Atlanta View

Atlanta View FASHION

CULTURE

SOCIETY

Special THanks Dejan Agatonovic Michael O’Brien Travis Dodd Bjorn Veno Marion Webb Factor Chosen The Aveda Institute Mary Logan Mario Lopez Camilo Rios White Chloe Enos Kelly Raye Revivethecool Sheri Gandolfi Tesh Yana Tyler McClelland Valheria Rocha Mario Fernando Georgy Hamilton Isabella Gomez Nancy Jauren Frances N Claudio-Vargas Nicole H. Nick M.

Editor’s Letter

W

hen I decide to join the SCAD family in Atlanta, I knew I wanted to bring my eight years of interdisciplinary work gained at the University of Oxford and make it available for students here in Atlanta. My dual background in classics and business studies, sent me searching of someone we could share a similar passion for collaborative projects, outside the box ideas, and searching for new knowledge. The opportunity came when we met Michael O'Brien, Chair of the photography department. His enthusiasm and commitment made it all possible.

Starting a new magazine is certainly not an easy job, and our first issue surely reflects that and must be seen as a first step to build something with a unique voice: a humanistic one; using reason, experience and shared human values in all that we do - working with others for the common good. And it is for this reason that to be interviewed, we approached people that have a generosity, culture, hospitality and brotherhood that encapsulate these values in their daily life.

We often read about the eternal debate of what constitute 'luxury' nowadays and this is our answer: luxury is dream; dream of perfection not by accumulation of objects but by spirit of generosity and brotherhood. Luxury is a matter of social persistence rather than passing fads. Luxury, according to our view, is social cohesion; possible only with similarities of hearts and minds as well as constantly improving ourselves to perfection. The evolution of human kind is luxury; involution is simply looking for valuable objects.

Bjorn Veno, a Norwegian born Artist now living in Atlanta says: “I believe society, culture, fashion and art are perpetuating the idea of passive happiness to varying degrees. Resulting in the regression and potential destruction of humanity. We can evolve by leaving Plato’s cave. Good is active happiness: every individual seeking and exploring for themselves, coming to their own conclusions”.

I believe that the purpose of living is to explore.

Luca Lo Sicco

Atlanta View 5

Editor Luca Lo Sicco

Creative Director Quinton Perry

Contributing & Sub Editor Sarah Magbee

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Table of Contents

Balance Drive and Style

12

AV Guest

16

The Full Monte

20

Neva Opet

24

Land Yacht Collective

30

HIV/AIDS in Atlanta

38

Tchoup Vintage

42

Wingostarr Jewelry

46

Flordeliza Brand

50

Refugees in Atlanta

59

VOX ATL

68

Astrology

70

Photo by Uniqua Brown

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Contributors

Trishaw Brown Uniqua Brown Makala Chung Leng Rachelle Fortune Pui Pui Hmar Alexandria Lee Sharon Lee Kiara Lopez Patricia Machado Sarah Magbee Makala Mulder Andrea Probst Skylar Radford Ashlyn Riess Stefania Sandoval Anna Rose Souther Jamie Terry

Balance, Drive & Style

The tools to success for Dana Spinola, CEO and Founder of fab’rik.

Balance, drive and style what do all three have in common? They are the keys of success to Dana Spinola, founder and CEO of Atlanta based boutique franchise, fab’rik. In a recent interview, I had the privilege to discuss Dana’s measure of success and the ability to “have it all”. Dana laid it all out there, describing her journey as one for the books, filled with challenges that she always saw as opportunities to make her dream become a reality. The ability to “have it all”, family, marriage and your own company, is all about the balance and the determination to make it work.

How fab’rik started, your role as a leader and how you’re lending something to the career force in Atlanta. Work life balance?

Dana: “Fab’rik, it was my dream, wallpapered my entire house with fashion magazines but I didn’t understand how I could have it all. I was working all

Interview by Ashlan Riess the time and always in a different city and it just didn’t pull together for me how I was going to be a mom and be a really good wife and maybe see a friend on a Tuesday. I was wondering how I was going to be able to give back and I had big huge dreams. It was an incredible career path and I was moving forward and up really quick and really fast and in a great direction.

I think when I halted that and decided to go in an opposite direction and they responded, “are you crazy do you see how many zeros are in your pay check … they will go to zero.” It will truly stop and it didn’t bother me in any way. I think I’ve shared that my parents were both starving artists that literally had a dollar to there name at times but I truly believe that if you do what you love then the money will come.

Instead of chasing the paycheck that’s what my parents told me to do. I got to the point in my life where I was asking myseld what do I want to be when I grow up.

It was more of being an entrepreneur and I wanted to have all the other things brought into my life. I wanted to create a path that would make myself happy but that would allow me to bring in all the pieces. “

As far as concept goes, have you stuck to the same concept and foundation from the beginning?

Dana: “I think what’s so amazing about that question is I’ve never been asked that question. We have 100 percent stuck to it and I think that is one of the hardest things to do. A brand evolves so much in ways you have no idea. I really thought we would only have one store. The concept came from when I was going to banks to ask for line of credit. They kept asking me what makes you unique. I’m like oh they are going to be so beautiful and we are going to have these beautiful dresses that no one has and I went through this whole concept but nothing made it that special.

So 13-14 years ago there was no such thing as highend affordable fashion. You couldn’t be served a glass of champagne and get a $60.00 dress. You had to be at a Niemen’s, so I just remember leavening the last bank after fourteen had turned me down and that last one had actually said yes. He told me to go home and create an actual concept that’s unique, you keep saying its unique but I don’t understand what that means and I don’t think you do either. So I went back and I kept asking myself how do I shop? I like to shop a lot and frequently but I don’t always have the funds. But I wanted to go into a boutique and be like WOW I’m shopping in a boutique. I came up with the concept what if everything was under $100.00 and I’ll cheat on the jeans. But that’s it. Keeping these prices under $100.00 has been so hard for many reasons but that’s the concept. Our customers begged us in the beginning to stay affordable because they want to shop frequently and we stick with it. I’m proud of us as I think about it right now. We’ve had meetings around it and to move into the $200.00 range but we’ve created such a place of trust with our fab’rik addicts that they known its going to be guilt free shopping with the high-end experience.“ Maintaining that work life balance. Owning your own company, having it be such a large and dominant piece within the industry, how do you balance, what’s your tool to keeping that balance?

Dana: “I would say my trick is on a daily basis, sometimes weekly or our look at my month or my year.

I try to ask myself what should I be doing and what should I be saying no to. I was working all day till two in the morning falling asleep for four hours and then starting back at six. So I wasn’t being a good girlfriend, friend or a good anybody there. So I had to go and pull the balance of that and say okay that was a season and I had to bring the balance back and then I got married, maybe I need to be a wife maybe I should

cook some dinner, so I would come home cook dinner and then head back to the office. Then kids come in and everything keeps shifting and what you can do and what I’ve done is figure out my to do list. Today there is a section on it that says before I fall asleep tonight. These are the items that need to happen and they are usually items that have to happen for someone else, someone needs something or someone at work needs encouragement and children they will always need your help and assistance. They will always be the biggest need. Some days you just have to balance out and schedule out time to do nothing and and not work. It’s a lot of discipline. It’s a lot of figuring out what you’re going to sacrifice by doing too much of something. The biggest thingI‘ve learned is that it’s different for everybody and I think what I’ve been blessed with is having a really high endurance to soaking everything up in this life. So I don’t feel like I can tell everyone what there balance is but you have one and you know when you’re in it.

Everything just feels great and for me its everyday it’s a little bit of kids, it’s a little bit of being a wife and I’m 41 and I’m finally bringing friends back into my life. But you do have to be prepared to sacrifice something’s if your going to be a CEO of a business. You have to be okay with it. You have to find what works for you. I have an appreciation for how calm and quiet my office is but I also have appreciation for how much fun it is to run around and play with my kids.”

As far as fab’rik stands, do you feel like Atlanta is a great asset and contributing to helping with your success and create this balance?

Dana: “ I’m from Atlanta so I have an absolute love for it. My first interview my first year I think the one thing about Atlanta is that we are big enough and we are known as this big city and you can really be a big fish in a small pond. The respect of the other business owners and we come together and really lift each other up. The other CEOS and mentors I call don’t hold back, they are always quick to share and lend help and experience. It’s in essence collaborations. We are all a team working together here in Atlanta. Atlanta is almost a hidden secret, the idea that you can have such easy connections to so many different things that would take so much red tape in other cities. Atlanta based companies have the comrade no matter what industry, we all support each other. Looking back you feel the support and I believed in Atlanta and now its come full circle. Our goal is not to be a fashion center but its great because we have a little piece of everything. This is a place of perfect balance.”

emotions Kiara Lopez

AV Guest

Bjørn Venø (b 1979 Norway) received his MA in Photography from the Royal College of Art London in 2012.

