issue No. 1
JUNE 2010
art art •• culture culture •• city city
welcome home Get reacquainted.
introducing
issueoo1 >>
D.C. is a lot of things. It is a political and economic haven. It houses people from every nation in the world, as well as the president. It is a center for policy and for philanthropy. It is all of those things, and it is so much more. It has an established fine art market, a booming music scene and an fashion movement that’s taking the East Coast by storm. Of course, if you chose to pick up this magazine, you probably already know these things. Redline came about out of the necessity of this city’s residents. We need a place to look for art, for culture, and most of all, for our city. So please, take a peak. Take part in the transformation that is the District of Columbia.
With sincerity, from your new
staff: Editor-in-Chief kate lefevre Creative Director Erik Jacobsen Editorial Director Scott calka Art Director Shea Cadrin Photo Director Kyoko Li, Style Director SAYDE ACKERMAN Marketing Director Liz ray
in this issue
74
The Breakout Girl Meet Emilia Giordano, the 22-year-old everything. Read our intimate interview and see what makes the savvy social maven tick.
{roundabout} 12 14
june must-do’s
15
heads of state real life heroes Notable venues for unleashing the rockstar within
04
tokyo roses Issey, Yohji and Rei visit the District as the Textile Museum opens its doors to Japan and the avant-garde.
will reality bite? MTV & Bravo flock to the District to heat up the not-so-silver screen this fall
15
16
17
the comparison NY vs. DC: Has the balance of power (and the high spirits) really shifted southward?
+ dcblogs ’s must-read
15
{intersection} 32
the old man and the she
{freeway} 61
PR guru Robert Morgenthau set himself one last duty before stepping away: to prevent the brassy Leslie Crocker Syder from getting his job.
37
44
the vegan desert movement Chronicles of chocolate-covered tofu
66
nesting instincts
The hippies at Woodstock reclaim their territory
74
emilia chameleon
the unlucky clover
82
back to the garden
One problem. Three solutions. A city that can’t make up its mind.
52
61
32
the gay generation gap Forty years after Stonewall, the gay movement has never been more united. So why do older gay men and younger ones often seem so far apart?
around town Beautiful people in interesting places
{detour } 88
sensation: silk
June 2010
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05
j une PASSION +Tokyo
D.C. Jazz Festival
PIT3
Formerly the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival, will feature more than 100 jazz performances throughout D.C. including the Kennedy Center, the Phillips Collection, on the National Mall & more.
Dupont Kalorama Museum Walk An annual event offering free admission and special activities at the eight museums of the Dupont-Kalorama Museums Consortium.
8
cocorosie The Black Cat
Mainstage 8 p.m. $20
9:30 Club, 7 p.m.
outdoor
film festival 10
8 p.m.
Thursdays until August
sum-2 mer 1 (first official day)
Tip
More than 60 underage drivers will race down Capitol Hill to compete in three All American Soap Box Derby race divisions. The winners in each division will advance to the World Championship Soap Box Derby Race to be held in July in Akron, Ohio.
23 Carole King
+ James Taylor-Troubador
National Capitol
Outsider Beginning
Barbeque
June26 Battle Baltimore Restaurant Week Enjoy crabcake specials and lunch & dinner prix fix.
17
Washington Soap Box Derby
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Betweern 9th and 14th St
28–29
30
Verizon Center, 8 p.m.
artomatic
sunday
An annual ten day event celebrating the spirit and strength in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities in Washington, DC. The event brings together national and local LGBT organizations with numerous activities.
5
Crystal screen
Capital Pride Street Festival
13
Police Club
Month-long free art festival 55 M Street SE
The Futureheads & The Like
National Harbor
1
The Black Cat Mainstage 9 p.m. $15
food 12
&
wine festival
Nineteenth
National Capital
TOUR DE CURE
1
9
The American Diabetes Association hosts its annual bicycling event in Reston, Virginia to support diabetes awareness, education, research, and advocacy. The Tour de Cure is not a race, but rather a ride that encourages people of all experience levels to participate in an event to raise the level of awareness about diabetes. Bicyclist will ride on the scenic Washington and Old Dominion Trail on 100, 63, 32, or 12 mile routes. Participants form teams and raise money to benefit the nearly 21 million children and adults with diabetes. For up-to-date events for June, visit us online at: >> www.redlinemag.com
{roundabout} yes, this is a dress Issey, Yohji and Rei visit the District as the Textile Museum opens its doors to Japan and the avant-garde. inside the textile museum’s japan exhibit page seven
>>
June 2010
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{roundabout}
MTV & Bravo flock to the Ddistrict to heat up the not-so-silver screen this fall
WILL REALITY BITE?
