Luca Magazine - Spring 2018 - Rydel Lynch

SPRING 2018

Rydel One of R’s

Cameron Boyce The Boy-ce Has Talent!

DR. KAREN PRENTICE

An Appl e a Day th e Do c to r’s Way Do I have to eat only organic foods? What is BPA? Should everyone be gluten-free? How can I eat “clean”? For answers to these questions and more, and over 50 quick and healthy recipes, go to anappleadaythedoctorsway.com and get your copy today!! @ anapple adayt he doc torsway

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M y Vo i c e .

M y

M a g a z i n e .

Jennifer O’Bannon editor-in-chief Cece Guthrie managing editor Brittany Chetochine marketing manager Jennifer O’Bannon creative director Rumur Stamps production director Corinna Cooke beauty director Jennifer O’Bannon fashion director Daniel Larsen feature writer Asher Reed designer

CONTRIBUTORS Sylvia Hardt

Craig Moore

Veronica Graye

Mark Modesitt

Andrew Gleason

Cean Rogers

Will Zecco

Kasey Kitchen

Brad Olson

Ironwood Wealth

Bibiana Pina

Mode PR

Patrycja Korzeniak

Gerry Strauss

Deborah Chung

East 2 West PR

Andy Biggs

Valentina Socci

Ashley Lynn Hall

Wilhemina LA

Dr. Karen Prentice

Gerry Strauss

Taylor Guthrie

Stars Management

Bella Wylie

Suzanne Teresa

Jessica Taylor

Vision Models

Fujio Emura

Erin Marie Zajac

Risa Kostis

Mona Loring PR

Haley Beaver

Maha Mino

Kiera Wong

Platform PR

Kelly Stoneman

Ervina Topalli

Feli Ruiz

Advantage PR

Elie Maalouf

Nichole Town

Cinita Garzon

Freedom Models LA

Michael Kanyon

Sonia Young

Victoria Alba

Photogenics

Angela Marklew

David Wall

Nina Evonne Johansson

Margaux Models

Arbana Dollani

Kira Nasrat

Kacey Cole

Ford/RBA

info@lucamagazine.com

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S P R I N G

32. Cameron Boyce The Boy-ce has talent

by Daniel Larson

38. Chloe Bennet

Marvel-lous to Valley Girl

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FEATURES 6. Audree Kate Fashion Blogger

by Daniel Larson

10. Someone to Know Jess Weiner

by Brittany Chetochine

by Gerry Strauss

16. Making Cents Credit Score

46. Rydel Lynch One of R’s

by Daniel Larsen

by Craig Moore

17. Novel Idea

by Brittany Chetochine

24. Queen Harrison

by Daniel Larson

28. The Tiger Within

by Myra Carlos

50. The Gallery Isa Grassi

FAS HION 72. Eco Fashion EDUN

76. Runway Retread SS 2018

by Jennifer O’Bannon

84. 1For All

White Button Down

BEAUTY

by Jennifer O’Bannon

54. The Softening of Spring

88. Accessories The Bold & Beautiful

60. A Fierce Refreshening

by Jennifer O’Bannon

94. Labor Anonymous

by Suzanne Teresa

by Angela Marklew

66. Pro Advice

HEALTH & FITNESS 18. Allergies Healthy Spring Guide

by Fujio Emura & Bibiana Pina

by Corrina Cooke & Andy Biggs

104. Dress the Part

70. My Makeup Bag Nichole Town

by Bella Wylie

114. Sole Searching History of the Sneaker

71. Winter-eyez

22. It Takes Two Partner Workout

by Feli Ruiz & Cinita Garzon

by Jennifer O’Bannon

Makeup Feature

by Corinna Cooke

by Dr. Karen Prentice

20. From Scratch Spring Kale Salad

by Haley Beaver

AUDREE KATE fashion blogger words Daniel Larson She’s a maximalist. She’s chic. She’s hard working. She’s intelligent. She a master at accessorizing. She’s a fashion stylist, editor, and blogger. She’s simply Audree Kate.

7 I had no idea what to expect when I was on my way to meet a big-time fashion blogger from The Big Apple. Surely her outfit would not disappoint, but what would she be like? Was I an out-of-place Anne Hathaway about to stumble into Miranda Priestly’s office to be eaten by the wolves? I hoped she would like what I was wearing: an olive-green tee, black pants, and brown leather boots. Olive green is in this season, right? I hoped so. I enter the room and immediately admire her flawless glam, green Ann Taylor pants and plethora of silver jewelry. So what did I find when I introduced myself to New York City based fashion blogger, Audree Kate? She’s nice! She’s put together,

dressed to impress, and she’s nice! I met Audree just before she was about to impart her wisdom to students at Northern Arizona University. She was going to tell them how to make it in her industry and how to brand themselves. Despite our interview being somewhat last minute, she was more than willing to answer my questions. With her bubbly personality, confidence, and genuine smile, Audree is one of the most approachable and sincere people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.

In fact, one of Audree’s final pieces of advice for the students that day was to “be the nice guy”.

She wasn’t like Miranda Priestly at all – whew!

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Have you ever gone into a thrift store expecting to walk out with hidden gems and fur coats galore, but left disappointed? Audree has some helpful advice: She says to never go thrift shopping with expectations, and to look for unique pieces first.

She says to go for the jewelry and outerwear to try your luck, then head to the clothing after you’ve spent some time there. This advice has got to be good – the proof is on her Instagram!

Audree is constantly posting her thrift shop finds on her Instagram stories, and we’re in awe of the amazing looks she pulls together.

Raised in the small town Audree Lopez always had fashion. She left Prescott Arizona State University,

of Prescott, Arizona, a desire to work in to go to college at where she double-

majored in marketing and journalism, was involved in Greek life and undergrad student government, and founded the Business of Fashion club. This club grew out of what Audree felt was a lack of networking opportunities available to her and other students; so she took it upon herself to create new opportunities. Her confidence and outgoing personality were key in helping her make connections and make her dreams come true.

College is also when Audree started her blog, becoming the blogger we all know and love today.

After graduating college, Audree moved to New York with little more than $100 to her name and continued to create opportunity for herself.

She obtained a job at one of the biggest names in the game, Glamour. She then moved onto her

goal employer, Redbook, before going freelance for more and more huge names in the industry like Oprah Magazine, Alice & Olivia, and Marc Jacobs, among others. What does Audree do for these iconic brands? The better question to ask is, what doesn’t Audree do? She’s involved in styling, writing, editing, social media, digital marketing, and e-commerce, on top of maintaining her own brand, blog, and social media.

It’s clear that Audree has amazing style. If you haven’t already, we recommend following her for constant style inspiration (check out her website at simplyaudreekate.com). Audree draws

her inspiration from a variety of places: vintage, glamour, and icons like Coco Chanel. And what’s in her closet? Some of Audree’s wardrobe musthaves include leather jackets, jewelry, lipstick – and she’s not afraid of a graphic tee.

Nowadays bloggers are a dime-a-dozen, but there’s only one Audree Kate. We can’t wait to keep watching her brand grow! With her talent, kind heart, and insanely good style, we’re sure we’ll be buying an Audree Kate capsule collection in no time.

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TALK TO JESS...

WEINER words Brittany Chetochine At Luca, we think of ourselves as a strong, confident, happy, hard-working team. But what really is “confidence”?

What if we’re not always happy? Do our efforts actually make a difference? How can we do more to share our stories and those of others?

Enter Jess Weiner – a cultural changemaker, a force in the business of empowerment, and the perfect person to get us all started on our path. Jess has written two bestselling books (A Very Hungry Girl and Do I Look Fat in This?: Life Doesn’t Begin 5 Pounds from Now), hosts a podcast (Talk to Jess), contributes to BuzzFeed and Huffington Post, is an adjunct professor at USC, and is growing her Changemaker Community online.

She is also CEO of TTJ Consulting – a strategy firm that focuses on helping clients ensure women and girls are “...addressed, engaged, and reflected accurately in the media...”. So, when given the chance to interview Jess, we jumped at the opportunity to find out more about her journey, her work, and her message:

Someone to Know

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What made you decide to start working on spreading your messages of empowerment, self-discovery, and true confidence?

I’ve been working in the business of empowerment for over 25 years, but I didn’t always have a name for what I was doing. In the very beginning, I just had a gut feeling that I was following the right path.

For me, there was one specific moment that led me to define my purpose and I think ultimately my career trajectory. In 1994, I was a senior in college at Penn State University and working on a story for MTV News about the long-standing sexual harassment on campus. After the segment aired, I was approached by a woman who told me she’d had a similar experience with sexual harassment on campus, but didn’t feel empowered to speak out or do anything about it at the time.