Curated and organized Venø Gård KUNST International Performance Art Festival, Norway (2015). Recent exhibitions and performances include ‘Tomato Head’ and ‘Bread and Circus’ Live Action 9, Gothenburg Sweden (2014), ‘Is the Fool our Last Hope?’, DigitaLive, Guangzhou China (2013), ‘The Rudin Prize’, Norton Museum, West Palm Beach US (2012), with solo projects at Tenderpixel, London (2013), Fotogalleriet [format], Malmö Sweden (2009) and Nettie Horn, London (2009). www.bjornveno.com

I show a projection of a digitally drawn line, and ask a group of students what they see. Then I draw a line on the white board, and ask if it is the same line?

I tell them the difference is the intent; one is just a line without thought or purpose the other is something more, it was drawn with passion and purpose. Is it just the artist who drew the two lines who is able to know that? No. The viewer can know from the context it is presented. For example if the projected line was presented in a gallery, the question that might present itself to the viewer could be: ‘why is this line considered important?’ If the viewer actively thinks upon this question and tries to find an answer he is actively thinking. Then from my point of view the work is successful. Think of this in comparison to placing a technically well-executed photograph in a gallery, what would your first thoughts be? Responses like it is technically well executed, it is beautiful or it is sublime are frustrating to me, because you are passively responding to the image, the viewer is not asking questions, trying to understand what is going on. The work in that case was a failure to me.

I am an artist, because I believe we are living in Plato’s Cave (Plato 423BC - 347BC) Imagine a group of people imprisoned within a cave from birth. They are chained and confined in such a way that they cannot move their heads. They have befallen this fate because an unknown force wants to control their perception of reality, which they do by presenting reality only as shadows. They do this by creating a fire behind the prisoners and placing objects and sculptures in front of it, much like a shadow theater. One day a prisoner gets free from his chains and turns to see what is behind him, he glimpses the objects that cast the shadow,

but they appear alien and unknown to him, then he is blinded by the fire and experiences pain, finally he turns back to what he knows, believing that the shadows are a clearer representation of reality. Some days later the same prisoner is forced out of the cave and in to the light.

He kicked and he screamed. Outside the cave and in the light of the sun he found himself in scrutinizing pain.

His eyes slowly adjusted; at first he was able to only see reflections in the water, and then the objects themselves, trees flowers, animals and other humans. At that moment he realized that up until now he had only been seeing the shadow of reality and not reality itself. He then looks up towards the sun and realizes that it is the sun who enables him to perceive reality, without it his eyes would be of no use. Further more it dawns on him that the cave and the chains is not the prison, but the fire in the cave that is nothing more than a simulacrum of the sun. The prisoner feeling a sense of duty towards his fellow prisoners would wish to return to the cave, so that they too can be free.

However when he enters the cave he is now stumbling around like a fool, as his eyes are no longer accustomed to the light of the cave. Worse still the prisoner is now unable to communicate with the prisoners, when he tries to describe to them what he has seen he appears like a bumbling idiot. The remaining prisoners can but conclude that leaving the cave is the worst thing they could do.

I perceive myself as the escaped prisoner, seeing it as my responsibility to humanity to reveal this truth. But I am facing the same problem, I’m not able to tell anyone about what is outside the cave as the prisoners will not believe or understand me unless they come to the conclusion for themselves.

Descartes (1596-1650) has a similar allegory to Plato; about

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an Evil Demon who is misleading our senses, creating a world that is an illusion. The updated version of this is the thought experiment of the Brain in a Vat. Imagine the brain connected to a computer that is projecting a simulacrum of reality. This story is littered across popular culture, with countless varying spins on it. Some are very literal like the Matrix, Dark City, The Thirteenth Floor, eXistenZ and the Truman Show, all from 1998-99. Make of that what you will.

One could also say that many dystopian stories follow a similar idea, a sinister government is creating an illusion for its subjects and one prisoner wakes up to this truth and brakes free or attempts to brake free, chief among them being the book 1984 by Gorge Orwell, followed by films such as Brazil, Equilibrium, The Hunger Games, Divergent, THX 1138, Rollerball, WALL-E and many more. We can stretch it further and say that there are two forms of stories that can, with a stretch of ones imagination, be connected to Plato’s Cave theory and Descartes’s Evil Demon. The stories about the hero who wishes to prevent us from being placed in the prison. For example Star Wars 1 to 3, Anakin is fighting against the Dark Side that is threatening to imprison us within the cave, but at the end Anakin joins the jailor Palpatin and plunges the galaxy into darkness.

Then there is the story about the hero who wishes to free us from the prison, such as in Star Wars 4 to 6, Luke Skywalker a prisoner within this universe, brakes free and brings back the light.

One might wonder why so few chose to leave the prison when there are so many stories subtly encouraging one to do so. The answer is simple, seeing these stories can be equated to when the prisoner in Plato’s cave was able to see the real objects and the fire in the cave, but chose to turn ones gaze back to the illusion.

I would like to present my perception of Plato’s cave, and

how I believe we are imprisoned within it. I distinguish between two different forms of happiness, passive and active. Passive happiness is of the body and connected to the ego. We are made to feel happy by exterior forces, through compliments, acquisition, entertainment, nostalgia, rewards and pleasure points on our body. Our culture is built up around the pursuit of passive happiness.

I will argue that this pursuit is the same as being confined in Plato’s cave. One is not experiencing the true nature of happiness. Furthermore one is receiving inputs like a brain in a vat. An exterior force is stimulating the brain, maybe

by Descartes Evil Demon? The brain itself is not perceiving happiness for itself, which it could do through active happiness, a form of happiness that is connected to your mind and how you chose to perceive. You need nothing to achieve active happiness; the ability to do so is within everyone. But we are trapped within the cave, when we hear about active happiness. It does not make sense, when we see someone try to talk about it. We perceive him as a fool and conclude that it is better to stay where we are.

I believe that the purpose of living is to explore, but when one is pursuing passive happiness one is not exploring, instead one is presented with the illusion of it. By pursuing active happiness one is exploring, because you are actively thinking, you are not being passive and stimulated. It must be stated that by approaching passive happiness with an active mind one is able to achieve active happiness from what can be considered passive experiences. The difference lies within how we chose to see. Do we perceive by staying in the cave or do we perceive by leaving the cave and allowing the sun to illuminate the reality, instead of the simulacrum of the fire?

Let’s return to Star Wars or the traditional story of good versus evil. When we place that idea within the framework I’m describing, good and evil is no longer what

we traditionally think. Good is active happiness: every individual seeking and exploring for themselves, coming to their own conclusions. Whilst evil is passive happiness: every individual provided for, stimulated and told what to think. Normally in such a black and white world the two can never cross over, but within this line of thought good can never be evil, but evil can be good. It is all a matter of perception, as an individual you have the option to passively or actively perceive. What you perceive is in itself neutral even though it might create a range of sensations from pleasure to pain. Imagine being in the prison, which I have attributed to passive perception and evil, however you have the option to actively perceive and if you are able to do that you are experiencing something good. Even though you are physically imprisoned your mind is free and in a good place. The opposite is not possible. Living outside the cave and actively perceiving cannot be evil or passive. I can see that some might argue against this, and say that even though you are free you can be passive, but then you are missing the point, because if you are passive you are not free.

I believe our society, culture, fashion and art are perpetuating the idea of passive happiness to varying degrees. Resulting in the regression and potential destruction of humanity. We can only evolve by leaving the cave.

I believe the artists has the ability to inspire us to leave the cave by making work that demands we perceive it actively and not passively. That is the kind of artist I have chosen to be. I’m not saying that it is only the artist who can do this; in fact most forms of human communication have the ability to inspire us to explore. Fashion being one of the few exceptions I can think of, because of the nature of what it is. Fashion is the product of striving for passive

happiness. Fashion is about creating a fantasy, or the illusion that when we buy the product we will be happy.

