2008 – Page 5 – Agenda Magazine Archives

Esther Nash – Socialite, Fashion and Jewelry Designer – Continues to Climb New Heights

Esther Nash – Socialite, Fashion and Jewelry Designer − Continues to Climb New Heights

Socialite, fashion designer Esther Nash is what most people would call a self-made woman. She’s a graduate of FIT, and has attended and received several scholarships to the top schools of design in New York, including Cooper Union, Art and Design High School, National Academy of Design, and she even took art classes for ten years at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. My head was spinning when she listed her credentials. I found it even more intriguing when she told me that she used to model, but they thought she was too short (except for print), was a gymnast, but they told her she was too tall, and was also a ballerina with the Joffrey Ballet for 5 years. She has appeared in several television shows, movies, and commercials including Law & Orderand Lift. Her designs have been featured on Sex in the City.

I had seen Esther around fashion events in both L.A. and New York for over 4 years.We’d exchanged friendly hellos and had even engaged in a conversation or two at an after party. But I never really had the chance to sit down with the emerging designer until we kept bumping into each other at New York Fashion Week last February. She had interesting styling advice, was very candid about the collections that showed, and ever so often she would find herself being photographed and interviewed by local TV and paparazzi. To the outside public, it had appeared that Esther Nash had finally arrived.

On Nash’s website esternash.com, I saw a collection of club wear and vintage clothing modeled mostly by Esther, who considers herself an atelier. Her creations are one-of-a-kind. You’ll find magazine articles featuring the young designer, and a running theme in those articles is her sheer determination to succeed in a cut throat, competitive business. Esther has had press coverage in Teen People, New York,Cosmo Girl, Teen Style Monthly, and Gotham, just to name a few. She encourages girls to stay chaste the way she did for so long, and not to be afraid to go for their dreams. You tell me, what’s not to like about Esther Nash! But, in a sea of blogs on the Internet and skeptical naysayers, sometimes the feedback isn’t always so favorable. In spite of the fickle press, Esther continues to forge ahead.

How did you start your line?

I graduated from FIT, I studied tailoring and sportswear. I was given scholarships for Art and Design High School on the East Side in New York for very gifted students in the arts. I studied fashion design there, took 10 years of art classes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I received scholarships every year for ten years, including 2-year scholarships for the Arts Students League, the National Academy of Design, and Cooper Union. I also studied painting, illustration, sculpting, and photography. I was accepted to all the top notch schools. It’s been a long road.

I figure-skated for seven years, ballet danced for 5 at the Joffrey Ballet, and took gymnastics at the Nova Gymnastic School for 10 years. I was too tall for gymnastics, too short for modeling. My clothes made it onSex in the City. My designs are being shown at Patricia Fields in Soho, and they were selected for the show. Anna Wintour came to my last fashion show, and my [Baby Doll] line is selling [in a boutique called Booty] in Japan.

Tell me about your clothes.

My motto is, “Be seen and be remembered. Sparkle and shine like the superstar that you are.” The clothing is very young, fun, trendy, feminine, and glamorous—pretty much everything combined. It’s pretty much making an impression for a lifetime the first time, because you only have that one time to make a good impression. You have only that one chance, and if you blow it, that’s pretty much how they will remember you. So you have to accessorize well, and I always try to incorporate my designs with other designers. It could be vintage, high end, low end. You have to work with your budget, and not everyone has the same budget.

So that means you’re an atelier. You don’t mass produce, but you design for individuals.

I do one-of-a-kind originals for now. I sew. I drape. I do everything. I have a jewelry line. It’s Finnish glass, Austrian crystals, precious stones, sterling silver, and stainless steel. It’s bulky jewelry. Because if your jewelry doesn’t work with the outfit, you always need a little something besides just the clothing.

I just signed with Ikon models (www.ikonmodels.com) in their celebrity division, and they’re revamping my whole image. We just had some new photos taken. It’s more grown up. I’m on a new television show coming up. Kelis is the host. It’s called “Style Warriors” on VH1. The show is about 5 designers that are competing to win as the best designer.

Now, are you the designer on the show competing?

I’m competing. I actually won the competition. It’s supposed to air, and if it does well, it will go to a full TV series.

Congratulations. Before, I said I saw your stuff about 3-4 seasons ago. Would you describe it as club wear?

Club wear, swimwear, knitwear, eveningwear, jewelry, rock star glam. The men’s wear is Sugar Daddy. You have to just be out there. You can’t give up, because when you do, that’s where they eat you alive.

Speaking of eating alive, tell me about some of these blog sites you’re on.

There are a few haters out there. I am not loved by everyone. You have to pick and choose, but all publicity is good publicity, I hope. I was just in theNew York Times on Sunday, and I had some haters. It’s unfortunate, but it’s okay. I’m on some blog websites. The nice ones are The Quest for “it, Alison Blackman, Advice Sisters, Girlfriends, and Cognac Corner. I have all these people that are jealous, angry, frustrated, bored….

Let’s talk about your process for designing. If a client comes to you and requests a certain type of outfit, how do you go about creating it?

[I ask them] where are they going? What is the design for? What kind of weather, occasion, weight? A lot of designers forget that real people gain and lose weight. Everyone’s not perfect looking, a stick figure. It’s upsetting because people think that you stay forever 21, and it’s not true. You have to move with the times. Otherwise you’ll be left behind if you don’t know how to change. I design for my mother. I make jewelry for her. When you’re designing for different ages, you have long skirts, short skirts, etc. You have to ask what people feel comfortable wearing. Otherwise they won’t be good advertisement for you.

What’s your highest high as a designer─the most amazing moment in your life?

Anna Wintour [Editor in Chief of AmericanVogue] attended my fashion show. A filmmaker made a film about it called “Runway Job,” which was in a few festivals.

Lowest Low

When I met a few young men that proposed and they wanted me to give up my career. So I had to break off three engagements. It’s okay. Single is fine until you meet the right person and they don’t ask you to choose.

I did read some information on you, and I do know that you have this philosophy about virginity.

I do think it’s important to wait. I waited a very long time.

Did you stop waiting?

Yes, I gave up my virginity to my ex-fiance. I just couldn’t wait anymore.

How do you feel that philosophy worked with what you were trying to do?

