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OPEN DE FRANCE DE POLO · OPEN DE FRANCE FEMININ · NEWPORT POLO PRO-AM GREENWICH POLO CLUB EAST COAST OPEN
THE
FASHION ISSUE
THE LOOKS, DESIGNERS & STARS: DRAWING FASHION'S MAP FOR 2020
SUPER-SIZED SHOWS
NOT-SO-SUBTLE MESSAGES + WINNING LOOKS PYER MOSS GAMBLES & WINS FOR THE CULTURE WITH "SISTER" PARIS MENSWEAR TOP SHOWS
GLOBAL INSPIRATION + CREATIVE INTERPRETATION
10 TIMES NYFW WOWED US
FIRST LOOKS, LASTING IMPRESSIONS
SAUDI CUP'S $20M HORSE RACE SHOULD YOU FIRE YOUR TRAINER?
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LOUIS VUITTON
Haiti Ambassador Claude-Alix Bertrand Publisher
Joshua Jakobitz Editor-in-Chief
Mark Wine
Fitness Columnist
Joey Velez
Wellness Columnist
Cezar Kusik
Wine Contributor
Raphael Dapaah
Style Contributor
Kenneth Carrion de los Condes Lifestyles Contributor
Michael J. Snell
Lifestyles Contributor
Kemissa Racine
Style Contributor
Hans Ebenman
Travel Contributor
Claire Barrett
Art Contributor
Head of Photography
Jyoti Paintel
William Smith Philanthropy Contributor
Spiritual Guidance Contributor
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Stanley Pierre-Etienne
Gregory Bertrand
Assistant Copy Intern Brand Representatives Anne-Isabelle Saint-Pierre - Dubai Rudy Volel - New York Michael J. Snell - The Hamptons Stanley Pierre-Etienne - Caribbean Sara Ali - London Contributing Photographers Claire Barrett Eva Espresso
Candace Ferriera Kevin M. Bernard Pascale Renauldon Polo Lifestyles is a publication of HT Polo Publishing Co. 995 Detroit Avenue, Suite A Concord, CA 94518
Copyright Š Polo Lifestyles 2019 All Rights Reserved. For information or to advertise Contact editor@pololifestyles.com Read online at www.pololifestyles.com Cover Photo Jennifer Lopez for Paper Magazine Photographed by Ellen von Unwerth Styling by Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn Hair by Lorenzo Martin Makeup by Scott Barnes Nails by Tom Bachik Location: The Axis at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
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New Mexico Polo Club Polo Lifestyles Santa Fe International Polo Open Guards Polo Club Autumn Nations Tournament Polo de Paris Tournoi de la Ville de Paris 125th Open de Paris Ghantoot Polo & Racing Club British Polo Day Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly Castel Trophy Inanda Polo Club Inanda High Goal Rosefield Polo Club Africa Polo Open Thai Polo & Equestrian Club Argentine Embassy Cup Thailand Eq. Federation Cup Thai Polo Open Al Habtoor Polo Club UAE National Day Cup Sir Winston Churchill Cup Val de Vie Estate Pink for Polo Cuatro Vientos Polo Club XV Copa Tanoira Argentine Season 52o San Jorge Open 55o Abierto de Jockey Club Xtreme Polo League 79o Abierto de Tortugas 126o Abierto de Hurlingham 126o Abierto de Argentina
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SCOREBOARDS & COCKTAILS:
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SAISON D'ETE: POLO CLUB DU DOMAINE DE CHANTILLY
POLO LIFESTYLES EDITORS & CONTRIBUTORS
Ambassador Claude-Alix Bertrand
Publisher Polo Lifestyles @haiti_polo_captain
Cezar Kusik
Wine Contributor Polo Lifestyles @cezareatsdirt
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Josh Jakobitz
Editor-in-Chief Polo Lifestyles @joshuajakobitz
Kenneth Carrion
Kemissa Racine Style Contributor Polo Lifestyles @kemissa
Joey Velez
Lifestyles Contributor Mental Wellness Columnist De Los Condes Velez Mental Performance @deloscondes_inspired_living @velezmentalhealth
Mark Wine
Jyoti Paintel
Fitness Columnist Functional Muscle Fitness @functionalmuscle
Spiritual Contributor Polo Lifestyles @jyotipaintel
Michael J. Snell
Stanley Pierre-Etienne
Lifestyles Contributor MJS Groupe @agnello_1
Style Contributor Lanmou Pou Ranyon @stanleypierretienne
Raphael Dapaah Art Contributor Dapaah Gallery @dapaahgallery
William Smith
Philanthropy Contributor Santa Fe Comm. Foundation @willismith_2000
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One Night Only: Ralph's Club page 120
The World's Richest Horse Race page 92
Exhuberant Emmy winners The Wonder of Wine: page 82 Harvest Season page 166
PASSION FOR FASHION
From New York to Milan, the winners, the major spenders, the most memorable moments and a critical look at the sustainability of catwalks. page 108 page 15
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DAKS
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to our second fashion issue, weighing at nearly three pounds if you’re holding it physically at 204 pages. When we started laying out the sections and planning the cover, we looked back at the 2018 Fashion Issue for inspiration. With such a striking cover of the woman warrior in haute couture face-to-face with an equally stunning horse profile, our job immediately became to source a cover photo that upped the ante. The moment that J. Lo stole the show (and, as indicated on the cover, won Milan) at Versace, we knew it would be the age-defying Jennifer Lopez who inspired the entire Fashion Issue. To be honest with you, women’s fashion wasn’t my forte coming into this job. I had, naturally, followed men’s fashion (albeit I was more interested in the ready-to-wear side than the slightly impractical couture of Thom Browne and others) and considered myself versed in the pronunciation of the French and Italian menswear designers. If I stay in the men’s section of Neiman Marcus, I could safely converse with any associate or buyer. My introduction to women’s haute couture and ready-to-wear designers was a crash course in a whole new world: Proenza Schouler, Moschino, Martin Margiela and Prabal Gurung topped my list. Luckily, I had a good mentor and I was a quick study. This year, the style team has assembled the most jawdropping, fashion-forward and inspirational shows and collections into one extended fashion section. My most sincere gratitude goes to the style team who burned the midnight oil either in-person or via social media to bring constant content to the editor’s desk, up until the last minute. They faced WiFi challenges in Milan, a power outage at the Port-au-Prince airport, rain in Paris, venue labor union regulations in Los Angeles and a brave few nearly starved to death in New York (notably, Pyer Moss served food – actual food – at his outstanding show; everything else was drinks and canapes). This year’s Fashion Issue is a complete look at emerging global fashion trends; the looks that will take us from the runway to the VIP tents of polo matches, F1 rooftop viewing parties, yachts and villas somewhere sunny, glamorous cocktails parties and meetings with partners, event sponsors and advertisers. “Oh, I just love what you’re wearing!” “Thanks, I saw it in Polo Lifestyles.” Best,
Josh Jakobitz josh@pololifestyles.com page page18 18
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moschino Moschino's SS2020 show brought Picasso's paintings to life on the catwalk at #milanfashionweek
greenwichpoloclub Polo pro Pedro Gutierrez, a 5-goaler, gives lessons at Greenwich Polo Club to eager youngsters
jovanalouis Discover the JOVANA LOUIS Spring/ Summer 2020 Collection features bold and bright evening suits. page 22
bazaaruk
fashiontothemax
The actual residence of the set of Downton Abbey is now listed on AirBnB #highclerecastle
@versace SS2020 show closed with a surprise ending @jlo in her 2000 Versace custom creation
oprah Watch @davidmakesman on the @owntv Wednesdays at 10/9c for a dose of #blackboyjoy
pyermoss A capacity crowd of 3,000 showed up for the highly anticipated Pyer Moss SS2020 by @kerbito
theamazingyacht Yacht, yacht, super yacht! Which one would you choose? Bigger the better; or more intimate and manageable?
sothebysjewel The Fine Jewels Sale in NYC with over 300 pieces ranging from $1,500 to $475,000
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Click and comment on our choices... tag @pololifestyles. We will share noteworthy comments with you next month.
sussexroyal Archie met Archbishop Desmond Tutu while touring South Africa with his parents the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
ralphlauren Janelle Monae delivered a tour de force performance of jazz standards and original songs #ralphsclub
jimmychoo Long boot season is here, keep it chic with MAHESA boots featuring signature JC emblem
iphone11news All the colorful versions of the iPhone 11 from @apple along with more news, leaks and information
iamtico "Blessed to start another chapter in this cycle called LIFE" suit by @garconcouture @mrgilly87
townandcountrymag From sleepy drama to runaway hit, #downtonabbey garnered 69 Emmy nominations during its run
mariotestino "I loved shooting Lizzo... she really impressed me. I loved her personal style and music." - Mario Testino
telegraph Scientists discovered a "world first" on a distant planet with water and temperatures to support life
rupaulsdragrace The whole team of #DragRace accepted the win for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program #emmy page 23
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OPEN DE FRANCE PAPREC POLO CLUB DU DOMAINE DE CHANTILLY
FINAL: MARQUES DE RISCAL (ESP) 7 / 6 MARQUARD MEDIA (SUI) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
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O P E N D E F R A N C E PA P R E C
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O P E N D E F R A N C E PA P R E C
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WOMEN'S OPEN DE FRANCE POLO CLUB DU DOMAINE DE CHANTILLY
FINAL: DS AUTOMOBILES ST MAXIMIN 7 / 5 HYATT REGENCY CHANTILLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
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OPEN DE FRANCE FEMININ
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OPEN DE FRANCE FEMININ
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REDEFINING THE BENTLEY GRAND TOUR FOR 2035 Inspiring an extraordinary human experience through a perfect blend of technology and craftsmanship.