Because we never reach the happiness that is promised, we must continuously chase after the next thing. However any human product that normally falls under fashion, such as clothes and accessories, have the possibility to inspire us towards active happiness, but our society has only given it one viable arena to present itself, which is within the construct of fashion. When clothing has entered the arena of art, such as Iris van Herpen’s exhibition at Atlanta High Museum (November 07, 2015 - May 15, 2016) I believe we are shown that clothing can be more than fashion, that it can also be a text. Because it becomes a text it must then be interpreted, which is an active activity. However I have a problem with the tagline for the show “Transforming Fashion”, because I believe it is becoming something other than fashion. Fashion cannot be transformed without changing the meaning of the word. Another example of clothing becoming more than fashion is the work and persona that is Daniel Lismore, who was on show at SCAD FASH (January 22-May 1, 2016). The tagline for this show I find more appropriate “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken”. But what does that mean? It goes against the core concept of what fashion is, to follow a trend. To be yourself you must be active, you must explore and by doing that you are leaving the cave.

Whilst talking about these ideas to a Fashion Marketing class, the distinction between style and trend was presented to me by a student. It was suggested that style does not follow fashion, but trend does as it is closely related to fashion. Having style is something one actively ascribes towards, whilst being trendy is about passively responding to what everyone likes. Maybe the word style can be an alternative to fashion, the idea of actively pursuing clothes and accessories in a coherent and explorative manner.

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THE FULL MONTE Skylar Radford

U

nless you have been living under a rock for the past 6 years, you know who Monte Durham is. Fashion

icon and wedding dress specialist Monte Durham is a man about town. I was blessed to meet Monte out of sheer coincidence in our hometown 2 years ago. I was modeling for a charity, and he was the celebrity guest.

Being a fellow lover of fashion I worked up the guts to speak to him and I could not have been more surprised at how kind and down to earth the man was. Monte has had a fairytale life, but don’t get me wrong—he worked his ass off for it. Monte grew up in West Virginia. He was always a person who stood out. Still to this day he catches the eye of many because of his charismatic personality, sense of humor, love for people, animals, charity work, strong southern values, and hora of grace and elegance he demonstrates in everyday life. Monte went to college at a small fashion design school in Virginia where he learned to use one of his many talents. After graduating he spent some of his career doing visuals and merchandising in 76 different department stores.

He then worked for Neiman Marcus as a personal shopper. Monte returned to school to learn beauty and hair which paid off greatly when he received a job at Elizabeth Arden as a beauty department and culture manager which he did for 12 years. After being in the fashion industry for many years already, he decided to take the plunge and go a step further to work in bridal which for him was a piece of cake. In 2000, Monte was selling wedding gowns in wholesale when he met Lori Allen, the brilliant business women and owner of Bridals by Lori in Atlanta. They maintained a friendship for many years which is still true to this day. Monte then opened a high end hair salon in his hometown in West Virginia working there full time while still also selling wedding gowns part time. In 2010, Lori called him to be on the new TLC show Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta. The duo took over TLC with their southern charm, talent, eye for style and entertaining attitude. That was 6 years ago-- the show is still as fantastic as ever! Monte is the full package, he does community outreach and gives advice and comfort to many about bullies. He works works works… when Monte isn’t on TV or working, he loves to volunteer for hospice and animal rescue and he loves to spend time with family. He works out faithfully and loves to get out and ride his bike. Every morning before starting his busy day he prays. Monte is a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Washington and is very excited to go to London this October to meet the Arch Bishop of Canterbury!

Monte has a full year ahead. On May 20th, Monte aired a series getting prom gowns for deserving girls. Just this past weekend he was chosen to be the celebrity guest at the Kentucky Derby. Monte will be judging the Miss West Virginia pageant, the Miss Maryland USA pageant, as well as a fashion event in an effort to rescue Welsh Terriers, and will be turning 60 in September! (doesn’t look a day over 40). He is now qualified as a famous West Virginian and has his own app- The Full Monte. Oh, and did I mention his hair product line? Monte has created a plethora of quality hair products that works magic. His alter ego is Jackie Kennedy which is also the person he would want to be stranded on an island with. He loves history and his favorite movie is Gone with the Wind. As you can tell, Monte Durham is a man of quality and substance. He’s never met a stranger and is one of the most genuine people I have had the pleasure of knowing. I could go on and on but Monte’s accomplishments and character speaks for himself. My hat is off to you, Monte.

W

omen all over the country are knowledgeable of the very real likely hood of getting breast

cancer. Thankfully, the United States and other countries have made it a priority to make people aware of the increasing number of cases and early symptoms so women and men can protect themselves. Yes, men. It’s shocking but men can and do get breast cancer. Now that number is nearly as high as women but it is still a possibility. 1 in 8 women get breast cancer sometime during their lifetime. Scary right? 2 or 3 out of the 20 some girls in my Visuals in Fashion class will get breast cancer before they die. Most of us are in our early to mid twenties so you would think that we don’t have to worry about it for at least 20 years because the likelihood is so low it doesn’t matter. Well, I am sorry to say that’s not true. Yes, breast cancer is rare in young women but it is still a possibility. Fewer than 5 percent of breast cancers diagnosed in the U.S. occur in women under 40. Most young women my age are concerned about graduating and getting a job or planning a wedding and having their first baby. The last thing on their mind is cancer. Like I said, it is uncommon but it is not obsolete.

Unfortunately, prognosis for younger women tends to be worse because the cancer is more likely to be fast growing, higher grade, and hormone receptor-negative. These factors make breast cancer more aggressive and more likely to require chemotherapy. Although treatment for women with breast cancer is similar for all ages, younger women have a concern with loss of fertility. Cancer is scary.

Women and men of all ages, shapes, a sizes go through this life struggle. My point is… be aware of your health.

Go to your OBGYN for yearly checkups and examinations. Although younger women have a lesser chance, it is not impossible. Protect yourself ladies. Eat healthy, workout, and gain knowledge so you can kick cancers ass if it does head your way.

Remember LADIES, mammograming your boobs is more important than instgramming them.

1.

Limit consumption of calorie-dense foods. Avoid sugary drinks.

2.

Eat mostly foods of plant origin.

3.

Maintain body weight within the normal range throughout adulthood.

4.

Aim to meet nutritional needs through food alone, not supplements.

5.

Limit alcoholic drinks.

6.

Be physically active for at least 30 minutes every day.

7.

8.

Mothers to breastfeed; children to be breastfed.

9.

For cancer survivors, follow the recommendations for cancer prevention..

10.

Limit consumption of salt.

Limit intake of red meat and avoid processed meat.

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NEVA OPET Makala Mulder

Atlanta is filled with small businesses that create loud voices.

One small business in the Peach State is Neva Opet which began in 2014. The brand curates one of a kind, genuine leather handbags that are meant to last a life time. AV Magazine met designer and founder, Rachael Riedinger, to get a personal interview about her brand, her views on All-American made products, and her plans for the future.

AV Magazine: Rachael, tell us about your company?

Rachael: I started my company as a hobby, after college. I graduated from Georgia State and went into retail. I was really unhappy and to do something outside of retail I began making bags. I have been sewing for a good part of my life and wanted to further challenge myself with something different, so I decided on making utilitarian durable leather handbags. I couldn’t find a bag in the market that specifically catered to my needs. A bag that had a look of masculinity but maintained its feminine aspects. I officially became a company in May 2015.

AV Magazine: Why did you name it Neva Opet?

Rachael: During the thought process of naming the company, I didn’t want to use my name because I have an extensive name. I also didn’t want to name the brand after myself because that’s pretty narcissistic. I noticed, while I was thinking of inspiration, the companies on Etsy, have buzzwords. My great grandmother had a great name, Neva Johnson, you don’t hear old southern names like that anymore. She was a radical, super sassy woman for her time. Who defied the rules of society during the time when divorce and getting a higher degree as a woman was frowned upon. As I further thought about the company name, I couldn’t just call it Neva, I had to think of another word. I have always been fascinated of Egyptology, I majored in Art History, and during the time of working in retail, I thought of returning to school to get my masters in Egyptology. With my background in art history, I decided why not name it Opet. Opet is an Egyptian festival that signifies the generations of pharaohs and the gods. In a weird way, the company is completely about history, myself, and generations, especially when you can wear these bags over and over again – which makes them better and better. Another cool aspect about the brand is that the initials of Neva Opet are N.O., a bag is a personal thing so having the logo N.O. on the outside of the bag introduces a statement of “NO, don’t go into my bag”.

AV Magazine: Tell me about your process of becoming a company?

