THE AMERICAN ICON ISSUE VOLUME VII RUMER WILLIS FOR
THEHOUSE-MAGAZINE.COM | THE AMERICAN ICON ISSUE | VOLUME VII2 THE AMERICAN ICON Rumer Willis Written by KACEY PEREZ / Photographed by JANA SCHUESSLER / Styling by ORETTA CORBELLI / Hair by JENN LAGRON / Makeup by NOVA KAPLAN / Set Design by AMY THERESA TOOLEN Produced by GREAT SOCIAL CLUB / Production Assistant CLAIRE GRISOLANO COVER LOOK: dress CHLOE , necklace CHLOE , boots ALEVI MILANO, bracelets, FANNY BLANCHELAND RIGHT: dress THE OLIVER TOLENTINO, bracelets FANNY BLANCHELAND ISSUE
THEHOUSE-MAGAZINE.COM | THE AMERICAN ICON ISSUE | VOLUME VII4 THE HOUSE OF PEREZ WEDDINGS
THEHOUSE-MAGAZINE.COM | THE AMERICAN ICON ISSUE | VOLUME VII 5 The latest place for luxury wedding inspiration. Follow along for the latest trends in wedding fashion, design, beauty, and tips and tricks from the best in the COMINGindustry.SOON Photography by Jana Schuessler | @janaschuessler | www.janaschuessler.com
WWW.CHERESHNIVSKA.COM
THEHOUSE-MAGAZINE.COM | THE AMERICAN ICON ISSUE | VOLUME VII 7 The American Icon Issue 8 Editor’s Letter 10BEAUTY the Beauty Edit A round up from our own Frankie Sanderson 12FASHION KZ K CelebratingStudiothe launch of their latest collection 20FEATURES Serena Kerrigan Just doing it for the plot 24 Agustin Arellano Polo player for the modern world 30 Morgan Absher On her career journey and experiences as a female podcast host 34 Chef David Schoen Restaurant owner and culinary explorer takes us into his world of cuisine 38ART Tony ThroughPowellthe lens of this iconic photographer 42 Anna Tsouhlarakis An icon in the Native American and art community FEATURES CONTINUED 46 On the Cover Anne Winters 56 On the Cover: Rumer Willis American Beauty 64 Seaside ContinueSolidsyour beach travels with these looks 74 Last Look 75 Final Notes CONTENTS COVER SHOOT FEATURING ANNE WINTERS. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANA SCHUESSLER.
The IconsNext
FOR THIS ISSUE, OUR TEAM WAS EXCITED TO HEAR from a collection of creatives that we feel define the next generation of American Icons. We take a look into the past, and then look ahead to the future with our cover start Rumer Willis. Her family brings our team so much nostalgia as we remember some of our favorite movies from the nineties, but our current fascination is what she plans to do with her own creative talents and projects coming up for the follow ing she has fostered herself. We also had the opportunity to speak with Anne Winters, ac tress and producer, as the perfect representation of a new, next gener ation icon. Newer generations are constantly fostering their multiple talents, turning some or all into their own unique career paths. Be sure to check out Winters' interview to see just how she is doing this in her own career. Don't miss the feature on KZ_K Studio and their newly released clothing line. The fashion landscape is changing, and it's brands like these that are paving the way.
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Letter from the Editor STUDIOKZ-KANDSCHUESSLERJANASCHUESSLER,JANARIGHT:TOLEFTFROMCREDITSPHOTO
Finally, we are excited to announce that the next issue from our team will be our inaugural Weddings issue. We've been working hard behind the scenes towards the launch of The House Weddings official website where we will be featuring the gorgeous work from the best vendors in the industry. We are proud of the artists we have been collaborating with in order to bring planning couples a fresh take on how to plan their special day. Please follow along with us on The House Weddings Instagram account - @thehouse_weddings where you can also sign up for our newsletter for exclusive content, information on giveaways and of course updates on the launch of the website and print issue. I will end by saying that our team cannot believe how quickly the year has gone. We are so proud of the work our team has put out for you and appreciate your support. We are looking forward to ending our summer with some excitement for the fall season as we work towards the end of the year.
THEHOUSE-MAGAZINE.COM | THE AMERICAN ICON ISSUE | VOLUME VII 9 Editor in Chief KACEY PEREZ Creative Director at Large NATALIE STEGER Operations Director + Features Editor JENNIFER STRIEGEL Visual Directors JANAFILBERTSCHUESSLERKUNG Beauty Director FRANKIE SANDERSON Social Media Manager CLAIRE GRISOLANO Copywriter JAMES WARD Contributing Writers AIDA M. TORO, HANNAH MCKINNEY, JAMES WARD CONNOR DUSZYNSKI
Fourth rest stop we're going to experience the soothing relief of ReVive Sensitif Eye Cream SPF30 Broad Spectrum (UVA/UVB) Sunscreen. A lightweight eye cream formulated with non-irritat ing, 100% mineral sunscreen that protects against sun exposure and premature aging. $165 The fifth point of interest on our journey is La Prairie Skin Caviar. Remastered with the newest incarnation of caviar, Skin Caviar Luxe Cream with Caviar Premier offers a powerful and unique dimension of sensorial indulgence paired with never-before-seen lifting and firming advantages to the skin. A true feast for the senses, immerse yourself in an indulgent experience as you see skin gain firmness and elasticity, while alpha hydroxy acids gently exfoliate and retexturize skin's surface. Hydrating ingredients remastered with Caviar Premier attract, bind, and replenish the moisture deep within the skin. Each product includes a sleek spatula to ensure the purity of the cream is maintained with every application. $555 Cle De Peau Concealer SPF27 – our sixth stop – effortlessly conceals and corrects dark spots, under-eye circles, and blemishes
WRITTEN BY: FRANKIE SANDERSON | PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF BRANDS
The Water Drench Broad Spectrum SPF 45 Hyaluronic Cloud Moisturizer is a hyaluronic based SPF moisturizer. Many brands use hyaluronic acid as an anchor due to its ability to hold 1000 times its weight in water. This formula, with its proprietary 5% SunBoost ATB™, helps boost sun protection, while Ceramides help reduce the appearance of photoaging and sun damage. $55
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The Beauty Edit
This month I will guide you down the long, winding road of anti-aging products that help us maintain and even reverse those pesky signs that time is rolling on down the highway. Our skin is the road and time is the eighteen wheeler! What does your skin need after a day in the hot, sweltering sun? A drink. First on our desert highway trip we have Dr. Sturm's Anti-Aging Body Cream. It's exactly what your skin needs. This silky body moisturizer is infused with pure glacial water. It absorbs into the skin, leaving it as smooth as velvet. It contains ex tracts of white almond and elderberry blossom to aid in firming skin, while the dense nutrient-rich oils restore elasticity. Purslane calms and reduces visible signs of irritation, and highly active compounds erase visible signs of aging. Your skin will be left feeling soft, supple, and completely renewed. There are several sizes: 50ML, 200ML, 500ML. 200ML - $95 Second stop on our road trip is Monoï De Tahiti Oil II from NARS. Monoï Body Glow II beauty oil delivers a blend of hydrating essences native to Tahiti: tiare flower steeped in refined Polynesian coconut oil. Multi-purpose. Transporting. Blended with an addictive bouquet of tiare blossom, white frangipani, ylang-ylang, and vanilla, this classic companion to the shimmering Monoï Body Glow I can be used daily after bath, shower, sun exposure, or as a massage oil. This is a summer favorite of mine. The scent is divine and leaves your skin feeling moisturized. $59 Our third spot on the map is a great facial moisturizer with a great SPF: Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Moisturizer SPF45. With the company’s namesake as the formula tor, Peter Thomas Roth is committed to making premium skincare.
$75 Stop number seven is Power Fabric+ Matte Foundation with Broad-Spectrum SPF 25: a medium-to-full coverage founda tion with a natural matte finish by Armani. This foundation with sun screen lasts up to 24 hours and has SPF25 for UVA/UVB protection. With a non-drying formula, this matte foundation is patented with a Micro–fil Technology™ that allows pigments to lay flat for seamless blending, and helps create an illusion of flawless skin. This foundation with SPF gives lightweight comfort, sun protection, and comes in 30 foundation makeup shades. A great foundation choice for the spring and summer. $64 Mineral Liplux Organic Tinted Lip Balm Sunscreen SPF 30 is number eight on the growing list. Lip, lip, hooray! Each one of COOLA's Mineral Liplux® adds a hint of subtle, rosy color using naturally derived pigments while protecting, nourishing, and soften ing your lips. Organic Cupuaçu Butter and Mongongo Oil deliver an ultra-creamy texture that smoothes and nourishes lips while keeping them hydrated, so they look healthy, plump, and youthful.
