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David Guetta has become a music impresario, churning out beat banging, genre busting pop songs that have been topping the charts for nearly a decade with mega hits like Titanium featuring Sia; Where Them Girls At featuring Flo Rida and Nicki Minaj; Club Can’t Handle Me featuring Flo Rida; Who’s That Chick featuring Rihanna and I Gotta Feeling featuring The Black Eyed Peas. Guetta is the King of Collabs. His creative input on a song almost assures chart topping status and his fans have dubbed his music, “Guetta-blasters,” an homage to his bold immersion into hip hop culture, and his constant and effortless ability to blend hip hop and pop music with an addictive beat. Born in France to liberal intellectuals who shunned materialism, Guetta says he yearned for a more glamourous life, which he soon discovered in Europe’s underground club scene where he began deejaying as a teenager. He also fell in love with all things American, as he described to me, delving into American books, movies and music, and yearning to conquer the stateside music scene. During our conversation we discussed his seventh, yes seventh, studio album, simply titled, “7.” It’s an eclectic, genre-fluid collection of emotionally charged lyrics and hypnotic melodies. Of course, the album is full of Guetta’s famous collaborations with the likes of Sia, Jason Derulo and Justin Bieber. Interview by Allison Kugel Allison Kugel: Was your creative vision, of merging electronic dance music with urban music, there from the start, or did it evolve into that because of the opportunities that came your way? David Guetta: This may sound crazy, but when I was a kid and I began deejaying, there was no electronic music (laughs). When I was a teenager I was playing funk, and then I went to hip hop and then house music. That’s why for me, it’s kind of natural, because I come from this culture. Then I just moved to a different style, and one day I was able to merge them together. I love music, in general. I like to create emotions with my music, and I like to make people dance. Allison Kugel: You’re the first deejay I’ve seen that has been able to transcend, not just across various musical genres, but you have been able to get to the point where you’re considered a mainstream recording artist in your own right. How did you create this space for yourself that really didn’t exist before? David Guetta: Exactly! That’s what is so interesting to me. The world is a certain way, the music industry is a certain way, and if you want to be part of a certain “family,” you’re told, “This is the way things are done.” To me, you don’t have to follow those rules. I created my own rules. At that time, I was extremely criticized for this. And then everybody did the same. I want to create my own rules, basically. That’s how I have always been doing it, and that’s how I’m doing it now. I just finished my album (7, out September 14th), and it’s very eclectic. Allison Kugel: Yes, it certainly is. Every song on your new album has a completely different sound and emotional tone to it. From your perspective, is there any one theme that ties the album together? David Guetta: This album is called 7. It is my seventh album, but the number seven also represents the end of a cycle; a week is seven days, the creation of the world in the bible is seven days and my birthday is on [November 7th]. That number is kind of magic to me. What I did with this album, we were talking about how I merged different styles in the past and created a new style of pop music. I wanted to go back to my roots and do a full pop album in different styles. I’m going to do a full electronic album that is completely going back to my roots and being completely underground. So basically, instead of compromising, I’m going to create those magic moments with an album that I could play in the festivals, in the clubs, and be able to have played on the radio. It came down to either being very pop or hip hop for the radio or being underground again in the clubs. I wanted this album to be real. There is this one record that I really love, which was released in Europe, that is called Don’t Leave Me Alone. It’s one of my favorite albums. It’s pop, but it’s electronic and forward thinking, and it doesn’t sound like anything else out there. I also have Latin records and a huge record with Jason Derulo and Nicki Minaj. Allison Kugel: Is there a difference for you, when it comes to collaborating with male artists versus female artists? Do you take a different approach? David Guetta: Not really. Sometimes I will write with a male artist and we will have a female artist sing it. This happens a lot; or even the other way around. If you want to go higher in the notes, of course you would do that with a female artist. Also, you’re not going to necessarily tell the same story in the music with a male artist versus female, even though things are changing, and I love this (laughs)! I think that things are a little bit less stereotyped right now. Allison Kugel: Tell me about this special creative synergy that you and Sia share? David Guetta: It’s incredible, because first, we have a lengthy history together. Sia, when we started to work together, was not the big artist she is now. We created [the song] Titanium (from Guetta’s 2011 5th studio album, Nothing but the Beat) together, which was, for both of us, a life changing record. Sia deserves every success she has. She is my favorite artist. She can sing, she can write like no one else, and any time I need her she is always there for me. We have kept working together, and I love the combination. I think what is interesting in music is to combine opposite feelings together into one song. For example, if you play happy chords and have a happy melody, and you use bright sounds, it sounds kind of cheesy. And if it’s too dark, it’s like, “Oh My God. I want to shoot myself.” You know (laughs)? What is interesting to me is to have a dark instrumental with a happy melody, or the other way around. I’m a happy person, so I like to make emotional records that put you in a good mood. Like, I produced I Gotta Feeling (the 2009 hit single from The Black Eyed Peas’ 5th studio album, The E.N.D.). Those are the kinds of records I make. And Sia, she is a moody, melancholy, survival kind of artist. The combination between the two is the magic. That is why me and Sia work so well together. Allison Kugel: You like the contrast of blending dark and light feelings into your musical collaborations. David Guetta: Exactly, and it’s just like that with movies I like to watch. If you see an action movie, and all they’re doing is shoot, shoot, shoot; bang, bang, bang, it’s stupid and boring. If you have an action movie, but there is also a love story in there, it works better. With music, it is the same. When you study music theory and different types of melody and core percussion, they teach you that people want to have seventy-five percent of an experience of hearing something that is familiar to them, and twenty-five percent maximum of feeling excited by hearing something new. This is really a precise number. It’s interesting, when you listen to a certain core percussion you need the last chord to feel good, and it’s the same when you go back to the first chord. In between the first and the last chords, you can afford to be more experimental. But if you were to add one chord after the other in a sequence that no one ever heard before, it’s very rare that it would work. People need a little bit of excitement and they need their familiarity. Allison Kugel: What spiritual philosophy do you subscribe to? And how does it impact your work? David Guetta: I’m a very happy person, and I’m trying to share this with the world. I’m trying to share my passion for music with the world, and I’m trying to bring people together. I think there are two things that bring people together, and that is sports and music. At a Football match you may have the president of the country, and you have working people; people from all walks of life. That is what I am trying to do with music. That’s what has been my mission my entire life. I’m coming from an underground scene, but I always wanted my music to cross over, because I’m not a guy who’s trying to keep it for myself. I like sharing. When I was trying to bring urban music and electronic music together, people’s feeling was that if you’re black you’re going to be into urban music, and if you’re white you’re going to be into electronic music. But why? To me, we are all the same, so we can also create music that speaks to everyone. Allison Kugel: I read that your father was a Sociologist. Did his studies and his work have any impact on your life philosophy, or anything about how you choose to live your life? David Guetta: It’s funny, because my parents were very, very left. And because it was the 1960s, they were hippies. Of course, being a hippy at that time was very common. I was raised like this. So, for me, being rebellious was saying, “I want to be an entrepreneur and I want to make money. I don’t want to be like you guys.” (Laughs) I was also super pro-America, and I was only watching American movies and listening to American music. Allison Kugel: What about things like picking up your father’s philosophies on any social causes, or on human behavior; things like that? David Guetta: You know, I really hadn’t thought about it. Now that you mention it, I would say a lot of the advice I was given stuck with me. Things like believing and treating everyone as equal, and just a certain way of navigating the world, without me even realizing it. Allison Kugel: What is the difference, culturally, between how your music is received in Europe versus in the states? David Guetta: It’s extremely different. There was this magic moment in my career where I brought people together and opened doors for this kind of music in the U.S., with songs like I Gotta Feeling (with the Black Eyed Peas), Club Can’t Handle Me (with Flo Rida) and music like that. It was a special moment of pop music that transcended genre, around 2009, 2010 and 2011. Now, in the U.S., it’s mainly hip hop. Among the biggest deejays in Europe, I am probably the one that is in the middle, culture-wise. The bigger deejays in Europe could probably not be as successful in the U.S. Hip hop has absorbed every culture there was, in the United States. Hip hop stars are the new rock stars in the U.S. They act like it and they dress like it. They don’t use the old hip hop codes; they use the rock n’ roll codes. I think that kids who would have in the past been into rock or alternative music, those same kids today are into hip hop. They relate to that rebellious, provocative culture. I think it’s very interesting how they absorbed this. In Europe, if you want to be cool and different, you would likely be into underground dance music. Photo Credits: Joseph Abound (album cover), Guerin Blask, Ellen von Unwerth David Guetta’s seventh studio album, 7, is out September 14th. Pre-order at iTunes and at https://davidguetta.lnk.to/Album7?ref=https%3A//t.co/B2tsQPCnog. Follow on Twitter @davidguetta. Allison Kugel is a syndicated entertainment columnist and author of the book, Journaling Fame: a memoir of a life unhinged and on the record. Follow her on Instagram @theallisonkugel and at AllisonKugel.com.

