Issuu

WINTER 2013

DOING GOOD W/ ONE-P CATCHING UP W/ ELSA HOCK

Surviving Trauma:Karliâ€™s story

BTS @ POUND4POUND FITNESS

LUNCHBOX FUND

moody tongue brewery akira fall fashion show

Illamasqua Halfstackmag.com

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

MUSIC MUSTS

52 DENIRO FARRAR 56 WINTER ALBUMS

IN EVERY ISSUE

04 EDITORâ€™S LETTER 06 MEET THE TEAM DINING GUIDE

16 MOODY TONGUE BREWERY 22 TOP 100 FIT FOR FOODIES 26 THE LUNCHBOX FUND

30 HALFSTACK BOOKSHELF 2

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57 WINTER CONCERTS THE SPOTLIGHT

62 WINTER ROUNDUP 82

GIFTS THAT GIVE FASHION & LIFESTYLE

80 TED BAKER CHICAGO 94 RYKA FOOTWEAR

WTF?! CELEB MODA

102

RISING STARS

FEATURES > ONE-P APPAREL

PAGE 124 POUND4POUND

PAGE 144 INTERVIEW WITH ELSA HOSK

PAGE 106 INTERVIEW: KRISTIN CAVALARI

PAGE 78 SURVIVING TRAUMA

PAGE 42

110 LOOKS FOR LESS

122 TRIBUT APPAREL GROOMING

RUNWAY TRENDS

ILLAMASQUA HEALTH GUIDE

156 FUEL YOUR LIFE

158 DIET CONNECTIONS EDITORS LAST LOOK

170

MOC CROSSFIT

177 STOCKING STUFFERS Halfstackmag.com

Welcome to the Winter 2013 issue of HALFSTACK readers! Thank you so much for your continued support and loyalty. We are all working extremely hard to bring you content that is amazing and relevant! As this issue goes live, we are just a week shy of Christmas Eve and are knee deep in holiday celebrations from all cultures. Chicago is such a diverse city and instead of focusing on the idealogy of Christmas, my goal was to focus more on the aspect of what the holidays really mean

editorâ€™s letter

to us as people. As I grow older and now that I have children, the idea of giving has completely changed for me. While many of you out there may not be at the same point in your lives, the idea still lingers in your mind. What do the holidays truly mean? Well, to me it is about family, relationships and giving with conscience. I am teaching my kids that this time of the year is not really about the gifts, rather the time we get to share with one another and the opportunity we have to give to others less fortunate than us. With this in mind, the direction of this issue began to develop. Often times we, as a society, focus on the material (and while Iâ€™m not discounting that completely - gifts on a budget are always fun), my hopes were to take this issue

JENNIFER M. VEGUILLA - EDITOR IN CHIEF & HER DAUGHTERS SOPHIA & BELLA

beyond your typical holiday gift guide. Rather, we are doing what we do best and pushing the limitations. We are showcasing a slew of brands, companies and artists who are on a mission to do good with what they create and sell. We are showcasing brands like One-P Apparel (athletic-wear), who provides low-income schools and organizations with athletic apparel, throughout the city of Chicago. We also will introduce you to The Lunchbox Fund who is helping to feed hungry children all

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over the world and Eco-Vessel who is doing business with the state of our earth in mind. We are also giving you VIP access to one of Chicago’s latest brewery concepts: Moody Tongue Brewery - that is bringing some great opportunity to Chicago’s creative Pilsen area. Not all the content is so “heavy” - we still have our fun fashion pieces, great music showcases and of course beauty roundups. Yet, we are also focusing on something we can all give ourselves this holiday season: good health. We get so caught up on making “New Years Resolutions” that we forget the best way to stay healthy is to maintain good decisions throughout the season. All of us at HALFSTACK thought we could help you out by showcasing some great fitness options, super foods and give you an insiders view of Pound4Pound Fitness, where we shot our most recent fashion editorial. Finally, we are sharing a story that is all together striking, empowering and inspiring about one woman’s plight after being disfigured by an acid attack. Karli’s story truly shows that nothing in life is ever guaranteed, but that you have the power to make the best of it. We hope that you can be inspired by her and each of the stories in this issue this holiday season. Give with conscience dear readers and remember each of us can truly make a difference in this world if we just try. -Happy Holidays

JENNIFER M. LEZAN - EDITOR IN CHIEF

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jennifer veguilla eic & creative dir. @ chicLezan

mariana quaranta fashion director @ missmarc40

DIGITAL TEAM

kate roth fashion director @ halfstackmag

PHOTOGRAPHY

dwight bejec director of comm.

sophia sanchez digital content

director & editor

& social media strategy

stephanie battista lead photographer & Jr. Art Director

PROMOTIONS

meet the

jennifer pontrelli sales & promotions director

teresa espinoza fashion editor

& promotions asst

team BLOGGERS

cheyenne hendricks blogger intern

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kenny muzzey bloggr & online event photographer

KALI KOLLER Graphic Designer & Creative business owner

DANIELLE HAZEKAMP Beauty know it all, fashion diva to the max.