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NEWPORT POLO page 42
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NEWPORT POLO New England Pro-Am USA 8 / 5 New Zealand
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NEW ENGLAND PRO-AM
THE CHAMPIONSHIPS, WIMBLEDON All England Club
Men's Singles: Novak Djokovic Women's Singles: Simona Halep
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NEW ENGLAND PRO-AM
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76TH VENICE FILM FESTIVAL page 53
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VENICE FILM FESTIVAL
Scarlett Johansson, Joaquin Phoenix, Ruth Negga and more gathered to kick off awards season on the Lido. In the last decade or so, the Venice International Film Festival, now in its 76th year, has become the crucial first stopping point for big movies aiming at awards glory. What’s been brought to the Lido—the beachy island just east of Venice’s main tangle of canals and narrow streets—in those years has been a rich panoply of prestige film. Arriving at premieres by boat isn’t just fashionable, it’s practical. Of course, stars like Nicholas Hoult (whose next film, True History of the Kelly Gang, will premiere in Toronto this year), don’t travel on the slow-chugging vaporetto (water bus) like the badge-wearing hoi polloi on their way to press screenings. No, for the glitterati it’s all about private taxis, most of them beautiful wood-sided motorboats. They’ll take you to the Sala Grande for a film, or to page 54
one of the luxe hotels (the Excelsior on the Lido, the Aman on the main island) that have exclusive boat entrances. It’s glamorous enough to be gliding across the lagoon with the spires of Venice behind you—but to be doing it on a private vessel? Fantastico. The Venice film festival exists to honor the art form of cinema, of course, but it’s also a celebration of Italy, of its people, its food, its fashion. To that end, you see tasteful branding throughout the festival area: a Ferrari logo here, an elaborate Campari stand there. (Indeed, Campari spritzes are second only to Aperol spritzes as the most ubiquitous quaff in Venice.) And then you have Cate Blanchett—a 2007 Volpi Cup winner for sorta playing Bob Dylan in I’m Not There—at the festival this year as an ambassador for Armani, the fashion and lifestyle brand that is one of the great prides of Europe’s beautiful boot. Blanchett may not be a native Italian,
but she wears an Armani suit like one. Venice is also a festival that’s become a reliable launching pad for the surer bets – in previous years Birdman, Gravity, The Shape of Water, Roma, and La La Land all debuted – although this year’s crop offered up a more mixed bag than usual. The biggest story came from an unlikely place: a DC movie from The Hangover director Todd Phillips. Grimy origins tale Joker would have arrived with a question mark no matter where it landed but playing in competition at arguably the most prestigious film festival in the world, it was an even wilder curio, the highest profile slot a comic book movie has ever snagged. Reviews were mostly rapturous, especially for star Joaquin Phoenix in the lead, and it went on to win the festival’s biggest prize, the Golden Lion, one of only six American films to do so in the last 30 years. At this stage, we’d bet heavily on a nomination
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VENICE FILM FESTIVAL
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VENICE FILM FESTIVAL
and even a win for Phoenix, but the film might struggle to sustain itself with voters who might be repelled by its subject matter and one-note vacuity. After winning last year’s Golden Lion with Roma, Netflix returned with their second Noah Baumbach project, the bitpage 58
tersweet divorce drama Marriage Story. It was met with universal acclaim (after both Venice and Toronto, it’s one of the rare films to sustain a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) and while Baumbach’s films haven’t typically scored with the Academy (his one nomination was in 2006 for the screenplay of The Squid
and the Whale), most agreed that this was his finest and most expansive film to date. Nominations for stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, both on career-best form, seem like sure things while Laura Dern’s eye-catching turn as
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a tenacious lawyer should also snag her a supporting actress nod, thanks largely to a powerful speech she gives on how society judges mothers. There’s a lot going for it (it’s also set in the entertainment industry which voters love) but it feels like the kind of film which might not seem splashy or important enough
for the Academy to give its top prize to although I can see it scoring with a lot of critics circles. There were also polite reviews for James Gray’s long-gestating space epic Ad Astra and Steven Soderbergh’s financial satire The Laundromat but both
were commonly seen as awards race non-starters. With reporting from Vanity Fair and The Guardian
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VENICE FILM FESTIVAL
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ASPEN VALLEY
WORLD POLO LEAGUE TRIPLE CROWN AUDI 12 / 11FLEXJET
It may have taken two chukkers, but the World Polo League Triple Crown of Polo season-finale lived up to expectations Sunday at McClure River Ranch. Audi (Marc Ganzi, Mariano Gracida, Nic Roldan, Juancito Bollini) led Flexjet (Melissa Ganzi, Salvador Ulloa, Nacho Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini) from page 64
start-to-finish but Flexjet made them work for it in the final chukker. On a perfect day for polo, Audi held on for a thrilling 12-11 victory to win the coveted trophy and its second consecutive tournament of the summer polo season. Audi also won the Labor Day Challenge with Lauren Sherry, Salvador
Ulloa, Roldan and Ganzi. Roldan, the highest rated American player at eight goals, had one of his best games of his career with his big scoring hits and relentless defense and was the unanimous choice for Most Valuable Player. The Aspen Valley Polo Club Best Playing Pony went to Tampa Glitter played by
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HUBLOT POLO GOLD CUP
Mariano Gracida. The American Polo Horse Association Best Playing Pony was Pitkin, played by Alejandro Novillo Astrada. The American Polo Horse Association was created in 2006 by the legendary Polo Hall of Famer Sunny Hale to recognize polo ponies in America and
encourages events that showcase them and hard-working dedication of grooms. “What a game today’s final was,” WPL Commissioner Dale Smicklas said. “It was everything we hoped it would be. There was a five-goal difference early in the game and we kept saying it didn’t mean much and the game ended up going down to the final seconds.
For Flexjet, Novillo Astrada had a gamehigh eight goals. Melissa Ganzi had three goals including one in the sixth chukker. Audi, playing well on both ends of the field, jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the opening chukker and 6-2 advantage after two chukkers. page 67
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GREENWICH POLO CLUB
EAST COAST OPEN FINAL POSTAGE STAMP FARM 12 / 10 MONTEROSSO
Emerging undefeated through bracket play, Postage Stamp Farm (PSF) rose to the top of the leader board, Monterosso the only team standing between them and the Perry Trophy. Competing for the East Coast Open Final on Sunday, September 8, at Greenwich Polo Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, both teams fought with sustained intensity to keep the score page 70
within two goals. Edging out their opponents after a strong second half, PSF ended the tournament 12-10, redeeming their 2018 semifinal defeat. Kicking off the final with three consecutive Penalty 2 conversions, Brandon Phillips’ accuracy quickly eliminated Monterosso’s one-goal handicap advantage. Trading goals throughout the first chukker, both
teams were eager to set the pace early with PSF leading 4-3. Working together to shut down PSF’s system, Monterosso prevented their opponents from scoring in the second. Approaching halftime, penalty shots proved to be crucial to both teams. Adding back-to-back conversions to the tally, Ignacio “Cubi” Toccalino moved Monterosso into the lead for the first time, ending the third 6-5.
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forward, Zubiaurre smacked it out of the air and over the backline. Conceding victory in the final moments of play, Monterosso fell to the undefeated team 12-10. “All five teams were very strong and I think this was one of the most competitive East Coast Open seasons we’ve played,” Phillips said. “The new teams brought many top players like Bartolome Castagnola, Nachi Du Plessis and Cubi Toccalino to the area for the first time. We [Postage Stamp Farm] knew we needed a lot of luck and to play every game well in order to win. So, to be able to beat those guys makes this win even better.” Playing with the same team in 2018, Gundlach expressed the significance of this win and her team’s perseverance. “It’s wonderful to come back this year and go all the way! The final was a battle from start to finish, but in the end our game plan reigned supreme. I’m honored to even be on the field with them, and we are all thrilled to have our names engraved in polo history on a storied trophy!”
Returning to the field in the fourth with a clear objective, Postage Stamp implemented an effective offensive attack, allowing them to regain and keep their lead until the end. Countering the opening penalty conversion from Toccalino, PSF fired back with three consecutive goals, two off the mallet of Lerin Zubiaurre. Scoring the only Monterosso goal in the fifth, Alessandro Bazzoni’s effort to equalize the scoreboard would be short-lived as Tomas
Garcia del Rio added two more to end the chukker 10-8 in favor of PSF. In the final chukker, Garcia del Rio widened the gap with his fifth goal of the game putting added pressure on Monterosso who secured another set of two from Toccalino to keep it close. Down by one 11-10 Monterosso was in position to steal the win, but PSF’s Zubiaurre gained control of a loose ball which players overrode. Seizing the opportunity to carry the ball
Best Playing Pony honors were presented to Los Machitos Ikana, a mare played by Lerin Zubiaurre in a few minutes of the second, three minutes in the fifth and one minute in the sixth chukker. “I bought her from Los Machitos last year in Florida, but this is the first year I played her at Greenwich Polo Club,” Zubiaurre said. “She arrived last year from Argentina and played a bit in Greenwich, but this is her first big season.” page 71
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GREENWICH POLO CLUB
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URUS
#SINCEWEMADEITPOSSIBLE
A super sports car soul and the functionality typical for an SUV: this is Lamborghini Urus, the world’s first Super Sport Utility Vehicle
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THE BRIDGE
THE HAMPTONS' MOST EXCLUSIVE TICKET
HIGH SOCIETY
MICHAEL J. SNELL @agnello_1 Lifestyles Contributor
T
his year marked the much anticipated, fourth annual event of the Hamptons season. The Bridge returned to the private and extremely exclusive golf club which boasts a $1 million a year membership. Set on site of the historic Bridgehampton Race Circuit and paying tribute to the club’s racing heritage, this invite-only event had guests clamoring to see over 250 collector cars of all shapes and sizes. Everything from classic European sports racing cars to tomorrow’s supercar
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classics alongside the “September Art Show” curated by Marlborough Contemporary’s Max Levai, was organized on the final fairway combining art and automotive seamlessly. Luxury brands and automakers alike used this exclusive opportunity to do something unrivaled for this carefully curated, hand-picked audience. A variety of installations, product debuts and displays were installed for attendees while presenting sponsor, Richard Mille, showcased the brand’s newest cutting-edge timepieces for both men and women. Lamborghini made quite an entrance as they opened The Bridge IV programming with a stunning 20
supercar Lamborghini parade, with Lamborghini CEO of the Americas Alessandro Farmeschi on-hand to welcome the owners. Guests at the exclusive event enjoyed a sunny afternoon sipping fine wines selected by prestige wine and spirits provider, Sherry-Lehmann, and enjoying gourmet bites from Smorgasburg. Bugatti of the Americas celebrated their rich, unparalleled history marking their 110-year anniversary with an elegant display of historic models. At the same time, Aston Martin made the official East Coast debut of the Valhalla with President of Aston Martin Americas Laura Schwab
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doing the unveiling. Along with the unveilings, Automobili Pininfarina CEO Michael Perschke presented the brand’s limited-edition, hand-built hyper GT, the Battista to the crowd.