//
by lavanya ramanathan
Nearly a year ago, MTV execs hosted and toasted their way through the inaugural festivities in DC, thinking it would be pretty cool to be a part of the local scene right now. So, what better way to capitalize on the city’s new hipster cred than to start getting real? That it took until the 23rd season for Real World to focus on the nation’s capital, says much about how far the District has come. “The show has always gone to cities that appeal to young people as a fantasy place.They think,‘That’s where I want to live,’ ” says Jim Johnston, longtime executive producer for Bunim/Murray Productions, the production house that launched Real World in 1992. “Typically it’s New York or L.A., but now, DC is on the radar screen.” The blitzkrieg of reality shows setting up shop in Washington confirms Johnston’s hunch. With the Real Housewives of DC filming, Michelle Obama hairstylist Johnny Wright shopping his series and the Blonde Charity Mafia getting its first run on MTV New Zealand (CW won’t confirm it will air stateside), Real World will be the first to give DC its close-up. We’ll be watching on August 30, as the city hits the small screen while in the midst of redefining itself. Will the eight young hipsters picked to live in a Dupont Circle house capture the ethos of the “new” DC ? Or will it be the same tired rendition of Washington—and the Real World, for that matter? But it is still the Real World, with its alcohol-soaked story lines and angst-ridden 20-somethings. During the filming, Joshuah Colon, a Philadelphia rebel-rocker with a penchant for eyeliner and cowboy boots wrote, “I’ve got some things on my mind I really can’t shake them/ Room full of windows and I’m ready to break them.” Colon performed with his band, Wicked Liquid, at the Rock N Roll Hotel before the series wrapped in October. With a myriad of shows—reality and otherwise—setting their sights on DC, will MTV set the precedent for DC’s new image? To be sure, the cast was Twitter fodder last summer, and the show’s effect on the city has yet to be realized. But if all goes well, it will be the legions of hip kids this cast inspires—not to mention future TV projects—that will make the biggest impact of all. •
d c ’s
All the news not fit to print.
best
blogs
14
urban life Brightest Young Things For, by, and about DC’s scenesters, it covers everything from fashion, music, and film to food and drinks with a casual, often tongue-in-cheek attitude.
DCeiver
Every bit as incisive as Eat the Press, the blog Jason Linkin writes for the Huffington Post, offering a snapshot of his musings on DC, politics, and more.
+ More Urban Life
DCBlogs, DCist, Going Green DC, Achenblog, ReadySetDC, Celebritology, FamousDC
HEADS OF STATE //
by katie locke
In a five-story 1883 town house on Washington, D.C.’s K Street, Andre Chreky’s salon is masterfully set up to accommodate a town divided into red and blue. Two distinct cutting-room floors keep clients with opposing politics out of one another’s sights. “I try to keep them separated because they look at each other and you can see their stiffness,” says Chreky, citing former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton and former Russian Ambassador Yuri Ushakov as two clients who have been escorted in different directions. Though there is also a private room for those with no patience for chitchat (oddly enough, John McLaughlin was a fan of those quarters), Chreky and his wife, Serena, insist that this is the sort of place where, despite being situated just two blocks from the White House, things are downright folksy—Callista Gingrich’s husband, Newt, walks her over regularly and reads a book while he waits for her to get her hair done. Recently, both White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and Senior Adviser David Axelrod personally called the salon to make appointments. “There’s no entourage [for these two],” Serena Chreky says earnestly, adding that political figures often want to minimize the hoopla surrounding routine haircuts. “You need [to go] somewhere where you’re not going to read about it in the paper the next day. You need a salon that protects you.” That’s because, unlike the White House beauty parlor, with its single shampoo station and chair reserved for the first family, the leading salons in Washington cater to a rotating cast of senators, congresspeople, ambassadors and journalists. And each establishment dances the delicate waltz of keeping political pit bulls with jam-packed schedules happy and relaxed while beautifying them discreetly in a town that loves to abhor vanity. At the storied George Salon at the Four Seasons, station after station of strapping Turkish men— the D.C. salon scene is dominated by Turks, who, as one competitor says, give “the best blow-dries in the world and don’t talk much”—tend to some of the most watched heads on the Hill, including Judy Woodruff, Maureen Dowd, Madeleine Albright, Elizabeth Dole and Chris Matthews. The genial gray-bearded proprietor, George Ozturk, likes to say he presides over “the safest salon in Washington,” thanks to the rows of bulletproof Secret Service–packed SUVs waiting outside for clients as well as hotel guests such as King Abdullah II of Jordan. Inside, stylists get a few requests each day for “Pelosi hair.” Luckily, Omer Cevirme, who styles the House speaker’s sleek chestnut mane five days a week, works on-site. Traditionally, the look in D.C.—ultraconservative and often outdated by fashionable standards—has been the subject of much ridicule. When she was first lady, Hillary Clinton even mocked her own ever changing hairstyles by hanging a poster of them in the private residence (her much improved ladylike shag is now tended by Isabelle Goetz of the Cristophe Salon). Yet a political figure who takes an overt interest in his or her appearance is often called out for it—especially when the cost of the primping comes into question. Remember the commotion around John Edwards’s $400 trims and Sarah Palin’s sassy RNC-funded updos? •
real life heroes
//
Notable venues for unleashing the rockstar within by hays sibley
Pairing games with alcohol is no novelty in the Washington bar scene, but throw in a video game like Guitar Hero or Rock Band, which allow you to indulge in dreams of rock stardom, and you get a fresh, genius take on the classic formula. Here’s a list of places where you can go unleash the rock star within. If Nintendo Wii is more your thing, we’ve also included a couple of places that have the console.
