Cultivate Guide: Iteration #2

An exploration of style and confidence ST Y LE ITER ATION #2

Almost Real Things & Pezzo di Telo

Cultivate An exploration of style and confidence ST Y LE ITER ATION #2 MUSIC & THE MAFIA

Printed in the USA. Almost Real Things, LLC is a sponsored project of Artus Co 501(c)(3), and operates under their non-profit status.

A very special thank you to all of our ART Club members who support this community project on artclubtx.com.

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Let's talk Knowing where to start can be hard but here’s your opportunity to ask for help.

I am interested in helping you develop your character and confidence through an important facet of life—personal style.

We'll start with

Your wardrobe is a timeline of your life. Let's illustrate your passion through well-fitting clothes that look and feel great.

Message Matt

• A closet audit to learn your story • Understanding the basics • Outfit construction • Personal shopping • Introduction to tailors • Identifying unmet needs

Ask us anything! We're here to help.

@pezzoditelo dmstanley1@gmail.com

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We’re back for round two with more great stories.

Welcome to Cultivate, an inspiration guide to building confidence in how you look and how you feel.

Our initial issue of Cultivate created a great buzz to draw in folks who may not have seen this city through the same eyes as we have. It made us think, “how would you shoot an outsider in the city that you call home?”

On the east side at the Longhorn Dam at Pleasant Valley, Angela Petrilli exuded confidence naturally—the kind you get from honing your skills as a performing guitarist in Los Angeles, the city where everyone flocks “to make it.”

We pulled her out of her element, and yet, she was still able to tell her story confidently.

Hearing her story and capturing her authenticity was absolutely a worthwhile experience.

We also had really good feedback from some Hollywood folks. So we did our research and, with the help of our good friend Mackenzie Wardrope, we got in touch with Hollywood mainstay actor Leo Rossi.

Cultivate exists because of people like Mackenzie.

She’s a mother of two kids, one of whom has an extremely rare case of SCN8A epilepsy. She’s the

kindest woman who has taken the time to really foster relationships organically and is always willing to help.

Leo, in my opinion, has the ideal story that we want to tell. He’s had experiences that most people never hear about—the pitfalls and behindthe-scenes successes in Hollywood and the real nitty gritty of how hard it is to survive.

His story of success involves so many moving parts and relationships. He has worked with legends and icons in the industry—Brando, De Niro, Travolta, and most recently DeMeo. And yet, his story is rarely told.

Leo brings a sense of humility to an industry rarely known for that quality. As a 40-year veteran in the scene, he’s in a place where he can really coach confidence to guide someone towards cultivating a career in Hollywood.

Be a sponge as you flip through this guide.

Fold down pages, circle pieces you like, ask us anything on Instagram @pezzoditelo and @almostrealthings. We’re an open book. Literally.

Matt Stanley Co-Founder, Cultivate Proprietor, Pezzo di Telo

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Team PRODUCTION

Matt Stanley

Zachary Zulch

Bryan Mendez

Curator, Stylist,

CEO, Creative Director,

Creative Director,

Music Aficionado

Event Coordinator & DJ

Martial Artist, Licensed

at Pezzo di Telo

at Almost Real Things

Massage Therapist

@pezzoditelo

@almostrealthings almostrealthings.com

@bryanmendezdesign bryanmendezdesign.com

PHOTOGR A PHY

Joey Cruz

Matthew Gattozzi

An eccentrically adventurous photographer and videographer.

I am an artist who loves to tell visual stories to inspire those who are watching.

@cruzpix cruzpix.com

@matthewgattozzi goodostudios.com

Javi Glz

Isra Sharnez

Handsome fella, I'm an artist photographer and passionate about community builder. promoting positivity Artistic Director, and working @povstudio.atx & collaboratively.

Founder, @igaustintexas. @javi_glz javiglzphotography.com

@is.ra___ isra.studio

André van den Broeck

ft. Zach Zulch

Matt Stanley

Angela Petrilli 8 10

28 38

40 46 88

68

72

78

Garrison Moore

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54 58 60

90 92 94 20

80

84

87

Ella Hemza

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Zachary Zulch

ft. Gravesend

Leo Rossi

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Wardrobe

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Adventures of a Hollywood

Mainstay

Stories from Leo Rossi from our trip to Brooklyn, New York Whenever anybody puts an athlete on camera the first thing they say is “Hi mom!” Well, my mother died

from the mainland and they've always looked down on the Sicilians).

changed my family.

Her place was directly across from St. James Catholic Church and you could see right down the aisle to the altar and tabernacle.

My brother went to live with the Irish side of my family and I went to live with my Sicilian grandmother in Trenton, New Jersey, until I was 12. She had a duplex in a Sicilian neighborhood, not Italian (it's a little different—Italians are

“God's watching you every day!” she would say.

It was a lot of pressure! And then the nuns at the school would question “Your grandmother is here every night. Where are you Mr. Rossi?” I still go to mass every day.

when I was eight in 1954. And that

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Words & Modeling Leo Rossi

Featuring William DeMeo

@william_demeo_ @gravesendseries

Photos Joey Cruz @cruzpix

Location Coney Island

@coneyislandfun

Car '78 Cadillac Coupe Deville @cadillac

I majored in business since it was the easiest school to get the grades, especially when you were an athlete, playing football like I did. Sports saved me and put me on the right track, but if I applied myself to school at Villanova University like I did with acting, I'd probably have a lot more money. But that’s no fun.

