Issuu

ISSUE 2 | VOLUME 4 | SPRING ‘21

THE WOMEN’S ISSUE TROORAMAGAZINE.COM

Lucid Motors Luxury mobility company reimagining what a car can be.

Innovative engineering, Design, and Technology defining a new class of vehicle.

Photo Credit - Photographer Clarke Drahce - @clarke_drahce Styling - Etienne Jeanson JNSF Fashion - @jnsn_fashion Model - Samantha Malfoy - @malfoysamantha Make-up Artist - Sandrine Bo - @sandrinebo.makeup Hair Stylist - Jonathan Herzog - @jonathanherzogcoiffeur Assistants - Michel Delcambre & Elodie Lelièvre - @cocofoliiiiie Accessories - Earrings “Bonbon” Martine Brun - @martinebrunjewelry Wardrobe - Tony Ward Couture - @tonywardcouture Special thanks to - Thomas Gonzalez @tomz.gonzalez Shot for - Rare Magazine Paris France - Spring 2021

MMXIV

kaloud.com

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Randall Wide Cuff Crafted with pheasant feathers. Cuff is 1.5” wide and is 7.88" in circumference. 24k Gold Plated hardware. Randall Thin Cuff Cuff is 0.5” wide and is 7.63" in circumference. No dyes are used, giving each cuff a unique coloring. All Brackish pieces are handcrafted in Charleston, SC. Our cuffs take between four and five hours to complete. Every feather is hand selected by our artisans, making no pieces exactly alike. $195.00 brackish.com

Crafted to reflect the natural beauty of each feather

Summer Zip Polo 57% Linen | 43% Cotton Our classic Zip Polo style is knitted in 12 gauge, our lightest possible weight, creating a comfortable and airy fabric that’s perfect for warm weather and layering.

Biker Polo 100% Linen | Scrubbed Horn Buttons The heart of the collection is linen, one of the oldest textiles in the world.

Warmth from the edge of the world

inismeain.ie

GABS: Bag G3 print Trip shopper convertible Size L 465 Stockist: Bulo Shoes San Francsico, California Model: Deja Peters Photographed by: Laura Tillinghast MUA: Celestine Pearl Stylist: Angelica Garde Creative Direction: Brian Esterle Style Curation|: Trystanne Cunningham Produced by: Rare Magazine

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Imagination will take you everywhere

JEANETTE SMITH CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

To Be a Woman

here is no way to sum up what being a woman means. There is no singular definition of womanhood, what a woman looks like, or even the female experience. History tried to tell women who to be and how to act, what we could or could not do—but look at us now.

“History tried to tell women who to be and how to act, what we could or could not do—but look at us now.”

Today, women are continually crashing glass ceilings of every sort, rightly proving that we belong in all aspects of our world and society. From empowering women to take up maledominated professions to designing womencentered clothing and products, our Women’s Issue features the female makers, dreamers, and entrepreneurs who are writing their own stories on what it means to be a woman. Come inside and learn how to find your passions from chef and baker Joanne Chang as she leads the way for women in the restaurant industry. Read our interview with Jaidene Veda, a Canadian recording artist with an impressive 20-year career including five albums and almost 200 collaborations. We focus on female-centered brands such as Love Iguehi from NigerianAmerican Iguehi James and Cocoacentric from southern girl LaToya McInnis. And we tell you how to get involved with Shreya and Saffron Patel’s Letters Against Isolation project. All these amazing women and many more are featured in these pages. I encourage you to take some time to celebrate these ladies and be inspired by them.

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CREDITS M O D E L : F R A N K I E TA V A R E S P H O T O S , M U A , H A I R : F R A N K I E TA V A R E S

RARE MAGAZINE THE WOMEN ’S ISSUE

Story Behind the Cover Frankie Tavares began her career five years ago as a model for designer Monif C. Since then, she has worked with Fashion To Figure, Free Country Apparel, Poshmark and designer Byron Lars, as well as JCPenney, Forever21, Macy’s, Stitch Fix ,Swimsuits For All, Eleven 60 and Rue 107. The hardworking wife, mother of three, dog-parent, sister and daughter makes photo shoots look easy; “DIY is in her nature.” Read the full article by Matthew Paul Robinson Page 202. Rare Magazine 17

Photographed by @theginstarp Styled by @isaintlu.co for @lucostudiong Model @officialglitzz @litmodelsng Makeup @jogis_artistry Accessories @zeriluxury

Mila Ear Jacket Available in Silver Or Gold nikkiedesigns.com

Rare magazine LLC A Fortunest Group PO BOX 152 Brisbane, CA 94005 833∙755∙7273 inquiries@raremagazine.com raremagazine.com

Welcome It is an absolute pleasure to welcome you to Rare magazine. As we embark on our third year of publication, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support. As the founder and editor-in-chief of Rare magazine, my vis ion to create a space for the voiceless has always been a pass ion. I aspire to provide a platform that amplifies voices that are yet to be heard. My team and I forage the corners of the world for inspiring stories packed with individuality to bring to our exclusive audience in sea rch of their Rare. By partnering with passionate creatives, artists and entrepreneurs who are looking to gain exposure through an organic lens, we proudly connect the unheard with individuals that admire Rare's diverse inclusive exclusivity. By reading Rare and Rare Living magazines we hope to motivate your mornings, inspire your afternoons, energize your evenings, and spark your curiosity at the turn of every page. Against the grain of the mainstream, Rare magazine features a wide range of lifestyle topics, thoughtprovoking articles, beautifully curated and presented, immersing our readers in a sophisticated and luxurious experience.

Rare Magazine 21

Photographed by @theginstarp Styled by @isaintlu.co for @lucostudiong Model @officialglitzz @litmodelsng Makeup @jogis_artistry Accessories @zeriluxury

Contents HOME DESIGN & DECOR

44 C O U N T RY C O O L BY ROBYN ALEXANDER

Interior designer Kim Stephen crafted a chic yet laidback take on modern country style in this Tudor Revival home in Surrey

70 THE MONA LISA OF GIFT BOXES BY MICHAEL DAKS

DLISH Gift Boxes Mona Bavar’s Distinctive Gift Boxes Curated in Milan, Italy

52 SPECIAL THREAD BY ROBYN ALEXANDER

Maker, designer, and entrepreneur Frances van Hasselt creates beautiful mohair rugs that reflect their unique origins in the South African Karoo

CULINARY

U N I Q U E C R E AT I V I T Y BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

Nneka Mosley is One Handy Momma. Her DIY Creations have become an escape

INTERVIEW WITH CHEF CHANG F LO U R B A K E RY BY CARY WONG

The Knowledge of Flour - How Joanne Chang Became a Celebrated Pastry Chef 86

78 INTERVIEW WITH ELLIE KRIEGER BY CARY WONG

Living In Health and Nutrition An Interview with Best-Selling Nutritionist Ellie Krieger