THEHOUSE-MAGAZINE.COM | THE AMERICAN ICON ISSUE | VOLUME VII 11 with a lightweight formula that blurs imperfections. Full coverage, yet with a natural, airbrushed look. It delivers six hours of hydration and protects the delicate skin around the eyes with SPF 27. Like the mind, skin is smart. The Concealer SPF 27 leverages skin Intelli gence to support your skin’s maximum ability to restore and protect itself. This product helps you respond to the good (nutrients, sleep, moisture) and the bad (pollution, stress, dryness) for your best skin. This creamy texture blends easily and effectively adheres to raised and textured skin. Retains a beautiful, radiant finish without creasing or fading for up to 16 hours.
- Broad Spectrum SPF 30 UVA/UVB protection - 40 minute water resistance - Ultra creamy texture glides on smoothly - Sheer, yet buildable formulas - Six naturally scented shades that compliment all skin tones - Reef-Friendly -Number$18 nine: Research Intensive Treatment Emulsion
This cream visibly reduces the signs of aging and environmental damage. It deeply hydrates to help relieve dry skin and softens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This miracle cream evens tone and texture while protecting skin from environmental damage and oxidative stress. AB contains water-based ingredients suspended in oils, giving it a rich, emollient feel on skin. $280
- 70%+ certified organic ingredients
Tom Ford Research introduces Intensive Treatment Emulsion, a decadently rich, yet uniquely fluid formula providing immediate and lasting hydration to smooth, soothe, and help minimize visible redness – while helping to restore radiance and boosting skin's moisture barrier, without leaving behind residue. Intensive Treatment Emulsion is powered by moisturizing Hyaluronic Acid and the Tom Ford Research signature ingredients: rare White Porcelain Cacao, energizing Caffeine, and protective Gyokuro. Skin is refreshed and recharged with youthful radiance. $210 Finally, our last stop is Augustinus Bader's The Rich Cream
Congratulations on the launch of your Cool Cycle! There’s so much to take away from how these capsules were developed. Can you talk to us about the main inspiration behind the development of the line? My partner in business and life, Jesse Keyes is an architect by trade, so each season typically begins with an architectural inspiration. For our Cycle 2.22 (cool weather) we looked to architect Charlotte Perriand. In her life, in its free spiritedness, she employed a highly conscious balance of work, leisure and sport which we captured within the collection. You draw a lot of inspiration from architecture. Why is that field so important to you as a fashion designer? Architects have an acute serious ness in their design and execution, it’s a precision that demands focus and attention and serves as a source of inspiration each season. Our collection, much like architecture, is designed so that the final prod uct serves a functional, durable and aesthetic purpose for my client.
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StudioKZ_K BY: KACEY PEREZ PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTEST OF KZ_K STUDIO
KZ_K Studio is a brand The House has been following for a while for many reasons. In an effort to discover slow fashion brands with multifunctional use, we discovered this NYC brand and immedi ately fell in love. The pieces are inventive, easy to style with your cur rent closet situation, and will amp up your staple selection. Discover the inspiration behind the designs from KZ_K Studio's latest launch, and get to know what makes this brand special through our interview with Creative Director and Co-Founder, Karolina Zmarlak.
Architect Charlotte Perriand draws much of her own inspiration from natural elements - is this something that is important to your designs as well? Why? Yes, nature is the source of all elements that go into design and production, but Perriand, after a period (rightfully) obsessed with the technological material advancement in architectural modernism, learned to (re)appreciate stone, wood and vegetal elements of nature that express extraordinarily exquisite aesthetics, purely as a conse quence of geological and biological processes, and time. Ultimately the human form is a vastly variable, yet intrinsically similar form, so as Perriand built spaces and furniture to accommodate this natural form (of ours), we aim to do the same in clothing product design.
What important takeaways can the fashion industry learn from nature? To be aware of the natural world, is to be aware of oneself. We are (all) one. The great naturalist, biologist, philosopher, bug searcher (and now, deceased, so wonderful to pick up “Consilience” in con servation), E.O. Wilson opined: “Destroying rainforest for economic gain is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal.” The same is true, and more so, of fashion. Consilience is, precisely, the notion that to destroy one element of nature, just to consume it un-responsi bly in another, is planetary cannibalism. Learn to be aware and careful of nature, as we are the same and one. In your opinion, if we (consumers) were all closer to nature, how do you feel that would change the world? Jesse’s mother was a “hippie” in California, after Jesse was conceived on a VW bus painted all the colors of the rainbow on a cross country (get out of the Northeast) trip to the Bay Area, and I was born in Krosno, a glass producing town in Communist Poland. Nature in both (recent) times, when Jesse and I were born, was more revered and, day-to-day, connected to one’s thoughts and lives. My parents had gardening plots on the outskirts of town to supplement the dinner table, and Jesse’s mom
What’s next for KZ_K Studio? The Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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The Equipment Top + Equipment Darted Pant
was a professional gardener. Since then, we’ve all been moving away from nature; and thus, by pure mother-earthly logic, we’re all moving in, entirely, the wrong direction.
What did your creative process look like while you developed the Cool Cycle? Each collection (one for cool weather, one for warm weather, each year) is fundamentally conceived in a specific movement of art, architecture or both, then conceptually developed in theory and vi suals in our studio. We then connect our fabric and leather selections to our set of sketches, developing patterns with our team, then cut muslins and create sample collections, all draped, cut and sewn in the Garment District. Finally, we communicate, developing thoughtful sets of collateral through our Great Jones Street Studio, with the ulti mate aim: a set of private atelier/studio appointments with our clients and stylists. The process of a full Cycle development takes place over 9-10 months. Please describe the “convertible look” your studio is passionate about creating. We conceived KZ_K Studio as a fashion line that would hew to the tenants of multi-functionalism, a foundational notion within the discipline of architecture. We wanted to make pieces that could be worn, each in many variations, and together in a series of alterna tive and creative ways to fit the unique functional and aesthetic needs of modern women. I had developed a made-to-measure business with Jesse, up until that point: but as the Great Recession hit, this new concept would allow our clients a similar kind of personalization, but would also be oriented toward creating value: buy 1 piece and wear it in 3 ways.Convertible styles from Cool Cycle: Reversible Marbe Dolman Jacket Orme Reversible Shearling Vest Utiles Seamed Coat (reversible) La Vide Suede Scarf + Jacket Dress (can be styled and worn in a few variations).
There is a focus on simplicity with the designs in each of the capsules that make up the Cool Cycle. Would you consider some of the pieces staple items for a wardrobe? As with the way Perriand saw space (in part) as a series of “equipments”- really well designed sets of storage that become the vector of harmony, we’ve created wearable pieces of multi functional simplicity to become a vector of productivity. Yes! A staple is an element of a personal uniform, a representation, external ly worn, to live in and in which to express your aesthetic vision.
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SUMMER 2022 IS ALL ABOUT THE COMEBACK, especially since many of us have been kicking it at home due to pan demic restrictions for quite some time now. Comebacks can come in many different packages: making new friends, exploring a city on a deeper level, rebranding your business, revamping your look, diving back into the dating pool, and more. For Serena Kerrigan, 2022 is all about Doing it For the Plot, which motivates her followers to make courageous decisions while being enthusiastic about the “plot” of their lives. Many know Kerrigan as the Queen of Confidence. On Instagram, where Serena has over 166,000 followers, her bio reads: “I'm the Queen of Confi dence, and I saved you a seat at my throne.” Throughout 2020, while the world was experiencing a dark, interesting time due to the pandemic and certain global events, the Argentine-American content creator gained admiration from Instagram users all over the world due to the Instagram Live reality show she created, Let’s F***ing Date, known as “quarantine’s new must-watch,” according to the Today Show. I had the opportunity to speak with Kerrigan about Doing it For the Plot, Let’s F***ing Date, her Latinidad, and more. Serena, tell me about yourself. What did you do prior to becoming SFK? After graduat ing from Duke University, I landed a video production internship at Refinery29. I was incredibly fortunate to have had the oppor tunity to produce and be on camera from the very start. I eventually became a video producer and stayed at the company for four years, overseeing short-form digital content and long-form narratives across several verticals, including Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube. Having produced some of the top performing series on these platforms, I gained tremendous insight into the creation of video content marketed specifically towards Gen Z and Millennial audiences. I also became one of the faces of Refinery29 through my role as on-air talent, where I conducted dozens of celebrity interviews and starred in several series, both in the studio and on the red carpet. In February 2020, I took a chance on myself and left my role at Refinery29 to expand my personal brand, "SFK, the Queen of Confidence." SFK originated from "Serena Fucking Kerrigan," a persona I created during my freshman year at Duke as a shield against my own insecurities. This overtly confident persona helped build my self-esteem and, eventually, "SFK'' became more than just an alter ego: it evolved into "the Queen of Confidence," empowering all women to be authentic and sexually free, and to love themselves unapologetically. What inspired you to start your own business, and how was that journey for you? I didn’t wake up one morning and say, “I’m going to start a business.” I started small with an idea. I had created a live dating show on Instagram during quarantine, and from there I saw an opportunity to create a product that would empower my audience to go on virtual dates themselves. I literally googled “how to make a card game” and worked with the manufacturer that gave me the best deal. I had an idea of what I wanted the product to look like, and hired a freelance designer to bring it to life. I spoke to a ton of people as I developed and refined the questions in the deck to make sure they were as inclusive and relevant as possible. I think in the first round I only manufactured around 250 games and they sold out within 24 hours. That’s when I realized I had a business opportunity on my hands. I didn’t set out to be an entre preneur, but I knew as a content creator I would benefit from tapping into a revenue stream not tied to brand partners. I think the biggest mistake entrepreneurs make is putting too much pressure on themselves in the beginning. Instead of diving in head first, start by making your passion your side hustle and see if there is an appetite for it.