I think it was great because I wasn’t ready. I waited a long time, but I was not physically or mentally ready to “de-virginize” myself. Each person is different, and I think it’s important that you know who you are before you give up yourself to your mate. It was a 14-month relationship.

Were there any obstacles in your pursuit of designing?

Of course. I did it the old-fashioned way. No connections, scholarships, working very hard. A lot of people have investors, backers, family members…everything is set. But I have talent and I think in the end it will happen for me.

What advice would you give to a young designer trying to come up in this industry?

Esther Nash They should not give up. They should follow their dreams, take another job if they have to. Continue with school and their education. Then they will at least at a later time [pursue their dream] and they’re not out of the loop. So as a hobby they work on their dream and they have their profession and career on the side. That way they’re not angry people who had to give up their dreams because they had to pay their bills. At some point you feel you have to marry, have children, and that you have to give up something. I don’t feel that’s true. I don’t believe that you have to ever give up your dreams for anyone else. And that’s why I continued working. And I am not about to give up now!

To learn more about Esther Nash, visit her websitewww.esthernash.com.

By Kaylene Peoples

Candice Held – Turning Scarves into Feminine Creations

Candice Held – Turning Scarves into Feminine Creations

Candice Held is an LA-based designer who creates one-of-a-kind pieces from recycled scarves. She puts pieces together from hand-woven, hand-laundered scarves. She defines the Candice woman as fun, feminine, vibrant, and liking to have a good time. Her spring/summer collection is about the first bloom of spring when the flowers come out; and the heat of summer, which inspired her “hot air balloon” print.

This is the first time I’ve actually seen your collection on the runway. I’ve seen pictures, but there’s nothing like seeing it in person. This is really very ingenious what you’re doing. Looks like scarves and bandanas?

Thank you, and yes. What happened was I originally started the line exclusively with vintage scarves, and I just got so inspired from working with all the different prints and the silhouette that I put together with the scarves I really liked, and it really worked for a lot of different bodies. But I found it was really difficult to keep finding scarves in good condition because everything is vintage. It’s been through the rag houses. There are a lot of holes in the seams and things like that. So I thought why not start doing my own prints, something really crisp and vivid and colorful that I can do on brand new silk that really pops. And it’s been so fun for me. I’ve done a few now, andthis year is the first time I actually did two different prints for the collection in two different color waves, so four total options; and I’m really trying to flesh that out and build that into being the basis. But it’s all inspired by…and it’s made to look like it’s still a scarf.

I like how you did that. Your designs are also figure-flattering for women who aren’t a size 2 or 4. How did you achieve that?

You know, I have to say it just kind of happened organically. I was a professional dancer, so I just loved the female body; but there are also women in my family that are not a size 2 or 4, so I do also think about that. But for some reason, just sculpting the pieces on the dress form when it got transferred onto real bodies, I found that it just happened to fit the curves where it should and cover up other areas by draping off of the hips so that it [masks the flaws], but then it shows a nice little slice of your lower back. Most people have a beautiful lower back, a beautiful collarbone, and beautiful shoulders. So it just seems to work out. And then we have another style that’s a tunic wrap that many women can wear in many different ways, and it’s just the most versatile simple thing. I think I really lucked out on this little idea that I had.

I wasn’t sure of the fabric, but it looked like it was cotton.

I also have cotton sundresses in the line, which are great. Actually, the one that’s longer and that has a print on it was inspired after dishtowels. So just like I work with scarves, the first one of those dresses was made when I was going on a trip to Mexico, and I just wanted something that would absorb and be breathable in the heat and be really cool and comfortable. And I made the first one out of dishtowels. We produced the line using that actual dishtowel line, and we found that production-wise it wasn’t so easy because there were already seams on the edge so we found dishtowel fabric. And I thought here’s another opportunity for me to do my own prints and dyeing, and play with the colors, and all that kind of thing. So it really evolved, but it was built off of dishtowels. Great for LA in the summer, huh?

How long have you been designing?

I’ve kind of always been a clothes maker, and I used to design for my choreography when I was in college when I was a dancer. But this time, about three and a half years .

Do you have any formal training as a designer, or is this something that you just innately have?

I took one costume class in college, but my grandmother and my great-grandmother are from Paris. My grandmother learned to hand-sew at the house of Dior, and my family [attended] fashion shows in Paris. So they both sewed my whole life and made outfits for me and my sister. They taught me a lot of the basics. And [through] trial and error, and taking night classes after I finished college, as well as learning pattern-making, draping, illustration, and business (just kind of a crash course), [those] evening classes filled in a lot of the gaps and gave me some technical training. So I didn’t go to FIDM or anything, but I have been studying.

You obviously lived with it as a family, too.

Exactly, and I always have made my own stuff, like I’ve always been the pretty-in-pink go-to-the-thrift store and take stuff apart. . .make it fit my body. I know some tailoring from doing that, just working on my own body.

Candice Held has been featured in several magazines, including Apparel News , Weddings & Honeymoons , and Hollywood Hills Magazine. Candice Held designs have been featured on the Tyra Banks show, and Paris Hilton is a fan of her designs. To learn more about Candice Held, visit her website www.candiceheld.com.

By Kaylene Peoples

Sympathy for the Kettle – Not your Typical Tea Retailer

Sympathy for the Kettle – Not your Typical Tea Retailer

Sympathy for the Kettle is not your typical tea retailer. It was started back in December 2003 in the East Village in New York City. Jodi Holiday purchased the initially dark and bankrupt Korean tea room and its business, learned the art of tea, and created a whole new tea experience. She experienced tea while living in Germany and traveling through Denmark, France, and Holland. That’s when she made the switch from European coffee to tea layered in herbs and dried fruit. Sympathy for the Kettle use teas and herbs from China, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Japan, India, Rwanda, Sudan, Egypt, South Africa, Indonesia, France, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Turkey, and Argentina, as well as peppermint from Oregon and ginseng from Wisconsin. And for the self-professed non-tea lover, they offer a large variety of dessert and fruit teas. Those who thought they didn’t like tea quickly change their minds. Sympathy for the Kettle’s motto is to save the world with tea, healing society’s ills naturally with teas and herbs.

We believe in tea. As an elixir, a life force, for the social quirks it ignites, but especially for the families, friends, and communities it unifies.