92 INTERVIEW WITH CHEF LEÓN / KJOLLE BY CARY WONG

Running her kitchen by pure meritocracy

98 J E N B AT C H E L O R F O U N D E R O F KIN EUPHORICS BY CARY WONG

Kin Euphorics Jen Batchelor’s Nootropics Cocktails 24 Rare Magazine

Spring 2021

ART MUSIC FILM

146 JAIDENE VEDA (MUSICIAN) BY MICHAEL DAKS

Finding My Voice - Canadian Recording Artist Jaidene Veda

152 M AYA C U E V A ( D O C U M E N TA RY FILM MAKER) BY MICHAEL DAKS

Maya’s Lens - An Interview with Award-winning Documentary Filmmaker Maya Cueva

bespoke, natural textiles to the UK

246

SPECIAL INTEREST

138

268

JESSE WILLIAMS BY MICHAEL DAKS

TO SENIORS WITH LOVE B Y N I Z I E LO K M A N

A Passion for dance Michael Daks Interviews Jessie Williams

Letters against isolation

242

158

DETROIT ACHIEVEMENT ACADEMY B Y N I Z I E LO K M A N

FRANCESCA BAUR BY MICHAEL DAKS

Fable and Base How Francesca Baur is bringing

138

Creating Civically Engaged Citizens, Ready to Change the World

252 NASREEN MA B Y N I Z I E LO K M A N

Nuturing Mindset

262 GIRL GANG GARAGE BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

Empowering Women Girl Gang Garage

246 BE BOLD MEDIA BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

Human Technologist Sabrina Hersi Issa’s Passion for activisim and empowering human dignity

SCIENCE & I N N OVAT I O N

276 ACADEMY OF SCIENCES E M I LY S O H N

From Reviled to Adored A Woman’s Triumph

T R AV E L

124 WEEKEND LANGKAWI B Y N I Z I E LO K M A N

Finding Power in Pain Founder of The Weekend Langkawi, Tammy Rahman

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The Art Of Wearing vicnate.com

Photographed by @theginstarp Styled by @isaintlu.co for @lucostudiong Model @officialglitzz @litmodelsng Makeup @jogis_artistry Accessories @zeriluxury

FA S H I O N & ACCESSORIES

172 DIARRA BLU; IT’S WHO WE ARE- DIARRABLU VANESSA OHAHA

It’s Who We Are - Diarra Bousso designing with culture

180 BORN FROM A DREAM, INSPIRED BY ANCESTORS VANESSA OHAHA 112

WELLNESS

112 U R S K A S R S E N - B E L L A B E AT BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

Follow the Beat: Urska Srsen’s Path to Heart-Driven Success

118 E AT S L E E P O R G A N I Z E BARBARA REICH, LARA METZ AND WHITNEY ROBAN BY BARBARA REICH, LARA METZ AND WHITNEY ROBAN

Born From A Dream Silvana Landa creates beauty from her Ancestors

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186

192

MADE IN AMERICALOVE IGUEHI VANESSA OHAHA

VANESSA OHAHA NIKKI E DESIGNS

Nicole Escalante’s Inspiring Jewelry

Made In America Iguehi James 186

198 SHANNON ASHFORD CRISTINA DEPTULA

“I Sew” Using plastic for good

Eat Sleep Organize

204

106

F R A N K I E TA V A R E S M AT T H E W P A U L ROBINSON

ERICA KESWIN B Y T RYSTA N N E C U N N I N G H A M

Erica Keswin Rituals Roadmap

“Taking Over" The Magnetic Frankie Tavares

214 MARTINE BRUN BY MARTINE BRUN

Haute Fantasy Martine Brun Makes Everyday Ojects into High Fashion Jewelry

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The Women's Issue 2021 BEAUT Y

222 INCLUSIVE BEAUT Y DIVERGING FROM B E A U T Y S TA N D A R D S NEHA SURADKAR

Inclusive Beauty Diverging from Standards Embracing Diversity

164 BUTTON OBSESSED NEHA SURADKAR

Latoya McInnis Founder of Cocoacentric Used her obsession to create a Jewelry line

164

228

234 “CAPABILITIES ARE BOUNDLESS” RENE HARDING, FOUNDER SKIN AMITY NEHA SURADKAR

Boundless Capabilities

228

P L AY L I S T

292 W O M E N ’ S P L AY L I S T KARMA BENNETT

Fierce - A Women’s Playlist of Over a Hundred Songs to Inspire and Empower

AVOCURL INTERVIEW WITH JASMINE CURTIS BRIAN ESTERLE

Falling Out - How Avocurl Founder Jasmine Curtis is breaking up with toxic chemicals

Rare Magazine 29

The Art Of Wearing vicnate.com

Photographed by @theginstarp Styled by @isaintlu.co for @lucostudiong Model @officialglitzz @litmodelsng Makeup @jogis_artistry Accessories @zeriluxury

Contributors FOR THIS ISSUE

01 02 01

03 04

MICHAEL DAKS

Contributing Writer/ Photographer

02 BRIAN ESTERLE

Brand Outreach, Media Relations Director, Writer

03 NEHA SURADKAR

Beauty Contributing Writer

04 NIZIE LOKMAN

Travel & Wellness Contributing Writer

05 32 Rare Magazine

05 CA RY W O N G

Culinary Contributing Writer

07 09

06 VANESSA OHAHA

Fashion & Beauty Contributing Writer

07 M AT H E W P A U L ROBINSON

Contributing Writer

CRISTINA DEPTULA

Contributing Writer

09 ROBYN ALEXANDER

Home Design/ Decor Contributing Writer

10 SHERDELLAH ANUNCIADO

Editorial Design Director

11 T RY S TA N N E CUNNINGHAM

Editor In Chief, Founder, CEO Rare Magazine 33

The World's Finest, Consciously Made Handbags

behno.com

Ethically Made Jewelry In Spain lolamohe.com

Photographer Credit IN THIS ISSUE

Photographed by: Nicky Thomas

C-D O S F P T H-K R V-Y JASMINE CURTIS MICHAEL DAKS REBECCA DOUGL AS CLARKE DRAHCE

BASHIR OLAWOYIN M O R G A N O TA G B U R U A G U

ANNA SHVETS K E T U T S U B I YA N KO

ANTONIAS FERRET JESSE FINE TH FINGERSTUDIOS

ALI PANZANI PEXELS

F R A N K I E TA V A R E S KRISTIN TEIG NICKY THOMAS L AURA TILLINGHAST

W A R R E N H E AT H ISTOCK GABBY K

TA M M Y R A H M A N DANIEL A REYNA ARMIN RIMOLDI

JAIDENE VEDA E LSA YO U N G

dlish.us

A carefully chosen selection of items for people that enjoy “the finer things in life”.

Providing an exciting and delightful experience. Continually sourcing, curating and delivering the rarest food products coupled with the most stylish designs.

dlish.us

RUGS WALLS UPHOLSTERY

kylebunting.com

Country Cool BY ROBYN ALEXANDER PRODUCTION SVEN ALBERDING P H OTO C R E D I T E LSA YO U N G

The rear elevation of the house includes half-timbered walls and looks out onto a large lawn. The outdoor seating is the Caroline range from Sika furniture (sika-design.com) and the cushions are all made up in outdoor fabrics by Jim Thompson (jimthompsonfabrics. com) including Patron in Lemon, Sampan Stripe in Pebble, Palm Plain in Meadow, Tunis in Daisy, and Lisboa in Gold.

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KIM STEPHEN DESIGNER KIM STEPHENS DESIGNER

In the hallway and stairwell, the statement pendant light is the Walker Two-Tier chandelier by Kate Spade New York, which was sourced from Circa Lighting (circalighting.com). It stands out beautifully against the wallpaper, Textures Vegetales by Élitis (elitis.com), which Stephen uses in almost all her projects—”it brings warmth and texture, and I love the way light bounces off the linen-like effect of the paper,” she says.