As an actor I studied under the method acting coach Lee Strasberg, because I wanted to understand that approach. I learned about implicit memories, maybe of a smell that puts you in a space, or a certain sound of nails going down the chalkboard, and it gives you the results where you can perform with purity as opposed to faking it. Something that plugs you into your senses.

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Location Lenny's Pizza, Brooklyn

@lennyspizza86

Before university and Lee Strasberg, I learned lessons at the school of hard knocks. My father was in the garbage business, manufacturing compactors and balers. When I graduated college he said “come into business with me. Your trash is our cash!” My father had a great wit.

Trash throughout the area was controlled by the mob, except for Trenton. They tried to strong arm us but my father was Sicilian and the mob sort of acquiesced. So I started selling heavy equipment and was pretty good at it! I played the role—black shirt, white tie, sunglasses—if they bought into it, fantastic! I was still good guy Leo but sometimes you have to play into it.

I guess I played into it too well and it led to an introduction I didn't need. Later on, my phone rings with a call from Sam DeCavalcante a.k.a. Sam the Plumber, who sat on The Commission with the heads of the five mafia families in the region. They made decisions across the US and Sam was a mediator and point of contact during that time.

Sam called me saying, “Leo, wake up.

Meet me for breakfast at the diner.” So I did, and I swear it was like sitting across the table from my dad! He was soft spoken, charming and collected. “Look, we want to build a plant there. We’ll talk again.”

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Location The Brooklyn Firefly Pizzeria

@thebrooklynfirefly

Shirt Ledbury Shirts @ledburyshirts

Blazer Nordstrom

@nordstrom

Pants Nordstrom

@nordstrom

Shoes

DSW @dsw

Stylist Sophie Schneider @bysophieinc

“Most people in the United States... they think culture is yogurt!”

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Location The Brooklyn Firefly Pizzeria

@thebrooklynfirefly

“I’m blessed because it never felt like a job—acting, writing, producing. Even after 17 hours on a shoot, man, I say ‘they’re paying me for this?’”

My father never laid hands on me. But when I mentioned that I'd met with Sam, out of nowhere, his open hand smacked me right on my ear.

And that’s what I use as sense memory for pain.

“Do you know who you were with?!” he exclaimed, “Sam? No, no... here’s who you were with…” and he showed me a newspaper. It was an article discussing FBI wiretaps of Sam and what they did to this poor guy—hung him right on a meat hook, weighed him down and shocked him with an electric prod; splashed water on him to give the prod a better charge. He was on that thing for three days before he died.

My father did something, I don’t know what, but Sam never called me again.

I play these guys in the movies but I never once bought into what they were selling.

Fear, murder, they’d rob from anybody.

There was no friendship with anyone.

I play the roles because I know their mentality. I had hands-on experience.

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In 1975 my father, who never got sick, was uniform as a football player at Villanova. watching Johnny Carson, had a heart attack, “Don’t forget, I was a ‘tight end.’” and was gone. He was my best friend and had seen me do theater but never got to see my Acting is a blue collar job. There’s no glamour. career from there. I literally said, “What am I It’s very nitty gritty. Know your lines or you can’t going to do? I just need to do it,” and packed have fun. up and moved to New York. Later on, when I began to teach acting I would use this experience Everyone wants to get into the business and I to develop other character actors. have to tell them the truth. 100% is not enough.

You have to want it with your whole being In ‘78 I did a TV movie called the Pirate with because when the rejection comes in, and it will, Armand Assante. He told me, “You and I—we’re it’s not a car you’re selling—it’s you. You better cursed. I look like Pacino and you look like De have a thick skin and put all your time into it. If Niro.” So I branched out. I gravitated towards you put a time limit on it, shame on you. people who have a respect for good character actors, regardless of what they looked like.

Luckily I didn’t care if I made a dollar or a big goose egg, I just loved the process. And I got Here's a fun story: in ‘91 I did a movie directed to work with incredible people. Two of my

by Robert Downey Sr. called Too Much Sun favorites were Ed Asner and Jodie Foster. with Eric Idle and Ralph Macchio, who was Ed was so confident in himself as a human it felt hot off Karate Kid at the time. like he could do anything. When he would act I had to hold onto the furniture. And I became I got the script and I saw that my character was a good friends with Jodie—she was such a pro. flamboyant gay man and his lover was Eric Idle’s Do you remember those big bulletin boards for character. “What a challenge! I’m gonna do it!”

Coppertone? That was her as a kid!

Robert Downey Sr. calls me up and was so happy I was in, but I had to ask him, “What in my prior work led you to believe I could do this role?”

I don’t know if I got an answer but I chalk it up to my confidence and how I looked in my

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“Everyone wants to get into the business and I have to tell them the truth. 100% is not enough.”

While it's loads of work, you have to keep your sense of humor. I learned that if I went into an audition as gregarious Leo and then turn into the bad guy, the agents would pass, saying, “he’s too nice of a guy.”

So I thought, “you want to see a pricko?” and I’d walk in the room, be callous, lots of outbursts, and walk out. But you can never start believing that’s really you.

Actors get bad reputations when they start to believe their clippings. Others have been so psychologically traumatized or neglected that they feel the need to show off when they do get picked. I tell them, “why don’t you save that for the screen?”

