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Dainese has been protecting motorcyclists since 1972, and this year they are celebrating that fact with their fashion-forward Settantadue collection. Settantadue, which means 72 in Italian, features several jackets, boots, pants, and gloves sourced from various leathers for a classic, timeless look and feel. The Patina72 Leather Jacket represents the pinnacle of the collection and is a notable achievement for the brand. Upon first feel, the Patina72 oozes luxury. The smell and touch of the jacket instantly reflect the premium materials and finish on offer. The soft, drum-dyed 1.3mm cowhide leather feels great to run your hands across, and will surely develop that signature leather patina that captures the unique stories of every rider. For that reason, each Patina72 is a one-of-a-kind, and will develop into a personal product with its own look and personality. Beyond the look and feel of the leather, it’s color is also striking. The dark burgundy cordovan coloring doesn’t necessarily translate in pictures or online, but is rich and pleasing in person. It’s a nice change from brown and black leathers that does just enough to stand out in a crowd without calling attention. The Patina72 features large, fitted cuts of leather, with minimal paneling and stitching as a result. This is a premium feature, and helps enhance the elegant design. Even the patchwork on the elbows is generous and simple. The back is an exercise is simplicity, with two long, wide panels running the length of the jacket and little else. To maintain the clean lines and high-end look, Dainese branding is almost non-existent. A small, hard black patch on the left shoulder easily blends in, and a single logo is featured on one side of the main zipper. Speaking of zippers, the hardware featured in the Patina72 is a step above the rest. Every zipper is a gold, heavy gauge affair. That includes the main front zipper, two waist pockets, two smaller chest pockets, and zippers up each wrist to accommodate gloves. Dainese made sure that the expandable material at each wrist is still the same high quality cowhide leather. On the inside of the coat is a premium silk liner designed by New York artist Othelo Gervacio, featuring his trademark floral medium over a black and white checkered background. It’s a very cool touch that continues this jacket’s climb to the next level. Hidden among the premium leather and custom silk print is Dainese’s new molecular Pro-Armor protection plates. Small, discrete Velcro pockets at the interior of each elbow and shoulder hold removable, lightweight plating. The Pro-Armor plating is ‘fractal inspired’ and has a ton of cut-outs to alleviate weight without compromising on protection. The plates are certified to European safety standards. Additionally, the Patina72 features a back pocket for a G1 or G2 back protector, which most serious cyclists will want to add. The jacket’s Italian origins are on display in a thin, minimal piece of hardware that sits right below the collar under the zipper. These origins also dictate the sizing, which runs a little snug and more ‘European;’ of course, the beauty of such a high grade leather product is that it will break in while its worn, so a snug fit is nothing to worry about at first. The Patina72 is suitable for riding most of the year, and with the optional removal of the Pro-Armor, becomes a very fashionable leather jacket in its own rite. You don’t need a bike to leave your own patina on this timeless celebration of classic leather design. The price tag may seem a bit steep, but this is a leather product of the highest caliber, built to last a lifetime. From the bike to the spotlight, the Patina72 is the pinnacle of Dainese’s vision. For more information, visit: www.dainese.com Story by Thomas Bender

As one of the last metal sunglasses manufacturers in the United States, Randolph takes pride not only in their product, but also in their story. Founded by two immigrants, the rigorous quality standards of Randolph Engineering attracted the eye of the US Government, whom they have been contracting for since 1978. Fighter pilots trust Randolph, and you can, too. The Randolph take on the Aviator is somehow unique, traditional, and modern all at once. They are more square in shape than most mainstream, fashion-only aviators, and in turn end up fitting the contours of your face. They sit decently high up on the nose, and won’t brush your cheeks, except during your widest of smiles. They fit comfortably while eliminating most gaps for sunlight to sneak through—if you’ve ever found yourself squinting behind a pair of aviators like I have, you’ll quickly appreciate just how good the coverage is on the Randolph Aviators. Of course, the year is 2018, so there are plenty of ways to customize your pair of Aviators. The all-metal frame options range from 22K rose gold to