the T zine
fuego issue, june '17
I N THI S I SSUE spill the T 03 listen to this 05 out+about 06 watch this 07 state of the union 08 think about it 09 summer essentials 10 tastemaker 11
spi l l th e t.. . let t er f r om t h e edit or
Do you recall when you fell in love with something you?re passionate about? For me it was in grammar school, either 4th or 5th grade, when I wrote my ?first book.? I wrote about my paternal grandmother ?s passing and how it affected my dad. It was my first time experiencing loss and seeing my dad weak. To this day, one of the lines that I?ll never forget writing when I was trying to describe his teary eyes was ?staring into his crimson-colored eyes? ? If only I still had a copy of that story. As I got older, my love of writing manifested into poems. I wrote mostly about love and lust, the lack and abundance of both in different points in my life. Generalizations and interpretations, until I ended the relationship with my son?s father and met someone that would become my muse. It was just before summer, right around the Myspace days when you could post bloggish-type entries. They?re probably all there wishing to be read again. Writing about him/us felt effortless. I wrote about the good, because the good was truly, fiery, passionate, delicious. Mostly I wrote because I was never good at vocally expressing how I felt. I was an ice-queen of sorts. But you could see my cold, little, heart melt through my words. I haven?t written a poem in years. Not because I haven?t loved again, but because I?m in a different space in my life. I?ve softened up a bit. Communicating has [kinda] become easier. Now I write when I want to clear my head. To focus on what?s important. To manifest gratitude and positivity. To light my fire. Because it?s my forever muse.
f ou n der / edit or in ch ief
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t w it t er & In st agr am : @m st if f alexan dr a
@dylan lex
@n at w in t er _
@r ou xr ou xr ou x
@dylan lex @f or lovean dlem on s
@sim plybian caalex
@dylan lex
@sim plybian caalex
l i sten to th i s.. . My commute into the city, for whatever reason, will always include music. Leaving my headphones behind, grants turning back home. It?s that serious. Most days I can get away with putting my songs on shuffle with little to no skipping. We?ve already established that I?m not a music snob. A girl, just knows what she likes. Lately, I?ve been on this crazy Spanish music kick. I don?t know if it?s the imminent summer weather that we keep getting teased with, but this moment is real. I?m probably listening to Luis Fonsi?s ?Despacito,? if you see me bobbing my head on the bus prior to my morning iced, green tea latte. The remix with Justin Bieber is literally, everything. Put that on or Enrique Iglesias??Subeme la radio,? while you?re cleaning your house, working out, or getting ready for a night out. Or like I do, at crazy high volume on my way to work. Probably annoying the crap out of the passenger next to me, but idc. No worries, here's some playlist inspo' to help you get into the proper mood.
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Despacit o Rem ix: Luis Fonsi feat. Justin Bieber Un f or get t able: French Montana Su bem e la r adio: Enrique Iglesias Get It Toget h er : Drake feat. Jorja Smith Wh y Don't We Fall In Love: Amerie Un Ver an o en Nu eva Yor k : El Gran Combo Su m m er t im e: Beyonce Ice M elt s: Drake Now Th at We Fou n d Love: Heavy D & The Boyz Tsh ir t : Migos M y Love: Wale feat. Major Lazer, WizKid, Dua Lipa XO TOUR Lif 3: Lil Uzi Vert High ligh t s: Kanye West M ask Of f : Future V.3005 Childish Gambino Passion f r u it : Drake
out+ab out.. . I'm extremely lucky in my relationship in many ways, but the fact that my guy loves to go out and experience different restaurants has to be the dopest part. People have dubbed this "date night," but for us it's probably just a Tuesday or Wednesday after-work rendezvous. The most recent place we've visited was Bathtub Gin. We attempted going a few months back with zero success. The no walk-ins/reservation only thing is something they take seriously. If they turn you away, just go next door to Salinas. Incredibly beautiful place with delicious food. To my surprise, the bouncer had me wait outside along with a few others, even though I made it there before our reservation time. I waited alongside a very hormonal preggo lady and her party of 5 (ha). She was not happy that she had to wait, and frankly she had a point. This wasn't an overcrowded, poppin' club on a Tuesday night. So why the hold up? When the uber serious bouncer finally let me in, we were greeted by lovely service. Bathtub Gin has a speakeasy feel, with you guessed it, a goldish-bronze bathtub right smack-dab in the middle of the place. My guy had his heart set on getting a photo in the tub, and he sure did. All thanks to the bar-back who played photographer. With rose bottle and glass in tow, he hopped right in and posed comfortably for the impromptu photo sesh'. My reserved, shy ways had me smiling and looking from the comfort of our booth area. Yes, I'm shy and reserved, shocker! I rarely do things to bring intentional attention to myself and like to keep things that way. Yes, I can carry a convo' in a social setting and take a pic' or two, but I'd much rather not garner any unnecessary attention. Those that are vulnerable, get my full respect. They help us look at things in a lighter light. I struggle with vulnerability, so I continue to admire from afar.