fastest car. The Agera RS. NetJets wowed the event’s attendees by exhibiting a full-sized mock-up of the new Cessna Longitude Jet, allowing guests to take a tour of the luxury liner.
Other notable participants include Overfinch North America, who showcased a selection of their Supercharged Range Rovers alongside Koenigsegg displaying their waitlisted Jesko, which happens to be the world’s
Also, among the exciting participants, Triton Submarines joined the event after completing the last dive of five to the bottom of each of the world’s oceans, displaying their Triton 1650/3 LP, one of the world’s lightest
and most compact submersibles ever produced. The art fair component was organized by Max Levai, Pascal Spengemann and Suzanne Butler and featured Lars Fisk-designed custom-built art pavilions. The design of the art show mimicked a small village and included 10 curated pavilions arranged throughout the dunes and seamlessly integrated with the displayed vehicles. page 77
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HIGH SOCIETY
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THE BRIDGE, BRIDGEHAMPTON
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2019 EMMY AWARDS page 82
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2019 EMMY AWARDS page 84
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2019 EMMY AWARDS
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2019 EMMY AWARDS
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SAUDI ARABIA WILL HOST
THE WORLD’S RICHE$T RACE IN 2020
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SAUDI ARABIA WILL HOST
THE WORLD’S RICHE$T RACE
King Abdul Aziz Racetrack in Riyadh
IN 2020
The world has a new richest horse race, with the announcement of the creation of the $20 million Saudi Cup, at KING ABDUL AZIZ RACETRACK in Riyadh in 2020. Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al-Faisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, announced details of the contest at a launch event in Saratoga, New York. With a free entry fee, the race will be run on dirt over a distance of nine page 94
furlongs (1,800 meters) and will have a maximum field of 14 starters. There will be a prize of $10 million for the winning horse and horses down to 10th place will share another $10 million between them. “The introduction of the SAUDI CUP as an international race is, without doubt, the most significant event in the history of horse racing in Saudi Arabia, and demonstrates our resolve to develop this great sport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and also our ambition to become a leading
player on horse racing’s world stage,” said Prince Bandar. “We look forward to welcoming international horsemen and women, the media, racing enthusiasts and the public to Riyadh in 2020.” The SAUDI CUP will take place four weeks after the PEGASUS WORLD CUP at Gulfstream Park, Fla., and four weeks prior to the DUBAI WORLD CUP. The top horses in training have the opportunity to compete in all three of the most valuable dirt races in the world: the PEGASUS WORLD CUP,
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Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al-Faisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia.
with a peak value of $16 million in 2018, and the DUBAI WORLD CUP with a current worth of $12 million. In terms of turf races, the richest is in Australia (the EVEREST) and is worth $9.8 million. While in Japan, the mark is $6 million for the JAPAN CUP. Europe’s most lucrative event, the PRIX DE L’ARC DE TRIOMPHE, has a prize fund of $5.6 million. Prince Bandar has an emotional connection to horses. Less than a century ago, his great grandfather King Abdul Aziz, a renowned rider and the founding father of modern Saudi Arabia, led his army into battle on horseback, earning himself the title “The Last Horseman.” In 1932, King Abdul Aziz unified the kingdoms of Nejd and Hijaz, creating the sovereign state of Saudi Arabia. Horse racing soon became an important cultural event in the young nation.
Its status was enhanced in 2003 with the opening of the King Abdul Aziz Racetrack, with a 2,000-meter circumference, a three-furlong (600-meter) chute and a state-of-the-art dirt racing surface. Many of the world’s leading jockeys have ridden regularly at the racetrack, and have been impressed with its facilities. “I’ve been going to King Abdul Aziz Racetrack ever since it opened … Of all the dirt tracks I’ve ridden, it’s the one I like best as you can win from the front and you can win from behind — it’s a fair track,” said Europe’s jockey of the moment, Frankie Dettori. “The other thing I like is that the kickback is so much less than on other dirt tracks. I don’t know why, but the sand seems finer and doesn’t stick. You only need a couple of pairs of goggles, where on other tracks you
need four or five. It’s a kinder track that I can see turf horses handling.” US jockey Edgar Prado said, “In my experience, all the time I rode at King Abdul Aziz Racetrack, I’ve found it good and safe with a nice stretch run. Horses handle it very well.” France’s four-time champion jockey Olivier Peslier said, “King Abdul Aziz Racetrack is one of the best dirt tracks in the world — a wonderful track. And I know that the American jockeys like it very much because it really suits the American horses. It has a long straight, and there isn’t much kickback.” The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia will arrange and fund the shipment of all invited horses, including the cost of flights and hotel accommodation of the horses’ connections. In addition to the SAUDI CUP, there will be further international races on the undercard ahead of the showcase race. page 95
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LOS ANGELES OPERA MAKING A GRAND
ENTRANCE
ON OPENING NIGHT by Kenneth Carrion de los Condes Lifestyles contributor, @deloscondes_inspired_living Photos by Claire Barrett Head of photography @clairebarrettphoto
My father introduced me to opera at a young age when he played his collection on Sundays. He kept his prized vinyl records in several beautiful, black-velvet lined boxes—his favorite record being Carmen.
Once I met my husband, I began purchasing my season tickets for two instead of one, keeping the same two seats in the Founders Circle, alongside many of the long-time patrons and donors.
On Sundays, when my mother took my two younger brothers and me to church, my father listened to opera with the stereo volume turned up so loudly that he had to remove paintings from the walls because of the strong vibrations.
The Chandler’s original palette of emerald green and burgundy remains the same. A French tapestry from the 18th century, depicting an equestrian scene, looms over the bar, but my favorite pieces are the Venetian glass chandeliers.
It wasn’t until I went to my first live opera—Puccini’s Turandot—at the Met that I started to have a greater appreciation for the music. Even though I listened to a variety of opera songs for years, the full magnificence of the opera did not hit home until I experienced the dramatic sets and costume designs. For almost 20 years, I have attended the Los Angeles Opera at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. page 98
I have always been fascinated by the Founder’s Room here at the Los Angeles Opera. Not because of its history or beauty; rather, I am obsessed with its exclusivity.
The Founders Room has hosted many famous figures, including Grace Kelly and Emperor Hirohito of Japan. In 1983, it even entertained Queen Elizabeth II. As they entered the reception, legend has it that Chandler turned to the queen and said, “Welcome to my palace.” Founder’s Room
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LAVISH LIFESTYLES A COLUMN BY KENNETH CARRION THAT YOUR CONCIERGE WILL LOVE TO HATE
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membership privileges even extend to the Founder’s Rooms at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and Ahmanson Theatre. Happily, I have been able to repay my parents for introducing me to the opera and the arts. Since they retired to California from Connecticut a few years ago, they accompany me once page 100
opera season begins and always to the splendor of opening night. I especially enjoy surprising my mother each year by presenting her with a beautiful evening gown and all the accessories.
welcoming feeling when the bartender, after so many years, can greet you by your surname. But, for me, it is very much about the fashion when I attend opening night.
We like to have a pre-show martini at the black marble bar. With its original 1964 decor and elegant, hip-again Mad Men-esque style, it is always a
Los Angeles is a casual city. So, even though a formal dress code is not enforced (I have even witnessed a gentleman wearing a tank top, flip
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LAVISH LIFESTYLES "I have always been fascinated by the Founder's Room at the Los Angeles Opera. Not because of it's history or beauty; rather, I AM OBSESSED WITH ITS EXCLUSIVITY." - Kenneth Carrion de los Condes
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LAVISH LIFESTYLES flops and shorts), it is wonderful to see many taking pride and showing respect when attending the opera in more suitable attire. It is honestly one of my favorite evenings of the year, the one legitimate excuse for me to don a tuxedo, walk the red carpet, and enjoy an elegant and cultured evening with
other like-minded guests. I love to see passionate red, jewel-colored taffeta, metallic drapery, and other equally elegant materials often reserved for the catwalk. The drama of the opera and couture seem to be a perfect match.
signers like Prada, Ford, Armani, and Lacroix, to name a few.
In the past couple of decades, it has been amazing to see world-renowned operas costumed by well-known de-
UK Sunday Times 1995
“It’s called creative tension, and it is what happens when the worlds of opera and fashion collide!”
The author, Kenneth Carrion de los Condes, with his guest and mother, Jovita Carrion, at the opening night of the Los Angeles Opera this year.