HEATHER DAVIS

Fashionista & blogger

STELLA ESTRELLA Beauty queen, mommy, fashionista & blogger.

JEROME THOMAS Music lover & Proud Daddy!

JUSTIN WILHOIT Nutiritionist, trainer & Health Nut!

SAMMY Sithiphong Creative visionary and Graphic Designer

EXTENDED FAMILY

REGULO ALVARAD

Style enthusiast & talented fashion designer

JAMIE L. BREEDEN Momma, talented photographer & graphic designer

Heather Blazek Writer & Designer Extraordinaire

KATE BESENJAK Vintage love & Graphic Designer

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PAPERCROWN GALLERY CHECK US OUT ONLINE AT: WWW.PAPERCROWNGALLERY.COM

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@HALFSTACKMAG

DO YOU INSTAGRAM? FOLLOW US & GET AN INSIDERS VIEW! Halfstackmag.com

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WISHFUL THINKER CLOTHING www.wishfulthinkerclothing.com

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY: STEPHANIE BATTISTA Drown Your Taste Buds with Moody Tongue Brewery By: Sophia Sanchez Layout: Kali Koller Who doesn’t love a delicious brew after a long, exhausting day at the office? That cold, refreshing rich flavor that seems to wrap you up from the inside out. An oxymoron of sorts.... My point? A great beer has the ability to make you feel warm and fuzzy. All smiles. A truly great beer however, is hard to come by. Every new brewery that pops up claims to have that sincerely satisfying and magnificent drink. And don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of good beers out there.

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I’m not a complete snob in that I’m impossible to please. Quite the contrary, I’ve tasted a lot of delightfully pleasing beers in my day, but I can count on just one hand the number of times I’ve tasted a beer that I was completely blown away by. If you think about it, the process of brewing has been in place for thousands of years with the first traces of beer dating back almost 5,000 years. And without boring you to tears, you have your malt, hops, yeast and water; with the occasional taste of coffee, chocolate or fruits making an appearance. That being said, it’s not difficult to understand why beer can often taste similar to those brews from their neighboring breweries. Halfstack Magazine had the enjoyment of connecting with Brew Master and Professional

Chef, Jared Rouben of Pilsen’s Moody Tongue Brewery. If the name rings a bell, then you sir, are correct. Jared Rouben has trained and worked with with some of the world’s greatest in both the culinary and brewing fields; including having studied at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, the Siebel Institute in Chicago and Doemens Academy for Brewing in Munich. Long story short... This guy knows his shit. Rouben started his journey as a professional chef working in Napa Valley’s, The Martini House, a Michelin Star restaurant. All the while, his fascination and respect grew for the brewing community. His time spent at the Culinary Institute of America, he started a beer club in which he began to see the similarities between cooking, baking and brewing. “There was so much opportunity with beer and food pairing,” he exclaims and just couldn’t ignore his desire to explore the brewing world further. After having worked at some of the countries most respected and reputable dining establishments, he dove head first into brewing spending time at Rock Bottom Brewery and working his way to Brew Master for Goose Island. Now he’s joined forces with his cousin Jeremy Cohn, as they prepare to open Moody Tongue Brewery in Pilsen in early 2014. Dare I ask... What will make this new Chicago brewery any different from the rest? “I’m not trying to change or revolutionize what we’ve been doing for thousands of years. With my culinary brewing style however, the goal is to look at brewing from a culinary perspective. Infusing the flavors of various fruits, herbs, etc into each beer.” Certainly culinary brewing is not a new concept. In fact, it’s become quite the fad. Restaurants and breweries showcasing new beers flavored with apricots, hazelnuts, and coffee; you see it in beer bars everyday.