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Just doing it for the plot WRITTEN BY: AIDA M. TORO PHOTOGRAPHY BY: ALEX FRANK
Serena Kerrigan:
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Being a Latina of Argentine descent, how do you feel your Hispanic roots have paved a path for your career and how do you feel you've paved the way for Latinas? I would like to use this as an opportunity to highlight Latinas that are paving the way for others and for myself: my management team. The team includes Lis sette Rios, Ory Diaz, and Sydney Diaz. I met
Manufacture a small amount to understand demand. Be ready to refine and pivot as needed based on consumer feedback. There is this expectation that we’re supposed to have a best-selling idea instantly, but even the most successful companies weren’t built in a day. Amazon started as an online bookseller! Things take time and there will always be ob stacles, but I choose to see them as learning opportunities rather than setbacks. Why did you decide to create a card game for Let’s F***ing Date in the first place, and what was your strategy to spread awareness out about the game? How do you feel you've changed the dating sphere, especially for those who are trying to get back in the game or want to better their relationships with their partners, or even themselves? I feel like if there’s one thing I’ve done, it’s shine a light on the importance of communication in relationships; whether it’s with a lover, friend, partner, or yourself. If you're looking to deepen your relationship, it's going to require vulnerability and an honest dialogue. We live in a society that has somehow created a stigma around express ing emotions and I am trying to change that. When it comes to your relationship with yourself, I created the SFK Mirror Challenge. I by no means created mirror affirmations, but I am constantly encouraging my community to talk to themselves in the mirror the same way they would hype up a best friend. This is one of the tools that has given me the confidence to pursue my dreams. As for the cards, while I market them as a game, they are really a disguise for a communication tool. I've thought about all the times I've been on dates or had a crush, and the questions I wish I’d asked, but didn't have the courage to. This game provides people with a way to open up. Some of the questions would be super cringeworthy or difficult to ask in a normal setting, but within the context of the game it's more appropri ate. “The cards asked, not me!” It removes a form of accountability and makes the players more comfortable sharing their beliefs, expe riences, sexual preferences, and feelings, thus creating more opportunity for intimacy. I really don’t see myself as a dating expert, but I do feel like I am a communica tion expert. If you watch my content closely you’ll see that my advice is primarily directed towards working on the relationship with yourself, as it will set the precedent for all other relationships in your life.
As for what’s next … I’m currently working on an on-camera project and a couple of exciting collaborations. While I can’t say too much, what I can say is that my goal is to continue to inspire confidence and self love! Overall, what do you look forward to for the rest of 2022? Doing it for the plot. Kerrigan continues laying the founda tion for women in all aspects of life. Join her in doing it for the plot by following her on Instagram over @serenakerrigan.
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Lissette when I was 22 years old and stayed friends with her while simultaneously trying to convince her to represent me (it only took a couple years!). It was really important to me to have a manager that understood my cultural and bilingual background. If my time in this industry has taught me anything, it’s that there are very few Latinas in this space, and I’m very proud to have them guide me. I truly would be nowhere without their passion, drive, and dedication. I feel like the opportunities are limitless. I know you recently performed your first live show this year. Tell me about your experience so far. Yes! I was able to perform my first live show, Do It For The Plot, earlier this year in a few major cities – New York City, Boston, D.C., and Philadelphia. It was a truly euphor ic experience getting to spend time with my community in real life, especially coming out of the pandemic. The highlight for me was always hearing how my content may have impacted the way someone sees themselves, or how it inspired them to do something outside of their comfort zone (like come to my show solo and make a new friend!). Each show I brought someone up on stage and had them do my daily confidence-building exercise of talking to yourself in the mirror like a best friend (because you are your own best friend at the end of the day). It was incredible to see the way their energy shifted with each compliment they gave themselves, and the rest of the audience cheered them on. It was in those sweet moments where I truly felt like I was doing what I was meant to do. We’ll be back on the road in 2023. What's next for your brand, if you can provide us with a little snapshot? I’ve made it my mission to inspire women to love themselves so that they can truly shine from the inside out. I recently created a series on TikTok dedicated to helping build self-confidence. I also have a series of card games to inspire confidence with dating, sex, and relation ships. Although I may be an only child in real life, I feel as though I’ve had the privilege to take on a big sister role for my audience. It’s a role that I’ve loved being able to step into.
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Agustin Arellano: A Polo Player for the Modern World BY: JAMES WARD PHOTOGAPHY: COURTEST OF AGUSTIN ARELLANO
Polo is still nicknamed “The Sport of Kings,” but there is no question that this title is grandfathered in, and that its popularity and global relevance have shrunk exponen tially over the years. It seems reserved for scenes in period dramas like The Crown, or the small icon on a Ralph Lauren product. I can tell you that going into this piece, I had very little knowledge and, admittedly, very little interest in what seemed to be a niche sport, outdated and exclusively for the wealthy.After interviewing our subject, my mind was completely changed. I found my self with a new, deep respect and apprecia tion for the sport and its players, particularly the next generation of polo athletes. I think it’s all but impossible to speak to someone so effusive about their passion, so full of enthu siasm, and not be affected by it. Agustin Arellano is a 25-year-old, third generation American Polo player. He has spent his entire life around the sport and possesses a deep, ever-growing love for the game and the animals that are so central to it. But that is not to say that his interests begin and end on the field of play. He cares deeply about all animals, not just horses – some thing he inherited from his mother – and is dedicated to conservation. He has also recently taken his first steps into the world of professional fashion and modeling. This man of many talents was gracious enough to spend some time with us and give us some insight into the things he is passionate about. Agustin, thanks so much for spending some time with us. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself, what you do, and where you’re from? I’m a professional polo player. I’ve been playing since I was 14 years old. It’s practically in my blood. My dad played professionally and was the best American player for 10 years. My mother helped train his horses for his entire career. Both of my siblings also play profes sionally. It’s everything to me. I was born in San Diego, where my mom is originally from. My dad met her there while he was playing polo in the summer. In polo, the playing season is split into the actual seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. My parents used to do all the summers in Southern California. But even though I was born there, I really call Palm Beach, Florida home since we’ve been com ing here for the winters since I was a kid. My grandfather has a farm here that we keep our horses at. My family also has a farm in South Carolina, where my parents and siblings spend most of their time these days. You seem to always be on the move. Are you just constantly hopping from place to place? Believe it or not, I’ve settled down a lot more in the past two years. I’ll spend around seven months a year in Florida, which is like my home base. Pretty much everyone that plays polo comes down to Florida for the winter to play. Then a lot of people – especially the high rollers – will go to Europe to play in the summer, but it really just depends on where you get a gig. Then it’s Argentina in the fall. Polo is more popular in Argentina than anywhere else in the world. This summer, I’ll be heading to Europe for a few weeks to network a little bit, then I’ll spend the rest of the season in Charlot tesville, Virginia. It’s going to be amazing: a polo club in a vineyard. It’s beautiful. Was it inevitable, given your family history, that you would pursue a career playing professional polo? Or did you come to it in your own way? I get asked this a lot. My parents never pushed it on any of us, which was really, really nice. You know, my mom is kind of a self-proclaimed animal savior. Any baby animal that was orphaned, or any animal that was injured, or needed to be raised would show up in our house. She’d just be raising these wild animals in our home while we were traveling around with my dad playing polo. When I grew up. I began to look back and was like, “wow, that was an unusual childhood.”
Polo. In today’s world, the word conjures up thoughts of fashion labels; of casual cool. In a small experiment to see what relevance the word currently had, I asked ten friends what sport first popped into mind when they heard the word “polo.” It was an even split between tennis and golf. It was almost like answering “what sport do you think of when you hear ‘baseball’?” with “hockey.”