Rachael: Most makers start slow when building up there company so I began selling my bags in local markets and craft shows such as ICE and Indie Craft Experience. I began to notice a need with my bags. With customers reacting so strongly to my bags, I decided to sell them at Young Blood, which is a store that carries local and small business merchandise. It was a slow start with the bags when I began selling them in the store. Several months later, out of the blue, Urban Outfitters sent an email saying that they wanted to place a purchase order on my Minimal Bucket Bag. All of a sudden I go from making a couple bags a month into designing 40 a month. This is the moment I decided to become a company.

AV Magazine: What did you do to start your business?

Rachael: I have been doing the business for a while when I received an email about six months ago saying to apply for this grant. It was the first year that Atlanta was incorporating fashion designers in the Emerging Artist Award. I went into an interview and I showed them several of my pieces. A week later I received a letter saying I won the award.

AV Magazine: Who is the Neva Opet customer?

Rachael: I always think that a classic well-made bag, spans all trends and genders. I don’t catered to a specific age because of the minimal style, the bags can fit with anyone’s style. Everyone can feel good in their bag. My customer is anyone who is interested in American made products, has a minimalist aesthetics, and values raw great durable leather.

AV Magazine: Do you consider yourself a sustainable company?

Rachael: Yeah, sustainability in the sense that my bags grow with character. You can buy one bag and have it for years. It will not disintegrate over time like a fast fashion tee shirt. The leather is thick oil hide, and the rivets are the strongest they come. You could run over one of my bags and they still would be fine.

AV Magazine: What do you see in the future for the brand?

Rachael: For the future I don’t want to be a huge name. I want to have a growing list of whole sale contacts in boutiques. I don’t want to be in large stores like Macy’s or Nordstrom’s. However I do want to maintain that contact with the bags. I want to have a small studio of four local people who know how to sew and social media experts that strive to help with the production of the bags and the furthering of the brand. I want to still contribute to that process of the creation of the bags but have a team of people who have the same vision and aesthetic as mine. I did not create this company for the money, I created it to change the way people shop, the way people think about accessories. The consumer is becoming aware and concerned about where their products are coming from. What I can offer is that, I make these bags, they are made from all American materials, I don’t source out of the states, I keep my sourcing home grown.

AV Magazine: Do you have any advice to give on starting a business?

Rachael: You should only start a business if you see a demand. Don’t start a business just to start a business because you want to work for yourself. Start off small, work another job, see where it’s going and then build up a small customer base. That way you are able to dip your toes and test the waters. Walk before you can run and really love what you are making, if it is heartless then you won’t have a customer. You have to be able to discipline yourself, it is a job so you have to be up at 8 a.m. to get work started and be ready to do 85 things before your business takes off. Lastly, do not be in it for the money because starting a business is about creating passion and finding that need in the market. Money will come

after hard

work is achieved.

Photographer: Kelley Raye

http://nevaopet.com

Model: Olivia Chauncey

Atlanta View 29

RED’S, an Atlanta based sunglasses brand founded in 2011 has taken on a new venture and set sail in their newly renovated 1966 Airstream they call, “The Land Yacht Collective”. Brian Francis, cofounder and Creative Director of RED’S is here to tell us about the changing retail industry and how he has chosen to tackle it.

Interview by, Anna Rose Souther Photography by, Camilla Rios White

Can you explain the concept of the land Yacht? After working with traditional retailers for 4 years and seeing our core stores or “anchor” stores continue to do well, we also saw a lot of turnover and lack of consistency. Traditional retailers tend to jump on newer brands when they first launch. They are reactive when it comes to demand and planning. We wanted to create something where we control that. We’ve started doing more and more pop-up type shops and found that being able to speak directly to the consumer and take the product into a setting that’s more lifestyle oriented rather than a traditional retail store resonates better with our customer. They feel more engaged with what we are doing and they feel like they are apart of

the brand. The margins are much better for us as well. I consider myself to be good at making strategic partnerships with other brands. That may be through collaborations or cross-pollinating each other’s markets through joint marketing efforts. At this point, Red’s doesn’t want to just start making bathing suits. Instead, we would rather test our market by bringing on a bigger name in swimwear that’s already established and a bit more “seasoned” in the swimwear category.

We plan to see how the product moves and how our customer reacts when we have swimwear, or clothing, or even stuff that we would never want to get into, like surfboards. When you combine a lifestyle brand with an action sports brand people

can shop for a pair of board shorts or a board in the same place. They can demo a board if they are at an event on the beach or they can shop for shoes that they could wear that night. It all stems from bringing the brands directly to the customer instead of having them come to you. You can also shop for the product online or at the actual airstream. We partner with high-end luxury partners that make footwear and accessories like Salvatore Ferragamo. Our customer would come and buy a new pair of boat shoes for the water or driving shoes that they would wear in the city on Monday or Tuesday when they get back from the beach. Our goal is to have those high-end options as well as a casual offering, being category consistent

and not overwhelming the customer, and always focusing on the essentials.

People’s needs have changed. Most people, they want to be influenced and introduced to something by someone.

Because of that, the Land Yacht will be home to all the essentials our customer could possibly want or need, in one wellcurated, innovative concept.

Obviously the brand is geared more towards the Hamptons and New York per se, but you are based out of Atlanta. How do you make things translate to the Atlanta customer?

For our customer, From Atlanta to Charleston to D.C. to New York, the customers are usually an elevated customer with discerning tastes that pride themselves on knowing what

the new emerging brands are or what the “hot item” of the moment may be.

Throughout the summer, the same “collective” of essentials will be available within each city on the tour, but will change as the seasons do and as we add new locations. We wanted to play up the elevated “Made in Italy” brand that we’ve created with RED’S, so we are partnering with Aperol, the most popular aperitif in Italy. We’ve also integrated the right local host into each stop on our tour.

What inspires you the most?

I would say travelling is the main thing that inspires me. It is so interesting to see the different cultures and how luxury brands translate to every market. Seeing how those timeless brands have done so, regardless of location. I find inspiration from emerging arts and the difference in styles. While shopping for different fabrics I pull inspiration from trips such as a recent one to Pisac, Peru, a small textile village. Everywhere you travel you can find inspiration to apply to your own work. If you continue to find other places as sources of inspiration it is very easy to re-invent yourself as opposed to keeping the same stagnant feel.

What are your plans for the future?

After the first “road to Montauk” tour? What’s next?

We are staying with the same concept but instead of just being a surf inspired collective, we are focusing on the essentials for every season that are a

part of our lifestyle. In the summer it is being at the beach and having product that caters to that. In the fall we are going to focus on bringing similar brands and translating our aesthetic to collegiate markets for football season. We may introduce a new brand that specializes in knits and polos, or similar things that could be easily translated to the collegiate market. Our lifestyle involves skiing during winter. We may journey to Aspen for the slopes. In the spring make our way over to California, and continue living and promoting our “Vacation Forever” and “Gypset” lifestyles. We will always be adjusting and catering the product offering to be location specific.

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I know we’ve talked a lot about the future. Can you tell me bit about how Red’s began and how you got started in the industry?

My best friend and I saw an opportunity in the marketplace to create an American brand that maintained the integrity of Italian craftsmanship when it came to eyewear. We started creating a brand that was focused on that. Then my original business partner passed away.

His style was the original inspiration infused with mine. He was traditional and preppy, always having a cable-knit sweater in every color, whereas, I would focus on stuff that was more street style, or unique. I like to buy different limited edition shoes like Jordans, Aasics, or Air max’s. We had started a building a brand that was a combination of our styles when Whitner tragically passed away.

After that it became more of a brand inspired directly by him. We named the brand, RED’S after Whitner’s yellow lab who was always known for being by his side. When Whitner passed away, he drowned from Shallow Water Blackout. I had never heard of that and neither had everyone we spoke to. But, to this day, it is the number one cause of swim related deaths of people that are actually strong swimmers. It is when your involuntary and voluntary reactions fail you. When you are holding your breath your mind is telling

yourself to not breathe in but because your body needs oxygen, at some point you will pass out. When you pass out your body’s first reaction is to inhale, but you when you do, you inhale water.

Whitner’s mother was a doctor and after researching these accidents she started a foundation called Shallow Water Blackout Prevention. The main focus is to spread awareness about the dangers of prolonged breath holding, diving without a partner, and hypoxia training.

Hypoxia training is where swimmers essentially hyperventilate to expand their lungs. But, throughout more research we realized that these deaths were only categorized by drowning. There was no segment that was focused on Shallow Water Blackout. That same summer two navy seals drowned from shallow water blackout in just three feet of water. As we started to hear more stories, we tried to give a platform for people to share their stories and their losses. Michael Phelps has become a spokesperson for Shallow Water Blackout and has even done some commercials raising awareness as well. Whitner’s tragic death could have been easily avoided had we been made aware of the dangers and safe practices to take in preventing it. Our goal is to help prevent any unnecessary deaths by Shallow Water Blackout.