That conversation made me realize the power and potential of my work, and I started speaking around the country about student activism. I knew then that I was destined to use the media

to create awareness and to empower people to make systemic change. In that way, I turned that early activism into my professional destiny.

You work with companies on advertising, have a podcast, have written two books, and do speaking engagements – is there a method of communication you find to be the most empowering or interesting in furthering your efforts?

I’m excited about the power of social media as a communication tool - especially as it relates to activism and empowerment. When I first started this work, social media had nowhere near the impact on women and girls that it does today.

Though we’ve all heard about the negatives of social media, I personally don’t think it’s all bad news. In fact, I think there’s a lot of good news. Social media has created an unbelievable community, especially for girls, women, and minority communities. It has sparked movements and been used to build momentum in social change. I believe we can choose to use it for good or evil.

13 That’s why I call my online community ‘The Changemakers’, because they are all actively seeking to make change within themselves or out in the world. If making change lights you up and you want to connect with other folks to share tools and insights, then we want you to join us!

What is a good first step (or steps) to start on the journey of confidence?

I think confidence is a really problematic term. I think it can be fragile, I think it can feel fleeting.

More important than having a result in confidence is the focus on the other word in your question: journey.

has shown me that that “first step” on everyone’s path is going to be different. The key is to accept and embrace what your journey looks like (yes, even the rough stuff).

The great thing is that when you think about it as a long game, it can take a lot of the pressure off.

You don’t have to feel like you have to get it done perfectly. In fact, your only goal is to keep going.

In every interview, the question I’m most asked is: How do I become more confident? My answer: Try and enjoy your journey. Confidence blooms from the experiences you create.

What can we do to share confidence with the people we love?

When you’re young, it can be hard to zoom out and see the big picture, but I can promise you that there is a bigger picture here. I believe we will always continue to discover ourselves as we get older (and wiser).

I feel like everyone needs what I call an “Esteem Team”. I don’t mean you need a million friends or a #squad or a girl gang, but you do need a core group of people that really SEE you. The people you can ugly cry with. The people who just...get you. That’s what I call my “Esteem Team”.

In reality, self-confidence is more a manner of traveling in life, not just a destination. The truth is, your journey is going to be messy and it’s going to involve a lot of hard work. It’s also going to be a journey that takes your whole life. My experience

Our confidence can be greatly impacted by the people we surround ourselves with and something special happens when someone really looks at you, and is like I choose you, I love you, I get you, I hold this space for you - magic happens.

...I choose you, I love you, I hold this space for you...

photos Michael Becker

14 So if you want to share confidence with the people you love, be that person for them.

Be on their team.

It’s common for teenagehood and that development stage of our life to have loneliness as one of the primary emotional feelings at that time. All of us, no matter our age, grew up thinking, “Am I the only one feeling like this?”

Jess worked on the Dove Real Beauty Campaign in 2006, as well as Mattel’s Barbie redesign (to include new body and hair types, and skin and eye colors) in 2016 - work that Luca finds inspiring and impactful.What are some things that young people can do to further realistic representation in media and culture?

With all the social media activism available to us now, young people have so many opportunities to make a difference. In the world we live in today, if you feel like your story isn’t being told, you can tell it yourself.You can literally pick up your device and produce content, produce your story. Today, you get to define your own story.Young people are the creators of some of the most authentic and diverse media out there.

You can run for office. Run for school council. You can occupy the decision-making spaces and use your power to speak up about equal representation in media and culture.

Essentially, we are all CEOs of our own social media empire. We have an opportunity - if not an obligation - to take action in our own communities.

So as CEO, you can choose to post authentic and intentional Instagram photos, participate in a social justice hashtag campaign on Twitter, or make a web series with your friends and post it to Youtube you can choose to create content that can greatly impact the future of our storytelling world.

Are there any moments that particularly moved you during one of your speaking events/workshops?

In my early twenties, I created a social-issue theater company and we toured universities around the country performing a play I wrote: Body Loathing, Body Love. The play had been written while I was still in college and unraveling my own pain around an eating disorder, but it had grown over time to

“

...we are all CEOs of our own social media empire.

”

include the voices and stories of others.

During one of our first performances at a college in Illinois, a girl in a sports jersey and Mickey Mouse socks stood up and asked, “Why do we have to sit through this shit tonight?” I froze.“I really think this play is stupid and pointless,” she continued, “and what does the title mean anyway? Body Loathing, Body Love - are we supposed to walk out of here loving our bodies?” She asked mockingly. As you can imagine, her words shocked me. They stung.

And they still stick with me to this day. The girl left the room shortly after and we carried on with the performance.

Six years later on the night of our very last show - after hundreds of performances to hundreds of thousands of students across the country - a woman stood up in the audience and asked if I remembered her. I didn’t.

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“I saw your play six years ago at my college in Illinois,” she said. And it hit me: It was the girl with the Mickey Mouse socks. “I dropped out of school soon after seeing your show and went into treatment for my eating disorder,” she said.

Again, I was in complete shock. “When I saw your play six years ago, I saw my entire life up there on that stage. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I didn’t know that anyone else could understand what I was going through.”

If I ever needed an affirmation to keep moving forward - to keep fighting to tell the stories that would otherwise go untold - that was it. I still think about it to this day.

Three words Jess identifies with: Creator I was a theater major in college so I love the word creator. I feel I am a creative at heart. I live for the

process of bringing something to life that didn’t exist before. Making change - whether that change is within yourself or out in the world - relies on this process of creation because you literally have to MAKE the change you wish to see.

Connector Community is hugely important to me because I truly believe our biggest challenges are going to be solved collectively, not just individually. I love being able to be the connection point for members of my community - whether on or offline - to find like-minded, passionate souls.

Changemaker All of my work is rooted in making systemic cultural change in media and representation. As a changemaker, I am constantly challenging the status quo and speaking truth to power.

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What Does Your Credit Score Say About You? Craig Moore CFA/Cean Rogers CFA financial planner

In a society that borrows money at a rate never seen before, most everyone has heard the term “Credit Score”.

Going even further, most people know – in a general sense – what a credit score is and what it means. They know that lenders, whether it be a mortgage, car loan, credit card, etc., use this number in evaluating if they will loan an individual money or not. First and foremost, in the simplest of terms, a credit score is a report card of your lending or loan history. It is a numerical value ranging from 300-850, and is calculated by considering and weighting a number of different factors: • • • • •

35% based on payment history 30% debt utilization ratio – how much do you owe today versus the amount of credit available 15% based on the length of credit history 10% based on the type of credit (i.e. mortgage, installment, credit card) 10% based on how much new credit you have (are you opening a new line every week?)

Considering all of these different factors makes perfect sense for a lender, as it allows them to rate a borrower from a risk perspective – the lower the score, the higher the risk to the lender. In this way, they can decide if they need to lead a borrower toward higher interest rates, required down payments, and overall higher out-of-pocket cost.

Most people would say this is a pretty transparent use of a credit score, and would acknowledge that this is the use they think of when they hear the term “credit score”. But what the majority of people do not know is that there are other areas of life where this score can have huge ramifications as well.

Credit scores can play a huge role in your daily life. If you rent a home, a low credit score could warrant a landlord

requiring larger deposits or upfront money. A low credit score could have negative consequences and result in higher insurance premiums or cable TV rates. Do you own a cell phone? A low credit score could cause you to miss out on the mobile/data plan advertised on TV. What is the common theme in all of these examples? If you answered that there’s a higher cost to you, the consumer, you are correct! These are all real-world, daily examples of how a low credit score can cost you more money. However, in my opinion, there is one other situation that stands above the rest.

Have you ever stopped to think about how a credit score could affect your candidacy for employment? A 2012 study conducted by the Society for Human Resources Management concluded that 47% of employers used credit checks as part of their hiring process.

At its core, I believe the credit score is ultimately a measure of a person’s level of responsibility – how you handle your finances reveals a tremendous amount about you. By paying your bills on time, not racking up tremendous amounts of debt, not overspending, and building your credit score, you are building a higher score that tells society, “I am in control, I am financially stable, I am handling things the right way.” If an employer is considering two otherwise equally qualified candidates

for a position, and one is in a significant amount of debt, the debt may or may not automatically eliminate that individual, but it undoubtedly will create pause, concern, and further questioning.

As a young person, it is critical to realize this early in adulthood and go about building your credit in the proper way.

