Joey Velez, M.A., M.B.A. When things are going your way, or when you are presented with successful outcomes, it’s not difficult to gain confidence from those situations. When in successful or familiar situations, you don’t have to think about being confident because you just are. But how do you gain confidence when things are not going your way? Or when you are presented with unsuccessful outcomes? Or you are placed in unfamiliar situations? What do you do? This month, we are going to discuss several ways to build self-confidence no matter what situation you find yourself in. Self-confidence is defined as a feeling of trust in one’s abilities and qualities. The more confidence we have in ou
Protein is one of the most common macro-nutrients prescribed to physically active individuals, especially athletes. Protein powder has helped turn the supplement industry into a billion dollar industry. This rapid expansion allowed too many brands in the market place with too little regulation. In fact, the FDA doesn’t regulate the supplement industry at all. Have you ever seen “GMP” labeled on the side of a supplement bottle? GMP means “Good Manufacturing Practices.” This means that this supplement company has had a pharmaceutical lab produce and analyze their product. Not much for over-site. The lack of standards and regulation has helped numerous companies get away with stacking their bot
Fashion Week descended upon Milan, but prior to that, The Rooftop Guide scouted out the best locations to see and be-seen. CERESIO 7 Ceresio 7 is a stunning rooftop bar in Milan, equipped with a gigantic swimming pool and comfortable lounge chairs and cabanas. Inside, there’s a fine dining restaurant. The roof terrace gives you a stunning 360-degree views of Milan's skyline and surroundings. On the rooftop, Ceresio 7 serves drinks of the highest class and very often organize parties on the terrace where trendy party-goers pilgrimage to live it up in Ceresio 7’s vibrant atmosphere. A combined restaurant and rooftop bar and pool are situated on the fourth floor just outside the most central
A favorite holiday destination of those in the know, craggy, wind-swept Pantelleria sits between Sicily and Tunisia. Known for its shoreline of jagged volcanic cliffs and sea-formed lava inlets, the Italian island of Pantelleria sits southwest of Sicily and just 50 miles east of Tunisia — on a clear day, it’s possible to see across the strait to Kelibia. First inhabited during the Bronze Age, Pantelleria’s 32 square miles were subsequently conquered by the Carthaginians, the Arabs, the Romans and Roger II, King of Sicily, with clusters of dammusi — whitewashed, dome-roofed stone dwellings dating as far back as the 10th century — surviving it all. By the early 1800s, the island had been tamed
Trendy clothes, this year’s hottest automobiles, the best travel destinations, edgy interior designs, food porn, and yes… “in wine” can originate through calculated design, promotion and advertising; or they can emerge organically and sometimes unpredictably. Remember when Merlot was reduced to an “uncool, unsophisticated wine” by a single line in the movie Sideways? Nearly overnight, Pinot Noir took its place and became an “in wine.” “If anybody orders Merlot, I’m leaving!” and Poof! There goes Merlot. Trends can dominate and dictate our choices and shape our lifestyles often against our good judgment, personal taste and preference. As an old, but catchy Sprite commercial proclaimed, “Thirs
I first heard of Jovana Louis Benoit when interviewing celebrity Chef Cynthia Verna. Having spent eight years of my adult life in Haiti, I was surprised I hadn't run into her. "She lives in Vietnam," Verna explained. "Part of the diplomatic mission from Haiti to Vietnam." That explained it: Vietnam has been and continues to be an important investor in technology and communications in Haiti. When I represented the Center for the Facilitation of Investments, part of the Ministry of Trade and Commerce in Haiti, we hosted many Vietnamese investors associated with NATCOM, one of the island's larger telecommunications network. Finally, I met Jovana via WhatsApp messenger, where she flooded my app
Editor’s Note: We first profiled Kerby Jean-Raymond of Pyer Moss in April when Mystique Boivert covered the fashion show of Haitian and Haitian-American designers hosted by the Ambassador of Haiti in the United States in Washington, D.C. Back then, his collaboration with Reebok was the talk of the town. Emerging from NYFW as one of the top designers and collections, Jean-Raymond is the talk of a whole lot more these days. - JJ. Jean-Raymond gave the following interview with the New York Times at the beginning of August. His Favorite Room: Between designing for Pyer Moss (which earned him a Council of Fashion Designers of America nomination) and collaborating with Reebok on a sneaker line, Mr