Honestly, it sounds almost like a fairy tale. Totally. I didn’t realize until I was older what a charmed childhood I had. It was really, really great. There was this exotic animal sale like two hours from our farm in South Carolina that would happen twice a year. My dad dreaded that day because my mom would always come home with something. We grew up with a ringtail lemur in our house for about eight years. I don’t know if you saw the photos, but we have a zebra donkey that lives on the farm now … and the racoons – it’s just crazy. So it was your love of animals that ulti mately drew you the sport? There’s just some thing about horses that I think draws you in. They’re just such soulful creatures. That’s what I really fell in love with. Having such easy access to polo obviously helped, but it’s the horses that I love more than anything. I think if I wasn’t playing polo, I’d be doing something else with horses. One fact that I never get tired of telling people is that horses can hear your heartbeat from eight feet away. It’s just amazing. For me, when you’re riding, you can’t just “have a bad day.” When you bring that negative en ergy, the horses feel it. They are so incredibly
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emotional and sensitive. You have to check your energy, check yourself before you spend time with these animals and that’s something I love. It’s really helped me a lot in my life, and many people I know in their lives. How many horses do you have and can you tell us anything special about them? I currently own seven horses. Two of them are partic ularly special to me. One’s name is Trueboy. His dad is a famous stallion owned by the best polo player ever, Adolfo Cambia so, and his mom won best pony in the US open under my dad. He is so special to me and he’s the best horse. Everyone who knows me, knows Trueboy. He’s all over my Instagram; I talk about him all the time. The other one is a mare named Mi India. Her dad was a stallion owned by another famous player, and her mom was a Quarter Horse that my dad bought when we were on an RV vacation – we were at this random ranch and he bought this young horse and she ended up playing in the US Open with him. So Mi India is half Argentine Polo Horse and Half Quarter Horse. I just love her so much. She was born on our farm, raised on our farm. She’ll be playing her first tournament this summer. Perhaps I should have asked this sooner, but can you give us a broad overview of the rules of polo? The basic object of polo is to score more points than the opposition. Your aim is to move the ball into the opposition’s half of the pitch, eventually hitting it through the goal to score. The positions are numbers 1 to 4. Number 1 is the most offensive position. Number 2 is another aggressive, offensive position, whose main goal is to make holes. Number 3 is kind of the playmaker and is usually – but not always – the captain. Number 4 plays back, usually exclusively in a defensive role. Which position do you play? I play all positions, but my favorite is 1 or 4. The game is broken up into four to six periods, or chukkas. Each chukka is seven and a half minutes, but time stops every time there is a foul. Games can go on for anywhere between an hour to two and a half hours.
All the rules are built around the safety for the rider and the horse. It does seem like there is an inherent base level of real danger in the sport. How dangerous is polo really? I don’t know if this is true, but I’ve always heard that polo is the second most dangerous sport after NASCAR. It’s extremely dangerous. You’re basically playing hockey on live animals. As I said, all the rules are designed with the safety of the players and horses in mind, but the very nature of the game is filled with risk. You’re on a live animal, going upwards of 35 miles per hour at times. Other players can come up and crash into you – as long as it’s even, as in “shoulder to shoulder.” You can get hit with a stray ball, or a stray mallet. You must be always aware of your surroundings and know the limits of you and your animal. You must take yourself out of it in a way and just focus on playing by the rules. The NASCAR comparison feels accurate in other ways as well. In motorsports, the car is half of the equation. The driver can only do so much on their own. It seems that in polo, it’s a similar situation with the rider and the horse. One hundred percent. As much as you can do, as much as you can prepare before you get to the field, it’s going to come down to your relationship with the horse and how the horse is that day. And you also have to add in the factors of the other players and horses, which you can’t control. You have to focus on what you can control: the health and fitness of your animal, your own health and fitness, your own awareness.Theheart of the matter is – and I’m sure the race driver would say the same if you asked them – your love of the sport is so much that it outweighs your fear of it. It’s clearly very physical, but how mental is the sport? One of the things I’ve come to love about the sport as I get older is how much of a mental game it is. It’s like playing chess while also playing a physical sport. There are so many factors that go into winning a match. There is a beautiful complexity to the game. It’s interesting that you say you’re still
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Let’s step away from polo and animals for a moment. You’ve recently taken your first steps into professional modeling. What drew you to that world and how have you found it so far? I had really never thought about modeling or anything like that as part of my career. A year ago, a friend of mine who is an agent came up to me and asked if I’d ever thought about doing any modeling work. The answer was no, as it’s obviously so hard to juggle everything else as it is. She thought it would complement what I do well and asked if I would consider it. I did and they introduced me to the Marilyn agency in New York, which has been amazing. I spent some time in NYC and did some shoots. I’m finding it really rewarding in how I’ve made so many connections, gone to so many places, and met so many good people. I always joke that I live an athlete’s life, but have an artist’s mind. It’s been really fun for me to be around so much creativity and so many brands doing different things. Earlier we discussed how polo has so many moving parts, I feel the same about fashion. There are so many different pieces. The art direc tion, the photographer, the designers. It's pretty amazing for me to dip my toe in the water and be a part of this world. I know we’ve only been chatting for a little while, but it’s extremely clear to me that you are a man of many talents and many interests. For me, I just love taking the chances and the oppor tunities to go to all these different places and meet all these different people and making learning experiences out of all of it. It’s one of my biggest passions.
What do you have on the horizon, other than Europe and Charlottesville, in the coming months? In probably the biggest step in my career thus far, I made the US team for the FIPs, the World Cup of polo. That’s coming up in October in Florida. The rest of my year will largely be training for that. I wanted to end with a question that is, admittedly, a pretty big one. You are an openly gay professional athlete slash model. I know you are only 25 and have so much of your career and life ahead of you, but what do you want your legacy and impact to be? I want to be a force for good. Personally, when I was coming out, I was lucky enough to have an amazing and supportive family. But I didn’t identify so much with the community because I didn’t really see anyone doing what I was doing who I felt connected to. So I really would love to be somebody that people can look at playing polo, playing a professional sport, lov ing animals, growing up on a farm – all that stuff – and see some of themselves there, to have that connection. I want to be someone who I would have looked up to when I was a kid and been proud of. A regular guy who happens to be gay. A lot of times when you come out, people want to put you into this box of who they expect you to be. I would love to show that you're just you. To keep up with the globetrotting adventures of Agustin in polo and beyond, follow him on Instagram at @agus_arellano.
THEHOUSE-MAGAZINE.COM | THE AMERICAN ICON ISSUE | VOLUME VII28 finding new things to appreciate about the sport, since you’ve been playing it for so long. Absolute ly. I also have recently really started learning about and admiring natural horsemanship. It’s basically like … organic horsemanship. Teaching and training the horses without any fear; really becoming their partner. A quote I came across recently that really spoke to me was basically, “if you’re willing, you’ll never stop learning from horses.” So there’s always something new to learn, right? What are the physical demands on you when playing Polo? What does your training regimen look like? I’ll work out in the gym, obviously, to stay generally fit. Yoga has been a huge part of my career, especially as far as injury prevention goes. But for the actual polo side, just riding is the biggest factor. It’s broken into a few categories. There’s “stick and balling,” which is just going out alone with the horse and practicing with them and a ball. There’s practice, where we play a safer version of the game. Then there are the actual games. And for the horses, there’s a regimen for endurance training. How is professional polo organized in today’s world? Polo is the only sport where the team owner actually plays on the team. It’s usually one amateur – the owner – and three professionals that they pay to play with. It’s so unique among other sports in that way. You get picked up to play on a team. For example, take this summer where I will play in Charlottesville. I’m lucky that the owner of the team is actually a very good friend of mine. He’s hired me to play on his team with him. Most polo competition comes in the form of tournaments, usually hosted by polo clubs. Usually there will be four teams playing in a tournament. We’ll play against all three of the other teams, and the two that have the best record will go to the final. You mentioned Florida as a polo hotspot in the US. Is there anywhere else in the country where it’s popular? The California desert is big in the winter, though not quite like Florida. In the summer, Santa Barbara is a very big area. New York. Aspen. Virginia. Realistically, polo in the United States during the summer isn’t as competitive as in the winter because most of the talent pool plays in Europe during the summer: England, France, and Spain. In the fall, it’s Argentina. We’re only going where there’s good weather to be had. I know this is an obvious thing to say, but it sounds like such a consuming commitment to be in this sport. It’s a whole lifestyle. You just have to embrace it, you know? It truly becomes your life. I have a friend who is an actress and we’ve spoken about this before. It feels very similar to Hollywood. Either you’re in the scene one hundred percent or you aren’t going to succeed. You talked about how your love of animals is a big part of your life. One of the ways this love is most evident is in your involvement with non profits. Can you talk a bit about that? Obviously my mom being such an animal lover really nurtured a deep passion in me for the natural world. So when I grew up – I’m not the same as my mom in that I’m raising all these wild animals in my house, but I started to give back by working with conservation nonprof its. One that I really love is Fauna & Flora, the oldest wildlife conservation organization continually running. I’m an ambassador with them. They’re based in Cambridge, but they do stuff all around the world. It’s so reward ing to work with them. And there’s WildLandscapes Interna tional, who partner with diverse stakehold ers to create large-scale, globally important wildlife corridors. I am a volunteer for fundraising and awareness for them.
I want to be a force for good. Personally, when I was coming out, I was lucky enough to have an amazing and supportive family. But I didn’t identify so much with the community because I didn’t really see anyone doing what I was doing who I felt connected to. So I really would love to be somebody that people can look at playing polo, playing a professional sport, loving animals, growing up on a farm – all that stuff – and see some of themselves there, to have that connection. I want to be someone who I would have looked up to when I was a kid and been proud of. A regular guy who happens to be gay.
