INSPIRE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS
VOL 31 QUARTERLY
AJ AGRAWAL 0 TO 2 MILLION IN TWO YEARS
THE KARDASHIAN’S HOLLYWOOD HOME ART BASEL MIAMI
I live to create. -Nova Lorraine
F OUND E R, C RE AT I VE D I R E CTO R & E D I TO R I N CH I E F
N OVA L O R R A I N E B R A N D R E LAT I ON S
D E R RO N F O R R E S T S E NI O R E D I TO R
K RIS TO P HER J O H N S O N - H OY L E FA S H I ON E D I TO R
OPÉ MAJEK WEBMASTER
CONT RI BUT I NG WRI T E R S
MAI K WI E D E N B ACH J AV I N F ORRE S T I E S HA COP P I N
K IR IL L VO RO B YOV INTER N
B RY S O N L IT T L E JO H N S T E P H A NIE L ID D I C A R INA C A S TAG NA
S P E C I AL T H ANKS
F RE D E RI QUE P ORTE R J AV I E R HE RN AN D E Z N ATAS HA GABRI E L TI N A L I TTL E J OHN TO P T E N RE AL E S TATE D E AL S . C O M
R AINE TV INTER N
S AG E L IT T L E JO H N
COVER CR ED ITS PHOTOGRAPHER: VITALAGIB ALOW MAKEUP: KATE ROMANOFF BLAZER: BLUEJACKET
A RT DIR ECTION
M A RT INA M ICKO
I NQ UI R I E S G e n e r al : talktous@r ainemagazine .com Ad ve r ti s e : adver tise@r ainemagazine .com Su b m i s s i o n s : submissions@r ainemagazine .com
RAINE MAGAZINE
NEW YORK * LA * SAN FRANCISCO * MIAMI CORRESPONDENCE Raine Magazine 261 Madison Ave New York, NY 10016 Raine Magazine is a trademark of Raine Creative Holdings LLC and is published quarterly. All contents, logos, and articles are copyrighted materials and all rights are reserved. Any reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of Raine Creative Holdings is prohibited. The publisher also reserves the right to refuse any advertising material for any reason deemed inappropriate by publisher. Raine Magazine’s subscription is $39.99. Please make checks payable to Raine Creative Holdings. To distribute Raine at your business, please email editor@rainemagazine.com.
M AGA ZI N E
RAINE IN S P IRE C REA TI VE ENTR EP R E NEUR S
FASHION TO LIVE FOR Agent Provocateur Fashion Week Zack Huffman The Rise of the Chic Millenial Skin Deep Devyn's Ladder Keep it Real
VOL 31
8 14 22 28 33 54 104
TECHNOLOGY
VI Personal Trainer 38 SevenHugs Smart Remote 40 Prynt Pocket 42 Mindset Earphones 46 HiMirror 46
FRESH FACES
Don Benjamin 51 Devran 53 Lexi Atkins 55
RAINEMAKER AJ Agrawal
TRAVEL | EAT. STAY. CHILL 72 Hours in Vail, Colorado 100 Million Dollar Mansion Dean Martin's Cool LA Pad The Kardashian's Hollywood Home High Street Fashion Enrique MartÃnez Celaya Milkshake Moment Art Basel
65
70 80 84 90 95 100 106 111
EDITOR’S NOTE WELCOME TO RAINE MAGAZINE Wow! What a fun journey the last 10 years have been and 2018 stand to be our biggest year yet! Thank you for helping me discover some of the most exciting people on their upward rise. I am so grateful for the many lessons learned and all the wonderful support I have received over the years. Why Raine? Raine is here to challenge the status quo. Raine seeks to inspire you to make a living from your passions; encourage you to take that next step; and empower you to believe that your dreams can become a reality! We are a family of creatives. Although each of our paths are unique - we understand each other’s journey and aspirations. We are here to support each other while innovating our industries. I ask you to turn each page to discover carefully curated stories to help inspire your next idea or innovation. I hope you enjoy the Raine “experience” as much as we love bringing it to you.
Nova Lorraine, MA Founder and Editor
If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you. –Fred DeVito
FASHION & LIFESTYLE INSPIRATION. BEAUTY. INTERVIEWS. DESIGN
Agent
PROVOCATEUR Photographer: Greg Gulbransen Production: Griselle Rosario Model: Katya Kulyzhka Women 360 Styling: Oscar Montesdeoca Styling assististant: Andy Diaz Nails: Mr.Luis using Essie Hair: Griselle Rosario using Living Proof Makeup: Griselle Rosario using Anastasia Beverly Hills
8
Jumpsuit: PH5 Shoes: Malone Rings: Laruicci Earrings: Laruicci Coat: Dennis Basso Bag: Blacksea
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
Jacket: Issey Miyake Coat: Diane Rosh Earrings: Laruicci Shoes: Sebastian Rings: LER Holster: Zeynep Tosun Bag: Gedebe RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
9
Earrings: Laruicci Skirt: Alice & Olivia Overcoat: DKNY Bag: Blacksea Necklace: Laruicci Shoes: Malone Rings: LER Stole: Diana Rosh
Dress: Celine Boots: Manolo Blahnik Rings: LER Earrings: Laruicci Bag: Alisa Maria Jacket: Manfredonia RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
11
Coat: Diana Rosh Dress: Adam Lipsee Rings: LER Shoes: Chloe G. Earrings: Laruicci Necklace: Laruicci 12
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
Dress: Self Portrait Earrings: Laruicci Boots: Gadebe Coat: PH5 Rings: LER RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
13
Fashion Week S/S 2018
Saschin & Babi
Photographer: Dan Lecca
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
15
Naeem Khan
Images courtesy of Naeem Khan
Julianna Bass
Photographer: Dan Lecca
Charles & Ron
Images courtesy of Charles & Ron
CULTURE | INTERVIEW
Art Illustrator:
ZACK HUFFMAN
Z A C K H U F F M A N I S A S E L F -TA U G H T F A S H I O N , L I F E S T Y L E ,
and editorial illustrator currently based in Atlanta, GA. After a six-year career in journalism, issue advocacy, and non-profit management in Washington, D.C., Zack decided to pursue his life-long passions in art, design, and fashion. At a very young age, Zack developed his drawing and illustration abilities by devouring countless fashion magazines and books – filling his sketchbook with drawings inspired by the glamorous images he observed. Over time, his fashion-influenced style emerged. Inspired by master illustrators like Rene Gruau, Bob Peak, Antonio Lopez, and David Downton, Zack is passionate about communicating fashion and culture through illustration. Today, Zack creates illustrations for magazines, digital platforms, fashion brands, film posters, and packaging. Always looking ahead, Zack’s favorite pieces are the ones yet to come. The best places to follow Zack’s work are his website, www.zackhuffman.com, his Instagram account , or Stalletto Magazine where Zack is a contributing fashion illustrator and editor.