In the casual TV lounge on the ground floor, Stephen has again used Textures Vegetales wallpaper by Élitis (elitis.com), which she says “brings warmth and texture, and I love the way light bounces off the linen-like effect of the paper.” The corner-unit sofa is a bespoke design made up by Stephen’s upholsterers in Belisto Silt fabric by Black Edition (blackedition.com) and the rectangular Narrow Jet side table and Merton brass table lamp are both from OKA (oka.com). The scatter cushions include some bespoke items made up using Escale Noir and Marina Pastis—both by Lelievre (lelievreparis.com)— as well as embroidered, patterned pillows from Niki Jones (niki-jones. co.uk). The round occasional tables were sourced from South African furniture and design store, Weylandts (weylandts.co.za), and the elegant pendant Crescent light is by Lee Broom (leebroomstore. com). The rug is a bespoke order from Floor Story (floorstory.co.uk), designed by Stephen to create an ombre effect using the yellow shades from elsewhere in the room, and the window blind was made up in No 9 Ikat Basket fabric in Wild Daisy by Jim Thompson (jimthompsonfabrics.com).

n a Tudor Revival home in Cobham, Surrey, interior designer Kim Stephen has crafted a chic yet laidback take on modern country style

After spending a number of years searching for the right property in the ideal location, the new owners of this characterful home in Cobham, Surrey, asked London-based interior designer Kim Stephen to assis t them with its renovation. They wanted “a house that had a contemporary feel, but that was still homely and comfortable,” says Stephen.

After eight months of work, the update was complete, with the result being interiors that encapsulate the understat ed elegance that constitutes a very contemporary update on country living. The house is home to a family of five who moved to the United Kingdom from Sout h Africa five years ago and is situated within walking distance of the heart of the village of Cobham. Rare Magazine 45

SPECIAL THREAD The arid, semi-desert landscapes of South Africa’s central Karoo region are an acquired taste. This is a place where extreme harshness—scorching heat on summer days, icy cold on winter nights—coexists with the delicate beauty of indigenous plant life, and where the bone-dry air is scented with dust yet still exquisitely clean and crisp. Sunrise and sunset are soft and subtle moments, the land stretches seemingly endlessly to the distant horizons, and the sky feels somehow higher above one’s head than it does elsewhere. The people of the Karoo are special too: friendly to every visitor, yet with an inner reserve that reflects the elusive nature of the place in which they live and work. This is also an area renowned for its exquisite mohair. The mohair fibres produced by the angora goats of the Karoo are some of the very best in the world, prized around the globe (and most especially, in the textile centres of Italy and Japan). In South Africa itself, the exceptional quality of local mohair is not as well known. Partly as a result of this, almost all of it is exported as a raw material, to be spun, dyed, and woven elsewhere. Which is why, as designer, rug maker, and Karoo native Frances van Hasselt explains, it was only once she had spent some time working in the international fashion industry that she “came to realise how incredibly special and unique mohair is.”

BY ROBYN ALEXANDER PRODUCTION SVEN ALBERDING P H O T O C R E D I T W A R R E N H E AT H 52 Rare Magazine

Designer, rug maker and entrepreneur Frances van Hasselt grew up on her family's farm in the Karoo. The process of creating one of her luxurious handmade rugs starts with taking good care of the land, she says, and of the herd of angora goats who produce the mohair that she describes as “one of the world’s most ancient, exclusive and sustainable natural fibres.”

F R A N C E S V A N H A S S E LT MAKER & RUG DESIGNER

Hand Rolled Palo Santo Incense lunasundara.com

Plant-based designs bringing the outside in & celebrating the natural world fableandbase.co.uk

One Handy

Momma BY: CRISTINA DEPTULA

“Creativity is creativity. It just plays out in different ways,” says Nneka Mosley of One Handy Momma. She started out making and selling designer handbags, a hobby she’d turned into a business, but closed down when she and her husband decided to have children.

NNEKA MOSLEY F O U N D E R O N E H A N DY M O M M A

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“I’d had some awesome experiences along the way, but realized that I’d lost the passion to continue.” Mosley has now channeled that passion into her new venture, designing and building practical and stylish furniture and teaching women how to do the same.

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Palo Santo and Huayruro Bracelet lunasundara.com

The “Mona” Lisa of Gift Boxes

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MONA BAVAR FOUNDER DLISH

BY MICHAEL DAKS PHOTO CREDIT DLISH

ona Bavar is the delightful and engaging entrepreneur behind DLISH, a start up company specializing in curating distinctive gifts around food, art and design for the corporate market as well as for person-to-person gifting. We sat down for a virtual breakfast meeting, Mona in a caf é in Milan with her cappuccino and croissant and me in my office near London with a mug of instant coffee and a slice of buttered toast.

Daks: You have such an interesting story; it’s almost like a travelogue! Can you tell me a bit about your early life and experiences? I’m interested in how a young Iranian girl comes to America and then finds herself in Milan. Bavar: I was born in Iran and moved to the United States due to the Iranian Revolution of 1979. We came straight to Los Angeles and I basically grew up there, so I guess that’s where home is. But as an immigrant, forced to leave your country, you always have the sense of ‘I don’t belong anywhere,’ at least I personally never really felt American.

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Healthy Eating Tasteful, Playful & Beautiful

Certified organic, 100% vegan Real Food Dressings Carefully selected Blends of premium oils & Ingredients From artisan producers committed to sustainability Gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, dairy-free - no garlic

Living In Health and Nutrition -

An Interview with Ellie Krieger B Y : CA RY W O N G

h e relationship between food and humans is ever-changing. This has never been clearer than in recent times. Despite the information explosion, making the right choices is increasingly difficult. One day a new study could be touting the benefits of a mystery ingredient and the next day another professional might talk about the same item’s harmfulness. It is easy to feel overwhelmed in an environment where every second of a dinner is fraught with danger! As a registered dietitian and nutritionist as well as bestselling author, writer, and TV

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ELLIE KREIGER NUTRITIONIST

presenter, Ellie Krieger has been supporting people who deal with these challenges her entire career. Regardless of the platform, her priority remains the same. “I was always interested in food and passionate about it and drawn to it and flavor,” she says. “I’m a dietician who mainly works in the media and my mission is to help people find joy and pleasure from eating well.” When Krieger was attending Cornell University, she needed to make money for school. So, she started to work as a fashion model with stints in Japan and Europe. “I went to college to study nutrition. Actually, I was premed, but I majored in nutrition because that fulfills all of the requirements. But it was in a field of food, which I was really drawn to. I was modeling literally as a summer job initially, to pay for school. I had some friends in the field, so it was easy for me to access the fashion industry. After my freshman year of college, I was asked by a Japanese agency to work in Tokyo. So, I took a year off from school and worked in Japan, and then went to Europe and worked in Italy. It was an amazing thing… it was partially an adventure on its own. It enabled me to pay for school, and then ultimately my master’s degree in nutrition from Columbia University,” she says. After graduating, she started to work in the nutritional field; first at her private practice, which helped her understand the questions people were asking. The direct feedback also taught her how to help individuals through the day-to-day issues that they face and for them to make good choices within the constraints and challenges that real life throws at them. The energy she got from working

in the public space, however, made her expand her reach in different ways. “I do have a lot of things (that) might seem disparate and seem like they’re coming from all different directions but there’s one overarching goal. And that is to help people, to reach people… and help them enjoy food in a healthy way. I minored in journalism for my master’s degree. Any form of media is fair game and within my mission: magazine writing, book writing, doing videos, doing Instagram, taking images, blogs, whatever,” she says. “I always follow this gut feeling of what gives me excitement, what jazzes me up. So (that is) how I take the next steps in my career.” Working in the nutritional field means that Krieger has to keep up with Rare Magazine 79

The Knowledge of Flour – with Chef Joanne Chang B Y : CA RY W O N G PHOTOGRAPHY: KRISTIN TEIG