CHANEL celebrated the opening of the Fragrance and Beauté Boutique at Brickell City Centre. The event included mini makeup applications by CHANEL Celebrity Makeup Artist Tyron Machhausen, who offered expert tips and tricks with CHANEL’s latest Ultrawear Intense Matte Liquid Lip Colour: CHANEL Rouge Allure Ink Fusion. Mauricio Rodriguez & Emily LaRoche Edgar Prieto & Florian Jouin Kelly Saks & Gal Kol Bianca Gabay, Carolina Lindo, Sofia Morgan Mariela Bagnato & Marcela Alma Carolina Lindo, Tyron Machhausen, Angeles Almuna Images courtesy of Chanel.

Italian-born chef Stefano di Silvestre cooks with inspiration from his authentic Italian upbringing. His impressive career spans 15 prolific years where he honed his culinary expertise through various international posts at some of the world’s most revered restaurants. Lucky for us, his passion for both travel and cooking recently brought him to the United States. In 2018, he moved to Las Vegas, where he currently resides, to open the 200-seat Cipriani restaurant at the five-star Wynn Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. The restaurant currently serves up to 600 diners per day, and Chef di Silvestre manages and mentors a team of 42 kitchen staff. Click below to launch slideshow > We sat down with Chef to learn more about his impressive career and promising trajectory: How did you get your start in the kitchen? My passion for cooking began as a child, when I spent my days with my mother and grandmother preparing food and baking cakes. When I was 14, I started [studying at] the Filippo de Cecco culinary school in Pescara, Italy and started working at the same time. I began in a local restaurant and then slowly started moving and making my way up between all-inclusive, 5-star hotels, and Relais & Chateaux to become an executive chef for a worldwide company. What inspires you and where do your ideas in the kitchen come from? My preparation of dishes is ver y influenced by my origins. The region where I was born is very rich in natural products where agriculture follows seasonality and the livestock are still bred heritage-style. I am always striving to infuse my culinary memories into dishes to reproduce those smells and tastes I experienced as a child. I also count great international chefs like Massimo Bottura, Heinz Beck, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten as significant influences. How did you land in a restaurant in Las Vegas? I was looking for a new challenge and the company I work for happened to be searching for someone who would be able to take charge of this very significant project located in a city where gastronomy is very important, and the competition is fierce. Thankfully, my past training, work experiences, and abilities helped shape me into the ideal candidate. Tell us about some of your favorite dishes and why. My favorite dish is pasta. It is the dish that best represents my nation, along with pizza, of course. In a pasta dish, you can express your creativity with unique presentations that attract the customer at the mere sight of it. The combinations are endless, and the explosion of flavor is boundless. It is the dish that unifies people most. It doesn’t matter if they are royals or plebeian…no matter who you are, you can always enjoy a good dish of pasta. Anything else you would like us to feature that we have not asked you yet? My choice to become a chef comes from the desire to combine two great passions: cooking and traveling. I’m lucky enough to have known many places, and to have lived them. The great fortune of understanding and immersing in each unique culture has enriched my own cultural and professional background. I am so grateful to every place I have been and look forward to the places I will still go. The kitchen and this profession can sometimes be very hard. There have been many tough moments — from working in extremely hot, cold, or humid environments, to always playing with fire, to endless hours of work, and always wanting to do better — but the goal is always to offer an unforgettable dining experience to anyone who gives me the opportunity to serve him or her. By ML Staff. Image courtesy of Stefano Di Silvestre

For her wedding, on September 1st in Noto (Sicily), Chiara Ferragni wore two Dior dresses, specifically designed for the occasion by Maria Grazia Chiuri. Inspired by the savoir-faire and crafts of Italy, while reflecting on the bride’s radiant energy and modern character, the wedding dress itself was composed of a bustier and skirt along pure lines. This unique design required 400 meters of fabric and more than 1,600 hours of work in the Ateliers at 30 Avenue Montaigne. Conceived as a celebration of her meeting her husband, Fedez, her tulle evening grown was embroidered with motifs and words that evoked the couple’s shared history. Among these were emblems of the cities in which they had lived together, along with a little lion, symbolizing their son Leone. Click to launch slideshow > By Miami Living, Wedding images by David Bastianoni, Dress images by Sophie Carre

The Aventador SVJ Roadster --the open top version of the coupé-- made its worldwide premiere at the Geneva Motor Show. “The Aventador SVJ Roadster inherits all the power, performance, and groundbreaking aerodynamic technologies of the coupé, but with its own iconic presence and prowess,” says Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automobili Lamborghini, Stefano Domenicali. “It is as fundamentally exciting to drive as the Aventador SVJ, but with an added exclusivity: the option of the open air. With the same extraordinary performance roof on or off, the Aventador SVJ Roadster incorporates the dynamism of the coupé with the unique spirit of a Lamborghini roadster.” Benchmark performance comes from the most powerful series production V12-engined car produced to date by Lamborghini, outputting 770 hp (566 kW) at maximum 8,500 rpm. The SVJ Roadster delivers 720 Nm of torque at 6,750 rpm, with a weight-to-power ratio of 2.05 kg/hp. The SVJ accelerates from standing to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and from 0 to 200 km/h in 8.8 seconds. A top speed of more than 350 km/h is complemented by a braking distance of 100 km/h to 0 in 31 meters. The roadster roof, constructed from high pressure RTM carbon fiber, is removable via quick-release levers in the cabin, and securely stored under the front hood. Weighing less than 6 kg each part, the roadster adds only 50 kg to the SVJ coupé’s weight of 1,525 kg. Click below to launch slideshow > Fuel consumption and emission values of Aventador SVJ Roadster- Fuel consumption combined: 17,906 l/100km ; CO2-emissions combined: 486 g/km (WLTP) Aventador SVJ power, performance and technologies in a roadster: Naturally aspirated V12 engine, outputting 770 hp at 8,500 rpm and 720 Nm torque at 6,750 rpm Lightweight materials, racing solutions and ALA 2.0 for best handling performance Acceleration 0-100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and top speed in excess of 350 km/h Produced in just 800 units Priced at $573,966, just 800 units will be produced of the Aventador SVJ Roadster. For more info, visit www.lamborghini.com. By ML Staff. Images courtesy of Lamborghini

It’s a sunny Sunday morning in early July when Peter Facinllei and I meet. He arrives at The Gramercy Park Hotel with his girlfriend, actress Lily Anne Harrison, and his youngest daughter, Fiona —the three came in from Long Island where he was visiting family. New York is a brief respite before the actor returns to Canada to finish filming. Peter and I settle into a booth in the hotel restaurant, Maialino, which is abuzz with brunch diners. The New York native, who now resides in Los Angeles, is sporting an LAHH camo baseball cap, a black t-shirt with an unbuttoned blue buttonup, light-colored jeans, and a five-o’clock shadow. “Thanks for having me in the magazine,” Peter starts off. Once our waitress finishes taking his order —an Americano and brioche toast with jelly— Peter tells me about his current project. “I’m filming a movie [The NXIVM Cult: A Mother’s Nightmare] about the cult, NXIVM —basically, a self-help program for women run by a man, Keith Raniere. It has been around for twenty years, actually, but in the last couple of years, Keith, who started this program, also started this underground division asking some of the women to be part of this sex slave cult thing,” he explains. The movie is based on actress Catherine Oxenberg and her daughter, India, who was one of NXIVM’s sex slaves, and Catherine’s fight to get India out of the cult and deprogram her. NXIVM and Smallville’s Allison Mack, NXIVM’s queen bee, made news headlines in early 2018. In June 2019, Keith was convicted on all charges brought against him, including sex trafficking, forced labor conspiracy, human trafficking and multiple counts of racketeering, including sexual exploitation of a child; he faces up to life in prison. “I can’t say I’m having fun at work, because it’s not fun to play this guy, it’s been a challenge though. No one walks around thinking they’re a bad person, so I have to find a reasoning behind why he does what he does. People joke about cults, but it’s out there. Brainwashing is a real thing,” Peter says solemnly. To prepare, Peter studied interviews Keith has given. “You try to focus more on the essense of them than parakeet how they move — things that you pick up, mannerisms and speech patterns.” Playing this “stomach-churning” role appealed to Peter as it is unlike any character he has por trayed. “You can’t always play the hero riding in on the horse, sometimes you play the other par ts, too. That’s sometimes scary, because who wants to play somebody who has no redeeming qualities? Sometimes with bad guys, you can have fun with it and the audience loves to hate them, but it’s scarier to play characters that people just hate.” Peter also took this role so that he could bring some attention to this story. He thought it was impor tant to highlight, since he has three daughters. “I felt like people should watch this so they can understand and recognize, ‘Oh, maybe what I’m in is a cult.’ Because there are signs to watch out for.” The following day, Peter was scheduled to wrap up filming on this movie, and then return home to finish the final cut of his film, Hour of Lead. Hour of Lead is a film that Peter wrote, directed, and acted in. Starring Thomas Jane, Anne Heche, and Jason Patric, Peter describes Hour of Lead as a whodunit, Hitchcock-like thriller. A family of three go to an RV park and while there, their daughter goes missing. Peter opted for a minor role —he plays Deputy Rakes— since he was busy directing the film. “I used to have an RV and I remember pulling up to an RV park and there was this prison two miles down the road. The guy who owned the RV park said, ‘If you hear one or two gunshots, that’s normal, but if you hear more than two, come to the front desk. Sometimes they do drills or tests, one or two gunshots is OK.’ So I started imagining: What would happen if a convict escaped? What happens if your daughter goes missing in the woods? It’s a parent’s worst nightmare. And then I wrote it and I was fortunate enough to make it.” This is the first feature film that Peter has both written and directed. Writing the screenplay came fairly easy to him, and only took three weeks. Getting the film made was a bigger challenge that took seven years. “I had it set up a couple of times and then money falls out. And then I get a movie, then I’d have to go shoot a movie. Then, it would fall apart. There were times where I wasn’t going to direct it, and another director was going to direct it. I was going to star in it. Then, there were times where I got busy and I was just going to have it made and someone was going to direct it with somebody else in it —I was just going to produce it. Finally, after I’d done my first feature [Breaking & Exiting], I thought, No, I think I should direct this one —so I did, and then the money came for it.” He takes a sip of his Americano. He’s a cat person “People always have really interesting names for their cats,” Peter muses. “Like, if I was a cat, I’d be hanging out. ‘What’s your name?’ I’d be like, ‘Whiskers. Frisky. What’s your name?’ ‘Butch.’” His cat’s name is Maisy, The Great Catsby. “My kids liked Maisy, so I settled because Maisy is like Daisy from The Great Gatsby, so I was like alright, Maisy, The Great Catsby. I had two cats; they were named Butch Catsidy and the Sundance Kitty, which is the best names ever. And they escaped. I had them on the back porch. I put them out there ’cause they liked it, and then one day, I came home and that porch screen was just sliced open and Butch and Sunny ran into the sunset and never came back. I was like, they rode off into the sunset together, I guess.” Peter never studied filmmaking; he learned everything he knows from working on sets as an actor for the last 25 years. “There’s stuff that I’ve learned through osmosis that I don’t even know that I know. On the day, I’m like, ‘Let’s do this, do this, this, and this.’ And it’s coming out of me — I didn’t even know I knew that— because you’re subconsciously picking it up after hundreds of movies and TV shows and you’re just on set all the time.” Though each day brought new challenges, Peter loved the whole experience. “I try to be really prepared as a director. Really know what I want to get. I always have a Plan A, Plan B, somewhat of a Plan C, and then I’m open. At that point, if none of those work, then you know you have enough knowledge to make something work.” For example, Peter didn’t have the equipment he needed his first day on the set of Hour of Lead and had to think fast. “What do you do? You don’t have backup equipment that you need. Actors are staring at you. What do you do? Literally, my brain just goes into overdrive…. All of a sudden, I’m doing really creative blocking to make up for the camera not moving,” he explains passionately. What Peter enjoys most about directing is the collaborative process —as the director, he gets to work with all of the departments, more so than when he’s simply acting in a project. However, his desire to spend more time in the director’s chair, doesn’t mean he wants to give up acting. “I don’t think I’ll ever hang up my helmet [and be, like], ‘I don’t want to act anymore,’ because I love acting. But I do find directing, at this stage in my life, a bigger challenge. As an actor, you’re a small cog in a big wheel. A lot of times, the actor gets all the credit. I mean, the director is really picking every piece of music, every frame, every costume, every nuance —it’s all the director’s choice… I find film and television is more of a director’s medium than an actor’s medium. The stage of a play is an actor’s medium. A director can tell you all day long, ‘Play it this way,” and you get up on the stage and the audience is watching you and you’re going to play it whichever way you’re playing it that night and the audience is going to walk away with that. There’s nothing a director can do about it, except yell at you the next day.” Neither of these titles —actor and director— really suit Peter, he prefers “storyteller” as it encomposses acting, writing, producing, and directing. Acting remains one of Peter’s greatest passions. “I love being able to do the research on that character... There’s something really nice about just putting your life aside for a second and then being able to jump into someone’s life and get a feel for what it would be like to be that person just for a small amount of time.” Peter tells me that he was 10 when he realized that he wanted to be an actor when he grew up. One day, while watching Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, he thought that Paul Newman and Robert Redford looked like they were having the best time ever and decided then and there that he wanted to be just like them. “And then, I told my parents, and they laughed, so then I never mentioned it again. The next time my parents said, ‘What do you want to be?’ I said, a lawyer, because the first time I said, ‘an actor,’ they laughed at me. I said a lawyer the second time, they were like, ‘Wow! A lawyer.’ So I was like, They like that. I’ll keep saying that.” He smiles. “So, when anyone asked, ‘What do you want to be?’ ‘A lawyer.’ ‘Wow, a lawyer!’” Peter nods his head to emphasize their approval. Extremely shy in high school, Peter shares that he mostly kept to himself. “I was so shy in high school that I didn’t eat. I didn’t want to get in the lunch line because there was so many people. Imagine going to this giant auditorium, you’re this pimply-faced 15-yearold kid, there’s 3,500 people on line for a hamburger and I’d get so anxious that I’d drop something or that the whole auditorium would stare at me, that I would go to the opposite side and there was this old lady who sold pretzels and orange juice and I would just grab a pretzel and would sit down before everyone else and sneak by.” He laughs at the memory. “I was such a wallflower in high school, I don’t even think that people know I went to that school.” It wasn’t until college that Peter began to pursue acting. While attending St. John’s University, where he was studying pre-law, Peter took Acting 101 as an elective. “It was very freeing for me because I could be somebody else. I could do anything and wasn’t shy —there’s nothing to be shy about because it wasn’t me. I remember there was a kid there and he said, ‘Wow, this is really fun, but what are the chances of us ever making a living out of this?’ I got so mad that he said that. I was like, I’m going to make a living out of this.” After a year at St. John’s, Peter transferred to NYU to study theater, and told his parents the acting classes would ultimately help him as a lawyer. “‘You have to get up in front of jurors and I’m really shy, so these acting classes are going to help me be a better lawyer.’ And they didn’t know any better, so they said, ‘OK.’ Yeah, they’re still waiting for me to be a lawyer,” he adds with a smile. Peter has been making a living as an actor since 1995 — just as he planned. This fall, you can also catch him in the films, Running with the Devil and Countdown. The former is a crime drama that Peter stars in alongside Nicholas Cage and Laurence Fishburne. “You’re watching how this drug affects all these people as it moves into different hands. I play an officer [Number One], and he’s after The Cook [Nicholas] and The Man [Laurence]. That was fun,” he says about Running with the Devil. Countdown is a thriller / horror film, whose IMDb description reads: We follow three true stories from three diverse high school students as they struggle against unrealistic expectations, stress, and an uphill battle against time. “Sometimes you take a thing for different reasons. I like the director [Justin Dec] on Countdown. I thought the script was fun. I liked the company STX. It’s hard. You never know — is this going to be good? Nobody goes into a movie going, Hey, let’s make a terrible movie. Everybody tries to make a good movie, it’s not always easy,” Peter muses. You can have the best names in entertainment attached to a film, and this still doesn’t guarantee a blockbuster hit. It’s hard to predict whether a film or TV show will be a success or a flop. When Peter’s agents first mentioned Twilight (one of the largest film franchises he has starred in) to him, he initially declined. “They [his agents] said, ‘You want to do a vampire movie? I said, ‘no,’ they asked, ‘why?’ I was like, ‘I don’t want to do blood and guts.’ I was thinking some old guy in a cape somewhere with a stake through the heart. Y’know? Some B vampire movie.” His agents advised him to read Stephenie Meyer’s novel —as soon as he did, he had a change of heart. “It was fantastic. Vampire stuff is really the backdrop of this beautiful love story,” Peter explains. And when he found out that Catherine Hardwicke was directing, he was sold. The next day, he went in to audition and landed the role of Cullen family patriarch, Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Peter went on to shoot all five movies in The Twilight Saga film series. Is there a role that you would like to play and haven’t played yet? “I feel like I’ve done almost every genre now, so it’s a tough question. Because even in every genre, there’s different things to play.” Peter has portrayed three doctors —in Twilight, Nurse Jackie, and Countdown — yet, all have been completely different, he explains. He is always on the prowl for roles that aren’t familiar. “I always thought if you put all my characters in one room, it’d be a fun party.” He smiles and continues. “Like, if you take Mike Dexter from Can’t Hardly Wait, he’s hanging out with Carlisle Cullen. Carlisle Cullen is hanging out with Van Ray from Fastlane and that guy is hanging out with Dr. Cooper,” he muses about the diverse group. Who would you be hanging out with in that group? Like, who would you befriend? “I mean, they’re all so different to me... I like Coop from Nurse Jackie, just because he’s funny. I always laughed a lot. I like comedy, I don’t often play it. I try to find comedy in things, sometimes, when it’s not even funny, but I think that that’s the way life is. Even in the most dramatic times, there’s comedy.” We want more Is there any character in film or TV that sticks out, who you really enjoyed portraying? “That’s a hard question because, for me, my litmus test has always been, when I take a job, am I going to be excited on my way to work? It’s the only litmus test I know,” he laughs. “I can honestly say, every job I’ve taken, I’ve been excited for the day’s work ahead. As an actor, you can’t even control if a movie is any good, all you can do is hope that the director puts together a good movie or hope that he puts your performance together in a coherent way. You can be giving gold as an actor but the director’s like, ‘Oh, I like these takes over here because the lighting’s better’ and you’re acting terrible in those takes… But I’ve been acting for 25 years, so I’m always like, What’s next? What’s next? What can I do to grow as an artist? Not just get complacent.” When you have free time, what is your day like? “I don’t get out of bed.” He laughs. “Just lay in bed and I just literally surf the internet of nothingness —just jump from one land of nothingness to the next land of nothingness. I can do that for 10 hours and I find that very relaxing, doing nothing. Then, I feel really bad that I literally don’t get out of bed all day. Every once in a while, you need one of those days, right?” What are you watching on TV? “I don’t watch any TV really. I haven’t had cable in a year. I got so busy, I didn’t end up getting cable. I hate to say this because I’m in the industry of television and film, but it’s such a time suck for me and I end up getting addicted to things. I’ll watch ten hours of TV because I can’t stop. I watched all of Breaking Bad in two and a half weeks, all five seasons. I didn’t sleep for like two and a half weeks. That’s when I knew I had a problem! I was like, I can’t ever. People are like, Game of Thrones! I’m like, nope. Even today, my girlfriend was like, ‘Hey, we should watch Stranger Things.’ I was like, ‘No, I’m not doing it, because I will watch one episode and then I will not leave the house or do anything until I’ve watched all the episodes.’ I used to play baseball but I never really went to a lot of baseball games to watch baseball. So, I like playing or doing, rather than watching. I actually even stopped watching my own work. A couple of years ago, I stopped feeling the need to watch my stuff. I used to want to watch it all the time, ’cause you want to see how the project came together.... But I didn’t stop watching because I couldn’t bare watching myself, I just got bored with watching my stuff, because I lived it, so I didn’t feel the need to have to watch it —that experience became more satisfying to me than watching the end result. When you’re directing, you’re watching the movie hundreds and hundreds of times. There’s times when you love it and times when you hate it. And there’s times where you’re like, This is terrible! And there’s times where you’re like, This is great! So, it’s a weird relationship because you’re watching it so many times.” Who is on your playlist? “I like The Lumineers. I saw them play at the bowl and they were really fun. So, I’d tried to learn guitar before and it was so hard that I just stopped. Then, I picked it up two years ago, I said, ‘I’m just going to play this damn thing everyday until I figure it out.’ I still haven’t quite figured it out.” Peter laughs. “You’re never going to figure it out fully, but I can play it. I can play almost every one of The Lumineers’ songs. I like their music, so it inspired me to play. I guess that’s like any art though. I don’t think you ever feel —no matter what art you do— like 100%, oh, I’ve mastered this thing. Even a great guitarist is probably like, Hmm, there’s probably more I can learn with this instrument. Y’know? I feel like once you’re like, ‘Oh, I know how to do that.’ Then, you kind of are artistically dead… If I’m not a little nervous before a scene, then I shouldn’t be doing this movie, because it means I don’t have an excitement for that scene. When people are like, ‘Do you get nervous before a scene?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, it’s great.’ I’m happy to get nervous. If I don’t get nervous, I’m in trouble. You want to have that slight feeling of discomfort of like, alright, you’re about to jump into this cold pool. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m jumping. On three, here we go, ‘action,’ then, you jump.” Do you have a philosophy in life? “I have one. There was a guy I met, he was a homeless guy, and I took him out for lunch. He asked me for change and I said, ‘I’ll buy you lunch.’ Brought him into this restaurant, like this [similar to the restaurant we’re in], and he was disheveled, he smelled bad. And I sat at the table with him and I would watch how people looked at him, looked down on him. But he was oblivious to it all, he didn’t care. At the end, he wrote something for me on a piece of paper, it said: In this lifetime, nothing is true, nothing is false. It’s all how you look at things through your own looking glass. It was a really beautiful quote. I don’t know his name. I never saw him again. To me that meant, you can judge something, I can judge something, but at the end of the day, the only truth is what you’re perceiving for yourself. When you look through that looking glass, that’s the truth: whatever you’re seeing in that mirror and taking in. So, it’s for no one else to really judge.” What do you think people would be surprised to find out about you? “I don’t know —that’s something you gotta ask somebody else. I don’t know what people don’t know about me. I find that other people’s opinions about me are none of my business and that’s how I live my life.” What are your plans for this summer? “I have a movie in September I’m going to do with Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsley called Long Gone Heroes. It’s kind of this paid militia group of five guys and this mission that they’re on. Not military like U.S. government, like paid militia. I’ve never dove into that world, so that’s fun. I’ve just been eating whatever I want ’cause this character I’m playing, Keith, is kinda like a schlub, so I gotta go home and start hitting the gym because that requires a different body physique. I’ll have a good month off to go on some vacations with my kids, which is nice. Figure out where I want to take them, either Hawaii or somewhere fun. There’s another movie in October that I’m considering doing, but I haven’t given a final on that. And there’s another movie I got offered to direct. I’m trying to fit that in because I’d like to try to direct another one before the year is out.” Follow Peter on IG, Twitter, and Facebook: @PeterFacinelli, and don’t miss Hour of Lead, Countdown, and Running with the Devil. Words by Vanessa Pascale • Photo credit: Jeffrey Fountain • Grooming by Candice Birns • Styling by Veronica Graye

Brooklyn rapper Tré Yung began making music while attending Kingsborough Community College as a promising track star, but was soon booted from the track team for smoking weed, a vice he remains unapologetic about. Rather than sulk, Yung saw the dismissal as a callto-action to dive into writing, recording, and touring. He linked up with producer, Llama, who’d previously worked with Grammy-nominated artists Ryan Leslie and Fetty Wap, and released his debut album, Parkside Prospect in 2017. The album produced the cult hit, “Now A Days” and led to a worldwide tour. Yung’s latest album, Dark ‘N’ Sharp, released in June 2019, features 16 tracks that speak to Yung’s eclectic musical inspirations, which go beyond hip-hop culture. Yung’s bold language and inflection, and his fearless use of beats pull from genres that transcend rap. “I make feel-good music, and I’m not stuck in any one particular sound. I’ve gained inspiration from artists like Drake, Jay-Z, Future and Biggie; but I’ve also drawn inspiration from artists like Andre 3000, Good Charlotte, All-American Rejects, and Lincoln Park. That diversity comes through my music.” The album’s standout singles are “Coastin’”, “Waistline”, “Sire” and ‘Spotlight.” The Flatbush rapper puts an iconic New York stamp on his music. “I feel like each borough has their own style, but it’s all still cut from that same New York cloth,” he says. “New York is a melting pot and there are people from so many walks of life who claim New York and put out music, but the lyrics in my songs give away that I’m a New York artist.” Yung is paying more than lip service to Flatbush, Brooklyn. For every thousand streams of Yung’s album, Dark ‘N’ Sharp, he is donating $5 to CHiPS, a Brooklyn-based non-profit organization close to his heart, that is helping to provide food and shelter to homeless single mothers and their children. Click below to launch slideshow > Your latest album Dark ‘N’ Sharp has so many different sounds. Each track has a distinctly different flow. To what do you credit the versatility of your music? Tré Yung: Dark ‘N’ Sharp is the album I thought I couldn’t make, until I did. I had never pushed myself as much as I did on this album, and it was an incredible experience. I’ve always been a perfectionist, but on Dark ‘N’ Sharp, we took it to a whole other level. Every sound on every track was analyzed, thought about, and ultimately made. I pushed myself, creatively, in ways I honestly didn’t even realize I could. The adventure of pushing myself and discovering new places I could go musically was the direct result of creative experimentation and the benefits that come along with experimenting because we found what worked and stuck with it. Tell me about your ongoing collaboration with producer, Llama. Why do you vibe so well together? TY: Llama is the big brother I didn’t know I needed. His head is on straight, and like me, he desperately wanted to better his situation. We’re both from Brooklyn and we are both dedicated to building something long lasting. We’re confident that we can be the next generation to continue to represent our borough and provide an example to everyone who comes from where we come from. We worked together for approximately a year before we put Dark ‘N’ Sharp together. It was a no brainer. What classic rap albums would you bring with you to a deserted island? TY: Reasonable Doubt by Jay-Z, Ready to Die and Life After Death by Notorious B.I.G., The Stoned Immaculate by Currensy, & Take Care by Drake. I know that philanthropy is important to you, and you donate part of the proceeds from your album sales to CHiPS, a Brooklyn, New York organization that provides resources for homeless mothers and their children. What about CHiPS touched your heart and made you want to help? TY: CHiPS is where the hear t is, right in Brooklyn. It’s an incredible organization that helps single mothers who are homeless, providing them with food and shelter. Everyone has been in tough situations before, of various levels of severity, and I truly believe that it is the community that helps everyone get out of those tight spots. Community, and especially the Brooklyn community from which I hail, has always been supportive of me. It is important for me to continue to support my home. My entire life, even when I didn’t have the financial means to do so, I would always try to help in any way I could. The fur ther this music takes me, the more I’ll be able to continue to help. Do you ever get to Miami, and will you be performing in Miami any time soon? TY: I love Miami and it will always have a special place in my heart. The first ever single I put out was called Bankroll and I shot the music video in Miami. It was a special experience in a special town, and I love going back. In terms of performances, I would love to get back and show out for the people. Bringing some of Brooklyn to the Miami energy would be huge. My team is constantly working out new places for me to tour and I can be down in Miami on a moment’s notice. How would you describe the overall sound of Dark ‘N’ Sharp? Fans of which current artists will resonate with your music? TY: Dark ‘N’ Sharp is what I like to call “the epitome of feel-good music.” The music could resonate with anyone that’s into good music, from fans of Sade to someone who is a fan of Chief Keef, the music doesn’t discriminate. Dark ‘N’ Sharp is available through iTunes and on all major music streaming services. Visit www.treyung.com. For every 1,000 streams of the album funds will be donated to CHiPS, serving New York City homeless mothers and children. Words by Allison Kugel. Images courtesy of Dark 'N' Sharp

President of Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade, Alex Rodriguez-Roig, Co-Chair, Alison Stuart, Co-Chair and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, Andy Stuart, Youth of the Year, Tatiana Hernandez, Nelson Fraga and BGC MIA club kids Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade hosted its VIP “Wild About Kids” Gala Kickoff Party aboard the Norwegian Breakaway. Guests enjoyed breathtaking views, while indulging in a delicious luncheon. President of Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade, Alex Rodriguez-Roig, Andy Stuart, Gala Co-Chair and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line and his wife, Co-Chair Allison Stuart, held presentations. Sponsors were automatically entered into a 3-day Caribbean cruise raffle drawing, courtesy Norwegian Cruise Line. District Director for U.S. House of Representative Donna Shalala, Raul Martinez, Jr., presented Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade with a Congressional Record for the nonprofit’s achievements in the community as one of the oldest child advocacy organizations to provide mentorship and educational advancement for nearly 80 years. Norwegian Cruise Line, longtime supporter of Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade, will donate its yet-to-launch billion-dollar ship, Norwegian Encore, for the nonprofit organization’s 13th Annual “Wild About Kids” Gala taking place Nov. 16–17, 2019. Guests of the gala will be the first aboard Norwegian Encore for this one-of-akind, overnight VIP experience. Proceeds will benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade’s many positive programs, including after-school programs, homework assistance, computer training, social skills, dance, arts & crafts, professional mentoring and summer, and athletic programs for area children who need them the most. Click below to launch slideshow > Photo Credit: WorldRedEye.com