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w atch th i s.. . . ..Or don't?
Last month I spoke about books being better than movies, and this month I?m eating those words. I read Sophia Amoruso?s #Girlboss probably two years ago and tuned into the Netflix series based on the book a few weeks back. Spoiler alert: I didn't get past episode 3. Reading her story resonated with me in a time when I was looking for motivation. By age 30, Sophia was on power lists in Forbes and Fortune and was the chief executive of Nasty Gal valued at $350 million. Before that there were low points in her life when she hitchhiked and dove into dumpsters looking for food. She was a take no-bs, college drop-out that didn?t have a proper business background and somehow spearheaded one of the fastest growing retail brands in the world. I might be the only person (besides my mom) who couldn?t relate to the Netflix series based on the book. Part of my dislike comes from the highlighting of Sophia?s bad attitude and habits. Although, you get a feel of Sophia?s straightforward, no-bull attitude from her book, it leaves a bad taste watching it unfold in the series. In one scene, she eats her manager ?s lunch with no remorse and in another she shoplifts a rug, by simply walking away with it. Not. Feeling It. Sophia?s antics are played by Britt Robertson. She nails Sophia?s ?fuck you? attitude to the point where she's just unlikeable. Her Negative Nancy ways are distracting and I desperately wanted to like her and this show in general. Nothing against you if you enjoyed the show, but do yourself a favor and read the book. It?s a fast read full of wit, cleverness and empowerment. You can also go ahead and read Sophia?s essay Starting Over After Bankruptcy and Divorce. Her candor is refreshing. This is the kind of material I wanted to see and perhaps will see in the upcoming seasons.
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state of th e uni on.. . As I sit here researching topics for this publication I can?t seem to get myself away from Trump?s 100 days in office. Very random, but extremely relevant. I should?ve prefaced this with: count me in with the people that brush off anything dealing with politics. I?m not proud to admit it, but honesty is the best policy, right? Note: I voted. Within my research, I came across Lauren Duca?s column Thigh-High Politics on teenvogue.com. Obviously, the name ?had me at hello.? Aside from that, her article Why We All Need to be Activists Right Now lit a fire under my ample derrière. Girl, let me thank you right now. One hundred days in and the state of the union is grim and shameful. You have to be living under a rock to not notice the awakening of activism since his inauguration. Shout out to my friends who participated in the Women?s March in Washington back in January. Statistical analysis site FiveThirtyEight estimated that more than 3 million people marched in more than 300 U.S. cities, just one day after his induction! Ya?ll are my heroes! All I can think about is doing better. Doing more. Doing anything. Before I can do anything, I have to educate myself, as should you. Living in blissful ignorance, although fine, isn?t going to promote change. First, cleanse yourself of the toxic ?alternative facts? being fed to you in the media. Those were one of the reasons I gave up on following his stories. Lauren?s column advises you to go on a ?trustworthy media diet? and stick to what works for you. Pick a weekly read that empowers you with information and then take action. However small that deed may be. At the end of her articles you?ll conveniently find ?Things to Read? and ?Things to Do.? If that doesn?t light a fire under your butt, what will?