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Podcast Host
WRITTEN BY: HANNAH MCKINNEY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: MARYA JULIANN
Morgan Absher is the founder and host of the podcast and YouTube channel Two Hot Takes. Morgan and her team of co-hosts scour the internet, particularly websites like Reddit, to deliver their hot takes on the inter net’s craziest questions, relationship dramas, life, and AITA (Am I The Asshole?) discus sions. Along with these topics, the show also explores deeper ones, such as mental health, self-love, and the importance of forming healthy relationships in all areas of listeners’ lives. Two Hot Takes has grown a subscrib ership of over 3.25 million fans across social media since its debut in February 2021, has consistently charted in the Top 50 podcasts on both Apple and Spotify, and, over the past four months, the show has raked in over 7 million downloads and counting. New episodes of Two Hot Takes are available to stream weekly across all major podcasting platforms and YouTube. You talk about how growing up you strug gled with mental health and bullying. How did that influence your life today and how do you use those experiences to connect with your audience? As cliche as it is to say, I would not be who I am without all of these struggles. I thought about this recently, and my life has been one domino leading to the next. Waking up one day in high school and having your child hood best friends turn into your bullies is not something I’d wish on anyone, but it made me more resilient, adaptable, and empathetic. You may be surprised to hear, but I’m super introverted and shy, so being forced to make new friends and grow as a person led me down the path of being the only family mem ber to move out of my small town of 6000 people. Having this adaptability and empathy helps me understand where the people in the stories I read may be coming from, and I’m able to give takes/rationales based on the experiences I’ve had over the years. I think the biggest connection between my listeners and the show though, is how we’re just your average people — my typical co-hosts and I are not influencers, we’re just regular people trying to navigate this crazy life and who have had lots of mishaps on the way. What was the transition from your hometown in Minnesota to Los Angeles like for you? Do you have any advice for others looking to make the same kind of change? It was not an easy transition. I actually remember being terrified of the change, doubting my decision, and shedding a lot of tears before I actually moved. But once I got here and started to put in the work to create a strong circle of friends, find hobbies, work towards my doctorate in my graduate program, etc. –it all came together and I felt so happy with my decision. My advice to others looking for a change or thinking about moving: do it. You can always move home if you end up not liking the transition, but try to give it a fair shot. It really takes a year to feel at home in a place and connect with others. So put yourself out there, find some hobbies or groups you're into, download Bumble BFF, ask your coworkers to happy hour — just try to connect with others as much as you can when you start calling a new place home. How did the idea of turning your hobby of scouring the internet for the wildest stories and comments from across the globe into a podcast come about? How difficult was it to start creating this content? Despite being in healthcare, Covid really shaped the end of my education and the beginning of my career. I graduated from my occupational therapy program in April 2020, never had my doctoral hooding ceremony, and was unemployed for a year after graduating. Like a lot of people, I was in a pretty dark place. Reddit was kind of my refuge and escape from it all, and I would constantly send stories to friends. It kind of just dawned on me that why not make it a podcast? After almost 10 months of talking about it, my boyfriend bought me the equip ment as a gift, and Two Hot Takes was born. I had never edited audio or video content before, so I had quite the learning curve, but luckily, I had a good mentor and a lot of time on my hands at the start. But if I can do it, so can you. If you’re thinking about creating content, starting a podcast, vlogging, or whatever it is, just try it and remember You Tube is your friend. How hard was the decision to change career paths and move from medical work to full-time podcasting and content creating? It was extremely difficult to say the least. Working in a hospital and helping people get past some of their worst days was some of the most rewarding work I’ve ever done. But Her Career Journey and Experiences as a Female
MORGAN ABSHER On
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something I thought about that really made transitioning easier was this: the podcast reaches more people in a week than I would during an entire career in occupational ther apy. I will always be an OT, but now I can use this platform to bring awareness to issues I’m passionate about like mental health, postpartum depression, and women of color being more at risk for maternal mortality. Do you plan on podcasting/content creating full-time for a while, or do you have any plans to return to the medical/therapeutic field? What can we expect from you in the future? I love pod casting and will continue full-time, but I do miss helping people on a more one-on-one level with occupational therapy. Some of my favorite work has been addressing mental health/psychosocial needs and sexuality in the acute care setting, something that is often overlooked. My goal is to get certified in pelvic floor therapy in order to help indi viduals/couples with their intimacy needs. What is your reaction to all the love and support you get from listeners concerning how much your show has helped them with their mental health, relationships, bonding with their partners, re-connecting with families, prevent ing self-harm, promoting self-love and body positivity, etc.? What advice or message would you like your listeners to know? Each message sticks with me in such a meaningful way. My listeners know I’m a little bit of a crier on the show, and I tend to tear up each time I read a message that the show has resonated with someone so deeply that it’s impacted their life in some positive way. I’m blown away by the support, but also incredibly happy that my podcast is finding people when they need it the most. I’d love for listeners to know that while sometimes it’s hard to believe things will get better, they will. You’re not alone in feeling lonely, disconnected, or whatever else you’re struggling with, so check in with others around you or seek out online communities that are supportive. I myself have opened up on the show recently about struggling with burnout, and the support I’ve received has been so nice. It’s okay to ask for help, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. How would you describe your experi ence as a successful female entrepreneur in the digital space? What did you find to be the most difficult aspect of it all? It has been such a fun experience growing and finding my own place as a female entrepreneur. This is something I never anticipated and had no prior experience in, so it was daunting at first. I was anticipating a lot of gatekeeping, but I’ve found other female creators to be supportive, willing to share, and open to collaboration. I am so appreciative of this as it’s helped me grow and led me to be able to mentor others who are in similar positions as me when I started. An area I find difficult is doing it all — I don’t know how Beyonce gets so much done in the same 24 hours as me. I have big goals to create a creator focused podcast network with my partner Justin, mentor podcasts that I believe in, and create other fun content that I’m passion ate about. So, time to work on some time management skills. Who or what inspires you the most? My family and friends. I have some of the most remarkable people in my life. I could go on all day about how each one teaches me, motivates me, and inspires me daily. My dad, who never quits despite adversity. My mom, who sacrifices so much to ensure those around her are taken care of. My boyfriend Justin with his creativity, perseverance, and mentorship that made this show possible. And my friends, who are not only a big part of the show’s co-host roster and success, but are some of the most intelligent, driven, and kind people I know. It’s not easy finding your people, but it is so worth the struggles when you do. What is your favorite aspect about podcast ing, and what is the most difficult? I love how involved my listeners are — you don’t often see fanbases that are so engaged, willing to share their own experiences, or give their takes in hopes that the original writers get the best advice they can. Also, I can show up to work in sweats and a big t-shirt instead of scrubs and a white coat, which is a huge plus. The most difficult part has been putting my self out there. Everyone on the internet has an opinion, but some people sure have a way with words that can leave you feeling pretty terrible. However, I recently read the saying, “Stop explaining yourself to people who are determined to misunderstand you,” and this has really put things into perspective for me. I have amazing listeners, and those that are determined to not “get” me, my empathy, or compassion aren’t worth a second thought.
What are three other podcasts you’d rec ommend and why? NPR Life Kit — one of my favorites. This show teaches a little about a lot and brings on experts to talk about niche topics and life issues: from maternal mental health, to dealing with FOMO, to living sustainably, to learning financial literacy. This show covers essential topics that can make our lives better. I never miss an episode despite how unrelated it may seem to me because I love the way they present the in formation and learning about diverse topics.