Start soon, start small, start slow. As a financial planner at Ironwood Wealth Management, I often sit with the children of our retiree client base and as you can imagine, the topic of credit development comes up quite frequently.We advise the younger generations to open a small line of credit as early as possible, utilize it slowly in order to maintain an adequate debut-utilization ratio, then diligently pay it off each month (establishing payment history).As I wrote in my last Luca article, “…learn to live within your means and have the self-discipline to say NO! You can’t afford to do everything…”

At the end of the day, I believe that a credit score in today’s world is so much more than a lender’s view of you – it has daily, real world applications. A high score can do everything from saving you thousands of dollars, to being a differentiating factor in a potential job opportunity. A low score can do just the opposite, and possibly keep you from having your dream job or home. So what do you want your credit score to say about you?

17 Novel Idea words Brittany Chetochine

All The Names They Used For God is a collection of fictional short stories by Anjali Sahdeva that play with perspective to comment on humanity and society. Comparing our modern beliefs in science and technology to the fickle myths and gods of old, the stories share the common thread of the main characters’ ultimate struggles with fate.

This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, female, and Feminist in (White) America by Morgan Jerkins is relevant reading in our current political climate. Her first book, this collection of essays discusses the challenges of being black and female in the US today, as well as the history behind them, through pop culture, politics and personal stories, written with humanity and hope.

Feel Free is a collection of new and favorite essays by the renowned writer, professor, and editor, Zadie Smith. In it, she dissects contemporary day-to-day life through extremely relevant topics including global warming, social media, pop culture and politics. She answers the questions she presents with intimacy, compassion and excitement.

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If you h ear “Bless You” m ore than “Hello ” this sprin g, you may want to rea d this …

Karen K. Prentice D.O. F.A.A.P. medical expert

Blue skies, sunshine, and the smell of freshly mown grass and flowers tell us that spring is here at last. We turn our thoughts to picnics, bike rides, and simply enjoying the great outdoors. But for many of us, spring can be a time of sneezing, coughing, runny nose, itchy eyes and feeling miserable.

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, “allergies are the 6th leading cause of chronic disease.” Allergies can affect our sleep, concentration, energy level, and overall wellness.

Allergic rhinitis or “hay fever” occurs when things in our environment such as pollens, mold, and dog hair create an inflammatory reaction causing a histamine response and the allergy symptoms mentioned above. Before you start treatment, it’s best not to self-diagnose. Many things can mimic allergy symptoms such as nasal polyps, sinus infections, and gastroesophageal reflux or “heartburn,” so please go see your doctor.

Once you have been given the diagnosis of allergies, my preference is to avoid medications if possible and practice the following preventative measures: • • • •

Make home your “safe haven” and leave pollens outside. Take shoes off at the door to avoid tracking in pollens.

Keep windows and doors closed.

Declutter. Reduce things sitting out that can accumulate dust and pollens.

If possible get rid of carpet and upholstered furniture.

• • • • • • •

•

Use a dust proof plastic mattress cover on your bed and avoid feather pillows and down comforters.

Wash sheets and bedding weekly in hot water.

Keep pets out of your bedroom. Pets carry pollen on their coats and feet.

Use HEPA filters and change your central duct work filters often.

Take a shower after being outside and in the evening to remove pollens attached to your hair and body.

Manage your stress. Stress can cause inflammation, worsening allergies.

Choose an anti-inflammatory diet. My favorite is Dr. Andrew Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Food Pyramid. By eating foods that reduce inflammation such as salmon, dark green vegetables, berries, and probiotic-rich foods like tempeh, kimchi, and sauerkraut, you can improve your allergies.

Consider a trial off of milk and dairy foods. For many, the protein in milk and dairy can irritate the immune system causing inflammation and making allergies worse.

If your preventative measures are not working here is a list of supplements, treatments, and medications which may help. As always, consult your doctor before starting any new treatment.

•

Nasal washes/Neti pot. To avoid the risk of a fatal parasitic brain infection never, ever use tap water for your nasal washes. Always use bottled water or normal saline.

• • • •

•

•

•

Probiotics. Promising studies are showing that improving your intestinal health improves inflammation and allergies. For adults, take 50 billion CFU or colony forming units per day.

Vitamin D3. This vitamin reduces inflammation improving many aspects of our health including allergies. Usual adult dose is 2000 IU or international units per day.

Multivitamin with zinc.

Acupuncture. This age old treatment has been shown to reduce inflammation that can cause allergic symptoms. Look for a certified acupuncturist or someone specifically trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Ask your doctor for recommendations.

Essential oils. Emerging studies are showing many health benefits to diffusing essential oils or using them topically. Lavender, eucalyptus, lemon, and peppermint oils all reduce inflammation and help with allergy symptoms. Never ingest essential oils, always dilute in a carrier oil like coconut or olive oil when using them topically, and please ask a provider trained in the use of essential oils for appropriate use.

Promising Plant-Based Medications. Please notice that I call the following “medications.” Even though they are plant-based, as with any treatment there are potential side effects and interactions.

Unfortunately, the FDA does not oversee the quality or content of these products. Check Consumer Labs which is an independent organization that tests brands for content and quality and check with your doctor before taking any new treatment.The following are a few of my favorites: stinging nettle, bromelain, and quercetin.

Traditional medications. My favorite traditional treatments are the

non-sedating antihistamines such as loratadine, fexofenadine, and cetirizine. I would avoid diphenhydramine or Benadryl for daily use as this is sedating. Cromolyn is a good nasal spray and many of the nasal glucocorticoid nasal sprays are helpful. Avoid nasal decongestant sprays as these can be addictive and if stopped can cause worsening nasal symptoms. Avoid oral decongestants as these can cause insomnia, jitteriness, and increase in heart rate.

I leave you with one final thought. Thomas Edison said, “The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition.” I truly believe this and highly recommend before reaching for medication you try to take the toxins and chemicals out of your diet and increase anti-inflammatory foods and supplements. Good luck and God Bless You (just in case you sneezed!)

Dr. Prentice is a physician and author. www.anappleadaythedoctorsway.com.

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FROM SCRATCH After a few months of cold weather, we are finally hopping back into Spring. Bella shared with us her recipe for this veggie-packed salad that will get you feeling fresh and ready to take on the new season. Zingy lemon herb vinaigrette paired with an assortment of vegetables not only tastes great, but looks even better.

21 Spring Kale Salad with Beet and Avocado: Ingredients: 2 heads of Kale thinly sliced 8 small radishes sliced 1/2 bell pepper sliced 1 medium carrot 1/2 sliced cucumber (peeled and sliced) 2 avocados diced 1 beet diced (peeled) raw, roasted or steamed 1/2 cup of walnuts roughly chopped Arrange the salad Lemon Herb Dressing: 1/3 cup of olive oil 1/4 cup of lemon juice 1 clove of garlic 1/4 cup minced parsley leaves 2 tbsp. honey 2 tbsp. ground mustard

Salad • Properly wash all vegetables under running water • Thinly slice 2 heads of kale, and place in serving bowl • Next, slice 8 small radishes 1/4 inch thick slices • Peel 1 medium carrot, 1/2 cucumber, and 1 beet • Slice carrot and cucumber into 1/2 inch thick slices • Halve both avocados and remove pit • Dice both avocados and beet into chunks • Thinly slice 1/2 of a bell pepper • Roughly chop 1/2 cup of walnuts • Arrange all vegetables around the top of the kale, centering the walnuts in the middle and top with dressing Dressing • Portion out all dressing components according to recipe measurements • Add lemon juice, honey, and ground mustard into bowl • Next continuously stir in 1/3 cup of olive oil; stirring while whisking • Add minced garlic and parsley leaves and give final stir, pour atop of salad and ENJOY!

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IT TAKES TWO

Work It Out

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Wheelbarrow walks to push up/squat 10 hand walks to 10 pushups, then switch partners – do entire routine 3 times Get into a pushup position, then have your partner grab your ankles. Walk with just your hands 10 times, then perform 10 pushups. While you do your pushups, your partner does 10 squats.

Bulgarian split squat 3 sets of 10 on each leg, then switch partners Start in a lunge position. Have your partner grab your back foot. Once you have your balance, slowly lower your body down until you reach almost 90 degrees. Make sure you don’t let that front knee go over your toe!

Partner sit-ups 3 sets of 15, then switch partners Have your partner stand on top of your toes to hold your feet down.

Slowly sit up, squeezing your core and touching your partner’s hands.

To make it more challenging, throw a medicine ball back and forth to as you do your sit-ups.

photos Kacey Cole

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QUEEN HARRISON

“

You won’t put me in a box and tell me what a female athlete should look like.