“As brewers we are using malt, hops, yeast and water. Any additional ingredient needs to be well thought out. But having spent time in kitchens, I understand how to get the best of whatever additional ingredients, whether that’s cheese, chocolate, coffee, or anything else I decide to use in my beer.” Hmmm... Are you convinced? The concept seems pretty straight forward, but in case you need “Brewing for Dummies,” I asked, “what exactly is culinary brewing?” “Culinary Brewing is when you take culinary techniques and methodologies and apply it to the brewing process aside from your standard brewing ingredients. Some of those techniques can be anything from dehydrating blueberries to intensify the flavor, to macerating cherries to not only bring color to the beer but to bring flavor aromatics as well.” Being a bit of a food snob as well, the more Rouben and I spoke, the more fascinated I became. Culinary brewing... The joining of food and beer. Quite honestly, two favorites among most of the population. The brewery itself however hasn’t opened yet, so I find myself having to take Rouben’s word for it. There’s no guarantee that Rouben’s brews will be as amazing as I envision. And with salivating glands, like one of Pavlov’s dogs after hearing the infamous bell, Rouben certainly had me intrigued. And as I continued to ask questions, he asked something very clear and concise of me... and I’m happy to oblige. “If you write about anything, write about this.... With Culinary Brewing they talk about this new technique, this new style. I want to be very clear about one thing. I use ingredients like chocolates, and cherries, but for me what’s most important is the flavor, not the taste.” Huh? Halfstackmag.com

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“It’s really important that I bring up the difference between the two. With taste you are talking about five things really; sweet, salty, bitter, sour, umami. With flavor, there are thousands of different words. Think cherries. The taste of cherry is sweet. The flavor of cherry is cherry itself.” I have to say, at this point, I kind of had an “aha” moment. I was literally and metaphorically blown away! For the most part, I consider myself a somewhat wellinformed beer enthusiast, but until that moment, I’d never really delved quite that deep into the tastes and flavors I was experiencing. To drive this home a little bit, my favorite beer is an American Blonde Ale. I enjoy the light bodied beer because it has touches of sweetness with mild citrus accents. I like the sweetness. It tastes good. But I can’t tell you for the life of me if that sweetness is driven by honey or berries or anything else. I have no idea what I’m tasting, all I know is that I like it. “With Moody Tongue Brewery, with Culinary Brewing, I’m more interested in getting the flavor versus taste. So If I’m going to incorporate a fruit, I’m not going to make a very sweet beer. I have no interest in the sweetness factor. I’m more interested in the flavor. If I put a cherry in a beer, you as the consumer will know that it’s cherry your tasting and not just sweetness. Does that make sense?”

Does it ever! And if this alone isn’t reason enough for you to jump on the bandwagon for this culinary brewing style, then I’m happy to dub you ‘out of your damned mind.’ If this makes me a geek, then I’ll proudly wear the title. I am supremely excited, as is the rest of Chicago, as we anticipate the opening of the long awaited Moody Tongue Brewery and what it will do to our dancing taste buds. What styles of beer can we expect to see once the brewery finally opens? At the base form, before any other ingredients are added, we’ll see Belgian Goldens, Belgian Pales, Milk Stouts, Belgian Doubles and anything else with rich flavors that has the ability to create a base for when adding ingredients. “That’s something you’ll hear me talk about all the time... Layers of flavors... layers of aromatics. This is ultimately the goal. And it all has to balance. Which by no means is an easy feat. But these are the kinds of beers you want to have more than one of. Anyone can make something that is coined ‘unique.’ It’s the brewers that can make a beer that you want more than one of where the real challenge lies.” Well there you have it. Professional Chef and Brew Master, Jared Rouben is kicking ass and taking names all over the place... Moody Tongue Brewery is slated to open in early 2014 and Moody Tongue Brews will proudly be served in Restaurants and Halfstackmag.com

Beer Bars all over Chicago. Rouben has set the bar pretty high but there is no shortage of faith that Rouben and his Moody Tongue Brews will far surpass Chicago’s expectations. No pressure..... “In Moody Tongue beers and within Culinary Brewing, you are actually going to taste the flavor of whatever ingredient we incorporate. Otherwise, I wouldn’t put it in. Everything has to have a reason and my sole reason is tasting the flavor. Not sweetness, not bitterness... Truly the flavor of apricot, the flavor of blueberries, flavor of cherries, the flavor of chocolate. This is what makes my culinary education so valuable.”

Stay in touch with the ongoing at Moody Tongue Brewery and expected open dates on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moodytongue and on their website at www.moodytongue.com.