matte black, and you can choose a traditional ‘skull’ temple or a ‘bayonet’ style that looks particularly fashionable. The bayonet style was invented for pilots to easily slide the glasses on and off under their helmets and headgear. For the rest of us, it helps when wearing these Aviators with headphones or a hat! Randolph also offers 19 different lens styles, including six polarized options. Thankfully, each lens type comes with some very helpful information to help you craft the perfect pair (for instance—“Our relaxing AGX green tint filters out colors that are fatiguing to the eye and provides exceptional color contrast for crisp viewing. Brightens shadows and reduces glare.”). The lens options are a mix of both real glass and polycarbonate—spring for the glass lenses if you can. I think these frames are deserving of something a little flashy, so I opted for 23K gold plated bayonet frames with gray polarized glass lenses, and they look fantastic. Each pair of Aviators is labeled with the Randolph name in the top left corner of the lenses, as well as a “RE” stamp on the temple. The care and quality materials ultimately shine through, resulting in a sophisticated, sturdy, no nonsense pair of sunglasses on any face. You’ll notice that the glass lenses and all-metal construction make the Randolph Aviators nearly indestructible, and also a fairly heavy pair of eyewear. Thankfully, the weight doesn’t translate to discomfort or fatigue over longer periods—just ask the military. You probably won’t be wearing these on your next run, but they are certainly suitable for an active lifestyle. Even with the bayonet frames, I have had no problems with the Aviators falling or slipping. The hand-crafted process most likely means that you won’t need any adjustments when you take them out of the box, but if you do, the nose pads are fully adjustable. Each pair of Randolph Aviators also comes with a repair kit that includes extra screws, nose pads, and even a screwdriver! These accoutrements live in a small Velcro pocket inside the luxurious leather carrying case that comes with each pair. The case itself speaks to the high quality standards of Randolph, and is something you won’t necessarily get with other pairs of shades. I felt particularly good about traveling with my Randolph’s thanks to the hard shelled case. History aside, the Randolph Aviators are some of the finest consumer-friendly sunglasses I’ve worn. Consider the military heritage and 45 year handcrafted history, and it's no wonder. Their pricing is competitive with a lot of other sunglasses which lack the quality construction and attention to detail, making them a top choice for your next pair of serious sunglasses. For more information, visit: www.randolphusa.com Story by Thomas Bender

Emilia Taneva, a beautiful Bulgarian import, has managed to organically amass a whopping 655K+ Instagram followers at her handle @bubbly.moments in just a year and a half! Her luxury lifestyle blog by the same name is also exploding, leading major corporate sponsors from Clinique and Olay, to Pantene, Macy's and FabFitFun to line up to work with her. Turning her passion for travel into her own cottage industry, Taneva has circled the globe in rarefied luxury, chronicling her adventures draped in the latest fashion and accessories. What's more impressive, is that she has managed to accomplish this in parallel to a thriving career as an orthodontist and expert on dental genetics. Originally a successful dentist in her native, Bulgaria, Taneva came to the United States on a student visa to get her orthodontics degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Along the way, she fell deeply in love with her now husband, and her brand Bubbly Moments was born out of the pair's penchant for romantic globetrotting. In this interview, Emilia Taneva shares her story and her well-honed tips for achieving superstar blogger and social media status. Interview By Allison Kugel Allison Kugel: When you got your student visa to come to the states to study dentistry, had you also set your sites on being an entrepreneur and social media influencer, or did that come after? Emilia Taneva: That came later on. I came here to study orthodontics. I was already a dentist in my native, Bulgaria. About three years ago, my husband and I were traveling a lot and I had a lot of content that I realized I could use. Traveling was always one of my passions. I saw other people doing their blogs and realized that I could turn this into a brand and make it a source of income. At the time I was following a few bloggers, namely, @nomadicmatt and @theblondeabroad. I was focused on the website first and then came Instagram. AK: How did you put your team together to build and optimize your blog, BubblyMoments.com? ET: I have website design experience going back many years, so I was able to do everything myself. I've built other websites in