”

26 words Daniel Larsen Queen Harrison’s parents must have known their daughter was destined for greatness. Her father would wake up all of the children early to do jumping jacks, pushups, sit-ups and go run, developing her passion for track at a young age. Born in upstate New York, they moved to Richmond, Virginia around the time she started middle school where her coaches made sure to let her know that she was gifted. Queen shares, “In sixth grade, I went out there and I was beating the eighth graders.” She went on to attend Virginia Tech, where she would become a two-time NCAA champion her senior year in the 400 and 100-meter hurdles.

To this day, Queen has been the only woman to win both titles in the same year. From there, she started competing internationally at more intense meets. Queen tells us of her victory at the 2015 PanAmerican games in Canada,“This had been my first medal that I could actually bring back to my country, so I was really proud of it, to drape that American flag over my shoulder, do my victory lap and have my lipstick poppin’ the whole time.”

Changing the game in more ways than one, Queen is also an entrepreneur. In addition to her intense training schedule, she has recently started her own business, Queenly Textures - a new line of hair extensions. Never afraid to rock a weave,

27 young fans repeatedly asked about her hair, so she took it upon herself to offer something new:“It just made sense.”

Anyone who follows Queen on social media knows she constantly looks her best, whether she’s on or off the track.

Lipstick is obviously a wardrobe essential, plus Queen says you can’t go wrong with a pair of high-waisted jeans or a hair wrap - “I love a good hair wrap if you don’t feel like styling, and it gives a sense of regality; put your crown on and walk out the door”. Queen also loves getting glam for events like the Bowerman Awards and the Black Tie and Sneakers Gala.

What are these black tie, athlete-filled events like? About the gala: “It was cool to be there, I was there to present an

award. Any chance I get to get jazzy and snazzed up and be in regular [not exercise] clothes; I really love that. And New York is always fun regardless.”

So what about Queen’s love life? You may remember that dazzling moment in Rio when, after winning the men’s triple jump, Olympian Will Claye hopped right up into the stands to propose to Queen - and she said yes! So, on top of training and all of the other activities in the couple’s busy lives, they’re also planning a wedding.You may have even seen Queen on TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress. “It’s so funny because literally every couple weeks I get an influx of followers and I think ,‘Oh, they must have shown my episode.’” Queen spills about her time on the show, “Even though I didn’t find a dress when I was there, it was just special to have my mom and sister there. They were able to be there and it gave me insight to what I want in my wedding dress.” Although she has yet to find a dress, something tells us she’ll look like a true queen on her big day.

Recently, Queen has coined the term #TrackQueen, which she says describes a girl achieving her goals and making her dreams come true on and off the track. In Queen’s words, “To me, a track queen is celebrating femininity and being active...and being who you are. So many young girls have gotten around to that and I love it. It’s a scholarship too - we [have already] awarded our first scholarship as part of the non-profit we’re forming.” The first recipient of the Track Queen scholarship won based on her commitment to being the best athlete she can be, while also focusing on being philanthropic and studious.

Queen continually strives to model her life in a way that can be inspiring to young girls. Growing up with her mother and five sisters, all of whom are athletes and scholars, Queen realizes how important it is for girls to have powerful female influences in their lives. She successfully inspires her fans by continually changing the narrative of what a female athlete has to look like, act like, or who can sponsor them. It’s only a matter of time before #TrackQueens rule the world!

In the next few years, Queen hopes to see Queenly Textures as a thriving beauty brand, potentially expanding into a salon or spa and offering more beauty products. She plans to continue being a part of track and field, though eventually more on the commentator side. Get ready to see Queen Harrison at the 2020 Olympics where she plans to bring home some gold! Of the future, she says,“Once I achieve the gold medal, I might have a bun in the oven and I might be in my salon getting my hair done every week.”

photography Brad Olsen stylist Jaron Roberson

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THE TIGER WITHIN

“If you build it, they will come.� The iconic line from the film Field of Dreams celebrates taking on challenges, doing things your way, and working hard to see your dreams become successful. And for actors turned screenwriters, Prem Singh and Michael Pugliese, it could very well be their own mantra for how they turned a dream and an idea into a reality.

29 words Myra Carlos

“

We want the audience to be encouraged to stand up for what they believe in, no matter what it is… whether it’s your gender, ethnic background, skin tone, sexual orientation – whatever it may be.

”

Dreams of becoming actors began very young for both. Pugliese shares, “From a child, I have homemade family videos of myself trying to steal the focus whenever I could – jumping in front of the lens during my brother’s first steps or blowing out the candles on my sister’s birthday. I just wanted to be in front of the camera.” Singh confesses that he would sneak into R-rated movies when he was just a kid. “The one thing that drew me to movies was the magic of it all – how in 90 minutes, you can get lost in a story that can take your emotions on a ride,” he states, “I envisioned myself as an actor…I think a lot of us do at first. We follow characters on screen and want to be like them or do what they do in some capacity.” Trying to embark on an acting career, however, proved challenging for the two as they found themselves disappointed in the limited roles available to them.

Singh expressed frustration at being stereotyped as either a taxi driver or a terrorist. Pugliese, for his part, couldn’t find roles that “spoke to him”.

It seemed that through their shared dreams and frustrations, fate brought together the former Bollywood dancer and the Toronto native in an acting class. There, they immediately found an ally in each other and hatched a plan to write together. “I knew I could do much more,” Singh explains, “so what I did was along the same lines as what Stallone did with Rocky, and what Matt and Ben did with Good Will Hunting – create roles that I wanted to be in myself. That’s when Michael and I got together and decided we were going to take destiny in our own hands and create something special.”

For their first collaboration as screenwriters, Pugliese and Singh were inspired by the story of a Canadian Sikh boxer, Pardeep Singh Nagra, who was banned from boxing by the Canadian Boxing Association because of his beard (which he could not shave as it is forbidden by his religion) – a rule he challenged to defend both his right to

30 box and his religious freedom. Writing turned out to be an easy partnership for Pugliese and Singh, and Singh was quick to give credit to his partner: “He is brilliant at it, and I think together we make a great team.” Pugliese modestly adds, “To be completely honest, I was never interested in writing anything.

I dreaded English class. It meant long essays and theses. I didn’t enjoy writing until I actually enjoyed what I was writing about. Storytelling. Being creative and expressing yourself through characters and scenarios that can be relatable.”

Soon enough, Singh and Pugliese fell into an effective routine of meeting at Starbucks for writing sessions. “These sessions consisted of breaking writer’s block, and not leaving until we got through it, so we would get kicked out of Starbucks because it was closing time or we would have to just get through it,” Singh shares, “However, when you are working with someone like Michael, you tend to get through it quicker.” Pugliese continues, “We would spit ideas for hours until we worked past the issue. Sometimes it would take hours but we would get through it together.”

Fortunately, they also found a third collaborator who would be a godsend to their research – their subject himself, Pardeep Singh Nigra. “Pardeep lives fairly close and would drop his experiences whenever we needed it,” says Pugliese. Singh remarks, “Listening to his journey really helped shape the script.”

The end product of their hard work is the screenplay for Tiger, directed

by Australian Alister Grierson and starring Academy Award nominee Mickey Rourke and Pretty Little Liars star Janell Parrish. As for securing Hollywood heavy hitter, Mickey Rourke, the pair actually found the boxing gym he frequented, and awaited their opportunity to pitch the film.

Needless to say, Rourke was intrigued and signed on to play the role of Frank Donovan. Currently set for a spring release, Singh plays Pardeep Nagra and Pugliese plays Brian Doyle; they are both very proud of the movie.

Born and raised in a Sikh household, Singh is pleased to be able to represent his heritage and to honor his father who inspired him to write the film.

He states, “The most important thing from the story I want the audience to know is the character is an American Sikh man who wants to be looked at as one thing: AMERICAN. It doesn’t matter what race you are, or the color of your skin, or your sexual orientation – if you want to do something in life, these things should not stand in your way. By going out and supporting Tiger, I can promise the audience one thing – they will leave the theatre starting a conversation on these issues we are facing today.” Pugliese continues, “We want the audience to be encouraged to stand up for what they believe in, no matter what it is…whether it’s your gender, ethnic background, skin tone, sexual orientation – whatever it may be. If you believe in it, stand up for it, because nothing but good will come from it. And we hope Tiger inspires everyone to do just that.”

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photography Valentina Socci

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The Boy-ce has Talent!

words Daniel Larson There’s not much Cameron Boyce can’t do. Aside from being a successful actor – gracing screens both big and small – he is a dancer, a friend, an animal lover, a philanthropist and so much more.

Something Cameron isn’t? A morning person. The heartthrob tells Luca of his daily life, “One thing you can always count on is me having trouble getting out of bed...Besides that, every day is different. Sometimes it comes with preparation, sometimes it comes with action. The beauty of what I do is that there is no routine. No flow. I can’t ever commit to anything because my job as an actor pulls me in a million different directions. I love it for that.”

