, Nicole Miller, Pat Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien, Patrick Dempsey, Paul McCartney, Ralph & Ricky Lauren, Russell Simmons, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, Sigourney Weaver, Star Jones, and Tommy Hilfiger to name a few.
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Corsica Hollywood’s Little-Known Jewel of the Mediterranean By Jesse Nash, with Barney Lehrer
Where do actors George Clooney and Kathy Bates, singers Tom Jones and Alicia Keys, and even socialite Paris Hilton (just to name-drop a few of Hollywood’s elite) go to escape the rigors of being in the spotlight day in and day out? Why, the tiny island of Corsica, that’s where. Every day we read stories of Hollywood’s crème de la crème going on holiday to such destinations as the tony island of St Barth’s in the Caribbean, Hollywood’s backyard playland, Cabo San Lucas in Mexico’s Baja Penninsula, or the chi-chi ski slopes in Aspen, Colorado. But now a discreet group of Hollywood stars have discovered the crown jewel of the Mediterranean. This writer has known about this enchanting island for over 20 years when there was only one automatic car on all of Corsica, and it was reserved for yours truly. Well, I knew my secret couldn’t stay hidden forever... 76
Corsica is a rock-hard, fragile paradise. It’s for beach lovers, hikers, divers, and culture buffs alike, combining dazzling white beaches with dramatic mountain ranges and picturesque old towns. There’s plenty of activities for your body and some rich history to engage your mind. Just off the coasts of France and Italy and jutting out of the Mediterranean Sea like an impregnable fortress, Corsica resembles a miniature continent, with astounding geographical diversity. Within half an hour, the landscape morphs from glittering bays, glitzy coastal cities and fabulous beaches to sawtooth peaks, breathtaking valleys, dense forests and beautiful hilltop villages. The scenery that unfurls along the island’s crooked roads will have you constantly stopping to whip out your camera. Napoleon’s birthplace boasts breathtaking views and a plethora of charming corners. Take a boat out of the resort village of Porto to see the bright white Calanques,
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steep-walled bays with their dramatic backdrop of stone cliffs rising up over the sea. Visit the thirteenth-century Calvi Citadel, then wind your way on mountain roads toward the tiny village of Calvi for a romantic dinner before heading out for a morning excursion on the scenic Route de Bavella. Although Corsica has officially been part of France for over 200 years, it feels different from the mainland in everything from customs to cuisine, music, language and character -- and that’s part of its appeal! Hollywood Loves Corsica! And now a select few of America’s most famous celebs have discovered this magical island. This past August, George Clooney and girlfriend Stacy Kiebler joined friends for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle adventure around the entire island. The couple hooked up with friends, including Clooney’s business partner and collaborator, Grant Haslov, and were spotted all over the island during their one-month getaway. Singer Alicia Keys married boyfriend Swizz Beatz near Corsica’s charming port town of Portovecchio, which will host the first leg of the Tour de France bicycle race this year. The wedding ceremony was performed by Deepak Chopra, and friends Bono (of U2) and singer/
actress Queen Latifah were there to lend their support. And Keys, fully pregnant at the time, was seen there in a bikini, which had paparazzi from around the world trying to capture the next hot tabloid cover. Stooges rocker Iggy Pop performed in the village of Patrimonio, where they also happen to make some of the best red wine on the island. Pop was so smitten with Patrimonio he openly mingled with the locals and visited a few restaurants in the area in the days after his concert. Actress Kathy Bates stayed for a year in Saint Florent, a quaint fishing town close to one of Corsica’s most beautiful beaches, before receiving the bad news that she had breast cancer and had to have a double mastectomy immediately. Now the actress, who has a hit TV show called “Harry’s Law,” has expressed her desire to “friends” that she would like to return and spend some more quality time in “the heart of paradise.” Singer Tom Jones is a regular vacationer on the island. He fell in love with Bonafacio—a spectacular fortress town high on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean--in the 1960s, while at the peak of his career. “Right after ‘It’s Not Unusual’ came out, a friend took me on his yacht and we went to Calvi. What a beautiful island and I keep coming back year after year.”