the past, and I love the technical part of working on my website. I studied, I Googled and I read a lot of manuals about SEO. It's a field that is changing constantly, so I am always brushing up on the latest trends and methods. AK: People want to know how you managed to grow your Instagram following to over 650K followers in such a short period of time. What's your secret? ET: It's important to have a niche when you are first building your following. Figure out what you are passionate about. Is it beauty, fashion, food, travel? Invest a great deal of time. I spend 4 or 5 hours per day just reviewing photos that are going to be published on Instagram, and I invested my own finances to build this brand. Just like with any other brand or business, if you want it to be successful, you have to treat it like a business and put in the time. After your following grows you can expand and start posting images that reflect other parts of your life and other interests. AK: Instagram seems to be your main stage. Is that true? ET: It's never a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket. Focus on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and your own website; not just Instagram. Try to publish similar content on all of your platforms. Pinterest is its own animal and I spend a lot of time on it as well. The content that is being published on Pinterest requires different image sizing and lots of overlaid text. I use Pinterest quite a bit to drive traffic to my website. AK: How do you keep your engagement so high? Do you have any trade secrets you'd like to share? ET: Well, different images get different engagement; whether it is travel, fashion or food. Different times of the day when people are more or less active makes a difference as well. You have to experiment with this formula. I try to engage back with my followers as much as possible. I go to their profiles, look at their pictures and reply to their comments. Engaging back is important is important. AK: You have some impressive sponsors, including Clinique, Olay, Macy's Jared Jewelry and others. How did you land your first corporate sponsor, and what do you think it was about your brand that attracted them to you? ET: My very first sponsorship was just a gifted product that came from a clothing line in the UK. There are so many platforms for social media influencers and bloggers that connect influencers with compatible brands. The brand wants to make sure you will be good representative for their product. I have gotten my sponsorships either directly or through one of these influencer platforms. What brands tell me they like about my images are my use of bright colors and the places I've traveled. They like the idea of their brand being associated with these beautiful and exotic locations. They will ask me where I am going next and choose for me to promote their product or service against the backdrop of that specific locale. AK: In addition to your strong social media presence, you are a successful orthodontist, which you also incorporate into your blog and your social media posts. How do you see the two working together? ET: Different days of the week are being dedicated to one or the other. At one point the dental or orthodontic part of the blog might become bigger. People go through different life stages, so when you are thinking of expanding your family and having kids, the orthodontics part might take over a bit more as my traveling slows down for some periods of time. AK: You have traveled to so many places around the globe. What destination has been your favorite, and why? ET: I really love Hawaii. It's one of my favorite destinations, and it is so easy to get from one island to the other. Each island has a different vibe, and the nature is so beautiful and unbelievable. Maui is more calming and relaxing. Oahu is more populated. If you are looking for more buzz and excitement, you can always jump over to Honolulu and Oahu. The best part is you're not leaving the states, so it's the same currency, same phone network. It's exotic and convenient at the same time. AK: People can now shop your lifestyle at your blog, Bubbly Moments. How do you choose what kinds of products to promote to your readers and followers? ET: I need to believe in the product. I will usually use something for at least a few weeks before giving any recommendation. Now that summer is coming, I am focused on summer content: outfits, accessories, floaties. I love a good pool floaty! I am always looking for fun things to promote. And I do promote things that I just personally love and use myself. For example, right now I am obsessed with my Amazon firestick, so I was just sharing that in my IG story. So much of it is completely organic and me sharing what I am loving at that moment. Follow Emilia Taneva's "Bubbly" adventures at her blog BubblyMoments.com, and follow her on Instagram @Bubbly.Moments