Bedrock Billiards At this Adams Morgan bar, you can play Nintendo Wii any day of the week, but there’s a price attached.
Hamilton’s Bar & Grill Rock Band is available for free every night in the upstairs area. Lotus Lounge. Lotus Lounge hosts a Rock Band night one Wednesday a month from 8 PM to 2 AM. A Nintendo Wii bowling lane is also set up, with $5 sake bombs all night and $5 food specials from the sushi bar.
The Reef Every first and third Tuesday of the month, channel your inner Jimi Hendrix with Rock Band night at this Adams Morgan nightspot. Specials include $5 Jameson and $3 Miller High Life along with half-price burgers, which should all help you get that windmill going. •
Food & drink The Bitten Word
Partners Clay Dunn and Zach Patton document their experiences trying out food-magazine recipes with equal amounts of humor and insight.
boldface names Culinary Couture
Lemmonex may write anonymously, but luckily she’s very open about sharing recipes and funny life anecdotes— both in and outside the kitchen.
Above the Law
Billing itself as a “legal tabloid,” it’s nothing if not gossipy. Want to know how many Supreme Court clerks a firm snapped up? Check it out.
June 2010
>>
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{roundabout}
Dresses from the Mary Basket Collection
TOKYO ROSES
//
by tanya elshihawi
When the sun is shining and temperatures are ideal, it is easy to forget about D.C.’s museum scene. The Smithsonians can be underwhelming and over-air-conditioned, but if you yearn for a break from perpetual sunburn, there is one suitable alternative:The Textile Museum. This summer, the pint-sized museum, located just outside of Dupont Circle on S street, is scheduled to open two exciting exhibits. The first, Contemporary Japanese Fashion: The Mary Baskett Collection, features the designer garments collected by Mary Baskett, art dealer and former curator of prints at the Cincinnati Art Museum who has been collecting and wearing Japanese high fashion since the 1960s. The garments showcase asymmetry, raw edges, unconventional construction, oversized proportions, and high-tech fabrics. These eccentric aesthetics were born out of the Japanese designers that rocked the fashion world in the ‘80s. Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kwakubo are among the designers most collected by Mary Baskett. The impact of these designers became global, influencing the entire international fashion scene. In addition, another exhibit (“Fabrics of Feather and Steel: The Innovation of Nuno”) features a wonderful display highlighting Nuno which means “functional fabric” in Japanese. Nuno employs a Japanese technique that uses cutting-edge technologies in order to create innovative fabrics. Led by artistic director and co-founder Reiko Sudo, Nuno integrates the techniques, materials and aesthetics of traditional Japanese textiles with an eclectic array of items ranging from stainless steel and aluminum to bamboo and bird feathers, as well as unorthodox finishing methods, such as burnishing, burning, and chemical dissolving, Reiko Sudo and her team have broadened the parameters of contemporary textile design. If you’re not able to stumble over to Northwest for these exhibits, don’t fret: The museum also has several online exhibits. “Common Threads: Unraveling the World of Textiles.” Be sure to move your cursor over the photos to learn lots of in-depth information about the garments shown. • The Textile Museum 2320 S Street NW 202-667-0441 June 13–December 2, 2010.
boldface names
>>
best blogs continued
16
FishbowlDC Two new editors, Matthew Dornic and Christine Delargy, have taken over this longtime fixture on the local blog scene that covers media and journalists.
the tuneup Potomac Flacks
If you work in or around the PR industry, you’ll want to follow this site, which keeps track of everyone’s comings and goings.
Information Leaf blower
Written by former music-industry insider Kyle Gustafson, features short music and concert reviews complemented by Gustafson’s superb photography.
the comparison Has the balance of power (and the high spirits) really shifted southward? We polled 50 New Yorkers and 50 District denizens to find out.