K CHEF JOANNE CHANG F O U N D E R F LO U R B A K E RY

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n own as one of the most decorated and popular bakeries in America, Flour Bakery + Café opened its doors at the turn of the century. Fast forward to 2021, there are now ten locations scattered throughout the Boston area along with its headquarters (known lovingly as the Breadquarters). With the modern Chinese restaurant Myers+Chang also under the same umbrella, it is a certifiable culinary empire. Yet none of them would have existed had owner/chef Joanne Chang stayed on her original career path. Born from Taiwanese parents in Houston, she grew up in Oklahoma and Texas with lots of home cooking. She attended school at Harvard

University, initially to study astrophysics, and then switched to applied mathematics and economics. Though she had no idea what the job title meant, Ms. Chang accepted a position as management consultant after graduation to work for the Monitor Group in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She spent two years traveling around

the country in that role, helping big corporations sort out various problems within their organizations. Working on videoconferencing for AT&T (similar to today’s Zoom or Skype), insurance practices for John Hancock, logistical study for Verizon and other high-profile projects was a good job, but she felt that it was not going to be her job forever. Rare Magazine 87

Beautifully Crafted Chef Knives In Albacete, Spain

Alexandrine & Cass Are donating 6-7 meals per knife sold to the Gleaners Community Food Bank in Detroit

CHEF PÍA LEÓN FOUNDER KJOLLE

Striking Out On Her Own The Story of Chef Pía León and Kjolle Restaurant B Y : CA RY W O N G

achu Picchu, Nazca Lines, Vinicunca Rainbow Mountains—these breathtaking landmarks are probably the first things that come to mind for someone who does not live in the amazing country of Peru.

The culinary scene there, howeve r, is fast catching up to its natural be auty. And in the pantheon of great Peruvian chefs, a number of females share the spotlight with their male counterparts. Chef Pía León at Kjolle is certainly one of those greats.

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She had a very early professional start. She studied at Cordon Bleu in Lima, interned at El Celler de Can Roca in Spain and the Ritz in Naples, worked at the New York Ritz, then at Astrid y Gastón back in Peru—all before she was 21. “I was always very curious about gastronomy, I knew… at an early age that I wanted to be a cook, so I studied gastronomy.” Chef León said. “And I started lo oking for restaurants where I could learn about good products and techniques.” “I always thought that haute cuisine could satisfy my curiosities about techniques, professional development, and of co urse seeking for a clear work philosophy,” she continued. “That is why I worked for some important restaurants.”

but we have always been cautious about respecting certain spaces and creating (them) where we can work being ourselves and being together.” She ran the Central kitchen for 10 years and played an integral part of Mater Iniciativa, the scientific and social research center of the couple’s organization. They have also opened up numerous establishments in the world including Mayo Bar, Lima (a brand with locations in London and Dubai), Ichu Peru (a spot in Hong Kong), and MIL (a destination restaurant outside of the Sacred Valley in Cusco, Peru).

But her stint at Central Restaurant after the aforementioned exper iences was arguably the biggest turning point in her life. There, she worked with the legendary Chef Virgilio Martínez Véliz and took charge of the kitchen operations. They also fell in love, got married, and grew their family all while building the restaurant into the fourth-best in the world and the best in Latin America according to World’s 50 Best Restaurants. “I met Virgilio the first time I went to Central and I knew little about what he was like. I met him as a cook, and when we started dating and got married we already knew each other a lot,” Chef León said. “We respect our spaces and there is good communication. We always knew that working in the kitchen is complicated and there are always difficulties

Rare Magazine 93

Elegance is good taste plus a dash of daring!

DLISHUS GIN GIFT BOX Curated In Milan Ships Globally dlish.us

dlish.us

Jen Batchelor and Kin Euphorics B Y CA RY W O N G

PHOTO CREDIT KIN EUPHORICS

s more and more companies offer different artisan alcohols and liquors, the growth of nonalcoholic drinks has also picked up in recent times. Distillates, bitters, aperitif, spirits, and other nonalcoholic alternatives are now springing up all over the world.

Kin Euphorics and its founder, Jennifer Batchelor, took a slightly different angle, making “euphorics”—a new category that puts as much emphasis on wellness as it does on the social element. Things started in 2016 when she headed to the local Whole Foods, looking for something to help relieve her stress. She was first directed to the 98 Rare Magazine

J E N B AT C H E L O R FOUNDER KIN EUPHORICS

dlish.us

DLISHUS GIN GIFT BOX Curated In Milan Ships Globally dlish.us

A carefully chosen selection of items for people that enjoy “the finer things in life”.

Live the Life You Were Meant to Lead life-organized.com

The Practice of Rituals Author Erica Keswin’s story and her Exquisitely Timed New Book, Rituals Road Map B Y T RY S TA N N E C U N N I N G H A M

ri ca Keswin is a bestselling author, internationally sought-after speaker, and founder of the Spaghetti Project, a roving ritual devoted to sharing the science and stories of relationships at work. She helps top-of-the-class businesses, organizati ons, a nd individuals improve their performance by honoring relationships in every context, always with an eye toward high-tech for human touch.

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ERICA KESWIN AUTHOR

Rare Magazine 107

F A N TA S Y I S C R E AT E D I N T H E M O M E N T. WE BESTOW THE JOY YOU DESIRE AND THE PLEASURE YOU DESERVE

Euphorics for Humankind kineuphorics.com

URSKA SRSEN F O U N D E R B E L L A B E AT

Follow the Beat:

Urska Srsen’s Path to Heart-Driven Success BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

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rska Srsen is the co-founder and CCO of Bellabeat Inc., a Silicon Valley company building tech-powered wellness products for women. The Bellabeat team is behind the Leaf health tracking jewelry fo r women, named by Digital Trends back in 2015 as one of the best new mobile products, and Spring, the first smart water bottle powered by AI. “Our core mission at Bellabeat is to inspire women to be healthier so that they can be successful at other thin gs. I believe it’s really important to have a healthy life and work balance. It’s okay to take care of yourself first, because if you’re falling apart, you won’t be able to do your job.” Bellabeat helps women (and some FTM transgenders) track their workouts and menstrual cycles, get ideas for healthy eating, sleep and relax with guided meditations, and follow their pregnancies and hear their babies’ heartbeats. Unlike other fitness-tracking or meditation apps, Bella Beat uniquely integrates tracking users’ ovulation and menstrual cycles into its health recommendations. So users can receive extra help with stress or customized workout suggestio ns that take into account how hormones are affecting them. Srsen’s passion for women’s health goes back a long way. Her mother was an obstetrician and gynecologist heading the perinatology department at Slovenia’s University Clinical Center. According to Srsen, women, who do a lot of the world’s caregiving, often don’t receive the care they themselves need. And women tend to be slower to adopt new technologies, so she intentionally streamlined the interface of Bellabeat and the information it provides. Rare Magazine 113

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Women Finding Power In Pain BY NIZIE LOKMAN

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his is the narrative that radically changed Tammy to become her woman warrior, motivating herself to move forward. Being a woman is a whirlwind of adventure. Yet, some women choose just to allow circumstances to hurt them. But not Tammy Rahman. The female founder of a funky bed & breakfast inn, The Weekend Langkawi in Malaysia, recently won an award, ”Traveller’s Review Choice 2021 by Booking.com,” only after one year of operation. Nizie Lokman finds Tammy’s s tory a source of inspiration to women and digs deeper into Tammy’s story to find out how she can capitalize on her unique significance in the middle of a Covid-19 pandemic.