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Colors of Atlanta Makala Chung Leng

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In Atlanta, we are now in what doctors and scientists call an ‘epidemic’. The HIV/AIDS in Atlanta is now being compared to third world countries in Africa.

Where exactly did HIV come from?

Its known that scientists found that a specific type of chimpanzee in Central Africa came to be the source of this infection.

Its believed that the chimpanzee’s had a version of the immunodeficiency virus and was transmitted to humans which mutated into HIV when humans hunted chimpanzees for meat and came into contact with their blood. Studies have been proven to show that HIV was apparent from as late as the 1800s. Over several decades the virus spread across Africa and into other parts of the world. Its known that the virus existed in the United States since at least the mid- to late 1970s.

Many people aren’t fully aware of this disease, how extreme it is. It’s life threatening. Statistics claim that 36.9 million people in the world are currently living with HIV/AIDS, 2.6 million children are living with HIV who were infected by their HIV positive mother during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.What exactly is HIV/AIDS? HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus which can lead to AIDS if its left untreated. If the HIV is caught early you could be treated before it develops into AIDS, but this doesn’t mean the virus is gone. The human body will never be able to get rid of HIV completely. Once you have HIV, you have it for life. HIV attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells also called T cells which help the immune system fight off infections. If HIV is left untreated, the disease reduces the number of CD4 cells in the body making the body much more susceptible to infections and disease. The body isn’t able to fight off these diseases which in result, make the immune system severely weak causing infections and cancers. The after math is AIDS. HIV is currently incurable but with proper treatment and care it can be controlled. The treatment consists of a medicine called antiretroviral therapy also known as ART. Taken everyday prolongs the lives of people with HIV, keeps them healthy which also lowers their chances of transmitting this disease onto others. Getting tested for HIV is key, many clinics, health centers and hospitals offer tests.You are also able to buy home test kits at a pharmacy or online.

AIDS is the final stage of HIV. When HIV progresses into AIDS this occurs when the immune system is severely damaged where you’re vulnerable to opportunistic infections. Treatment is necessary and people who are diagnosed with AIDS typically survive about 3 years. Treatment is necessary to prevent death for patients diagnosed with AIDS. HIV refers to the virus while AIDS refers to the final stage of HIV.

H

IV is spread through direct contact with certain bodily fluids from someone who has HIV such as blood, semen and pre seminal fluid, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. In the United States HIV is primarily spread through sexual contact or needles and syringes. To be HIV positive, bodily fluids must come into direct contact with a mucous membrane or damaged tissue. The Mucous membrane is the rectum, vagina, penis and the mouth.

Whats shocking is the way people react towards HIV/ AIDS victims. Casual contact with an infected person isn’t harmful. HIV is not spread by air or water, insects, saliva, tears, sweat, embracing, using the same toilets, sharing food or drinks, closed or open mouth kissing or sexual activities that don’t involve the exchange of bodily fluids.

“It’s frightening to know that Downtown Atlanta is just as bad as Zimbabwe,” says Dr. Carlos del Rio who is the co-director of Emory University’s Center for AIDS Research. Dr. Carlos del Rio exclaims that “the disease is mainly affected by gay men and drug users in the late ‘80s to a disease that affects nearly every population, but in particular African-Americans with limited access to health care. Where not only are you HIV positive but you have no food to eat with children to take care of.” As of now, Fulton County has a new public health director and HIV programs are more visible around the city.

According to CDC, about one in 51 people in Georgia will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. It was reported that in 2014 Atlanta ranked 5th for HIV infections. It was also found that the Southern region of the United States contracted HIV with the highest with gay men put at a risk in 1 in 6 of getting the disease, while heterosexual men possessed a 1 in 473 risk. Gay black men in particular had the highest risk than any other ethnicities where they had a 1 in 2 risk, Hispanic men at 1 in 4 risk and white men at 1 in 11 risk. There is also the possibility that because of the increase in heroin use in Atlanta, this problem alone could spread HIV more than it as already done says WXIA. As Atlanta is progressing into a frightening state, we must become more aware of the HIV/AIDS. Informing others and holding preventative measures is important. The only way to truly know if you’re infected is to get tested.

How can you help?

Help by getting involved in charities, volunteer, join organizations and really get involved. We are the step to change.

Written by Sharon Lee

Lesley Washington Tchoup Vintage Stefania Sandoval

It will be three years in August. I launched in August 2013.

When did you start Tchoup Vintage?

It will be three years in August. I launched in August 2013.

What made you start Tchoup?

It has always been a dream of mine to kind of have my own shop since I was 5 years old. I would always read business books and try to find ways to make a quick buck. And I remember back in high school telling myself, “Ok, I want my own shop where people can get a cup of coffee and relaz while shopping.” Of course, going to SCAD kind of put it in perspective. When my dad passed in 2013, that event made me think, “This is the time to do it.” I need to find a way to not be sad and, basically, be productive and channel my sadness into happiness. I needed something that would keep me distracted.

Tchoup was born maybe 3 months after that when I finally decided to crush it out.

Where do you get your inspiration from for your entire aesthetic?

Personal style, for sure. And it also came from knowing the demographic that I have, too. It has been pretty consistent but, over the years, I have gotten to know the Tchoup When did you start Tchoup Vintage?

What made you start Tchoup?

It has always been a dream of mine to kind of have my own shop since I was 5 years old. I would always read business books and try to find ways to make a quick buck. And I remember back in high school telling myself, “Ok, I want my own shop where people can get a cup of coffee and relaz while shopping.” Of course, going to SCAD kind of put it in perspective. When my dad passed in 2013, that event made me think, “This is the time to do it.” I need to find a way to not be sad and, basically, be productive and channel my sadness into happiness. I needed something that would keep me distracted.

Tchoup was born maybe 3 months after that when I finally decided to crush it out.

Where do you get your inspiration from for your entire aesthetic?

Personal style, for sure. And it also came from knowing the demographic that I have, too. It has been pretty consistent but, over the years, I have gotten to know the Tchoup the world and wasting water. Vintage was already made for you and now you are recycling it again or upcycling it by cutting it up and making something new. Vintage, I feel, is more fun to outsource than other stuff because those things are so over saturated and in Atlanta, the vintage scene is not that prominent, so I felt

like this would be a good opportunity to fill this market by giving customers more choices between vintage shops where I can price my clothing at more affordable prices. And the need for more vintage shops isn’t just in Atlanta but in other cities such as Athens, which doesn’t limit Tchoup to simlply Atlanta.

How do you compete with retailers that make brand new garments that were inspired by other eras?

I follow trends a lot, read blogs and I love to observe people here in Atlanta to see what’s new and hip. I look at what people are wearing from sources like Instagram to see what’s the next cool thing. I am also signed up for a lot of email newsletters from retailers such as Urban Outfitters.

So, I look for inspiration those ways and then when I go sourcing I look for those trends and what I think will trend for the upcoming season and what my customer will buy. So, for instance, I know right now that Adidas is making a really big comeback with things from the 90s with their athletic attire. So, lately, I have been buying more mesh t-shirts, jerseys, etc. but I make it Tchoup by buying things with cool prints or interesting leather details. I go for wearable vintage, which means that the material or the silhouette has become popular again so, therefore, it is wearable. There is a certain vintage that is very “costumey” which is what I stay away from simply because it is not wearable.

What made you start pop-up shops?

Starting off, I did not want to do anything in person. I originally wanted Tchoup to be this go-to site for vintage. I wanted to be more of a mystery and be this brand that popped-up in Atlanta without anyone knowing who was behind the shop.

In fact, at the beginning, I didn’t even put my name on the business cards because I wanted to be able to keep my own identity without people referring to me as “the girl that sells vintage”. Even though it is like that now, I feel like people understand that there is more to it and that I am the creative force behind Tchoup that does the graphic designs, logos, social media, and lookbooks.

I remember within the first 2 months of my launch, this currently popular artist in the music scene asked to be part of a pop-up shop she was curating. At first, I was really reluctant to go but then I remember thinking, “She seems really cool and it seems like good energy and a fun party so maybe I should just try it.” Then, after the show I remember thinking, “That was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be and this could be a way I could meet people and expand my brand.” So I kept hearing about more events and applying and getting in and after some time, I realized how much more money I was making.