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Location DUMBO, Brooklyn

I’ve had my fair share of mistakes and missed This oddball walks in with pants that were too opportunities. One that still stings is from the short, a big goofy hairdo. What a character! late ‘80s. Every year my wife and I would open We had a great time and my buddy, a director, our home to all the displaced actors during asked me to read a script called True Romance.

Thanksgiving to give them a place to celebrate.

It was phenomenal! I immediately asked, So a friend asked me if he could bring a plus-one. “Who wrote this? That kid? No way!”

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Now, I had two kids and I had just finished two low budget films that I really believed in, so I was in a financial bind. I told my agent—only bring me roles that pay. Of course, he gets a call about a new script by this kid, no budget, and I tell him I have to pass. That movie was Reservoir Dogs and that goof-ball was Quentin Tarantino, offering me the role of Mr. Blonde, played by Michael Madsen.

Can you believe that?!

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Watch Rolex

@rolex

More recently I’ve gotten into writing.

A friend of mine said “ You understand characters. You understand emotion.

The one thing you don’t understand is structure.” And so he sat down with me for six weeks and at the end we had finished the script for Gotti based on a scene I had been working on— a movie in which I later starred alongside John Travolta.

I work hard to craft stories in a way where they don't give away the punch line. I'm putting in some time to do a one man show: So You Want to be in Show Business: The Good The Bad and The Ugly of 50 Years in Entertainment.

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“If you meet someone who could be your soul-mate, hop on board! It could be you and them vs the world.”

Nearly all of these experiences have been shared with my wonderful wife, Lynn K. Eastman (top billing in Eastman-Rossi Productions).

I met her at Lee Strasberg Institute in Santa Monica. I got pulled in for director help and at some point they were giving me acting instructions and suddenly, “put your hand on Lynn’s thigh.” Bam! It was like a thunderbolt!

I hadn’t been looking for anyone—I was all career at that point—but something hit me.

She was Ms. Long Beach and had only ever met one Italian—lucky for me! She even asked me “what’s a ‘ganoochee?’” So I got to teach her all about gnocchi.

That’s how I married an actress. We had our reception on the Queen Mary (40s-style encouraged), and had our first child, Rose.

The doctor was on vacation and she was two weeks early. She was strong from the start—

didn’t even cry at birth! When it came time for Anna Marie, our second, Lynn wanted to have a home-birth. I promptly replied “Do I look like a renaissance man to you?” And we did.

I’m proud of my family, my daughters Rose and Anna Marie. They’re genuinely the most caring human beings that I know. They taught me not to judge. And I’m proud of Lynn and I for sticking through it. It hasn’t always been easy!

I’ve been known to be volatile at times, going off with passion, love, anger. Lynn is soft spoken but strong and stands up for herself. Our girls needed a rock when I was a rolling stone. So Lynn was their rock. She’s still my girlfriend and I’ll do everything I can to make sure that never changes.

If you meet someone who could be your soul-mate, hop on board! It could be you and them vs the world. It’ll be a lonely existence if you make it all about you.

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GRAVESEND The Story of 1980s Brooklyn Created by William DeMeo, Starring Leo Rossi, Streaming on Amazon Prime We at Cultivate want to extend a huge thank you to Will and Gravesend Co-Producer Michele Frantzeskos for their incredible hospitality during our visit to Brooklyn.

Cultivate is sponsoring season 2 and we were thrilled to have a personal escort through Brooklyn, shooting in Gravesend, DUMBO, Lenny's Pizza, Coney Island and beyond.

Check out the current season and stay tuned!

After 40 years of playing mob guys in Hollywood, Leo Rossi linked up with William DeMeo (The Sopranos, Analyze That, First Kill) to star as Mikie The Hat. The show chronicles the difficulties of Benny Zerletta (DeMeo) as he grows up in the footsteps of his cousin, who behind closed doors was the leader of a criminal organization.

Season 1 was met with success and the crew is doubling down on season 2 with a star-studded cast of additions including Fran Drescher, Martin Kove, Andrew Dice Clay, William Forsythe, Mario Cantone and Sofia Milos.

WILLIAM DEMEO, @WILLIAM_DEMEO_ PHOTO: JOEY CRUZ, @CRUZPIX

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ART When Life Imitates

with Cultivate and Almost Real Things Co-Founder Zachary Zulch

Almost Real Things Magazine is approaching its sixth birthday. That means six years of not being afraid to ask anyone about almost anything.

Running a publication gives you the superpower of credibility, even if you just made it up in your apartment, in a new city where you only know 10 people, so that you and your friend/Co-Founder could share art and creative thoughts with the world in a format that was physically tangible.

I quickly learned the power of an ask when paired with genuine curiosity for peoples’ stories. I wish I could see the relationship tree stemming from those first 10 Austinites featured in Issue 01.

I’ve never believed in anything more than this experiment turned project turned business

turned community. Whenever I look back on the journey I’m impressed at our success of turning far-fetched dreams into reality—the almost real into the real.

With next to no money we’ve been able to put out 22 physical issues, feature 800+ creators turned friends, host surreal parties for thousands of people, pop up as Austin’s smallest art gallery, accidentally befriend an art fraudster, start an ART Bus Tour, survive a pandemic and slingshot ourselves into a 3,000 sq. ft. HQ where anything can happen. All of that, born from sheer willpower and love for the people around us.