-Jodi Holiday

Hello Jodi. Why don’t you tell me a little about your tea house.

My tea house is very unique. I have over 200 different blends, herbs, specializing in Chinese, African, and Indian teas.

How did you get started in this?

When I moved to New York six or seven years ago, I worked at various office jobs. I decided I couldn’t do that anymore, so I put my work to the side and started working on a business plan, and opened up a tea room in 2003. I was introduced to teas living in Europe in the mid 90s. Living in Germany and traveling through France,Denmark, and Holland. They drink a lot of teas blended with herbs and spices and flowers, as opposed to the British tea, which is Indian Black tea with milk and sugar.

That’s an interesting thing to pick up.

Tea is very much an elixir. You’re grounded with tea. When you live in New York City, you need roots. A lot of people here are from all over the world, and we moved here for our ambition. It’s the hub of very ambitious people.And also in a city where there’s so much indulgence and it’s bad for you, you’re able to indulge in a swanky pot of tea that makes you feel good, and doesn’t give you a hangover the next day. It’s kind of perfect for New Yorkers that are stressed out The East Village is known for its bars, so instead of going to a bar, you can go to a tea room and feel good after your pot or two of tea. My employees laugh. If you have a big pot of Jasmine, you have a healthy buzz. On Friday and Saturday nights I call it a disco. Customers are talking to each other. Everybody’s feeling good. Lavender actually makes you dopy. It’s a healthy and affordable addiction. The health benefits are great. Diabetes is going to be a raging epidemic in the next few years. Drinking tea reduces your risk of adult-onset diabetes, heart disease, etc.

But there are certain teas that do that. You have to know the specific teas, correct?

All tea. Most of the teas that you find are all coming from the same plant. They’re just being oxidized to a different extent, or dried or mixed or spiced in a different way. A real tea is all from the same plant. The secret is to find quality tea. If it’s quality tea, you don’t have to put milk, sugar, or anything in it. The simplicity of tea is you’re drinking a steeped tea leaf. In a chaotic, busy world, there’s something very refreshing about drinking the simplicity of a tea leaf.

Tell me about your involvement with fashion designer Vivienne Tam?

Her people called me a few months ago. She wanted to get into the tea business. She imported a 150-year-old wooden hand-carved tea room from China and transported it in the middle of [her boutique], the Mercer SoHo shop. She is going to open that up as a tea room inside of her ready-to-wear shop. We’ve been working on a few blends for her.

So you’re like a consultant in a way.

Yes. But I will be selling her the various blends and training her employees on how to serve tea.

For people trying to lose weight, which is the best tea?

White tea Oolong. Tea and herbs are better than drinking water all day. Water just provides hydration, where tea provides nutrients. You need the antioxidants to kill the free radicals that destroy skin. Free radicals destroy cells, and essentially your skin.

We’re all exposed to bus exhaust, fumes, and the food we eat, too. Tea has antioxidants that you don’t find in any other plants. We believe in tea, as an elixir, a life force, for the social quirks it ignites, but especially for the families, friends, and communities it unifies.

To learn more about Sympathy for the Kettle, visit their websitewww.sympathyforthekettle.com.

By Kaylene Peoples

Health 101 – Weight Loss

Let’s get some weight off, shall we? So how do I lose weight, how much should I eat, when should I eat it, and what about working out?

Well, aren’t you curious! Fantastic questions! Well, before I get into that, please let me make it crystal clear that there are many reasons why we gain weight and why we can’t lose it, so please don’t let me over simplify anything. I have specialized in weight loss for years, and there are a multitude of reasons. I will make sure to address anything Agenda‘s readers (but only Agenda readers, no one else, of course) might want to know about in this new phenomenal health addition to Agenda. So with that said, I will give some specifics as to how much someone should eat to lose weight with average circumstances given for now.

The trick to weight loss is simply to use up more energy than you take in (food and stored fat are energy). Now, you first have to make sure you don’t eat less than your body’s safety point, called your BMR. This is basically how many calories you would burn if you were to just sit for a 24-hour period. If you are not active at all, eating your BMR (basal metabolic rate) calories only is a good start until you get moving more. To find your BMR, simply multiply your body weight times 10, and that will give you a great estimate. If you are fairly active (1-3 workouts a week), add 2-300 calories on top of your BMR to keep everything working properly. If you are very active (4-5 workouts a week) add 4-500 calories so that your body can take the beating. Please note that when you’re very high in activity, your body needs a lot more. If you give it less than what it needs, it will simply rebel by slowing you down to conserve energy. So work with it and not against it. I would recommend getting some professional help to modify some things for you so that you get the best out of your workouts if things get hard. If you just want something to calculate your calories for you, go towww.caloriecontrol.org/calcalcs.html, and the work is done for you.

Remember to spread those calories you are supposed to have evenly throughout the day over at least 6 meals so that your body feels safe and gives you the best results. I must urge you all not to cut meals as it will make it longer and harder to lose weight. If you want more results just work out more often or harder, and your body will love you for it, rewarding your efforts with that engaging silhouette you are seeking. Your body doesn’t know you’re working out to look better or feel better, it simply reacts. If you go hard and don’t give your body enough fuel, it will simply rebel and slow your metabolic process to conserve precious energy. A car without enough gas will just stop, but your body will make you tired sooner, sleepier more often, and drain your good moods. This all can be avoided by giving it the right fuel. Hard work and eating frequently are weight-loss’s greatest weapons. If you eat once, twice, maybe three times on a good day, then food is typically scarce in the world of your body; so it holds onto the weight a lot more aggressively for self preservation. You see, one reason your body holds onto the body fat is because it thinks it needs it, like a camel storing water for hard times. No hard times means no aggressive storage, means no muffin top. So eat, for goodness sake!

Now that we’ve got you eating, let us address activity a bit more and how hard you should push. This is where many go wrong and have no clue what they are doing wrong. The human body responds best when it is pushed. It’s marvelous! You see, your body is great at doing as little as possible (go figure). Its primary purpose is to be as efficient as possible.