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THE FASHION LUX AFRIQUE POLO
SS 2020 THE SIZZLING SHOWS & SWANKIEST LOOKS
{ page 108
J.LO WINS MILAN NYFW TOP 10 SHOWS RALPH'S CLUB SS2020 ROUND-UP WHAT MONEY CAN BUY IN NEW YORK MORE THAN A RUNWAY SHOW EVERYTHING'S IN THE DETAILS PARIS MENSWEAR COUTURE Stories by Stanley Pierre-Etienne, Constance White and Keith Richard Photos by Eva Thompson and The Impression
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ISSUE
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J. LO WINS MILAN
(FASHION FINISHES SECOND) The moment that ate Milan Fashion Week occurred at the end of the Versace show. People had been promised a special something, but no one knew what it was. The lights went down, a soundtrack crescendo began to build, and then — Jennifer Lopez! Age 50! In a new version of the jungle print dress she wore to the Grammys in 2000. You know, the one that was cut down to her navel and up to her crotch, and set off so many digital searches back in the day that, in the myth of the Internet and fashion, it is said Google created image search because of it (a more plausible version of the story is that it was part of the reason; a big part, sure, but still — a part). The dress had been given a bit of an update, to be sure — less fabric on the sides, the sleeves were gone, there were jewels all over the matching bikini bottoms, and iridescent palm fronds bristled like epaulets on the shoulders. But those were details; the effect was the same. Bags were clutched. The whole audience rose as one. Phones came out and were wielded like knives, each one slicing off a section of her walk for the posting. Mea culpa. But if ever there was a finale that crystallized just how much fashion had moved on — or not — since the turn of the millennium, that was it. Back in the day, of course, there was no Instagram or live stream; people mostly viewed shows with their actual eyes as opposed to through the lens of their tiny cameras; designers only did two collections a year (or two we knew of); editors and glossy magazines still served as the conduits of choice for fashion information; diversity was pretty much nonexispage 110
tent; and even if fashion people had read “Silent Spring” in school, they probably thought it had nothing to do with them, or their jobs.
from 20 years ago — still rules. That’s as stultifying and frustrating as it sounds, even if it’s justified as “heritage” or “DNA.”
It is tempting to say: How things have changed! Except for Ms. Lopez of course; she looked exactly the same. If anything, more toned and worked out.
Think about it this way: the day of the global climate strike, which also happened to be the day of the Versace show, when hundreds of thousands took to the roads of New York and Berlin and Sydney, in Milan it was just traffic as usual.
"The dress had been given an update, to be sure — less fabric on the sides, the sleeves were gone, there were jewels all over the matching bikini bottoms, and iridescent palm fronds bristled like epaulets on the shoulders. But those were details; the effect was the same. Bags were clutched. The whole audience rose as one. Phones came out and were wielded like knives, each one slicing off a section of her walk for the posting."
“Is there going to be a protest here?” visitors asked. Locals raised their eyebrows and shrugged. Later, there was some anticipation around the fact Giorgio Armani called his show “Earth” — but it turned out to be because it was inspired by the muddy colors of the land (dank browns, midnight blues), gradually lightening to morning mists.
But then, so did most of Donatella Versace’s clothes: the sharp-shouldered little black coat dresses with big gold hardware; the jersey draped to show slices of side abs; the tie-dyed Medusa tees; the cobalt-and-jade or fire opal-spinel jungle print on pretty much everything from jeans jackets to sequined evening frocks fringed at the hem and dotted with spiky, three-dimensional alien blooms.
Trousers were pleated at the hip and narrow at the calf or palazzo loose. Jackets were long or short, curving or boxy. Skirts were long and billowing, often sheer. There were some sporty references, a banana palm print and a fair amount of pastel sparkle. In the end, two models came out in glistening evening columns, torsos encased in stiff ruffled organza shells; each woman had one arm supporting her opposite elbow, which was cocked up and out to the side as if holding a cigarette en pose. Except, this being 2019, the hand was empty. That’s a metaphor, if anyone cared to contemplate it.
Which suggest the real takeaway is plus ça change, and all that. The fashion landscapes in New York and London may finally be in the throes of their own upheavals; the altered shapes of social and political life, a new balance of power, reflected in an evolution on the catwalk. But in Milan, the status quo — the one
Meanwhile, at the Missoni show, dedicated to summer and held around a giant public swimming pool, Angela Missoni gave every guest a mini Olafur Eliasson solar lamp with the message: “Join us in holding hands with the sun, we are at a crucial point for our planet and need to take action.”
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VOLUME III / ISSUE X / OCTOBER 2019
THE FASHION ISSUE
NEW YORK FASHION WEEK
TOP 10 SHOWS
10 – JASON WU COLLECTION Jason Wu’s dedication to craftsmanship was on full display this season in a botanical homage to femininity. There is an organic hand at work underneath the surface that respects the roots of fashion: form. In a crop of collections shaped by pattern-making his knowledge of drapery has produced seasonal fresh flowers.
9 – BRANDON MAXWELL ‘Most Improved’ goes to Brandon Maxwell for what The Impression believes is his strongest and most elevated collections to date. Maxwell’s earlier work reminds us of Isaac Mizrahi, full of praise by the powers that be but underneath that surface of support wasn’t a foundation for love of craft and design that could carry it for the longterm. This season, the designer showed an elevation that looks promising for the marathon. page 114
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8 – COACH 1941 There is a subtle irony to watching a European designer produce the most American of collections. But since taking the realm at Coach, creative Stuart Vevers has done just that. This season the artisan stripped down the pallet from boho-chic to embrace the 80s as he turns what is a large ship. Sharp turns are often hard to digest, think Alessandro Michele for Gucci, where here it feels on course for what we imagine will be reinforced by the forthcoming European collections.
7 – SIES MARJAN Another European who spins Americana is Sander Lak at Sies Marjan. Convert his collection to darker hues and it reads Parisian, but embrace his boldness of primaries and he spins American classicism in a new direction that feels postmodern. We often wonder what Michael Kors thinks of the collection.
6 – R13 Chris Leba is carving out his own path devoid of the influences of others. He is New York’s most punk of designers whose work draws us in season after season. The mashup of skate punk with The Velvet Underground, with animal/camo, had us from look one. Leba is America’s next wave as a designer founded in denim but with a global vision of the streets. page 115
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5 – THE ROW You have to love the consistency and laser focus of Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen. each piece is a link to the next and the one that preceded it. We look back at collection one to understand just how the chain started and could easily loop it to today. That clarity is monastic as the collection itself.
4 – PROENZA SCHOULER Much of the work of creatives Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez feels as though the clay was pulled from outside their studio for the designers to impress with their fingerprints. However, it is their fingerprints we are interested in and this season that artisanal hand has formed a soft, subtle collection with edge worthy of praise. Underneath all those hard edges is a relaxed artist that the designer are close to discovering with just a few more chips of the marble. page 116
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3 – PYER MOSS From the beginning Pyer Moss’ Kerby Jean-Raymond was an eloquent storyteller with a meaningful message that resonated. However, the designer lacked what many stateside do, the knowledge of ‘make.’ Without the ability to construct even the most Nobel of messages can fall short. Pull back the message, pull back the staging, pull back the presentation and you still have clothes. This season those clothes on their own had a voice and the make, and Jean-Raymond, and us, are all better for it.
2 – TORY BURCH Perhaps better than any designer other than Karl Lagerfeld, Tory Burch understands the power of the design alphabet, a signature design language in branding woven into each piece. For spring the designer’s ambition shown in the confidence of being powerful while speaking softly in a collection inspired by the late Princess Diana. The result was a sophisticated offering of grace coupled with the power of femininity.
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1 – MICHAEL KORS
There is a great deal to love about Michael Kors. Charm, wit, but most of all humanity coupled with conviction. This season the designer donned the cape of the American flag but more in the vein of Peter Fonda in Easy Rider with one hand on the throttle and the other sticking it to The Man. It was brave, beautiful, and bold like the country itself and reminded us we all have a part to play in shaping our story. Which is what all great designers do, allow the imagination of the customers to cast themselves as the hero. For us Michael was that hero this season.
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THE FASHION ISSUE
PYER MOSS
I
t has been a year since Pyer Moss invited Fashion Week to Weeksville, the historic black neighborhood in Brooklyn. Last year's second installment in “American, Also,” a three-part series of collections addressing the erasure of African-American narratives in popular culture, the moving show was hailed as one of the best of the season and positioned the brand squarely in the New York spotlight. So when Haitian-American creative director Kerby Jean-Raymond decided to go on hiatus last season, shortly after winning the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award, many wondered if he could keep the momentum going. With the Pyer Moss name in bright
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lights at the Kings Theater in Brooklyn last night, Jean-Raymond was ready to turn the volume up in a major way. The endless lines of people outside the venue—a combination of industry insiders, celebrities, and those fans who were lucky enough to score one of 500 free tickets—gave some indication of the scale and ambition of the project. Walking onto the scene, it was easy to imagine the production costs running well into the hundreds of thousands, which they did to the tune of around $400,000. Passersby on Flatbush Avenue seemed to be asking themselves the same question: What kind of performer draws a sold-out crowd at this 3,000-person-capacity venue on a Sunday night?