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EL ENCANTO
A GARDEN RETREAT AMONGST THE HOLLYWOOD ELITE Researched By Michelle Winters
El Encanto: Located 90 minutes from Los Angeles on California’s American Riviera, the meticulously restored El Encanto will reopen in Santa Barbara in March 2013 as part of the luxurious and iconic Orient-Express portfolio. The early 20th-century property will recapture all the romance and glamour that made it the favored getaway for old Hollywood’s celebrities such as Hedy Lamarr, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard who motored up from Los Angeles to escape the rigors of the big city and stardom. In more recent years, Hollywood elite continued to visit the lush garden retreat at El Encanto including Diane Lane, Barbara Streisand, Sharon Stone and more. The hotel will also offer a strong, localized culinary program lead by Chef Patrice Martineau. The menu will highlight the produce and seafood of the Santa Barbara region through a wonderfully inventive French and Asian inspired California coastal cuisine. Taking Californian cuisine to new levels, El Encanto will keep its own cow called Ellie. Housed on a farm in central California, Ellie’s milk will be used solely to make a special cheese for El Encanto. The cheese will be complemented by El Encanto’s own unpasteurized beer brewed nearby. The property’s own freshly roasted coffee and an on-site herb and vegetable garden will further strengthen El Encanto’s commitment to offering fresh locally sourced produce.
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Meet the Queen of Burgundy… and some of the best wines in the world! by Barney Lehrer and Jesse Nash
There are legends born every day. But sometimes it’s not until after they’re gone that we appreciate their greatness. Fortunately, there’s one heroine in our midst who is very much alive and with us. She’s responsible for some of the best winemakers in the heart of one of the wine world’s most prestigious regions. Her name is Jeanne-Marie de Champs, and for those who know her, she is truly the Queen of Burgundy. For this amazing woman, it’s not about power. It’s not about money. It’s all about having the greatest wine in the world. And as Jeanne-Marie will tell you, there’s only one way to accomplish that. “In Burgundy, the secret is in the vines!”
Burgundy has very few large winemakers. Most of them are small family businesses, with only a few acres of vines. Even most of the larger famous houses, such as Louis Latour or Louis Jadot, may own just a handful of acres and buy most of their wine from small winemakers. And then there are a small number of “Monopoles,” winemakers lucky enough to own a complete vineyard. The region, which is about the same size as Sonoma County, California, is home to over 1,200 wineries. Where to begin? We only had a couple of days to sample these wonderful wines and we had to make every sip count. So many burgundies, so little time! Luckily for us, Jeanne-Marie de Champs took us under her wing for a day. One of the top wine brokers in the region, you could say that wine is in her blood. She is descended from a family of landowners in central France whose agricultural history dates back to 1180, and some of her family are still on the land today. In fact, a brother tends oak trees that provide the prized wood for French wine barrels—a crucial ingredient in the success of a wine. Formerly a marketing executive in Paris, Jeanne-Marie’s marriage to a wine exporter brought her to Beaune, Burgundy’s wine capital, where she quickly learned the wine export business working within her husband’s company. Her legendary status was set in motion in 1994 when she opened her own wine export company, Domaines et Saveurs Collection, which has 80
since become one of the major powerhouses in the Burgundy export trade. A dynamo of a woman with an imposing presence, a nononsense approach, and a passionate, encyclopedic knowledge of wines, Jeanne-Marie has earned her royal title. She commands the respect of both the winemakers and the wine trade, as not only does she know her wine, but also the wine-drinker—what the consumer will enjoy. Burgundy red wines are famous for their delicate, fruity smoothness, while its buttery white wines, known for their “minerality” (some French call this “salty”) set the standard of comparison for all other whites. Perhaps one of Burgundy’s secrets is its simplicity. Most Burgundy wines are made of only one of two grapes: pinot noir for red, and chardonnay for white. J e a n n e - M a r i e represents more than 70 winemakers — or farmers, as she prefers to call them -- who represent the best of their terroir. “A good winemaker is first and foremost a good farmer,” Jeanne-Marie told us. “It’s someone who puts most of their efforts into cultivating the grapes and uses minimal technology to make the wine.” And