Why use 300 calories for that run if we can get it down to 100 calories? That’s what your body was designed to do, so the best way to approach activity is to challenge your body with one notch past comfortable. Problem is that in general we have a tendency not to push ourselves hard enough. You know that’s true, so don’t even start with me. We push as much as we can, and when we get to that comfort border, we stop and take a break until we get back down to the lower end of the comfort gauge. Problem here is that the best and quickest results are past that sweaty border. The best way to overcome this is to take a class at your gym, any class that you want, but stay for the whole class no matter how tired or out of place you feel. This isn’t about being perfect; it’s about progress. The idea is to get an idea of what that border is and learning to push past it, even if it takes getting yelled at for an hour to do it. This is almost always the best way to start. If that isn’t enough, take a boot camp course or get a trainer (article on picking the right trainer to come).

Now let’s get more specific on intensity. In general if you are in good health (please consult your physician before beginning a hard regimen), you should be getting your heart rate up between 70-80% of your heart rate for cardio workouts and try to keep it there for as long as you can for now. To find that out simply subtract your age from 220, and that will give you your 100%. Multiply that by 0.7 and 0.8 to give you that range (i.e. 220 – 35yrs = 185 max heart rate, then 185 x 0.7 and 0.8 = a target heart range of 130-148 for a kick-butt fat-shredding workout). Buy yourself a heart monitor if you don’t want to be held to a machine, or you can always use the one built into the machines if that is where you plan to be. Weight training in itself is a whole other article that we will approach later, but for now, find a great class, boot camp, or trainer that will do the trick.

Well, that’s it for now ladies. That is how to shred the body fat off your bodies in a nutshell. Fuel your bodies and push them hard, and they will reward you with heavenly curves to die for. Days of starvation and silly diets are numbered if I have anything to do about it (and I do). There is always more depth to all these subjects, so stay tuned and make sure to voice your opinions and questions in Agenda’s health blog. I promise to help as much as I can as our new health relationship develops. Until we meet again, I bid you all adieu, fair ladies.

* All Information from this article is taken from Fitness: The Complete Guide, Frederick C. Hatfield, PhD – Edition 8.6.6, 735pgs, International Sports Science Association.

By Anthony Heredia

How to Drop a Dress Size in a Month the Right Way

How to Drop a Dress Size in a Month the Right Way

Welcome, ladies of Agenda magazine to the beginning of what is to become a beautiful relationship between you and your lovely figure, soon to be your even lovelier slender figure. Let’s get started, shall we?

I would love to focus on empowering readers of all levels of health awareness, so I have decided to give you a nice, simple general overview of how to drop a dress size in about a month (and keep the weight off). But for those nutrition buffs, I will be adding more technical info in our “Health 101” section, which will include more technical specifics for everything. That way you have a choice on how deep you would like to go into our subject.

So now back to that pesky weight we want to just fall off. The easiest way to get your bodies to lose those bothersome pounds is to make your body feel safe.

So what do you mean by safe? Why doesn’t my body feel safe?

Good questions, and now here are some good answers. Well, you see, your body holds onto body fat for what it believes to be good reasons and not just to give you a hard time, as you might think. Remember, your body doesn’t care what you look like. It doesn’t care what car you drive, what job you have, what designer name you’re wearing; who you know, what style is in fashion, what color hair you have, or even who you married. Your body has better things to worry about like, hmmm, survival. So you have to work with your body to get it to do what you want. Your body doesn’t like change, such as weight loss if it is forced. It hates unnecessary change because your body sees it as stress. This is why, when you find a quick way to drop some weight, it comes back with a vengeance, because your body is basically rebelling. The question then is, So how do I get my bratty body to do what I want without putting it in self-defense mode? You give it what it needs. Yup, that’s it! The big secret is out now. Cars need gas, oil, coolant, steering fluid, etc.; and your body is a bit more complicated, so it needs a few things, too. Why our bodies hold onto weight is an article in itself, so you can look forward to that in a future article.

So get to it, you say. How do I make it feel safe to get what I want!?

Well, aren’t you the eager one! That is a fantastic question, and here is the fantastic answer: eat! I know you have heard it before, but it’s true, and here is how. Why will be in Health 101. First thing you should do is start by eating every 2-3 hours. Start with breakfast within 30-60 minutes of getting up in the morning to kick start your metabolism. What this will do is train your body not to hold onto the weight and basically tell your body that we don’t need the extra weight, so it is safe to let go now. If you eat a little something every 2-3 hours, then there is a steady stream of nourishment coming into your body so it has no strong reason to hold onto its storage, your body fat. You can find out how much you should eat at www.caloriecontrol.org/calcalcs.html. Eating every 2-3 hours is easy, so no excuses. It’s as easy as: cereal with milk and a 2-3 egg white omelet for breakfast; fruit and 7 almonds as a next snack; a sandwich or hearty salad with meat midday; fresh baby carrots and celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, or tons of others, as a next snack; a nice 3-part dinner with half the plate being a favorite veggie, one part 3-4 oz. of lean meat, a cup of rice, beans, pasta, or any other starch of your choice; and finally, some cottage cheese with a little fruit as a night snack, and you’ve got a full on-track day. More ideas for menus to come!

It can be easy, ladies. You can take control of your bodies if you want to. The basic idea is to eat a little bit at least 6 times a day every 2-3 hours, and your body will feel safe to let that weight go, even without calorie counting (specific calories in Health 101), and watch how your body responds. Don’t just take my word for it. How you feel and the shape of your body will tell all.

Step two is exercise, which can be so much fun if you let it be. It’s easier than you think. Exercise doesn’t have to be a dreadful thing. Make it fun or a personal challenge. You don’t have to be stuck in a gym staring at the wall and being gawked at to get a good workout, ladies. Think outside the box and expand your horizons. You can swim, bike, jog; take a hike, take a boot camp; power walk with a friend, fly (well maybe not); roller blade, take up a martial arts, play with your kids, play a sport; or my favorite, dance the night away with a feverish step and a twinkle in your eye and your girls or lucky man by your side . . . Heck! Dance at home for goodness sake! The idea is move! The best way to exercise is to do it in a way that gets you to do it again. So eating sensibly every 2-3 hours is the body’s gas, and the magic comes from your finding a way to get that gorgeous figure of yours moving and sweating (I mean glowing because ladies don’t sweat of course, they glow). These two steps will shed a dress size off you in about a month for sure. Now for the impatient ladies who want more sooner, details can be found in Health 101, but the basic idea will be to push harder.