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th i nk ab out i t.. . Sometimes I feel a total disconnect when I open the social media app that boasts 1.80B visits in one month. I am the most anti-social social person you will ever meet. Can you tell by the number of followers and likes I have? Probably? Instagram feeds now have very strict themes, filters, multiple photos in one post and dare I mention- fit tea ads and sponsorships. Did those abs really come from drinking those teas? I?m going with a no. But I?m not knocking the hustle, y?all. My gripe comes with the authenticity of each one of those posts or lack thereof. Everyone says if it wasn?t posted, did it even happen. Nothing is sacred and everything is overexposed. Especially, when every person you date is documented with ?candid? shots of you running into the sunset together. But I digress. Somewhat. Quite frankly, the idea of sharing my relationship on social media gives me the heebie-jeebies. Queen Bey said it best, ?we?re more than pointless fixtures, Instagram pictures.? I won?t even tap into the comments and likes part of posting photos. I've had heated debates on that alone. It adds such an extra level of exposure and even stress to something I feel should be held in a closer regard. I?m not saying a photo here and there will do any harm, it?s those couples who post e v e r y single moment of
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their relationship. How many accounts have you seen where the demises of relationships unfold with each and every post? Photos disappear faster than any grimy dude sliding into your DMs. Meme?s and quotes with petty undertones are put in their place, subliminally carrying us along the unraveling of the once ?perfect? relationship. In my case, I will continue to thrive happily and lovingly in my relationship, outside of the mindless scrolling and double tapping that comes with Instagram. But, stay tuned for a photo or two of us. Maybe. I?m more of a Twitter person. If I?m going to put myself out there, I?d rather you judge me off my words than a doggy-filter selfie. And I love me a doggy-filter, so judge anyway. Also, I feel I can express myself more authentically with my words than a photo of date night with my guy. Always have been, more so that I didn?t get an iPhone until late in the game. Team Blackberry ?til the end, whoop-whoop. I find comfort and ease in thrusting my thoughts out into the Twitterverse, whether it be an affirmation or joining the ?twitter couch? during awards shows. If you haven?t been part of that, you don?t know what you?re missing. The candor and hilarity that comes with every tweet from those I follow and mere strangers is nothing less than entertaining. Join us, you won?t regret it.
summer essenti al s.. . k ick s, sn eak er s, t en n is sh oes.. .oh m y
whowhatwear.com
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tastemak er.. . In all honesty, I can?t recall when and where I first came across Jenna Lyons. Was it in Vogue? Mindlessly browsing the interwebs? We?ll never know. The only thing I do know is that she?s quite unforgettable. Her signature look is thick, black frames and an orangey-red lip, outfitted in the perfect denim and sometimes a pop of color and stripes. If you?re lucky you?ve seen the photograph of her in the floor-length, cream-colored, feather skirt. She paired that statement piece with a slouchy, white t-shirt and a fur gracefully draped over her shoulders [See photo, bottom right]. That effortless jacket drape is something only the true cool kids can pull off. Still trying to execute that on my end. Stay tuned for that. The Jin J.Crew probably should stand for Jenna, but I?ll pump the brakes on that for now because they?re no longer singing that tune. Back in 2003, Mickey Drexler aka ?The Merchant Prince? and Lyons paired up to singlehandedly reinvent the brand that was known for colorful chinos, khakis and cardigans. Their pairing was hot for the vision that was to come. Although, the naysayers said her style wasn?t revolutionary. Lyons mixed prints
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with stripes and used bold colors on the reg?, while the rest only were black because they were too cool. She made her style about inclusivity rather than the rest of the fashion world which boats exclusivity faster than you can utter ?my name?s on the list.? Even the Obama?s were included?! Michelle and the girls all wore J.Crew to the inauguration back in ?09. Jenna Lyons was J.Crew. All that inclusivity and now she finds herself on the outs. After 26 years at J.Crew, Lyon?s authentic, honest and cool formula of success no longer works there. The chill, girl next door had a role in HBO?s ?Girls? and ultimately found herself on Page Six during her divorce. The shift from the face of J.Crew to newfound celebrity wasn?t welcomed by Drexler or the brand. Sales slipped when the
once coveted ?Jenna Styling? became too narrow for the customer. Lyon?s J.Crew was no longer in demand and you can add the change in retail culture to her decent. She may not be the creative director and president of the brand, but the Jin J.Crew should stand for Jenna.
Em ily Weiss, In t o t h e Gloss
Em ily Weiss, In t o t h e Gloss
"The t hin g I t hin k is mo st impo r t an t f o r yo un g peo pl e t o kn o w is t hat t o day t her e's t his idea o f havin g ever yt hin g q uickl y, t hat yo u'r e go in g t o wal k in t he do o r , be a design er , an d n o t have t o do an y o f t he gr un t wo r k. It 's j ust n o t r eal ist ic. The t hin gs yo u do n 't l ear n in scho o l ar e t he skil l s yo u pr o babl y n eed mo r e: what it 's l ike t o wo r k wit h o t her peo pl e, ho w yo u buil d a t eam an d co l l abo r at e"
@blu dsh ot
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