she chooses her farmers carefully. “They must practice organic farming, using only local, natural yeasts—and all my farmers are constantly searching to find natural ways to improve their vines.” With these words, Jeanne-Marie took us on an exhausting but exhilarating tour of visits to some of her best farmers, all within a 25-mile radius of Beaune. And can this woman drive! Just as she’s a master at organizing and marketing her wines, she’s also a woman to be reckoned with behind the wheel. As we held on to our scarves on a blustery, snowy, and damp winter’s day, Jeanne-Marie plowed through vineyard after vineyard as she gave us a whirlwind tour of some of Domaines et Saveurs Collection’s -- and Burgundy’s -- most respected and quality-driven winemakers: First stop was Domaine Alain Michelot in Nuits-SaintGeorges. Alain is the fourth generation of Michelots here, and now he has mostly handed over the reins to a fifth, his daughter Elodie. Elodie showed us around the cellar, which is naturally cold, and explained how they have quietly invested in new tanks and winemaking equipment while maintaining the ancient, local traditions of production. She showed us how even a relatively small production of a fine Premier Cru involves blending wines made from grapes harvested from the same vines but aged in barrels from different barrel-makers. Thus the taste of the various woods themselves play a crucial part in their famous Les Vaucrains, which we had the privilege of enjoying. Next was the Clos de la Perrière, a Monopole perched on a hill above the village of Fixin, just south of Dijon. Owned by the Joliet family since 1853, records show that Cistercian monks
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started making wine on this property in 1142. The winery still has a 12th century press once used by the monks, which was in use up to the time of the grandfather of the current farmer, Bénigne Joliet. Bénigne uses a minimum amount of technology to produce a pure Premier Cru with minerality and substance. According to Bénigne, “the wine making at the Clos de la Perrière has its roots in tradition and know-how dating back to the monks’ time.” Jeanne-Marie then took us to Clos de Tart in Morey St Denis, another ancient Monopole with a winemaking tradition also dating to the 12th century. It was founded in 1141 and tended for several hundred years by Cistercian nuns until the French Revolution in 1789. There have only been two owners since: the Marey-Monge family from 1789 to 1932, followed by Mommessin, the current owners. The winery and tasting rooms remain in the ancient convent building. Their two most famous wines are a Premier Cru and a Grand Cru, made using only grapes from their own vineyard, the largest Grand Cru classified property in Burgundy. Clos de Tart is a legend in Burgundy. They produce fruity wine with less tannin than some of their neighbors’ wines. Sylvain Pitiot, the Clos de Tart chief farmer has the philosophy of “Hands-Off” winemaking. “Sometimes we have nothing to do! We pick perfect grapes, put the wine in vats, and go on vacation.” After Clos de Tart, which would normally be a difficult act to follow, we were escorted to a quite magnificent act in itself. Domaine François Lamarche in Vosne-Romanée. With some supervision from her father, Nicole Lamarche, François’ daughter is in charge of the farming (aka viticulture) and does much of the winemaking. . Her cousin Nathalie is in charge of marketing and sales. They produce wines from several appellations in the area. However the most important vineyard is their Monopole “La Grand Rue” in Vosne-Romanée, a property “stuck” between Romanée-Conti and La Tâche, the two most sought-after and expensive wines in Burgundy, if not in the world. The wines of Lamarche may not (yet!) be quite up to the quality and prices of their neighbors, but they are certainly on the way. The last stop on our Burgundy Odyssey was Château de la Maltroye in Chassagne-Montrachet. This beautiful 18th century château with 15th century cellars is located at the top of the hill in Chassagne-Montrachet. The Cournut family bought it in 1940. Flamboyant Jean-Pierre Cournet, whose first career was as an avionics engineer, is now the winemaker and marketer-in-chief. He is also a keen collector of vintage Ferraris, which are lovingly stored next to the barrels of aging wines. Château de la Maltroye’s vineyards are right next to the château and are considered to be some of the best Premier Cru land in the village. From a total production of 60,000 bottles per year, 60% is white ChassagneMontrachet, with an intense minerality and subtle scent of oak. As Jeanne-Marie put it, “The wines of Château de la Maltroye are made with the precision of an engineer, precise detail, a constant search for the best expression of the microclimates and terroirs, and harmony with the wood.”