RAINE: Talk about your journey towards being an artist. HUFFMAN: The journey started at a very young age – around ten or eleven. My grandmother was a very accomplished stained glass artist who worked for many well-known clients during her heyday. When I became old enough, she used to let me watch her work in the studio. I was fascinated with the process – watching her draft enormous window designs, then cut the glass piece by piece to put in place on the design template before the lead inlay, soldering, and mudding process began. I wanted to be an artist too, but my first love was drawing. When the time came, she bought me my first sketchbook and pencils. I would sit in the studio and work alongside her – copying from magazines, posters, and art books that I found inspiring. From there, I continued teaching myself the art of drawing. I’ve never received formal training, but I’ve always had a curious mind and naively large ambitions. Eventually I stumbled upon illustration, which is where I find myself today.
RAINE: What memorable responses have you had to your work? HUFFMAN: There isn’t one in particular that stands out in my mind. However, those that I most enjoy are often my portrait commissions. It’s always incredibly fulfilling to receive praise from a happy client who feels beautiful, elevated, and elegant when they look at the piece I’ve created. RAINE: What is your dream project? HUFFMAN: My favorite designer of all time is Alexander McQueen, and I’d love to complete an illustrated book that looks back at his life’s work and most famous designs. The only problem is that the exhibition book, which accompanied the Met and V&A exhibition, Savage Beauty, set a very high bar for any project looking back at McQueen. It’s definitely something I wouldn’t want to attempt until further down the road in my career.
RAINE: What’s your background? HUFFMAN: Professionally, I am a very new full-time illustrator. Before dedicating all my efforts to illustration, I worked as a journalist, communications strategist, and non=profit professional in Washington, D.C. I fell in love with politics, philosophy, and writing in college, which is when drawing took a backseat. I never stopped completely, but my DC career was definitely front and center for many years. I rediscovered my love for drawing and illustration in September 2015 when I first saw the work of David Downton in Vanity Fair. In that September issue, Vanity Fair devoted an eight-page spread to Downton’s work. After studying the remarkable drawings on each of those eight pages, I distinctly remember thinking to myself, “I want to do that!” From that point onward, becoming an accomplished illustrator has been my central pursuit.
Images courtesy of Zack Huffman
RAINE: What art do you most identify with? HUFFMAN:That’s a really tough question because there’s so much art/ illustration that I love and identify with for different reasons. In my field (illustration), I really identify with the work of accomplished illustrators of the past such as Rene Gruau, Bob Peak, and Antonio Lopez. Some of my favorites working today are David Downton, Malike Favre, Bil Donovan, Tina Berning, and Daniel Egneus. In fine art, there are too many to name here, but I’ll give my best shot at capturing some of the most resonant for me: Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Velazquez, Manet, Degas, Lautrec, Klimt, Sargent, Matisse, Pollock, and Rothko. RAINE: Describe a real life situation that has inspired you? HUFFMAN: Most recently, it’s occurred while reading the poems of C.P. Cavafy, an Alexandrian poet who lived from 1863 to 1933. In general, his writings mostly deal with three subjects, Hellenistic Antiquity, homosexual eroticism, and the recent past. The best way to describe Cavafy is embedded in a quote from Daniel Mendelson, who completed the 2012 translated volume of Cavafy’s work. Mendelson called Cavafy a “poet-historian,” saying that; “he saw history with a lover’s eye and desire with a historian’s eye.” After making my way through dozens of his poems, I’ve begun to envision a series of illustrations/fine art pieces that I’d like to create this winter and hopefully stage in a gallery show next year.
RAINE: Professionally what is your goal? HUFFMAN: This is going to sound rather unprofessional, but I’m not sure that I have an ultimate goal. There are certainly career milestones that I have in mind such as dream clients I’d like to work for and collaborators I’d like to partner with, but other than that, I’m just along for the ride. Especially for someone that is fairly new to the professional side of creativity, there’s so much for me to learn and discover before identifying an ultimate goal. RAINE: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? HUFFMAN: While more of an observation or truth than “advice,” it was a line given to me by one of my most influential professors in college, Peter Augustine Lawler, who unfortunately passed away earlier this year. During one of my last meetings with him before I graduated, we were talking about virtue – a central subject in many of his philosophical writings and teachings. He took that moment to remind that humans are, “stuck with virtue,” a saying he was often fond of repeating and a title of one of his many books. In that same book, Dr. Lawler illuminated what he meant by writing, “We’re hardwired for virtue, so to speak, because we’re hardwired for a kind of language and (or) speech that opens us to the truth about ourselves and our world that no other animal can acquire. And we really can’t change our hardwiring in a way that will make us both distinctively or profoundly human and genuinely happy – and we want both – without being good, without acting in a truthful and morally responsible way.” RAINE: What’s your favorite artwork? HUFFMAN: If you’re asking for a favorite among pieces I’ve created, then it’s the next one. I don’t believe in being nostalgic about your own work – you always have to look ahead and think about what you will create next. If you’re asking for a favorite piece by someone else, it’s “Four Dancers” painted by Edgar Degas in 1899. Today, it hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. RAINE: Advice for rising artist? HUFFMAN: All advice is autobiographical in some way, so I’ll highlight the piece I have to keep telling myself: Be patient! The world of art and illustration is not the stock market – there are few “fast success” stories. Treat the journey like the marathon it is and enjoy the little victories along the way.
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
23
THE RISE OF THE
CHIC
MILLENNIAL
PHOTOGRAPHER: Cesar Balcazar ASSISTANT: ChrisNan Giraldo DIGITAL RETOUCH: Victor Muñoz @ Mister Raw Studio STYLING: Inside Studios STYLING TEAM: Carolina Maxwell, Candelaria Granillo, Natalia Simon, Fernanda De Angelis for Inside Studios HAIR AND MAKEUP: Olivia Velasquez 28
Full gold look: J Papa Earrings: Topshop Boots: Zara RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
Sweater: Victoria Hayes Dress: Kelsey Randall Lace dress: Romulina Boots: Zara Earrings and bag: Topshop
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
29
Dress: Victoria Hayes Top: Viva Aviva Earrings: Topshop Boots: Zara
Jacket: Chichi von Tang Dress: Manfredonia Boots: Topshop Necklace: Laruicci
Top: DAMA Leather Dress: Kelsey Randall Pants: Thii Shoes: Zara Earrings: Laruicci
SKIN DEEP PHOTOGRAPHER: VITAL AGIBALOW for HENSEL Styling: @ ibizaNYC MakeUp: KATE ROMANOFF for MAC cosmetics Manicure for STATIC Nails Hair: ORIBE Model: Ada Stroem All jewelry available @ ibizaNYC RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
33
TECHNOLOGY GADGETS. APPS. DEVICES. WEARABLES
38
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
VI: The First A.I. Personal Trainer & Headphones
Images Courtesy of LifeBeam
Vi is the world’s first AI personal trainer who coaches and motivates through bio-sensing earphones, engineered for beautiful sound by Harman Kardon. Vi is the ultimate fitness companion, helping users reach their fitness and weight goals through using their individual unique biometric data to provide personalized motivation and professional fitness training advice. She uses real time voice and sound commands to connect with each individual, ultimately helping them reach their maximum fitness potential. AT A GLANCE: • Cloud-based AI coaching engine • Aerospace-grade biosensors such as heart rate, motion, elevation, proximity and touch • Beautiful sound by Harman Kardon • Sweat and water resistant • Wireless connectivity RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
39
40
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
SevenHugs Smart Remote Smart Remote allows users to instantly control tens of thousands of devices and eliminates the need to use other remotes and apps. Sevenhugs’ patent-pending point and control technology enables Smart Remote’s screen to adapt automatically to any device. When a user points at a device, Smart Remote instantly displays custom controls to operate that particular device. Smart Remote unifies the control of your connected home experience. • Broad Compatibility: Smart Remote works with more than 25,000 devices through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Infrared, including Samsung Smart TVs, Philips Hue and LIFX smart bulbs, Sonos speakers, Nest Learning Thermostat, and many more.