//
Are things in this country getting better or worse? Washingtonians
New Yorkers
Better // 30
Better // 22
Worse // 17
Is your life getting better or worse? Washingtonians Better // 44
Worse // 6
Worse // 24
New Yorkers Better // 38
Worse // 9
Which city is currently more powerful? Washingtonians New Yorkers New York // 10
DC // 37
New York // 20
DC // 28
Which city bears blame for our nation’s troubles? Washingtonians New Yorkers New York // 16 “Dick Cheney”
DC // 25
New York // 9
DC // 37
Which city is more morally bankrupt? Washingtonians NewYorkers New York // 21
DC // 19
New York // 6
DC // 32
Your best celebrity sighting? Washingtonians
Would you ever move...
Barack Obama. Bill Clinton. W. Bob Dole. Tobey Maguire. Oprah. Justice Souter. Joe Biden. Stevie Wonder. Ludacris. Robert Novak. Rosario Dawson. “The CEO of Hewlett-Packard.” George Stephanopous. “Joe Lieberman at the Safeway.”
Washingtonians Yes // 34
New Yorkers
No // 16
New Yorkers
Sarah Jessica Parker. Ethan Hawke. Mos Def. Al Franken. Dave Chappelle. David Bowie. Samuel L. Jackson. Sarah Silverman.. Kofi Annan. Chloe Sevigny. Elijah Wood.”I saw Matthew Broderick having a celebrity sighting of Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Matthew looked stoked.”
Yes // 8
No // 42
the look The Vinyl District
Started in support of local independent record stores, the Vinyl District is great not only for fans of the classic medium but for music in general.
All About the Pretty
A Southern woman’s take on everything in Washington but especially fashion— from local stylistas to the runways in New York City.
Connect to these blogs & 30 + other DC must-reads.
>>
www.redlinemag.com
June 2010
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{intersection}
One problem.
luck y Three solutions.
A city that can’t decide.
theu n
clov er // by eric roden
illustrations by allison gaffney
June 2010
www. redlinemag.com
45
A
ccording to Irish Lore, finding a four-leaf clover in nature is a sign of good luck. However, finding a similar symbol—the cloverleaf interchange—within the fabric of the city can be a rather unlucky occurrence. A cloverleaf interchange is an unfortunate urban condition and, represents an area that, with a little vision, is ripe for redevelopment. The Office of Planning (OP) and District Department of Transportation (DDOT), in coordination with the National Capital Planning Commission, have recently issued the North Capitol Street Cloverleaf Feasibility Study which aims to tackle this very issue. The study will provide a new vision for the North Capitol St. and Irving St. intersection, as well as for the areas directly north and south. Further, the proposed enhancements will work in concert with the redevelopments at the Armed Forces Retirement Home and the McMillan Reservoir. The study of North Capitol St. is broken into three distinct components: an “Urban Parkway” from Irving St. to Hawaii Ave., an “Urban Boulevard” from Irving St. to Channing St., and a development node on the current site of the North Capitol and Irving cloverleaf interchange. For the one-mile section of North Capitol St. that travels north from Irving St. to Hawaii Ave, OP/DDOT envisions a green “Urban Parkway” similar to the southern end of the Rock Creek Parkway. At an estimated cost of $13.3 million, the proposal includes improvements like a hiker/ biker trail alongside North Capitol, innovative stormwater management techniques, and the replacement of existing “highway style” Cobrahead lights with decorative Teardrop lights. More drastic aspects are outlined in the redesign, such as dedicated transit or HOV lanes or the use of a “road diet” to accommodate pedestrian and bicycle amenities. However, these seemingly more critical components are correspondingly complicated and carry heavier theoretical caveats, using less committal language with phrases like “as practical” and “explore possibility”. (Who wants to wage war on non-resident commuters, anyway?). While the OP/DDOT recommendations would clearly be a vast improvement to the current highway-esque roadway design, and the green parkway image would likely be embraced by those who are familiar with Rock Creek Parkway, there is still much room for improvement.