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Sounding like an exciting career (once he gets out of bed), Cameron is known all over the world for his notable roles in Grown Ups, Jessie, and Descendants. But just how far does the young star’s fame reach? Cameron realized the magnitude of his popularity when he saw a little girl in a remote Peruvian village sporting a Descendants backpack, “That really showed me the scope of our franchise. We were over 5,000 miles away from where we shot Descendants and in the midst of the culture shock that I was experiencing, there was one thing that I recognized

from home...and it happened to be something that literally had my face on it. It was terrifying, humbling, moving, and exciting all at the same time. To this day, I think about that girl and what would’ve happened if we had caught up with her.” Of the actor’s fame, Cameron remains grounded by realizing that, “… fame is a result of what it is that I do in my work life. Of course, it’s more difficult to separate work and personal life when fame is something that blurs that line. But remembering that recognition stems from my job makes it easy. It’s the same reason someone wouldn’t think

about those emails from the office when they’re at home watching their favorite TV show.”

Despite his undeniable success, the star remains humble. He single-handedly raised $27,000 for Thirst Project Swaziland, he volunteers regularly at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, and he did an autograph signing at the Ronald McDonald House. Cameron’s mother is a social worker, so he was instilled with a passion for helping others and supporting noble causes from a young age. “She sets an example for everyone she

knows,” he describes. “It’s really taught me about the effect that one person can have on so many others. She’s one of the reasons I’m as passionate as I am about change.” Of all the worthy causes he supports, one stands out from the rest, “Everything I’m passionate about is a testament to someone who taught me why I should care. Once you understand a problem, being a part of the solution is a constant. I think if I had to choose one, it would be education. Through education, I feel most of us would become a part of every movement. We’d all be feminists. We’d all believe that black lives matter. We’d all fight climate change and homelessness and human trafficking. Understanding is the first step in solving.”

It was obvious on the set of his cover shoot with Luca Magazine that Cameron is oozing with talent. He was dancing and posing, focused yet lighthearted, nailing shot after shot. Cameron has an amazing sense of style rocking prints and accessorizing perfectly. So what’s the one thing he can’t live without?

Cameron’s wardrobe essential is, “…to not have an essential!

Your fashion sense changes with you. I’ve always felt better when I’ve dressed well, but my style from 5 years ago is very, very, very different than it is now. And it will always continue to change. My favorite thing to wear right now is a turtleneck.

A couple years ago I never even looked at turtlenecks.”

At just eighteen, his career is comprised of a wide variety of roles – a testament to just how talented he is.When asked which of these dynamic characters have been his favorite, Cameron

36 tells us, “I’ve been lucky in that I’ve played roles drastically different from one to the next.

I’ve been the cool kid and the bullied kid. The tech geek and the drug abuser.They all brought something unique. I always say Luke from Jessie was my favorite though, simply because the memories from that set are unmatched. Carlos from Descendants is a close second.”

When it comes to scoring these roles, his talent and impressive portfolio are surely why he is cast – but an actor’s looks also factor in. Cameron says of being biracial in Hollywood, “It’s hurt at times and helped at times.

I’ve definitely lost out on roles because of it and been in the hunt for roles because of it.

The coolest thing about being biracial in the industry is being an example for people who don’t see a ton of freckled curly haired actors. I’ve experienced fan encounters where someone who maybe doesn’t look like other people feel like they have a shot because of me. That’s the best feeling in the world.Growing up being slightly different than everyone else, it fills me with a lot of pride knowing there are mixed kids who point to me and feel represented. Our unique features can’t hold us back.”

Cameron is a perfect example of how each of us should embrace our differences and celebrate being unique.

Starring alongside the likes of Kiefer Sutherland in Mirrors, Shia LaBeouf in Eagle Eye, and Adam Sandler in Grown Ups/ Grown Ups 2, Cameron looks up to, “Anyone who sees it for what it is.The one thing that irks me about what I do is the fact that it’s not at all transparent.

We all face similar struggles

but because the world sees the industry as a pristine fraternity, we’re so reluctant to share how imperfect it is. We all work hard to maximize our opportunities here but the people who also work hard to make the world a better place (to me that starts with self-reflection and honesty) are the people I really admire.” His celebrity crush?

Cameron replies coyly, “If I gave you people my age, things would get really juicy but my go-tos recently are Lianne La Havas and Lily James – she was amazing in The Darkest Hour.”

Who knows where Cameron Boyce will end up next? His talent and tenacity can take him just about anywhere. In the near future, Cameron says we can all expect to see, “Surprising

roles, endeavors outside of the industry, and increasing amounts of facial hair.” Until then, if you’re in his neck of the woods, you can catch Cameron taking part in one of his favorite past times: “I still ride my beat-up Razor scooter from my childhood to the local mini market to get snacks...I throw on my sweats and my Adidas with the holes in them...the whole thing. Strap the handles of the shopping bag to the handles of the scooter so it balances, and scoot on home. If you ever see a kid riding a Razor scooter covered in cobwebs, just say what’s up.”

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photography Andrew Gleason hair Arbanna Dollani grooming Elie Maalouf fashion Veronica Graye sittings editor Jennifer O’Bannon

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M A R VE L - LO U S to VA L L E Y G I R L Agents of SHIELD star Chloe Bennet balances responsibility, recipes and everything in between while making the leap to the big screen.

words Gerry Strauss She’s only in her mid-twenties, but one look at her resume might suggest that Chloe Bennet has already lived a thousand lives… and really fun ones at that! A Chicago native, Bennet left home at the tender age of 15 and became a teen pop star in China (yes, you read that correctly).

Her early international fame would be a career peak for most, but it was simply part of Chloe’s origin story. Next stop? Hollywood, where she battled ethnic discrimination while struggling to find success as an actress (she’s been very vocal about the fact that her career outlook improved only after changing her last name from “Wang” to “Bennet”).

Despite the industry’s long-standing biases, the cream eventually rose to the top when Chloe landed her trademark role as “Daisy Johnson” aka the superpowered inhuman known as “Quake” on Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD. With so many of her interviews focused on uberconfidential details about her show’s upcoming plot twists, we were happy to chat with Chloe about… well, Chloe!

40 You’re clearly excited to not talk about the show for once.

It’s not the show. I love talking about the show. I just can’t talk about the show [laughs].

Right!

An interview where you actually can’t say anything, it’s like, “Okay, how can I skirt around something for 30 minutes?”

Is being on a show like Agents of SHIELD – where everything is SO confidential, yet the media and fans are so ravenous for spoilers – almost like a boot camp experience in dealing with interviews and the public in general?

I guess so. I always forget how young I was when I started the show, because at any age, especially when you’re young, you think that you’re superold. Yeah, I guess so. Marvel’s such a different level of that. I auditioned for [the role of] Simmons first, when I was about 19, and then I ended up auditioning for Daisy when I was 20 and shooting the pilot at 20. Then you just forget that Marvel is so hush-hush.

I’m starting to now do stuff for this upcoming movie I’ve done called Valley Girl. It’s actually exciting because I’m like, “Oh, I can say things.

This is exciting!” Marvel actually gives you media training when you get on the show and teaches you how to work amongst that company. But I think every company’s different. Either way, media right now is so scary, so it’s good to have experience in it no matter what.

Is dealing with the media generally something that you’ve gotten better at or lost patience with during your last five years on Agents of SHIELD? It’s been like a real love-hate relationship, I think.

Nothing scares me more than being misunderstood by the media, because once you say something, you have no control over what sound bite they use, over what headline they use… over anything.

Someone can say that I’m ugly or fat or bad at acting or bad at singing or bad at dancing or bad at sports (I’m very bad at pretty much every sport) but the most important thing for me is that people

know that I’m a good person and that I pride myself on my morals. I’m very sarcastic as well, and we’ve all learned that that does not translate well to Twitter or Instagram as much. It’s finding that balance of keeping your personality, but how do you translate that onto a business platform or on social media? I think I may have gotten the hang of it now, but it takes some time.

Is it easier to deal with your own social media and put out your thoughts that way because at least you have control of the context?

Totally. The loyal fans and the people who know me totally understand my sense of humor on the different platforms and when I’m being serious and when I’m not. Those are the kind of people that I look to for guidance rather than just random people who totally don’t understand what I’m talking about or what I’m joking about or anything like that. Again, it’s a scary, scary thing, social media. It’s one of the most terrifying things to me, because people turn very quickly. That would be my nightmare.