So how do I drop that dress size? Well, O. K., I’ll recap it all for you this once, but only once, so pay attention. Step one is eat, please. Aim for every 2-3 hours, and if you’re afraid of heavy calories, then eat 3 square meals a day and graze on fresh veggies all day long, and that will get your body feeling safe with a steady source of food so that it will release that weight. Step two is to work out at least 3 times a week in one way or another, as long as you get moving and sweating (excuse me, I mean glowing) and go back for more. Remember to push hard enough to feel challenged, or else you won’t get enough bang for your sweaty buck. Be kind to yourself. Your body and life will be so much better, ladies, so have fun moving that body; and stay close for more updates on shaping the new empowered you. Also, remember that if this didn’t satisfy your thirst, make sure to delve into Health 101 for the nitty gritty of it all. Until we meet again.

* All Information from this article is taken from Fitness: The Complete Guide, Frederick C. Hatfield, PhD – Edition 8.6.6, 735pgs, International Sports Science Association.

Written by Anthony Heredia

Water for Elephants – Sam Gruen

Water for Elephants

Sara Gruen

A 90-year-old man─or is he 93?─narrates the story of his one summer as a veterinarian with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth during the summer of 1931 in depression-era America. Jacob Jankowski resides in an assisted living home with other elderly people, many of whom require more medical attention than he. He is quite mentally astute for his age, yet because of his age, most of the people in charge of the facility treat him as mentally incompetent, all but Rosemary, a forty-seven-year-old nurse, who treats him and the rest of the patients/residents with the loving care, dignity, and respect they deserve as human beings. But she is moving away and will be quitting the facility, which in the end leads to Jacob’s decision to continue his life─what little he may have left─in dignity.

There is a circus that has come to town. It is so close to the facility that the big tent and other goings on can be observed from the window. All of the old people reminisce about their experiences in their youth going to the circus. One old man and a newcomer to the home, Mr. Joseph McGuinty, who is considerably younger than Jacob, brags about having worked in a circus, carrying “water for elephants.” Jacob becomes upset because he knows Mr. McGuinty is lying to attract the attention of the other residents; and the memories of the truth of his past life are triggered.

Flashback to young Jacob Jankowski, a veterinary student at Cornell University in his last year! Just before he is scheduled to take his final exams, after which he will graduate and receive his degree, both his parents are killed in an automobile accident. After their burial and after learning the truth of his financial situation, Jacob is unable to focus. He leaves the exam room and leaves Cornell. Distraught, he leaves with only the clothes on his back and no money in his pocket.

Because of the Depression, people were unable to pay for his father’s services; and his father, also a veterinarian, worked for people even though they could not pay him, taking whatever they could give him─eggs, chickens, whatever they had. Therefore, his parents had nothing to leave their son but debts. To pay his tuition, the house had been mortgaged.

So not being able to focus, he leaves without ever putting pen to paper. Without aim or destination, he walks and soon finds himself beside the railroad tracks, when along comes a train. Like a hobo, he hops the train with no idea where he is going. He soon learns this is a circus train and is not tossed off it because the Benzini Brothers, whose circus it is, discover he is a veterinarian; and his services are badly needed.

Working as a veterinarian that summer leads to all kinds of experiences, tantamount among them which are falling in love, getting married, and eventually working with the circus’s one elephant.

After his summer with the Benzini Brothers, he is hired by Ringling Brothers. He, along with his wife, and his growing family, spends seven years as a circus veterinarian. He then becomes the veterinarian for the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. His seven years experience with exotic animals and his degree, in addition to bringing an elephant with him, insures him the job when the former vet suddenly dies.

Jacob, ninety years old─or is he 93? he asks himself, recognizing that his old age has caused some memory loss─struggles to hold onto his humanity and his dignity as long as he can. It is he who in his reminiscences about his circus life, his friendships, and his deep love for his wife narrates the story. The reader falls in love with Jacob and develops an even greater love and respect for “old folks.” Sara Gruen’s novel awakens the reader to the often mistreatment of and disrespect for the elderly, evoking empathy in their cause. Especially hurtful is seeing how their own families, their own children, mistreat them, or forget about them. Old people are still human beings. In many cases, their bodies may be broken, their hands and fingers gnarled, but in all cases, there is a brain inside their heads as Jacob proves. In having Jacob tell his story inWater for Elephants, the author informs us of this and reminds us of the fact that we will grow old someday. At the same time Sara Gruen affords us a moving and delightful read─so do not be misled by the title.

Reviewed by Lee L. Peoples

Choosing Peace

Choosing Peace

It’s difficult to remain in a bubble these days with so many threats of war in places like Iran, the Congo, Iraq…. I wonder if most people feel as I do: Enough with the news already. Let’s just listen to the radio. And we can go on and on, with no information, believing that we are all O.K.; it’s only those people in Iraq, Palestine, and other regions like the Congo who suffer.

But don’t we all suffer from the plague of war? And if we allow ourselves to think about what is happening to some of our fellow human beings, don’t we feel like we have to do something? I do. I want a personal meeting with God and ask Him why there is no intervention. Where is the earthquake to swallow up the war machine? Where is the tornado to end the various holocausts being waged against the Palestinians and Iraqis? I’m sorry, God, but where are you?

And then I begin to think that maybe we humans are gods, like those on Mount Olympus wreaking havoc upon the world to declare our superiority over the earth while destroying everything and everyone in our path. After all, the earth is limited in its supply and in what it can sustain. Do we really believe we will live forever? How can we if we continue to waste each other and the planet?

Over one million Iraqi civilians have died. Over three thousand troops have died since the beginning of the war. That offends me. That tears me up inside. Why is it O.K.? Tell me, who is being liberated?

I believe that I can share my planet with others. I believe that I do not have to hoard everything for myself. I have enough.

I thought about the war and how it seems to be a war over resources, because nothing else makes sense to me. It’s O.K. to kill people because we need to maintain authority in that region. It is no longer a war of liberation; it stopped being that years ago.

I know. You want me to change the station, right? O.K., who won on American Idol last night? I have no clue. How about on Project Runway, my favorite show? But now I don’t know because I refuse to be distracted while the indigenous peoples of the earth are suffering en masse in holocaust-type conditions.