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Commuter cyclists will struggle with the proposed condition of a shared jogger/walker/cyclist trail. If the route is envisioned as an integral part of the bicycle commuting network, the study should investigate using a separated cycle-track design along this portion of the North Capitol Street, giving pedestrians, cyclists, and automobiles their own dedicated space, thus ensuring the safety of all users. A similar model is currently in place on 15th Street NW, and a continuation of this trend would hopefully become a precedent for other redevelopments in the future. A half-mile extension of the redesigned roadway to the North Capitol St. and Missouri Ave./Riggs Rd. intersection would help to increase both pedestrian and cyclist access from the existing Brightwood Park and Manor Park neighborhoods. Other design tweaks, such as the inclusion of improved trail lighting, could also be considered to enhance the experience of trail or cycle-track users. It is worth noting that the Metropolitan Branch trail is only half a mile away and, when complete, will offer a dedicated pedestrian and bicycle route all the way from Silver Spring to Union Station. Heading south, a monumental “Urban Boulevard” is proposed for North Capitol St. from Irving St. to Channing St, where the roadway returns to its “correct” axial alignment, offering dramatic views of the U.S. Capitol Building. The planned upgrades for North Capitol St. will bring it up to par with the designs already in place or planned for its sister streets – East and South Capitol. Primarily aesthetic in nature,
these updates include the use of Washington Globe streetlights, brick sidewalks, regular sidewalk furniture, enhanced crosswalks, more Low Impact Development planting zones to minimize storm water run-off, and sidewalk café zones to encourage a pedestrian friendly environment in the McMillan redevelopment. The proposed improvements for this section of North Capitol should still include dedicated bicycle facilities and accommodations for transit. Currently, these aspects are not apparent in the proposed design. The inclusion of brick sidewalks should also be reconsidered. As aesthetically pleasing and nostalgic as they may be, brick sidewalks include their own set of serious safety and maintenance issues. The cloverleaf interchange is addressed through three separate proposals – Grand Memorial, Center of Centers, and Four Corners.These options vary significantly in terms of density and design, and have widely varying infrastructure costs, and potential future land disposition and tax benefits to the District. While the study does not explicitly support any of the three options, the findings of the report indicate that the Center of Centers would be the most desirable option. Center of Centers is based on a design common in the District – the underpass/circle combination as seen at Dupont and Thomas Circles. This is a proven and familiar design that would allow east-west traffic on Irving St. to dip beneath the plaza, while north-south traffic on North Capitol St. could navigate around the perimeter of the ovular plaza. At 2.1 acres, the park provided is comparable to Dupont Circle; one of the city’s most successful urban public spaces. The Center of Centers plan is the only plan that has the true potential to create a dense, vibrant, urban center. It offers the greatest value to the city and should be the design promoted by OP/DDOT in future studies. At the proposed density, the Center of Centers proposal could bring upwards of 1.7MM square-feet of new development to the former cloverleaf interchange. When combined with the large, planned developments immediately to the nor th and south (the Armed Forces Retirement Home and McMillan Reser voir, respectively) the Nor th Capitol St. and Ir ving St. area begs for public transit infrastructure investment. Without this investment, these developments may only ser ve to increase the traffic congestion and limit the market feasibility of any redevelopment.
residents criticized
the office of planning for
launching the study under
‘false pretences’
and for diverting necessary resources.
June 2010
>>
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north capital street
CC DD EE
BB irving street
AA
1
grand memorial Offers a 7.5 acre park at the heart of the former cloverleaf. Reflects precedents such as Rock Creek Park, Lincoln Park, and the National Mall in proposing a park that has both informal and programmed spaces to serve as an important civic amenity. The existing roads are reconfigured by creating a new Irving Street Bridge bordering the southern edge of the park over a lowered North Capitol Street. Both streets are curved to calm traffic to safe and efficient speeds through the new center. The park features space for a significant memorial design with spaces for gathering and passive recreation. The memorial would be situated to be equally experienced by pedestrians, transit riders, and automobile riders.
A
B
C
Memorial Fountain
Ampitheater
Retail Frontage
D
E
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Cafe Pavillion
Great Lawn
2
four corners Presented to the public with two alternatives: 1) the first arrangement allows for four building development parcels within the former cloverleaf zone; and, 2) the second arrangement (presented in this report, and preferred by the public) retains the majority of the cloverleaf area for park space. At approximately 10 acres, the second alternative offers the largest park, but in a more structured plaza form than the prior option.This option requires the least alteration of infrastructure, and has the lowest cost.The plan maintains and expands the existing North Capitol Street bridge to allow for the park space to connect across and above Irving Street.The former on/ off-ramps are consolidated into local streets that handle the traffic through a series of right-turn only movements. Traffic is calmed boththrough the introduction of a median island memorial site and the replacement of the off-ramps with streets.
A
Transit Stop
B
C
Memoral & Ttaffic
D
Urban Lawn
Kiosk
apital north c
street
E
Intermodal Pavillion
A irving street
E
D
C
B
June 2010
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north capita l stre et
B A
eet ne irving str
irving street nw
C E
3
D
center of centers Provides a commmon District form to the intersection of North Capitol and Irving Streets. This option creates a gradeseparated traffic circle interchange similar to the District’s Dupont and Thomas Circles, providing a clear gateway marker element at the transition point to the historic city core. The North Capitol Street bridge is retained and integrated into the traffic circle infrastructure so that North Capitol passes around the circle and Irving Street passes below. New “tight-diamond� interchange ramps from Irving allow for the traffic movements to the circle. The park provides a prominent memorial site that could be aligned with the line of North Capitol Street and a large open green provides room for passive recreation or urban events such as open air movies and concerts.