Two Idiot Girls — This is a podcast from Drew and Deison Afualo. You probably know Drew already from her TikToks and iconic laugh, but add in her equally-as-fun ny sister, Deison, and you have the recipe for a lighthearted, funny podcast that also addresses important issues. I’ve struggled with body issues my whole life, but after listening to their episode on the topic I felt like I finally made some progress towards body neutrality. These girls are so insightful, intelligent, and funny, and every episode is amazing.Murder with my Husband — True crime podcasts are my road trip go-to and this one does a good job giving respect to the victims while presenting the evidence and story. I love the way the host and her husband bounce off each other, and he does a great job asking the questions you know everyone is Followthinking.Morgan on Instagram | @morgsyabsher
In 2015, Schoen began creating his new ideas for the culinary world, starting with the Selfie Cork. He tells us he came up with the idea one night while bored alone at his house. It began with Schoen gluing an end of a phone charger to a cork, finding that the
CHEF
SCHOENDAVID
WRITTEN BY: HANNAH MCKINNEY INTERVIEWED BY: NATALIE T. STEGER PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF DAVID SHOEN
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RAISED IN LATIN AMERICA AND EUROPE, Chef David Schoen is known as a culinary explorer. Schoen describes his life as a kid as constantly moving with his family to new places before landing in Chicago, where his father is originally from. These experi ences have all influenced his culinary journey, though he would say that he is “more Panamanian than anything.” Schoen's first real connection with food was during this time in Chicago. He tells us about his father’s interest in grilling and close relationship to a local butcher; this led to Schoen’s interest in food and grilling. Later, when Schoen was in high school, he began watching shows on the Food Network and loved the personal ities shown on the channel. This is where he started to have the idea that he could apply himself to an area that was interesting to him, unlike many subjects he endured in school. During the interview, Schoen tells us how going through school affected his self-esteem, saying: “They don't tap into other things like, maybe this person is more of an artist and different things. And this, I think, the time we're living in now, there's more awareness. There was no awareness about that before. I had no fucking clue I was even creative.” Schoen recalls a trip he took with his parents right after college to the West Coast: “We started in San Diego, and we went all the way up North. And along the way, we went to all these fancy restaurants. I think that trip was really what sealed the deal with my loving obsession with all things food and the joy that people show when they are gathered around a table eating something they love”.After college, Schoen became Chef David Schoen, immersing himself in the restaurant business, starting as a waiter for many restaurants. Along with waiting tables, Schoen bartended at various high-volume and upscale places to get a feel for every aspect of the restaurant and hospitality business. Around when he was 23, Schoen opened his first restaurant, Pangea, with his partner Richard McLaughlin. Schoen describes Pangea as his “blank canvas to do whatever I wanted, including naming it Pan gea.” His inspiration behind the name came from the idea of unity. Opening this restau rant was the beginning of another creative part of himself he did not know he had. At this time, Schoen was not a professional in the kitchen, so he hired a pro chef to do his menu for Pangea. A few years later, in 2004, he went on to open Wasabi Sushi Lounge in Panama City, Panama, collaborating with Japanese Master Chef Hideo Ishii-San in designing an authentic Japanese menu. In 2010, Schoen moved to Los Angeles, Califor nia, and started working as a private chef for Hollywood’s elite. At this time, he describes his work as “doing just the best version that I could do of my favorite things” rather than anything cutting edge. During the interview, Schoen gives us a deeper insight into the behind-the-scenes of running a restaurant. He explains, “you're there 16 hours a day. You have to be oversee ing everything.” And he notes that although this experience had been exhausting for him, when he returned home for the night, he “couldn't sleep because [he] was still so amped up.” The most crucial thing Schoen learned from his experience running Pangea was that “you have to be there, you have to be present, and you have to be on it.” He ad amantly expressed the value of overseeing all aspects until things began to run smoothly.
Restaurant owner and culinary explorer takes us into his world of cuisine
If readers would like to access more recipes for Rice Browns or share their own concoctions, head over to @Ricebrownscrispyrice on Instagram; there, you can see various combinations put together. Drawings of these dishes also accom pany the recipes, created by a local LA artist named Lexy Cotterell (@lexy.c). Overall, Schoen says, “It's simple. It's easy. And I think when someone sees something new, they get intimidated by it, and they get scared. I don't know what to do with it. It's like you don't need to think about it so much. If it's too difficult, just add a touch of salt and eat it plain.” Schoen has plans for this product to be available in stores na
THEHOUSE-MAGAZINE.COM | THE AMERICAN ICON ISSUE | VOLUME VII36 cord could hold up the phone on any bottle. His girlfriend at the time saw value in the invention and encouraged him to pursue the idea. The Selfie Cork is now described as “a universal bottle stopper that turns almost every standard bottle into a monopod for hands-free pictures and video.” You can purchase Selfie Cork online at selfiecork. com. Selfie Cork is also sold on Amazon and in the entertaining section of specialty stores in LA. At this point in Schoen’s life, he can confidently describe himself as a creative through and through. Now, after having a few patents and grants, Schoen says he now knows he’s capable of bringing cool, innovative things to market that people will cherish.One of Schoen’s most notable ventures today is Rice Browns Crispy Rice, which launched around this time last year, 2021, to 100+ Whole Foods in the Southern Pacific region (Southern California, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii), Gelson’s Markets (California), Bristol Farms (California), and on Instacart through those retailers. Rice Browns are patties made of the highest quality sushi rice, lightly fried, and they are used as delicious vehicles for any meal or snacking occasion. Because it is refrigerated, Rice Brownsboth vegan and gluten free - stays fresher longer. His idea for this dish came from the crispy rice and spicy tuna at sushi restaurants Schoen visited while in LA. So, he started making what is now Rice Browns for some of the clients he catered for, eventually using and making them for all his clients after noticing people would “always go banan as over it, because it was that good.” After some friends expressed they wanted to invest in Schoen's idea, he began the process of testing his recipe for a few years. After a few more years of getting it ready to go into production, Rice Browns were finally launched in the Fall of 2021 on shelf. When asked to share recipes using Rice Browns, Schoen says to keep it simple:“Iwould air fry the Rice Browns or whichever method of cooking you would like to do. And then, on the side, mash up some avocado. Put up a touch of salt. You know, maybe some chili flake if you like a kick, and that's it."
When asked about other projects on the horizon, Schoen had a couple of things to share exclusively with us. First is a project he is very close to launching called CALÍRÌCA, which uses fresh hearts of palm to create realistic lasagna noodles. He explains that fresh hearts of palm spoils quickly, and freezing the whole palm is not an option. After farmers cut it, you have nine days to use it before it spoils. Be cause of this, it is super expen sive, around $17 a pound right now. Schoen explains that he has found a way to get fresh palm at a very economical price, allowing him to create this new product.
Schoen does his best to live by this ethos of service and support to others to find hope and help by providing whole some and delicious meals to those who are in need of nourishment with an amazing program called Destination Hope, which is partnered with Shower of Hope. He makes the meals from scratch in his home and brings it to the areas for fami lies or individuals in need. Like many chefs and creative people, Chef Schoen has had his own struggles with mental health diagnoses in recent years and if it weren’t for his incredible support network professionally and personally, he would not be in the position he is today, for the benefit of so many appetites and food entertaining experiences. “I've been lucky to have the parents that I have and the friends that I have. Everyone deserves a good quality of life. I think empathy goes a long way. Even for your brothers and sisters that you might not know, it goes a long way to bring someone back from a bad place into a joyful life.”
To follow, inquire or learn more about the latest with Schoen’s creations and his journey, go to knifeandgrill.com, Instagram @knife andgrill @ricebrownscrispyrice @selfiecork. Coming soon on IG @caliricaheartsofpalm.
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Although all of Schoen products are made in LA, California, one of his other new projects will be produced in Sheridan, Wyoming at the RnRiv.com factory. It's a project that Schoen has been working on for years, called Chef Shirts by Knife and Grill. The goal of this new proj ect is to modernize the traditional chef uniform so chefs can perform their best in the kitchen and for guests while being both comfortable and showing up well. To Schoen, food “means beauty. It means love. It means con nection and expression. And it's the ability to nourish people, you know, is very powerful and satisfying.” To be able to provide quality ingredients to a universal audience across Amer ica doesn’t have to be difficult. Schoen’s creative solutions to provide healthy and tasty options to every palate and table is inspiring. When asked about his hopes for the future and his legacy, he says: “I'm really enjoying what I'm doing right now with these products, and there's even other stuff that is planned in the pipeline. But what I really would like to do to make a bigger difference is to be remembered as someone who cared and tried to do good. Being a Chef isn’t about being egocentric. It's more for me about fueling my craving to discover things for others to enjoy. Hopefully, not too far in the distant future, I would like to put an emphasis on mental health.”
CALÍRÌCA will be launching three different types of lasagna: meat, just cheese, and a vegan version. The remarkable thing about this project is that the hearts of palm mimic the texture of pasta, unlike zucchini, and it's still a vegetable. Schoen says soon we will be able to find CALÍRÌCA nationwide, and he “cannot imagine there being a buyer that tastes this and does not put in an order. It is that delicious”.
tionwide, but as of right now, they are still learning about the details of mass producing this product from coast to coast. Schoen conclud ed by saying, “we are so sure that the world will absolutely love it and just make it a staple of their house or kitchen.”
WRITTEN
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF TONY POWELL
Powell is an inspiration; watching him work, how he made our team feel, and how natural the process came to him are skills that most people could only dream of acquiring (even after an extensive, successful career like Tony’s). The shift in the energy on set was tangible while he shot. Everyone was silent, watching as the rapid clicks of his camera capturedEver-so-dedicatedJason. to his craft, the most unforgettable shot on set occurred when Powell crouched in a fireplace, forcing himself as far back as he could go to get the perfect shot. Shooting Jason in one of the rowhouse’s living rooms, the space wasn’t wide enough for Tony to get the shot he wanted. Rather than switching locations or coming up with alternative cover shots, Tony crouched down and into the fire place, squeezing himself in to capture Jason perfectly. It’s this commitment to his art, his brand, and his legacy that should prompt others to watch and learn. “I’ll do anything to get the perfect shot… hanging out of windows, and now crawling in fireplaces,” he joked.With a rolodex of top-tier clients and past collaborators, including Facebook, Google, Vogue, Hermés, Louis Vuitton, The Washington Ballet, and various foreign embassies (just to name a few), there’s no doubt Powell will continue to make his mark not only on the Washington art and cultural scenes, but on the industry as a whole. Eager to see what he does next, our team at The House can’t wait to share his latest projects with our readers. No matter who has the privilege of being photographed next, one thing is for certain: working with Tony will be remarkable.