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Words & Modeling Zachary Zulch

@almostrealthings

Location The Brooklyn Firefly Pizzeria

@thebrooklynfirefly

Photos Joey Cruz @cruzpix

Shirt DKNY

@dkny

Shoes Cole Haan

@Cole Haan

Sunglasses Club 75 x Retrosuperfuture

@club75 @retrosuperfuture

Our stubbornness to succeed has evolved into a potent confidence in our future. The amount of positive reinforcement we’ve received is intoxicating and the only way to fail is to stop.

And fuck that, I’m having the best time.

The lessons I’ve learned and the skills I’ve gained from running Almost Real Things are unbelievable. The freedom to throw any idea at the wall is exhilarating, especially when one works. The opportunities that I’ve been afforded, the doors that have been opened—

it’s overwhelming and assuring all at once.

If I trust myself and my hereditary procrastiworker powers, I know I will be fine.

I’m starting to think that if I write something down in one of my magic notebooks, it will happen (eventually). Just flip through these first two issues of Cultivate and explore the diversity of stories that we get to step into, even if just for a moment. Matt Stanley and our team have created something fresh and exciting and it has been a fantastic ride so far.

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“Our stubbornness to succeed has evolved into a potent confidence in our future.”

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Photo Javi Glz

@javi_glz

Location Almost Real Things HQ @almostrealthings

Shirt Almost Real Things @almostrealthings

Hat Almost Real Things @almostrealthings

Sunglasses Ray-Ban Clubmaster

@rayban (looks like ART needs to make some glasses too)

The personal growth you can experience from written and visual storytelling is incredible and I’m so happy to be in a position to facilitate it.

Thank you for reading and learning alongside me.

I can feel our momentum at Almost Real Things and Cultivate building towards something truly great and I would love to share our plans with you.

I'm always out and about so if you see someone with a mini mag in their back pocket, it's probably me. Say hi and I’ll invite to something special or give you a piece of art for being so outgoing and confident.

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Photo Joey Cruz @cruzpix

Location Gravesend, Brooklyn

Shirt Volcom

@volcom

Hat Almost Real Things

@almostrealthings

Shoes Cole Haan

@Cole Haan

Sunglasses Club 75 x Retrosuperfuture

@club75 @retrosuperfuture

Watch Burberry

@burberry

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“The personal growth you can experience from written and visual storytelling is incredible and I’m so happy to be in a position to facilitate it.”

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A New Road: Grief, Growth & Guitars with Angela Petrilli

I'm lucky to come from a musical family.

My dad is a big time music appreciator and some of my earliest memories are of my mom playing guitar.

At nine years old I finally told her “I want to learn how to play that,” and she started helping me with chords. They could hear me play every morning, sometimes waking them up—“Mom, does it go like this?” And at that point they said, “This kid needs lessons.”

Growing up in LA offered me so many opportunities to hone my skills. I knew I would always play music but I love other things too so I wanted to explore. I attended UCLA for my Bachelor’s in Communication and was intrigued from the very beginning—the intricacies of networks and how people work together— “Oh my god, this is great!”

After graduation I took a year off to travel and pursue music. I was 23 and I told myself, “I’ll give it a year and if nothing big happens then it’s just a sign that it wasn’t meant to be.” The naiveté!

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Words & Modeling Angela Petrilli

@angelapetrillimusic

Photo Matt Martinez Red Hare Images @red_hareimages

Shirt Express

@express

Pants Express

@express

Heels Michael Kors @michaelkors

Matt Martinez has been a photographer for five years and has found a new love of portrait and band promo photography during the Pandemic, which allowed him the opportunity to work with Angela Petrilli.

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So I put the degree to work doing sales at Comic-Con and the first place I traveled to was Austin. It was fun until I started getting pulled in a different direction. I realized your calling doesn’t always scream at you—you need space to be quiet. And it was particularly quiet that day.

“I’m making all this money, I’m traveling, I’m working close to home. But I’m unhappy.” My inner voice told me I knew what I needed to do. I knew, if I didn’t leave at that point, the golden handcuffs would lock me in and I would never leave.

That’s when I made the jump back to music, using my experiences and degree to build up my band, Roses and Cigarettes, with Jennifer Pagliaro.

It gave us a massive edge because we had a command on social media and we were confident in how it worked.

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Photos Matthew Gattozzi

@matthewgattozzi

Location Longhorn Dam

Jacket Free People @freepeople

Blouse Forever 21

@forever21

Pants Express

@express

Glasses Ray-Ban Aviator @rayban

Heels Sam Edelman

@sam_edelman

“I realized your calling doesn’t always scream at you— you need space to be quiet.”

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“I don't believe in being jealous.

There's space on top for everyone.”

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I met Jenny at an audition for a country band in LA and we were kindred spirits right away. I had prepared really hard for that day but I wasn’t sure I got the gig. You know, a young female with a bunch of dudes. But something about Jenny was incredibly special. It wasn’t until later that I found out Jenny threatened to quit if they didn’t hire me.

She felt that sisterly connection too.

We played together for a few months and she said she was writing original music to record her own album next year, to which I said, “I need to be a part of that.”

Jenny’s place in Santa Monica became our rehearsal studio and we could feel it very early on in 2013—this was going to be something big. We worked hard and linked up with Michael Lyons to produce and release our debut album, Roses and Cigarettes, on May 1st, 2015. And then, in July, we found out Jenny had stage 2 breast cancer.