Starting Somewhere Tammy Rahman, a rising hospitality entrepreneur, didn’t have everything figured out when she founded The Weekend Langkawi. After leaving the city of Kuala Lumpur, she leaped into faith. She moved to Langkawi Island up north to be nearer to the sea. She started a small food truck business called Grub Truck serving Sloppy Joe’s at Cenang Beach of Langkawi Island, up north in Kedah, Malaysia. I remembered when I first met Tammy in action in August 2019 while traveling to Langka wi. She coordinates her tiny kitchen, serving and entertaining customers from her Grub Truck along the famous Cenang Beach. There I was sitting at a portable table with my family watching people ordering and receiving their food one after another. From all walks of life, different parts of the world, with engaging conversations with her customers while on the job. I have been following her entrepreneurial journey, from the Grub Truck to a funky bed & breakfa st in the middle of a local village vicinity in January 2020. Seeing her

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Daks. Why don’t we talk a little bit about how you got started as a dancer? I started as a photographer when I was 16, which is how old you are now, but you must have started when you were 5 or even earlier? JW. I started when I was 3 at a local dance school. You went just to have fun and dancing was your hobby, but I just fell in love with it! My mom took me, but she didn’t know anything about dancing because she’s got two left feet! It was my Nana who put me into dancing and paid for my classes. I was never really a natural dancer. I had to work so hard for it. Nothing really came easy. I would go and do trampolining, gymnastics, and running. I used to run 800 metres and I could just run that like it was nothing, but when I went to dance class it challenged me, it wasn’t easy so I chose that over running because it was harder!

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JESSE WILLIAMS DANCER

BY MICHAEL DAKS PHOTO CREDIT JAIDENE VEDA

Finding My Voice Jaidene Veda

aidene Veda is a Canadian recording artist with five albums under her belt as well as close to 200 collaborations as a feature vocalist over her 20-year career. She is currently working on her sixth album as well as a documentary due to be released in 2021. We sat down virtually to talk about her life and work and the importance of early breast cancer screening.

Daks: Tell me a little about your childhood; where you were born and what music you were listening to growing up. Veda: I was born in Calgary, a fairly small city in Canada compared to the West and East Coast where I also lived later in life. I grew up in the “Sub-Pop era,” a Seattle-based grunge music record label that really blossomed in the 1990s. I was obsessed with Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against the Machine... but in contrast with most of the music I create now, I was really listening to anything but electronica in my youth. Mostly male singers as well. I still hear their influence on me with their raspy, lower voices and a really deep or even abstract sense of prose and story-telling. Daks: When did you first decide that you wanted a career in music? What were your inspirations and influences? Veda: When I eventually discovered Artists like Björk & Me’shell Ndegeocello who were incredibly unique artists, or female lead singers in bands like Everything But The Girl, Mazzy Star, Portishead; the music and their voices really stirred something in me. I can recall it was like the feeling I still find when I watch a good movie. For the duration of the song, similar to the duration of the film, I am in ‘their’ world. That organic sense of escapism was life-changing. I began trying to find my own voice. As well as my parents, I was also very lucky to have an older brother who introduced me to incredible music all my life, all the way until my first experience with club culture. Now, I’ve spent half of my life producing house music. I pretty much have him to credit for all of it.

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JAIDENE VEDA RECORDING ARTIST

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MAYA CUEVA BY MICHAEL DAKS

aya Cueva is an award-winning director and producer who began broadcasting for NPR’s “All Things Considered” at the age of sixteen through Youth Radio before directing her first documentary short The Provider, which won an Emmy at the College Television Awards. We sat down to talk about her deeply personal and political stories.

Daks: Hi Maya ! Before we get started on your work and career, can you give me a bit of background family history? I know it’s an interesting story. Cueva: Hi Michael. I’m Jewish Peruvian American. My dad i s from Peru and immigrated here when he was eighteen. My mom is from Chicago and was raised in a Socialist family that was heavily involved in the Civil Rights and Anti-War movements. Daks: That sounds like a fiery combination. Can you tell me where you grew up? Cueva: I’m from the Bay Area here in Berkeley, California. My dad met my mom in Chicago and then followed her to the West Coast. In fact I made a podcast for NPR’s Latino USA about how they met.

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Alonso Parra, DP, Ale Libre Photo credit: Jasmine Curtis

M AYA C U E V A D O C U M E N TA RY FILM MAKER

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Collection: I WANT YOUR MONEY AND YOUR CAR KEYS dameon.co.uk

Artist

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FRANCESCA BAURFOUNDER FABLE & BASE

Francesca Baur –

Fable and Base INTERVIEW BY MICHAEL DAKS PHOTOGRAPHS SUPPLIED BY REBECCA DOUGL AS FOR E L M L EY N ATU R E R E S E R V E AND FRANCESCA BAUR. 158 Rare Magazine

MD. Hello Francesca! Can we start with a little about your art education? When did you first become interested in art and textile design? FB. Hi Michael! I’m from a family of artists, architects, seam-mistresses and designers, so creativity has always been a big part of my life. I trained as a printed textile designer in the early 1990’s at Middlesex University in England. Then whilst working as a freelance designer and also a teacher in textiles, I decided I wanted to develop a business that was forward thinking and sustainable to encourage others to design for longevity.

I was raised on one of the first organic farms in Britain and my Grandfather ran a textile business in London. He established a lingerie business in Regent Street after he left the Munich lace house Spitzbergen & Klauber for England in 1930. My parents set up Ripple Organics, one of the first organic farms and delivery box schemes. I’m keen to embed the slow movement that I experienced as a child into my work as a designer. There has been a definite shift in the last ten years. People are now aware of the importance of transparency and traceability, and more questions are being asked as to where their products have come from and their environmental impact. In 2013 I launched a Kickstarter campaign and received European funding which enabled me to set up my studio in Whitstable in Kent in 2014.

MD. What artists have inspired your work? FB. There are so many artists and designers that I admire. I love the work of Sonia Delauney, Fernand Léger, Matisse and, Mondrian. MidCentury Scandinavian design is also a strong influence. Essentially I look for narratives that I can translate onto cloth. I’m intuitive in the way I work but like to use my everyday surroundings as a springboard for ideas. Colour and the natural form are my biggest inspirations. Living in Kent, The Garden of England means that I have rich resources on my doorstep and I use botanics and plant forms to inform most of my ideas. MD. How did the whole ‘grow your own flax’ project get started? FB. I explored the possibilities of growing flax in Kent by visiting Belgian linen producers to learn the Rare Magazine 159

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“Comparison Kills Creativity!” - LaToya McInnis, Founder CocoaCentric

BY: NEHA SURADKAR

aToya McInnis, a stylish southern girl with an innate love for jewelry and styling, converted her passion into a profession with a fantastic Afro-Centric accessory brand, Cocoacentric. Cocoa describes the brown hue and Centric refers to the centeredness. Cocoacentric is a brand of ethically handmade, curated, and vintage jewelry and accessories, inspired by fashion to make a bold statement and style.

The eldest among five children, McInnis had seen her parents dress well, and her mother’s bold and feminine style inspired her. She moved to San Francisco at the age of 13 with her mother and siblings in search of a better life. A natural and creative leader and with a keen interest in art, music and, fashion, she always impressed her colleagues with her sense of style. As a young girl, McInnis was obsessed with buttons on clothes and imagined them as earrings. She used jewelry as a medium to transform a look. Her years of experience as a jewelry merchandiser helped her understand fashion-jewelry. She could see and experience jewelry from both consumers’ perspective and as a budding jewelry designer. For Cocoacentric, McInnis derives her inspiration from the indigenous women and women of color, from their essence, vulnerability, and their natural ability to be strong, resilient, and beautiful at the same time. She also draws inspiration from music, film, pop culture, nature, and fiercely sophisticated, bold, and feminine women. All this makes her designs evoke emotions, vulnerability, and nostalgia. Her designs are tender and bold, fearless yet beautiful. They are made for women who are fashion-forward but not trendy, who love quality jewelry and

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Model: Deja Peters Photographer: Laura Tillinghast MUA: Celestine Pearl Jewelry: Cocoacentric Earrings Stylist: Angelica Garde Creative Direction: Brian Esterle Style Curation | Trystanne Cunningham Produced by: Rare magazine LLC A Fortunest Group

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It’s Who We Are – Diarra Bousso on building a fashion brand informed by technology with respect for heritage. BY VANESSA OHAHA

ith a brand identity steeped in sustainability and a love for artisanal techniques, Diarrablu is changing fashion one garment at a time.