I refuse to watch my favorite show. What can I do if God won’t reveal Himself! What can I do to stop the “madness?” Nothing! So like all others who happen to linger too long on the wrong radio station, I will hurry up and change to music I love, to anesthetize myself and shield myself from feeling even a hint of the mass grief of the abused peoples of the world. I will not allow myself to feel despair.

But I can no longer sit with my eyes closed. I must see what we are doing and the crimes we are committing. Then I must take action.

What can I do? Plant a garden, ride my bicycle, depend less and less on oil, use recycled goods, write to the President, my congressman, march for peace. I will not grease that squeaky wheel. I will ride my loud and squeaky protest against the well-oiled machine of war and outrageous assault against the earth.

And I say to gods and goddesses alike… Amen.

By Lisa Trimarchi

Make the Most Out of Your Purchase

Make the Most Out of Your Purchase

I never buy a blouse, a pair of earrings, or hot heels to wear in just one style. Whether the cost of the item is $10 or $100, it is still an investment that I take seriously. It’s a wardrobe purchase either way! So when it came to my recent buy, an orangeish-red, long-sleeved top from Target, I decided to show the various ways to wear it in front of a group of men and women.

This group of guests arrived to my “Good Girl Gone Shopping” launch party in celebration of my going forward with a new venture: helping individuals uncover their inner styles with personal shopping and wardrobe consulting. So in between cocktails being poured, hors d’oeuvres being devoured, and a table of male and female accessories being plowed through, I decided to show four different ways I could wear my new, red top (with the price tag kept on to prove that it was a real demonstration showing I have yet to wear it). With my own clothes, shoes, and jewelry set out on display, I illustrated casual and chic, casual and funky, dressy and sophisticated, and dressy with an edge.

As I was talking to the group sitting on my couches, I felt completely comfortable and ecstatic that I was giving others ideas on how to make the most out of their purchases. I also gave each person a challenge: The next time they see a mannequin wearing a whole outfit they love, they should visualize how changing one piece would give the total outfit a different appeal. I also suggested that they refrain from telling the salesperson, “I’ll take the whole thing. I want exactly what the mannequin has on.”

Whatever I do and wherever I go, I am always noticing how style is exemplified and how fashion is used to express one’s personality. Yet with so many factors that play into the decision-making process while getting dressed, I can’t help but wonder how many people fear wearing one of the favorite pieces the wrong way. Who Cares? That’s what I say in regards to playing around with a purchase.

Exploring your options now is perfect timing! Springtime is pretty much here in

Southern California; and shortly thereafter, the salty beaches quickly become the favorite go-to place (despite the heavy traffic on the 22 Freeway towards Huntington and the 55 Freeway towards Newport). There are already uniquely cut bathing suits in the stores, and the cutest darn sandals making their way on my must-have lists. So as I envision myself basking in the sun with Lucky in one hand and sifting through the grains of sand with the other, I will continue to enjoy the versatility of fashion.

It makes me smile to think that someone such as Jacquie, my friend, co-worker, and new client, is looking forward to having fun with her outfits and steering away from playing it “safe.” Admitting that my services are influencing her new-found excitement to shop and stand up a bit more confidently, Jacquie is growing into quite the “stylista” simply by stepping out of her comfort zone and exploring her personality. I encourage everyone to do the same!

If you’re a loyal “Talking Chic” reader, you may remember when I wrote, “The ‘F’ in Fashion is for ‘Fun'” after Britney shaved her head. Well, when it comes to exploring your options with your wardrobe, I think that pretty much sums it up.

But O. K., so you take your favorite pink blouse and pair it up with your black and white pinstriped pants, and those bright blue shoes you just had to have, and walk through the doors upstairs to work. But soon enough, you feel completely silly. You feel foolish for thinking that you could pull off a look you always wanted to try out. But how else will you know what really works for you and what doesn’t? How will you ever truly feel confident in trying out new trends?

Sometimes the worst stares and comments are the best comments you could get. This tells you that you’ve taken a brave step and tried something new. Incorporating a purchase into a full-blown outfit is what it’s all about. Although every item in your closet and jewelry box should have a special quality, sometimes you have to experiment and mesh new items together. It could be quite the explosion.

Written by Elana Pruitt

Visit http://www.diaryofapersonalshopper.blogspot.com andwww.myspace.com/talkingchic.

Devon Ball of Saigewear – Designing Active Wear for Women of Size

Devon Ball of Saigewear – Designing Active Wear for Women of Size

The clothes I was given to wear throughout my modeling career were not attractive or appealing, and if I ever had the opportunity to make a difference for women of size I would.

—Devon Ball—

Devon Ball is the founder and designer of Saigewear. She founded the company over 3 years ago. Having been a plus-size model herself, she was dissatisfied with the clothes she was provided to shoot in. There was also a limited amount of clothes available for women who wore the plus sizes. Out of that frustration, her clothing line was born.

In an industry that caters to smaller sized women, Devon Ball has pioneered a line of active and leisure wear that is not only flattering but promotes healthy body image and positive attitudes. Ball purports that a lot of full-figured women don’t go to the gym because there is such a minimal selection of workout clothes available, that they just don’t feel comfortable working out in. She herself realized that the only time she felt comfortable during her fitness regimen was while she was wearing men’s sweats. Dispelling the myth that the average woman wears a size 5, Saigewear brings fashion to a starved and neglected population of women who deserve to look and feel good about themselves. I met Devon at the shop in LA that manufactures her t-shirts and was given a glimpse of what this entrepreneur did to get her line out into the world.

All of us who are not a size 00 are grateful to you.

Thank you. I know how frustrating it can be when you’re trying to find something that’s flattering, feel confident in, or have clothes that you just want to go to the gym in. It’s really frustrating when you can’t find appealing workout clothes. Also, on the weekends you want to wear a sweat suit or travel on an airplane, and you can’t find really cute gear.

This is casual wear?

It’s casual, leisure, and fitness. This clothing line can be used for the gym, or just for going shopping or to a concert.

Designers have their own techniques of gauging sizes from different models. How did you determine the sizes for your line?