Not only that but these events were a chance to be more personable with my customers by letting them know the story behind an item and that has ultimately created a community.

Would you ever make Tchoup Vintage into a brick-and-mortar store?

I go back and forth with this idea.

Personally, right now, I don’t think

I would want to only because the overhead costs of a business are very expensive. However, I have had this idea since I was at school at SCAD to make Tchoup a mobile pop-up shop by buying a trailer and travelling from state to state. I just revisited that idea not too long ago but I am always thinking of new ways to broaden the horizon for Tchoup and make things better. But basically, I would visit the hippest city in every state, such as Miami, Austin, Chicago, Montgomery and Boston. I feel like that would get Tchoup Vintage’s name out more than a single storefront would. But, if I ever truly considered having a store or studio space, I would probably locate to a hip neighborhood because there are more people willing to experiment with vintage or just weird fashion in general. I feel like that crowd appreciates vintage garments and that would create more foot traffic.

Where do you see Tchoup Vintage in the next 5 years?

Aside from the mobile boutique, and possibly a store front, I definitely see it expanding with more employees and being involved in way more collaborations. Overall, I just see it expanding. In the last three years, I’m still surprised by how big Tchoup is getting. Even in the last 4 months, I feel like I’ve had way more interviews, photoshoots and more shows. Just in the month of April alone, I had 6 events, which included one with Madewell, so it has been picking up a lot of steam and I’ve been trying to keep up. I think really soon, I may have to hire an assistant in order to keep up with the growth.

Creative Direction by Patricia Machado Photography by Valheria Rocha

WINGOSTARR Jewelry Interview by Makala Chung Leng

AV Magazine: What inspired you to start your own jewelry line?

Mallory: I’ve always made jewelry since I was young. My mom would buy me beads so I started to make it as a hobby. It was never one specific thing that inspired me because I just started making pieces and then I became obsessed with all the opportunities.

AV Magazine: How did you come up with your brand name?

Mallory: My friend made the nickname “Wingostarr” up when we were in high school.

So when I was looking for a jewelry brand name I just kind of made it that.

Jay: I thought about it a lot when we decided.

I think that people automatically in their brain think of Ringo Starr the Beatle so it sounds familiar. And because of that I think the name has a positive force and people have always remembered it.

AV Magazine: Tell me your views on small businesses instead of opting for a corporate job?

Explain the benefits.

Mallory: I think they both have their place but we love small businesses. I guess the most important benefit to us is that we get to spend so much time with our daughter and time here at the house. We are really able to enjoy our home because it is where we create all of our jewelry and memories.

Jay: We don’t have to sit in traffic. (Ha- ha) Mallory: I think it makes us more sane. We don’t have to worry about a commute. We can get up when we want to and it doesn’t feel like we are just spinning a wheel at a desk.

Mallory & Jay: It has been more fulfilling as well because even though we create jewelry, the art of jewelry has been around forever. So when we are able to share the happiness we used to create it with others it has been nothing but positive.

AV Magazine: What outlet did you initially choose to sell your products on?

Mallory: Etsy and Facebook.

AV Magazine: What made you realize how effective Instagram started to become for your business?

Mallory: With the rise of social media I have noticed that more shoppers look to Instagram for new artists therefore it is a good platform to share our latest products on.

AV Magazine: When do you feel your break out point began for Wingostarr?

Mallory: Definitely when Lynrd Skynrd shared our picture of our “Free Bird” necklace. It is a necklace of a bird with some gemstones on it with the stamping of “Free Bird” which they shared on their Facebook page. It was liked and shared over 100,000 times.

Jay: The day after we kept getting messages and emails of people wanting the necklace. I thought there was something wrong with Mallory’s phone.

We couldn’t believe so many people wanted to buy the free bird necklace.

AV Magazine: Tell me what it was like to have someone as famous as Lynrd Skynyrd share the picture of one of your necklace. Did you see a jump in sales because of this?

Mallory: It was absolutely amazing, I love Skynyrd and I grew up in Alabama so I’ve always loved Sweet Home Alabama.

Jay: It didn’t even seem real. I was proud and this is what led me to work at Wingostarr fulltime since I had been working in a junkyard on old Volkswagens.

Mallory: At that point I felt like we were real artists and were lucky to get such exposure.

AV Magazine: Where do you usually source? Is it just here in Atlanta?

Mallory: A creative, positive, patient and free spirited person.

Mallory: Pretty much everywhere. It could be local shops, Pop-Ups or antique markets.

Jay: A person who has creativity in mind and an idea of what they want since we hand stamp whatever phrase or wording a customer would like.

Jay: We will buy anything that catches our eye or something we believe our customers will enjoy.

AV Magazine: Are there basic materials you always purchase every time you source?

Mallory: Any rock, bead, amethyst, geodes, rose quartz, pretty much anything we like we buy. Jay is obsessed with having stuff in stock.

Jay: It’s usually best to buy four times what you think you’re going to need.

AV Magazine: Who is the ideal Wingostarr customer?

AV Magazine: Where do you see your business going in the next few years?

Mallory: Hopefully it will stay where it is so it will continue to be us working out of our home.

Maybe a little bit busier than right now.

Jay: It’s snowballing though so we already have about 100 back orders a day so I see us needing more help in the future but keeping our same business model.

Flordeliza Sarah Magbee

What made you interested in leather working?

A: I started collecting leather goods towards the end of college and it came time to start looking for jobs and I knew looking professional was important. I didn’t want to pull out a ratty old cardholder I bought Target a long time ago. I started noticing that even the higher end leather goods would start to fall apart within 9 months of use. So that brought me to specialty items that were made in the US, made by hand or mostly by hand that were heirloom quality products.

I wanted to make items that would last 10 plus years. The culture that our generation has found ourselves in is addicted to new things. I also was an anti human trafficking activist in college at Valdosta State University where I was a criminal justice major.

This path lead me to research the exploitation within the garment and fashion industries. Once I researched this I realized that the more we can make within our country the better. If

Heirloom quality, handmade designs and changing the ways people think of fashion. This is the vision Carl Caballes had when he started his custom leather work company Flordeliza. This young entrepreneur surrounded himself with a supportive, creative and thriving community in Atlanta.

Now selling out of Citizen Supply inside Ponce City Market Carl speaks on his ups and downs of starting a business, what inspires him and his plans for the future. His passion for human rights, sustainability and quality goods shows through in every product he constructs.

I can control how a small population buys items where they know the person who made this item was paid a fair wage and not exploited.

Why Atlanta? What do you think Atlanta has to offer that other cities maybe don’t?

A: Well, I grew up an hour north of here in Cumming, Georgia. I left not ever thinking that I wanted to go back. I just so happened to come back to Atlanta right at the time that more filming had started. Once I got here and got involved with the owners of this place (Chrome Yellow) who I knew through mutual friends, I was encouraged in leather working and they inspired me through there passion for Atlanta. They wanted it to be almost a Portland of the south.

A place where creativity is more about community than it is about boosting your own self worth. After this, I realized that Atlanta was calling my name. There were people here that already knew me and knew my

backstory and I found a community that was worth coming back to that supported me creatively.

What made you want to concentrate on quality local goods that aren’t mass-produced?

A: One of the things that starting and running a business has taught me or the hardest lesson has been how to put a price on my work. The more that I value myself, the more I feel convicted about selling my work for cheaper. My items are the price they are because I have eliminated a ton of overhead but its still on the higher end because I can’t get a mass-produced price point. One of the many other things I learned when doing more research into my own fashion sense was the cheaper the product the more exploitation happens, this isn’t always true but a lot of times this goes hand in hand.

Often times higher price items are better quality, last longer and usually involve less exploitation.

How has your experience been working with and selling out of Citizen Supply?

A: I am an old friend with the owner, Phil Sanders who started Foster Atlanta, which we call an ecosystem for creatives. The actual space (of

Foster Atlanta) is a shared space where creatives can connect with each other and offer unique perspectives on their businesses. I worked with Phil in various aspects of this business and when i came back to Atlanta he was the first one to really grab hold of what i wanted to do with my life, my craft and pushed me to make this happen. I really appreciate all that he did and I wanted to be apart of whatever he did next. We did a market last April called In Good Company which was like what Citizen Supply is now but scaled down to a very small size. I was one of this first vendors at that and then I found out about him starting Citizen Supply and I knew that this would be a great place for me to grow creatively and as a business man. I knew I needed to be in this project of Phil’s somehow. The thing about Phil is that he is a people person and if he sees someone with a vision he is going to push him or her toward that vision. Once I expressed the slightest interest in being in Citizen Supply he immediately said, let me know what I can do to help you. Instead of putting me in a place to grow within the company he chose for me to concentrate on my own things. He sees the person first and sees their role second. Getting to know the management well and being in the space has taught me about an

objective business model. I learned a lot about how to run my own business being in that environment from everyone around me.