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This prompted a massive shift in how we looked at gigs and how we played. We had amazing momentum and worked so well together. We agreed, “we’re going to do this as long as we can.”

We had to slow down, but doing so clarified what was important in our lives. We only picked the important gigs. We had laser-focused goals because time was finite. But by August, 2016, stage 4 cancer had spread to different parts of her body. We had become family and every day I was honored to know her, so we kept going.

We wanted to play Austin and SXSW and accomplished that thanks to our friend Matt Stanley who brought us out for his Music and Memories: Christmas on Congress show at the Paramount Theater, along with Marc Broussard!

We linked up with Eric Tessmer who asked us to open for him during SXSW in 2018.

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“I am so enjoying the person I am in my 30s.

I’m comfortable in my own skin.”

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“I learned that emotions are fine—it’s okay to be sad sometimes and it’s okay to be happy.

It’s okay to bask in successes. I am worthy of good things. We all are. It just takes us believing it.”

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We released our Acoustic Sessions EP in October of 2018 and pushed forward towards our second album in February, 2019: Echoes and Silence.

In the biggest moment of our lives thus far, we were written up in Billboard and Rolling Stone on March 25th. And then, on the 26th, Jenny passed.

She has been the greatest teacher of my life and I truly feel that I now have a direct line to an angel.

She taught me to live life to the fullest while still being gentle on myself. Her death was difficult.

I couldn’t play guitar for two months and even listening to music was painful. And now I was carrying the torch.

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They just wanted me to be better but, of course, they can’t just fix this.

I’m so thankful for those nine months of grief therapy. It was the first big step in rebuilding my life. A part of me died alongside Jenny and getting help guided me back to who I was meant to be. I think the best way to honor someone is to emulate their best qualities. I swear, in conversation, she could make anyone feel like they were the only person in the room.

I traveled a shit ton too. Travel is a beautiful medicine. I felt the need to be around beautiful things and, even though music was difficult, I Even though she wasn’t here with me physically, found solace in other forms of art. It allowed me I knew I had to live better—for myself and for her, to find that space to listen to the quiet voice again. to carry her in my heart. Her legacy is in that music “You can form a new band. It’s okay.” and I needed to continue in a way that honored her but was different from what we did together.

Those experiences were eye-opening and gave me the confidence to step up and front my own I needed to be healthy about the healing process. band. Singing lead was always weird to me but I didn’t want to drink the pain away or do drugs to it was time to just do it and have fun with it. I disintegrate my mind, body and soul. So therapy learned that emotions are fine—it’s okay to be became the only way for me to move in a positive sad sometimes and it’s okay to be happy. It’s okay direction. My parents and friends couldn’t help me. to bask in successes. It’s wonderful to celebrate myself. I am worthy of good things. We all are. It just takes us believing it.

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Overshirt Stetson

@stetsonusa

I am so enjoying the person I am in my 30s.

I’m comfortable in my own skin. I’m thankful everyday that I’m healthy and I don’t take anything for granted. And if I’m going to get married, I’ll meet the guy when the time is right.

Right now I’m focused on Angela Petrilli & The Players. We were so excited to get an invite into the vault at Sunset Sounds in Hollywood to cover a song that had been recorded there. Legends have recorded there so it was surreal. I love to do the unexpected so I flipped Audioslave’s “#1 Zero” on its head, into blues rock.

We’re working on a series of new EPs and definitely more videos. I’m just having fun getting the new band established in LA and writing and recording something every day. Coming out of Covid-19, I want to be performing on a regular basis and I have my sights set on playing the Troubadour sometime soon. Maybe Red Rocks next year?

The universe always has three answers for you: 1. Yes 2. Yes, but not yet 3. No, because there's something better

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Location Simi's Littlefield Building Lobby Lounge

@simi_estiatorio

Jacket Suit Supply

@suitsupply

Shirt Ledbury

@ledburyshirts

Pants Nordstrom

@nordstrommen

Ring Red Rabbit Trading

@redrabbittrading

Confidence in

Classics

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For a long time Austin has been a town of great taco joints and burger places, but as the city grows we’re starting to see an influx of international flavor.

One place that got me excited was Simi Estiatorio, with their true GreekMediterranean palette and founders coming out of NY.

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“Classics never go out of style and you see that in the Littlefield Building.”

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“When you’re trying to cultivate confidence, staying true to who you are is always the right move.”

It’s right there on historic 6th Street, right next to the Driskill Hotel. You get this really great vibe that feels like you're in Chicago or New York.

They have a wide array of wines. Their upstairs wine room is a great spot for conferences, special events, tastings—it’s full VIP treatment.

A lot of folks associate 6th as just a rowdy bar street but a revitalization is happening with some of these upscale fine dining restaurants. They've established an ambiance that takes you away from the preconceived notions of 6th Street.

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Photos Matthew Gattozzi

@matthewgattozzi

Location Simi Estiatorio

@simi_estiatorio

“There’s always confidence in authenticity, whether it’s a book, music, film, whatever.”

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Window Pane Suit Trunk Club

@nordstrommen

Shirt Ledbury

@ledburyshirts

Shoes Moira Creations

@moiracreations

Watch Kapten & Son

@kaptenandson

Custom Necklace MK Hicks

@mkhicksstudio

Simi is housed within the historic Littlefield Building, built in 1912.