Entitled “Sister,” the third and final chapter in the Pyer Moss trilogy paid homage to Sister Rosetta Tharpe. A singer-songwriter who rose to popularity in the 1930s and ’40s, Tharpe is widely considered to be the godmother of rock and roll, though her legacy has been grossly diminished in music’s history book. “I think relatively few people know that the sound of rock and roll was invented by a queer black woman in a church,” said Jean-Raymond backstage, moments after the show. “I wanted to explore what that aesthetic might have looked like if her story would have been told.” Beyond being places of worship, churches have long served as safe
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spaces for black communities across America, though you could just as easily add nightclubs and dance halls to that list. No matter what form it takes, the notion of creative refuge and freedom of expression has become more vital than ever for people of color in the tumult of Donald Trump’s presidency. Delivered by writer Casey Gerald, who is known for his incisive social commentary, the sermon that opened the show was both uplifting and unapologetically political. “Four hundred years have passed since they brought our people to this land... and I’ve come here to say you can’t hurt us no more,” said Gerald in reference to the anniversary of slavery in America. “They knew that no matter how their master treated them, no matter how the world treated them, they had freedom on the inside that the world could not take
away... And we are here tonight to claim our wings.” It was at that moment that the band and so-called Pyer Moss Tabernacle Drip Choir Drench in the Blood took center stage. Buoyed by their 70-plus ethereal voices, Jean-Raymond set forth his vision for rockstar style. As the first model bounded down the runway to the sound of Anita Baker’s “Sweet Love,” sporting rhinestone-studded wide-leg pants, a bolero jacket, and a halolike Afro, the staid rocker archetype—skinny, white, male—was instantly turned on its head. There were obvious nods to Tharpe’s musicianship; the shape of her guitar was threaded through the curvy lapels of satin overcoats, and the most literal reference was a novelty guitar-shaped handbag. The subtle nods to her style resonated the most: a slightly monastic scarlet silk tunic layered over matching satin pants, for
example. Tharpe wasn’t the only prolific black songstress on the Pyer Moss mood board. Look closely at the chunky gold beads that were threaded onto braids and strung on statement necklaces, and you’ll find they were brilliantly molded in the likeness of Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu. The rousing soundtrack included songs by several more legendary black female artists too, most notably Missy Elliott, who was recently honored for her phenomenal contribution to hip-hop with the prestigious Vanguard Award at the MTV Video Music Awards last month. After last season’s partnership with Derrick Adams, Jean-Raymond sought out the talent of Richard Phillips, an artist who recently made headline news after he was exonerated after spending 45 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. His brightly colored figu-
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rative paintings lent a sense of exuberance to techy black track tops and oversize T-shirt dresses. Sean John was on the list of collaborators this season, as well, the last in a trio of black legacy brands Jean-Raymond has worked with for “American, Also,” including FUBU and Cross Colours. With his new role as artistic director at Reebok, Jean-Raymond is adding a another string to his bow. The clothpage 122
ing he showed as part of an ongoing collaboration with the sportswear label was his most confident capsule yet, and it included a chunky Pyer Moss– ified version of the brand’s classic shoe done in an array of eye-catching colors. Known as Reebok Studies, the new division he will oversee will act as an incubator for young talent, and it affords him the power to raise up a new generation of designers.
“I remember when Puffy won the CFDA award,” said Jean-Raymond, who was working at a sneaker shop just blocks from Kings Theater at the time. “As a kid, I never thought that I could get into fashion if I didn’t learn to rap first.” These days he doesn’t second-guess himself, nor should he. He’s living proof that marching to the beat of your own drummer pays off. by Chioma Nnadi for Vogue
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Shop f all f ashi on on l i n e : nor dst r om .c o m
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THE FASHION ISSUE
THE HIGHLIGHTS NYFW SS2020
STANLEY PIERRE-ETIENNE
@stanleypierretienne Style Contributor
for change were planted in the fashion world.
This year, New York Fashion Week was announced as the most politically woke fashion week ever, and they did not fail to meet expectations.
With the taping of her lingerie fashion show for Amazon Prime, Rihanna made history, giving us an unprecedented event that she defined as a “fashion musical.”
From the political statements of PRABAL GURUNG on the runway to inclusivity in the show’s castings— most of it credited to Rihanna and her lingerie line SAVAGE X FENTY—we can plainly see in 2019 where the seeds
With Victoria’s Secret Fashion show no longer televised, SAVAGE X FENTY is filling the gap in a greater, more current revolutionary way where everyone is represented. Also, we noticed the influence of Rihanna in
many other collections. Inspirations were drawn from various runway shows like CAROLINA HERRERA to design nearly identical silhouettes seen previously from luxurious fashion brand FENTY, another of the many fashion ventures run by Rihanna. On another note, TOM FORD opened New York Fashion Week with an okay collection. Elsewhere, MARC JACOBS closed it with a bang, showing us how not to take fashion too seriously, instead, teaching us how to make fashion fun again.
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CAROLINA HERRERA In between, we had some powerful runway shows with great collections like the one from BRANDON MAXWELL, who showed a lot of growth and is establishing himself as a designer to put on the favorite list. The way he included a menswear line and worked denim while introducing it to his collection, yet keeping the brand’s essence, craft and impeccable taste was very admirable and deserved to be awarded.
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RALPH LAUREN
THE ROW
THE ROW, run by the Olsen twins, was a solid collection because it showed steadiness in how they keep doing what we expect from the brand by adding a little refreshment at every new line.
“costume.” The models were elegantly feminine in their menswear-inspired looks. RALPH LAUREN once again stayed true to its aesthetics while also reinventing itself every time.
We also had RALPH LAUREN Gentlemen’s Club, which was a fantastic show. Mainly inspired by gentlemen’s style and fashion, the looks coming out the runway were not
setting that we could ask for in a fashion show. The collection, inspired by African-American music, celebrated this art field in the best way imaginable. From the music to the live choir
PYER MOSS gave us the best show
SAVAGE X FENTY
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TOM FORD and the selection of songs that were serving as the show’s background and the looks on the runway designed specifically to match the setting, creative director Kerby Jean-Raymond showed us how to honor the street style side of fashion while elevating it to couture level. African-American culture was never so well represented before on the main fashion stage as PYER MOSS did it.
MICHAEL KORS The best collection of New York Fashion Week for Spring and Summer 2020 was without a shadow of a doubt the one we got from MICHAEL KORS. The collection was coherent with each look coming out of the runway. Everything was so American and political in a way so fashionable that it was impossible not to feel identified. Everyone could relate to it. The clothes, the silhouettes and even the
PYER MOSS models at that show were meant to be a reflection of what fashion needs to be now. We need more clothes that speak to us without the need to open our mouths. That kind of activism needs to happen right away, and MICHAEL KORS set the tone with this loud, bold collection but at the same time, so light, timeless and stylish.
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KHAITE
KHAITE
BRANDON MAXWELL
BRANDON MAXWELL
THE FASHION ISSUE
MORE THAN A RUNWAY SHOW Officially, by edict of the CFDA, New York Fashion Week closed Wednesday with MARC JACOBS’ show. But since no one is the boss of fashion week, just like no one’s the boss of an unruly 3-year old, designers kept showing
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and fashionistas kept trekking to see collections well into Sunday, the day “the people” decided would be the close of New York Fashion Week. Whether it was high profilers
ZERO + MARIA CORNEJO
DION LEE
like JACOBS and TOM FORD or strivers like HOPE WADE and Ikaikai’s Dominque Bones-Lark, designers grappled with how to connect with a changing consumer. Shoppers are inordinately interested in two things:
TORY BURCH Photos from The Impression
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PROENZA SCHOULER
THE ROW
social issues and buying clothes when the need hits them. Shows are a necessary part of the creative process. And this isn’t only for designers. Stylists, photographers, editors – all the industry’s creatives get ideas from a show. Even a bad show can inspire. With the rise of Instagram invitations to runway shows, the sphere of influence has now widened to the actual consumer. Designers such AS PYER MOSS and THE BLONDES posted their
ZERO + MARIA CORNEJO
THE ROW
runway shows’ locations on IG and created a mob scene in Brooklyn and Manhattan, respectively, for shows that would influence not only fashion trends, but culture. The shows were a visual and aural lesson in tolerance. Tommy Hilfiger also served culture at the Apollo Theatre and RIHANNA put on what could only be called an entertainment event that bled feminism. Carmelo Anthony complemented his MELO MADE presentation with a live installation of a painting by South African Artist,
MARC JACOBS
MICHAEL KORS Nelson Makamo. Indeed, one of the unifying themes was political or cultural moments. Another unifying theme was sleeveless jackets at TIBI, DION LEE, ZERO + MARIA CORNEJO and exaggerated colLARS AT TORY BURCH, CHOCHENG and MARC JACOBS set the pace. DENNIS BASSO, COLLINA STRADA and KHAITE used embellishments
like fringe, sequins or rhinestones.
Relaxed silhouettes were popular and
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TIMING, FORMAT, ENTERTAINMENT, WHAT’S THE BEST STEP? THROW ALL YOUR RESOURCES INTO A CONSUMER-FACING SHOW? OR FOCUS ON WOOING RETAILERS AND EDITORS?
made surprise appearances at TOM FORD and BRANDON MAXWELL. Polka dots were everywhere (ELIE
TAHARI, KATE SPADE, TORY BURCH, CAROLINA HERRERA). PROENZA SCHOULER and THE ROW drew maximum sophistica-
tion from their plays on black and white and several designers dabbled in shades of chrysanthemum RED (TAHARI, COACH, MICHAEL KORS) sunny yellow (noted at MARC
MICHAEL KORS
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WHAT’S A DESIGNER TO DO?
SONJA MORGAN, A REAL HOUSEWIFE OF NEW YORK.
THE FINAL SHOWS OF NEW YORK FASHION WEEK INCLUDED 93PUNX WITH A PERFORMANCE BY ITS CHICAGO CO-CREATOR VIC MENSA AND A RUNWAY ROMP OF SONJA BY
THE AFTER-SHOW PARTY WAS REPLETE WITH FROTHY COCKTAILS, PHOTO OPS AND GUESTS IN SHINY FROCKS AND CAMERA-READY MAKEUP.
JACOBS, COACH 1941, and PYER MOSS) and acid green (ALIETTE by
It’s not that one is better than the other, but the latter is a distinct experiential event, which you share with all who are in attendance. You read each other’s facial expressions and body language and ask silently, “Do you and I feel the same way about what is coming down the runway?”