When I first started Saigewear, I went downtown to different designers, and [I looked for] manufacturers that would distribute really nice fitness wear. Those clothes [I discovered] were not true to size. That led me on a very frustrating path trying to find manufacturers that could cater to that need. That’s what led me to the [realization that I would have to design these clothes myself]. That is what led me to Joanna Le, and I found Judy at Nancy LA because of that very issue. I needed someone that was actually going to give me some clothes that were going to be true to size, because I wanted women of size to be able to fit into these clothes. So, I met with Joanna, gave her my vision, and she came back with exactly what I wanted. We actually sized these sweat suits a size or two up. We used suits that were extra large and made them a 1X or 2X, making that the new large. We added length, too, because a lot of women who are ‘of size’ are taller. So we’re not only catering to larger sizes, but taller sizes, too.

But it’s not just plus size is it?

When I would go to festivals, or I am out selling clothes, or doing fashion shows, I decided to cater to everyone, and now the sizes will range from medium to 4X.

Now what is a medium?

A medium is a 7/8 and we’ll take it to 4X, which is a larger size. If we have to go to 5X, I will, because I want to make sure that I am catering to everyone.

So you have the background of a model and a fit model, too. So you know when things don’t fit.

I am a former Ashley Stewart model. In fact, they were one of the [companies] that gave me my start. [As a plus size model,] I got knocked out of so many jobs because the things that they gave us to model just weren’t flattering. So imagine being in front of a camera and you’ve got on these clothes that are tight in the arms, loose in the stomach and they hang over on the neck. What do you do? You can’t radiate your true inner beauty. You’re not confident and you don’t feel at all that you can portray what they want you to. I got knocked out of a lot of jobs because of that.

The most incredible thing I notice when I am having photo shoots for Saigewear is I don’t care who puts on those clothes, their figures are flattered, they look good, they feel confident, and it’s radiated throughout the pictures. So if you look on the Internet at the magazine pictures that we have [on our website], my models are happy, and they look good.

What are some of the biggest areas you have to focus on when it comes to women’s bodies?

I think the biggest areas are the middle section, the hips, the rear end, the height, and the length. And depending on if they’re top-heavy, it could be their arms are an issue. I am trying to make things that are going to flow with your body.

What are your fabrics?

Right now I’m using cotton, lycra, and there is polyester involved. I don’t know exactly what I am going to pick next, but these materials seem to work very well.

Do your collections come out twice a year?

Well, right now they are coming out twice a year, but as Saigewear grows, I will be adding things in periodically. I am having so much fun, I am starting to see different designs that I can bring into fruition. As I grow, so will Sagewear.

Where can we buy Saigewear?

Right now, it’s primarily Internet. However, I am in the process of meeting with buyers. I’m looking at Sears, Macy’s, Lane Bryant, and Ashley Stewart.

Highest High

By just being a former [plus size] model, my passion has always been there. Before, I was always a size 4 to 6. Once I became plus size, my ‘high’ became greater than me. It’s almost like I have been instructed to create this [line] to help women want to get in shape, feel good about themselves, and to look good while doing it.

You’re going to help a lot of women’s self-esteem.

That’s exactly what I want to do. Saigewear actually started as a day spa. This started back in 2003. Getting $200,000 at that point wasn’t conducive to SBA’s thoughts at the time. They didn’t believe in it; so I kept downsizing, and I pulled out the boutique part, because Saige will eventually be a spa where people enter and regroup, refocus, get the inspiration they need to go out there and be all that they need to be in the world. So this is the very ground level of Saige.

Lowest Low

I was listening to Russell Simmons Do You!, and was just blown away because I think everybody that starts a business venture goes through what he described—I completely ran out of finances. I put tons of money into [my business], and then I had to go through what worked and didn’t work. Had I known what I know now, I’d be so much farther along. But with tenacity and hanging in there, the most incredible things have shown up to get me to the next point. So when I’m at my lowest low, I may get down for a minute, but I am not out!

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs starting a business?

Really hone in on what it is you’re trying to do and make sure that it’s your passion, because if it’s not your passion, you will not stick with it. This is my passion. And the only reason why I can stick through the fire and the brimstone of it all is because it is my passion. Surround yourself with people that are positive—that are going to help you to continue to see your dream, and people who are going to help you get to the next level. Stay away from a lot of negative energy, because that will only bring you down and help your vision to dissipate. When you’re doing something so great, you need to have very tight arms around you, because it’s not easy. Also, choose something that is going to help other people. I think that if there’s something you’re doing great, you can’t help but get it to other people. Try to surround yourself with people that have the knowledge. People that can understand your vision and can put you in touch with people that can help get you to the next level. Pretty much, just do all your homework, whether it is getting books from the library or finding someone who is already in the profession that you want to get into. School is never too much. They offer classes all the time on ways to help you get the skills you need. Most of all, pray!

Saigewear was featured in LA Focus, Save the Date, and Senior Life. To learn more about Devon Ball and Saigewear, visitwww.saigewear.com.

By Kaylene Peoples

Rachel Pally – Designing for All Shapes and Sizes

Rachel Pally – Designing for All Shapes and Sizes

Oprah’s Favorite Things show, which aired Last November 2007, only reinforced what I already knew about Rachel Pally’s designs. They’re fantastic, figure-flattering, and very universal. Pally’s Swing Turtleneck and Sailor Pants proved to be a big hit on the top-rated talk show. Rachel Pally’s designs have been featured in countless magazines, and have become favorites among celebrities. Pally launched her collection back in 2004 at Los Angeles Fashion Week, and that collection has gained the momentum of a snowball rolling downhill ever since. She has discovered the formula which makes every woman look and feel feminine, no matter what her size.

I remember that first collection. It was my very first time at Fashion Week, and I have to be honest, I expected stick figures in ‘unwearable’ garments to be walking down Rachel Pally’s catwalk. But to my delight, I saw clothes that even I could wear. Her collection was a women’s contemporary line, which utilized draping made from jersey to create sensual and beautiful tops, pants, dresses, and skirts. Ever since that day, I have been a die-hard fan of Rachel Pally’s designs. Imagine my sheer delight when I discovered that she had also come out with a plus-size line. In keeping with this season’s theme, RealWomen-Real Fashion, I thought an interview with the designer herself would be an added bonus to this issue.