So when you walk in there you get a super oak-y, woodsy feel. It was Austin’s first office building and was the tallest building in town for 20 years.

As the city changes, looks change with it. But classic looks are always in vogue, regardless of the season. They’re classics for a reason! For men's style with a dapper flare you’re seeing highwaisted trousers, classic jacket fits, and tassel loafers.

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A lot of times it's easy to lose yourself in trends.

But when you're trying to cultivate confidence, staying true to who you are is always the right move. There's always confidence in classics, whether it's music, film, whatever.

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When you're putting your wardrobe together, you have the opportunity to rediscover who you are. Don’t be afraid to lean back on the classics, however you choose to interpret them. It can mean vintage western, street style, dapper looks.

Style is a representation of your story.

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“Go against the grain. Do the hardest thing first and everything else will feel like nothing.”

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Mista

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I grew up on the south side of Austin and would run around the streets with a group of neighborhood friends, always trying to have fun.

We would look up to some of the older guys who we’d try to play ball with—how to dress, how to act.

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Words & Modeling Garrison Moore a.k.a. Mista Mozes @mistamozes @thecapitoljam

Photos Javi Glz

@javi_glz

Location Almost Real Things HQ

I was a student with a “get by” attitude, focused entirely on the arts: English, Music, Film. I knew I was a writer and those classes always sparked my interest.

@almostrealthings

Suit Banana Republic

@bananarepublic

Hoodie Zara

@zara

Sunglasses Ray-Ban Wayfarer @rayban

Watch Invicta

@invictawatch

Mozes

Bracelets

Hippie Crew

@hippie_crew_

IN THE CAPITOL Stories with frontman Garrison Moore

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In middle school it was all about who had the new kicks. I couldn’t afford to keep up. Best I ever did was my pair of Jordans in 6th grade. So I didn't really have a sense of style or fashion until I got to high school. And at that point it was mostly because I wanted to start impressing girls.

I started caring and got creative with my combinations. Color coordination was big at the time: 2001-2005. My blend was skater style meets hip-hop. I remember some great outfits: orange bandana + blue Fubu jersey with orange numbers + blue jeans + Timberland colored high tops with fat orange laces + orange wristbands + a big chain. I went all out.

Another look was jeans + skater shoes with white, green, and yellow interwoven checkered fat laces + yellow do-rag + green and yellow checkered shirt. To be honest I even had shorts to match. And a lot of people liked it!

So I was voted best dressed a few times at choir banquets, along with most likely to succeed in music. It felt good and made me feel cool—like I was in my own lane, not copying anyone else. I would just get creative to see what I could come up with.

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SHOES: NIKE AIR MAX 90, @NIKE

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“Behind every strong man is a stronger woman.”

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Suit Banana Republic

@bananarepublic

Shirt Suit Supply Traveler @suitsupply

Sunglasses Ray-Ban Wayfarer @rayban

Watch Invicta

@invictawatch

Hat Yellow 108

@yellow108

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Shirt Goodfellow

@targetstyle

Jeans Madewell Athletic

@madewellmens

Glasses Ray-Ban Clubmaster

@rayban

Watch G-SHOCK

@gshock_us

Shoes H&M

@hm_man

Rosary Rugged Rosaries

@ruggedrosaries

I knew this girl and befriended her brother who was slightly older and was selling his own clothes.

He took pieces of cloth and glued them all over Nike Air Force 1s. So I had him style a pair of jeans for me and I rocked those with a baggy shirt and a big belt buckle. Real Texas street shit.

Then I moved to college in Louisiana and when I pulled out my Texas style people approached me saying “this ain’t Texas” and I knew that shit had to change. College is like starting all over again—reestablishing the hierarchies, finding your new friend group. I still wanted to represent but I had to keep it on the quiet side. So I moved towards more of a neutral style: basketball shorts and t-shirts.

When I wanted to go out I would still dress simply: jeans with a striped collared shirt. I built on that look after college too. Backpack rapper style. Threw on some Converse and a snapback.

Got more shirts with music prints on them.

I performed a few times in Louisiana but when I got back to Austin the scene had changed. So here I am again, hitting up old friends and old flings to find where I belong. I knew music was still a part of me so that’s what I was seeking out.

I got in and out of trouble along the way but I eventually ran into this cat, The Culprit, who said he wanted me to record a hook for his song and video. I met Mic Trey and Willie B through him.

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“Clothes don’t make the man. The man makes the clothes.”

At the time I was struggling with money and needed to find a job to sustain. So Willie suggested I get a job with him at Thundercloud. From there I met more and more people and we all started doing music together. So seven of us formed SoopaFrendz: the Wu-Tang group of Austin.

We took off, did a tour, won several awards when we were all together. Every SXSW we’d win Best Hip-Hop Performance. We performed consistently for seven years and it kept us out of a lot of trouble. But life started happening and the group started to go their separate ways, all in good standing, just with different opportunities.

Around that time in 2018 I got tagged in a Facebook message on an ad for a lead vocalist and next thing you know I’m part of The Capitol: a 21st-Century Funk band, alongside my Mista Mozes solo project.

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Jacket Carhartt

@carhartt

Pants Goodfellow @targetstyle

Glasses Ray-Ban Evolve

@rayban

Watch G-SHOCK

@gshock_us

Bracelets Hippie Crew

@hippie_crew_

Hat Yellow 108

@yellow108

Shoes Nike Air Max 90 @nike

Bag Longchamp

@longchamp

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“I started making music at age 13 and I haven’t stopped since.”