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www.moodytongue.com.

www.facebook.com/moodytongue

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Fit for Foodies &

the Holidays!

“These restaurants put the wow factor in everything they serve,” - Caroline Potter, OpenTable Chief Dining Officer

Just in time for the holidays, OpenTable has announced their 2013 Diner’s Choice Award winners for the Top 100 Fit for Foodies Restaurants in the United States! Chosen by the members and reviewers of OpenTable themselves, these awards reflect the combined opinions of more than 5 million reviews and over 15,000 restaurants in all of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. From creative and culinary ingenuity, edible works of art, festive ambiances and featuring some of the world’s most gifted Chef’s, this list honors some of the best restaurants around. Spanning 26 states the list includes Barley Swine in Austin, Texas, Fore Street in Portland, Maine, Heidi’s, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Castagna in Portland, Oregon and the list goes on and on. Our very own Chicago graces the list 9 times with restaurants like Acadia, goosefoot, iNG Restaurant, Kabocha and others. Whether you are looking for something new and delicious to experience in your own town or planning a trip to one of these amazing cities, be sure to check out a Top 100 Fit for Foodie restaurant to help make your taste buds dance! Let OpenTable take the work out of your holiday party planning and gather your loved ones and friends at one of these fine establishments.

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The complete list may also be viewed at http://www.opentable.com/foodies. 2013 Diners’ Choice Award Winners for the Top 100 Fit for Foodies Restaurants in the U.S. a(MUSE.) – Rehoboth Beach, Delaware Acadia – Chicago, Illinois All Spice – San Mateo, California Altura – Seattle, Washington Art Café 26 – Williamsburg, Virginia Autre Monde – Berwyn, Illinois Aviary – Portland, Oregon Bar Lola – Portland, Maine Barley Swine – Austin, Texas Beast – Portland, Oregon Beast and Bottle – Denver, Colorado Belly and Trumpet – Dallas, Texas Benu – San Francisco, California Bibou – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Bink’s Midtown – Phoenix, Arizona Binkley’s Restaurant – Cave Creek, Arizona Blue Hill at Stone Barns – Pocantico Hills, New York BOCA – Cincinnati, Ohio The Bocuse Restaurant at The Culinary Institute of America – Hyde Park, New York Canyon Kitchen – Sapphire, North Carolina Carpe Vino – Auburn, California Cascina Spinasse – Seattle, Washington Castagna – Portland, Oregon Chalkboard – Healdsburg, California Commis – Oakland, California Craigie on Main – Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Crossroads – Los Angeles, California Crudo – Phoenix, Arizona Cúrate – Asheville, North Carolina Driftwood – Dallas, Texas The Farm and Fisherman – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant – Forestville, California Feast – New York, New York FIG – Charleston, South Carolina Fishing With Dynamite – Manhattan Beach, California Five Bistro – St. Louis, Missouri Forage – Salt Lake City, Utah Fore Street – Portland, Maine Frances – San Francisco, California Girasol – Studio City, California Girl & the Goat – Chicago, Illinois goosefoot – Chicago, Illinois Gracie’s – Providence, Rhode Island Grove – Grand Rapids, Michigan The Grove – Delray Beach, Florida Gwynnett St. – Brooklyn, New York Heidi’s – Minneapolis, Minnesota Highlands Bar & Grill – Birmingham, Alabama How To Cook A Wolf – Seattle, Washington Hugo’s Restaurant – Portland, Maine Husk – Nashville, Tennessee iNG Restaurant – Chicago, Illinois ink. – Los Angeles, California IRON at Marcus Pointe – Pensacola, Florida Juno – Chicago, Illinois Kabocha – Chicago, Illinois Le Pigeon – Portland, Oregon Lenoir Restaurant – Austin, Texas Little Fish – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Maison – Lancaster, Pennsylvania Manresa – Los Gatos, California Moto Restaurant – Chicago, Illinois n/naka – Los Angeles, California