Images Courtesy of SevenHugs
• Patent-Pending Innovation: Sevenhugs’ patent-pending point and control technology enables Smart Remote’s screen to adapt instantly to any device and display intuitive touch-screen controls customized for each device you point at. • Powerful Technology: Smart Remote is the first consumer product to combine motion tracking sensors and an indoor positioning system. It allows users to control their devices naturally and intuitively—simply by pointing at them. • Instant Access to Services: Smart Remote allows you to instantly access popular services like Uber. Order a ride by pointing Smart Remote at your front door or check the weather forecast by pointing at your window. • Personalized Control: Smart Remote lets you create custom scenes and control multiple devices at the same time. For example, you can create a movie watching scene that automatically dims the lights when turn on the TV. Smart Remote also lets you group lights together to control all at once. RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
41
42
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
Images Courtesy of Prynt
Prynt Pocket: Transform Your Phone Into an Instant Camera
Prynt Pocket, a device that transforms your phone into the smallest and coolest instant camera. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, Prynt Pocket attaches directly to your phone, and lets you capture, print and share life’s everyd moments--from spontaneous to special occasions--while on-the-go. The Prynt Pocket also has innovative video capabili for next-gen storytelling, giving you the option to embed augmented reality videos into your photos and bring them to in a Harry Potter-like way.
Using Prynt Pocket is easy. Simply attach it to your phone and you’re ready to print. Once you’ve taken a photo, you h the option to record a 10-second video that will be hidden within that photo. Before printing, the Prynt app enables yo to edit and enhance your photo with fun, creative filters, text and memes. Then, whoever has a physical copy, can use Prynt app to scan the photo and watch it come to life. Whether a marriage proposal, surprise announcement or selfie video, Prynt Pocket adds magic to any moment. RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
43
44
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
Mindset Earphones: Get Into Your Creative Mind
Images Courtesy of Mindeset
Mindset is a pair of over ear headphones that measure your brain activity in order to improve concentration. It starts with everything you expect in a great pair of headphones, but it goes one step further with EEG technology. HOW IT WORKS: EEG sensors measure the electrical activity from your brain that occurs when neural synapses fire, creating an electrical current. Using modern signal processing and machine learning techniques, techniques, Mindset detects the patterns in this electrical signal that are indicative of a concentrated or distracted brain. Every time you get distracted, Mindset sends a subtle auditory cue so that you can immediately refocus. Modern research claims that after becoming distracted, anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes are wasted before returning to a task– Mindset reduces this downtime to a few seconds. In addition, each auditory cue is training your brain to better recognize and tune out distractions. Over time this leads to deeper, longer concentration that persists even when you take the headphones off. This operates on the principle of neurofeedback, which is currently used to treat ADHD, to improve creativity in Olympic figure skaters, and is part of NASA’s astronaut training program.
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
45
HIMIRROR ($199) is a highly accurate, professional & multifunctional IoT connected device in beauty & Body technology. There are two main functions, “Skin analysis & body type analysis”. For skin analysis, it provides skin condition measurement, and delivers excellent, standardized image capture and analysis result for wrinkles, fine lines, red spots, dark spots, dark circles, pores and complexion. And from analysis reports, the HiMirror will follow different skin conditions to create a custom-built skincare routine. Besides, historical comparison allows you to see your progress and also helps you to understand the changes in your skin’s condition through the use of different products. For your busy life, virtual My Beauty Box help you manage skin care products in a smart way.
Images Courtesy of HiMirror
HiMirror: Your Personal Beauty
Body type analysis function works with Smart Body Scale. After body measurement, HiMirror will provide user body type analysis information and body configuration results, the body configuration results will tell the weight, body fat percentage, body mass index(BMI), basal metabolic rate(BMR), total body water, muscle mass & bone weight. Moreover, we also provide the HiMirror app, the app can be synchronized with your HiMirror. Make you beautiful anytime, anywhere!
46
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
Bonjour: Say Hello to Your NEW Wakeup Routine
Images Courtesy of Bonjour
BONJOUR, a smart, IoT alarm that upgrades the morning wake-up routine. BONJOUR is an AI driven alarm clock that combines sleek and elegant design, with an intuitive, easy and interactive UI. Through precise voice activation technology, wireless internet connectivity, app integration, AI intuition, and an easy-toread display, BONJOUR enhances your morning wake-up routine to go beyond the snooze button. Through precise voice activation technology, wireless internet connectivity, app integration, AI intuition, and an easy to read display, BONJOUR enhances your morning wake-up routine to go beyond the snooze button. With BONJOUR, you can wake up to your local weather, your favorite Spotify music, or your unique Philips Hue lighting configuration, all with voice-control activation and feedback. You set the conditions to which all of these services perform and interact with each other each morning while BONJOUR interprets each app’s information. With natural-conversational AI technology BONJOUR speaks and plans for the day ahead with you. RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
47
48
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
Do. Or do not. There is no try. –Yoda, Jedi Master
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
49
FRESH FACES TELEVISION. FILM. FASHION & MUSIC
FRESH FACE | TELEVISION
DON BENJAMIN RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
51
Don Benjamin is a rapper and model and winner of VH1’s “Scared Famous”. He just released his latest single, “No One” feat. Liane V and released the music video for the song on January 14. As a model, his credits include serving as the face for Guess, True Religion, Pink Dolphin and more. He’s best recognized as a finalist on the 2013 season of “America’s Next Top Model” and as Ariana Grande’s love interest in her hit music video, Into You. Musically, Don captures an R&B vibe within the framework of hip-hop. You can hear it within the likes of “Doin’ It Well” and his track, “Across the Sky” [featuring Nikki Flores], which saw placements on “Big Brother”, “America’s Next Top Model”, and various MTV programs. It also landed in the iTunes Overall Top Songs chart. In his free time, Don runs a YouTube account with his girlfriend, model, musician and actress Liane V, where the two talk relationship topics. RAINE: Talk a little more about yourself and what it was like being a contestant on “Scared Famous?” BENJAMIN: It was fun! I love scary movies, so doing it, I felt like i was a part of an actual scary movie. I also loved being able to compete for a charity was amazing as well to be doing something for others! RAINE: The show is pretty hilarious. What was a funny moment that you can share with fans? BENJAMIN: There were so many honestly. The funniest time for me was when the clown hopped out on me, and I broke the closet door. RAINE: What was it like winning for your charity on “Scared Famous” BENJAMIN: It was amazing! Dealing with domestic violence fist hand as a child and being able to give 100k to a charity knowing how much it will help people out in need is a great feeling RAINE:Talk a little more about the charity that will receive the $100K prize that you won. BENJAMIN: The charity is Peace over Violence, and it helps people dealing with domestic violence and other forms of abuse. Including victims and children that witness it in the household. RAINE: What