At that point I knew everything was on me. I needed to take control of my own destiny. I matured really quickly, thinking about what I really wanted to accomplish. And since then I’ve seen a lot of opportunities, a lot of drama, a lot of successes and a lot of heartbreaks.

While I kept the same style of music, I reinvented my style. It was definitely prompted by meeting someone who was really into deep-diving into fashion. You know, behind every strong man is a stronger woman.

I started pulling stuff together that I wouldn’t have tried before, and getting great positive reinforcement. I always say the clothes don’t

make the man, the man makes the clothes.

They’re just an extension of who I am in this moment. I could rock a t-shirt and jeans and still give the same great performance. But folks tend to take you more seriously when you’re put together. Who I am on stage is a performer with a ton of charisma. Throw nice clothes on top of that—now you have something extra special.

I started making music at age 13 and I haven’t stopped since. 21 years later I love where I’m at.

We’re working on a festival plan with The Capitol.

We’re looking to reclaim our spot at SXSW (taken from us due to Covid-19) and we have our eye on Blues on the Green too. Big things are coming!

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PHOTO: ALEX PARKER, @ALEXPARKERMEDIA

The Capitol at Empire Garage

The Capitol sound is a mix of old and new; a rebirth of the glory age of the funk of the 1970s when ensembles like Earth, Wind & Fire and Tower of Power dominated the nation's airwaves.

The Capitol's brand of funk is tailored to today's listener through careful attention to pop-inspired songwriting along with the modern influence of hip-hop, R&B and Neo-Soul.

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Chasing

Victory with André P. van den Broeck

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Words & Modeling André P. van den Broeck @pezzoditelo

Photos Joey Cruz @cruzpix

Location Tipsy Alchemist

@tipsyalchemist.atx

Suit Suit Supply @suitsupply

Shirt Suit Supply @suitsupply

Shoes MAGNANNI @magnanni

I remember my very first venture. I was a young kid in Arlington, Texas, noticing some other kids selling lemonade down the street. I wanted to make some money too but even at that age I understood I couldn’t just copy them.

So instead, I just filled cups with water straight from the hose. One of my first customers asked a valid question, “why would I buy something I can get for free at home?” But now look at the bottled water industry. Business is everywhere.

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When I was nine years old I was playing baseball and decided to design some cards and mail them off to Fleer. Obviously they didn’t use them but I was building up confidence to get in front of people.

In college I was so dedicated to playing soccer that at the end of four years I still had two years of school left. I was the captain of the team and it taught me valuable lessons. When I stopped playing, business took over my desire to compete.

I’ve fallen in love with Suit Supply recently.

Solid navy is always a staple but you can sex it up if you have the frame for a double breasted suit (if your shoulders are too wide you might start to look boxy).

This jacket is unconstructed (no lining), meaning it’s really light. My favorite is wearing it with a button up and no tie. You can wear it just about anywhere.

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Shirt Filson

@filson1897

Pants J.Crew

@jcrewmens

Shoes Nike Dunk

@nike

“When I stopped playing soccer, business took over my desire to compete.”

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After college my parents divorced and I came home to help my mom. At the time I was learning that I’m unequivocally the worst employee on the planet, and I was struggling to get a job. That was when I saw a commercial for a corporate janitorial service. “They clean at night,” I thought. “That could make sense for me.” And Southwest Shine Corporate Cleaning Service was born.

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“The lessons I’ve learned have positioned me to win, and winning can mean so many different things.”

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“Every victory creates another challenge.”

I picked up the phone and started selling. One of my first calls was to Texan Ford in Arlington. “Can I swing by and save you some money on janitorial services?” And she told me to come by tomorrow.

I had one suit and put it on. I scrambled to make one trifold brochure in CorelDRAW, along with a few business cards and headed over for the walk-through of this enormous dealership. She sat me down and said she was paying $5k/mo so I told her I could save her $6k/year. At that point I was in over my head so I lied and told her I was traveling for the next week and a half—enough time for me to hire a crew and buy a work truck with supplies. I thought it would be easy enough but I had to be on site managing people the entire time. And I lost the contract in 45 days.

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“I learned that your clothes speak before you do. And I wanted to make sure I was the one controlling that conversation.”

I became accustomed to failure pretty quickly. But I learned that if you lose, it doesn’t mean the experience had no value. I learned to fail fast and hard and came to terms with the fact that I’m an entrepreneur and that’s just how it goes.

Most of the things I’ve pursued haven’t worked but I have had some great successes that have made it all worthwhile. I’m a ready, fire, aim guy. The lessons I’ve learned have positioned me to win, and winning can mean so many different things.

Now I’m building a life-insurance agency. We started in January, 2021, and by April, 2022, we’re projecting a $15m run rate. It’s unbelievable and exciting. We’re hiring agents and transforming their lives, while providing a service for seniors in middle-America. Our product is really impactful and my life journey is all beginning to make sense.

Every victory creates another challenge. The thing about winning is that you’ve never finally won. You’re always chasing the next victory, which is stressful and definitely has its own drawbacks but I’ve been at it for 19 years now and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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I was interested in fashion from an early age after learning how to color coordinate. “Look good, feel good. Feel good, do good.” I always needed my soccer uniforms to be impeccable.