Diarra Bousso launched Diarrablu in 2018 with a unique objective—to merge her love of math and algorithms with her artisanal heritage. An idea that started while she was grading Algebra papers, Diarra stayed up all night graphi ng various equations and colouring the intersecting regions randomly. This overnight session inspired the new innovative design process for her prints. In her words, “Being from an artisan family, the natural next step was to fuse both worlds.”

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Opposite page: Teddy Blake Ava Silver 9" Light Grey Stampatto Leather Soft pebbled calf skin leather Real suede interior Silver toned hardware Model: Deja Peters Photographer: Laura Tillinghast MUA: Celestine Pearl Stylist: Angelica Garde Creative Direction: Brian Esterle Style Curation| Creative Direction: Trystanne Cunningham Produced by: Rare Magazine LLC A Fortunest Group

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Born from A Dream, Inspired by Ancestors.

BY: VANESSA OHAHA

SILVANA L ANDA FOUNDER L ANDA BAGS

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ith a background in commercial and business strategy, Silvana Landa had first-hand insight into how big brands ran and how others were created. Before long, Silvana realized it was time to create something that was hers. “LANDA was born out of a dream and inspired by my ancestors.” As a child, Silvana spent hours watching her Italian grandfather work with leather in his workshop. The entrepreneurial spirit seems to run in her genes. Her grandfather was a cobbler; her father an entrepreneur who taught her much about the corporate world; her grandmother, a self-made pantsuit tailor; and her mom an entrepreneur in her own way. To Silvana, starting her own business felt inescapable.

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Welcome to the Vegan Revolution

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Made in America and Celebrating Heritage BY VANESSA OHAHA

PHOTO CREDIT LEYL A ISMEN

IGUEHI JAMES FOUNDER LOVE IGUEHI

igerian-American Iguehi James has always loved fashion and was content with curating her own wardrobe with bright colours and unique prints. Little did she know that she would start a business.

Love Iguehi came out of a desire to create clothing that was stylish and within her budget. Iguehi was always asked by friends and even strangers where she got her clothes, and the spark was lit. In August of 2016, Love Iguehi was born after just one year of teaching herself to sew. Born and raised in Oakland, California, Iguehi runs her business from Oakland. As an Oakland native, it was important for her to create, build, and sustain something in and for her hometown. She calls her brand a ‘Made-inAmerica’ brand that showcases her Oakland roots and her Nigerian heritage.

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tomfoolery.com

Nikki E Designs;

Handcrafted and Socially Conscious Jewelry BY: VANESSA OHAHA

icole Escalante designs for the modern woman who appreciates the power of accessories and hopes to enhance the goddess within her. Her pieces feature stones such as amethyst, agate, labradorite and, more. She only uses sterling silver dipped in 18K gold. These marvels are known for inspiring a woman’s softer femininity with a sense of boldness and confidence.

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NICOLE ESCAL ANTE FOUNDER NIKKI E DESIGNS

Zero Waste Fashion

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“I Sew” BY CRISTINA DEPTUBLA

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SHANNON ASHFORDF O U N D E R TO M F O O L E RY

hannon Ashford, founder of clothing company Tom Foolery, describes herself simply. ‘My name is Shannon Ashford, and I sew.’

Ashford learned to sew as a young girl, from a neighbor who taught her. She woke up in the morning before school to create unique outfits to wear, and put together prom dresses for her friends (which they actually wore!). When asked why she sews and why she launched a clothing company, Ashford, again, has a pithy, perky answer. ‘I make clothes for the same reason I drink whiskey and never wear shoes- it makes me happy. I started Tom Foolery to create problem-solving designs and to make people’s lives better.’ The models on the company’s webpage reflect that joyful aesthetic. Although there are a few conventionally modeled pictures and some runway photos, many women skateboard, climb rocks and rope, blow

bubbles, and giggle in their rompers. Tom Foolery started with the simple idea of creating rompers that allow women to use the ladies room without sitting on a drafty stall clutching their naked chest with a jumpsuit around their ankles while frantically tracking passers by in the crack next to the door. The solution was this: an open, overlapping side seam with a drop down seat. According to Ashford, ‘[Tom Foo lery] began simply- one woman, one sewing machine, a limited knowledge of pattern making, and a hankering to create clothing with integrity.’ Part of their idea of integrity is a commitment to environmental responsibility. They use eco-friendly fabrics, one made from recycled plastic bottles and the other from responsibly sourced eucalyptus tencel colo red with natural dyes.

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Structural Cuts, Bold Prints, Colorful Accents Sustainable Solids diarrablu.com

“Taking Over” The Dynamic Frankie Tavares

agnetic. Dynamic. Stunning. Warm. Graceful. Frankie. Influencer, model and designer Frankie Tavares is showing the fashion world how it should be done with a new capsule collection and continued social media success. With a healthy social media following, the go-to influencer understands that genuine connections and kindness is what fashion needs right now. She recently launched a capsule collection

B Y M AT T H E W P A U L R O B I N S O N M AT T H E W P A U L R O B I N S O N @ M AT T H E W . P A U L . R O B I N S O N F R A N K I E TA V A R E S @ F R A N K I E TA V A R E S 204 Rare Magazine

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Structural Cuts, Bold Prints, Colorful Accents Sustainable Solids diarrablu.com

Haute Fantasy MARTINE BRUN FOUNDER M A R T I N E B R U N J E W E L RY

How Martine Brun Makes Everyday Objects into High Fashion Jewelry BY MARTINE BRUN

artine was born in Grenoble, located in the southeast region of France. As a discreet and flirtatious little girl who loved dressing up and inventing characters, she enjoyed her dolls who were the true accomplices in achieving all her imaginary personas. She believes her passion for fashion and accessories was sparked by her extremely vivid imagination and curiosity at a young age. Following her father’s death, Martine was a typical rebellious teenager. She refused to continue her studies as an accountant and decided to work against conformity and find her true love. After making the decision to leave school, she worked odd jobs, including one in a jewelry store where she fo und her passions ignited. Her new job also afforded her the opportunity to sell her own creations.

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Unique Jewelry Rare Magazine 215

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Inclusive BeautyDiverging from Standards NEHA SURADKAR

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istorically, women were forced to conform to the ideal “standards” of beauty. It is a socially constructed notion that physical attractiveness is one of a woman’s most important assets and something all women should strive to achieve and maintain.

An attractive woman was always defined by her slender build, a full and generous bosom, a narrow waist, a curvy bottom, a well-defined jawline, high cheekbones, full lips, a rosy complexion, and thick, long, and flowing hair. A slight deviation from these beauty standards was considered exotic. If there was a huge deviation, the woman would be regarded as non-attractive. Bea uty standards are cultural, personal, and international. There are some beauty standards which are part of a particular society, while others are recognized globally. Women have been subjected to some form of physical inconvenience, which could be torture also, to conform to these beauty standards.