I’ve seen your work for quite a few seasons, and of course, I am a woman with curves. So your line really does appeal to me. How do you get inspired?

I get inspired by looking at women and seeing the way women put themselves together. I watch movies and read magazines, but I am definitely inspired by a variety of women.

When did you get started?

I started my business after college. I graduated in 2002 from Berkley, and I made a set of samples, carried them around, and found a new PR firm that was just starting and was able to take me on for next to nothing.

Has your family been very supportive of your designing?

My family has been very supportive. Nobody’s actually involved with the business, but just in having an incredible support system. Everybody’s very proud of me, and everybody tries to play their part for sure.

What caught my eye about your clothes, in particular, is that they are very figure-flattering for women of all figure-types. What made you decide to design for that particular type of body as opposed to…?

The tiny contemporary shopper?

Exactly.

I make sure that in every season I have something for everybody. In fact, I [not too long ago] launched a plus-size line that is exclusive to Nordstrom. So saying that I was able to dress everybody in the contemporary market [isn’t true]. In fact, I was not able to dress everybody. So, I added the second division in order to make sure that I can dress a larger woman as well as 0-12. To me that’s super important. I feel there are a lot of lines out there that don’t cater to everybody and there are plenty of women out there who would love to find great fashions to make them look fantastic.

Have there been any challenges in creating designs for plus size?

No, and for the most part we used designs that were selling in the other departments—in the contemporary departments. Instead of having to design specific clothes for a larger woman, why can’t a larger woman just wear the same clothes, but in her own size? So, we’ve definitely made some changes with the patterns and changed the way things were fitting. But for the most part I don’t feel like there’s any reason why that customer has to have something totally different, as opposed to being able to go to Nordstrom and finding the same piece in the Savvy Departmentas they find in the Encore Department, which I think is definitely the way that I’d like to take that kind of division. That option doesn’t exist for a plus-size woman.

I really think it’s great. Like for instance with the Dove Campaign…

…And Tyra Banks having this whole backlash for those [unflattering] photographs, I think it is. We have to be realistic about what women look like, and how there’s no reason why women can’t find gorgeous clothes to wear that make them look great. There’s no reason a size 12 or size 16 or size 24 woman can’t look fantastic in her clothes. It’s nice to give that option to people. There isn’t another option. It doesn’t really exist in the market.

In creating your designs, was there any one particular body type that you felt was more challenging?

It’s definitely harder to fit the plus-size groups because women carry their weight in such different ways. But no, I work with jersey. It’s stretchy and you kind of make do. And not every piece is going to look good on everybody. But everybody in my office tries every piece on when we go through our sample fittings. We all have very different bodies, so it’s very important that everything looks at least good on everybody. It may not necessarily be the individual pieces we may want to purchase for ourselves, but it’s important to see that it works. Since I work with such a forgiving fabric, which cut the wrong way is not forgiving, but the way that we do it it’s so forgiving that dressing some women over other women is not so [difficult].

So jersey is your main choice of fabric then?

Yes. We’ve done other fabrications, including a cashmere line, accented pieces with satin, we did a fur holiday group, and there will be some changes. We will continue to add new elements, but for the most part it’s just jersey.

How well is the plus line that you launched with Nordstrom doing?

So far we’ve done very well. It’s selling online at Nordstrom.com. We’ve gotten a great amount of feedback. But it’s going to take a little while because it’s a brand new idea for that market. It’s not just another cute line that is available in thecontemporary market. It’s something totally unexpected and different for a woman who is accustomed to having to wear those polyester printed moo moos. So it may take a little while for it to catch on, but so far the feedback has been so glowing.

What are your price points?

The price points are about $150 for tops and about $250 for dresses. And it might be a little higher than that because it’s a little pricier than our regular contemporary line.

Highest High

My highest high was seeing a photograph of Sarah Jessica Parker in the Caftan dress. And seeing a picture of Jessica Simpson in the Gaucho pants—and they took off everywhere. I was just in Thailand, and my pants are still knocked off and hanging up on all those kiosks all over Bangkok. You can still find my Rachel Pally pants everywhere. That’s insane to be able to see that and say to myself, “Nobody around here knows, but I made those pants! I started that!” And now years later, you can find them all over the world. That’s definitely a high.

That’s a huge high!

Lowest Low

(Laughs) My lowest low was getting myself through reports today at Macy’s on the East Coast! It’s business, and there are times when there are lows. But it’s never been anything that you can’t recover from, luckily for me, at this point of my career. I just keep making it happen. I can’t get discouraged and you just keep pushing it through. The lows are very fleeting. The highs are very exciting.

As a successful fashion designer, what advice would you offer to someone who’s up and coming and trying to also achieve the same success?

I always feel like I give the same advice. If you are interested in becoming a designer and having your own business, go to college. No need to start and stop with design school. There are a lot of things you can learn along the way, but you have to have your brain trained to solve problems, act fast, and think quickly. That to me has been my biggest asset. I did go to school and I did work really hard and I trained my brain to be fast. I think that that has really helped me more than a design class. There are amazing designers who came out of design school, but for me and the path that I took, my education was the most important thing.

What was your major in college?

I did city planning, cultural geography, and dance. And I did very random things to have ended up in this industry. But at the same time, thinking is thinking.

Do you think that because of the complex major that you had, this is why you’re able to think outside of the box and dress for all types of women as opposed to your standard?

Having a dance background is the reason that I can dress for all types of women. I understand the body and I understand the way people move and I understand where things should fall and how things should drape—all based on costumes and based on movement. I’m sure some of it has to do with the diversity in my interests over the years. But I look at my collection and I think, “Wow, I was so clearly a dancer.” There are things in my wardrobe that look like things that I had to wear as costumes, and things that I would have loved to have worn, instead of other things. I feel like that’s where the roots are for sure.

What’s next for Rachel Pally?

I am just trying to continue to evolve and keep the line exciting. There’s a lot of competition in the jersey market. It’s nice to continue to offer exciting prints or exciting trims or different types of belts, accessories, and to make sure that we stay a step ahead of our game so that we can keep it fresh and keep our buyers excited. hel Pally, visit her website at www.rachelpally.com, and to purchase items from Rachel Pally’s plus-size line, visit Nordstrom’s stores or Nordstrom online.

By Kaylene Peoples