As I’ve matured, my style has as well. While I’m most comfortable in joggers and a hoodie, a testament to my middle-class background, I still value dressing up. As a young kid, I remember seeing a newspaper clipping of my father and his two business partners walking down the street in suits and thinking, “wow, my dad is super important.”

That’s when I learned that your clothes speak before you do. And I wanted to make sure I was

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the one controlling that conversation. Even if I dress down, I never want to look sloppy, because that’s representative of how you live your life. If you dress for trends, you’re just satisfying the market. You want to dress for authenticity.

I recently styled our CEO. He had purchased a bunch of custom clothes but they still didn’t fit him well. So I helped him out and when his order came in he called me up and thanked me, saying “I feel like a million bucks when I felt like 27 cents before.” This is a guy who has everything and he was finally happy with the way he looked. It’s amazing how clothes can make you feel that way.

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Pullover J.Crew

@jcrewmens

Shirt Suit Supply

@suitsupply

Pants J.Crew

@jcrewmens

Loafers MAGNANNI

@magnanni

“If you dress for trends, you’re just satisfying the market.

You want to dress for authenticity.”

I think I’ll call this one Brunch in the Fall. It’s a really easy, comfortable look. It makes it obvious that you pay attention to how you dress, without looking obnoxious.

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Modeling Ella Hemza

@ejanddawgs

Words Matt Stanley

@pezzoditelo

Photos Joey Cruz @cruzpix

Location East 6th Construction Site

Crop Top Vintage Personal Collection

Skirt Vintage White Denim

Shoes Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Lift Cable

@converse

Eye of the

Beholder featuring Ella Hemza

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Ella is a server at Carpenters Hall and a friend of Cultivate.

She's a born and raised Austinite—kind, gentle-hearted, and never once have we heard her complain about the way things are. She simply adjusts to the rapidly changing city and

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everything else that life throws her way.

She was very shy as a kid and I could see some of that come out when I approached her about a photo shoot. She had never modeled before and when I asked her to share her story with us for this second issue she was surprised. “No one has ever asked me that.”

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“Ella’s story is really about making progress in finding yourself.”

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Jumper Vintage '60s Denim

Cardigan life/after/denim

@lifeafterdenim

Ella's story is really about making progress in finding yourself. It was hard being a server during the Covid-19 quarantine. How do you define yourself when your livelihood is taken away?

We saw her come alive during the photo shoot, feeling special, seen, and valuable. Photography allows you to confront your beauty and when you can truly see it, it's a wonderful thing. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but you have to see yourself first, for who you really are.

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“We see the world not as it is, but as we are.” ~Anaïs Nin

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Ella is a huge supporter of animals and rescues.

She’s also really into veganism—only wearing clothing that's humanely made. A lot of her wardrobe is her mother's, from the '60s and '70s.

In a day and age where people are always working on themselves—always under construction—stop and look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself you’re gorgeous.

Her confidence after the shoot began to blossom.

We could tell she felt confident, empowered by the legacy of her mother through her wardrobe.

We see the world not as it is, but as we are.

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Words & Modeling Matt Stanley

@pezzoditelo

Photos Matthew Gattozzi

@matthewgattozzi

Location South Congress Avenue

Jacket Trunk Club

@nordstrommen

Shirt Ledbury

@ledburyshirts

Tie Suit Supply

@suitsupply

Pants COS

@cosstores

Glasses TOM FORD @tomford

The scene in Austin is changing.

Nowhere is it more evident than on South Congress. It used to be anchored by the Continental Club but it’s become more of a style hub with shops like Billy Reid, Buck Mason, FRAME Denim, Manready Mercantile, the list goes on.

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Photos Joey Cruz @cruzpix

Location Easy Tiger East

@easytigeratx

Jacket Nordstrom

@nordstrommens

Shirt Suit Supply

@suitsupply

Watch Kapten & Son

@kaptenandson

Pants Nordstrom

@nordstrommens

Shoes Ortigni

@ortignishoes

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Photos Isra Sharnez

@is.ra___

Location Canopy

@canopyaustin

Matt: Overshirt Stetson

@stetsonusa

Zach: Jacket Club 75 x LIFUL

@club75 @lifulminimalgarments_official

Zach: Shirt Art Is Not Cheap by Chad Rea

@chadrea

So many men miss a critical piece when it gets colder.

Call it your third layer.

I’m wearing an overshirt by Stetson—it’s lined, flannel, and warm so I don't need a big coat. It has more weight and substance than a regular shirt, because you don’t need a giant jacket when it’s 50 degrees out.

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‘Tis the season for

another layer.

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Bring on the

cooler weather!

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We hope you enjoyed our second issue of

Cultivate For orders, subscriptions, consignment and partnerships, please scan the QR code or visit: C U LT I VA T E G U I D E . C O M I N S T A G R A M . C O M /C U LT I VA T E M A G A Z I N E

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Almost Real Things

Pezzo di Telo

Special thanks to Lenny's Pizza for letting us shoot in one of the most iconic locations in Brooklyn.

Almost Real Things Magazine and Pezzo di Telo present the second issue of Cultivate.

This collaborative guide examines the style and confidence of seven people who we admire.

We explore the approachable basics necessary to begin curating your appearance towards what you want to achieve. It's a fun way to learn so jump in!

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/pezzoditelo

/cultivatemagazine