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“Multitalented” doesn’t even begin to describe Tony Powell. An award-winning photographer, choreographer, composer, filmmaker, graphic designer, writer, and so much more, Tony Powell has been described as a “21st Century Renaissance Man” by The Washington Post. Powell makes the work of being a prolific artist look easy. Having the honor of working alongside Tony and celebrity stylist Joy Kingsley-Ibeh, CEO of Kingsley Models, for the production of this Issue’s cover shoot of award-winning author Jason Reynolds, I saw firsthand the unparalleled attention to detail, passion, and expertise that Powell brings to his shoots. From the moment he arrived, he was itching to get started. Surveying the rooms of the set, a stunning Georgetown rowhouse, Pow ell’s eyes darted back and forth, calculating his shots. I was watching a master in his element.Known for capturing countless D.C. functions, from White House Correspon dents Dinners to embassy parties, ballets, and exclusive luncheons, Powell is the city’s go-to photographer. In addition to events, Powell’s subject matter also includes arrest ing portraits of some of the globe’s most notable figures. From Pope Francis to the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, it’s hard to come up with a contemporary mover-and-shaker that hasn’t been chronicled by Powell. While Powell has become well-known throughout Washington for his event, architectural, landscape, and portrait photography, he’s also passionate about so many other facets and avenues of artistic expression. At just six years old, Tony was already playing the piano and trumpet better than most. However, it wasn’t until his time touring with a national theater troupe that Powell had other artistic mediums opened up to him. Throughout his time in grade school, Powell had already made a splash ap pearing on television and performing in local plays near his family’s Montgomery County residence. By the time Tony was preparing for college, The Juilliard School was calling. Tony is living proof that certain people are just born to be artists. His love of the arts, in all its forms, is as inspiring to others as it is personal to “Creativityhim. is probably what most civili zations will be remembered by.” Upon arriving on set for the produc tion of Jason Reynolds’ shoot, Tony was cracking jokes from the jump. Alleviating what might otherwise have been a typical, stressful shoot, Tony put everyone at ease. Working with Joy and the stylists from the Kingsley Team, he posed Jason, even model ing himself to show us all how it's properly done. It’s Tony’s professionalism, calming demeanor, and wit that stuck with me most. He didn’t know it, but I was taking notes.
TONY POWELL Through the Lens of BY: CONNOR DUSZYNSKI
COURTESY
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Our artist features are something we look forward to sharing most during the release of each issue. We love to tell the stories from creatives that you may have never heard other wise, and this month we are proud to share the work of Anna Tsouhlarakis, Native American multi-media artist. Icons in our history, the Native American community has brought forth some of the most culturally rich art with powerful symbolism. Today, Tsouhlarakis puts a modern spin into her work, while maintaining powerful meaning and messaging behind each piece. Can we start by hearing how you got your start as an artist? Since I can remember, I have always made things, whether it be from scrap wood my father brought from his construction sites or out of scrap silver from his jewelry studio. My father is also an artist and makes contemporary Navajo jewelry. In his earlier days, he was a construction worker during the day and worked on jewelry at night. He was always making and building, so I did theMysame.path led me to Dartmouth College, predominantly be cause of the Native American Studies program and the Native student community. I quickly became immersed in the Native American studies program and Studio Art classes. By my sec ond year in college, I was a double major in Native American Studies and Studio Art. The overlap of these two subjects were second nature to me—each informed the other and made my practice as an artist and historian stronger with each course. At Dartmouth, I was exposed to forms of art that were totally different and new to me. I learned about how these branches of art history grew within African American and Latin Amer ican art, and I wondered where this branch was for Native American art. I saw the beginnings in the work of James Luna and similar artists, and I realized that I could help extend that branch; that I had something to add to the Native trajectory through installation, performance, and video.
PHOTOGRAPHY: OF ANNA TSOUHLARAKIS
LEGEND V. 2007. INKJET PRINT. 19” X 27”.
What inspires you most about the connection between minimal ism and Native American art? I am interested in the connections between Native American Art and Minimalism—the restraint of color and use of essential forms were especially significant in both genres of art. As my own work developed, I have con tinually maintained my faithfulness to these qualities whether working in sculpture, video, or installation. We love hearing about creative processes. What does your Anna Tsouhlarakis - An Icon in the Native American and Art Community
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2/IT GOES LIKE THIS. 2020. FOUND WOOD, IKEA REMNANTS, PORCUPINE QUILLS, DEER ANTLERS, SINEW, RESIN, PLASTER. 12" X 40" X 9".
artistic process look like from the beginning of a project to the end? My ideas are drawn from all sorts of places, including specific experiences, articles and books I have read, or stories from my family when growing up. Those memories are usually triggered by recent events or news, and that is when the ideas for new work are born. Most of the time, an image is formed in my mind, and I try to flesh it out a bit by sketching or writing a note about the piece. Eventually, when and if that idea becomes strong enough to be made, I consider the possibilities in a variety of media. Then the construction begins, which is usually the easier part of the process. You have created pieces in film, sculp ture, and installations. What elements within your work across these mediums makes it all an Anna Tsouhlarakis piece? I don’t have a specific style and I have never felt the need to have one. I lean toward neutral colors, as I find color can confuse pieces or become too symbolic. I like simplic ity and directness. If possible, I like to incorporate a sense of humor within work. There are certain perceptions and expectations that confine Native American Art. I have always been inter ested in challenging and stretching those boundaries of aesthetic and conceptual expectations to reclaim and rewrite Na tive definitions of making. These are the concepts that consistently run through out my work. Can you tell us about the messaging be hind your work? Almost all my work deals with ideas that center around Native identity and history, but I do not have an overall message I’m trying to impart. My practice touches on many facets of connection that I find interesting. Talk about a piece you have created that has made an impact on your audience regarding this messaging? The Native Guide Project consisted of two pub lic billboards, and social media ads pushed out nationally via Instagram and Facebook. On the social media pages there were 23 pieces of text that worked as guides for non-Native Americans. During Native American Heritage month, in November of 2019 these text images were pushed out as advertise ments on the social media sites to pop up in unsuspecting feeds. Through social media and billboards the project reached an estimated 35,000 viewers. Tell us about one of the proudest moments in your career? I had a solo exhi bition in New York City in 2007. During the exhibition run, I was contacted by the Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock, Arizona. They were interested in traveling the show to their space. As an enrolled citizen of the Navajo Nation, it was an immense honor to be recognized and asked to have my work shown in the museum. I came to find out it was the first time the museum had ever shown installation and video art. It was such a meaningful moment for me. What are you working on now? Any upcoming releases you are able to share? In terms of upcoming exhibitions, this fall, I will be part of the National Portrait Gallery’s “Portraiture Now: Kinship” exhibition in Washington, DC, and will also have performances throughout 2023 in the NPG as part of the “IDEN TIFY: Performance Art as Portraiture” series. I also have exhibitions coming up at the Vicki Myhren Gallery at the Uni versity of Denver, the Wexner Center for the Arts at the Ohio State University, and the Scottsdale Museum of Contem porary Art.
THEHOUSE-MAGAZINE.COM | THE AMERICAN ICON ISSUE | VOLUME VII 43 1/IT KEEPS GOING. 2020. FOUND WOOD, IKEA REMNANTS, PORCUPINE QUILLS, SINEW, GALVANIZED C-CLAMP, RESIN, PLASTER. 16" X 17" X 19". My ideas are drawn from all sorts of places, including specific experiences, articles and books I have read, or stories from my family when growing up. Those memories are usually triggered by recent events or news, and that is when the ideas for new work are born. Most of the time, an image is formed in my mind, and I try to flesh it out a bit by sketching or writing a note about the piece. Eventually, when and if that idea becomes strong enough to be made, I consider the possibilities in a variety of media. Then the construction begins, which is usually the easier part of the process.
EDGES OF THE EPHEMERAL. 2012-2022. ALUMINUM SIGNAGE, RECLAIMED WOOD, FOUND WIRE AND OTHER FOUND OBJECTS. 20’ X 20’ X 15’.