A
B
C
Memorial & Traffic
Flexible Public Space
Intermodal Entry
D
E
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Tree Border
Formal Fountain
while the study doesn’t explicitly
support any of the three options,
center
of centers
is a proven and familiar design that would allow east-west traffic
1
3
2
g rand
fou r
ce n ter
m e m or i a l
cor n er s
of ce n ter s
>
Large community park with prominent memorial location
>
Large park plaza with memorial ‘island’
>
>
Recongfigures roads with new Irving Street bridge and
>
Maintains and builds upon existing infrastructure
Compact neighborhood park with prominent memorial location
>
Existing bridge integrated into traffic circl infrastructure
>
Park/Street frontage for surrounding properties
>
>
>
Transit Opportunities
Optimizes form for higher-density development
>
Pedestrian/bike friendly environment
>
Strong intermodal opportunities
$54,403,423
>
Strong intermodal opportunities ‘All park’ or ‘park & building’ options Easiest option to phase with new developments
$39,056,819
flow.
$51,700,866
June 2010
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{freeway}
74
Emilia Chameleon Wherever she goes, whatever she does, Emilia Giordano is noticed. Her brassy voice reverberates, her uncontrolled mane commands attention, and her charisma is contagious Trust us. We had the chance to rendevous with the 22-year–old on-again, off-again student, entrepreneur, and D.C. social fixture to see what she’s hiding behind her fierce façade. And to anticpate her next move.
// by avery klurfield
photographs by daniel silverstein
June 2010
www. redlinemag.com
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he reason i came to D.C. in the first place is that I felt I had more opportunities.. I was going to be studying journalism—broadcast journalism. I always talked a lot and had always been the center of attention and it seemed like an easy path. Everyone thought I should do it. Specifically, action sports journalism. I knew everything, from the sports to the lingo. I guess you could say it was my passion. I really loved the industry. I knew I wouldn’t become a pro-skateboarder, it was a way for me to put myself into the mix of the industry, especially as a woman. There were very few female action sports anchors. It has become a full circle realization that I want to perform action sports, journalism in some sort. This isn’t necessarily my end goal. If I could do anything, I would want to work for a production company that works on snowboarding or skateboarding videos, but having full creative control and artistic control for everything. I want to work in the action sports industry, whether it be production or personality work. I just really want to be involved in reporting and keeping it alive because I think it is sadly a dying culture, aside from the very commercial sponsorships and x-games and Olympics, it’s very under-the-radar and I just want to do whatever I can in terms of production and journalism to keep that alive.
you say you came full circle. what do you mean by that?
I really enjoyed studying religion and knew I wasn’t very interested or focused on politics so I thought that would be a good way for me to bring journalism into my life. So I interned at PBS Religion and Ethics News Weekly, and decided I really didn’t want to do it anymore. I did research for the politics and religion blog. A career in the entertainment industry is something I would’ve been more focused on. After that, I pursued an internship with Paul Wharton and then realize I hated reality television. Wait, wait…don’t say hate. I mean…I didn’t want to go down the avenue of reality television and I had no interest in fashion as is projected in mainstream media.
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when you decided to work with tv personality paul wharton, what were you expecting?
I was originally told he was a TV personality and stylist and my role would be in PR. So it actually ended up being a total surprise that I ended up doing any production work. I produced all of his projects and assisted with all CW projects. And then when he was too tipsy to do his own TV stuff, I did it for him. We filmed about 20 hours worth of footage for Paul Wharton’s Becoming Fabulous. I took over and did everything from coordinating makeup and production assistants to directing what should be shot, what types of things we should be shooting, and basically directed all the b-roll. There was the MTV pilot, the America’s Next Top Model interviews, and then just helped out with BET and the CW.
do you feel like it affected you personally, both on and off camera?