In the face of those fears, you’re very proactive in sharing a lot of your opinions about things going on in the world on social media, as well as in interviews. Are these feelings that you simply want to put out into the world in the moment, or do you feel like there’s a responsibility attached to your status as a celebrity to broadcast messages that are important?

I really think that if you have a platform, you don’t deserve it unless you use it. And it can be fun. Part of why I love social media is because I love looking at different recipes online and looking at home décor and how to do my makeup. There’s a lot of very frivolous things I love about social media, and then there’s a lot of very powerful and important things that I love about social media. I think it’s finding a balance.

I started the year off in 2017 creating RUN, which is an organization for Asian-American Pacific Islanders in media and politics, trying to bridge our community together. After five, six, seven years of being here, I really realized that I didn’t have the community. When I looked around at the African-

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chloe

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43 American community, at the Latino community, I saw much more of a sense of camaraderie and friendship amongst people who don’t even really know each other very well. I was always confused why that wasn’t the case for the Asian-American community in Hollywood and in politics, and why it’d be something that could be brought together, because the lines are so blurred right now in terms of Hollywood and DC. I got together with this guy Brad Jenkins, who’s the best, who worked in the White House with Obama.

That’s my way of trying to use my social media for good and these other things – certain campaigns for women’s health in Haiti and the Dominican Republic – that just mean a lot to me. But I also post really stupid videos of myself online. For me, it’s really about finding a nice balance and saying that this stuff is really important to me, but so is having fun and joy.

It’s funny to hear you mention being into “adult” things like cooking and home decorating, just a few breaths after reminding us that you were only 19 when you began auditioning for Agents of SHIELD. How has your lifestyle changed or evolved during the five years since you hopped on this roller coaster?

It’s so crazy because I left my house when I was 15, and I’ve really been living. It’s felt conventional to me, because you really only know what you know.

But looking back and realizing how young I really was, I moved to China at 15 and then went back and forth between there and Sweden recording and being a pop star in China.Then, when I was 17, I moved to LA and was here by myself and kind of just worked from there. When I look at 17-yearolds or 15-year-olds now, I’m like, “You’re a baby!

You should be in diapers.” I get really protective of them.

I forget how young I was then and how young I was when I started the show. I’m going to be honest, it wasn’t easy at all. Definitely being the baby of any sort of work environment, it’s not intentional, but I think you’re kind of pigeonholed as the baby – but that usually comes out of love. When you are the youngest, people want to impart wisdom on you and teach you, and it’s hard to grow and find your own identity when you’re surrounded by people who are much older than you. I think the biggest

year of growth for me had to be this year, when I kind of stopped trying to be as old as everybody, if that makes sense. I think the most growth I had was going, “You know what? I can be my age and that’s allowed.”

That’s more where the anti-growth has been my growth, because since I was 15, it’s been work, work, work time for me. “SHIELD” is really like my college years in my mind. It’s this big conglomerate, it’s Marvel. You’re working, but you’re also having so much fun and you have this close group of people who you’re always with. We’re kind of in this SHIELD bubble, and I think when it ends, I don’t know that I’m going to be really ready, and I’ll have no idea what to do with myself. But I think I’ve grown, I think it’s been the best training to really start my life after SHIELD – I think I’ll be so prepared.

People forget how many hours of content we’ve made. We’re shooting our 103rd hour of TV, and I don’t know how many movies that would be, but I know how much time I’ve spent on set. I know what every person’s job is. I know when set’s running well, when it’s not running well. I know when something’s being directed well or it’s not being directed well. I know when I’m doing well or when I’m not. When you spend so many hours on set, you really learn. It’s been such a perfect learning experience for me. Also, I’m really thankful that it’s not a show where I’m surrounded by people who are my age or younger.

Clark Gregg has been a really, really big inspiration for me off and on camera, and a very big teacher and friend for me. That’s been so amazing, because it’s easy to get on a show where everyone’s young and things get crazy and there’s drama and everything like that. We genuinely are like a family.

When Clark couldn’t make his daughter’s class play, Elizabeth Henstridge and I went. That’s how close we are. If I’m sick, one of them will bring me food to the house. We take care of each other in such a special way that I don’t think a lot of other casts on TV take care of each other.

Luca: With all that said, what is your perfect day-to-day life at this point?

If SHIELD were to end or go on a long hiatus, and you could be anywhere and life any way you’d like, what would that set-up look like?

44 I’m truly the most happy when I’m on set. I really, really love it. I’ve been asking this question to people a lot this year, over the holiday vacation: When were you the most happy? It takes them a second, and so many people have given so many different interesting answers. I truly can say that I am the most happy when I’m on set because it can be magical. As a child growing up in the alleyways of the Southside of Chicago, I pretended I was Harry Potter, and I had this chopstick that I would run around with and I would run around like I was a wizard. I was writing musicals in the bathroom.

It’s actually what I love to do most, but if SHIELD were to end, ideally it would probably be getting to take a few months to travel and then coming right back and going straight into a project that I love and creatively fulfills me. That’d be ideal.

What about music? Is that still in you at all, a desire to do that?

It actually is. I’ve been thinking about that because of Valley Girl, which is the musical I shot that’s coming out in June, I believe. I’d stopped doing music, not because I didn’t think I could actually do it, it was more because I didn’t feel like a true artist.

I didn’t feel like I wanted to be manufactured by people around me, and it was a time where Lady Gaga was running around in a meat dress, and Katy Perry was dressed up as a shaman. I was like, I don’t know if I can commit to wearing food on my body all the time. But I know I love to sing, and I know how powerful music is in my life. I couldn’t do it if I didn’t feel authentically like an artist.

I have so much respect for the art of music. There is an art to pop music. I have met with Max Martin when I was very young and worked with a bunch of producers around him. They’re such geniuses that I was like, “I don’t belong here. I can’t be doing this. I don’t know what I’m doing.” That’s kind of why I stopped. Now I kind of feel like if I did, I would have a better direction, a better sense of knowing what I wanted to do, so maybe down the line. We’ll see how Valley Girl does first.

Beyond the musical aspect, what drew you to Valley Girl?

The movie is so fun. It’s such a departure from SHIELD. I play the Rizzo of Grease or the Rachel McAdams of Mean Girls in this movie. The musical aspect is so fun. It’s in the ‘80s, and I was born in ‘92, so I’ve never been to the ‘80s. That’s really what drew me to the project. Anyone who’s on a TV show for 10 months knows that booking a movie in the two months, that you want to do, that they want you for, is like hitting the lottery.

I was really lucky to be able to be a part of the project, and getting to be back in the studio again was really, really fun.

I adore SHIELD and I’ve actually had an incredibly wide range of growth, in terms of my character. I feel like every season I’m kind of playing a different version of Daisy. It all obviously is the same person, but so much has happened from season 1. Just aesthetically, so much has happened…haircuts and style and tone of the show each season. I don’t feel like, “Oh, God. It is the same thing”, but It is the same show, so I’m very excited to kind of change things up, maybe do some comedy.

photography Andrew Gleason hair David Wall makeup Kira Nasrat fashion stylist Sonia Young sittings editor Jennifer O’Bannon

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Rydel One of

R’s

words Daniel Larsen Beautiful twenty-four year old musician and actress, Rydel, is the only female born into the mega-talented Lynch family.

She and her four brothers - Ross, Riker, Ryland, and Rocky Lynch, as well as friend Ellington Ratliff formed the band R5 back in 2009. Rydel’s band mate and boyfriend, Ellington Ratliff has joked, “There’s less fights over video game controllers than when we were 16.” As the band has matured, so has their music.

Flash forward almost ten years, and the band has just returned from touring Japan to promote their latest EP, New Addictions, and promote the single “Hurts Good”.

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When she’s not busy singing and playing keyboards for the band, Rydel loves to cook, is passionate about fashion, and has her own YouTube channel where she vlogs regularly.

Rydel is secure in her own skin and takes the responsibility of being a role model very seriously. She was able to take a quick minute for a fun photo shoot and interview, before jetting off to Spring Fashion Week in New York.

What was it like growing up with your four brothers?

What role did music play in your family life?

Growing up with four brothers was amazing! I loved the challenge of always trying to keep up with the boys in sports and such. We were already such a close family, but having the same career as each other has been an extra treat. Touring the world and playing music together is epic.

How did your relationship with Ellington start?

I’ve known Ellington for about 10 years now. We’ve always been best friends - he doesn’t admit to that, but I always called him my best friend. My crush was strong from the beginning, but it wasn’t until five or six years in to our friendship, after touring and traveling the world together, that it became something more.

What can we expect to see from R5 in the future?