has it been like being an independent artist in the music industry? BENJAMIN: It has its up and downs. You don’t get the help of a power house label behind you, but you get the freedom to make all of your own choices and get all profit yourself without having to give majority of it up. RAINE: When will you drop your album or EP? Or will there be a few more singles next? BENJAMIN: Where can fans go to support you? I’m dropping an EP end of January that I’m super excited about! All my music is available on iTunes and Spotify. If you type Don Benjamin, it will all show up. RAINE: One piece of advice that has helped you on your journey? BENJAMIN: Trusting the process and not trying to rush anything. It takes time to be successful in this industry.They say a overnight success takes 10 Years. RAINE: What’s it like working with your girlfriend Liane V on “Forever Us” and your collaboration for “No One?” BENJAMIN: It’s amazing to be able to work with the person you love. Lianes is my best friend and we love doing all the same stuff so it works out perfectly. RAINE: How did the idea for “Forever Us” come about as well as the inspiration behind “No One?” BENJAMIN: We’ve been wanting to start a channel for a while together, and I recently bought her a promise ring. The ring is called “Ever Us”, so we thought it would be cool to call the channel “Forever Us”. As far as the song, we were just in the studio vibing with our producer Soundz, and the song kinda just came to us quick. Her and Soundz came up with the hook, and I put my verses to it. The rest was history! RAINE: What has been the most rewarding part of your career to date? BENJAMIN: I think the most rewarding part is being able to take care of my mother and her not having to worry about any financial problems anymore. 52
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
DEVRAN
FRESH FACE | FASHION
STATS: Name: Devran Perkins Age: 20 Height: 6’1.5 Agency: ANTI Management RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
53
Photographer: Craig Macleod 54
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
FRESH FACE | MUSIC
LexiAtkins Photographer: Marie Forleo
Lexi Atkins is a Los Angeles based artist on the rise. #PURR is the first single off her upcoming debut album, slated for release in 2018. Lexi Atkins launched her music career in 2015, and has since shared the stage with notable artists including Daya, Travis Scott, and Diplo. She has been covered by top media outlets: InStyle, Flaunt, and Teen Vogue (to name a few)—and is joining the ranks of female indie pop artists who are speaking their minds through their music, and captivating the Gen Z audience. Aside from her music career, Lexi is an established actress and can next be seen in Netflix’s highly anticipated sci-fi drama “Altered Carbon” (2018). In 2015, she appeared in Universal Pictures’ thriller, “The Boy Next Door,” opposite Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Guzman. She also starred in the indie films, “Zombeavers” and “Some Kind of Hate,” while having a supporting role in the film, “Ted 2,” opposite Mark Wahlberg and Amanda Seyfried. RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
55
RAINE:Talk about your inspiration for the single #PURR off of your forthcoming album. ATKINS: My producers and I would meet every weekend to write records for the projects. One of the nights we were at my place brainstorming different ideas and my cat has always acted so funny around them. Each time they’d call to her she didn’t want anything to do with them, and whenever they weren’t paying attention of course she’d want all the attention in the world. We started talking about the similarities she has to how I feel we can be in relationships and from there the song started manifesting. “Blame it on the purr” was one of the first lines [laughs]. RAINE: What does #PURR mean to you? ATKINS: PURR to me means SO many things. Like I said before it was inspired by my cat named 12, and the similarities I think girls have with cats in general.... but I could go on forever about what each phrase can also relate too. At the end though, I think it’s just such a fun record for both guys and girls! PURR! RAINE: What other artists have influenced your music? ATKINS: I’m influenced by SO many artists!! I 56
really am a huge fan of all genres. I think lately though I’ve really had a big crush on Kehlani and SZA. RAINE: Talk about your upcoming role in NETFLIX’S “Altered Carbon.” ATKINS: I’m SO excited for this show to come out! When I first read the pilot before auditioning, I instantly thought I’M GOING to watch this show whether I’m on it or not! It’s also based in the future which I love. I have a big obsessed with all things futuristic/aliens/space/ etc. RAINE: Are you a big fan of the sci-fi genre? ATKINS: YES, definitely! RAINE: What is one piece of advice that has served you best in your career? ATKINS: Stay true to yourself! RAINE: What has been the most rewarding part of your career to date? ATKINS: I think just the sheer fact that I’m still out in LA following/living my dreams. RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
RAINE: What would be your dream role for the big screen? ATKINS: Wow, that’s a tough question! I have a lot of goals and aspirations when it comes to roles I want to play! Getting to work alongside Meryl Streep and Will Ferrell would definitely be on my bucket list though! RAINE: What are some goals that you have outside of your acting career? ATKINS: To keep releasing music/projects so I can further my career in that realm of my life. I’d love to go on tour in the near future. But in my opinion, each “career” path I’m on all works in tandem. RAINE: Acting or Music? If you could only pursue one or the other, what would it be and why. ATKINS: I would say music.... because I have more creative control. Visuals are also a really important part of my music/art so I still get to in a sense act in my videos etc. I get to create a new world within my own visually, and musically. It feels like the best of both worlds.
It’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. –Scott Belsky, co-founder of Behance.
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
57
DEVYN’S LADDER
PHOTOGRAPHER: Benjamin A. Peterson CREATIVE DIRECTION AND STYLING: Opé Majek HAIR AND MAKEUP: Sarah Fiorello MODEL: Devyn Abdullah | One Management Earrings: Haus Of Topper Stole: Lilly E. Violetta Shirt: Haider Ackerman Skirt: Nicole Miller Bag: Balenciaga
Earrings: Haus Of Topper Stole: Lilly E. Violetta Shirt: Haider Ackerma RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
59
Coat: Yves Salomon Tee: Alysi Skirt: By Malene Birger
Jacket: Haider Ackerman Tank: Maje Pants: Haider Ackerman
Stole: Annabelle Corset: Haider Ackerman Dress: By Malene Birger
Dress: Jay Godfrey
RAINEMAKER
All Blazers & Vests: Bluejacket
RAINEMAKER
A J A G R A WA L 0
TO
2
MILLION
IN
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
TWO
YEARS 65
AJ Agrawal is the Founder of Verma Partners, a leading marketing consulting firm in San Francisco that focuses on partnering with disruptive technology companies.
In the past 2 years, the firm has grown to over $5M in annual revenue and over 25 employees. Clients include crypto speakers at the World Economic Forum, multiple Forbes 30 Under 30 Alumni, and several EY World Entrepreneur Alumni. AJ has written about the marketing strategies he’s used to help companies 10x their growth in outlets such as Fast Company, Forbes, Fortune, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur, The Huffington Post, and over a dozen more outlets. In 2016 alone, he created over 500 pieces of original content around growth marketing. AJ has also won several awards for his digital marketing success, being called a marketer who carries serious weight by John Lincoln, marketing instructor at UCSD, and recognized as a top influencer marketing expert by both The Huffington Post and Entrepreneur magazine. Before dedicating his career fulltime as a growth marketer, AJ served as Chief Executive Officer at a 500 Startups company that acquired over 100 major University clients in less than 2 years. AJ has written about marketing for Forbes, Fortune, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur, The Huffington Post, and over a dozen more outlets. In 2016 alone, he created over 500 pieces of original content around growth and branding. AJ has also won several awards for his digital marketing success, being called a marketer who carries serious weight by John Lincoln, marketing instructor at UCSD.