My role with housewives was a little different. It was a bigger company, so I had no say in terms of production. Bravo being a large corporation and outsourcing all of their production didn’t allow me to have any creative control whatsoever. So I was not allowed to advise Paul at all during the filming or in between shoots or scenes. But I was able to prep him. So a lot of what I did had to do with writing things down and remembering events that happened and recalling them later. So it was just a lot of recording information and specific soundbytes so that essentially he wouldn’t get screwed (laughs). It was
a lot of like PR, I was thinking more like a publicist because it was more like damage control…Well, you said this so they might use it against you in this way. It was more about like protecting him. You’ve got to be really careful about what you say and what’s appropriate on camera and its obviously different because it’s not an interview style so its kind of like, quote unquote real life. So you’re in two different total scenarios where you’re feeling totally different. It’s easy to tell what’s right and what’s wrong when you’re the talent or the person in the reality show position. It’s easy to get carried away and for someone to say, “Oh, you shouldn’t have said that. That’ll bite you in the ass later.”
and then paul became involved with bravo ’ s real housewives of dc? explain your role in that.
I think it takes a certain type of person to be on a reality television show, and while I would define myself as very open and loose and a little bit crazy at times, I knew the whole time that they were writing things down, they were looking for ways to kind of stump you or get you to say something that was really loud in the audience, which is you know, 3 million Americans, 4 million Americans an episode. So I was totally cautious about what I said at all times, and I really hope that nothing gets dubbed, but I was cautious. Every second I was watching myself. In terms of working with Paul, we were always like when the camera’s off, the camera’s off. We’re very silly and I am more open with him than with anybody. In terms of being in a business relationship with Paul and representing Paul when out. For instance, I was out and a couple recognized me and I was wearing a Dr. Dre t-shirt with liquid leggings and a chain necklace and they were like, “Whoa, Emilia! You’re going out tonight!” I was mortified. But, you know, Paul’s kind of nutty too, so that’s why our relationship works well, or our personalities mix well. It was Definitely a rare environment. I was able to pursue my own creative projects. And what I got, in terms of networking…I really networked very well and built various relationships with people in the industry here that are helping me now even after the fact.
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is more of a i’m always going through
what are you doing right now? what’s next?
I signed by contract with Housewives last week. It was a commitment that I made, even though I knew I didn’t want to be on it. I was very clear that it was my time to leave. The show was over, there was really no indication what would be the next move and I knew I needed to come back and finish my degree. I’m still really committed to the hip-hop scene, trying to get into the event planning. You know, it’s cool to see things be created around you, but its cool to create as well. I’m trying to leave my mark on the city in some way. Due to the fact that I had so much responsibility and authority in my role as Paul’s assistant and creative counterpart, I was given the opportunity to blog about fashion week for the CW. I’m actually only on the roster for two shows right now, but I’m hoping that as I get to New York and thrown in the mix of things, I’ll be able to see more and do more. But I do have some really great interviews and I’m going to go behind the scenes at a few offices and interviewing some emerging talent. Wael Davis and I are essentially just going to be blogging.We are very, very opposite. He really takes on the more feminine side of things, and as I’ve always been more passionate towards action sports and toward being more of a tomboy, I’m going to be covering more of the men’s streetwear fashion and culture. But its very interesting, although he is the male and I am the female, we’ve kind of switched roles.
desicribe your personal style.
I would say my personal style has and will always be going through an identity crisis. I was raised in an extremely preppy family with a mother that had a very cool, hip nightlife style. I saw her dressing conservative in the day, and then crazy at night. She had fabulous shoes, and very, very slim fit pants and fabulous tops and accessories, so there’s this weird dichotomy of day and nightwear. And then I obviously have been really passionate about action sports, so I wear a lot of independent labels, snowboarding, skateboarding companies. I really, really like to wear boys clothing. But then again, I like to get dressed up. I would say that I don’t pay attention to detail, so it’s more about what feels good and what fits well and what looks fun.
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you talked a little bit about your mother. what was your upbringing like?
I’m from Bernardsville, New Jersey it’s a small town in Central New Jersey about 50 minutes away from New York, so me and my friends were fortunate enough to have that cosmopolitan influence. Culturally, we were very worldly and exposed to a lot of different things, which I have noticed since leaving Bernardsville. The typical family is a stay at home mom with a stock broker husband and kids that went to private school, so there was a lot of pressure growing up. Although my parents never really pushed me, they always let me be my creative self, which I think is kind of why I am where I am today. Most people fit a specific mold, and I have always worked to break out of that mold, especially as it is defined within my town. So I would say in general, we had a lot of really, really great experiences growing up. The opportunities were endless. I think it terms of role models, my family members are my role models because I really aspire to have the class that my mother has. My great grandmother has seen so much and is the very tippy-top of a family tree that holds an extremely fabulous legacy. I come from a very strong family.
phase, i’ve realized. an
on a different note, what is your experience with local, more grassroots media? what is your generation doing creatiely?