Jason Rembert). However, this is not just about the clothes. It is about the experience. Seeing Drake in concert or experiencing an all-female mosh pit at a Rico Nasty show is not the same as watching it in your friend’s Instagram story. A work of art in close proximity, be it clothes, music, or a painting, affects the five senses in ways the virtual world does not.
COACH 1941
PYER MOSS
by Constance White The Impression
ALIETTE
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COLANGELO
FERRAGAMO
FERRAGAMO
FERRAGAMO
THE FASHION ISSUE
EVERYTHING'S IN THE DETAILS
MISSONI page 136
MSGM
GIORGIO ARMANI
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ERMANNO SCERVINO
Mini bucket or giant shopper, the fashion week runways of New York have got all of your clobber-toting needs sorted. So take your pick from the catwalks and have next autumn's handbag trends down pat.
A new crop of bag trends is about to make the transition to fall much more enticing. As spotted on the runways from New York to Paris, handbags are noticeably more playful for fall 2019. From doubling up at once to
smaller-than-ever micro bags to shearling details, this season's best handbags are anything but basic. Straight from the runways, these are the top trends to know—and start shopping—ahead of this season. page 137
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MISSONI
ERMANNO SCERVINO
MSGM
DOLCE & GABBANA page 138
MISSONI
GIORGIO ARMANI
GIORGIO ARMANI
FERRAGAMO
DOLCE & GABBANA
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THE FASHION ISSUE
MEN'S LEADING LOOKS FROM PARIS
Paris was burning this season and perhaps the most holistic of the global fashion weeks with a more curated set of collections than any week prior. Designer VIRGIL ABLOH showed more maturity this season as we watch his evolution of craftsmanship and detail evolve to match his understanding of the global zeitgeist at both OFF-WHITE & LOUIS VUITTON.
10. OFF-WHITE
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9. THOM BROWNE
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8. DRIES VAN NOTEN
7. BERLUTI
6. SACAI
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5. CHRISTIAN DIOR
4. VALENTINO
3. RICK OWENS
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2. LOUIS VUITTON
1. RAF SIMONS
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BRANDON MAXWELL
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THE FASHION ISSUE COUTURE STATEMENTS
MARC JACOBS
T
here was ample indulgence on parade at Marc Jacobs. on a brilliantly spare set that teased the “everybody’s different” leitmotif. Guests found the vast Park Avenue Armory completely empty save for an odd assortment of white vintage chairs, each one a quirky vintage find. Once everyone settled into armchair, rocker or stool, “Dream a Little Dream” began playing and Jacobs’ colony of characters appeared at once, walking toward the audience, a stunningly turned-out brigade, each with a distinctive coiffure and makeup and some, nail art. And most important, they acted like individuals, not clothes hangers, all smiling and vamping, or not, to suit their characters. The themes and subplots hailed from the lexicon of things Jacobs has long loved; he noted that certain loves resonate more powerfully at some times than others. “You know, [faced with loss], you keep memories alive by honoring them, by repeating them, by crediting them and by letting them continue to inspire you.” The clothes ran the gamut: spare to out-there, reality to wonder. To attempt description would be a fool’s errand. The pictures sing, but pale compared to the reality — the clothes were exquisite, from the simplest knit dress to natty suits to stunning pieces worked with appliqués, embroideries and smocked details that must be seen up close. It all came together in an eight-minute treatise on the delights of no-rules, no-boundaries fashion, and a savvy statement of fashion as a tool of self-expression. Pure joy, either way. page 147
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MOSCHINO
MOSCHINO
MOSCHINO
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MOLLY GODDARD
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JASON WU
JASON WU
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FENDI
FENDI
DOLCE & GABBANA
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CHRISTIAN SIRIANO
CHRISTIAN SIRIANO
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VERSACE
VERSACE
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VERSACE
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VERSACE
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VERSACE
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SMART CANES USE GOOGLE MAPS TO GUIDE USERS
Revolutionary technology in the form of a Smart Can has the potential to change the way in which seeing-impaired individuals will navigate and experience their future.
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SMART CANE GUIDES USERS WITH GOOGLE MAPS AND SENSORS TECH
Recently, forward-thinking designers from all walks of life have found ways to incorporate smart technology into their products. While many of these revolutionized products—like a cat selfie device and a cute planter—simply aim to make life a bit more fun; however, some, like the WeWalk smart cane, strive to make a difference. Joining the ranks of the Dot braille watch, WeWALK is a white cane attachment intended to assist those with visual impairments through the use of smart technology. Built-in speakers, page 164
Google maps, and Voice Assistant—as well as compatibility with a smart phone’s Bluetooth system—can help blind people navigate, while special sensors alert them with vibrations when obstacles above chest level present themselves. Together, these tools “support the visually impaired in their full participation into social life.” Kursat Ceylan, the CEO and co-founder of Young Guru Academy (YGA), the Turkish non-profit behind WeWALK, is familiar with this need for “full participation” on a firsthand basis. As a visually impaired engineer, Ceylan knew that he had found his niche when
he decided to use his own experiences to develop such a meaningful technological device. “In these days we are talking about flying cars, but these people have been using just a plain stick,” he explained to CNN. “As a blind person, when I am at the Metro station I don’t know which is my exit… I don’t know which bus is approaching… which stores are around me. That kind of information can be provided with the WeWalk.” This groundbreaking smart cane is available for purchase on the WeWALK website.
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Challenge. Create. Outperform. See the lineage 1000E at embraer.com
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THE BOUNTY OF
HARVEST
A Season for Creating the Wonder of Wine CEZAR KUSIK @cezareatsdirt Wine Contributor
It is that time of the year: autumn. When the heat of summer slowly subsides and the fruits of our labor are heavy and ripe with maturity and succulent flavors awaiting the harvest.
This is the last push before we reap the rewards of our hard work. When we can wipe the sweat off our brows and rest our weary bones in the comfort of our warm abodes to recharge during the long nights and short days of winter until the next year’s spring thaw. And of course, part of those rewards is the pleasure of what’s in the wine glass.
The cultivation of the wine grape vines is arguably the most intricate and nuanced farming of all consumable produce. The human intervention (yes! I’m not afraid to use the word) is crucial to the quality of the final product: wine a.k.a. the fermented juice of grapes. “Poetry in a bottle”, as some call it, takes time, patience, hard work and knowledge to make. Yet, with the many variables of natural conditions, and with all the aspects of human intervention in place, the outcome is never guaranteed. Wine grapes are extremely macro-climate sensitive. The weather, the soil’s chemical composition and its type and geographic exposure have an acute effect on the quality of the fruit and subsequently the quality of the wine. In fact, it takes at least three years for a newly planted vine to produce healthy grapes. Wine is made in two distinct stages:
the farming of the vines and their fruit in the vineyard and the wine-making process in the winery. Each of these stages has a specific sequence of steps dictated by nature. In this article, we will focus on the first stage. Seasonality is an important factor in farming. Earth’s two hemispheres function on opposite seasonal patterns and we will follow the northern hemisphere’s pattern. We also must keep in mind that depending on their latitude and micro-climate, different wine growing regions offer different temperatures, consequently offsetting the chronology of farming and wine-making. In hot regions like Napa Valley in California or Barossa Valley in Australia, the flowering of the vines will start much earlier than in cooler regions such as Burgundy France or Mosel Germany.
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Harvest
Did you know, the best wine growing regions are roughly located between 30and 50-degrees latitude in both hemispheres? There, the temperatures and the sun’s exposure are the most suitable for Vitis vinifera vine, the species which is best fit for wine-making.
PRUNING. It all starts on a cold, foggy late winter morning where the vines—rigid with frost—stand in rows in the middle of barren vineyards. Leafless and seemingly lifeless the vines present themselves with a stark beauty. This is when the first tending of them takes place. While still in their dormancy, the vines are tended to by highly valued pruners, who are specialized vineyard workers. Pruning and trimming will eventually establish the right balance between the number of shoots and the number of buds on a vine. Too many shoots and not enough buds will produce too much leafage, shading the berries from the sun. Too many buds will lead to an excessive abundance of grapes, stopping them from ripening properly. page 170
Throughout the life of a vine, there are a plethora of diseases and natural menaces that can impede the plant’s productivity or destroy its growth and fruit. From microscopic mites and fungi to visible creatures like bugs and birds, the vine stands exposed and vulnerable to nature’s elements and her creatures, and it is the vineyards owner’s job to provide protection. It can be done through the use of chemicals, a more predictably effective method, but one that heavily compromises the quality of the fruit and consequently, the wine. Or, you can choose a natural approach by implementing nature-friendly practices of farming: sustainable, organic, or bio-dynamic. These create a healthy ecosystem which results in strong vines which can fight off their enemies on their own and produce “clean” fruit and better wine. It is like homeopathy for vines. The choice is yours.
THE BUD BREAK. The first buds
appear when vines awake from dormancy. The bud break usually happens in March or early April depending on the
geographic location of the vineyards. The moment the buds come to life, the struggle to protect them from cold temperatures begins. If the temperature dips below the freezing point, it can cause serious damage to the delicate, susceptible shoots. There are a few ways of preventing that from happening; using giant fans to circulate the air throughout the vineyard is one of them. Another one, seemingly counterintuitive, is to use sprinklers to coat the vines with water. The freezing process actually produces a bit of heat, protecting the shoots. About a month after bud break, the flowering stage starts covering vines in a white, snow-like blanket of petals. The fruit set follows flowering almost immediately. Most grapevines self-pollinate, and fertilized flower begins to develop a seed and grape berry to protect the seed. Not all the flowers will pollinate and turn into fruit. Fruit set is a good indicator of the upcoming crop yield giving a vineyard owner an idea of how many grapes can be expected during the harvest. The percentage of fertilized flowers averages around 30%, but it can get as high as 60%. Climate and the health of the vine are the main factors determining that figure.