New projects and always more new music! Touring is one of our favorite things to do, so hopefully getting back on the road sooner rather than later.

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It looked like Japan and Cabo were so fun! What have been some of your favorite travels?

Japan is definitely in my top ten! But I loveeeeee going to tropical places as well. Anywhere in Europe is really cool to explore. It’s so hard to pick a favorite place - I love it all!

Your amazing looks constantly leave us in awe. Who are your style inspirations?

Thank you so much! I love Marilyn Monroe, Gwen Stefani and Madonna.

My style has such a wide range, which is fun. Some days I’m like a flower child, and the next, I’m bubblegum Barbie.

What are the best perks of your job?

I definitely enjoy being able to travel the world and experience different cultures and food.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

PREGNANT! Haha—at least I hope!

Pretty much all I want in life is to be a mom.

Who or what inspires you?

What does your perfect day look like?

My mama. She is the most inspiring woman I know. She is so strong and so smart, I love her ideas and I cherish our time together. She’s the brains behind every operation for our family.

Wake up really early and have the most productive day ever! Eat some seriously good food throughout the day, then watch Netflix for like 5 hours.

What’s your favorite quote?

What’s something about you not many people know?

My dad’s quote: “The Secret to Life: You get what you think about” - Mark Lynch. My brothers and I were taught this concept at a very young age.

I’m very much a homebody. I love to dance and party but I also love Netflix and sleeping and I like to stay home. I don’t really get FOMO.

What would you like to change about the world we live in today?

I just wish people could accept others for who they are, and have less judgment all around. MORE LOVE!

photography Valentina Socci hair Jessica Taylor makeup Elie Maalouf

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ISA GRASSI Isa Grassi is a multimedia artist born in Brazil, raised in Italy, and now residing in San Francisco.

With a BFA in Illustration under her belt, she is working towards an MFA in Filmmaking with a focus on Directing and Writing.

In her own words...

My life is a mosaic. I have lived in three different countries, and as someone who loves traveling and has a growing interest in cultures, I am constantly trying to match different puzzle pieces in order to understand the world and the people around me.

My objective has always been to make art in whichever shape or form necessary, so as to express myself and project my visions. I simply consider myself an artist, a creator – I am not bound to one medium, to one label, to one profession.

Just as I consider myself global, I have a multitude of facets as an artist. The world is vast, inspirations and ideas change.

Each and every body of work I create is an extension of my own perception, a collection of where I have come from and what I have learned, as well as a sneak peek of where I am going.

My approach is simple – I make what I envision with the medium I find the most fitting to bring the idea to life. Accordingly, my body of work might come across as inconsistent to some, but to me it is a matter of nurturing my creations, giving them what they need in order to gain body and ultimately be. Some need the stroke of a brush, some need the shuttering sound of a camera, and others need the moving motion provided by film.

EQUATIONS’ SERIES: Scientists have determined that despite the abstract nature of mathematics, mathematical beauty is linked to activity in the same region of the brain as beauty from sensory sources.

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52 With this series, I wanted to blur the line between math and art, and create a place where both belong. We have the tendency of putting them into two separate categories, so far apart from each other, while in reality it all coexists – they both constitute our reality. Humans developed both as a vehicle to find the ultimate answer; they are the language of the structure of the universe. I used equations and theories as a guideline to depict existence with its nooks and crannies and romanticized visions.

- Time Dilation: the faster you move through space, the slower you move through time - Euler’s Identity: considered the most beautiful and perfect equation - Black Hole Information Paradox: information entering black holes are lost forever - Entropy Formula: the tendency to move from order to disorder increases as time progresses - Law of Universal Gravitation: any two objects will exert a gravitational force of attraction on each other

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THE SOFTENING OF

SPRING

Freshen with ease, spring styles go soft and simple. Loosely played curls swept up or let down evoke the saavey feminine side.

photography Suzanne Teresa hair Michael Kanyon for @americanenglishhair makeup Mama Mimo stylist Ervina Topalli model Erin Marie Zajac w/ Wilhelmina LA

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FIERCE REFRESHENING Color continues into the spring approach to an engaging eye washing away a withering winter. The beauty of a fragrant rose, brilliant blue sky and newly grown grass carry the fresh feel of spring.

photography Angela Marklew hair Ashley Lynn Hall makeup Deborah Chung model Terra Jo Wallace VISION

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BARGAIN BEAUTY words Corinna Cooke Here at Luca Magazine, we know that beauty doesn’t have to come with a huge price tag attached! You can create every fabulous beauty look for the new season with products that cost under $20.To prove our point, we sent our glam squad to seek out some fabulous finds at bargain prices. Our Beauty Director, Corinna Cooke, decided to check out the goods at Target, and broke it down for us into six categories: Cleansers: Most skin problems start with your choice of cleanser. A cleanser that strips the skin creates a dry and lifeless-looking complexion for normal- to dry-skinned girls, and actually creates more oil for oily-skinned girls! I found two of my favorite types of cleanser for bargain prices: Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water removes makeup while cleansing the skin and is good for all skin types. At $6.99 it’s wa steal!

My other favorite type of cleanser is an oil cleanser. Oil cleansers dissolve all makeup – even the most stubborn waterproof mascaras – and are extra gentle on the skin.

Burt’s Bees Cleansing Oil costs $15.99 and is worth every penny.

SPF: No matter what is in your moisturizer or your foundation, you still need to use a free-standing facial SPF. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch SPF 100 has a dry finish that keeps your makeup in place, feels light on your skin and gives you the maximum broad-spectrum protection for only $9.99. If I were stranded on a desert island and could only bring one product with me, this would be it!

Base Coat: As the sun comes back out to play, the last thing you want is a heavy foundation, but you’re not quite ready to go bare either. The perfect cross-season product is a BB Cream. L’Oréal Skin Beautifier BB Cream gives you glowing, gorgeous skin, evens out your color and keeps you looking fresh! With a $7.99 price tag it is super affordable.

Liner: Every girl needs a killer eyeliner. Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel liner in black is the inkiest, glossiest black you will ever find, and at $7.99 it’s a deal too! If you prefer a pen eyeliner, NYX Epic Ink Liner gives you a feline flick for the same price.

Lips: There are no end of bargain-priced lip products.

Some of my favorites are by NYX and cost $6.99. Their Butter Lip Glosses have a fabulous color payoff and stay nice and creamy. If you want a super saturated matte lip the NYX Full Throttle Lipstick in Firestorm packs a mega punch for the new season! My personal favorite – a lipstick that I have worn for several years now – is Cover Girl Colorlicious Lipstick in shade 325, Spellbound. This is the absolute perfect fuchsia and you cannot beat it at any price point.

Nails: Target carries Essie – known for making the best nude tones ever. Minimalistic and Maintenance are gorgeous springtime pinky nudes and only cost $8.99.

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HAIR MUST-HAVES words Andy Biggs Our hairstylist extraordinaire, Andy Biggs, went on the search for some great hair products and accessories. He stopped at Ulta, Sally Beauty Supply, Target, Walgreens as well as a few salons around town to find some great buys at affordable prices to help with today’s trendiest looks.

Andy found a fantastic professional hair care line, called Verb, where every product is priced $16 (a price that’s hard to beat!). Matrix Total Results is another great line, with a price point that hovers right around $20. The great thing about Matrix Total Results is that they have products for all hair types – if you need volume, curl, toning, hydration or smoothing, they’ve got you covered. All of these products should be available at a salon in your area.

Everyone needs to wash and condition their hair, so Andy found some great buys for both! Redken has a Color Extend Shampoo for $16, with a $17 conditioner at Ulta. You can also find All Soft shampoo and conditioner by Redken for roughly the same prices. For you blondies out there trying to keep the brassiness away, Shimmer Lights By Clairol is a steal for $9.49 at Sally’s.

For those trying to get that hairstyle to last an extra day or two, we found some great dry shampoo options at Walgreens: Always a classic, Psssst is available for only $6.99.

Another great dry shampoo brand is Batiste, which offers a variety of products for different needs, in an array of scents and several colors (so that those brunettes out there don’t look like you poured a bottle of baby powder on your head). Batiste’s price is between $8.99 and $10.99

There are a few styling accessories that Andy cannot live without, and stopped by Target to check out the prices for you! Everyone needs Scünci poly bands and you can pick a pack of 300 up for only $4.99. Goody Mini Spin Pins are a great way to create many different hairstyles with ease, and they will last you forever at only $7.49 (with a couple different colors to choose from). Another great accessory – this one found at Ulta – are Pink Pewter headbands that are so cute and come in many different styles for right around $17.99 (they can also be worn as chokers!).

While at Sally’s, Andy found a couple great buys on brushes.