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JASMINE CURTISFOUNDER AVOCURL

F E E D YO U R H A I R

AVOCURL Leads the Way for Natural Hair Products BY BRIAN ESTERLE

PHOTO CREDIT JASMINE CURTIS

Jasmine Curtis is taking a stand against harmful chemicals in hair care products marketed to Black women 228 Rare Magazine

onesty is everything in a relationship. But do you ever feel like you’re continually being lied to and manipulated into believing something that’s slowly causing harm from the inside out? As business owner Jasmine Curtis puts it, like a toxic relationship, it’s time to break up from the toxic chemicals that are abundant in natural hair products today, especially those targeting Black women. With a passion for science and an energy that is so electric it could light up a whole town, Jasmine is taking a stand against harmful chemicals catered to Black individuals in hair care and cosmetics. According to

one study, over 75 percent of cosmetic products marketed towards Black women contain harmful ingredients. But only 60 percent are deemed toxic to the general public. Let that sit for a minute. It’s time to fight back against blatant racism in mainstream practices, and AVOCURL is leading the way. Handmade in a brick and mortar, AVOCURL is a range of natural hair products created from healthy ingredients and free of toxic chemicals. When you look at the product label, you won’t see any five-syllable words that will leave you blowing bubbles. Instead, you’ll find ingredients you recognize (and that might leave you hungry) like avocado, coconut, and banana.

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“Capabilities are Boundless” - Rene Harding, Founder Skin Amity

orn in Guyana to entrepreneurial parents and raised mostly in Canada, Rene Harding is the face behind the skincare brand Skin Amity. While working for a retail chain in Toronto, Rene decided to develop her own skincare brand and kept working towards it. In a span of three years, and after a lot of hard and smart work, Harding launched her brand. The concept behind the brand name Skin Amity is quite unique. Amity refers to “friendly relations,” and through her skincare products, Harding wants her customers to have a unique, friendly relation with their skin. At Skin Amity, they teach about incorporating Soul Care into skincare, thus making it a conscious and mindful feeling every time you apply their products. The kindness you offer to our skin from the surface manifests healing on the inside. The products focus on having the kindest and healthiest relationship with your skin.

BY: NEHA SURADKAR PHOTO CREDIT: L AKEISHA MANNING

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RENE JAIDI FOUNDER SKIN AMITY

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Creating Civically Engaged Citizens,

Ready to Change the World BY NIZIE LOKMAN & KARMA BENNETT

sing the Expeditionary Learning model, the Detroit Achievement Academy is one of the highest performing schools in the country. For an example of their innovative learning model, students as young as second grade use their studies to answer the question, “how can a citizen make a positive impact on a community?”

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Viewing historic changemakers through the lens of narrative nonfiction, young scholars will seek to become modernday Detroit citizens who are solving real problems in their community in the here and now. This example of a learning expedition reflects the Detroit Achievement Academy’s principles, in emphasizing social interaction as integral to the learning process. They emphasize that knowing students— individually, culturally, and developmentally— is as important as the curriculum. Rather than rote memorization, their approach emphasizes, “How the adults at school work together to accomplish their shared mission is as important as individual competencies; lasting change begins with the adult community.”

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Model: Deja Peters Photographer: Laura Tillinghast MUA: Celestine Pearl Jewelry: Mate Masie Earrings Stylist: Angelica Garde Creative Direction: Brian Esterle Style Curation | Trystanne Cunningham Produced by: Rare magazine

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Re-Coding Cultural Algorithms Sabrina Hersi Issa on Redirecting Cash and Influence to Empower Human Dignity BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

Sabrina Hersi Issa, founder of Be Bold Media, describes her work with a splash of humor: “I’m a human rights technologist, which is how I’ve come to describe my work applying a justice framework to technology solutions and get my mother to stop asking me about going to law school. In practice, this means I leverage both technology and media to improve human dignity.” She didn’t know how all the details would turn out when she first launched Be Bold Media, but developed structures as she went along, guided by her values. “At the time I started my company, I did not have a clear line to what exactly I was building. I just knew in my gut that there had to be a better way, and I was committed to figuring out my path toward that.” For Issa, this work directly impacts people’s lives and is ultimately about respect, especially for Black and Brown people. She thinks of systems we encounter in our dai ly lives and what the ‘user experience’ would be for people from diverse backgrounds. 246 Rare Magazine

SABRINA HERSI ISSA FOUNDER BE BOLD MEDIA

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Nuturing Mindset BY NIZIE LOKMAN

asreen Ma, a Certified Brain Health Coach from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, speaks about parenting and educating children with Meaningful exhilaration from within.

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A believer that every human life possesses unique potential, Nasreen Ma, a former founder of a brain development school Tadika Daya Bestari (TDB), created new brain capability paths for excellence in young kindergarten students.

Her contribution to society became apparent as she appeared as a guest on the “Hello Doctor’” program on Malaysia’s live national TV in 2019, discussing dyslexia and hyperlexia issues in children. While the school has been bringing out the best in children since 2010, unfortunately, it shut down for good due to the pandemic i n June 2020. As a chirpy and bubbly woman, Nasreen took the pandemic positively and decided to continue to provide a one-stop solution for children, parents, and educators. From rationalizing a school to establishing a consulting entity called Meaningful Activation, she continued to help parents and educators overcome challenges with children by deepening how the brain and body respond to the three-prong approach of movement, nutrition, and communication. Exploring the meaning of a mothering mindset and how nurturing, educating, and teaching begins at a young age, similar to the long-life process of mothering a child.

and comprehension disability as I did. So, I started to learn all about brain development and parenting through reading materials. I diligently practiced what I’ve learned on my daughter’s brain health even when she was in my womb. She was one of the easier ones to deal with due to all the stimulation she received. It grounded her well and, by eight months, she communicated with sign language, which reduced unnecessary frustrations. By two-plus years old, she was reading on her own. Watching her development healed some parts of me. It made me realize how powerful it is to leverage o n interest to learn something with ease. This was a big motivator to continue with research on brain development.

NL: What was the motivation to study brain development in children? NM: Even though childhood seemed normal and regular with plenty of physical activities, I struggled with academics. I realized I couldn’t digest what I was reading well enough. I just couldn’t score on tests no matter how hard I studied. I often wondered why I had difficulty making sense of what I read and putting thoughts on p aper. I knew from a young age I had a brain that is always on overdrive mode. A very restless brain, perhaps, to which I realized I had undetected AttentionDeficit/ Hypertension Disorder (ADHD). While I was pregnant with my el dest daughter, I wasn’t aware that I had ADHD yet. But, I knew that I didn’t want my eldest daughter to face a reading

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SHAWNDA WILLIAMS

ech marketer Shawnda Williams has come alongside mechanic and technician Bogi Lateiner to lead Phoenix’s Girl Gang Garage. The Girl Gang Garage has three main goals: to create opportunities for women in the trades to work together and connect with each other, to provide hands-on training to women of all ages who would like to learn how to work on cars, even those who have little or no experience, and to showcase the many incredible women who are, or want to be, part of the automotive industry. Bogi explains one of their offerings, classes to educate women to be better car care consumers. “We offer low cost introductory classes, like our women’s car care class, teaching women of all ages how to check

their oil, change a tire, or jump start a battery. But also how to find a reputable mechanic and wha t questions to ask when they get there.”

points out that women are still often discouraged from entering the trades, and those who do often encounter challenges.

They also offer hands on experience for women who wish to explore the automotive trades, from mechanical work to metal work, paint and body work, and electrical work. Women can also participate in regular large scale complete vehicle restorations, where groups of women of varying skill levels come together to connect and learn and turn an old vehicle into a show car.