DID YOU KNOW? Grapes for
sparkling wines are harvested nota-
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bly earlier than others because wine makers are looking for a higher acidity and significantly less ripeness. They are harvested with extra care as to not to disturb the flavors and minimize any harsh compounds that may be imparted from the skin of the grape.
VERAISON. Veraison is the on-site
of the fruit ripening. This is one of the most scenically beautiful times in the vineyards. The green vegetal color of undeveloped berries changes to yellow, gold, red, crimson and a multitude of such variations of shades. This is also the last time for green harvesting, when the vineyard workers cut and dispose of excess bunches and eliminate the weak and unhealthy ones to direct all the energy of the vine to the most promising crop. The sugar levels in grapes rise exponentially and are monitored constantly using a refractometer. Not enough sugar will result in wines that are too acidic, and tart. Conversely, too much sugar will turn them into flabby fruit bombs. Sugar to acid ratio is one of the leading indicators of a style of wine and its balance. When that ratio is reached within the fruit and to the specifications of a wine-maker, it is time to harvest.
DID YOU KNOW? The big three decisions of a wine-maker when it comes to harvesting grapes are sugar, acid, and tannins. Sugar and acid are measured with a refractometer – tannins, however, are sampled by tasting the grape!
Undoubtedly, the harvest is the most labor and time-intensive time of the entire growing season. It is nerve-wracking. Many things can go wrong. Once the decision to pick is made, the grapes have to be picked as quickly as possible and transported to the winery in the most pristine state for further processing. The moment the grapes are plucked from the vine, they stop ripening, but they are immediately exposed to other damaging elements. Therefore the
picking starts in the wee hours of the day; usually when it is still dark out, and the temperatures are at their lowest. The cold keeps the grapes’ sugar levels stable. It retains the concentration of flavor better and prevents oxidation and premature fermentation. In wine regions with a hot climate, picking early also ensures more bearable working conditions for the pickers. Most wineries produce wines from a variety of grapes to maximize their facilities: white, red and different varietals within the same color. Different grape varieties require different levels of ripeness, thus are picked at various times during the harvest. White grapes with higher acidity like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Albariño go first. Fuller body wines like Viognier, Chardonnay, and Marsanne are next. Then red grapes follow. Thinner skin grape varieties, Pinot Noir, Gamey and Nebbiolo, ripen earlier. Medium body grapes are next: Merlot, Grenache, and Tempranillo. The big boys come last: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Sagrantino; their harvest can be extended till late October. Not to mention late harvest dessert wines whose grapes are picked as late as the latter part of November. The wineries which offer a full spectrum of grape varieties and wine styles will literally harvest for months.
DID YOU KNOW? Zinfandel is one
of the oldest grape-producing vines? After about 50 years Zinfandel vine is considered mature, but it may yet not be half-way through its life. 120-yearold vines are a common occurrence in Zinfandel-thriving regions like Dry Creek Valley in Northern California or the Paso Robles area in California’s Central Coast. The older the vine, the smaller the yield – but with age, the concentration and the complexity of the flavor in grapes increases in ways that it cannot duplicate by any other method. And with that, the harvest is over. All
the grapes are at the winery, and the art the wine-making begins. But that’s the topic for next month. Wine’s image and its place in our society have changed dramatically. It hasn’t been until relatively recently in many parts of the globe that wine has become part of our daily indulgence. In many cultures, it has been consumed unceremoniously, almost matter-of-factly; treated as a liquid to wash our foods down with, equally enjoyed by the rich and the poor. For better or worse in recent history, we turned wine into an art form, a commodity, a consumable product of reverence sold at extravagant auctions fetching unreasonable prices showcasing prestige and wealth. To the point – wine seems to have become a fad. People write books and make movies about wine. Wine makers and sommeliers are celebrities. Recently, a bottle of a red Burgundy (Pinot Noir) from the revered DRC Romanne-Conti winery from 1945 vintage was sold at the Sotheby’s auction in New York for over half a million dollars. Nuts! Yet the basics of wine-making, from its inception in the vineyards to the bottling in the winery, haven’t changed for centuries. No matter what the sticker price is, the effort and the process are nearly identical; it takes care, commitment and a lot of hard work. So while drinking your next wine, whether it is an $18 bottle of an unknown wine from an obscure region made by an equally unknown wine-maker or an outrageously priced, collector wine from “the year of the century,” try not to pontificate about its pedigree or pass judgment on the lack thereof. Try as well not to dwell on the technicalities, vintage variation, the label, or the price. Instead, taste and enjoy it through the prism of all the people who contributed to its making, their devoted, hard labor and the magic of nature. page 171
SPIRITUALITY DEFINING THE DIVINE
SATURN
THE PLANET
MOST FEARED
DARES US TO TAKE RESPONSIBILTY
FOR OUR SUCCESSES AND FAILURES JYOTI PAINTEL-BOWLES @jyotipaintel Spirituality Contributor
“If you’re going through Hell, then keep going!” – Winston Churchill
Traditional astrology is the study of a “natal chart,” which posits that the exact date and time of our coming into existence has a profound influence on all of the significant events in our life story. These events are predictable during periods of our lives in the eyes of astrology—although not through exact dates—and if we study the movement of our signs (or stars) as they transit the planets, we can navigate through these life events with more ease and less panic. These occurrences can reflect favorable transits in our chart: a marriage, the birth of a child, a move to a foreign land or career prominence. In my twopart series on Saturn and the planets, I will explain the importance of the
planets and their sphere of influence on our life events. For this column, I will spend my time focusing on the influence of Saturn. Known as the Great Teacher (or Punisher) it represents life’s most unpredictable and unpleasant changes and upheavals such as a sudden loss of a loved one, an illness, divorce, losing a job or financial insolvency. I will then explain the influence of the other planet’s, to give a more holistic explanation of the attributes of each one. Saturn Return: The Party’s Over (not really!) Saturn is the planet that is the most feared because it is ultimately about taking responsibility for our success and failures. The events impacted by Saturn teach us about life through challenges, failures, renewal and rebirth. Rising from the ashes of our life disasters, and the wisdom acquired from that is the moral the planet teaches. Saturn transits into our house at a critical age, right at the end of our 20s
to our early 30s. It is at this point where we begin to examine our lives to see what we truly want. Many of us will experience growing pains. The fun, frivolous season of our youth has passed, and we must cross the threshold into adulthood. This can manifest as major chaos in our lives. We might have feelings of inadequacy that cause us to question our existence. Out of nowhere, our needs and desires that we used to have about relationships, career ambitions, and our life goals can suddenly change and shift like an earthquake, causing our seemingly perfect life to crumble into pieces. Or so we think at the time. If Saturn’s influence sounds like chaos and crises, that is exactly what I am describing, but it isn’t always a bad thing. Change, while terrifying, can cause us to discern and clarify what we want out of life. Something I heard on a podcast once stuck out: if you are living your life correctly, that is, making choices and taking risks, you should hit rock bottom a few times. page 175
SPIRITUALITY DEFINING THE DIVINE
SATURN
THE PLANET
MOST FEARED
DARES US TO TAKE RESPONSIBILTY
FOR OUR SUCCESSES AND FAILURES What this implies is when our lives are shattered into pieces, we then have a chance to rebuild with a renewed sense of self-confidence and courage to construct a stronger foundation and a more accurate vision of what life should have and hold. The Planets and their Influence To better understand how the planets represent areas of our lives, it is vital to understand the significance of the planets. It truly cannot be understated how each planet symbolizes a different part of life, or if you might imagine, a certain energetic presence or a drive that pushes us to make decisions. In astrology, the Sun and the Moon possess the status of planets because they impact our very existence. The Sun is the source of all life and energy on land, and the Moon is the perfect dance of the waves merging all the oceans into one. The Sun is the most important planet in our chart and is your ego that controls your motivation, your vitality and how you identify yourself. It represents your passions and pushes you to determine
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what you like or dislike. The Sun is masculine and is seen as our paternal guide and protector, our Father. The Moon is feminine in nature, as it controls the realms of female fertility. The cyclical movements of the new and full moon coincide with the monthly construction of a womb, the natural and healthy waning and deconstruction, and then renewal (new moon) and reconstruction of a new home (full moon) for the creative force of life to enter. Our moon side is usually only visible to those closest to us. As it governs our sensuality and joy, our emotional attachments, intuition, instincts, habitual behavior and most importantly, our self-esteem. Our Moon’s shadow side is the negative emotions we try to keep hidden. For example, products of our shadow side are jealousy, anger, and fear. Mercury is the house of communication, and is indicative of how you communicate, think, learn, and solve. If you are born with Mercury prominent in your natal chart, you are effective and disciplined at expressing your needs.