The brush he thinks every woman needs in their life is The Wet Brush. Hands down, The Wet Brush will change your life, allowing you to brush your hair right out of the shower, and is a steal at $14.99.Take a look at the selection of multisized round brushes by Comare for only $6.67, as well as Spornette’s Little Wonder Teasing Brush for only $5.59. All of these brushes will make styling your hair so much easier.

There are quite a few styling products out there on the market for under 20 bucks, and here are a few of Andy’s favorites: Big Sexy Hair Root Pump and Spray and Play, both right around $18.99. TIGI After Party Cream for $17.19.

Redken Extreme Anti-Snap anti-breakage leave-in for distressed hair for $17.99. Matrix Air Dry Boho collection (in Chill, Wild, or Twisted) for $18.

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photographer Brad Olson model Destiny Satathite makeup Corinna Cooke hair Will Zecco wardrobe Risa Kostis, Ri-style Consulting

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My Makeup Bag:

NICHOLE TOWN Photographer

Embracing the magic and joy of the mystical unicorn, Photographer Nichile Town shares her love for unicorns through the makeup trend.

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1. Essie nail polish $9 2. NYX Eye shadow pallet $9 3. Cooling eye pads $7 4. Simple Pleasures Nail files 6 pk $8 5. Beauty MomentsBrushes by Jackie & Lauren $ 13 6. NPW Unicorn pen $6 7. Makeup bag by Fly $7

photo Nichole Town

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Incredible Non-edibles Treating yourself is always on order. The body and bath industry agrees. Endulge.

Delectable delights in bath and body care products which bubble baths that much more delicious!

Gummi Bear Hand Gel $8 Fizz & Bubble cupcakes $10 Fizz & Bubble cake bites $20

photo Nichole Town

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EDUN

From its inception, EDUN’s mission has been to source sustainable production and encourage trade in Africa by mixing its creative vision with the richness and positivity of this fast-growing continent.

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74 EDUN’s ready to wear and accessory collections are led by an internal creative collective based in New York. The collective works closely with different partners throughout the African continent and some international mills who are exploring new eco alternatives.

EDUN is building long-term growth opportunities by working with artisans, manufacturers and communitybased initiatives to develop high-end designer products that celebrate and challenge ethical and sustainable fashion.

It is important for EDUN to use fashion to create new opportunities, reimagine trade and train new generations.

They believe in putting respect over greed and engaging people with dignity. Over time, we are creating a more sustainable system and showing that ethical production is possible.

The sourcing of each collection is a mix of innovative eco solutions (organic, recycled, and upcycled fabric) and artisanal custom-made fabric developments and embellishments made in Africa. The origin of EDUN products, as well as the stories behind them, remains front and center. It is key to reveal where things come from; they believe this approach is beneficial to all. Sustainability is the crux of their values; a reason to exist that is both ethical and responsible. The majority of EDUN collections are sourced from mills that minimize their impact on the environment, with organic, recyclable or biodegradable qualities but also with water conservation, usage of solar energypesticides.

This aids in having a less harmful impact on the planet. Being a sustainable-forward company means working with new and evolving materials, challenging traditional ideas but also investing in quality.

75 “When we founded EDUN 12 years ago, it was because we saw it as a great opportunity to promote trade in Africa via the fashion industry. At the time a lot of companies were leaving Africa for cheaper production elsewhere. But we believed the African continent actually offered the consumer what they were really looking for, a new sense of luxury.

Fast fashion opened up some big questions for customers and EDUN sought to incorporate respect for those who make our clothes and respect for their environment into the ‘fabric’ of our product. Great design was always integral to the vision for the brand and the mission is now more concentrated than ever. We’re extremely connected to what is happening in Africa, in terms of creativity, artists/ artisans, and innovation.”

Founder, Ali Hewson

photos edun.com

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RUNWAY

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RETREAD

by Jennifer O’Bannon fashion editor

DESIGNER SS 2018 Styles from the runway to YOUR way! Grasp the general idea of a look then reshape it to fit you and your budget.

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RUNWAY

Prada SS2018

RETREAD

shirt Urban Outfitters $44 • bralette Urban Outfitters $34 shorts Vince Camutto $32 • sunglass Iron Man $25 • shoe Zara $50 pin Betsy Johnson $55 • bag Jessica Simpson $108 belts Calvin Klein $40 • earring Anni Sui x INC $40

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RUNWAY

Calvin Klein SS2018

RETREAD

tee Alice Wunderland $18 • skirt ASOS $40 • shoe Mix No. 6 $45 bag Jessica Simpson $108 • poncho Lucky Brand $90

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RUNWAY

Kenzo SS1018

RETREAD

top Daisy Street $26 • bralette Urban Outfitters $20 • skirt Rachel Roy $50 shoe Vince Camuto $56 • earring Betsy Johnson $55 necklace Target $12 • tights Leg Avenue $10

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RUNWAY

Versace SS2018

RETREAD

dress Jaase $25 • shoe Calvin Klein $89 • belt INC $28

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RUNWAY

Dolce & Gabbana SS2018

RETREAD

dress Zara $30 • headband Alexia Crawford $10 bag Anne Klein $40 • shoe Soho $24

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RETREAD

photographer Sylvia Hardt • hair/makeup pearl Espinoza • model Rhylan Clark FORD/RBA

RUNWAY

Temporarily London SS2018

jumpsuit H&M $30 • belt INC $37 Sunglass Target $16 • shoe Bionica $70

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Of course...

pant Boom Boom Jeans shoe Jessica Simpson

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Go with it...

jacket STS Blue pant Jealous Tomato shoe Nine West bag La Terre Fashion scarf stylist own

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As expected... jeans Black Daisey shoe Fenty by Puma tee Coca Cola

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Well, why not?...

pant Vanilla Star bralettes Free People shoe Capelli New York

fashion editor Jennifer O’Bannon photographer Sylvia Hardt hair & makeup Pearl Espinoza model Marianna Hernandez FORD/RBA

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The Bold & Beautiful When spring blooms so does our approach to ourselves. Get color going again. Bright bold bags are a quick pick. Then soften your roll of bold by pairing with a well shod ruffle.

photography Nichole Town

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bag La Terre shoe Betsy Johnson

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bag La Terre shoe Mark Fisher

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bag Aldo shoe Jessica Simpson

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bag Anne Klein shoe Zara

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bag La Terre shoe Unisa

LABOR ANONYMOUS Spring in San Francisco shot by Fujio Emura style by Bibiana Pina

Left top/pant H&M belt vintage boots Jeffrey Campbell right top Urban Outfitters pant GAP

neck scarf Madewell top H&M dress Vintage boots Jeffrey Campbell

top Urban Outfitters

left top vintage skirt Alice & Olivia boots Jeffrey Campbell right top The Kooples pant Givenchy

makeup Amy Lawson model Olivia Addis

DRESS THE PART Spring in Spain shot by Feli Ruiz style by Cinita Garzon

blue dress 2nd Lab by the 2nd Skin CO. striped dress Kling

left coat 2nd Lab by the 2nd Skin CO. dress Lolitas & L

right dress Kling

jacket Euphemio Fernandez shirt 2nd Lab by the 2nd Skin CO.

shirt Kling dress Lolitas & L skirt Zoraida Cases

left shirt Funny Swing coat Lolitas & L

right dress Brea shirt Cos

makeup Victoria Alba model Nina Evonne Johansson

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HISTORY of the SNEAKER

Sneakers go all the way back to the late 18th century where earliest ones with the identifying rubber sole, were called plimsolls. Oddly enough, there was no right foot or left foot, but the design was still desirable enough to continue upgrading. Around the 1900’s, the U.S. Rubber Company came up with a more comfortable rubber-soled footwear with canvas tops, which we all know as Keds!

The word “sneaker” is often attributed to American Henry Nelson McKinney, who was an advertising agent for N. W. Ayer & Son. It’s said that the name came about because the rubber sole made the shoe silent to detect compared to a heavy leather sole. But it was the Massachusetts shoemaker, Marquis Converse, that developed the most iconic sneaker.

In 1917, Converse debuted their “All Star” basketball shoe – the world’s first high-top, extending the canvas all the way around the ankle to provide support just like a boot. These were endorsed in 1923 by an Indiana hoops star named Chuck Taylor, and they became known as “Chuck Taylor AllStars”. For the most part, the design has remained unchanged now for almost 100 years!

It wasn’t until the early 1950s that the emerging counterculture embraced the anti-formality of sneakers (as they did with denim) and began wearing them as fashion statements.

photo Nichole Town

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Jewelry Betsy Johnson

photo Nichole Town