RAINE: Describe the moment that you realized that you wanted to be an entrepreneur? AGRAWAL: I think I realized it when I had my first internship at a bank. I noticed that I really loved selling, networking, and working with a team. What I didn’t like, however was the bureaucracy. I felt trapped in a system that I wanted to innovate. From there, starting my own company just became an addiction. When I was younger, I’d play video games for 12-18 hours a day in the summer because it was so addicting. In a weird way, entrepreneurship feels like one giant video game to me now. RAINE: As this is not your first trip down entrepreneurship lane, what was the most helpful tips that you carried over from your prior experience? AGRAWAL: A few major takeaways: A. Don’t obsess about raising money. While it looks sexy from the outside, on the inside it’s a huge waste of time, pressure, and makes you soft. Building your business from sales will always be the best way. B. If you’re getting caught up on internal fires early on, you should rethink your business. The best teams flow together naturally. C. Don’t chase ideas that are popular, chase ones where you have an unfair advantage D. Build a solid routine in your life that you can follow everyday. Keeping normality is the best way to stay sane as you go through the roller coaster ride of entrepreneurship E. You almost 100% are charging too little early on F. Bring on a team of advisors and use them as much as possible G. Hire people that will work hard for you, and make it a goal to never let them burn out H. Understand that your business in one part of life, but it’s not your entire life. Don’t forget about working on your health, relationships, and personal goals as your build your business. In a weird way, they all connect together. RAINE: What is the secret formula from going from zero to 5 million in two years? AGRAWAL: A. A lot of boring routines that we do everyday over and over again. B. Having a really strong sales team C. Guaranteeing results and then producing them, that’s how you can build lifetime customers RAINE: What was the most challenging aspect of your journey and how did you overcome your obstacles? AGRAWAL: Scaling is really really hard. Problems never stop when building a business, they just change and become more complicated. Getting to $1M ARR is no easier or harder than $5M ARR in my opinion, it’s just different. I think we’ve tried overcoming the scaling issue by hiring really smart people, and also not trying to grow too quickly without sacrificing our quality. It’s always an iterative process, as there’s always something broken in your business. The key is just to keep tackling one problem at a time.
Photographer: Vital Agibalow
RAINE: Who has been the most influential person in your success and why? AGRAWAL: My grandfather, definitely. When I was really young he told me I’d build a successful business one day. He’s always been my biggest fan. I think when you have someone like that at a young age, it makes you more willing to make risks. RAINE: In your own words, what makes you a Rainemaker - an innovator on the rise? AGRAWAL: I think the fact that Verma really wants to revolutionize how marketing firms work is such a big goal that it fits what being a Rainemaker is. A lot of our clients are really doing disrupting things. We have companies raising $2.5B, speaking at the world economic forum, and building the technologies of tomorrow. Being able to be a part of that journey is truly amazing. RAINE: What are some tools, gadgets or software that has been a lifesaver in doing business? AGRAWAL: Slack Trello Google Docs RAINE: What’s your brand’s mantra? AGRAWAL: The Marketing Firm Of The Future
RAINE: How does your company differ from its competitors? AGRAWAL: A) We focus on disrupting technologies (Crypt,AR,VR,etc) are just a few examples B) Our team is way more experienced than other firms C) We’ve structured our business to a long with the times (We’re remote, guarantee results, and never waste our clients time).
“It’s always an iterative process, as there’s always something broken in your business. The key is just to keep tackling one problem at a time.” RAINE: What are some exciting developments that are on the horizon? AGRAWAL: We’ve built an entire team for Crypto companies Our revenue is growing close to 30% month over month We’re hiring 5 to 10 new employees a month RAINE: What words of wisdom can you share with other rising entrepreneurs? AGRAWAL: A) Stay humble. In the words of Ryan Holiday, “Ego is the enemy.” B) Build a routine. Routines are the back bone in achieving any goal in life C) Treat your employees like family and equals. You’ll build a better business and have way more fun along the way.
Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally. It comes from what you do consistently. –Marie Forleo
TRAVEL + CULTURE WANDERLUST. ART. BOOKS. LUXURY LIVING
72 HOURS IN
VAIL, COLORADO
7 2 H O U R S I N VA I L , C O L O R A D O AT T H E SONNENALP HOTEL While most people go to Vail for the epic ski conditions, the locals will tell you that they came for the winter and stayed for the summer. Vail is famous for its extraordinary Back Bowls, fabulous ski school programming, endless fine dining options and European flair. With 72 hours in the Vail Valley here is a perfect itinerary.
D AY 1 8:00 am-9:00 am: Start your day off with a bountiful European style buffet at Ludwig’s. Breakfast is served on the beautiful glass enclosed terrace surrounded by Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. 9:00 am-9:30 am: Take a moment to sit back and relax by Sonnenalp’s Tranquility Pool and enjoy Vail’s iconic views and crisp mountain air. 9:30 am-12:00 pm: Explore the town and shop through Vail Village enjoying favorites such as Valbruna and Gorsuch. 12:00 pm-1:00 pm: Bring your appetite to Vail’s landmark spot, Pepi’s Restaurant, which has been opened for over 50 years. This vintage eatery serves up Old World Classics as well as a variety of unique meats such as boar, elk, venison and caribou, all carved tableside for those looking to enjoy some local delicacies. 1:00 pm-3:00 pm: Treat yourself at one of Vail’s top rated spas- Sonnenalp Spa. Rejuvenate your mind and body with an array of unique treatment options. You can try the Bavarian Body Polish, which incorporates a full body scrub and a relaxing moisturizing treatment or the 80-minute Detoxifying Mud Wrap. Locals love to freshen it up with a Vitamin C Fresh Peel that leaves your skin immediately softer and smoother with noticeable improvements in skin tone and texture. 3:00 pm-5:00 pm: Relax in your luxury suite, recently renovated and boasting unique amenities including oversized bathrooms, Bavarian decor and lovely fireplaces. 5:00 pm-7:00 pm: Wine and dine on European cuisine in a classic-Swiss style setting at the Swiss Chalet, offering guests the ultimate alpine dining experience. Traditional Käse Spätzle (homemade Swiss dumpling topped with cheese and crispy onions) and delicious fondues all make your dining experience quite delectable. Save room for freshly made desserts like their Austrian apple strudel and chocolate fondue. 7:00 pm-9:00 pm: End your night at the King’s Club offering nightly live entertainment. Enjoy a specialty drink from the top shelf selection, a glass of wine or German beer while you relax by the fireplace and listen to great music from local musicians.