Gracing the cover of a fashion magazine is a big deal – and a big risk. A big risk for the editor who picks the cover, never knowing whose face will attract and sell record copies of magazines as the world of mainstream publishing continues to be impacted by the digital age. As the fashion industry itself is based on numbers and profits, choosing the right cover girls and cover boys is crucial. Historically, the fashion industry’s known predilection puts mostly Caucasian faces and bodies on the front row, often neglecting other racial ethnicities. It is well-documented that black faces are seen fewer times on those covers; until recently, anyway. The September Issue is the most important of
“Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable,” is a quote widely attributed to the elusive street artist and activist, Banksy. It speaks to the power of art’s ability to undermine the status quo, create new and alternative narratives, and challenge deep-rooted notions as well as perceived truths. Today, these words of wisdom are embraced by artists, collectors and enthusiasts alike. However, the concept of art being disruptive, provocative and a respite for the marginalized and downtrodden is an avant-garde one, which in the grand scheme of art history, is a recent phenomenon still in its infancy. For centuries, art prevailed as a medium of expression that comforted the powe
Fashion weeks are dominated by the large lions. But what of the breakout performers? These unsung heroes typically rely on friends and families to help pull together their collection in hopes of breaking through to take their next steps to fashion stardom and meaningful businesses. Each season we comb the back alleys, climb the stair flights, and weather the weather to see each and every collection shown during fashion week. Along the way, we catch some breakouts that we wish to showcase. Designer Sam Linder of Linder has been chipping away at fashion week for several seasons now. But his most recent collection embraced a newfound sophistication with colorful and clean leathers married with
NEW YORK (AP) — A 19th-century fountain in Manhattan’s Central Park provided a majestic backdrop for Ralph Lauren’s star-studded 50th anniversary blowout on Friday, a festive celebration of his past and present that included a runway show and a black-tie dinner. Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Kanye West, Chance the Rapper, Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Blake Lively and Jessica Chastain were just a few of the dozens of celebrities gathered to fete Lauren, 78, and his decades atop the fashion world. Not to mention Hillary Clinton, who wore Lauren’s designs at numerous key moments of her presidential campaign — including the white “suffragette” pantsuit she wore to accept the Democratic nom
The Big Apple plays home to the largest collection of runway shows of any fashion week globally. With multiple shows overlapping each other, New York can be a hectic as Grand Central during rush hour. However, after all is said and done, everyone makes their train; albeit headed in different directions. Some toward avant-garde streetwear, other toward uptown looks, many to moderate mass. This season Raf Simons, for Calvin Klein 205W39NYC, continued his fascination with American Gothic diving into the waters of the 1975 standout film Jaws, which played upon the fears of man being prey in a world we don’t control, unable to see what lies beneath. It is of note that the designer who touches up
The Best Dresses on the Red Carpet Claire Foy took home an Emmy for "The Crown." On the left, mounted in couture riding gear for a shoot with Vogue earlier this year; for the awards show, she wore white strapless Calvin Klein. Penélope Cruz fluttered in feathered Chanel Haute Couture, Tracee Ellis Ross went big, very big, in Valentino’s raspberry couture confection (next page). Poppy Delevingne dazzled in a fresh shade of mint in Giambattista Valli Haute Couture. Also opting for pastels were Vanessa Kirby and Alexis Bledel. Mandy Moore and Zazie Beetz were embellished and gorgeous. And then there were the ladies in darkly romantic black: chic, pretty, and a touch fearless all... Just like
I spend a lot of time browsing the magazine section of grocers and book stores. It’s part of the industry to know what and whom the major powerhouse publishers are putting on the covers. And last month, I noticed, but I didn’t appreciate the trend until one of our contributors pitched his month’s story idea: September’s fashion magazines featured many, many more ethnic – let’s be specific here: black – faces than ever in modern publishing. My intuition said, in three staccato words: This. Is. Important. Intrigued, I charged Stanley with doing to the research, which I recommend that you read in his month’s feature “Black Cover Girl Faces Shake Up September.” This being our Fashion Issue,