I am waiting for Ryan Serhant in his real estate office’s conference room. The small room boasts a conference table as well as a console table and two bookshelves brimming with a mélange of books, framed photos and editorials, real estate awards, and memorabilia, like an autographed poster of The Wolf of Wall Street, Ryan bobbleheads, and mugs with the catchphrase: “Expansion. Always, in all Ways.” Beyond the glass walls, I spy several stacks of Ryan’s book, Sell It Like Serhant: How to Sell More, Earn More, and Become the Ultimate Sales Machine and his credo framed: The Serhant Team Way: We Take Initiative. We are Relentless. We have Empathy. We Respect. After a few minutes, the former soap actor/hand model-turned-reality star/real estate agent extraordinaire walks in, pulls up a chair, and gets comfortable. The 6’3” realtor scrunches up his legs and rests his loafers on the edge of the seat between us —a bold move considering he is wearing fitted suit pants (bright blue) paired with a crisp white button-up, and a light pink tie. Ryan just returned to New York City from Greece, where he celebrated his birthday, his wife Emilia’s birthday, the 4th of July, his wedding anniversary, and had his daughter, Zena, baptized. “Efficient with time,” Ryan says with a smile. Though admittedly slightly jet lagged, he doesn’t look it. Ryan, who was born in Houston, Texas and raised in Topsfield, Massachusetts, studied theater his whole life and always thought he would be an actor. After high school, he attended Hamilton College in New York, then moved to New York City to pursue acting. Not long after relocating to the city, Ryan landed the role of Evan Walsh on the soap opera, As the World Turns (2007- 2008). “And then, I ran out of money. I was going to go home to Colorado or go get my master’s —just continue the process— and a friend told me to get into real estate and I just fell in love with it the minute I got into it. I talk about there being a lack of control [as a realtor], but as an actor in New York City, you have complete lack of control.” Ryan has been working as a real estate agent since 2008, but it wasn’t until 2010, when he was cast on Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing New York, that his career really took off. “I went to an open casting call with 3,000 brokers in Times Square in March of 2010. The show was me, Michael Lorber, and Fredrik [Eklund]. I was basically doing rentals beforehand. I’ve grown my entire business with the show as it has grown.” This August, Million Dollar Listing New York returns to Bravo for season eight and Ryan tells me that it’s the greatest season yet. “I’ve got a baby. Steve Gold had a baby out of the blue. Fredrik is moving to Los Angeles. Luis came back from Paris, out of retirement. This season is going to be the most visceral and intense season that, I think, we’ve ever had by far because the market is so up and down,” he says animatedly. “ It’s not just going to be like, ‘Yay! We got a listing. Let’s sell it, cool,’ and show beautiful properties. We’ll still have that, but you’ll also see the market crashing around us, prices tanking, sellers taking losses of millions of dollars to get things sold —the real struggles that New Yorkers are going through to sell property right now. We have the same situation in Miami, where there’s a significant amount of condos to sell in Miami, but less buyers to buy them.” Million Dollar Listing New York has certainly helped Ryan’s career, but it takes more than being on a reality TV show to become the #1 real estate team in New York and among the top 5 real estate teams in the nation. He works arduously to separate himself from the pack, noting that NYC alone has about 80,000 realtors. This no-days-off guy credits his immense success to staying in touch with everyone he has ever met as much as he possibly can, and the utilization of every resource available to him, including, social media (especially YouTube, Instagram, etc.), press, multiple outlets for sales, and his book. “I’ve grown a significant network of clients and developers and used all of them to help propel the business. I learned early on, success in any business, but especially in sales, is driven by your focus on new business. 90% of my day is focused on new business, 10% is doing the best with the business that we have —I have a team that helps me with that. I think the discipline that I had growing up, that I really resented and hated, has paid off for me in this business by a lot, because you have to be self-disciplined to be an entrepreneur,” says Ryan. Over the last decade, he has built a highly lucrative and recognizable brand that grows more and more each year. In addition to filming Million Dollar Listing, Ryan is working on his second book, producing a vlog, growing his team in all markets, selling as much as possible, releasing a real estate course this month, and enjoying time with his family. “I just focus on being a good, hard-working person, instead of having an overbearing personality. I think that’s why we do so many different types of deals. Like, I am not a broker who is known for just doing 10-million-dollar overheads. We do deals from $300,000 to $50 million, between East New York to the Hamptons to Miami to Los Angeles to Harlem. For me, it’s just always been about volume. We want to sell as much as possible. I don’t really care if it’s the guy with the crazy motorcycle, who is going to drive me totally crazy, to try to sell that thing over the course of a year for $18 million or over the next two weeks, I can sell 18 one-million-dollar apartments in Brooklyn. None of those people are going to drive me crazy, they’re all super excited about their homes.” How do you balance it all? What is a typical day for you like? I wake up at 5 am. I answer emails from overnight. I deal with any phone calls with clients that are in Europe or Asia at that time, partly because they’re always appreciative that I call them earlier than anyone else in the country. I go to the gym for an hour. I come home, shower, get dressed, go to work. I have a driver that takes me around, I basically live in the backseat of that car. I’m booked on the half hour, for the most part, throughout the entire day, Monday through Friday anyway. I try to start in the office and end my day in the office, but the days are random, different appointments, different pitches. I’ll be either filming or I’ll vlog or I’ll be working on book number two or I’ll be working on the course. Then, I’ll have a dinner or an event or two. I’ll get home and if my wife and baby are there, I’ll say hi to them or kiss them —they’ll be sleeping. Clean up email from the day. I get on average, somewhere between 900-1,100 emails that I have to respond to —I have an email assistant who helps me with that. I also have five other separate assistants that help me with the rest of the work. I prep my day ahead, that way when I wake up the next morning, I’m not already playing catch-up like most people are going to do. Wow, what time are you going to sleep? Between 11 pm -12 am. That is a very busy day. I think that is one of the busiest days I’ve heard. As a real estate agent, there’s so much you have to do personally. It’s a lot of work, but it’s what I chose to do. There are times, I will say, when things get a little bit slower, and I don’t know, I lose my mind. Unfortunately, I am now a product of my environment. I am so addicted to it, so as crazy as it might be, as tired as I might get sometimes, I need it. It’s like a drug in a way. I think New York does that to you as well. You’re sitting there like, I need to be doing something. Can you Netflix & chill? Sometimes, yeah. Although, the problem now is we have all these great shows I try to watch, but I’m always on my phone and I don’t even know what happened. I’d love to watch Stranger Things, but I don’t even know what happened the last season. Pretty sure I was just doing emails the whole time. What is your biggest challenge as a realtor? Your complete and utter lack of any control, whatsoever. My life is dictated by everyone else’s decisions. I think anyone can say that, but at least other people’s jobs have a salary. You know you do good work, you’ll get promoted —there are systems in place. As a real estate agent, there are no systems. I have deals that live and die based on what people say on FOX News. If the stock market goes down a hundred points, buyers pull out of deals because they’re so nervous that 2008 is happening again. There’s an unbelievable amount of competition and there’s no way to control any part of this business. So what you do is you try to control yourself and the way you attack the business as much as you possibly can, so that you can stay happy and stay motivated. What philosophy do you live by? Expansion has always kinda been my quote. Expansion always and always in all things in life. Always do more. That’s my biggest fear, wasted potential. When I was a little kid, we were driving in the car and my grandfather pointed to a cemetery and he said, ‘In that cemetery are probably the greatest basketball player in the world, the greatest trumpeter in the world, the greatest author in the world, and no one will ever know it because they just didn’t try hard enough to pull out their talents.’ And that, for some reason, my grandfather was an intense guy, really, really sat with me. There’s so much we can do with the time that we have and life is so short, it just seems like such a waste to Netflix and chill. What is your most memorable listing? My most memorable listings are the weirdest ones. We filmed it. 61 West 62nd Street Harmony House on the Upper West Side was this big, crazy, multi-unit combination and it was completely renovated to be like a Gothic Spanish church on the inside, which in the very Jewish enclave of the Upper West Side was a super tricky sale. It also had hooks and things for sex swings and had been used for many a fun party. That was one of the most memorable listings because that was one where you walk in and you’re like: I don’t think staging is just going to do it. I don’t think we can just paint this. This is going to be interesting. It was hard. We sold it to somebody who completely gut renovated it. What do you think people would be surprised to find out about you? I’m far shyer than I think I put myself out there as on Million Dollar Listing ’cause my character as a real estate agent has to be very aggressive, right? Every single episode, I’m always doing a party, all over the place, even the vlog, and the way people know me —but I am uncomfortable in crowds. When I tell people that, I think they still don’t believe me. Any summer plans? I was just in Greece, now I work. I was working there, too. I go back to Greece in August to see my wife and baby, so that she’ll grow up knowing she has a father. We’re renovating a townhouse in Brooklyn that we’ll move to in a year, so it’s just staying on top of the renovation. What is your favorite place you’ve ever been? Probably New Zealand. It is unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been because it’s so different. It’s kinda like two islands that make New Zealand and the north is so different from the south. You go to the south island and you look this way, this way, this way, it’s like you’re looking in four different countries. This is a beach, this is like rocky mountains with snow-capped covers, this is the amazon jungle, and this is something totally different. It’s completely crazy. There’s also no bugs, no animals, no disease —nothing was ever brought there. It’s a pretty wild place with amazing food, amazing wine, and good people. Follow Ryan on IG, Facebook, and Twitter: @RyanSerhant For more on his real estate course, visit https://ryanserhant.com/course Words by Vanessa Pascale • Photo credit: Alex Abaunza

While true wireless earbuds continue to dominate the headlines, there is still a lot of innovation and improvements making their way through more traditional Bluetooth headphones. One prime example of this is the BT 120 NC in-ear neckband headphones with from Phiaton. These lightweight and affordable headphones pack 12mm drivers and active noise cancellation in a complete package. Neckband headphones can be hit or miss, but if you’ve shied away from them in the past, the BT 120 NC should make you reconsider. The neckband is extremely thin and light, and its presence is barely noticeable around the back of the neck. The benefit of this design is that most of the weight is borne by your shoulders and not your ears. However, you don’t need to even wear the BT 120 NCs to recognize how light they are. Even in the hand they feel like feathers. Around your neck, the weight disappears, and there is almost zero tension on the ear. I’ve worn a lot of lightweight headphones in my day, but these may take the cake. The minimal weight is even more impressive when you consider the other features that Phiaton squeezes into these headphones. The most remarkable is probably the active noise cancellation. Usually only seen on more expensive headsets, the active noise cancellation on the BT 120 NCs cancels out low frequency noise, like the hum of ceiling fans or air conditioners. It’s not going to compete with a pair of $300 over-the-ear headphones, but it's very decent for the price. Combined with the passive noise isolation from the design, and you’ll hardly be distracted with these around your neck. In addition to the ANC, the BT 120 NCs also pack 12 millimeter drivers, a nice step up from the more standard 10mm drivers seen on most in-ear buds. This takes the volume to some impressive levels, that you probably should be maxing out too frequently. The volume controls reside on the left hand anchor point on the neckband. This means right handers will be going cross body to get to the controls. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest, but it's something to think about. On the remote is your typical three-button control scheme for playback and phone calls, as well as a dedicated ANC button—a very nice to have on such a small set. The other item of note on the left is the micro USB port for charging. In about 2 hours, the BT 120 NCs will fully charge for about 8.5 hours of music playback, but what’s more impressive is their quick charge feature. In just 5 minutes, you can get an hour of playback out of these headphones. Normally this is a feature at the bottom of my list, but when it comes to workout headphones, it’s surprisingly important. I can’t tell you how many times I’ll charge them up while I’m stretching, and they’ll last me through the run or workout. It’s hard to argue with all the features you get on the BT 120 NC headphones from Phiaton. These are a great set of workout headphones that get loud, feel great, and charge quickly, all for a great price. If you want to forget about the feeling of your headphones on your runs or during your workouts, give the BT 120 NC a shot for the featherweight experience. For more information, visit: www.phiaton.com Story by Thomas Bender

There seems to be a lot of options when it comes to minimalist, low-profile luxury sneakers today, but Koio is making their name as a stand out brand amongst wide range of competitors. Their made in Italy, direct-to-consumer model lets them deliver the quality and finish of more expensive shoes at a much more affordable price. The Capri sneaker from Koio really encapsulates the brands origins, and demonstrates their expertise in luxury sneaker design and construction. These low profile shoes come in a wide variety of colorways (sneaker talk for colors) and a few different materials that are, nevertheless, all top quality. A variety of all leather options are sure to find a home in your closet, and for a bit more flourish, grabbing a pair with suede accents is a great way to take your style to the next level. For me, I really like the texture of the Italian calf suede, so I went for the Capri Pebble, an all gray tone that has squirmed its way into my closet as a daily driver. However, Koio offers plenty of neutral colorways, blacks, a fan favorite triple white, and some options that pop a little more, like the rose pink Fiore, silver Sterling, or my personal favorite, the Castagna. The beauty of the Capri design and colorways is that they can be worn with so many outfits, and are a very versatile piece to have on hand (or on foot, as the case may be). Koio is not shy about wanting to create a sneaker that can easily transition between all aspects of your life. From the bar to the office to a nice dinner, the Capri’s carry enough class to be at home in most situations. Also, because they are so well constructed by talented artisans in Italy with high end materials, they will last a long time. So my original apprehension at wearing my “nice” sneakers too often quickly faded as I realized how well the Capri Pebble’s withstood the tests of time. And Koio takes that made in Italy philosophy to its extreme. The word Koio, pronounced koy-oh, is even derived from the Italian word for leather—cuoio. Everything from the forms to the laces, and yes, even the shoeboxes, is sourced and made in Italy. Because the materials are so rich and supple, they feel really excellent on your feet. They break in quickly, and even invite you to wear them without socks—if you’re into that. They are called Capris for a reason! The quality materials don’t stop at the outside—every Koio Capri is lined with buttery smooth calf leather, and your feet will thank you for it. With the number of options available to savvy sneaker consumers, it's a testament to Koio’s philosophy and business model that they’ve managed to stand out. Whether you are looking to make a statement, start a conversation, or just have a super clean pair of sneakers to compliment any outfit, you can’t go wrong with a pair of Koio Capris. At $248, they undercut any of their closest competitors, with equal or higher quality, and are a solid investment to keep in your closet. And if you’re wondering what I mean by the Koio philosophy (beyond their diehard commitment to being made in Italy), check out their frequent collaborations with people like JonBoy or Quincy Davis, who have taken risks and pursued unconventional paths in the pursuit of passion. For more information, visit: www.koio.co Story by Thomas Bender