Images courtesy of Sonnenalp Hotel
D AY 2 8:30 am-9:30 am: Begin the day with something sweet at Big Bear Bistro like a nutella and banana crepe or enjoy something savory instead. Try the delicious wild-caught, smoked sockeye salmon served freshly on a toasted bagel. 9:30 am-12:00 pm: Take advantage of Vail’s epic terrain by spending your morning on the slopes and experiencing Vail’s famous Back Bowls. 12:00 pm-1:00 pm: Round-up friends and family and head over to Bully Ranch for a fun casual, western-style lunch. The Southwestern and American menu includes their signature chicken wings and famous Bully Burgers. Take a seat outside and enjoy a cold beer. Dogs are invited too. 1:00 pm-4:00 pm: Take a tour of the Rockies via snowshoe with one of Sonnenalp’s guided adventure tour guides like Kara Schmidt. They have complete intimate access to some of the most beautiful trails in the Vail Valley. With miles of trails, this experience will be a great way to get a work out in and also see the scenery. 4:00 pm-6:00 pm: Unwind from the day and begin your evening with a specialty cocktail by the fire at the Kings Club. 6:00 pm-8:00 pm: Dinner at Mountain Standard is a must do on every trip to Vail and a definite local favorite. Enjoy some shrimp and grits and rocky mountain trout at this gastropub boasting a lively crowd and open kitchen. 8:00 pm: Vail Ale House has over twenty local beers on tap. Hop on over and enjoy the evening as live DJ’s spin the night away or grab a flight at the 10th Mountain Whiskey and Spirit Company.
D AY 3 : 8:00 am-9:00 am: Fuel up on a mean cup of coffee and get down on some Southern style food such as Alpenrose’s biscuit and gravy dish - complete with their famous house-made sausage gravy. 9:00 am-12:00 pm: Take some “me” time at the Sonnenalp Club utilizing their state of the art gym equipment and new aerial yoga classes. In the summer you can use Sonnenalp Club’s 7,100-yard championship links style course. It sits in the sun drenched valley of Edwards, 16 miles west of Vail Village. Or, if golf isn’t quite your thing - try Sonnenalp’s morning stand up paddle-boarding class followed by a riverside lunch. 2:00 pm-3:00 pm: Exercise your creativity with a poolside pottery class. Sonnenalp offers this unique opportunity to paint outdoors and decorate your own personalized souvenir to take home. Selections include but not limited to picture frames, flower pots or coffee mugs. 3:00 pm-4:00 pm: Need a boost of energy? Sonnenalp’s Oxygen Bar is the perfect fix. Choose scents like eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, wintergreen and lemongrass. The oxygen treatment also aids in symptoms related to altitude sickness including: shortness of breath, lightheadedness, dizziness, headaches, fatigue, weakness, and nausea. 5:00 pm-7:00pm: Treat yourself to something fancy this evening and take the gondola ride up to Game Creek. You’ll be treated to a private multi-course tasting menu featuring unique and tasty international fare such as lamb tartare, rabbit with purple potatoes and venison with red onion jam. 7:30 pm: Have a glass or two at Root and Flower from their extensive list of wine-by-the-glass selections or signature craft cocktails. 9:00: End your night with the locals at The Red Lion enjoying live music reminiscing about your day with friends.
T OGETHER E VERYONE A CHIEVES M ORE
LUXURY LIVING CELEBRITY HOMES AND LUXE DESIGN
EVERYTHING BIGGER IN TEXAS:
A 100 MILLION DOLLAR MANSION
80
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
More sellers of luxury properties are taking the auction route to market and sell their properties. There are a number of reasons that it makes sense, especially when buyers shopping at the top level of the market are so few. Auctions get wider attention and the larger auction houses understand the value of advertising globally to reach the major wealth centers rather than restricting themselves just to the U.S. Another reason is the uniqueness of most high-end real estate of which there are few comparables for establishing a fair market price which the bidding process helps to establish that level. Some of the most notable home auctions have been the elegant Gianni Versace Mansion on South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida in 2013 which sold at $41.5 million to the Jordache Jeans family and the Virginia Klug Winery, which Donald Trump purchased for $6.2 million at a foreclosure auction in 2011. Trump was also the second highest bidder on the Versace Mansion. Another luxury auction is on the horizon when Dallas’ Walnut Place begins the bidding process on December 19. In the Mayflower Estates section of Preston Hollow, Walnut Place is one of the most architecturally significant estates in the southern U.S., designed in 1938 by world-renowned architect Maurice Fatio.The Swiss-born Fatio was well known for his projects in New York and Florida where he designed over 200 homes, many built in Palm Beach for the super rich including Harold Vanderbilt, Marjorie Merriweather Post and E.F. Hutton. He was so famous in the 1930s that Cole Porter wrote: “I want to live on Maurice Fatio’s patio.” Walnut Place was Faito’s last work; he died in 1943 from lung cancer. Walnut Place was commissioned by Italian Count Pio Crespi and his American wife, Flo Crespi. He had been sent to Dallas by his family to establish trade for their cotton empire. Money was no object to stand in the way of creating the Crespi’s Texas palace. Once in residence, the Crespis entertained lavishly, playing host to presidents, celebrities and dignitaries from around the world. The male guests were entertained by the count in his silver-leafed art deco bar room and enjoyed after dinner cigars and brandy in the 19th-century Italian-burled walnut library while the ladies gathered in the elegantly appointed main rooms. The Crespi family lived on the original property on 12 acres and the main house until 1997. The next owners set about a complete restoration and expansion that took three years and 250 designers, builders and artisans to complete. They doubled the size of the property to 25 acres making it the largest single residential property in central Dallas. They also expanded the original 10,000-square-foot mansion to 28,000 square feet, added a two-story 6,300-square-foot guest house, a separate 7,200-square-foot three-bedroom family home with separate entrance, a large recreation complex, a large outdoor living area, tennis court, greenhouses, rose and vegetable gardens and added landscaping to a wooded lot along the creek. Originally listed in 2013 as an off-market pocket listing at $135 million, it was later dropped to $98 million but did not sell. The owner relisted at $100 million with a different agent, Allie Beth Allman, who made the listing public. After only nine months, she sold Walnut Place in a cash transaction of undisclosed amount to mega investor, banker, mathematician and poker player Andrew Beal. RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
81
DEAN MARTIN’S COOL L.A. PAD
84
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
Photographer: Adrian Anz
All dressed up and ready to welcome a new Rat Pack, crooner Dean Martin’s former Beverly Hills Trousdale estate is now ready for the festive sounds of champagne bottles being uncorked. Owned and enjoyed by Dean with his Hollywood buddies and a slew of other friends from 1988 until his death in 1995, it was his bachelor pad after three unsuccessful marriages. He purchased the house a year after his son Dean Paul had been killed in an airplane crash, and though he had been a teetotaler most of his life, in opposition to his drunken stage image, in depression over the loss of his son, turned to alcohol and heavy use of prescription drugs. By now the original Rat Pack, consisting of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Martin, Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop, had grown smaller and evolved into the Summit and by the late 1980s, the Clan. Sinatra and Davis were worried about Martin and decided to get him out of the house and functioning again by designing a tour that would include the three of them, called Together Again. Scheduled for 29 dates, Martin only managed to perform through five of the sold-out shows claiming illness. Liza Minnelli was brought in to take his place. He returned to his Trousdale home, which at the time was the epitome of 1980’s glamour, where he lived the rest of his life. In 2014, developer Patrik Mirahmadi purchased the estate. Unlike many developers, Mirahmadi was very sensitive to the property’s Dean Martin legacy and wanted his renovation to express its illustrious past, but in 21st-century style. Stripped of all its outdated