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Natural Selection – Portland, Oregon Niche – Clayton, Missouri The North Fork Table & Inn – Southold, New York o ya – Boston, Massachusetts Old Major – Denver, Colorado Papilles – Los Angeles, California The Pass – Houston, Texas Piccolo – Minneapolis, Minnesota The Pickled Heron – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Playground – Santa Ana, California Poppy – Seattle, Washington Posh – Scottsdale, Arizona Primo – Rockland, Maine The Pullman – Glenwood Springs, Colorado The Restaurant at Meadowood – Saint Helena, California Restaurant Alma – Minneapolis, Minnesota Roe – Portland, Oregon Root – New Orleans, Louisiana Saison – San Francisco, California Sbraga – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Serpico – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Seven Sows Bourbon and Larder – Asheville, North Carolina ShinBay – Scottsdale, Arizona Shorebreak Lodge – Rehoboth Beach, Delaware Sir and Star at the Olema – Olema, California The Smoking Goat Restaurant – San Diego, California Sons & Daughters – San Francisco, California Spur Gastropub – Seattle, Washington The Squeaky Bean – Denver, Colorado Staple & Fancy Mercantile – Seattle, Washington Takashi – Chicago, Illinois Tilth – Seattle, Washington Uptown Billiards Club – Portland, Oregon Vedge – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Vernick Food & Drink – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Vetri – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Woodfire Grill – Atlanta, Georgia

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Feedie: The Best Way to Share Your Food WRITTEN BY: CHEYENNE HENDRICKS LAYOUT BY: JENNIFER VEGUILLA Celebrity chef Mario Batali and Topaz PageGreen (founder of the Lunchbox Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a daily meal for orphaned and vulnerable schoolchildren in South Africa) have joined forces to launch the first-ever philanthropy app for foodies: Feedie. Food fuels a child’s focus, willpower, and potential. Feedie aims to capture a fraction of the capital made from restaurants around the nation and use it to feed hungry children, keeping their bodies nourished and minds focused on their education. Feedie allows users to extend the goodness of food beyond taste, texture, and Instagrammability. This gives all you culinary connoisseur out there the unique opportunity to share your food (not just on instagram, but literally!). The app taps into existing foodie behavior and current technology, inspiring foodies to leverage their passion for sharing photos of food to share actual food with those in need. Here is how it works: • • • • •

Open the Feedie App Select a participating restaurant Check In Take a photo of your meal Share it to Twitter or Facebook

And Voila! The restaurant instantly makes a donation to The Lunchbox Fund. Feedie users or “Feedies” can locate participating restaurants using the app’s map feature and are easily able to make an instant donation to the fund by simply snapping a photo of their meal and posting via the Feedie app. Feedie also has additional features for its foodies. They can share their favorite restaurants and

pictures as well as share with social media websites through the app. Currently there are no foodie apps using their power for the good of others. The Lunchbox Fund will be the first to utilize this powerful sub-culture and harness its energy for good, allowing foodies a one-of-akind opportunity share their food – literally. Feedie has been awarded a Favorite Website Award and selected by Google for a Think Insights Showcase. Feedie has been featured on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, Vogue, Huffington Post, LA Times and Mashable. And participating restaurants in areas such as New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Seattle, South Africa, and London. Currently there are over 75 restaurants listed as Feedie partners, and an additional 100 globally have expressed their interest in partnering. Feedie partners and participating restaurants include Mario Batali, Daniel Boulud, Todd English, Peter Tempelhoff, among many others. So the next time you see an enticing meal placed before you, and you just can’t resist the urge to make the artfully done plate of delectable food into a photographic masterpiece, remember Feedie, and let that snapshot feed a hungry child. With one click of a button not only will you become the envy of the town’s food lovers, but also you will have made a donation to a worthy cause. It’s never been easier to feed a child in need.

WWW.THELUNCHBOXFUND.ORG

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HALFSTACK’S Bookshelf By: Sophia Sanchez Layout: Kali Koller

get back in the kitchen

‘Tis the season for heating some hot cocoa, picking out your favorite book and curling up for a cozy night of reading. Sounds heavenly…… And while I normally scour the bookshelves of my local bookstore to share with you quality read, I’m going a little unconventional this time around! This issue, I share with you everything from raunchy to nostalgia all in one fell swoop!