MEET THE MULTI-TALENTED, NEXT-GEN AMERICAN ICON, ANNE WINTERS. WRITTEN BY: NATALIE T. STEGER PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JANA SCHUESSLER STYLED BY: AMANDHA GAIO MAKEUP BY: MONICA WU AND TAYLOR FITZGERALD HAIR BY: MELISSA FORMICA AND FRANKIE CALIRE PRODUCED BY: GREAT SOCIAL CLUB
“I've always alwayssituationsperforminglovedorbeingputinwhereIfeltchallengedandexcited.ActingwassomethingI'dadmired. ”
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Interviewing the lovely Anne Winters for our latest issue for The House in NYC has been an honor. She is a breath of fresh air and quickly won over The House Magazine's editorial team's hearts as joy with her easygoing and can-do attitude during her exclusive American Icon cover shoot for our publication. Winters is a multi-talented artist, an accomplished actress, producer, and singer. You may know from her numerous roles in a number of films and shows like Netflix's Original hit Series 13 Reasons Why, ABC's Grand Hotel, Universal Pictures' Night School opposite Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish, and STX Entertainment's Countdown. She has also played the title role in Hulu's Zac & Mia, in which she won a Daytime Emmy for "Best Actress in A Drama Series." Winters is currently starring as a series regular in The Orville: New Horizons, created by Seth MacFarlane, which you can find streaming on the Hulu Network. She has optioned the novel "The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes," which she is currently producing an adaptation of the YA novel and has other projects in the works. The team here at the House Magazine can't wait to see what the future holds for this remarkable young woman. Anne Winters is full of grit, grace, and beauty… all the makings of an American Icon. Anne, please tell us how you got your start. What made you fall in love with acting, and how did that eventually lead to you becoming a producer? I’ve always loved performing or being put in situations where I felt challenged and excited. Acting was something I’d always admired – as in growing up I basically wanted to BE “Hannah Montana” LOL! So, I pushed my parents to let me give it a shot and since then I’ve had a great career. I’ve been consistently working for 11+ years and am again wanting to find the next “challenge” – which right now has been producing. Do you have a favorite character you have played? If so, why was this character your favorite? Yes, I will always love my character Mia from Zac & Mia. I got really involved in the cancer community in LA and was able to connect with so many cancer patients and their families during the process. On a professional note, that role won me my first Emmy (of hopefully many to come) – so it will always be special to me! Overall, the show, the patients, and their families will forever hold a special place in my heart! What were some of your goals at the beginning of your acting career that seem so far away now? What has stayed the same? I am still happily shocked I’ve won an Emmy already! That was a goal early in my career and still is one, as I want to keep growing and progressing as an actor. The first goal I had when I started acting was to be at a point where I’m always working and that feels like it’s come to fruition so far. Outside of acting, what other passions do you have? I love cooking in general but I’m always craving sushi, so learning different carpaccio or ceviche recipes is fun to me! I am also a dog mom, and I love my guilty pleasure of reality TV. Pilates and a good farmers market on a Sunday is my love language! In your work, what are you most proud of and why? When I have a challenging scene and feel like I brought even more to it than I ever thought I could. Also being told by the crew or everyone working around me that I’m a joy to work with is something that I take to heart. Work/life balance is becoming more and more important these days, especially after the stresses the last couple of years have put on society. What are some ways you ensure you have balance in your life? After wrapping The Orville: New Horizons, I’ve had a lot of time to ask myself this question and I’m constantly finding different things I enjoy while having some down time. The friends that I’ve made, my dog, great books, and randomly driving to Santa Barbara for a weekend are all calming escapes to me. I am producing and working on a new project, so focusing on that hasn’t felt stressful at all as it is more exciting, but I’ll let you know if that changes when I’m back on set! Lol! This is the American Icon issue for The House. Who do you consider to be an American Icon and why? Eva Longoria is the definition of an American Icon. I’ve seen first-hand that she is a hard worker with the most generous heart to EVERYONE on set. She made everyone feel accepted while also being pregnant/just having a baby. She never complained and was there every day being hands-on, while also maintaining the other projects and charities she started. She WEARS ALL THE HATS in the business with grace. What should we be expecting from you in the coming years in terms of your growth as an artist? Can you give us any sneak peeks? Again, I want to keep growing in this industry, so I am really excited about a new project I am producing with Fuzzy Door. It is going to blow everyone away and that’ll definitely be making waves. Be on the lookout – you won’t want to miss it!
Denim Shirt AG JEANS Jacket STELLA MCCARTNEY Skirt THE ATTICO
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ofjazz,playingalwaysmycomesdefinitelyfromdad,hewassingingormusicformysistersandI.Especiallylotsofblues,classicrockandroll.ItshapedsomuchhowIsingandwhatIlistento.”
I am bias to nineties nostalgia, but it's what also defines who or what I consider to be an icon in America. The talents that I fell in love with throughout my teenage years, and those that still have America's heart, is what defines iconic to me. It's also why my age group is so interested in the next generation stemming from those icon's family tree. In steps Rumer Wills, daughter of unforgettable Hollywood characters, G.I. Jane and Butch Coolidge of Pulp Fiction, or rather the Demi Moore and Bruce Willis. It's easy to wonder whether or not the children of Hollywood will follow in the footsteps of their parents, but as we get to know them, one thing remains true. Creativity, entreprenurialship and individuality is something this group, and Rumer Willis, holds on to. And we were lucky enough to spend a few moments to look into the future with her as she gives us a glimpse for her plans for the future as she steps into her own definition of an American Icon. Can you tell us about “Rumer Has It?” Rumer Has It is something I have been working on for a long time and really blossomed organically from my love of treasure hunting and trying everything I could get my hands on to find the most unique and magical products, jewelry, home wares, kitchen gadgets etc. I want to help people discover a way to take care of themselves that feels intoxicating and delightful. To help them curate a self care routine that feels exciting. For me, I can find such delight and pleasure in coming home and my house smells the way I like because of my favorite candles and I can take time at night to take care of my body and skin with all my potions and oils (as my friends call them). Its about creating rituals for yourself that feed you. And I want to help others find that as well. Also, you have quite a following on Instagram and one of the things you are doing more of are your IG Live Late Night Piano Series. Can you tell us how that began and more about that? The Late Night Piano Series came about as a bit of an accident really. I was in my childhood home in Idaho with my family at the beginning of the pandemic and one night, pretty late in the evening I sat down to play some songs and thought why not do a livestream and share some music (even though I didn’t feel my piano skills were the best) I was hoping to create some joy and connection during a time that was so disconnected for everyone. It turned out so great and everyone who joined was so incredibly prizing and expressed such gratitude, that I decided to keep them going. Where does your love for music and your natural talents as a musician come from? My love of music definitely comes from my dad, he was always singing or playing music for my sisters and I. Especially lots of jazz, blues, classic rock and roll. It shaped so much of how I sing and what I listen to. Music is very healing, and we would love to know what specific songs that help heal you or you find comfort in during difficult times? I think for me it really depends on the mood, what particular challenge I am dealing with, but I will say some new favorites in general are Consequence of Love by Gregory Porter and Mexico by The Staves.
You share a lot about self care and self love which you demonstrate through your posts and stories on Instagram, Rumer Has It, your sobriety (almost 6 years now, amazing!), and it shines most brightly through your work about sexuality. Can you tell us more about that work you do about sexuality? Anything specific you are working on currently? For me the work around sexuality and exploration of pleasure and hedonism really came out of this void I felt in myself and with friends around education and freedom of expression around these topics. In a lot of ways it still feels so taboo to discuss and bring up sex and pleasure in an open forum, especially for women. There is so much I wish I had known when I was a teenager and well into my 20’s about masturbation and advocating for my pleasure in a partnered situation. Even so much I didn’t know about birth control and my cycle. I feel so passionate about doing the work to heal and educate myself in all facets of this work so that I can in turn be of service to others. Can you tell us about any new projects or things you are doing we should keep an eye out for? I am focusing on getting Rumer Has It off the ground which is very exciting and also hopefully releasing my first music ep this year. Can you give us some parting words or a quote that can inspire others to find their own path much like you have and continue to do so? Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your ears.
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FROM THE HOUSE WRITTEN BY:
Americana, by definition, refers to the things in the United States of America that represent its history and culture. Today, many of those historical references are dimmed due in large part to the divide of the country politically. Past issues of The House Magazine have attempted to narrow the gap in differences being negative instead embrace how differences lead to incredibly positive outcomes, especially in the world of art. So much of the U.S.’s culture results from those differences being positive. Heading to the South for its hospitality. Going North to stand at the foot of the largest buildings amongst the most dense population in the country. Referencing the Midwest for its values and the West Coast for the fulfillment of dreams. The positive of today’s America, what Americana is and can be, is that any of us can decide to define ourselves and share that definition. The House Magazine defines “House” as a combination of Fashion, Beauty, Culture, Art, Design, Food, Travel. John Mellencamp defined “house” in his own way with Pink Houses. How do you define “House”? “Americana”? We’d love to read from you and share in how owning our different definitions, makes all the difference. notes JENNIFER
THEHOUSE-MAGAZINE.COM | THE AMERICAN ICON ISSUE | VOLUME VII 75 A M E R I C A N A BUT FIRST, A TRIBUTE TO AN “AMERICAN” ICON, OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN. In spite of her birth being in Cambridge, England, Olivia Newton-John embodied Americana for so many of us. Olivia was born on September 26, 1948. She started her artistic career in music. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner, had five number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Between all of the music stardom, she was famously cast in the musical film Grease alongside actor John Travolta. Olivia played an Australian exchange student going to school in Los Angeles, California. The film had a multitude of references to American life in the 1970s. Continuing through to now, the iconic movie is still played in households both nationwide and around the globe. The combination of killer casting across dancing, singing and acting capabilities with cultural references based on the facts of life in that era, makes the musical’s fanbase reach far beyond the typical audience of thatOngenre.Monday, the 8th of August of this year, Olivia passed away at 73 years of age. She had long been battling cancer. Her attitude, even with being re-diagnosed three times over, is one to emulate when the going gets tough, no matter where you are from, live or end your life.
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