What an unforgettable day! Of course, we only scratched the surface, but with Jeanne-Marie in charge, we were given the royal treatment. And even back home we continue to benefit from the queen’s expertise, as we know that every day JeanneMarie is devoting her formidable energy to bring the best of Burgundy to wine shops in the USA and around the world. For wine lovers, Burgundy is a region that demands study, time, patience, and love. It’s a place to visit again and again. And, if you’re lucky, you just might run into Jeanne-Marie. If you do, be sure to bow! You are in the presence of wine royalty. Planning your trip The Burgundy Wine Board has an encyclopedic website that lists almost every winemaker (the locals call them “growers”) in the region. In general, since most wineries are small family-run busineses, it is best to call ahead and book a visit. The Board offers a service that will help plan your itinerary. Beaune is a two-hour train ride from Paris, and the Beaune tourist is ready to help with everything from accommodations to guides who specialize in oenology. We based ourselves in Pommard just south of Beaune, a quiet village famous for its reds, and a perfect base from which to explore some of the best wineries. There we had the privilege of staying in the 17th century Clos des Colombiers, a luxurious B&B owned and run by the Barthelmebs family. The couple left highflying international corporate careers and created a luxurious yet homey environment, steeped in wine history. There is a small vineyard on the property, and the house’s cellar dates back to the 17th century, where the Barthelmebs discovered a stash of wines made on the property dating as far back as 1915—and still drinkable! We also recommend the Hotel Le Cep in Beaune, another ancient property rich with wine history. We ate at several excellent restaurants in the region. The best was Auprès du Clocher in Pommard, a relatively new restaurant owned by Burgundy native Jean-Christophe Moutet, a master chef who previously worked at the top restaurants in the region. All the food is inventive, while emphasizing the native tastes of the region. If you are a cheese fan, do not miss his Mousse tiède d’époisses au pain d’épices et sa tartine, a dish best, if inadequately, described as a cheese soup! But all the dishes are tasty and inventive and the prices are reasonable. La Cabotte in Nuits St-Georges is a wonderful restaurant that also serves as the heart of the wine industry. Come any day or evening and you will see star winemakers entertaining their clients and friends. The menu changes daily but is always an outstanding offering of “modern” Burgundy food.
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By Laura Tingo
Photo by Rebekah Cartrett Courtesy of Dina Gustin Baker. Portrait Photo by Laura Tingo.
For Dina Gustin Baker, painting is “poetry without words, music without sound and freedom without loss.” Through that personal quote, her abstract paintings convey her true self: a woman who is steadfast, strong, and absolute - and an artistic force. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Baker’s career began in the early 1940s with conversations with Dr. Barnes of the Barnes Foundation in Merion, Pennsylvania, having been awarded a scholarship to the Art Students League in New York City, and soon enough surrounded by the true greats of their time – Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, Willlem de Kooning, the list goes on. “It has been my life and I work every day,” said Baker, who enjoys painting in her West Palm Beach studio. Both Baker’s earliest works dating back to the 1940s, and works created throughout her expansive career have been featured in various prestigious national and international spaces, and many of her works are on display in several lauded permanent collections. Among the many galleries and museums that have featured Baker’s works are: Walter Wickiser Gallery, Inc., The Ezair Gallery, and the Adlung Gallery, in New York City and Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah. In Germany, her works have been featured in the Amerika House in Hamburg, Munich; and the Regensberg Museum, in Regensburg. Baker’s works, housed in permanent collections, are on display at The Boca Raton Museum of Art, in Boca Raton; the Bergen Museum, in Paramus, New Jersey; Barnes Foundation, in Merion, Pennsylvania; and Rutgers University, in Piscataway, New Jersey. Baker has been honored with several distinguished scholarships to several prestigious art colleges and institutes. She attended the Temple Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and The Barnes Foundation in Merion, Pennsylvania; The Art Students League in New York City; Atelier 17, in New York City; The Edward MacDowell Fellow Program, in Peterborough, New Hampshire; and The Virginia Center for The Creative Arts, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Raine Magazine - Volume 15
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Meet Nadirah Stewart
A DA N C E R â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S J O U R N E Y TO H E R D R E A M By Jameela Carson
PHOTOS BY LISA RAMSAY
Tomas Matos and Mia Brice
“I wake up at 5:30am and get home at 6:00pm, but I love every minute of it,” says Nadirah Stewart, a 14-yearold freshman dance major at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City. “Everybody’s so nice and talented, there’s no drama and no popular kids. We have no fear of expressing our art freely, passionately and often loudly,” she continues with a huge smile. “Not only in the classroom, but also in the hallways and cafeteria. It’s amazing!” LaGuardia, also known as the muse for the 1980’s motion picture and television series “Fame”, has graduated many famous names from all areas of the artistic world. Getting into LaGuardia is no easy feat, the acceptance rate is lower than the Ivy League colleges. Dance candidates take ballet and modern classes, after which they perform an original solo before select faculty members. “The hardest part was waiting for the phone call after the audition,” Nadirah confesses, “I stayed in bed all day with the covers over my head until the call came.” Nadirah has a full day with three hours of dance classes and an academic schedule that includes honors classes. “It’s a performing arts school but the academics are very structured and challenging. After coming from a conservative, controlled school environment, I knew I had found my niche,’ she shares with obvious passion. “The energy is refreshing, advice is rampant, and the teachers are phenomenal and they give a lot of individual attention.” Nadirah began dancing at the tender age of 3 and has studied at The Ailey School, Ballet Academy East and Dance Theatre of Harlem. She performed at Alvin Ailey’s 50th Anniversary Gala at the New York City Center when she was 10. She was the youngest to perform that evening. She
slyly confesses, “I think I was too young to know that I was supposed to be nervous.” An avid tennis player and linguist, studying Italian, Arabic and Spanish, Nadirah is also a contributor to the teen stories for Raine Magazine under the name Nadirah Jilaan. She has her sights set on learning ballroom and flamenco dancing, and choreography. Nadirah draws inspiration from Misty Copeland, Martha Graham and Anna Pavlova. When asked what advice she’d like to offer, Nadirah says, “Identify, verbalize and advocate for what you want to do. Don’t let your passion just be a hobby when it can be your life’s work.”