Catriona Gray entered the pageant world in 1999. She was only five years old when she won Little Miss Philippines. “It was more my mother’s choice than mine, to be honest,” Catriona chuckles. “Being on stage, I remember I wasn’t even nervous, in fact, I was more concerned with finding my parents in the audience.” This win was just the beginning of many more victories. Catriona continued to win pageant titles, all culminating in December 2018 when she was crowned Miss Universe. Even with her background in drama, modeling, and dancing, being a pageant queen was never one of Catriona’s dreams. “I never grew up with the dream to enter pageantry or being a beauty queen. Even when I grew up as a teenager, I still didn’t have an interest in pageantry,” she says. “Before the age of 20, I thought pageants were just a show. All I saw was that final coronation night.” But as Catriona got older, her views about pageantry changed and she began to see it was much more than just a coronation. Catriona had a friend go through it in 2014 and saw how much preparation goes into it, as well as the duties and the one-year job that comes with the coronation. “It took a very close friend of mine to join a national pageant for me to see what kind of voice beauty queens had in the Philippines.” Catriona realized how important pageantry is in the Philippines. “When beauty queens speak, the public listens.” At the time, she was volunteering with a charity and realized she could combine her passion for her charity with the platform of pageantry. Around that same time, Catriona noticed a shift in pageantry —contestant’s stories were being emphasized more, to her, almost as much as their physical attributes. The shift made Catriona take pageantry more seriously. When Catriona is on stage, she exudes beauty and grace —she makes it look easy. “We are just women up there; we are not super beings. It does take a lot of effort to look that put together and that beautiful.” Being on stage and exuding confidence is something she works hard at, and is not something she believes she was born with. She confesses to being a naturally shy person. “I’m very quiet. I’m very simple.” For Catriona, it’s a persona she puts on every time she goes on stage. But the moment she steps onto that stage, she is ready for anything. Though she has never slipped, she does have a plan, if it ever happens. “I would just get up and keep going. I feel that it’s a test of grace under pressure. And I feel like the judges look for more in a woman’s character, rather than if she can walk perfectly on stage. It’s not just the physical attributes that can get a woman heard, it’s really what you have to say.” You could say that Catriona is the most beautiful woman in the world, since she holds the title of Miss Universe, but the 25-year-old beauty queen shares that she too had an awkward phase — just like everyone else. “I had an ugly-duckling stage,” she laughs. “I had my growth spurt at the age of 8.” At 12 years old, Catriona was taller than most of her teachers and peers. “I felt extremely awkward, uncoordinated. I had braces. I had terrible skin and a crazy sense of colorful fashion,” she chuckles. Catriona wants to show the world that she is so much more than a beautiful face. As Miss Universe, she wants to make a difference and give back to the community. Becoming Miss Universe has changed her life. “It’s a humongous blessing, but it comes with such a big responsibility.” As Miss Universe, her reach is greater than she ever imagined. She wants her message to be one of education and awareness. “I was drawn to pageantry through giving back to the community, so now, that’s really what I want the tone of my reign to be.” Now that she has the platform, she is raising awareness about HIV/AIDS. She wants to build a better future for children, a better tomorrow. HIV/AIDS is close to home for Catriona. When she was a young adult, she had no awareness and unfortunately, learned the hard way. “I had a friend, someone who was close to me, get really sick and consequently passed away from medical complications associated with HIV/AIDS. He was only 26,” she says. “I wish I wasn’t pulled to the cause in that way, but that’s how it was.” When that happened, Catriona started volunteering with a group in the Philippines called Love Yourself. Love Yourself provides support, education, free treatment, and counseling to those who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. “It’s so much more than a medical problem, it’s wrapped up in so much stigma.” Today, Catriona is encouraging people to take that first step and get tested. “We shouldn’t have to wait until it happens to someone close to us. It’s really about increasing the dialog,” she says. Catriona explains that there are so many regions in the Philippines where people don’t really know what it is. “We are using education to really empower people to take a hold of their health.” Catriona currently works with amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, to find a cure and is hopeful that they will find one. She explains that there are many ways to get tested, there are even over-the-counter options. “We should shift our mindset to seeing it just like any regular health check-up. Testing positive doesn’t mean your life is over.” There is medication, that if taken correctly and consistently, can really make a difference, she tells me. Catriona believes in organizations, like amfAR, that are looking to make a difference. Her cause is not only to raise awareness and get people to get tested, but also to raise awareness about the importance of finding a cure. Becoming Miss Universe has given Catriona a platform to make a difference in the world, and that’s exciting for her. “It enriches your perspective. I think it’s amazing.” She is empowered to pioneer change for a cause that is so important to her, but it has also shown her so much more about the world and how we are all connected. Before Catriona was crowned Miss Universe, her focus was on the issues in the Philippines, now, she sees how some of the projects happening in the U.S. can be helpful in the Philippines. “It’s been very eye-opening for me. I feel like a sponge every time I get to learn something new.” Catriona is enjoying her time as Miss Universe and making the most of her reign, but the title comes with a number of expectations and hardships. “In the Philippines, we’re one of the biggest social media user nations. Reading comments can get a little overwhelming and trying to measure up to people’s expectations can be overwhelming,” says Catriona. “It’s a process, having to come to terms with the fact they don’t know everything, and never allowing my worth to be defined by what other people perceive of me, especially strangers.” As Catriona enters her last quarter as Miss Universe, she already knows what she wants to do after she passes on the crown later this year. “I would love to continue doing what I do, which is being a spokesperson and being able to work with the various organizations, because at the end of the day, that’s such fulfilling work for me.” Becoming Miss Universe has allowed Catriona to speak up and be heard, and to her, that is power and a huge responsibility. It’s one of the reasons why she was so compelled to enter the pageantry world —and maybe even the reason she was crowned Miss Universe 2018. “I believe when you have an ambition, it’s in your heart for a reason. And when going into Miss Universe, think about what your purpose is. Make the journey about more than the crown, don’t put all your eggs in that one basket, but rather look at it as an opportunity to develop yourself, gain experience, friendships, learn more about your country, and push a cause.” Follow Catriona on IG: @Catriona_Gray, Twitter: @CatrionaElisa, and Facebook: facebook.com/catrionaelisagray For more on Love Yourself visit www.loveyourself.ph Words by Claudia Paredes. Photo credit: The Miss Universe Organization | Fadil Berisha | Benjamin Askinas