materials and opened up to flow gracefully throughout, he created a grand contemporary entertainment space using the most elegant marbles, tiles and other surface materials that would stand out against the clean sharp lines of the interior that opened seamlessly to the outdoor living and entertaining area. Sited on a knoll on almost an acre overlooking the canyon and Pacific sunsets, the modern mansion is accessed via a long gated drive creating both privacy and security. At 10,047 square feet, it houses five bedrooms, twelve baths and an attached see-through, three-car garage. Moats have been used to accent the entrance walkway leading to the large walnut pivoting front door and again surrounding the elegant dining room on two sides which also has a temperature-controlled wine room enclosed inside a glass wall that displays up to 450 bottles. The long gallery with its skylights is a perfect space for an art collection and motorized glass walls at the end of the open living space recede to open the entire house to the outside entertainment area with pool, dining and lounging area and a full outdoor kitchen. With both indoor and outdoor bars large enough to seat over 100 guests, along with the expansive seating areas for living and dining, while the house is ideal for large scale entertaining, its warmth also invites intimacy. The listing agent is Jade Mills of Jade Mills Estates through Coldwell Banker. Three years in the making, Dean Martin’s former home is priced at $27.95 million or rented for $125,000 per month. RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
85
The Kardashian’s Hollywood Home
A Southern California home that has been seen by more TV viewers than just about any other home in recent years is for sale. Modeled after an Italian castle, Palazzo Dei Sogni has served as the fictitious home for several television shows including ten seasons as the home of the Kardashian-Jenner family. Palazzo Dei Sogni, which translates to Palace of Dreams, has been the vision of set designers for the HBO shows True Blood, Entourage and Rome, as well as for E!’s Keeping Up with the Kardashians, in which the front facade and grounds were used from season four of the program as the Kardashian-Jenner family home. Located in Studio City in the Hollywood Hills, it has played its own starring role for up to two million viewers a week checking all the boxes for location, privacy and over-the-top opulence. Built in 1983 and extensively remodeled in 2005, the 7,800-square-foot, seven-bedroom, eight-bath, Italianate-style residence is sited on almost an acre of meticulously kept grounds in the Fryman Estates community - neighbors to George Clooney, Miley Cyrus and Bruno Mars. Its design, inspired by the Medici Castle in Florence, is flush with ornate woodwork, Venetian plastered walls, ceiling and wall murals by artist Giorgio Tuscani, 17th-century chandeliers in almost every room, sconces imported from the Paris Opera House and a centuries-old stone fountain. Public areas of the mansion include a two-story foyer, formal living and dining, paneled den, a screening room with 12-foot screen, a billiards room and 2,000-bottle wine cellar. Both the indoor and outdoor kitchens include Viking appliances and casual dining areas both inside and on one of the many terraces. The very private gated and hedged grounds include rolling lawns, mature landscaping, a salt water swimming pool with waterfall and parking for ten cars. Palazzo Dei Sogni, the palatial residence chosen by set designers to star as the backdrop for many hit television programs, is now for sale asking $8.995 million. Robert E. Howell of Keller Williams Beverly Hills is the listing agent. 90
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
91
Photo credit: Steven J. Magner
No one is you and that is your super power. –Elyse Santilli
HIGH STREET FASHION
PHOTOGRAPHER: Cesar Balcazar ASSISTANT: ChrisJan Giraldo DIGITAL RETOUCH: Victor Muñoz @ Mister Raw Studio Styling. Inside Studios Styling Team. Carolina Albarracin, Florencia Cañete, Maida Alvarez, Melani Santander for Inside Studios HAIR AND MAKEUP: Olivia Velasquez Metallic Dress: Laurel Dewit Top: DAMA Chocker: Vintage RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
95
Dress: Mango Tights: Adidas Boots: Zara
Top: DAMA Skirt: Romulina Vinyl pants: DAMA Earrings: Laruicci Sneakers: Adidas Originals
Bodysuit: Mandfredonia Necklace: Laruicci Boots: Zara
Dress: Mandfredonia Jacket: ChiChi Von Tang Earrings: Laruicci
E N R I Q U E M A RT Í N E Z C E L AYA
100
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
Enrique Martínez Celaya is an artist, author, and former scientist whose work has been exhibited and collected by major institutions around the world and he is the author of books and papers in art, poetry, philosophy, and physics. He is the first person to hold the position of Provost Professor of Humanities and Arts at the University of Southern California. He is a Montgomery Fellow at Dartmouth College, and a Fellow of the Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities. Martínez Celaya has created projects and exhibitions for the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, The Phillips Collection, Washington D.C., the Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig, and the Pérez Art Museum Miami, among others, as well as for institutions outside of the art world, including the Berliner Philharmonie in Berlin, Germany, and the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York. His work is included in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, and the Phillips Collection in Washington D.C., among others. His awards include the Roth Family Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Dartmouth College, the National Artist Award from the Anderson Ranch Arts Center, the California Community Foundation Fellowship, J. Paul Getty Trust Fund for the Visual Arts, and the Young Talent Award from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Martínez Celaya was born in Cuba in 1964 and lives in Los Angeles, California. He studied Applied Physics at Cornell University and received his Master’s in Quantum Electronics from the University of California, Berkeley and pursued a Doctorate degree before abandoning physics for art. He attended the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, and earned a Master of Fine Arts with the department’s highest distinction from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
RAINE: Talk about how your work as a scientist has influenced your career as an artist CELAYA: Science provided me with a methodology and a toolkit with which to approach problems, as well as a view of the studio as a place where questioning, discipline, and discoveries, are more important than production and markets. Also, I feel fortunate that by being familiar with, both, art and science, I don’t envy or strive for the success and authority of science, which is a controlling curse afflicting many in the arts and the humanities.
RAINE: What is the one misconception people have about your art? CELAYA: A typical misconception people have about my work is the assumption that narrative and figuration define the work, when, in fact, they are manifestations of the ideas and aims animating my practice. The other misconception is that anything that suggests loss and displacement must be understood as a consequence of exile, when a closer look would suggest they point to more fundamental conditions.
RAINE: How did you make the leap from scientist to artist? CELAYA: I kept writing and painting while pursuing my studies in physics, but by the late 80s, I was spending a lot of time in my makeshift studio I had in a garage. At some point, my desire to pursue painting, writing, and physics, became unsustainable, so in 1990, I went to a lighthouse in Northern California to decide whether or not I needed to be an artist. After that, I knew what I wanted to do, but not how to do it. The actual transition took another two to three years.
Be suspicious of your cleverness.
What is one piece of advice that has served your well in your career?
RAINE: How would you like to be remembered in the future? CELAYA: I value authenticity and the standards revealed by those lives and works I admire, and I try not to settle into what is easy, familiar, popular, or convenient. If a couple of people thought this is how I lived my life and approached my work, it would be a fine legacy. RAINE: Name three artists that you would like to be compared to? CELAYA: More than comparison, I think in terms of demand—of who places demands or challenges on me as an artist. Three of these are Edvard Munch, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Czesław Miłosz.