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I N TER N AT I O N AL
TRY BREAKFAST IN BED…IN BOLIVIA! What happens when your dream becomes bigger than life? Ask Martin and Luisa Rattray, two “Kiwis” who had dreams of moving from their home in New Zealand to Bolivia and running a bed and breakfast. How did that happen? Louisa says, “After traveling in Central and South America for the last 20 years, my husband and I decided it was time to make our dream of living in a Latino country come true. In 2007 we were planning for our next trip and the travel book described Tarija, Bolivia as the Mediterranean of South America with its eternal spring climate, plentiful sun, wineries and easy-going inhabitants. After reading this we wanted to go there; so we did.” And they fell in love. Spend a little time with this couple and you too will be sold. “Tarijaís tree lined streets were wide and clean, the people were kind and helpful, the air was crisp and fresh, and the skies seemed forever blue. Tarija was a place that we wanted to enjoy forever. So we went home and started on the escape plan!” Louisa goes on to explain how they took the dream to a reality...”We didn’t want to go through life wondering ‘What if...?’ So it became easy to make plans for a major lifestyle change. Since we had reached all the important goals in our life to this point, this was next on the list of ‘must do things’. As a result the ‘Bolivian plan’ was born. And, now after much research and consideration, we are here in Bolivia living the dream!” One of the things they realized in their travels was a need for better accommodations for the North American and European traveler. Aside from the run down lack luster hostel or the overpriced and sub-standard hotel, the couple saw the need for an intimate B&B with quality bedding, plush towels and a romantic, South American-flared environment. So in February 2010, after two and a half years of saving and planning, they made the move from New Zealand and set up a small guesthouse in Tarija called Residential Altiplano B&B, running it out of their large rented apartment. As Louisa writes on her blog “Travel and life in a new country produces an awesome density of experience.... a cramming together of incidents, impressions and life, detail that is both stimulating and exhausting. You may be excited, bored, confused, desperate, and amazed all in the same experience-filled day. Doesn’t that sound intoxicating? Life here in Bolivia is all of that and more.” It has been an exciting time for the couple learning the language, setting up house, and adjusting to life here but, “it is very addictive and we love it so much. We don’t know how we ever lived life before without a 3 hour siesta each day.” In 2012 the couple decided it was time to expand since they were turning away too many potential customers due to limited space in their rented apartment. So they took the dream to the next level and bought a run down property and have turned it into a 4 guestroom classy boutique-hotel each with an en-suite bath and their own private apartment on the the 3rd floor. It has been exciting to watch them take this distressed property and graduate their B&B to a quaint-ambianced hotel, complete with a grand master retreat with its Jacuzzi tub, intimate patios and spectacular views. In addition to Louisa’s famous breakfast spread served daily, they will now be offering samplings of wine & cheese platters to the weary traveller at incredibly affordable prices. Very appropriate since Tarija is Bolivia’s wine country - all within a 10-minute walk to the most popular tourist attractions in Tarija. “Our promise is that you will enjoy the quality, style, and unique personality of our hotel and leave with good memories.” www.residencialaltiplano.com
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PHOTOS COURTESY RESIDENTIAL ALTIPLANO B&B
By Shirley McCollough