By: Jason Bailin

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Stop right there! Before you hassle me with statements like, “Who curls up for a cozy night in to read a cookbook?,” I will rebuttal with “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it!” A fellow Chicagoan and an expert Home Chef, Bailin shares with you his collection of favorite recipes in this shameless sequel to his first release… “GET IN THE KITCHEN, BIT@ HES!” This ain’t your grandma’s cookbook and with recipes like “Braise my Butt, Lamb” and “Munch on My Meat, Marsala” you’re sure to get your fix of delectable eats while “gaffe-ing” at the sheer audacity of his ‘lack of tact!’ From raunchy to offensive and everything in between, Bailin shows no shame, which is why we’ve grown to love him so much! This cookbook ain’t for the faint of heart…. don’t say I didn’t warn you!

halfstackâ€™s Bookshelf

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halfstack’s Bookshelf

1990S COLORING BOOK By: James Grange

All That & A Box of Crayons HOLY BLAST FROM THE PAST! This coloring book pretty much sums up my entire childhood and teenage existence! Can you say, "Da Bomb"?! From 'rad' movies to 'off-the-hook fashions', this coloring book will have you reliving your fondest memories. It really is 'All That & a Bag of Chips'! From the Cory + Topanga love affair, Trapper Keepers, Discmans, Lucky Slammers & Boy Band Feuds on TRL, this coloring book is sure to keep you entertained for hours, just like the careless child you wish you still were! "Whoomp, There It Is!”

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halfstack’s Bookshelf

the art of getting started By: Lee Crutchley All you creatives out there who find it difficult to get those creative juices flowing from time to time…. Lee Crutchley has the answer. I could certainly go on a tangent about how great this book is to help find inspiration ←- said in snooty, yet terrible French accent…. But I’ll let the reviews speak for themselves! “If you’re feeling stuck, help is on the way. In this creative and handson guide, illustrator Lee Crutchley presents fun and empowering ways to get those creative juices flowing. Whether it’s perfectionism, procrastination, or plain old fear that’s holding you back, get ready to get inspired.”

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Out of Print: areadersdream BY: SOPHIA SANCHEZ

“Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.” - Walter Conkrite Technology has seemed to become a double-edged sword. The kinds of successes the world has seen through technology is staggering in comparison to where we were just 20 years ago. And as the world continues to achieve the unthinkable through these technological advances, so does the human populations’ need for constant stimulation. Where we once turned to books, newspapers and magazines to help stimulate our minds... we now turn to cell phones, texting, video and computer games. The simple and soothing act of reading is just shy of becoming an anomaly. It’s a scary thought to think that the generations of the ‘not so distant’ future could grow up in a world where reading was simply obsolete. A forgotten pastime. What good is reading a book when you can just watch the movie? Why pick up the newspaper when media gossip can be sent directly to your phone via SMS? Now more than ever, do we need to instill in all generations alike, the importance of reading not only from a mental health standpoint but for the sheer love of being transported into worlds you’d only ever dreamed of visiting. With every turn of the page, a new adventure

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lies in the balance..... Out of Print has stepped out of the wood work as a trendy and exciting clothing and accessories company that celebrates the very importance of reading. Featuring iconic and often out of print book covers on t-shirts, sweatshirts, totes and more, Out of Print has branded themselves as a company that commemorates the world’s greatest stories through fashion. And understanding that with each new generation, a love for reading continues to slip away like a descending tide, Founders Todd Lawton and Jeff LeBlanc couldn’t sit idly by. Joining forces with Books for Africa, Out of Print fights to instill a passion for books through every purchase made. Books for Africa, a non-profit organization, works to provide reading materials to communities where books aren’t readily available; materials proved crucial in the fight to increase literacy. For every purchase made, Out of Print customers make possible a donation to Books for Africa. To date, over 600,000 books have been donated to communities in need through this partnership. When asked why he felt it was important for children and adults alike to keep reading, Co-Founder Todd Lawton’s mes-

sage was undeniably a powerful one.... “We’ve always tried to emphasize the impact reading has on us as individuals, as well as the power it has to help build communities. This is the reason we so often work with schools, non-profits and libraries; because it’s important to fundraise and bring awareness to issues ranging from book banning to adult illiteracy. Reading sparks the imagination and starts conversations. It is the direct connection to improving lives and ending they cycle of poverty. The transformative power of reading is undeniable.” Transforming our favorite books into pieces of wearable art, Out of Print continues to work closely with artists, authors and publishers to license the extraordinary content that ends up on their collections. From literary classics like The Great Gatsby and Pride and Prejudice, to childhood favorites like the Very Hungry Caterpillar, each product is treated just enough to give that perfectly cozy, soft and inviting feeling, like that of a well-read book. So throw on your favorite Out of Print tee, grab your favorite novel, curl up in front the fire and let yourself be carried into a world anew....

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“

We’ve always tried to emphasize the impact reading has on us as individuals, as well as the power it has to help build communities.

”

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OUT OF PRINT Halfstackmag.com

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