It’s weird because the Washington Post is supposed to be this extremely legit publication. Yet these grassroots blogs, like ReadySetDC, that are small and definitely new to this, they’re growing and they’re very much about DC. They rally the art community here to party with a purpose and to get their ideas out. If you’re in this certain community, everyone has your back and everyone’s supporting your art show, your DJ set, whatever it may be. Art, music, even restauranting. People who are managers of restaurants, people will support these communities and I think that the blogs and even social media are the driving force in that. Brightest Young Things, even though they’re very focused on debauchery and documenting life in DC more than reporting on creative events…It’s all about documentation of this new way of life growing in DC. Its happened everywhere else, but now DC is starting to get its moment. And the reason why I feel so connected with DC is not really because of the arts scene… the arts scene is not that strong. It’s not really because of the things coming out of DC in
finer arts. It’s really all about the hip-hop. In Atlanta there was a time, in Detroit there was a time, in Brooklyn there was a time, when rappers were completely unnoticed and no one even considered them pivotal in the creative community. And all of a sudden you have all these rappers coming out of all these cities who are making history. I think it’s a really good time for DC because there are a few specific people who are going to make history and it’s really interesting to watch. It’s cool that blogs will document it. Before, you have all these other places where these things have been happening. Big cities like New York, where it’s always been happening and will continue to happen. But because DC is so young, its really, really cool because the blogs and those grassroots media are documenting.
what’s your view on twitter?
Apparently D.C. tweets the second most out of any city in the country, so I’m interested to see what is the catalyst for that and who are these primary tweeters. I think it has a lot to do with politicians and organizations that are headquartered here. But I think D.C., just because there are so many people on Twitter and bloggers want to follow large media networks, large media networks are now familiar with bloggers. Everyone kind of sees Twitter as a support system and a system to best collect quick information. So in terms of events, nightlife, specific, it kind of just really gives you an instant grasp at information, which you might not necessarily get from watching TV or reading the Washington Post or even looking at a blog after an event has happened. Its like not even news necessarily, it’s like, things that are happening in the community, like things that you would want
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to participate in. Its like you don’t need to call up your friends anymore and say, “hey, look, you wanna go to a party tonight? Like this is what’s going on.” No. You see something on Twitter and either you Re-Tweet it and say are you going to this party, are you doing this, are you doing this? And people are like “Oh, yea, I saw that on Twitter.” Its like Twitter’s almost dictating social life and even everything from education to the social realm. It kind of just dictates what happens, what goes on, where people go. I use Twitter to get updates on action sports, events happening in D.C., specifically DJ nights or where people are DJing. I communicate with people in the industry. Its huge for people in the entertainment industry, the marketing industry. The independent clothing labels are constantly tweeting at each other, and they’re so focused on the community. Like anything really in terms of culture, whether it be news events or getting in touch with people that you might not necessarily be able to pick the phone up and call.
what are your friends like? where do you fit in?
I would say there is a distinct differentiation between my friends and my peers within the community. I have probably five really good friends in the D.C. community and then the rest of the people are kind of my creative…I don’t know what you would call us. We all just live in a creative world and try to support each other. And then there are the people I work with, the bloggers I work with, people who do a lot of event planning. So I think that there are a lot of people in the community…people call it the scene. There are a lot of people in the scene that I know, that I party with, have a good time with. But D.C. is a very small clique-y city, so I don’t know, my average friend would definitely be like faux-hipster, artist, musician, tattoo artist, skater. Somebody that probably has been around here and isn’t leaving anytime soon. I think I stand out because I don’t really fit in and I always struggled to fit in. But at the same time, I don’t necessarily want to fit into a stereotype because I think stereotypes, especially being 22 years old, I’ve realized that a stereotype is more of a phase and its more of whether or not you want to fit into the trend of the season, whatever it may be. Yes, I play into the stereotypes. Right now its really cool to ride a bike and wear plaid, and I definitely do that but sometimes you’ll see me riding my bike in my Uggs, or in my Marc Jacobs moonboots so I mean its kind of, yea I think the trend’s cool. At the same time, I’ve always been who I am, and my instincts will always stay with me. •
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{detour }
Short-sleeved silk blouse Theory, $129.
SENSATION: SILK // by natalie foglia photograph by erica goldfine Summers in the District are all about inventing--and reinventing-: how to wear the least amount of clothing possible while still being decent. Luckily for all us, it seems retailers have bounded together and decided to give silk a presence once again. Silks (and reminiscent materials) can be found around the city in the form of sundresses, blouses, tanks, and even jumpsuits.Visit Georgetown’s Cusp for Marc Jacobs and DVF rompers or Dupont Circle’s Green & Blue for asymmetrical sheaths and button downs that pair perfectly with linen trousers for effortless chic and comfort in the District’s treacherous humidity.
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thank you, come again JULY 2010: The Travel Issue.