Do you think the industry as a whole can eventually become sustainable?

A: I think stores here like Citizen Supply, Chrome Yellow and Tweeds are bringing that focus back to, I don’t want to say made in the US because it gives it a sort of pretension that we should only buy things made in the US but for me when I read a tag that says made in the U.S.A. it means that I can be rest assured that this garment was made by someone that was paid for this and not exploited in the making of this product. This is really what I want to focus on. I do a lot of shopping in fair trade industries and if I can be guaranteed that nothing was made in a sweatshop then it’s buyable for me. The more awareness that is brought up the more we can arm ourselves to do something about slavery, trafficking and sweatshop workers. I am a firm believer that sustainable shopping can solve a lot of our problems not only human rights but things like our economy. The less and less we have to outsource the more our economy can grow and the less we will exploit men and women in other countries.

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Styled by Andrea Probst and Sarah Magbee Photography by revivethecool

Flordeliza Brand Handmade Leather Goods Shop @ flordelizabrand.com Citizen Supply, Ponce City Market

REFUGEES IN ATLANTA Puipui Hmar

Photo from Refugee Sewing Society

Ro Khat Liana and his family

Ro Khat Liana and his family of five live in Clarkston.

A city known as the refugee haven of USA. He arrived with his wife and son Andrew back in 2010, and since then his family has had two additional members, sons Caleb (born 2012) and Ethan (2015).

Before immigrating to the US, Ro Khat Liana had lived in Malaysia for 7 years. He said that when he left his home country Myanmar in 2003 the country was in a terrible condition due to ethics wars and massive persecutions from the ruling miltary government. He decided to leave his homeland because he knew there was no future in such a chaotic state of war. Before Ro Khat Liana made his journey, thousands of Burmese had made the dangerous journey to Malaysia in order to seek safety in the United States. Malaysia is the closes country where they could go and apply to the United Nations as refugees. However, the journey to Malaysia was not easy, Ro Khat Liana said, “ I left my village, went to the city where I paid human smugglers who then transported me and several other people using cargo trucks that carried us through Thailand and finally Malaysia”. The journey to Malaysia was terrifying, he said, “We didn’t know if we were going to make it or not, we just hoped for the best”. Ro Khat Liana also talked about the physical toll of the journey, in such security conditions they were not allowed to take bathroom breaks as it was too dangerous to get out of the cargo trucks that carried them to safety,

he said “Many have died in the journey, but it was everyone’s dream to make it to the United States where we would be safe.”

When he arrived in Malaysia, he immediately applied to come to the United States, but the process was very long and it would take him many years to finally succeed. When he finally got the paperwork done and arrive to the US, he was then able to call his wife, Ding Liani to join him in Malaysia. They reunited again only in 2008, and they had their first son, Andrew in 2010, the same year they came to Atlanta, Georgia. Ro Khat Liana said he and his family didn’t know that they were coming to Atlanta until the day of the departure. He said that the United Nations’ High Commission on Refugees (HCR) based in Malaysia, the organization that processed their paperwork and sent their claim of refugee status case to the United States did not tell them where they were going. They were very desperate to come to a secure place that it did not really matter where they ended up.

After 6 years of living in Clarkston, Ro Khat Liana and his family are living a life they call “a dream”.

They have a car, they have a roof over their heads, and their kids can attend school. Currently, Ro Khat Liana, among many other Burmese men, works at a chicken factory in Cummings, GA to support his family, while his wife, Ding Liani, is a busy mom of three.

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As of 2015, the United States is the world’s top resettlement country for refugees. It resettled 69,933 refugees in 2015 alone. And the U. S government (the Obama Administration) has more plans of resettling refugees as humanitarian crises such as as wars, conflict, and persecution continued to unfold all over the world. It planned to accept 85000 refugees in FY (Fiscal Year) 2016 to 100,000 in FY 2017 (migrationpolicy.com). In 2015, the Obama Administration has pledged to accept about 10,000 Syrian refugees nationwide during the following year. These refugees are fleeing terrorism that are happening in their home country. More refugees will be arriving in the country due to an ongoing war in Syria and many parts of the world, and some refugees will be resettled in Georgia in the next few months.

Back in 2013, the Georgia Department of Human Services wanted fewer refugees to resettle in Georgia. And the state asked the federal government for a 50 percent reduction of refugees resettling to the state, mentioning school district budget shortfalls, and health and safety concerns (onlineathens). Since then, the number of refugees went from roughly 4,000 per year to about 2,500. In addition, the Georgia Governor Nathan Deal wrote a letter to President Barack Obama complaining that Georgia has received a “disproportionate number of refugee placements over the past few years” in 2014. The Governor felt that the state of Georgia was receiving too many refugees saying they put a burden on local and state services.

The sentiment of the Governor was received with backlash from the public.

Local refugee resettlement officials have expressed their disappointment on Nathan Deal’s comment saying that Georgia receives a proportionate amount of refugees (ajc.com).

Refugee Sewing Society

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In response to Deal’s comments, J.D McCrary, the executive director of the International Rescue Committee in Atlanta stated “Over 80 percent of refugees are self-sufficient within six months of arrival and generate more than $11 million in federal taxes, $4.6 million in state taxes and $1.7 million in local taxes in their first year alone. That same group of firstyear refugees generates over $40 million in household income recycled in the community, making welcoming refugees not only good humanitarian practice but sound economic sense as well.” (ajc.com). In response to the State’s statement on refugees draining resources, Paedia Mixon, the executive director of RRISA and current president of the Coalition of Refugee Services in Atlanta also said Onlineathens “There is a general perception that refugees are a burden on the state.

That couldn’t be further from the truth. People don’t think about the fact that they are working very quickly and they are taxpaying citizens” (onlineathens.com).

In 2015, Governor Nathan Deal of Georgia signed an executive order trying to stop the resettlement of Syrian Refugees due to concerns of security after the wake of the Paris attack. The executive order had prevented the state agencies from filing any paperwork

or halt any involvement in accepting refugees, and it also order state employees not to process applications for benefits such as food stamps and Medicaid for new Syrian refugees.(timesfreepress.com). As a result, the Obama administration had told Deal Administration that Georgia it must cancel its order to comply with federal law. According to legal experts, the state of Georgia cannot stop the resettlement process of refugees coming into their state because, it is overseen by the federal government and because the resettlement funding comes from the federal government (myajc.com).

In conclusion, the Department of State want to reduce the number of refugees coming into Georgia, however, the federal government has the final say on how many refugees go into the state. And also because resettlement agencies prefer to place new refugees close to family or existing ethnic communities to adapt to life in the US and in Georgia. It is uncertain how many refugees will be coming in near the future.

With the next presidential election coming up in the next few months, it is uncertain how many refugees will be coming in within Obama Administration. New president could mean, new laws and restrictions.

Refugee Sewing Society

Atlanta View 65

An American Refugee Alexandria Lee

Founder of VOX ATL Rachel Altermen Wallack Interview by Uniqua Brown

VOX ATL founded in 1993 by Rachel Altermen Wallack to give teens a voice and free space.

[A-V]Let’s start off easy, why do you love writing?

[Rachel] Writing for me was an outlet when I was a kid, I always wrote in journals lots of poems a lots of journaling. It became bother an act of self-expression and a way to cope with feelings and things that were going on in the world. Also a way to--writing is a way for people to have a sense of control or power, like if you can find your voice you feel like your voice matters, and that creates a strong sense of positive identity.

But to be hose to with you, in my adult life I’m less if a writer and more of an editor or a supporter of other people’s writing. So, I love writing, not necessarily because I do a lot of it myself now, but for 20 something years I have supported writing as an outlet form of connection and a form

of communication for young people in Atlanta.

[A-V]Why did you start VOX and what did you want to achieve in the long run?

[Rachel] Well I started VOX because I saw youth media working in other cities around the country giving teenage son a voice in their communities and giving teens an outlet for expressing themselves for finding and using information. And as the teens back than say and still today “Knowledge is Power”; and if you have the information you can make

informed decisions, you can be active in a community, you can feel better about yourself, you can support your friends, or whatever like. So, back in 1993 honestly I thought we were just starting a nonprofit newspaper by and for teenagers. I wanted to start in here in Atlanta because, like I said, I saw this concept of youth media working in other cities, and being from Atlanta I knew there was nothing here in our community that provided voice for youth in a public dialogue that united teenages from different parts of the city, like our metro area.