In her early days as a mechanic, Bogi experienced both extremely blatant sexism as well as subtle messages that told her she wasn’t welcome. She was often laughed at when applying for a job, has been angrily told that women don’t belong in the shop, and was regularly denied opportunities. On a more subtle and yet just as discouraging note, there were no uniforms or work boots that were for women, at her first dealer job there was no lock on the bathroom so she used the customer one and changed into her uniform in the file room.

Bogi says the builds, which are free to those wanting to participate, are designed to also shine a spotlight on women in the trades and create opportunities for them to meet and work alongside one another. This is critically needed because according to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, women are only 2.5% of all U.S. automotive mechanics. Also, Bogi

Williams joined forces with Bogi in 2019, leveraging her professional kno wledge in brand development and design with her own gender diversity experiences within the tech industry to help make

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With Love A remarkable movement spearheaded b y Shreya and Saf fron Patel called Let ters Against Isolation WRITTEN BY NIZIE LOKMAN

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affron and Shreya Patel, two sisters based in Boston, have a bigger heart than their own. While still in school and college, the young female founders are passionate in volunteering to the community. Today, they have gathered more than 100,000 cards and letters by heartfelt souls around the world to express their love to the seniors who are in lockdown loneliness. Rare magazine digs into the soul sisters’ story of how it all started and how they have impacted and influenced societies with their initiative of letters against isolation during the COVID-19.

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Musical Mental Fitness Training breathonics.com

From Reviled to Adored B Y E M I LY S O H N

PHOTO CREDIT CARL A RHODES

ow one community—and one woman in particular—have found a way to protect the rarest stork in the world simply by learning to appreciate the species and embracing it as one of their own.

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In January 2019, graduate student Tracy Melvin traveled from Michigan State University to India to attend an annual meeting of the Women in Nature Network, a loose collection of women conservationists from around the world. The trip required multiple flights and many hours of travel, but Melvin was eager

to join in on conversations about the successes and struggles of conservation projects in a supportive environment. As the conference began, Melvin says she was impressed to hear what women were accomplishing, especially in lowincome countries. But she was particularly interested when the host of the meeting, Purnima Devi Barman, got up to speak about her work with a gangly and obscure stork called the greater adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius). Once close to extinction, the bird has rebounded in Barman’s home state of Assam in northeastern India. And that success, according to widespread consensus, is primarily because of Barman, who has single-handedly transformed the species from a reviled nuisance to a beloved cohabitant among a surprisingly broad cross-section of people, includi ng government officials, mothers, and people who pick through garbage dumps for a living.

Hearing Barman talk made Melvin want to get involved—an effect Barman seems to have on people. More than a year later, the two women and several colleagues published a paper that looked at how community involvement has helped to advance conservation of the striking storks. Among her most successful strategies, Barman has created an “army” of women who care for injured storks, throw celebratory baby showers for the birds, and weave stork-adorned fabrics for sale.

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In contrast with decades of top-down and high-cost conservation efforts, experts say, the driving principle behind Barman’s work is deceptively simple: Saving species requires buy-in from people. Women, in particular, can be powerful partners, even—or especially—when they don’t hold traditional forms of power in their cultures. By including women in conservation projects that have simultaneously changed their own lives, Barman’s work may hold implications for similar efforts everywhere. “She not only brought the species back from the brink, but she empowered women in a way that they probably hadn’t been empowered before,” Melvin says. “She’s not just helping the birds. She’s also helping the people. She’s giving them something to care about.”

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Gathering women The greater adjutant is not a traditionally beautiful animal, and its lifestyle isn’t pretty either. A member of the stork family, it has skinny, knobkneed leg s, a relatively puny bald head, beady eyes, and an elongated orange pouch that hangs from its neck like a deflated balloon. It is awkward and large, standing about 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall. It is also notable for it s smell. Traditionally called hargilas, which means “bone-swallowers,” greater adjutants drag dead carcasses into tree tops, where they eat the flesh and then drop stinky messes of poop onto the ground below. The birds also spend a lot of time in garbage dumps, where they scavenge for food. In the late 1800s, hundreds of thousands of greater adjutants lived in wetlands across much of Asia, from Pakistan to Cambodia. But habitat destruction, pollution, poaching, and the loss of their nesting trees pushed numbers sharply downward in the first half of the 20th century. A reputation

as a bad omen in many places didn’t help them in the face of these threats. By the 1990s, there were an estimated 400 birds left. They have rebounded somewhat since but the International Union for Conservation of Nature still classifies them as Endangered, with only 1,200 to 1,800 birds confined to Cambodia and two regions of India— Bihar and Assam, where Barman lives. Despite the longstanding cultural disgust that surrounded the birds, Barman quickly began to appreciate the storks’ more appealing side. Raised for several years by her grandmother, who often took her outside and taught her songs and stories about birds, she developed a connection with nature that brought her solace during a period when her parents were away. Later, she studied zoology and wildlife biology at Gauhati University, where she earned an undergraduate degree and then a Masters in 2002. Eager to pursue a PhD, she gave in first to family pressures to get married and have children, giving birth to her twin daughters in 2005. She started her doctorate work in 2007, with a focus on greater adjutants. Rare Magazine 279

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Fierce Women Playlist...

Not Just for the Ladies BY KARMA BENNETT

Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard. . . X -ray Spex

s a woman, to be passive is the path of least resistance. Though society is changing, there are still too many women who get the message that every answer should be “yes” and say it with a smile. To be aggressive, to be fierce, is to go against the grain. There’s a bravery in it that those of any gender can admire. I’m confident you don’t have to be a woman to find these songs empowering. But maybe my immodesty is a consequence of all the swagger coming off of this playlist..? You be the judge. 292 Rare Magazine

Our playlists starts out slow to take you on a musical journey, so we start off with sultry singers like FKA Twigs, Sevdaliza, and iamwhoiam. Don’t miss Nina Simone sassing a crooked preacher in “Funkier Than a Mosquito’s Tweeter,” ...in general never miss a chance to grace your ears with Nina Simone. Then we meander into folksy, fierce songs for singing around the campfire. This leads into a section of soul and blues singers whose voices quake with awesome power and emotion. Then it’s onto women who rock, from riot grrrls like SleatterKinney and Bikini Kill to modern rockers like Honeyblood or virtuoso guitar player St. Vincent. Mixed in are a few fierce rappers to mix up the sound, then it’s onto larger-than-life pop divas set on boosting your confidence. Finally, we bring it back to chill mode with some fearless musical innovators like Glass Candy, The Knife, and Tank and the Bangas. This list is by no means exhaustive, and how could it be, when there are so many fierce women in music? In fact many of ra-ra-girl-power songs you may expect on such a list won’t be here. Sure, there are some classics but this is Rare and we’re here to shine a light on some fierce artists and

tracks that you may have overlooked. But we’d love to know what you think: what songs go on your Fierce Women playlist? What are the underplayed gems we left out?

Some Highlights from our Fierce Women Playlist Tori Amos - Precious Things If you don’t know how a woman who sings pretty piano songs can come off as fierce than you’ve never seen her live. Tori Amos plays piano like Eddie Van Halen played guitar. I’m not fierce enough myself to share the lyrics of this song here but its beautiful, bold blasphemy was what many a teen needed to make it through the day.

Ani Difranco - Not a Pretty Girl If you’ve never heard Ani Difranco, it’s only because she has been on her own label since the nineties. But to a particular generation, everyone knew at least one person who was obsessed with her music. In “Not a Pretty Girl” she sings: Rare Magazine 293

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The Women's Issue Spring '21 Rare magazine