Images courtesy of Enrique Martinez Celaya
RAINE: What is the emotional impact of your exhibition, “Nothing That is Ours?” CELAYA: It is hard to say anything useful about the emotional impact for someone else, but, for me, emotion is inseparable from thought and from the experience of confronting the work of art. The paintings in Nothing That is Ours, seem at times to surrender to sentimentality or if not surrender, at least accept sentimentality as a framework for experience. At other times, however, the paintings resist sentimentality and dismiss any intentions to understand the work as sentimental. I think the work derives part of its emotional charge from the movement between these moments—between sentimentality and its rejection. RAINE: Where did you find inspiration for your current works? CELAYA: I find inspiration in life, in what is happening around me, and also in the artistic and intellectual questions the work brings up. RAINE: Are there any other artists that you would like to collaborate with either in art or another artistic discipline? CELAYA: I have collaborated with two musical bands and with the Berlin Philharmonic, and I hope to do more projects related to music in the future. I have also worked with writers, architects, and other artists, and I am open to more collaborations. RAINE: How did growing up in Cuba shape your work as an artist? CELAYA: I left Cuba when I was young, so I am not very familiar with Cuban art or with the Cuban artistic tradition, which is why I don’t think of my work as Cuban or even Cuban-influenced. There is, however, a strong connection between my work and what I understand to be aspects of the emotional lives of many Cubans. For instance, there is a tendency for exiles in general, and Cuban exiles in particular, to be caught between an irretrievable past and present that is often out of reach. RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
101
RAINE BOOK CLUB
By Barbara M. Donato
“The Milkshake Moment,” not only gives the ingredients to a delicious vanilla shake, it also gives the reader key tools towards effective organizational growth. Steven S. - Little goes a step further than his previous book, “The 7 Irrefutable Rules of Small Business Growth” where he talked about ways for the small business owner to expand. In “The Milkshake Moment,” you are given specific tools to spot areas in your business that have the potential to be or are stagnant and how to overcome them. These tools help the reader to not only identify their organization’s true goals, it also aids them in better understanding them. Mr. Little also gives great advice on working towards those goals by solving interpersonal issues, making good judgement calls and dealing with customers in ways that will be exponentially beneficial towards the overall mission of the organization. One of the things that is great about this book is that it’s not a bland, “how to” guide that reads like a high school textbook. Mr. Little brings a lighthearted air to his writing by applying different anecdotes using great visuals to get his point across. From his longing for his milkshake at the end of each day to his eye-opening experience at an Apple store. It is written in a way that the reader can empathize as well as understand the concepts within an organizational standpoint. 106
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
107
KEEP IT REAL PHOTOGRAPHER: Cesar Balcazar ASSISTANT: ChrisNan Giraldo DIGITAL RETOUCH: Victor Muñoz @ Mister Raw Studio STYLING: Inside Studios STYLING TEAM: Amalia Gallo, Lucia Gonzales Rubio, Maria Rosa Di Pace, Yanina Caram and Yanina Wasinger for Inside Studios HAIR AND MAKEUP: Olivia Velasquez 108
RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
Black sequin dress: Manfredonia Shirt: THII; Earrings: Laruicci
Dress: Mango Earrings: Laruicci
Suit: THII Dress: Romulina Shoes: Girasole
Dress: Mango Earrings: Laruicci
Metallic: Laurel Dewitt Leather skirt: Vintage Jacket: Levis
Sweater: Victoria Hayes Sunglasses: Vintage Ray Ban Boots: Jean Michel Cazabat
Note to self: You gotta do this for you. This is for you. This isn’t about anybody. Live for you. Honor you. Never lose sight of that.
you can
Images courtesy of Art Basel
ART BASEL MIAMI RAINE MAGAZINE - VOLUME 31
115
MAGAZINE
RAINE INSPIRE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS [I.C.E]
H O L L Y W O O D
I S S U E
VOL 19
QUARTERLY
QUARTERLY
VOL 25 FASHION.CULTURE.TECHNOLOGY
STYLE ISSUE
Y
PRIYANKA CHOPRA’S TAKING OVER! THE SERIOUS PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS SIMPLIFYING BUSINESS FINANCING HI-CAN’S $57,000 HI-TECH BED HOLLYWOOD HEALTHY
T H E
W O R L D ’ S
M O S T
F A S H I O N A B L E
B U S I N E S S
M A G A Z I N E
GET YOUR RAINE APP TODAY!
WWW.RAINE M AGAZ INE .C O M
I NS P I R E . C R E A T E . I NNO V A T E .
I N S P I R E. C R EA T E. I N N O V A T E.
INSPIRE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS
S P R I NG | S U M M E R
S P R I N G | S U M MER
VOL 29
VOL 29
INSPIRE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS
VOL 30 QUARTERLY
VOL 28 FASHION ISSUE
10
ASETTI HOMES: THE BUGATTI OF LUXURY LIVING ORAH: REINVENTING VIRTUAL REALITY
CELEBRATING YEARS OF RAINE
DO U B LE C O V E R E DI T I O N
D OU B L E COV E R E D I T I ON
L U X U R Y
&
L U X U R Y
L I F E S T Y L E
IN SP IRE . C RE A T E . I N N OV A T E .
I NS P I R E . C R E A T E . I NNO V A T E .
SP R I N G | S U MME R
S P R I NG | S U M M E R
&
L I F E S T Y L E
INSPIRE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS
VOL 29
VOL 29
INSPIRE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS
VOL 30 QUARTERLY
VOL 28 FASHION ISSUE
10
DOUBLE COVER EDITION
L U X U R Y
&
ASETTI HOMES: THE BUGATTI OF LUXURY LIVING ORAH: REINVENTING VIRTUAL REALITY
L I F E S T Y L E
INSPIRE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS
CELEBRATING YEARS OF RAINE
DO U B LE C O V E R E DI T I O N
L U X U R Y
&
L I F E S T Y L E
I NS P I R E . C R E A T E . I NNO V A T E .
I N S P I R E. C R EA T E. I N N O V A T E.
S P R I NG | S U M ME R
S P R I N G | S U M M ER
VOL 29
VOL 29
INSPIRE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS
VOL 30 QUARTERLY
VOL 28 FASHION ISSUE
10
D OUB L E COV E R E D I T I ON
L U X U R Y
IN SP IRE . C RE AT E . I N N OV A T E . SP R I N G | S UMME R
&
ASETTI HOMES: THE BUGATTI OF LUXURY LIVING ORAH: REINVENTING VIRTUAL REALITY
L I F E S T Y L E
CELEBRATING YEARS OF RAINE
DO U B LE C O V E R E DI T I O N
L U X U R Y
&
L I F E S T Y L E
I NS P I R E . C R E A T E . I NNO V A T E .
INSPIRE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS
S P R I NG | S U M ME R
VOL 29
VOL 29
INSPIRE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS
VOL 30 QUARTERLY
VOL 28 FASHION ISSUE
10
DOUBLE COVER EDITION
DO U B LE C O V E R E DI T I O N
L U X U R Y
&
L I F E S T Y L E
ASETTI HOMES: THE BUGATTI OF LUXURY LIVING ORAH: REINVENTING VIRTUAL REALITY
CELEBRATING YEARS OF RAINE