I grew up in a high school the was pretty racially segregated, white kids stayed with white kids and black kids stayed with black kids, and that disturbed me. I feel like I didn’t really have a sense of a full Atlanta, and I didn’t, because of the way the city the

people the residents were organizing themselves. So, VOX became a way to very intentionally unit young people from very different backgrounds and different parts of our community.

As you see the teen newsroom, or the physical location, is centrally located on top of a marta station, it not in a residential district, and that is intentionally to create a turf neutral place, for teens from all over different parts of atlanta to come together.

So, VOX as you know means “Voice” and what it quickly grew into with teens at the lead, and me role really being asking open-ended questions to guide their development of our non-profit, was self both physically and emotionally place for teens from every background to come together to have a voice in our society and our community. Both to grow up as leads in the community, but also to shape that community, so their voices would have influence in how the city was growing and servicing as a place to grow up.

[A-V] From my understanding you also work at Youth Today?

[Rachel] I am now a consultant for nonprofits in atlanta and one of my main clients is Youth Today [A-V]And of course you are the founder of this publication?

[Rachel] An important thing to know is, I thought I was just making a non profit newspaper, put what it turned out to be was a holistic youth development organization. VOX is so much more than just a publication.

Yes, media is an outlet, for teen voices and teen leadership but it’s more than just the media outlet, it is a youth development organization, that leads the way for youth voice in our sociality.

[A-V] So that leads to the question, Why the focus on the youth community?

[Rachel] Well it’s be the focus my entire career, Like I started a youth development organization when i was 23.

[A-V] So you must have been every interested in the youth community?

[Rachel] I guess I’ve always been interesting in working with and for young people, even since I was a young person. My jobs in high school were at a children’s gym and a children’s camp. I think my first publishing job was as an intern at scholastic inc. Yeah I wrote I wrote for them so educational publishing was always very interesting to me. But so if you think about that, I start VOX when I was 23, and then went back to get my masters in social work. Yeah, I realized at VOX they needed much more than an editor, earning an advanced degree would help me run a nonprofit, and do macro social work in a setting that was needed in a place like VOX. So the young community has always been my interest.

[A-V] Back To VOX, Did you ever imagin it would get to where it is today, when you started?

[Rachel] I guess in a way I would have had to imagine it would, I mean without vision you can’t get anywhere. I couldn’t have imagine the specific, because back than some of the specifics didn’t exist. Like multi-

“What Doesn’t Change is the core of the nonprofit is to let young people speak and have Atlanta listen” media publishing online, like that wasn’t happening back in 1993. But the concept of young people coming together and creating media together both to have voice and also to project young people’s voices city wide that’s whats fundamental.

[A-V] So like you said, VOX is a multimedia platform, where do you see it going in the future or where do you want it to go in the future?

[Rachel] So as long as those fundamentals are met, it doesn’t matter to me where it goes in the future because teens will be at the

lead.So the commitment the Jeff made[the current exeutive dircetor] was teens frist and teens at the lead for the nonprofit orgaztional.

[A-V] With Social Media playing a big part in how young people today get their news, do you ever see VOX using Platforms like Vine or Youtube in like a newscast format?

[Rachel] I think that VOX will probably continue to use channels like Youtube and Vine, they will use the platforms of the day to reach teens where they are. We actually conducted this survey every year called “Atlanta Teen Index” and index that ask teen where they get their news or where do they read, so that we can be where they are. But VOX is also not a daily news outlet in the way Fox news or CNN, VOX ATL is not in the business of daily news, it is in the business of providing a platform for teens to cover atlanta, from features or profiles. So what you might have seen on VOX Youtube channel would be video stories that they reported reflecting their voices, their interest, their trend. And sometimes news in a way like right now we are doing a story on teen relationship violence and healthy relationships, so it’s not news like ‘this happened this morning’ .So there’s interviews, there’s voices, there’s stories and stuff the teen want to see.

[A-V] At you time at VOX what was your most satisfying moment?

[Rachel] Well it’s been almost 23 years, so there are satisfying moments every year, so I couldn’t possibly just give you one. They range from the first teen sees their bi-line to celebrating our 20th anniversary, and seeing people coming back to having a teen nervous about an interview and getting the text like “I did it” to receiving a grant to helps us buy technology and space.

So next year it’ll be 23 years since VOX was incorporated and well I was executive director for 20 year and now I’m only consulting. I could possibly pick just one moment there’s 23 years, and over a thousand teens worth of achievements, and struggles, and resiliencies and stories.

Astrology 101

by Patricia Machado

Capricorn (December 22nd-January 20th) They are persons that like to be constantly active. They are determined.

They know what they want and they work to get it.

Capricorns are very loyal when they are in love. They are very affectionate with their partner. It is hard for them to open about rough times in their lives because they don’t like to worry people with their problems; which sometime can be a problem with their partner.

Aquarius (January 20nd-February 19th) Aquarius people are very free, they like to wander around and meet new people. They are not afraid to be different and standout from everyone else.

When they are in love they are very flexible because they understand that people need to be free and they need their own time for themselves. When they are in a relationship they are very sweet and trustable.

Pisces (February 22nd-March20th) Pisces persons are very responsible and they tend to worry more than they should. They are very mature persons and they usually make the right decisions for anything that comes up in their life. They are very fun and happy persons to be around.

When they are in love they tend to see the best in their partner and they are very thoughtful. They are very jealous and possessive.

Aries (March 22nd-April 20th) They are very active, they love to go on adventures. They know how to work under pressure. They are very intuitive and usually they make decisions faster than they should, so they spend some time fixing some of their mistakes.

In love Aries are very romantic, patient, and original which makes the relationship very exciting. They talk without thinking so that usually causes trouble with their partner.

Taurus (April 22nd-May 20th) They are very realists. They enjoy to have a routine. Taurus are tough and strong which gives them the ability to solve problems easily.

Taurus people love with all their heart. They are loyal to their partner, but when they break up with someone there’s no going back. They adapt easily to other people, but people might need to adapt to them.

Gemini (May 22nd-June 20th) They are very smart, they love people that can stimulate them intelectually. They love to do something they’ve never done. They tend to be pesimists which makes them need to be with someone optimist to lift them up.

Gemini people want someone who is very social and open to adventures. They are very emotional persons. They can get offended with something you say so you have to be careful with your words.

Cancer (June 22nd-July 20th) They are very peculiar. They are fun people to be around. Also, they are very secure about themselves. They are very friendly and would never deny their friendship to anyone.

Cancer in love are very shy and reserved. Before they start a relationship they have to know the person very well. they need a partner that makes them feel special. They are very romantic and possessive. They like let other people get involved in their relationship, not even for advice.

Leo (July 22nd-August 20th) They have a great personality that everyone likes. They are very energetic. Usually they take good care of themselves and the relationships they have with people. They are very open and have many friends.

Leos give everything to their partner. They are very honest. they try to find someone that is better than them so they can have support from their partner.

Virgo (August 22nd-September 20th) Virgos are very friendly. They are hard workers and they always give the best of themselves. They are extremely honest, racional and strict with the people around them.

Virgo people sometimes have trouble mantaining a relationship. They need to have someone that makes them feel special. They love short relationships but they don’t enjoy to be alone. It’s hard for them to show their feelings to others.

Libra (September 22nd-October 20th) They are very stable persons. They worry about how they look and how they feel. They don’t like to argue. They enjoy having conversations with people that can provide new points of view.

In love they are naive. They need a partner that can offer them the same passionate of love that they give.They need an affectionate partner. They don’t like to argue about anything; and they are very possesive.

Scorpio (October 22nd-November 20th) They have a very strong personality, so people might think they are arrogant; but Scorpios have a big heart. They are very honest with their work, their family and their love life.

When it comes to love, they would do anything for their partner. They are loyal and they are very protective of their partners and families which makes their loved ones feel secure.

Saggitarius (November 22nd-December 20th) Saggitarius is a very social sign. They are very happy and they tend to see the best in people. They enjoy dping new things, meeting new people and going on adventures.

In love they are value their time for themselves, and their partner’s. They don’t like to have short relationships, they like to be in relationships that offer them a future. They need to have good communication with their partners to make sure that things work and that there’s nothing wrong.

greeceneedslove.com

Atlanta View Spring 2016