Venus is the planet of love, relationships, and romance and influences the kind of partner we attract, how we behave in the dating game, our attractiveness and sex appeal, and the physical expression of our affection. Funnily, our behavior with romantic partners can also mimic our relationships with money; Venus also controls our finances, and potential to earn. Social likability is also developed under this planet, so our outward appearance to others is more significant. Next month I will discuss the remaining planets, and also how Saturn can go into retrograde, which is similar to a return, but smaller in scope. However important the influence of the stars, our actions are always our choice. It is always important to remember that no matter what is written in the stars, we are the master architects of own our lives. “The fault lies not in our stars Dear Brutus, but in our Selves.” – Julius Caesar, Shakespeare
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COACH WINE: FUNCTIONAL TRAINING
THE EVOLUTION OF THE
PERSONAL TRAINER
AVOIDING COMMON PITFALLS AND FLAT-OUT, BAD TRAINERS
The entire balance of your bank account and all the tips on the Internet can't help if you don't follow some basic guidelines. MARK WINE CSCS, BA, USAW, PT, PES, CES @functionalmuscle Healthy Lifestyles Contributor
Personal training and the fitness industry have evolved from their infant years. Recently, the fitness industry has seen an explosion in growth. There are currently 2,000 companies, including nonprofits, within the United States of America that operate nearly 30,000 fitness centers with a combined annual revenue of approximately $22 billion. This explosion has helped lead to the evolution of personal training and fitness, which has resulted in both positive and negative qualities. Both fields are meant to inspire individuals through directed exercise and workouts to attain levels of fitness and health that they never thought imagin-
able. However, the majority of trainers and facilities fall short in helping their clients achieve their goals. Within the fitness industry, personal trainers and fitness facilities should continuously be developing or attempting to educate themselves on training. This philosophy will guarantee that the fitness industry remains in a constant state of turnover amongst personal trainers, training styles, facilities and training research. However, this high degree of turnover opens the doors to horrific training apparatus’s (i.e. the shake weight), terrible personal trainers and unsafe gyms and facilities. One misleading common practice that fitness companies engage in is phony research. Companies are skewing numbers in their favor from supposed independent studies to achieve higher revenue for their products. Another negative aspect is in regard to personal trainers. Trainers
are passing certifications, which do not properly educate them on the variables of training and entering the field in record numbers. There were 261,100 personal trainers in 2008. The estimation of the number of personal trainers in 2018 is 337,900 [2]. Personal trainers are not the only part of the fitness industry that is growing exponentially. Gyms are multiplying as well and they are overloading their facilities with state-of-the-art machines. These machines may keep members happy but they frequently yield nothing toward weight loss. Second, concerning personal trainers, this high demand opens the flood gates to an over saturation of trainers claiming to be properly educated. I have had personal experiences with hundreds of phony personal trainers within the fitness industry. Personal trainers and individuals who engage in fitness as a hobby
believe knowing exercises, whether machine based or not, is enough to become a personal trainer. WRONG! Personal trainers must have a basic understanding of human anatomy, exercises, movements, nutrition and numerous exercise variables (i.e. reps, sets, rest time, etc). There are a few training certification programs within the marketplace that properly educate personal trainers. These courses go over how to train for specific goals; how to properly incorporate variables and proper exercise technique. However, there are more inefficient courses than efficient ones. It is necessary for the client to filter out the phony trainers and facilities. Here are a few things to look for when choosing a trainer or a fitness facility. First, look for a facility that employs personal trainers and workers who are in shape. Employees do not page 191
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THE EVOLUTION OF PERSONAL TRAINERS have to be figure models or professional athletes, but they should be in decent shape. If you walk into a gym and their personal trainers are overweight, then walk out. Personal trainers who do not live the lifestyle have no business telling you to workout. More trainers need to realize that their bodies are their best form of advertisement, they are a walking billboard for their program. Trainers are in place to inspire and direct their clients to reach their goals. This inspiration is negated when the person being trained is in better shape than the person directing the training. Second, look for a gym that is functional with more up to date training styles. When a gym is machined based, it becomes advantageous to find another facility. Simply put, machines are not the best form of exercise. As humans, our movements are not supported by equipment. All of our actions are constantly in unbalanced situations that are supported by our stabilizer muscles. Therefore, training should incorporate balanced and unbalanced movements. Programs should work to develop each participant’s core first and foremost. Third, look for a helpful facility. The majority of gyms do not help the general clientele. In fact, gyms often completely neglect the client. Personal trainers and other facility employees will allow members to perform exercises incorrectly while walking around the gym aimlessly. The only members being helped are those who pay for it at costs of around $75-$100 per hour. Fourth, look for a facility that does not empty your wallet. If you are paying over $150 per month for three days per week (i.e. cross fit), regardless if it is group classes, then you are being ripped off. These facilities are merely collecting your income and will only provide limited results. Instead, look for a facility and personal trainer that gets you results immediately and continually. You will quickly know what type of facility you have by asking questions. If they know the answers, or are willing to give suggestions or tips, then they truly care about your results. Is that not why you are there? page 192
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FIGHT THE URGE
THE KEY TO SELFDISCIPLINE PART I
flow comes to a halt, and you do not have any emergency funds because they are now sitting in your driveway. JOEY VELEZ, MA, MBA @velezmentalperformance Wellness Contributor
What does it take to be successful? How can you separate yourself from the pack? What are you willing to sacrifice to achieve your goals? There are many answers to these questions, but without self-discipline, your journey will be filled with more roadblocks and setbacks than anticipated. By practicing self-discipline, we gain a giant advantage when faced with difficult times. Where one person may give up and submit to life’s temptations, you will stay true to your path and reach your destination with ease. Self-discipline is defined as the ability to pursue one’s desires despite temptations to abandon those ideals. You are going to be tempted along your journey with things that cause you immediate gratification. For example, if you are on a nutrition plan, counting your calories, and one night you come home to your favorite meal and dessert sitting on your counter. It is not a part of the nutrition plan, but how can you resist? Or your business is growing, and the cash flow is constant, so you decide to spoil yourself by purchasing two brand new luxury vehicles. Then two weeks later, the cash page 196
Giving into these temptations can derail you from your goals and will undoubtedly require more time and effort to get back on track. In the short term, submitting to temptations may seem to have an immediate positive impact, but once that euphoria fades away, you are left with disappointment and regret because you allowed yourself to succumb to the urges. On the other side, while resisting temptation can prove difficult, it shows a sign of strength that you were able to overcome these challenges and stick to your plan, which provides you with a sense of accomplishment before you achieve your goals, making reaching the final destination that much more satisfying. Not only does self-discipline increase your chances of reaching success, but it also improves life satisfaction. According to the Journal of Personality, people with high levels of self-control are in general happier than those without. Furthermore, they found that children who showed higher levels of self-discipline were more likely later in life to be adults with greater health and wealth. You can experience greater happiness and positive feelings because you consistently reach your goals in a timely manner and show signs of strength that ultimately lead to wanting to experience positivity more often. I never truly understood the value of being disciplined or having self-control. For as long as I could remember, I would always succumb to life’s temp-
tations because I knew how satisfying they could be. I can remember being full after family dinners, and still, my parents would put their leftovers on my plate for me to eat because they knew if they did, I would finish them, and that would be less clutter in the refrigerator. I never said no, I never told myself I was too full to eat because I knew how good the food was going to taste. I wanted immediate satisfaction. As I progressed through junior high and high school, this did not stop. What changed, however, was my response once that immediate satisfaction faded away. I would experience doubt, regret and disgust; this is when I started to feel self-conscious about my body. I felt my fellow students thought I was fat. I thought I was fat. But I never wanted to say no to the immediate satisfaction that food provided me. Going through this in high school was extremely difficult because I started to think in the long-term: Will someone love me? Will I be happy? It made it difficult to fully enjoy high school because these thoughts were always in the back of my mind. When I was 22 years old and working at a health club, I was 240 pounds with 35% body fat. One of our trainers approached me and wanted to provide me with a meal plan that he was going to implement with all of his clients. I remember the talk we had before getting started. We spoke about the details of the plan. I could eat whatever I wanted as long as I stayed within my macro-nutrient numbers, but most importantly, we talked about how self-control really is what makes plans
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MOLD YOUR MIND
like this work. I took it to heart, and within four months, I was down to 195 pounds and 13% body fat. I specifically remember a time when I was at home with a few friends, and they decided to order two large pizzas and an order of garlic bread. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I chose to eat a salad. I think that was perhaps the hardest thing I ever had to do up to that point in my life. Everything inside of me was shouting to “Just have one slice,” and I kept responding “No.” As uncomfortable as it was, and as much as I wanted to say “Yes”, I stayed true to my path and it worked out fantastically for me. If you do not know where you are going, then it is easier to get sidetracked. Therefore, you must first develop a clear vision of what you want to accomplish. Setting goals can direct attention, increase persistence, mobilize effort and help you employ strategies to reach those goals. When a person has set their mind on achieving an objective, their effort is directed toward accomplishing it, and that person is more likely to continue working toward their
target, even when faced with challenging events, such as temptations. Your goals should be specific, realistic and time-sensitive to instill a sense of urgency. Your self-talk is an important key if you are going to resist life’s temptations. Your mind is going to tell you things like “it is going to taste delicious” or “it will be so much easier” or “just do it later” and you are going to need to have an action plan to fight these urges. One thing you can do is ask yourself the question: How will this help me reach my goals? You will find that this simple question can increase your self-discipline. Again, resisting temptations may be difficult and uncomfortable, but you will avoid feelings of guilt, regret and doubt, and move further down the path of accomplishing the goals you’ve set. You can also incorporate more directive “self-talk” statements which help many people in self-motivation and discipline. For example, if your goal is to wake up at 5 a.m. every day and workout, your self-talk statement might look like “just get up and do it” as opposed
to “come on you can do it.” Everyone is different; there is not a one-size-fitsall mentality, so you must adjust these statements to what coincides with your personality. Testing out the style and strength of self-talk statements creates a path for them to become both habitual and successful. The term self-discipline might tend to give off the wrong impression. On the surface, being self-disciplined sounds uncomfortable. As a concept, it seems like it involves a high level of resistance and incorporates a narrow-minded perspective. Nothing could be further from the truth. Being self-disciplined shows a sign of strength; being able to handle the temptations that life throws at you, but making the choice to continue down your path to what you want to achieve. Sure, enjoy life’s temptations, but do so when you have achieved your goals, this way you can reward yourself with those temptations. Achieve your goals and take control of your life by practicing self-discipline. And remember, practice makes perfect.
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